Two New Additions

We have a piano!!

Not just any piano, either.

This is MY piano.

The piano of my youth.

Sixteen years ago, when we lived up in Plain and worked at Alpine Boys Ranch, Todd and I brought my family piano over from Tennessee. 

Unfortunately, when we moved to Michigan, I couldn't take the piano with me so we donated it to the boys ranch.

When we moved back this summer, I asked the secretary at the ranch if my piano was still there.  When she informed me that it was, I asked her that if ever there was a day that the ranch decided to get rid of the piano, I wanted to be the first on the list to take it. 

Well, last week the secretary called me up and said they really weren't using it and I could have it back now.

Today, instead of doing school, we spent the day getting a trailer and loading up the piano.  We also got to take the opportunity to take the kids through our group home where we once worked and were Todd once lived as a boy.  Even Bonnie spent the first few months of her life there in our group home.

Now Bonnie can take piano lessons, in fact, she is down there now playing on it.  Oh, one other thing....all of my piano books were still in the bench so Bonnie has some beginner books to work through until we get a teacher lined up.

The piano wasn't the only new addition to our home this week.

We are also the proud owners of a new van.

Some of you know we once had a mini van but gave it to some friends when we left North Carolina.  We still had our Chevy Blazer which fit our family perfect but it fit only our family.  Since we have been at the church, we are often asked to give rides to people within the church.  Also, with me babysitting, we often have an extra child in the house.  This causes a problem with our five passenger vehicle.  If the roads aren't bad, Todd can drive the truck or his mom gives some of our kids a ride so that we can fit everyone in.

That brings me to our new van.  Sunday, Todd's mom came over and told us about this van her mechanical wanted to sell.  It is a 1998 GMC Safari eight passenger van.  It has less milage than our current vehicle and has been completely overhauled.  The cost wasn't bad either.  So with much thought, we decided it was an offer we couldn't refuse and purchased it.

Now we have a seat for everyone.