May 2010

This was a month of highs and lows, gain and loss, challenges and extremes of weather ranging from the 4" of snow on our flowers, breaking off lilacs to the 4 days of more than 90 degrees. It was a month we felt God's love and support throughout.

On May 7, Mark's mother, Hazel, went home to her Savior. At 91 years old, she was able to be at her own home until the last 2 weeks, with lots of loving care and oversight from son Phil and his patient wife Connie. They did so much for her those last 7 years in Rice Lake. In Lomira, we were overwhelmed and moved by the large turnout for Hazel's funeral on the 15th, where all four grandsons served as pallbearers, with Jim and Kayme getting up very early to fly in that morning.

Mark had to be in Missouri the week before the funeral and then off to Colorado and Utah right afterwards, very hard for him to be away instead of home. However, one of the blessings of the month was those 3 extra days of having Jim and Kayme here, filling the house with activity and hope for the future. They will be adding the first of the next generation of Henkels in December, a great joy to all of us. Kayme has a real glow about her most days.

We were all glowing for the other truly happy occasion on the 21st, when Jim was formally "hooded" with his PhD in microbiology in the Milwaukee Theatre. Kayme's brother Paul had graduated from seminary that morning, so the Fritzes and Henkels were all very happy gathering for dinner before departing in different directions.

Mark and Jim had lots of bonding time the day after the funeral: they struggled mightily to replace our dishwasher in the non-standard cabinet, with rather wet results. Jim, Kayme and Hilde invited Heidi and her boyfriend Aaron and several black belts for a grill out which was enlivened by SIX children age four or younger! One guy volunteered to come back the next night so he and Jim could solve the dishwasher dilemma. What a relief.

Between all the big events and travel, Mark and Hilde got their large garden in and mowed and mowed the lawn. Lots of other chores kept both busy as we weeded and mulched, painted and fixed. Today, at the end of the month, we installed the new carriage lights around the driveway, despite the challenges of really backward wiring, and Mark wired and mounted the invisible fence which Jim, Kayme and John bought for us. They did all the digging and testing while they were here...we just had to affix it to the wall. Freddie is learning about the new limits and we are very grateful for the set up.

ON the way home from the funeral, we stopped in the Horicon Marsh to watch and listen to the birds and watching a muskrat. It was perfectly tranquil, despite the rush of traffic.