Sunday Drive with the Iroanyas

For the past 6 years Ed has been picking up the Iroanyas for church on alternate Sundays. I usually am not with him, because I'm either playing the organ or one of us has to go to Ward Council before church. It was fun to be able to ride with him this week as he picked them up for church. They have grown up a lot in 7 years! It's been fun watching them turn into fine young people! We'll miss them!

Treading with the Halseys

Mark and Mary invited us to take a break from packing this afternoon and join them at the South Carroll Swim club. It was our first and last time to go there, so we were glad we squeeked it in before our big move. It has two nice pools and is located pretty much in the middle of nowhere! It was hot enough that we appreciated the opportunity to cool off in the water. We joined them in their favorite pass time --treading water!

Mary made us dinner, to boot! We thiught she was super woman. She did all that as well as drive over and pick up two of their grandchildren to watch while their brother had his appendix removed.

Mark gave Ed some hints on how to enjoy retirement,  as he retired several months before Ed.  Keeping up with 15 grandchildren is not going to be one of Ed's problems!

Maybe we can find a nice place to take the Halseys treading when they visit us in Utah!

Goodbye Fire Road

Ed and I took Coda for one last walk along the fire road this morning! It was so beautiful and so sad to know we won't be walking it again in the near future!

Goodbye, Whale Rock!

Goodbye, Liberty Reservoir!

Goodbye, Ol' Swimmin' Hole!

Goodbye, ferns!

Goodbye, beautiful Maryland walking trail! Ed, Coda and I are soon embarking on another adventure. I hope we find a walking trail as nice in Utah!

Ex-Presidency Last Hurrah

Because we missed Heather at our last dinner, the ex-Primary Presidency had one last meeting this week. We met for lunch at French Twist. We ate our crepes on the front porch and talked as fast as we could. There is never enough time to talk yourselves out! I'll miss these ladies! We had some good times together! I'll also miss Sykesville's very own cute little crepe restaurant!

Trust in Me Song by Jen

Jen came over Wednesday to record one last song before I left town. She had written a song for her son Tommy, who left to serve a mission earlier this year. I helped her chord it and wrote the piano part, and it turned out very nice, I thought.

Jen has a gift for songwriting (as well as singing), and has written 4 or 5 songs since we've been in band together. I hope to hear more from her in the future!

The Song is called Trust in Me. If you'd like to hear it, click the link below!



If you'd like to sing and play it yourself, click this link!

Letzter Stammtisch

Yesterday was my last Stammtisch in Sykesville. The German club has been a great way for me to speak German at least once a month. The members are so easy to be with and happy to talk about their lives each month in German. It was terrible hearing how Tony's ladder fell over while he was trimming a tree last month, and how a broken leg can aggravate one's dormant gout!

I enjoy playing the games and doing the puzzles together. Danke, deutsche Freunde! Ich werde euch vermissen!

Last Weight Watchers

Yesterday was my last Weight Watchers meeting in Sykesville. I met a lot of nice people there. It was fun having another Judy there, as well! My Judy friend has lost 50 pounds and I lost 40. She joined about 7 months after I did, and it was fun seeing her come back every week working hard and experiencing success.

We met in the Optimist hall, which while although being very convenient, was not famous for its acoustics! Our lecturer, Deb, did a fantastic job of getting us to share our successes as well as our struggles during the meetings. The group of ladies was so welcoming that you felt like you'd let them down if you didn't show up every week!

Notice Deb's Daisy Duke shorts (foreground) that she brought to the meeting this week. She wore them in college and they are too big for her now!

I wonder if there is another group of Weight Watching ladies as nice in Utah!