July 17, 2015, from IL through IN on to MI

Found this quilt shop just 1/2 mile from our hotel in Rockford, IL Picked up the Row by Row pattern and license plate. 

 Many of the trucks have painted logos and such on them.   Who would have thought hot beverages would be shipped in a tanker?

 In Edwardsburg, MI, we stopped briefly at Robin's Nest quilt and also got the Row by Row pattern and license plate.

         One of the many old, quaint homes in Edwardsburg.

     Love the flag, here at the corner of an antique shop.

July 16, 2015 on to Illinois

Today is our 32nd anniversary and we spent the day traveling from North Platte to Rockford, IL.  Wide, flat land into rolling hills of Iowa and Illinois.  We met our friends the Coons at the Machine Shed restaurant.

One of the many trucks on the road.

We had dinner at the Illinois Machine Shed.  You have to experience it at least once!  Forget your diet and come next time you're in Illinois or Iowa. 

The rolls, cottage cheese and coleslaw were complimentary.  Below is a very filling chicken pot pie.

I had the salad of which I took half of it home.  Yummy! 

Ham and potatoes also delicious 

Catfish and sweet potato fries

Steak and potatoes

The Coons on the left and Wards on the right 

These are exterior photos of the restaurant--all American and such delicious food and family owned!.  Yeah! 

July 15, 2015

Tuesday the 14th, the ladies of the church got together to sew chair covers for Jewel's upcoming wedding.  Sara manned one of the irons and I handled a sewing machine.  There were about 90 finished, PTL! 

 

On the 15th, we Wards had lunch at KFC--this one had a buffet--yummy! 

Peter took us to Buffalo Bill Cody park and saw one of many peacocks.  He did not show off his feathers, though. 

Then we went to Cody's Scout's Rest Ranch which was Cody's home in North Platte.

Sara sitting in one of the fancy carriages at the Ranch. 

Peter preached Wednesday night from II Corinthians 13 where Paul admonishes the church to "examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; repent of their sin and prove your own selves."

July 13, 2015, North Platte

Today Peter took us to Camp Patmos, a ministry of the North Platte Baptist Church.  It is about 70 acres of land on the shore of a huge lake.  A beautiful place.  Peter took us out on the boat around the lake.  The shores are surrounded by many types of homes.  We even found a dead catfish floating by--it did not have a pleasant smell, though.   First we stopped by the two day care centers operated by the Church.  The workers are in the process of painting the walls.   After a dinner of hot dogs we played Dutch Blitz for at time, then headed home right about sunset at 9:00 pm.

 
The entrance to the camp

Houses line the shore. 

Out on the boat.  Peter was driving and enjoying it all .

The dead catfish

Returning to port 

A very small black eyed Susan on the path. 

There's a couple of blue thin dragonflies in the graces. 

July 11-12, 2015 North Platte Baptist Church

Our display with a new book about the Bread of Life Baptist Church in Kobe, Japan

 

We rode Peter's bus route Sunday Morning. Here Henry is singing "Deep and Wide" with him. 

Pastor Bill Reeves at the pulpit with Henry and Peter to the right. 

The Great Plains Baptist College, a ministry of the NPBC gave Henry an honorary Doctorate degree==a complete surprise to everyone.  Now we have a doctor in the family.