Saturday: Library | Bridge | Biggby | Wilson Park | Ice Cream Truck | Open House | Family Party
Another big day! Started out with me and Emmy making a trip to the library. Some people laughed at the thought that I would want to visit my old work place, but I just laugh at them, because I LOVE my library and my great co workers! We checked out Patrick the Page’s Eagle Scout Project. Patrick is the page that was hired after I left, and for his project he built colored peg boards at the end of all the shelves to hang books or announcements off of! Very well done!
We also visited with Bill and Karen and Marge, and of course said our hellos to the fish!
After that we made a trip to Biggby coffee shop (yet another “Michigan Only” that is a must in life) and then a quick trip to check out the bridge that was being rebuilt right off our old neighborhood. It was GONE!! A bridge that had been there our whole lives, that we had walked over, under and spit off of. Gone.
After we snapped a few pictures we had a 1:00 meeting with two beautiful young ladies, Taylor and Alyssa. Last year, when Emmy and I were counseling at Girls Camp, we were talking about hor God moved us from Mt. Clemens Michigan to Aberdeen Maryland. All of a sudden two of our girls, Taylor and Alyssa announce that THEY lived in Mt. Clemens!! I couldn’t believe that I finally had campers who lived near me and I had moved!
But, it was wonderful to be able to spend time with them this trip. Emmy and I got to the park we were meeting at a few minutes early, and promptly took off like little kids. “wow! They have a zip line! Oh look! A rolly slide! What's this pedal thingy? Hey! Look at this! Why didn’t we ever come here? This park has EVERYTHING!!”
Before long (and after several trips across the zip and down the fun slide) we saw Alyssa round the corner, and we ran to greet her. We caught up with her life, which has gone through a lot of changes in the last year, then we began to wonder where Taylor had gotten herself to. it was a good half hour after 1:00, and I knew she knew the time and place because I had talked to her the night before. Alyssa called her and turns out the girl had lost track of time, but was on her way!
Fifteen minutes later she arrived and the rest of the afternoon was a wirlwind of playing games on the jungle gym, talking, Alyssa running home to get something to drink and us hiding from her when she got back, and just having fun. At one point we heard the ice cream truck coming. Emmy looked at me and said “Ash! Do you have money!?” I said “YES! Taylor! Run and stop that truck!” Taylor took off and waved the truck into the parking lot, then came running back “why did I stop it?” she asked. “Because we’re getting ice cream!” I told her as we made our way to the musical truck. We all picked out our flavors and chatted with the lady. Before we let her leave I asked to get a picture of the girls in front of her truck. She excitedly agreed and told us her name saying “find me on Facebook and tag me in the picture! I don’t have any pictures of my and my truck and I want to show my grandkids!” 
We enjoyed our ice cream as we sat on the teeter totter, singing all the Girls Camp songs we could remember, until Taylors brother came to pick her up. Then Alyssa made her way home and Emmy and I left as well, happy to have been blessed with such beautiful company!
By the time we got back on the road, it was only a half hour before we had to be back at Grandma’s for a family party. But there was a grad party Emmy wanted to stop in at, just long enough to say hello and good bye, so we did, which put us getting back right on time for the first of our aunts, uncles and cousins to arrive.
The rest of the night was spent hanging out and discussing life and reconnecting with our extended family.
Sunday: Church
So begins our last day in the “Gan”. We woke up and packed the car as much as we could, then headed out to church. It was great to be among our home church again, seeing how everyone has grown and nothing has changed (sometimes it really is a good thing :-)
My favorite moment was when Kathryn (8?) and Maddie (6?) came in. I hadn’t seen them since I moved a year ago, and when they saw me they both yelled “ASHLEY!!!” and ran to give me the biggest hugs! Maddie excitedly said “we haven’t seen you in WEEKS!” I laughingly informed her that it had been a WHOLE YEAR!
After the break we hung out, and caught up. Then as the second service started I ran around the small gym (we meet in a school gym in folding chairs) and hugged everyone, telling them that we were leaving right after announcements.
As the second service began I sat myself down next to Jessie and was excited to see that Mr. Brad was leading singing. After a song or two Mr. Mike asked the four graduates to come up to be recognized and receive a gift.
Then it was time to go even before Mr. Bill got up to preach. I hugged Jessie and got up, waving to people as I passed and sprinted down the hall to the Sunday school where Jeanie was leading the kids in singing. I hugged each of them while they finished up the song, told Kathryn to write me and left them to go hug my sister, who was staying in Michigan to head up to Camp later in the week.
Then we got in the car and went back to Grandma’s, where we left Mom, who was staying a few days extra to stay with Grandma LeRoux while she had surgery.
Then I was left the sole girl to drive the ten hours back with Dad and my brothers. Another trip over, hoping to return soon.
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