We are back in Shipshewana to visit friends and family. We were here last year Shipshewana 2017 so I won’t talk about the awesome things to do in the area. This stop will focus on the friends and family that visited us!
PBR Rodeo!!!
Tori joined us in Shipshewana for a quick weekend visit. We went to the Professional Bull Riders championship and had a great time. This was an awesome event and a first for Tori. We had a great time watching these guys trying to stay on the bull. It isn’t easy!
Graduation Party!!!
Patti’s sister Cheryl and her husband David had six children of their own and adopted nine additional kids! Yes I said NINE, from different countries (USA, Bulgaria, China and Haiti).
Steven had a high school graduation party and we couldn’t miss it! All of the family in the area were there and Steven’s friends showed up as well. He is very popular and there were a lot of kids at the party!
Friends!
Joan Coddens is a special friend from high school and church. Patti and I were high school sweethearts with a great story which included parting ways after high school, and Joan was a big part of bringing us back together. Joan worked and lived in the US and abroad and recently returned to Mishawaka. It was so awesome seeing her again — she hasn’t changed a bit!
Mike and Lisa Portolese visited us at the USS Dutchstar. We had dinner at the Blue Gate in Shipshewana. Mike surprised us by buying dinner (Thanks Mike!) and we just had a special time talking about their kids and the terrific things they are doing! They came back to “our home” and we talked about our adventure. It was great seeing them and keeping in touch!
Jean Roberson is a great friend we met at church over 30 years ago. We always have a great time with Jean and love hearing about the many interesting things she is involved in, including taking seminary classes. Her parents are very special people too. They live at the same retirement community as Patti’s mom did before she passed away. Jean treated us to dinner, which included locally made ice cream (Yum!) and then of course we gave her a tour of the USS Dutchstar. It was great seeing her again!
Lisa Andreas (Patti’s BFF from Ball State and Maid of Honor in our wedding) came to visit Patti and they spent the entire day downtown Shipshewana (mostly finding comfortable rocking chairs so they could sit and talk, and talk, and talk!) Patti & Lisa have always had a special connection that includes finishing each other’s sentences. Its just best that I stay out of the way.
The next day, Lisa and her husband Al visited us and brought us a Fort Wayne delicacy (in our eyes anyway) – Oley’s Pizza! (Thank you Lisa & Al!) Al asked many questions about the RV and what we are doing. As they plan for retirement, RV’ing is a consideration, but for now they are focused on selecting and getting their son Steven thru college first, which shouldn’t be too hard because he is mad smart!
Greg and Jamie – we love these guys! We met them (through Lisa Andreas!) when they moved to Mishawaka to start a Vineyard church. We were all in! At the time they had 2 adorable little girls (Nicole and Brittany). Their youngest daughter, Brittany would argue with me about who was weird! I know Jamie appreciated me arguing with her 3 year old. I would start the argument accusing Brittany that she was weird. She would respond “No, you’re weird” and I would respond back the same. After a few minutes Jamie would end the argument. Brittany won every time
Greg and I would spend many nights at Bonnie Doon’s discussing the new church and how Patti and I could help. We had a great time with them. When it was time for them to move back to Ft. Wayne, we kept touch over the years as they are very special to us!
Nicole has a son (Logan) who is a teenager and is very cool. I miss hanging out with him and learning what he is doing! Brittany has a young son (Daniel) who is into every superhero and sci fi character imaginable.
Then there is Austin, the youngest of the three. I remember first seeing Austin when he was about 6 or 7. We were at their house for a party and Austin was dressed in a suit and bow tie. I was intrigued! I said “Hi” to him and he responded “Bond…. James Bond”. Now I needed to know what was going on so I talked to Greg. He took me to Austin’s room and he was playing the James Bond video game! A geek is born! Over the years Austin and I would talk about video games, Star Trek and Star Wars. A few years later I found out William Shatner was going to have an autograph session in Naperville, literally 5 minutes from our house. I thought of Austin and reached out to Jamie to see if he would be interested in going and I would get the tickets. He was definitely in!
A few weeks later Greg, Austin and Logan came and spent the weekend with us for the event. We got to the theater and it was packed but we were early and Austin got in line for the autographs. When Shatner came out, the whole crowd went crazy. Greg, Logan and I chilled out in the back and when it came time for Austin’s turn, Logan very smartly moved up in the crowd and was able to video the event. Austin had a foot tall Capt. Kirk figurine – still in the original packaging which Shatner signed. Austin was blown away! I still remember seeing his face walking away from Shatner, he couldn’t believe what just happened! It was special for me to see him like that and was very happy that we all got together for that moment.
Austin is now going to school at Tulane University in NOLA studying law! A few years ago he met a special girl, Brittany who also lives in NOLA. And just a few weeks ago, they got engaged! They will be married later this year and we are very happy for them!
It was great catching up with Greg and Jamie and we plan to stay in touch!
