Let's Go to an Art Show, Shall We?

This Week At Home, 2012, Week 17

Little notes I write, as reminders of these precious days!

How can this be comfy?  She thinks it is! 

Sunday...

Another lovely day together.  Jeff finished mowing, after having to go get more gasoline.  Grace's ear infection seems to be getting better, but it's still best that we did not go camping last night as we desired.  We grilled out again.  Ah, I love that smell!  We had chicken tenders (grilled), salad, and strawberries mixed with blueberries with home made whipped cream on top.  

Monday...

A rare day, indeed!  We were home all day, no running.  Gym is over.  Dance was cancelled due to the instructor being ill with the flu.  We fought our natural tendency to loaf on slower paced days.  We got everything done, except French and adequate AWANA drill.  They will have to make those up on their own time.

I'm off to fold laundry and watch a "no-think" show that Grace and I like, "My Fair Wedding."   Oh those poor brides with no taste!  Well, they get their dream wedding in the end. I do hope they get their dream marriage, too.  I remember well how Jeff was so wise to keep reminding me when we were planning our wedding, that it was just a day and marriage was forever, wise man, indeed! 

Dinner is home made pizza, broccoli slaw, and grapes.  

(By the way, the cat is the only one around here who will let me take her picture and not complain when I put it on the blog.) 

Tuesday...

Another slower paced day around here.  (Yay!)  Most of us got through our lessons in a timely manner.  One of us rushed through his thinking he could then play a new game on the computer for the rest of the day.  Ahem.  Nope.  Sorry.  He obviously needed more work to do, so I gave him another book to read.

In the afternoon, our little friend came.  Her mom asked me to consider watching her one day a week this summer.  It would be a good way to bank up some money for art next year.  I'm thinking we will do it. 

For dinner, we are having a Shepherd's Pie concoction and salad.  Fruit is getting low, so we will probably not have any for dinner.  We'll have big salads to fill up on.

I can't stop taking pictures of this sweet creature!

Wednesday...

Another quieter day.  The kids got their work done, watched a movie in the afternoon, and then we dashed off to AWANA, only two more left! Jeff talked to our AWANA commander tonight and so I can tell it here that we are not going to do AWANA next year.  After going over our commitments, we decided that something must go.  I am going to miss the children.  It was a hard decision. Jeff is going to use his Wednesday nights to do fun boy things with Trevor, who seems to get the least of Jeff's attention.  They've written a long list of things to do.  I may publish it one of these days. 

Dinner was crust-less quiche, grapes, and roasted potatoes.

She takes an afternoon nap on the sofa each day. 

Thursday...

Need to get some bread before school and babysitting today.  Trevor hasn't been feeling his best this week.  He's probably got what Grace had for the last two weeks.  Ryan is all better, though.  My ear started hurting last night for some strange reason.  I don't have any other symptoms.  Weird.  Could be my old swimmer's ear flaring up.  I did wash my hair yesterday. (Grrr!) 

Today we finished a really quick paced, interesting book about Queen Mary, entitled, Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer.  I am going to try to find some more books at the library by this author.  She writes in a style that I enjoy.  She wrote other books from similar historical time periods. 

Dinner is chicken with whole wheat biscuts and home made slaw.  BUT, the oven broke during its baking, so I had to transfer it to the crock pot. Thankfully, it finished in time.  The oven will have to be serviced, I guess.  It seems as if it is as old as this house, so I wonder if there are parts for it?  Until then, I will have to be a creative cook using my grill and crock pot. 

Karate is tonight.  It's their last chance to qualify for the tournament coming up.  Ryan also hopes to get signed off on becoming a Jr. Leader.  He's been working on that all year. And wouldn't you know, Grace was the only one to qualify for the tournament, again!  She is so frustrated, because she didn't even want to go to karate this year.  I keep telling her that she'd be first place if she put some effort into it! 

And, it looks like camping is off for the weekend, again.  It's going to rain all day Saturday.  (Boo)



Friday...

Hooray for Friday! I let the kids sleep in a bit, although,we need to finish up school work today.  Trevor has several subjects to make up as he wasn't feeling well and I let it slide a day.  Grace and I need to have a math meeting.  (Pray for me!  Those usually get heated.)  Ryan needs to finish his essay.  He usually puts it off until Friday.

Other than lessons, we need to tidy the house, keep the laundry going, may go to the library, and tonight is Grace's art show at the gallery!  I cannot wait to see the lovely blue bird she drew.

I was going to make vegetable lasagna tonight.  I may have to make it in the crock pot.  I think I can do that.  It may not be as good, but it will work.  

Update:  the lasagna was awesome!  Here is the recipe.   It's just something I made up.

First, I cut up 4 zucchini and stir fried them in olive oil with 2 cloves (crushed) garlic, salt and pepper to taste. I put them into the bottom of the crock pot. Next, in the same pan that I cooked the zucchini, I put in 3 cans of organic tomato sauce, a couple more cloves of garlic, crushed, a sprinkle of basil and about 1/2 cup of olive oil. I let that simmer while I made my ricotta mixture. In a medium bowl mix together one egg, a small carton of ricotta, a sprinkle of dried parsley, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, pepper to taste, and about a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Now it's time to assemble the lasagna back in the crock pot. Take about one third of the pasta sauce and spread it over the zucchini. Next layer some no boil lasagna noodles (if you want to us regular ones, parboil them first.) Then make a layer of the cheese mixture. Next layer more sauce. Then take two or more big handfuls of fresh spinach and layer that next. More noodles. Then cheese. Then sauce. Then noodles. Sprinkle a little of mozzerella on top. You can add other veggies that you like. These are just what I had. I cooked it on high for 3 hours. My crock pot runs hot. If you want to skip making the sauce, just use a sauce you like. I think next time I will add summer squash. Hope you like it. Oh, if you want to bake it in a regular oven, that's fine too, just adjust the time. 

Saturday...

Since we aren't going camping, and it is supposed to rain all day, I am not sure what we will do except work around the house and watch Bat Man on Me TV. 
It's just going to be nice not having a lot to do this weekend!
 For dinner, I wanted to grill out, but it may rain, so we will see about that.  I could fry hamburgers on the stove top.

Have a great weekend!  

~Jenn

A bird Grace is working on. 

She's Cute

By Ryan

=^..^=      /   

 ----------

    ||       ||

Dorothy Dumpling is the cutest living cat in the whole entire world. She's so adorable, the laws of physics obey her. How else can she jump so high?

She likes to play with her feathered toys, although they will not last long at this rate. Her string toy is better, it uses fancy ribbons and a couple of bells to get a cat's attention. And it really gets her attention.

Dorothy loves catnip. If she could have all she wanted, we'd be fresh out of catnip in minutes. Hopefully our catnip plant will live to produce plenty for her.

Dorothy is a good, well mannered cat. She understands basic rules, and obeys them. For example, the first night she watched Deep Space Nine with us, she stayed off the couch until we encouraged her to join us. It is obvious that she has been part of a family, and she was not supposed to go on the couch. However, she now has free reign on all flat and remotely flat surfaces.

Whenever we see her, the first thought in our heads is always, “She's so cute!” And she is. Her little voice is so adorable we can't help but give in to her desires. She's a true queen.

And this is her theme song...

This Week At Home,2012, Week 16

Notes I write each day in order to remember each precious one!  

Best day of the week, getting the camper!

Sunday...

We awoke amazed that our new kitty slept all night at the foot of our bed.  Church was great, as usual.  Emotionally, I was exhausted, and needed some down time in the afternoon.  Jeff to the rescue!  He took Trevor back and forth to choir practice, got Ryan a hair cut, went to Costco, mowed the grass, and let me rest!  Thank you, Jeff!  

Perfect shirt for Trevor

Monday...

Today was our last homeschool gym class until the middle of September.  Hopefully, we can meet up at a local park with some of our friends from the class once this summer.  After gym, we got our weekly bread at Great Harvest.  (Yes, it's expensive, but I want to support local businesses that make real food!)  After lunch, we opened the books.   Grace had dance and I looked at old photo albums, undisturbed, while waiting for her. 

Contemplative Kitty

Tuesday...

Busy day, as usual.  We got our lessons done, had lunch, then played with our dear little friend.  I also got laundry caught up.  In the afternoon, I took Grace to art class, came back home to make dinner, and Jeff got off in time to bring her home.  Woo hoo! I also got to go to bunco night.  (Bunco or Bunko?  either way, it's a fun dice counting game.  I belong to a group that's been going for more than 10 years!)   AND the best news of the day is that tax season is officially over!!! 

Marking off the apple orchard. Math in action! 

My honey crisp! 

Wednesday...

Jeff was off today, office closed!  So, we made the trip to see Grandpa's new apple trees .  And pick up our camper, which he had so graciously stored for us this past winter.  We had a nice visit, good lunch, and conversations.  I hated to dash off, but we had to get home for AWANA.  *sigh* 

Grandpa's apple trees waiting to be planted.

Thursday...

Great weather again today.  I ended up taking Grace to see the doctor this morning, because on Tuesday her ear started hurting really bad, and she just had an ear infection the end of February.  I always wait to make sure it is worth the trip and it seems like I made the right call.  The doctor said her ear was fire engine red.  :-( Of course, that doesn't stop her from doing her school work, like a trouper.  We watched our dear little friend today, too.  Grace did stay home from karate though.   Jeff and I did not get an official date night, but it was still good having him home in daylight hours!

Another thing occurred to me. Dorothy seems to have settled into our routine today.  She joined us for school.  She loves to roll on top of colored pencils for some reason.  They must smell good to her?  She is also a very verbal cat, which is so Siamese-like.  She frequently makes a little noise that sounds like a  Star Trek's Tribble.   I kid you not!  We are really enjoying her.  God is so good to send us this sweet kitty just when we needed her most.  My heart is grieving Abbey, but I have a smile on my face thanks to Dorothy Dumplings. 

Sweet Kitty.

Friday...

Today we must finish up our lessons, because we took Wednesday off.  We have some library books due and one on hold to pick up.  Dorothy needs another toy, too.  And, I have a messy house to deal with.  How did that happen? 

More of the adorable kitty.  

Saturday...

We were going to take a day trip and possibly camp overnight, but since Grace is sick, and its going to be too cold, we will just stay home and enjoy the free day.  Free day?  Did I say that?  Here's our to do list:

• Spring clean the pop up camper
• Check and set camping supplies
• Home Depot trip for camping supplies, grill stuff
• Gardening beds made (holes drilled into kiddie pool)
• Cut grass, weed
• Grill out on Saturday

"Would you please stop taking so many pictures?" 

Have a wonderful weekend! ~Jenn

The Adjustment Period

Dorothy Dumplings, as she is called, seems quite comfy in her new home, although there are so many new sounds and people for her to adjust to.  The rescue recommends the newly adopted pet stay in one room for a whole week.  And it really does seem to calm her.  She has been out to explore a time or two each day and usually ends up walking around crying a lot.  So, in her room she goes and spends a lot of quality time with the kids one on one. I am hoping she will settle in sooner than later, but I am mindful that she has been through a lot in her young life.  Despite not having the best start in life, I can see that she is a good kitty, very affectionate and well mannered.  Makes me think she spent a good deal of time with kind humans at one point in her life.  Perhaps she is a door-dasher and ran away, lured by the excitement and glamor of a life of chasing birds?  It's hard to say what her story is.  One thing is for certain, she enjoys people.  I like that.

Meet Dorothy

Such a sweet face! 

I knew I was doomed.  OK, doomed is too drastic of a word.  Out voted would be more like it.  My kids were hurting.  They'd never not had a cat.  They were very anxious to have another cat, as soon as possible.  They were sending me links to available cats in the area.  I was sort of for waiting six months.  (You can see who won!)  In the end, Jeff decided that we should call about little Dorothy and talk to her foster mom.  So, I called.  We had a lovely chat about Dorothy, who seemed to be social and loved kids.  Dorothy has been living with her foster family for more than a month while Dorothy healed from her spaying surgery.

Since Jeff had to work, I had to make the decision.  We went to see Dorothy and found her to be laid back, playful, eating well, healing well, and so cute.  Did I mention she has the bluest eyes I've ever seen?  We spent over an hour with her.  The kids were sold.  I liked that she was not in a shelter, but a family's home and that they could tell me how she was.  (We did not go to their house, they brought her to PetCo.)  I decided that I could not hold the family back, so I signed the adoption papers.

I don't know if we've rushed things. The vet who worked with Abbey said that some people go straight from his office to getting another cat.  I guess a 2 days was too long without a kitty for the kids.  Time will tell if we did the right thing.  I do think Dorothy will help the kids deal with things.  The kids think she is cute, precious, and fun.

This Week At Home, 2012, Week 15

Little notes I write so that I can remember each precious day!

Home made! 

Sunday...

First Easter Sunday in the new sanctuary at church.  Amazing how it was still packed.  After church, we had some family over.  We'd not seen Jeff's mom since Jeff's birthday.  The kids got a bit of chocolate and books in their baskets.  I took a nap during the golf game that was on TV.  (Yay, Bubba!)   Ryan is coming down with a cold.  (Boo!)

We served roasted chickens, fruit salad, green beans, rolls, spiced eggs, home made macaroni and cheese, and cake.  

Grace set the table. 

Monday...

Home school gym, next to last one for the year.  Hard to believe we are in the home stretch to finishing this school this year.  Next we got our free loaf of bread at Great Harvest, free because we'd filled up our loyalty card.  Back at home, we opened up the books, which had been closed for too many days.  "Are you about done," crossed the minds of more than one of my students!  We're studying Martin Luther, reading one of his biographies. I love this time period of history.  Grace had dance and I enjoyed the hour of peace while I waited for her.  *smiles*  Dinner was left overs from Easter.  Easy! 

Why can't they make dresses a bit longer? 

Tuesday...

Lessons in the morning, thankfully attitudes were better.  Then our little friend came to play.  She said she missed our house last week.  So cute!  Ryan is better, but Grace is sneezing more today, more than the usual allergy sneezing.  Ugh!  She did make it to art though.  NOTHING would keep her away.  She's working on a hummingbird, I hear.  Daddy was at a meeting at church tonight.  We missed him.  Dinner was affected by that absence.  We had pancakes, nice healthy pancakes with whole wheat and oats.  :-)  I had a green smoothie, too so that I could get my fruits and veggies. 


Wednesday...

Another very productive morning of lessons.  Spring break fog is past.  Tonight is back to AWANA, only three more after this.  (I think I can, I think I can...)  We woke up to a frosty morning.  Thankfully I covered the lone geranium last night. It needs some friends, but that will have to wait awhile.  Kids seem well, except for some sniffles from Grace, which are probably allergies. 

Dinner tonight will be whole grain pasta with home made marinara, fruit, and steamed broccoli.  

Thursday...

What do I say about this day?  It began after a restless night of no sleep.  I knew that something was very wrong with Abbey.  She spent most of the night either in my arms or between Jeff's feet.  Nothing too unusual about that, but she was unable to relax or purr, which is not normal.  She was also unsteady in her walking the last few days and not eating.  So, I took her to the vet and that's when we learned she did not have working kidneys and there was nothing more to do.

I managed to make a dinner of crust-less quiche, which we ate before going back to the vet's office to say good-bye.  

Friday...

After a weepy morning, Grace and I went to the store.   Then we got the house ready for small group.  I sure missed Abbey today. But, in the light of some other tragic family news, my cousin lost her unborn baby on Wednesday, I am able to put things into perspective. 

I made homemade pizza, broccoli slaw, and sliced up some organic strawberries. 

Small group was just what I needed.  Our friends are so kind.  And it was good to discuss the Scriptures with others.  


Saturday...

Waking up to a rainy day.  Today is Jeff's last Saturday to work during tax season.  It'll be great having him back home two days a week.  The kids and I will just hang out today.  The grass needs mowing when Jeff gets home, but unless it dries up, it will have to wait.  That's OK.  I need a quieter day! 

For dinner we'll have Spicy Chicken, brown rice, strawberries, and cauliflower. 

I hope you have had a nice week!
Jenn

Our Abbey Cat

Feb. 20, 1994 - April 12, 2012

RIP Abbey Cat, for 18 years we were fortunate to have you here. 

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." 

Quite suddenly, we found ourselves with a very sick kitty yesterday.  We got the bad news that Abbey's kidneys had stopped functioning and there was nothing the vet could do for her.  

Today, there is a huge whole in our lives.  She was such a part of our every day lives.  She was nearly always with us for every school day.  We used to joke that she never did any of her school work and was passed on to the next school grade despite being our laziest student. 

18 years ago, Jeff and I received Abbey as a gift from my parents when we were just engaged to be married.  She lived with me, of course, until the wedding.  We later, just a few weeks, bought her sister, Bonney, because we thought Abbey was lonely all day while I was at work.  Eventually, Bonney ran away some years ago.   My mom had Abbey's other siblings, Mallory and Truman.  Only Truman survives, but he is also in kidney failure.  

I know she was just a cat, but she was the best cat and the longest living I ever had the privilege to love.  She will be remembered always.   >^..^< 

Wordless Wednesday: From the Archives, Baby!

Easter morning 2007

This Week At Home, 2012, Week 14

Little notes I jot down to remind myself of these fleeting, precious days!

Sunday...

Trevor had a 6:30 call time to sing at church.  Times like this I am thankful that we live only a mile away.  And thankful for a husband who jumps in and takes charge, being the morning person that he is!  Trevor's choir did a great job singing in three services.  He did not get home until after 12:30.  Therefore, his day was filled with lounging around.  Jeff and I went to the library after lunch, as a book on hold was in for me.  After that and despite gas prices, we took a country drive to look at a house.  

Monday...

Did as little as possible, which turned out to be plenty!  I received an email notice from the library that another book I wanted was ready for pick up, so back to the library we went.  We also got bread at Great Harvest.  The rest of the day I did laundry and read my books.  Oh, and I did make us a lovely dinner of left over roasted chicken, zucchini, and sweet potatoes.  Strawberries with honey was our dessert.  OK, and about a table spoon of real vanilla ice cream on top.  It is vacation after all.

Tuesday...

Another beautiful day in the making.  Grace and Trevor got an invitation to play all afternoon at their friends' house.  Ryan and I took an hour long hike.  It was very warm (85F) and sunny at the time, so the effort was more intense than usual.  I started the crock pot early enough so that we could enjoy our dinner stress free.  I made Crock Morock Chicken from Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way.  I also made the mashed cauliflower that I so love.  Brown rice and apple slices will round things out.

My heart was heavy for friends today.  I feel so badly for so many people who are suffering in this world.  Know that I pray for all of you, when I know of a need.  I wish I could do more. 

Wednesday...

Woke up to another beautiful day of sunshine and warm temperatures!  Yesterday's high broke a record.  I could get used to this!  I have lost track of the days without our busy activities. 

I hope to get a park visit in after lunch. (Yes, we spent an hour outside!  Yay!) 

Dinner will be home made spaghetti sauce and whole wheat pasta.  On the side, I'll steam some broccoli.  We'll have strawberry smoothies for dessert, which kind of taste like a strawberry milkshake.  I use coconut milk, strawberries, vanilla, and a bit of honey.  Yummy! 

Thursday...

Today, we had to do a little grocery shopping for the weekend.  We began dog sitting for neighbors too.  I worked on giving the master bedroom a deep clean.  I even got those baseboards!  For dinner, I made home made pizza.  I think I could eat that every night, sometimes.  I also made broccoli slaw and we had orange slices.

Friday...

It's been a really great, laid back week.  Today we got to spend time with Nana and Grandma (who lives at the nursing home).  Grandma was all smiles and enjoyed the chocolate milkshake from Chick fil A.  She seems in good spirits.  On the way home, we stopped at Costco.  Then we got the dogs fed.  Trevor really enjoys the dogs.  This evening there is a church service for Good Friday.  For dinner we're having crust less quiche and roasted potatoes.  We'll also have some grapes on the side. 

Saturday...

This will be our busy cleaning day and we'll bake a home made white cake for Easter.  It will be iced with fresh whipped cream and topped with strawberries Sunday.  Can't wait!  If all goes well, this should be the last Saturday that Jeff has to work.  Yay!  

Happy Easter!!!

Busyness or Opportunity

We're about at the end of our school year, which is a great time to evaluate how things went and think about making changes next year, if necessary.  Specifically, I am thinking about our extra curricular activities:  AWANA, dance, art, karate, choir and gym class.  

On the one hand, these activities are all very good for the kids.  They learn a lot.  They have a chance to be with other kids.  For the most part, except art, they are affordable.  They bring a lot to our homeschool.  

On the other hand, they all have costs attached.  Time, money, gas, and my sanity are all precious commodities in this world.  It's good to take a look at what we are doing and make sure they are worth the cost. 

First of all, there is the money factor.  Art alone is $75 a month.  If not for generous grandparents and my babysitting job, we'd not be able to afford it.   Karate is another $60 a month, but total for all three kids.  Dance is $75 for a session of 9 weeks or so.  I think there are 2 or 3 sessions a school year.  Gym is $22 a kid for 6 weeks and there are 4 sessions a year.  AWANA has dues.  I think $30 a year per kid.   Choir is free, except to purchase a shirt and bring food when they sing.  Four pounds of grapes is about $8.  I made an egg and sausage casserole for their first performance.  It probably cost a lot more than the grapes. 

The other cost is time. Time is precious.  We need to spend it as wisely as money. Jeff and I both volunteer in AWANA.  He has monthly meetings in the evening because he is a director.  That's another cost. 

Gas is not too much of a concern, as most of these activities are close, but  I am running a child or children several times a week and twice on Mondays and Sundays! (Sanity!) 

Family time is sparse some weeks.  It can make for hectic evenings, although we manage to eat as a family more often than not.  There are weeks when we have choir on Sunday, gym and dance on Monday, Grace has art and Jeff has an AWANA directors meeting on Tuesday, we all go to church on Wednesday, kids go to karate on Thursday, and we host our small group on Friday!  That happens a lot.  Those weeks I wonder if this is really a good thing or not!  I'll add this to the wear and tear on the family, which is a cost.  

So, what do we do?  Each activity is on its own almost vital.  They need physical activity, because frankly, they won't get it on their own at home, especially in the winter, which is so sad and a reflection on me and my activities.  

AWANA fulfills their need to hide God's word in their hearts.  Although, not the only way they do this.  They have memory verses for karate and Sunday school, so this could be accomplished via those avenues.  And it is stressed in our church, so I know they do memorize a lot of verses this way.  Next year, Ryan will be in the AWANA high school program which Jeff is director of.  This will be a great chance for Ryan to sit under his father's teaching.  The program is very strong, not fluff.  Plus, Ryan has a friend who goes and in general the kids in this program are solid in their faith.  Trevor will continue with AWANA Truth and Training.  Grace has been given the choice to do youth group or AWANA.  Right now she is leaning towards staying in AWANA, especially if her best friend is there.  They all will do Sunday school.  Ryan's will meet Sunday evenings. I need to decide if my volunteering,more wear and tear on my sanity, is the right thing for me. 

Gym, karate, and dance fulfill their important physical needs. Gym could go, I suppose, but they've made friends (so have I.)  These friends are not from church and its nice to know other homeschooling families from other sources.  Plus, it quite nicely gets me going on Mondays.  And I like the community center and want to support it.  

Karate is a non-negotiable for my oldest.  He does so little that I'd never consider not doing karate, plus it is so cost effective!  And they do memorize verses to move onto the next belt and each session ends with a Bible lesson.  Trevor seems to love it as well.  Grace only goes because her dance teacher said it would help her advance in dance. Otherwise, she'd be out the door!  

Dance has only a fall ,spring, and sometimes a short summer session, meets at church, and Grace really needs it for her physical therapy, almost.  Plus, I like to take her and sit with a book for a whole hour all by myself!!!  That doesn't happen very often.  

Art may go if funding isn't raised, but I'd really hate that.  Grace has talent and it needs nurtured.  The art school is a perfect fit for her and she is making non-homeschooling friends.  I can't think of any other place she does that. I can see this turning into a career for her.  She could teach at homeschool co-ops or even open her own studio and charge others outlandish prices to learn Monart! 

Choir is for Trevor only and he has such a nice voice that I really think it is a great way to nurture his talent. Plus, his best buddy is there and they really enjoy their time together, which is important to Trevor.  Choir meets a couple Sunday evenings a month and they sing at holidays, usually.  Call time is 6:30 AM and he doesn't get home until 12:30 PM, which is a long morning for him.  Thankfully, Daddy takes him. 

So there we have it.  Everything is essential and nothing can go!!!  *sigh* I therefore must spend time in prayer about these things.  Perhaps it is just my lot in life to be busy right now.  The kids are in their busy phase of life.  (Thank God no one wants to do other sports, too!!!) And, I know that one day my kids will be driving and off to their part time jobs and friends and won't need me to cart them around every where.  I want to give them these opportunities to use their gifts and nurture their talents.  Seems as if I am going to need to pray about these things for sure! But it helps "fleshing" it all out here.  It kind of reminds me of when they were all little and in diapers.  I could not foresee a time when life would be different,but I knew it would happen.  It did happen, all too quickly! 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Chess!

I so love that my oldest takes the time to "tutor" the youngest in chess, although, the youngest says it is more like torture!   He's got a point.  They play "unfair" chess or "extreme" chess, where one player has all his "men" and the other has about half!  I'd never heard of that before.  Perhaps it should be called "creative" chess. 

Been Dreaming Again

It's about that time of the year again.  We've been in "taxing season" for what seems like a long time, but really not when I think of those who have husbands in much more demanding careers.  (((Hugs to you Jeannie!)

I hesitate to even write this as I have nothing to complain about.  I think it is a bit of spring fever that starts to well up inside of me. (I want to go camping!  It's been six whole months!  And the weather has been awesome, adding to the fever.  And we cannot go camping until "taxing season" is over, just a few more weeks!)  There is the problem, and the solution is patience.  *sigh*

So, all that said... 


I took my beloved on a little wild goose chase this past weekend, trying to find this house that I saw listed that was supposed to be only 16 miles up the road.  Why?  I don't really know, perhaps all that I wrote  above?  I needed an outlet for my frustrations?  Or perhaps it is spring and I am feeling the itch to move to the country again?  Or it was a pretty day for a drive despite the fact that gas is $4 a gallon! 

Thankfully, the wild goose chase helped me to see that this is not the house for me.  It's 30 miles from church!  We'd have to seriously give up some weekly trips.  Plus, it is an extra 30 miles (each way) for Jeff to drive to work. 

But, it is 30 miles closer to the lake!  :-)  And it is my dream house, a little white farm house with a porch, barn, and detached garage!  Still, not really enough to pull me from this current home situated so perfectly to our church, work, library, friends, family, etc., I am mature enough to see that the dream can wait a little while longer.

I guess I had to see it to believe it and get it out of my system.  No more looking at those ads.  I promise!   Time to put that energy into good things around here like our garden boxes and cleaning baseboards! 

Today, I Am...

At the library this morning. 

Happy.... to be on spring break!  It's good for my mental health.  Plus, we only have 3 weeks left of our 36 week Sonlight curriculum.  Not sure how that happened!  I guess that is the power of being diligent. 


Excited.... to read a couple good books this week.  I was on the waiting list at the library for both and now they are all mine!  (More on those later.) 

Pleased... that the guys mowed the yard yesterday.  The first mow of the season is always the hardest since we tend to let the grass grow a little too long and it always rains so much.  THANK YOU JEFF AND RYAN!!! 

Going to...  plan our week.  We need to visit grandma, get ready for a big Easter dinner, and make time to see friends.

Annoyed... with my lack of attention to details.  The French computer program that I bought requires a DVD drive, which I don't have on a computer that runs Windows.  Geek Son says I should have checked system requirements before I bought it.  He's right, but annoying!  So, now I have to either buy an external DVD drive or take back the program.  Grrr..... 

Starting to think... it is time to get my raised bed gardens in order.  A friend gave me a nice sized kiddie pool that we are going to drill holes into.  We have the sandbox that grew wonderful green beans last year, too.  They are going to be enough for Grace to manage.  There just is not enough sun around here to do a lot more.  That's OK.  We can start going to the farmer's market very soon. 

Enjoying... a week with fewer commitments!   There is still dance and karate, but no AWANA, art, babysitting, or small group.  So thankful for a little less to do!