Two More Weeks?

How in the world does this happen?  The next thing we know, two more weeks have flown by!  I am sorry, it is just a little crazy!

Okay, so here is a bit of a "catch up."

Last weekend Jackie had a bunch of women together to celebrate her bridal shower... oh yeah, Grandpa Naylor, too.  But the real miraculous part of the party was that Grandma Naylor was able to come down to Linesville to celebrate with them!  There were so many family and friends that came out for the day, Jackie was extremely blessed.  When I came home from the Junior High District Band Festival, Jackie was so excited about the day that she could hardly contain herself!  Thanks to all of you who shared that day with her.

Last Wednesday, we held our Spring Band Concert at the school.  It was an incredible evening that brought many compliments to the students and was a great overall blessing.  It is hard to imagine that another class will be graduating in a couple weeks - a class of students that seems like just yesterday they were bouncing into my kindergarten classroom fully expecting another great music lesson and all excited to learn another new song for the day.  I will miss having them in my ensembles but am looking forward to seeing them soar off onto the horizon as they move into the next chapter of their lives.  They had better come back to visit once in a while, that is all I have to say!

Then, this past weekend Adam and I (along with 11 other members of our worship teams from church), went to a fantastic praise conference called AMS @ Crosspoint Chapel in Buffalo, NY.  We all walked away touched and blessed beyond measure.  There was so much information offered that every element of praise and worship was touched on with great points covering ways to improve our ministry as we strive for excellence for the Lord.  The bands and worship teams were simply out of this world! [No pun intended]  We have already put next year's conference on the calendar as a "must attend".

Finally, today was our church's annual blessing of the bikes.  You might find it hard to believe, but I spent most of the early part of the festivities meeting and talking to newcomers to the event.  By the time I got out to the parking lot to take some pictures many of the bikes and riders had already been blessed and left!  So I snapped a few shots as people were leaving but had to talk with those who were left.  Like the father and son (16 years old) riding matching custom Harleys who were going to be featured in an upcoming advertising campaign by Harley-Davidson trying to reach out to the younger generation.  Or the woman who had unfortunately hit a dog on the way to the church.  There was some damage to her Harley, and sadly, some of the remains on the pipes and covers of the bike.  The blessing is that she was able to keep the bike upright and was not hurt.

Many of the bikes had left by the time I took this picture, but the exciting thing was that this year we set a record with over 160 motorcycles.  Talk about time flying by... this was our 8th "Blessing of the Bikes" event!

Unique machines?  It seems that each year brings something that is very unique and this year did not disappoint.  Of course, it is customary that whenever something really cool comes along, our pastor has to take it for a spin around the parking lot.  This tiny little chopper packs an incredible 110cc powerplant with a 4-speed tranny!  After his first lap, he stopped in for a pit-stop to find out how to get it out of 1st gear!  The shift pattern is simply four down, come on - everybody knows that!  (ha-ha, who woulda' guessed, right?)  After the blessing, we went out for a ride to the historic, White Turkey root beer joint in Ashtabula, Ohio.  You know, you have to have a root beer float!

Many of you look forward to updates on our family members who are facing some very difficult times, so I thought it a good idea to share a brief update with you.  Emily is still struggling, so please continue to keep her in your prayers.  The doctors are going to try some experimental medications to see if they can help with her recovery.  She is having a very tough time of it.  Jim is struggling even more than she is, so we greatly appreciate all of your concern and prayers.  Poor Candy is trying to keep up with everything but it is so overwhelming.

One Never Knows

On occasion, life has an interesting way of bringing great people alongside of us.  For the past couple months Dan Miller has been working with me as a student teacher from Edinboro University, PA.  He was a tremendous asset and a real blessing - a friendship that I am sure will continue to grow over the coming years.

The kids thought he was fantastic!  If you work with kids, you know that says a great deal.  Thanks Dan, for all that you brought to our little school!  I pray many blessings on you as you continue on your way which, I'm sure, will be a truly great adventure of your own.

Dan graduates this Saturday but is coming back to Linesville next Wednesday to conduct a couple selections at our Spring Concert.  We are all looking forward to a great evening.

Tired of the bridge?

Okay, I'm not gonna lie - I cannot even believe that it has been an entire month since my last posting!  Life has had us on the "wheel" and we have been running like crazy but not really getting anywhere.  Have you ever been there before?  Now, in all honesty, looking back we have truly covered a lot of ground as we get ready for things yet to come yet at the same time we have been taking care of an incredible amount of present day demands.

My classes went very well, but demanded far more time than I had planned.  And to think that I only have another fifteen months to go!  Woo-hoo!  They were very good though and I was able to glean a great deal from them.

The wedding plans are coming along very well - thanks of course to Dawn and Jackie [between the lines = no thanks to Will and I!].  This weekend will be the big wedding shower.  A gathering of all kinds of chicks - from the mother hens all the way down through the little chickadees.  Joys!   Just kidding ladies, just kidding!

I just talked to Jackie and she is doing really well at school.  Her classes are finished this Thursday and she is really excited to come home.  That will mean that she is on to her next thing... Here comes the bride...

Will won't be there because he is busy in Sommerset putting the new business together.  He is planning to open his doors on Monday.  Of course, if he doesn't have to be there, neither do I!  Now don't get me wrong, I would love to spend the day with my girl, just not at a shower.  I've passed through a couple of them before and they are most certainly designed for those with the xx chromosome.  I think it is a chromosome thing.

Many of you are probably wondering what is going on with Emily.  She has been having it really tough lately.  For over 75 days she has been trapped in her hospital room!  She has only been able to escape a couple times during the past couple weeks and even then, only for 15-20 minutes.  Due to a low white blood cell count she cannot risk exposure to any germs.

She has a couple different infections as well, so they have had her on various anti-boiotics in an attempt to fight them off.  In conjunction with that, is a battery of steroids which is why she is so puffy.

Emily is tough though, she has been through far more than any teenager should have to face and yet, carries a positive attitude that simply exudes a sense of, "I'm gonna get through this!"  The doctors feel that she is on track to pull through the transplant and treatments just fine.  It is taking longer then we expected, that's all.

Jim is not doing as well.  They still have not performed the surgery and the cancer has moved into his spine.  There is far too much happening there to write about in this entry, but please remember him in your prayers.  A miraculous healing would be wonderful!

For those who look forward to my postings, please forgive my absence.  I will try very hard to keep you up to date.

Where is that bridge?

I was asked about the bridge in my last posting so here is a little information about it.  From Wikipedia:

The Smolen–Gulf Bridge is a covered bridge which carries State Road (Ashtabula County Road 25) across the Ashtabula River and the Plymouth and Ashtabula Township line in northern Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. At 613 feet (182.9 meters), it is the longest covered bridge in the United States – a title formerly held by the Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge in New Hampshire – and the fourth longest covered bridge in the world.[3] The bridge, one of 16 drivable covered bridges in the county, was designed by John Smolen, former Ashtabula County Engineer when the idea of bridging the Ashtabula River Gulf with a wooden structure was first conceived in 1995.

Here is a link to its location:

Smolen-Gulf Bridge, Ashtabula, Ohio

A great destination on such a beautiful weekend!  Happy riding!

We pray that you will have a very blessed Easter this year!  Remember to take some time and thank our Savior for all that he has done, and continues to do, for us.

Goodbye old friend...

Don't worry, nothing drastic or crazy is happening... well, not too drastic that is. Adam and I uncovered the camper today so I can start prepping it. This year, the plan is to sell it. We hardly used it the last two seasons and after such a fantastic journey last year on the bike, well, it just stands to reason that it is time to say goodbye.

It has been a great deal of fun over the years to camp in new and exciting places with the kids. They loved packing up all the gear (and don't forget the bikes!), inviting a friend, and heading out with great expectations of another exciting adventure.

Over the years, we have camped in northern Michigan, Maine, the Outer Banks, Kansas, Florida, on the Chesapeake Bay, West Virginia, New York, Ohio, and countless Pennsylvania locations. That of course, is not counting all the trips we took while living in Europe and California! Traveling seems to be in our blood - the road simply calls to us and we cannot resist its bidding.

But the kids have grown. Jackie will be moving to Somerset with Will, and Adam is busy with his job. And when we travel, we thoroughly enjoy riding the bike which means staying in a hotel. So for the time being we won't be using our old friend very much, therefore it makes more sense to sell it than to use it as a lawn ornament.

I never thought there would be a day when we wouldn't have a camper, but the time has come.  Afterall, for everything there is a season: a time to sow, a time to reap; a time to get up, a time to lay down; a time to camp, AND A TIME TO RIDE!

Walking

Oh yes, we definintely love walking during this time of the year.  The air is crisp and clear, the trails are dry, and there aren't any bugs that chase you down and suck your blood!  Not only did we get to go on a motorcycle ride on Saturday afternoon, but have been able to get out for three different evening walks!

This coming Saturday will mark another first for the year - we plan to go cut some firewood!  Time to fire up the old Stihl and fill the wood sheds back up for next winter.  [In case you couldn't tell, Dawn and I have become planners.]

Easter weekend is going to be very nice so a couple more bike rides are definitely in order!  Keep your eyes open 'cause there will be a ton of bikes out this weekend!  vroom! vroom!!!

Happily Ever After

Once upon a time there was a young princess who loved to explore the kingdom through countless portals in her castle that we know as books.  She was quite content to travel through time and places while relaxing comfortably, curled up under a blanket, twisting her hair and simply reading away.

Then, one day, she met this nutty young pauper with all kinds of crazy ideas.  The princess was intrigued by the way that he could simply ramble on about nothing at all and she would listen to him for hours while gazing dreamily into his bright blue eyes!

It wasn't long before the two fell deeply in love.  They married, had children, struck out on countless adventures, served the Lord their God, and were richly blessed by their time together!  They became fantastic companions while sharing in the joys of the journey's mountaintop experiences!  Truly, a more perfect couple could not be found in all the earth.

Then one day, a few adventures later, they found their hair graying, faces wrinkling, eyes blurring, children grown, and loved ones facing many difficult and perilous days.  But what they surprisingly discovered was that through the darker journeys they had taken, a miraculous transformation had taken place.  For they had been shaped, not only into the best of friends, but also into unwavering pillars of strength for each other so each one could help the other through dark and difficult passages along the journey. 

Through each life adventure, the two fell more deeply in love and became more spiritually interwoven to the point that no man could ever begin to seperate them! 

And they lived happily ever after.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!!!!!  I love you more!!!!!