Here are some pictures of the band at the game tonight; here they have marched in and are lining up to go onto the field to play the Star Spangled Banner:


Chris is the trombone player in the front:

Here they are on the field getting ready to play:


This was their half-time show; sorry it's so dark. They have around 106 members in the band this year:

And just to prove I WAS at a football game, here is a shot of the game:


We left just after the 3rd quarter began, and our school was losing. But it's only the first game of the season. They still have time to improve.

Tonight is the first home football game of the season, which means it is also the first 'performance' by the Marching Band. This year will be Chris' last, so it will be bittersweet. I hope to get some good pictures and will post them later. The weather is wonderful and has cooled off just enough to where you won't sweat sitting in the stands, but not quite cool enough for a jacket. I love the transition from summer to fall.

This weekend Billy's family has a large family reunion; it is always held on the Sunday before Labor Day. We rent out one of the boys clubs, which allow us to use their facility including the indoor pool. The kids really like that option. We all bring a dish and stuff ourselves silly while catching up on each others lives. Some of the families we only see at these reunions, so it's neat to see how kids have grown, and what new babies have been born since last year.

Hope everybody has a great Holiday weekend!!

We helped move our daughter and son-in-law last weekend; it is a very nice place with more room than they had previously. Here is Sydney in her new room:


Billy hung a coat rack for them and used a 'light saber' as a level:



Then Sydney wanted to go outside, so we went out on their balcony and blew some bubbles:






I think she is enjoying her new place as well as her mom and dad. It is further away, but closer to Danny's work.

The BSU has been buzzing with students in the past couple of weeks, and they had their first 'official' lunch on Wednesday. Billy said they had a good turnout.

Tonight was the "grill out" night at the BSU. It is also a chance for area churches to show students what opportunities they have available to them. It is a great way for those students who are not already attending a church to hopefully find one to attend while they are in school. We had a great turnout, the weather was a little warm, but there was a breeze so that helped. Here are some pictures:

This is a student that attends our church and is a freshman this year at MSU:

This is the BSU music group "New Dawn":

This is a "getting to know you" game; you introduce yourself to someone new, then while looking at them eye-to-eye, you play 'thumb wars'.



I think all who attended had a great time and the churches who participated were able to meet lots of students. We had quite a few 'first-timers' as well. Friday night will be 'game night', where the students are invited to come and play different types of board, card, video, etc., games at the BSU. Next week will begin the regular weekly activities including the weekly lunches at both the OTC and MSU campuses.

The college classes officially began on Monday; and the BSU had one of many 'activity nights' last night. It was 'dinner and a movie'. There were about 20 that showed up, with 3 being new freshman!! We always hope that the freshman keep coming back and eventually feel led to be in a leadership position some day.

There is an activity every night the first week of school. Tonight was "guys and girls" nights; the guys went to one place for fellowship and the girls went to another!

Wednesday is hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch; Thursday is grill-out night with area churches and a worship service. Friday night is game night. It's always neat to see new faces at the BSU!

Our daughter and son-in-law are moving to another apartment this weekend; it will be farther away, but their new place is bigger and better than what they have now. I think our granddaughter will also like her new room!

We should hopefully have some pictures of the first week of school posted soon!!

Sorry there has been no post for a week or so; Billy did take a group of international students to our county fair last Friday, and they all had a good time. Not sure if all of them ate a corndog or not, but I know they at least got to experience something most of them wouldn't normally get to. (I still hope to get some pictures on here soon.)

Things are starting to get busy at the BSU, with fall classes starting very soon. There have already been several coming in from other countries to attend MSU. There are approximately 60 new students coming in from India alone, and possibly 30-50 from China. Billy is currently working with some of the other students in establishing a 'house church' for any International student who is interested. This would be on-campus to make it easier for students to attend. Please pray for this project.

Our pastor's wife had surgery on some torn ligaments in her ankle just this past week; she is home but still in quite a bit of pain. Recovery will be long and slow. She is not a woman to 'stay still' for very long, so this is going to be very hard for her!! And with 3 little girls at home to care for, I'm sure they won't understand why their Mommy just can't do all the things she used to! Looks like our pastor will have his hands full for a while.

There are some major changes coming in the office I work in, but right now it looks they will all be positive changes at least where I'm concerned. I have to keep believing that God knows what He's doing!! The next few months will be stressful, but hopefully worth it.

It's also been very hot here in Missouri, and no rain for over a week now. I'm sure Billy (and Chris) are hoping that our grass will just die so they don't have to mow. But it needed mowing before this heat-wave hit, so that's not going to be possible. The picture at the top is of our backyard during a rainshower that moved through a couple of weeks ago; I thought it was neat that the sun was still shining, and the raindrops were so big!! (you can really see them if you click on the picture to enlarge it)

Billy & I promise to try and keep this page updated more often than we have been. Thanks to everybody who keeps checking back for updates week after week, even though we may not have updated in a while. We still appreciate your support!! Until next time, stay cool!!

A Night At The County Fair

Here are a few pictures of our night at the fair with my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. Billy is taking a group of international students on Friday night, so we'll post more pictures then.

This was right after we arrived; we were eating corn dogs and drinking root beer, and unfortunately Sydney spilled some on her white shirt!!









Here is the ferris wheel.




Here is the place to buy the root beer in a "little brown jug". (except it really wasn't in a 'brown jug', it was more like a clear plastic one.)











A larger view of the ferris wheel.









One of the midway rides.











Sydney enjoying some ice that her Grandpa gave her:











This ride was called "The Zipper". It has been at the fair for over 25yrs! By the looks I kind of wonder if it's the exact SAME one my sister and I used to ride when we would go to the fair as teens!











We all had a good time, and when we got to the car to leave, Sydney didn't want to go! By next year she should be big enough to ride the kiddie rides. I also entered some "no-bake" cookies in the Grandparent's Cookie contest on Tuesday and got 2nd place, which won me $4.00!! Wahoo!! It was a lot of fun to watch 2 teen-aged girls eat your cookie then see them discuss which one was the best. I don't do good at reading lips!!