Thursday, January 24, 2013
Presenting Britton!!
Britton Aksel is a joy! We love our little guy so much. These pics are from the hospital, first minutes of life and 1 day old. More to come :-)
Monday, November 26, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Halloween cometh . . .
Well, hello. Long time no write. Soccer season has officially ended and baby season/nesting has officially begun! Sylas's varsity team lost the first game of the tournament so they were finished last Thursday. Aiden's team lost 3 games in their tourney so didn't make it to the championship round last Saturday. He got pulled out of goalie about 3 weeks ago because a teammate has tendinitis which flared up so bad he couldn't run. So Aiden had to play and sub in for mid-field, forward, and defense, which he did pretty good at considering he's such an awesome goalie. He was really disappointed to not finish as goalie though.
So....nesting....the girls room has been painted, fresh and clean, moved furniture around, gave them each their own area. They love it! And I do too...ahhhhhh the smell of fresh paint. The boys have picked out paint colors and their walls are prepped, so hopefully it will be done by this weekend. Sylas, who has his own room, is painting a large Oregon ducks logo on one wall, complete with wings. My room needs to be painted but I actually love the Pottery Barn look with the beige walls and white trim and black frames. I moved my bed and vacuumed and cleaned and bombed (for spiders and other unwanted bugs) so it's ready for baby. He'll sleep in here for a couple months and then... Not sure where he'll go. We have no room. Maybe we'll remodel, add on. Somethings gotta give. We will also need a bigger vehicle. We've been looking at Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna because both have 8 seats. Then we could still have a fuel efficient car.
Sy is chomping at the bit to get his permit. Yikes!!! We are trying to get the online school done first. He just has a couple more World History sessions and then 9th grade is history! So, as soon as he's done, I will let him take the test. He is doing so much better in school this year. Now we are working on him getting himself up in the morning. We have incentives in place, so he won't have any more tardiness. Cold Stone creamery at the end of this week for getting up good 10 school days in a row. So far, so good.
I'm in the home stretch and sure feel it. Ready to pop, only 5-6 more weeks left. Talked to the doc today about getting induced on Nov 30 so Kenny doesn't miss the birth, just in case. He is 5 hours away during the week and not sure he would make it back in time if I went into labor. Doc says should be fine as long as I'm induce-able.
My mom is coming!!!!! I'm so relieved. She already booked her ticket. She'll be here from Nov 28-Dec 8. There's also a girl from church who may be able to help the week after. I'm gonna really try to not be super mom and do too much. I need help, so I'm gonna take what I can get. I am so blessed....3 gals at church are throwing me a baby shower on Nov 10. I need a carseat and a crib and a changing pad and a bath tub and some other bigger items, so it will be so nice to know I'll be able to get some of that stuff. Kinda kicking myself for getting rid of things. I had some real nice baby stuff. Also, my boss is giving me paid maternity leave for 6 weeks! She is so generous, I am so thankful. God is watching over us.
I have more to say, but need to go to sleep, so will write another day.
Good night!
So....nesting....the girls room has been painted, fresh and clean, moved furniture around, gave them each their own area. They love it! And I do too...ahhhhhh the smell of fresh paint. The boys have picked out paint colors and their walls are prepped, so hopefully it will be done by this weekend. Sylas, who has his own room, is painting a large Oregon ducks logo on one wall, complete with wings. My room needs to be painted but I actually love the Pottery Barn look with the beige walls and white trim and black frames. I moved my bed and vacuumed and cleaned and bombed (for spiders and other unwanted bugs) so it's ready for baby. He'll sleep in here for a couple months and then... Not sure where he'll go. We have no room. Maybe we'll remodel, add on. Somethings gotta give. We will also need a bigger vehicle. We've been looking at Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna because both have 8 seats. Then we could still have a fuel efficient car.
Sy is chomping at the bit to get his permit. Yikes!!! We are trying to get the online school done first. He just has a couple more World History sessions and then 9th grade is history! So, as soon as he's done, I will let him take the test. He is doing so much better in school this year. Now we are working on him getting himself up in the morning. We have incentives in place, so he won't have any more tardiness. Cold Stone creamery at the end of this week for getting up good 10 school days in a row. So far, so good.
I'm in the home stretch and sure feel it. Ready to pop, only 5-6 more weeks left. Talked to the doc today about getting induced on Nov 30 so Kenny doesn't miss the birth, just in case. He is 5 hours away during the week and not sure he would make it back in time if I went into labor. Doc says should be fine as long as I'm induce-able.
My mom is coming!!!!! I'm so relieved. She already booked her ticket. She'll be here from Nov 28-Dec 8. There's also a girl from church who may be able to help the week after. I'm gonna really try to not be super mom and do too much. I need help, so I'm gonna take what I can get. I am so blessed....3 gals at church are throwing me a baby shower on Nov 10. I need a carseat and a crib and a changing pad and a bath tub and some other bigger items, so it will be so nice to know I'll be able to get some of that stuff. Kinda kicking myself for getting rid of things. I had some real nice baby stuff. Also, my boss is giving me paid maternity leave for 6 weeks! She is so generous, I am so thankful. God is watching over us.
I have more to say, but need to go to sleep, so will write another day.
Good night!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Labor Day weekend trip
The 3 littles and I drove 5 hours north to visit Kenny at his hotel and see his job site and go to Chicago! Sy & Aiden are in NY at the youth conference, so we decided we needed to do something fun too! We drove up Friday night and will leave tomorrow morning. It has been so fun so far, little kids are much easier to please. They are happy with free hotel breakfast and swimming in a hotel pool. The effects of the Hurricane Isaac didn't hit too bad here. It rained a bit in the afternoon yesterday, so we went shopping. We had authentic Chicago style hot dogs for lunch and then went to several stores.
Jacklin ended up getting some new outfits, she was in desperate need of clothes and shoes. She grew out of all her shoes this summer and even skipped a size. She was being too picky about running shoes tho, so ended up with none. Wow, that girl can get a nasty attitude quick!!
Then we went back to the hotel and had family game night and snacks. And the kids were able to swim in the pool twice yesterday. Today, we went into Chicago and went to the museum of Natural History. It was super expensive but so cool! They have a very extensive Egyptian exhibit and the biggest skeleton of a T. Rex and most complete. Her name is Sue. It is a museum that would take a couple days to visit properly. It has been there for over 100 years and the architecture of the building is incredible. It is located right on Lake Michigan so we also went down to walk along the water front. The lake was angry today and had a lot of waves, wind blowing and low clouds. But we got some good pics.
We drive home tomorrow, because Kenny starts his new job in West Virginia on Tuesday and has to drive 5 hours south from Ohio to get there. Poor guy, he'll have a total of 10 hours of driving tomorrow.
The kids also have Tuesday off, but both Sy and Aiden have soccer games. So we'll be sitting watching games on Tuesday night. It's been challenging so far, they both have 2+ games a week at different locations and some are too late to take the little kids to. But, we enjoy watching so much. They are both really good players. Aiden is a goalie and Sy plays forward and mid-fielder.
That's all I got for now, we're off to eat some authentic Chicago-style pizza!
Jacklin ended up getting some new outfits, she was in desperate need of clothes and shoes. She grew out of all her shoes this summer and even skipped a size. She was being too picky about running shoes tho, so ended up with none. Wow, that girl can get a nasty attitude quick!!
Then we went back to the hotel and had family game night and snacks. And the kids were able to swim in the pool twice yesterday. Today, we went into Chicago and went to the museum of Natural History. It was super expensive but so cool! They have a very extensive Egyptian exhibit and the biggest skeleton of a T. Rex and most complete. Her name is Sue. It is a museum that would take a couple days to visit properly. It has been there for over 100 years and the architecture of the building is incredible. It is located right on Lake Michigan so we also went down to walk along the water front. The lake was angry today and had a lot of waves, wind blowing and low clouds. But we got some good pics.
We drive home tomorrow, because Kenny starts his new job in West Virginia on Tuesday and has to drive 5 hours south from Ohio to get there. Poor guy, he'll have a total of 10 hours of driving tomorrow.
The kids also have Tuesday off, but both Sy and Aiden have soccer games. So we'll be sitting watching games on Tuesday night. It's been challenging so far, they both have 2+ games a week at different locations and some are too late to take the little kids to. But, we enjoy watching so much. They are both really good players. Aiden is a goalie and Sy plays forward and mid-fielder.
That's all I got for now, we're off to eat some authentic Chicago-style pizza!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Schools in, Tuesday....
And tomorrow is open house! Wow, this summer break flew by! We had a good time, though, going to Victory Conference Center a couple weeks ago and to Missouri on the week of July 4th. It feels like we drove around quite a bit.
The weather has been exceptionally beautiful, 70's and low 80's with low humidity. I've been very thankful, even though we still haven't had much rain. I even turned off my A/C which I don't think has ever been done this early on the summer. We could have an Indian Summer, tho and have to turn it back on.
This weekend we did back-to-school shopping. We mostly got shoes and clothes, I already bought school supplies last month. So, the kids are ready to go back in that regard, just not ready for the end of vacation.
Jacklin starts middle school this year so that will be a change for her.
I did get my ultrasound on July 24th and we found out its a boy! We're all so excited so now the shopping for boy stuff has begun. Ken took Jacklin out for a "father/daughter date" when he was home this last week and they did some shopping for little guy, lots of Ohio State gear. He even got a onesie that says "poop on Michigan" for the Ohio State/ Michigan rivalry that my family may not know about.
Sylas has 3 days to finish online school or else...he becomes a Freshamore, and has to drop his fun classes and do the freshman courses over again. It's been a good lesson in "life's not fair", because our flash player wasn't working properly, then the Internet connection was off, then we were out of town...so for 3 weeks nothing got done. Now he has to cram and get 50% of the work done in 3 days. I've been trying to help him when he lets me. And giving him lots of incentives. He is playing soccer this year, a 1st year walk on, so plays JV but is also on Varsity. He is a pretty good player and it's been fun to watch him scrimmage. 1st real game is Tuesday.
Aiden is also playing this year and I'm so proud of him for branching out more. He is also taking choir!! He has a beautiful voice and I know the choir teacher will be thrilled to have him. Hardly any boys are in choir anymore.
Well, it's late and this baby mama is tired after a busy weekend. I will blog more faithfully after the kids are in school...I mean what else am I going to do all day???
The weather has been exceptionally beautiful, 70's and low 80's with low humidity. I've been very thankful, even though we still haven't had much rain. I even turned off my A/C which I don't think has ever been done this early on the summer. We could have an Indian Summer, tho and have to turn it back on.
This weekend we did back-to-school shopping. We mostly got shoes and clothes, I already bought school supplies last month. So, the kids are ready to go back in that regard, just not ready for the end of vacation.
Jacklin starts middle school this year so that will be a change for her.
I did get my ultrasound on July 24th and we found out its a boy! We're all so excited so now the shopping for boy stuff has begun. Ken took Jacklin out for a "father/daughter date" when he was home this last week and they did some shopping for little guy, lots of Ohio State gear. He even got a onesie that says "poop on Michigan" for the Ohio State/ Michigan rivalry that my family may not know about.
Sylas has 3 days to finish online school or else...he becomes a Freshamore, and has to drop his fun classes and do the freshman courses over again. It's been a good lesson in "life's not fair", because our flash player wasn't working properly, then the Internet connection was off, then we were out of town...so for 3 weeks nothing got done. Now he has to cram and get 50% of the work done in 3 days. I've been trying to help him when he lets me. And giving him lots of incentives. He is playing soccer this year, a 1st year walk on, so plays JV but is also on Varsity. He is a pretty good player and it's been fun to watch him scrimmage. 1st real game is Tuesday.
Aiden is also playing this year and I'm so proud of him for branching out more. He is also taking choir!! He has a beautiful voice and I know the choir teacher will be thrilled to have him. Hardly any boys are in choir anymore.
Well, it's late and this baby mama is tired after a busy weekend. I will blog more faithfully after the kids are in school...I mean what else am I going to do all day???
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Summer, swimming, sweating. . .
I haven't posted for over a month, eghads!! Its been busy with the kids home for the summer. Sylas is doing online summer school for 1 full year of world studies and a half year of English. We all want to start 10th grade fresh, and think he'll have a much better year. We had to pay for the online school so he is paying us back for half of it by babysitting twice a week. I'm still working 2 days a week. Ken has been gone during the weeks at his job in Indiana and home weekends so it is challenging at times being a "single parent" again.
We decided since we have a YMCA membership not to get a pool pass at the city pool this summer. So, we've been riding our bikes to the Y and then swimming and riding home again. It has been super hot the past 4 days, so we drove one day. But on the days we ride, I love all the exercise we're getting. It's about 2 miles to the Y. We have an amazing bike path here too, so the girls and I rode 9 miles last week round trip to a place 1/2 way to Springfield called Cedar Bog(Rona made it 7, then Ken had to come pick her up). But I was proud of the girls, it was challenging!
So, the heat wave recently has been oppressive. It has been in the 90's with humidity. We had a wicked wind/thunderstorm on Friday and several in the state lost power. Also many trees went down and large limbs and debris all over the roads. We were some of the only ones that didn't lose our power. We're having another severe thunderstorm tonight. We did need the rain. It has been so dry and I've been watering so much. Almost lost my basil plants, but they've rallied.
We are planning to visit some friends in Missouri for July 4th. Ken has the week off before starting his next project. It will be a long road trip there and back, but they have a boat and we are going out on the lake to watch fire works. It should be a lot of fun; the kids are really excited and Ken is really making an effort to enjoy his least favorite holiday. The family we're visiting are true Ozark people and pretty lively. We laugh a lot with them! Just their accent makes us laugh.
We have a pretty busy month ahead, so not sure how much I'll blog. I have my ultrasound in a couple weeks and we really hope to find out what we're having. Colin's friend Alex, from Connecticut, is coming for a week to hang out. My sister Amy and her hubby Steve are visiting on their road trip across America in about a week. We are really looking forward to them coming. The boys are going on a youth trip to Washington DC on the third weekend of the month and at the end of the month, we will go up north again to our conference center in New York for a couple weeks. I love a busy summer and I love the lazy days in between.
The weather forecast for this week is hot and stormy; it almost always storms on the 4th of July here. I am very, very thankful for central air! Happy Summer all!!!
We decided since we have a YMCA membership not to get a pool pass at the city pool this summer. So, we've been riding our bikes to the Y and then swimming and riding home again. It has been super hot the past 4 days, so we drove one day. But on the days we ride, I love all the exercise we're getting. It's about 2 miles to the Y. We have an amazing bike path here too, so the girls and I rode 9 miles last week round trip to a place 1/2 way to Springfield called Cedar Bog(Rona made it 7, then Ken had to come pick her up). But I was proud of the girls, it was challenging!
So, the heat wave recently has been oppressive. It has been in the 90's with humidity. We had a wicked wind/thunderstorm on Friday and several in the state lost power. Also many trees went down and large limbs and debris all over the roads. We were some of the only ones that didn't lose our power. We're having another severe thunderstorm tonight. We did need the rain. It has been so dry and I've been watering so much. Almost lost my basil plants, but they've rallied.
We are planning to visit some friends in Missouri for July 4th. Ken has the week off before starting his next project. It will be a long road trip there and back, but they have a boat and we are going out on the lake to watch fire works. It should be a lot of fun; the kids are really excited and Ken is really making an effort to enjoy his least favorite holiday. The family we're visiting are true Ozark people and pretty lively. We laugh a lot with them! Just their accent makes us laugh.
We have a pretty busy month ahead, so not sure how much I'll blog. I have my ultrasound in a couple weeks and we really hope to find out what we're having. Colin's friend Alex, from Connecticut, is coming for a week to hang out. My sister Amy and her hubby Steve are visiting on their road trip across America in about a week. We are really looking forward to them coming. The boys are going on a youth trip to Washington DC on the third weekend of the month and at the end of the month, we will go up north again to our conference center in New York for a couple weeks. I love a busy summer and I love the lazy days in between.
The weather forecast for this week is hot and stormy; it almost always storms on the 4th of July here. I am very, very thankful for central air! Happy Summer all!!!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Ultrasound, yesterday!
Had my first OB appt yesterday. I was in there for 2 hours, ultrasound first which was fun, exam after which was not fun. They are keeping my due date at Dec 5, even tho the ultrasound said Dec 7. Can't see much yet, but I will get another one at 20 weeks. They just want to check baby's size and development at this stage. Was cool to see the little heart beating & see something in there!
This morning I went on a wonderful long bike ride, about 7 miles. It was just so beautiful out! I love my bike! It's a cruiser, so just one speed and back pedal to brake. I felt like a kid again!
We have such a nice bike path in Urbana, it goes south for about 30 miles and they're expanding it north this year at least 20 miles. It also loops through the city park, so that's usually where I walk/run.
The kids have 1 more week of school, we can hardly wait! And it's a long weekend, so actually only 4 days of school. We are going to New York for the weekend, it's the bi-annual soccer tournament/Brunstad feast this weekend. Sy, Aiden, and Jacklin will all play this time. Aiden is turning out to be a pretty decent goalie. The weather is supposed to be nice and pleasant, so it should be a nice weekend. Also, it's the first time of the year that we will see everyone from other churches after a long winter. I'm happy to reconnect with old friends and hopefully we will get some work done on the trailer. It still needs the kitchen re-installed.
And the bead board put up.
Happy Memorial Day all!
This morning I went on a wonderful long bike ride, about 7 miles. It was just so beautiful out! I love my bike! It's a cruiser, so just one speed and back pedal to brake. I felt like a kid again!
We have such a nice bike path in Urbana, it goes south for about 30 miles and they're expanding it north this year at least 20 miles. It also loops through the city park, so that's usually where I walk/run.
The kids have 1 more week of school, we can hardly wait! And it's a long weekend, so actually only 4 days of school. We are going to New York for the weekend, it's the bi-annual soccer tournament/Brunstad feast this weekend. Sy, Aiden, and Jacklin will all play this time. Aiden is turning out to be a pretty decent goalie. The weather is supposed to be nice and pleasant, so it should be a nice weekend. Also, it's the first time of the year that we will see everyone from other churches after a long winter. I'm happy to reconnect with old friends and hopefully we will get some work done on the trailer. It still needs the kitchen re-installed.
And the bead board put up.
Happy Memorial Day all!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Another wedding weekend up ahead
This weekend some friends of ours are gettin hitched (and I'm not coordinating the event) so we have lots of out of town guests (not staying with us) and I got to go out tonight with some of them! It was so nice to see everyone, some I haven't seen in over a year. Aiden babysat for me, since Sy was too tired and went to bed.
I finally went flower shopping yesterday! I got some really pretty flowers and filled all my pots and still have some left over. I need to branch out more, I realize. I have just done pots for so many years because either I had little kids and couldn't manage beds or I had a dog that chewed and dug everything in the beds, but now I have time and no dog. Ken put in 2 raised beds for me last year for veggies and I love them! I'm still trying to decide what I want to grow in them this year. And I need some help with getting good perennials to put in my beds and make more beds. My neighbor has a gorgeous yard, but that's all she has to do all day, blah! I'm glad it's a chain link fence so I can look through and see all her gorgeous blooms. I'm just thrilled to manage getting the lawn mowed once a week and keep the weeds from taking over. Oh, and I also have an herb garden. I need to replant basil because it doesn't seem to come back. And cilantro. I have oregano, rosemary, and lavender and chives that come back every year.
I've included some pics of my flowers that Sy took with my phone while we were flower shopping.
So now I'm off to Target to try to find something to wear to this wedding tomorrow. I would really love to get a wrap dress. And I'm going to get some storage cabinets for the bathroom. This house has no storage for linens or towels that is built in, so Target has some stuff on sale and I've been needing these for a long time!
I finally went flower shopping yesterday! I got some really pretty flowers and filled all my pots and still have some left over. I need to branch out more, I realize. I have just done pots for so many years because either I had little kids and couldn't manage beds or I had a dog that chewed and dug everything in the beds, but now I have time and no dog. Ken put in 2 raised beds for me last year for veggies and I love them! I'm still trying to decide what I want to grow in them this year. And I need some help with getting good perennials to put in my beds and make more beds. My neighbor has a gorgeous yard, but that's all she has to do all day, blah! I'm glad it's a chain link fence so I can look through and see all her gorgeous blooms. I'm just thrilled to manage getting the lawn mowed once a week and keep the weeds from taking over. Oh, and I also have an herb garden. I need to replant basil because it doesn't seem to come back. And cilantro. I have oregano, rosemary, and lavender and chives that come back every year.
I've included some pics of my flowers that Sy took with my phone while we were flower shopping.
So now I'm off to Target to try to find something to wear to this wedding tomorrow. I would really love to get a wrap dress. And I'm going to get some storage cabinets for the bathroom. This house has no storage for linens or towels that is built in, so Target has some stuff on sale and I've been needing these for a long time!
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Mother's Day love and weekend success
Happy Mother's Day all! I got woken up to a cup of fresh coffee in a new mug made by Colin, and toast courtesy of Jacklin. All the littles had cards, flowers, and lovely hugs for me! I am so blessed with my kids! We told the kids of our impending visitor, baby #6 coming in December. They were all so excited, except for Rona. We knew she would not handle it very well, but we're unprepared for her hysterics. She fell to the floor, bawling about how we wouldn't love her anymore. Then went to her bed, sobbing saying it was a "nightmare, the worst nightmare of my life". It took us an hour to calm her down and assure her that we would love her forever and that being a big sister was very fun and important. Now she's cuddling with me so I think I'm forgiven. She has always loved her baby of the family status. She'll be 7 when the baby is born and she has 6 months to mentally prepare herself
So the wedding was a success! We only had one small glitch with the ceremony, miscommunication between the piano player and myself, but we covered ourselves, sent in the honorary mini bridesmaids & ring bearer off cue and the rest went flawlessly. Everyone was very pleased and happy with everything. The decor was beautiful so I included some photos from the event.
So the wedding was a success! We only had one small glitch with the ceremony, miscommunication between the piano player and myself, but we covered ourselves, sent in the honorary mini bridesmaids & ring bearer off cue and the rest went flawlessly. Everyone was very pleased and happy with everything. The decor was beautiful so I included some photos from the event.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
C'est la vie!
This week the weather has been beautiful, 70's mostly, a few rain showers mixed in. I've been able to dry the laundry outside which is good, because the dryer just quit last week. "If it ain't one thing, it's your mother." ~Robin Williams, 'nine months'.
I'm not really sure who follows my blog, probably no one because I haven't updated in a year or more, therefore I will reveal my secret. I'm 10 weeks pregnant with #6!!!!! It came as quite a surprise to both Ken & I. We are tremendously thrilled! We haven't told the kids yet, except for Sylas. I have my first prenatal visit on May 22, when I'm 12 weeks, so I'll get an ultrasound then. We want to find out what it is so we can be prepared. I no longer have any baby stuff, as we thought we were done and Rona is 6.
So, my life will change drastically come December. I have been quite nauseous and trying to hide it, as we don't want to make it public for a couple weeks.
I do volunteer event coordinating for a church fundraiser and I have a wedding event this weekend and I know it will be challenging! We have event set up tomorrow night for a few hours, rehearsal Friday night for a couple hours, and then at least 14 hours on Saturday. So, I know what I'm doing this weekend :-).
I'm really happy because my dad is coming tomorrow night from a business trip in Indiana. He is only staying for about 48 hours but it will be so nice to see him! The kids are really excited to see Grandpa.
Well, that's all for this day.
I'm not really sure who follows my blog, probably no one because I haven't updated in a year or more, therefore I will reveal my secret. I'm 10 weeks pregnant with #6!!!!! It came as quite a surprise to both Ken & I. We are tremendously thrilled! We haven't told the kids yet, except for Sylas. I have my first prenatal visit on May 22, when I'm 12 weeks, so I'll get an ultrasound then. We want to find out what it is so we can be prepared. I no longer have any baby stuff, as we thought we were done and Rona is 6.
So, my life will change drastically come December. I have been quite nauseous and trying to hide it, as we don't want to make it public for a couple weeks.
I do volunteer event coordinating for a church fundraiser and I have a wedding event this weekend and I know it will be challenging! We have event set up tomorrow night for a few hours, rehearsal Friday night for a couple hours, and then at least 14 hours on Saturday. So, I know what I'm doing this weekend :-).
I'm really happy because my dad is coming tomorrow night from a business trip in Indiana. He is only staying for about 48 hours but it will be so nice to see him! The kids are really excited to see Grandpa.
Well, that's all for this day.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Summer is here!
Had a lovely day with the littles yesterday. We finally bought a new trampoline so they have been playing on that non-stop. It was a balmy 74 degrees yesterday so we welcomed summer with a fire pit supper of hotdogs, baked beans, chips & lemonade. Of course there were s'mores for dessert too. Ken & I worked on the yard together, I mowed and he trimmed, so it looks lovely. It rained so hard Friday, at least 3 inches and the tornado siren went off, so down to the basement we went for about 20 min. Anyway, all that rain makes the grass grow tremendously.
The big boys are gone this weekend to a youth conference in New York, can't wait to see them tonight!
The big boys are gone this weekend to a youth conference in New York, can't wait to see them tonight!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Pictures from this past year. . . Halloween
The pic of Jacklin is her with a friend, he's Sherlock Holmes and she's a soccer player. Rona changed her costume about 4 times before she decided on this cute Witch. It was her 4th birthday on the day we had Trick-or-Treat, so she was super happy!
The kids did all their own pumpkin carving this year, and those are the results! They did awesome ! Cleaned out their own "guts" and I roasted a few seeds.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
sick kids and a 3 day weekend
Well, the school sends a note home saying that if your child gets sick with the flu, it's most certainly H1N1. And to keep them quarantined (ya right), and don't send them back for a week. I've got Colin quite sick with all the symptoms, and Rona just got over the fever part. It is a little scary when you read about kids dying from it, and you see your child having rapid breathing and hallucinations. I don't want to over-react, but I also want them to be OK, of course. Rona is doing quite a bit better after only having the fever for 2 days, and this is Colin's 1st day with the fever. I'm hoping he'll be well enough to go to school on Monday, so he won't miss any. He didn't miss any days last week, cuz he just had a cough then.
Usually I love 3 day weekends, being home and relaxed with all the kids, but it's no fun when there are sickies around. And, Kenny's off in NY w/ Sy this weekend, working on the trailer, so I don't get to see him much. Just when they get home tomorrow night, hopefully not too late. Kenny's been sick for about a week and a half, too, but of course didn't take any time off and didn't get to bed any earlier. I think he was starting to feel better on Friday, tho.
Right now, we're trying to help Sylas get his grades up. He thinks most of his subjects are stupid as well as the assignments and has quite a bit of missing papers. They don't let the kids turn in late papers in 7th grade, so his grades are pretty bad right now. His Science teacher is giving him the opportunity to make up some missing journals, so he'll be able to get the "F" up before the end of this next week. That's the end of the 1st nine weeks. I can't believe they've already been in school this long. Time just flies. . .usually I'm just trying to get thru 1 day at a time, and somehow it still flies.
Today the sun was out and it was cold and crisp. A perfect fall day, but I spent it indoors playing nurse maid. Aiden was so sweet this morning, and Jacklin too. I had been up in the night with Colin a few times and was really tired this morning. So, Aiden brought me breakfast in bed and Jacklin made the coffee. She's really good at it!! It tasted just like mine. And, Aiden's breakfast was wonderful. . .perfectly toasted bagel w/ butter, and yogurt w/ granola, "just the way you like it, Mom". Such sweeties. I let them ride their bikes to Carmazzi's (the candy store on the town square) and get $2 worth of candy, each. They were so thoughtful and brought some back for colin & Rona. Colin is sleeping w/ his bag of candy under his pillow, waiting to get better to eat it.
We have adopted some grandparents from our church, to be our "grandparents" away from grandparents, and one of the grandma's, Ruth, came over today to get a haircut. She was so sweet and brought popscicles for Colin and Chicken & stars soup and then flowers for me and Chocolate! It made my day. Then, my sister, Amy, called me and that was the cherry on top. She's so thoughtful and wants to make sure I'm taking care of myself. She always has good ideas about things to do and try. She suggested getting together with other moms from church and making meals together, so we have meals for the week and spend time together. I thought that was awesome, cuz sometimes I'm so un-inspired for supper. So, I'll be emailing and seeing if any of them are interested. I think Bethany will be, as she works and goes to school.
Well, I gotta head to bed and check on Colin again. Anyone who reads this, please pray for him.
Usually I love 3 day weekends, being home and relaxed with all the kids, but it's no fun when there are sickies around. And, Kenny's off in NY w/ Sy this weekend, working on the trailer, so I don't get to see him much. Just when they get home tomorrow night, hopefully not too late. Kenny's been sick for about a week and a half, too, but of course didn't take any time off and didn't get to bed any earlier. I think he was starting to feel better on Friday, tho.
Right now, we're trying to help Sylas get his grades up. He thinks most of his subjects are stupid as well as the assignments and has quite a bit of missing papers. They don't let the kids turn in late papers in 7th grade, so his grades are pretty bad right now. His Science teacher is giving him the opportunity to make up some missing journals, so he'll be able to get the "F" up before the end of this next week. That's the end of the 1st nine weeks. I can't believe they've already been in school this long. Time just flies. . .usually I'm just trying to get thru 1 day at a time, and somehow it still flies.
Today the sun was out and it was cold and crisp. A perfect fall day, but I spent it indoors playing nurse maid. Aiden was so sweet this morning, and Jacklin too. I had been up in the night with Colin a few times and was really tired this morning. So, Aiden brought me breakfast in bed and Jacklin made the coffee. She's really good at it!! It tasted just like mine. And, Aiden's breakfast was wonderful. . .perfectly toasted bagel w/ butter, and yogurt w/ granola, "just the way you like it, Mom". Such sweeties. I let them ride their bikes to Carmazzi's (the candy store on the town square) and get $2 worth of candy, each. They were so thoughtful and brought some back for colin & Rona. Colin is sleeping w/ his bag of candy under his pillow, waiting to get better to eat it.
We have adopted some grandparents from our church, to be our "grandparents" away from grandparents, and one of the grandma's, Ruth, came over today to get a haircut. She was so sweet and brought popscicles for Colin and Chicken & stars soup and then flowers for me and Chocolate! It made my day. Then, my sister, Amy, called me and that was the cherry on top. She's so thoughtful and wants to make sure I'm taking care of myself. She always has good ideas about things to do and try. She suggested getting together with other moms from church and making meals together, so we have meals for the week and spend time together. I thought that was awesome, cuz sometimes I'm so un-inspired for supper. So, I'll be emailing and seeing if any of them are interested. I think Bethany will be, as she works and goes to school.
Well, I gotta head to bed and check on Colin again. Anyone who reads this, please pray for him.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
finally back to it. . .blogging
What a summer! i was just reading thru my last blog post (june 17th, my bday) and just want everyone to know my life didn't stop. It just got too busy for blogging. I vowed to start up again as soon as the kids were back in school, so 8 weeks later, here i am!
It was a beautiful summer, not too humid. We spent the entire month of August driving, nearly coast to coast. We went east to Syracuse, NY the first weekend and stayed a week up there, then home for a few days to do laundry and re-pack. We then drove West, and after 3 days, met my mom and some siblings in West Yellowstone. Stayed there for 2 days and continued west to Oregon. What a whirl-wind visit there. My family is so big, we didn't manage to see everyone in the 5 days we were there, before heading back to Ohio. But, all in all, a great experience for the kids and great sanity-saver for me. I like to be going and doing, and am always happiest when headed west!
I love fall! It's become my favorite season since we moved here. The colors are brilliant, the weather is crisp and fresh, but not too cold. The smells of wood smoke, burning leaves, spiced candles and pumpkin something baking are irresistible.
We went to Peifer Orchards this last wknd and got pumpkins, apples, apple cider, and honey. They also have these giant cookies that are made with pure maple syrup and they are divine. We love doing that with the family every year and creating a memory and a tradition for the kids. We've learned to wait to carve the pumpkins until a few days before Halloween, otherwise they rot, badly. My parents also visited over the weekend and that was wonderful! It was also Jacklin's 9th birthday, so we celebrated on Saturday evening and tried to spoil her rotten; I think she felt loved, i hope so.
So, I've been a bit down since summer and took St. John's wort in pill form all summer. I quit taking it when the kids went back to school, but noticed I was not feeling better, just more and more sad. So, thanks to the love and kindness of my friend, Leah, I am back taking the herb, but in liquid form. It tastes terrible, but it really seems to help me and steady me. I know i probably shouldn't self-diagnose and self-medicate, but I really can't afford to go to a doctor. I read that this area of the country typically has high rates of depression and suicide. Maybe it's all the manufacturing???? The air we breathe isn't very clean, and i really wonder about the water. Also, there's all the fertilizer for the fields, so even in the country, you can't win. I just notice that I have no interest in life, no care one way or the other, and feel often sad and homesick. I think I felt better today, cuz I actually thought about doing something fun with Rona.
Well, I need to go to bed and get some beauty sleep. I stayed up late reading last night, trying to catch up on the Phillipa Gregory books from this year and last. They are good reading and I recommend them. The Other Queen and The White Queen, if anyone is interested. I won't make promises about how often I'll post, but will try my best to keep it up.
It was a beautiful summer, not too humid. We spent the entire month of August driving, nearly coast to coast. We went east to Syracuse, NY the first weekend and stayed a week up there, then home for a few days to do laundry and re-pack. We then drove West, and after 3 days, met my mom and some siblings in West Yellowstone. Stayed there for 2 days and continued west to Oregon. What a whirl-wind visit there. My family is so big, we didn't manage to see everyone in the 5 days we were there, before heading back to Ohio. But, all in all, a great experience for the kids and great sanity-saver for me. I like to be going and doing, and am always happiest when headed west!
I love fall! It's become my favorite season since we moved here. The colors are brilliant, the weather is crisp and fresh, but not too cold. The smells of wood smoke, burning leaves, spiced candles and pumpkin something baking are irresistible.
We went to Peifer Orchards this last wknd and got pumpkins, apples, apple cider, and honey. They also have these giant cookies that are made with pure maple syrup and they are divine. We love doing that with the family every year and creating a memory and a tradition for the kids. We've learned to wait to carve the pumpkins until a few days before Halloween, otherwise they rot, badly. My parents also visited over the weekend and that was wonderful! It was also Jacklin's 9th birthday, so we celebrated on Saturday evening and tried to spoil her rotten; I think she felt loved, i hope so.
So, I've been a bit down since summer and took St. John's wort in pill form all summer. I quit taking it when the kids went back to school, but noticed I was not feeling better, just more and more sad. So, thanks to the love and kindness of my friend, Leah, I am back taking the herb, but in liquid form. It tastes terrible, but it really seems to help me and steady me. I know i probably shouldn't self-diagnose and self-medicate, but I really can't afford to go to a doctor. I read that this area of the country typically has high rates of depression and suicide. Maybe it's all the manufacturing???? The air we breathe isn't very clean, and i really wonder about the water. Also, there's all the fertilizer for the fields, so even in the country, you can't win. I just notice that I have no interest in life, no care one way or the other, and feel often sad and homesick. I think I felt better today, cuz I actually thought about doing something fun with Rona.
Well, I need to go to bed and get some beauty sleep. I stayed up late reading last night, trying to catch up on the Phillipa Gregory books from this year and last. They are good reading and I recommend them. The Other Queen and The White Queen, if anyone is interested. I won't make promises about how often I'll post, but will try my best to keep it up.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
bruises, beetles and birthdays . . .
Well, I treated myself tonight to a run, since it's my birthday tomorrow. It felt so good to get out there on that track . . . it's a mile to the track, so we (we meaning myself and 5 other girls) warmed up there and cooled down on the way back. It was a great little work out. Ohio has some of the nastiest, biggest bugs i've ever seen. Of course, I've never been to the Amazon, so I don't have much to compare it to, but a huge beetle flew at me while stretching on the track and landed on my tank top and I screamed for someone to "get it off". OOOO I HATE BUGS!!!!
I decided to have key lime pie for my birthday dessert and I'm going to make it myself , as I never have and want to learn. I just spent 1/2 hr on allrecipes.com trying to find the most authentic sounding recipe and I think I found it. So, tomorrow I will go to the store, armed with a list of proper ingredients and hopefully it turns out as good as it looked on the website and tastes as good as all the reviews claim! I so wish I could invite my whole family over tomorrow to help me celebrate. It just isn't a proper party without lots of people. But, the kiddos want to have a party, so we'll see what we come up with. Colin is insisting on cupcakes for the kids (we only need 5 mom).
So, tonight I was craving Chipotle for supper, and decided to make it myself . . .chicken burrito bowls. It takes a long time to make all the little sides . . . pico de gallo, guacamole, corn salsa, fajita mix, rice, shredded chicken, beans, grated cheese, etc. but oh my was it ever good. I used fresh cilantro from my herb garden for the first time, and I think that is what really topped the cake . . .it was delicious and worth all the work. I haven't cooked for a while, so it felt good to spend the time on it tonight. We eat so simple in the summer; the kids are really content with plain food; I just try to keep it balanced.
I think Rona is relapsing with her potty training. She's had 3 accidents in the last 5 days (all PooP. . .YUCKY). But, maybe she's protesting me being gone and her schedule being off. It's all happened when I've been gone, and she hasn't gone to day care for 2 weeks, since the kids are off school. I will have to give her some extra love tomorrow on my day off. She's also started biting the other kids (mostly Colin) when she wants something they have. We're working with that . . .never really had a biter, so I don't know what to do, other than put her in time out, then talk to her about how biting hurts and she needs to apologize and use her words.
Amy has been babysitting for me and will continue to thru the summer. I'm really lucky to have her . . .she knows my routine, keeps the house clean, does laundry if i'm behind and manages the kids really well. I just love her! It's only 2 days a week, but I don't worry about a thing when she's there. I've been taking 1 of the kids with me each day I clean . . .that's a great thing about a flexible cleaning job. They take turns. Colin came today, Aiden and Sylas each had a turn last week and Rona will get to come this next time. Jacklin is in summer school from 8:30-12:30, every day for 2 weeks, so it will be her turn when she's done with that. She is just not very scholastic, but she really tries hard. And, she's the only one going to summer school, and she's been a real trooper about it.
The kids have their last ball games this Friday, before the tournaments start. I still need to get that Pic of colin up here. Kenny is assistant coaching Jacklin's softball team, so they have their first tourny game on Saturday. I'm volunteering in the concession booth and Aiden is gonna help me. There's a youth conference this weekend also, so Sylas will be gone at that, along with all the other youth who could've been a potential babysitter for Rona. There's no way I could take her into a concession booth with me. She refuses to remember what the word NO means when it comes to candy, pop and snacks. Maybe her daycare lady, Gail, will take her on a Saturday morning???
Summer is really starting in with the kids out of school. We've been swimming alot and working and playing. Sylas has been pretty consistent with his mowing job. . .it only took him 4 hrs on Monday, so we're getting better. He takes a lot of breaks, but I think he's getting better at it. We still have help him a bit, remind him of his goals, mow a few strips, bring popsicles, etc. . .you get the picture. I'm hoping next week he'll do it ALL on his own. He really wants to go to Oregon, and he's paying for 1/2 his ticket, so that has been the huge motivator. The elementary school up the road from us serves a free lunch every week day (government funded), so we go there every day. It is a real blessing and saves on our food bill tremendously. Then we can play at the playground afterwards and we usually ride our bikes there and back, so we get exercise in too. I think tomorrow I'll take the kids hiking. There's a really nice park with long trails about 1/2 hour away and supposedly there's a waterfall to hike into. It would be a fun birthday outing.
It's crazy to be turning 35. I used to think that was old, hehehe. I feel so young still, except for the forgetfulness, hearing loss, poor eyesight, and grey hair. Oh well, I plan on aging slowly by having rest in God and in doing His will in my life. There is a great peace that comes from being reconciled to Him. I also want to have godliness with contentment, because it says in the Good Book that that is GREAT GAIN. It's something that I will have for all eternity. I can't take anything from this earth with me into eternity, but what I've gained on the inside by being faithful to His still, small voice will remain. I have so much to be thankful for. "Ask and it will be given to you, Seek and you will find, Knock and it will be opened to you." What great promises !
I decided to have key lime pie for my birthday dessert and I'm going to make it myself , as I never have and want to learn. I just spent 1/2 hr on allrecipes.com trying to find the most authentic sounding recipe and I think I found it. So, tomorrow I will go to the store, armed with a list of proper ingredients and hopefully it turns out as good as it looked on the website and tastes as good as all the reviews claim! I so wish I could invite my whole family over tomorrow to help me celebrate. It just isn't a proper party without lots of people. But, the kiddos want to have a party, so we'll see what we come up with. Colin is insisting on cupcakes for the kids (we only need 5 mom).
So, tonight I was craving Chipotle for supper, and decided to make it myself . . .chicken burrito bowls. It takes a long time to make all the little sides . . . pico de gallo, guacamole, corn salsa, fajita mix, rice, shredded chicken, beans, grated cheese, etc. but oh my was it ever good. I used fresh cilantro from my herb garden for the first time, and I think that is what really topped the cake . . .it was delicious and worth all the work. I haven't cooked for a while, so it felt good to spend the time on it tonight. We eat so simple in the summer; the kids are really content with plain food; I just try to keep it balanced.
I think Rona is relapsing with her potty training. She's had 3 accidents in the last 5 days (all PooP. . .YUCKY). But, maybe she's protesting me being gone and her schedule being off. It's all happened when I've been gone, and she hasn't gone to day care for 2 weeks, since the kids are off school. I will have to give her some extra love tomorrow on my day off. She's also started biting the other kids (mostly Colin) when she wants something they have. We're working with that . . .never really had a biter, so I don't know what to do, other than put her in time out, then talk to her about how biting hurts and she needs to apologize and use her words.
Amy has been babysitting for me and will continue to thru the summer. I'm really lucky to have her . . .she knows my routine, keeps the house clean, does laundry if i'm behind and manages the kids really well. I just love her! It's only 2 days a week, but I don't worry about a thing when she's there. I've been taking 1 of the kids with me each day I clean . . .that's a great thing about a flexible cleaning job. They take turns. Colin came today, Aiden and Sylas each had a turn last week and Rona will get to come this next time. Jacklin is in summer school from 8:30-12:30, every day for 2 weeks, so it will be her turn when she's done with that. She is just not very scholastic, but she really tries hard. And, she's the only one going to summer school, and she's been a real trooper about it.
The kids have their last ball games this Friday, before the tournaments start. I still need to get that Pic of colin up here. Kenny is assistant coaching Jacklin's softball team, so they have their first tourny game on Saturday. I'm volunteering in the concession booth and Aiden is gonna help me. There's a youth conference this weekend also, so Sylas will be gone at that, along with all the other youth who could've been a potential babysitter for Rona. There's no way I could take her into a concession booth with me. She refuses to remember what the word NO means when it comes to candy, pop and snacks. Maybe her daycare lady, Gail, will take her on a Saturday morning???
Summer is really starting in with the kids out of school. We've been swimming alot and working and playing. Sylas has been pretty consistent with his mowing job. . .it only took him 4 hrs on Monday, so we're getting better. He takes a lot of breaks, but I think he's getting better at it. We still have help him a bit, remind him of his goals, mow a few strips, bring popsicles, etc. . .you get the picture. I'm hoping next week he'll do it ALL on his own. He really wants to go to Oregon, and he's paying for 1/2 his ticket, so that has been the huge motivator. The elementary school up the road from us serves a free lunch every week day (government funded), so we go there every day. It is a real blessing and saves on our food bill tremendously. Then we can play at the playground afterwards and we usually ride our bikes there and back, so we get exercise in too. I think tomorrow I'll take the kids hiking. There's a really nice park with long trails about 1/2 hour away and supposedly there's a waterfall to hike into. It would be a fun birthday outing.
It's crazy to be turning 35. I used to think that was old, hehehe. I feel so young still, except for the forgetfulness, hearing loss, poor eyesight, and grey hair. Oh well, I plan on aging slowly by having rest in God and in doing His will in my life. There is a great peace that comes from being reconciled to Him. I also want to have godliness with contentment, because it says in the Good Book that that is GREAT GAIN. It's something that I will have for all eternity. I can't take anything from this earth with me into eternity, but what I've gained on the inside by being faithful to His still, small voice will remain. I have so much to be thankful for. "Ask and it will be given to you, Seek and you will find, Knock and it will be opened to you." What great promises !
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Our Best Babysitter!
This is Amy, our best babysitter and Rona. Just had to put a face with the name! :)Schools Out for the Summer!!
So, we've been hearing this lovely song by Alice Cooper on the Guitar Hero around the house alot these last couple days. I actually didn't even know the song until we got the game (there's alot I don't know about these things having grown up very sheltered without TV). Aiden is quite good at Guitar Hero and actually is the best in the family. He's my gamer . . .I'm always setting time limits, like a good parent should and he's always breaking them. How did my mom ever do it with 15 kids to keep track of? I can hardly keep track of 5. Anyway, I thought I would be good at Guitar Hero because I'm musical, but I'm realizing it also requires a level of gaming skill that I do not possess. It is a fun thing to do with the kids, tho. Kenny loves playing Tiger Woods Golf PGA Tour '09 with the boys. . .they have so much fun together in the evenings.
Aiden finally got the flu/cold that went thru the family one at a time. He had such a high fever yesterday, he was quite delirious. Whenever he gets sick, he gets a really high fever and delirious. If it wasn't so scary, it would be funny. He says the most random things and his eyes are huge and look right thru you. I remember seeing weird things in my feverish state when I was sick as a young girl. Guess he gets it from me . . . He seems better today, except for neck pain and a sore throat. Kenny is working overtime today and took Sylas with him, so the house is quiet. The kids are re-discovering old Disney movies, Bugs Life anyone? They've been watching Tarzan, The emporers new Groove, among others. We own way too many movies, but most of our Disney ones are on VHS, so it's not like we could loan them out. Who has a VHS player anymore in this day and age?
I need to get out and water the garden and the flowers. I'm trying to plant a few things from seeds, that would hopefully come up year after year, like poppies. I don't know if it will work. I usually don't have much luck with seeds. I'm trying to do more in the yard this year, so we'll see.
I have a lot of ideas for fun stuff to do this summer. I really want to start camping with the kids. I have such good memories of camping as a child, my parents took us alot in the summer. We went to O'dell Lake, Elk Lake, Suttle Lake, Crescent Lake, and many others. Our favorite was always O'dell . . .and it was very primitive and rustic. Here in Ohio, we have no natural lakes; they are all man made. But, there are a few that are close to home to try camping out on, with fishing, so we'll see. There's Kizer Lake, only 1/2 hour away and Indian Lake, the more popular of the two, about an hour away. We need a tent and have been researching some of the new styles, like Cottage tents and Cabin tents that sleep 9-10 people. They have rooms and closets and a center height of 82" . . .they sound wonderful! Most of our camping stuff is still in Oregon . . .we left our tent, camp stove, lantern and accessories. They were still at my parents in storage 6 years ago, but I don't know if they have survived the clean-ups and purges that have gone on since our absence.
Well, it's been a year since Kenny's grandma, Marlys, went to heaven. She was such a wonderful woman and a good grandma. She liked me from day 1 (I think!) We shared a passion for roses and the month of June and coffee. I miss her letters and her phone calls. She always kept me up-dated on the family. She was generous and loving always. Kenny has some of his best childhood memories from times spent with her and grandpa. She was Norwegian and I had been to Norway and learned the language a bit before I met her, so I think it's such a coincidence that we had that little link. I really want to teach my kids Norwegian, as they have a bit in them. I love history and heritage. They know a few phrases already, just from me using them around the house, like "ikke gjorde det" (don't do that) , "ikke ta paa den" (don't touch that), "sett deg ned"(sit down) "jeg elsker deg" (I love you).
We are in the process of remodeling our front room, which we used as a play room and a living rm before. It will become an entry with a hall and closet and an office/guest rm. We realized in our remodeling that our existing living room has about 3 different kinds of base boards, because it has a lot of the original 100 year old wood work. They tried to match the base, but when you look closely, it is different. Kenny just found a ton of base in one of his buildings in the attic that is real wood and very similar to what we have. He is getting that base today, as the attic isn't part of building that will be remodeled. They will just seal it off, so he's allowed to have the base boards for free. I'm really excited about it . . .it is beautiful dark and wide. We're going to redo the living room with it and if there's enough, the new entry. We were going to do the newly remodeled dining rm with it, but it's more of a modern room already, so we're gonna keep that one with simple base and trim. So far we have been able to do the remodeling fairly cost free, as Kenny and I have done the work ourselves and he gets alot of material from work. I'm so glad he is so handy; and he's very meticulous, so it gets done right. In our new dining rm. we took two rooms and made 1 big room. It's a really functional room now.
Well, this blog is getting quite long as I haven't written all week and had a lot to say, I guess. We got the kids a pool, and it's set up. It is small, because our yard doesn't have much room for one and I want Rona to be able to feel confident and touch the bottom. It's 12' x 33" , but they all love it. On those really hot and humid days, it's just nice to be able to get wet . . .it cools you down so nicely and we don't have any shade in the back yard. And, you can only eat so many popsicles in one day. We tried sprinklers that last couple years, but Aida chews them up. So, I think they'll be happy with it for this summer. We go once a week to the Eubanks (a family in our church with an in-ground pool with a deep end) and swim, so they are really looking forward to that too. I have to go check the chemical level in the pool now, so they can swim.
Aiden finally got the flu/cold that went thru the family one at a time. He had such a high fever yesterday, he was quite delirious. Whenever he gets sick, he gets a really high fever and delirious. If it wasn't so scary, it would be funny. He says the most random things and his eyes are huge and look right thru you. I remember seeing weird things in my feverish state when I was sick as a young girl. Guess he gets it from me . . . He seems better today, except for neck pain and a sore throat. Kenny is working overtime today and took Sylas with him, so the house is quiet. The kids are re-discovering old Disney movies, Bugs Life anyone? They've been watching Tarzan, The emporers new Groove, among others. We own way too many movies, but most of our Disney ones are on VHS, so it's not like we could loan them out. Who has a VHS player anymore in this day and age?
I need to get out and water the garden and the flowers. I'm trying to plant a few things from seeds, that would hopefully come up year after year, like poppies. I don't know if it will work. I usually don't have much luck with seeds. I'm trying to do more in the yard this year, so we'll see.
I have a lot of ideas for fun stuff to do this summer. I really want to start camping with the kids. I have such good memories of camping as a child, my parents took us alot in the summer. We went to O'dell Lake, Elk Lake, Suttle Lake, Crescent Lake, and many others. Our favorite was always O'dell . . .and it was very primitive and rustic. Here in Ohio, we have no natural lakes; they are all man made. But, there are a few that are close to home to try camping out on, with fishing, so we'll see. There's Kizer Lake, only 1/2 hour away and Indian Lake, the more popular of the two, about an hour away. We need a tent and have been researching some of the new styles, like Cottage tents and Cabin tents that sleep 9-10 people. They have rooms and closets and a center height of 82" . . .they sound wonderful! Most of our camping stuff is still in Oregon . . .we left our tent, camp stove, lantern and accessories. They were still at my parents in storage 6 years ago, but I don't know if they have survived the clean-ups and purges that have gone on since our absence.
Well, it's been a year since Kenny's grandma, Marlys, went to heaven. She was such a wonderful woman and a good grandma. She liked me from day 1 (I think!) We shared a passion for roses and the month of June and coffee. I miss her letters and her phone calls. She always kept me up-dated on the family. She was generous and loving always. Kenny has some of his best childhood memories from times spent with her and grandpa. She was Norwegian and I had been to Norway and learned the language a bit before I met her, so I think it's such a coincidence that we had that little link. I really want to teach my kids Norwegian, as they have a bit in them. I love history and heritage. They know a few phrases already, just from me using them around the house, like "ikke gjorde det" (don't do that) , "ikke ta paa den" (don't touch that), "sett deg ned"(sit down) "jeg elsker deg" (I love you).
We are in the process of remodeling our front room, which we used as a play room and a living rm before. It will become an entry with a hall and closet and an office/guest rm. We realized in our remodeling that our existing living room has about 3 different kinds of base boards, because it has a lot of the original 100 year old wood work. They tried to match the base, but when you look closely, it is different. Kenny just found a ton of base in one of his buildings in the attic that is real wood and very similar to what we have. He is getting that base today, as the attic isn't part of building that will be remodeled. They will just seal it off, so he's allowed to have the base boards for free. I'm really excited about it . . .it is beautiful dark and wide. We're going to redo the living room with it and if there's enough, the new entry. We were going to do the newly remodeled dining rm with it, but it's more of a modern room already, so we're gonna keep that one with simple base and trim. So far we have been able to do the remodeling fairly cost free, as Kenny and I have done the work ourselves and he gets alot of material from work. I'm so glad he is so handy; and he's very meticulous, so it gets done right. In our new dining rm. we took two rooms and made 1 big room. It's a really functional room now.
Well, this blog is getting quite long as I haven't written all week and had a lot to say, I guess. We got the kids a pool, and it's set up. It is small, because our yard doesn't have much room for one and I want Rona to be able to feel confident and touch the bottom. It's 12' x 33" , but they all love it. On those really hot and humid days, it's just nice to be able to get wet . . .it cools you down so nicely and we don't have any shade in the back yard. And, you can only eat so many popsicles in one day. We tried sprinklers that last couple years, but Aida chews them up. So, I think they'll be happy with it for this summer. We go once a week to the Eubanks (a family in our church with an in-ground pool with a deep end) and swim, so they are really looking forward to that too. I have to go check the chemical level in the pool now, so they can swim.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
only 3 days more . . .
Until schools out! I'm really excited to have them all home for the summer. They need the de-tox from school; it starts to wear on them after a while. This week is all make-up days from overages on snow days, so they're doing NOTHING. Jacklin has her field day today, and I'm going to "help". Also, Colin has an end-of-the-year party from 1-2, so I'll be at the school all day. I went on Aiden's field trip yesterday and we had a lot of fun. It's fun to get to know his friends better and riding on a school bus is so nostalgic, hehehe. We went to the Westcott house in Springfield, which is designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright and is over 100 years old. That guy was way ahead of his time, because that house was so modern looking still. It was restored about 2 years ago to the original look and it is just gorgeous. Has a lot of Asian zen feel to it, with reflecting pools and gorgeous gardens and verandas.
So, we got the van fixed. We ended up having it towed to another shop, because the one place couldn't figure out what was wrong. It ended up being a wiring harness behind the motor that had melted and was short circuiting. So, sometimes it ran and sometimes not. But, now it runs like a dream. We only had to dump a little $$ into it, but there went my trip to Oregon to see my siblings graduate. Oh well. That is how life is. I think it's a sign that it's their turn to come visit me! I really miss them all. I'm the oldest sister in a family of 15 and some of them are just like my children. I had a lot to do with raising them and love it when they call me or text me and we chat. Oh, I miss them so much!!!!
Well, I should be getting out the door. Jacklin is wondering if her forgetful mother is going to show up today or not. Gotta love her, she keeps me on my toes.
So, we got the van fixed. We ended up having it towed to another shop, because the one place couldn't figure out what was wrong. It ended up being a wiring harness behind the motor that had melted and was short circuiting. So, sometimes it ran and sometimes not. But, now it runs like a dream. We only had to dump a little $$ into it, but there went my trip to Oregon to see my siblings graduate. Oh well. That is how life is. I think it's a sign that it's their turn to come visit me! I really miss them all. I'm the oldest sister in a family of 15 and some of them are just like my children. I had a lot to do with raising them and love it when they call me or text me and we chat. Oh, I miss them so much!!!!
Well, I should be getting out the door. Jacklin is wondering if her forgetful mother is going to show up today or not. Gotta love her, she keeps me on my toes.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
playing hookie
Wow . . .this week is flying by. It's already Wednesday and i haven't posted for almost a week! The Van . . .sad, sad story. It's STILL not working, well, we thought it was fixed on Monday. We made it to the picnic at church and home again (it's a 5min drive there, and 5min back). Then, yesterday Jacklin had a field trip and we missed the bus cuz the van wouldn't start. I finally got it going and drove them quickly to the school, but sadly it died while trying to turn into the school. Yes, I blocked traffic for about 2 miles back, buses, teachers, students. I could not get it to start. A very kind gentleman finally came and helped me push it off the road. That is very nearly impossible at that time of day because the school is just off a main highway.
People are suppossed to drive 20 miles per hour in the school zone part of the highway, but it's constant traffic @ 7:45 in the morning. Well, after the van was on the side of the road, I had to run the kids across the busy highway to the school. Whew! Jacklin made it to the field trip. Thank goodness we have AAA. I called them and they towed the van to the repair shop. I borrowed a friends Suburban to pick them up from the bus stop yesterday.
Well, the van is still being repaired or they're still trying to figure out what is wrong. Kenny replaced the fuel pump, air filter, some sensors, but it seems to be an electrical problem. We just had a tune up on it in February, but I keep thinking maybe its just a defective spark plug or something. Cuz, I know so much about fixing cars.
So, today all the kids are home from school and I am sick with the flu that has been going around our family. the headache, sore throat, sinus pressure sickness . . .yuck! Aiden very sweetly made me breakfast-in-bed. he made OJ, oatmeat, and yogurt. Rona ate most of it, cuz my appetite is not too good. They are all so happy to be home. I told them they could do 1 chore and then play, so right now they're putting away their laundry. I put Sylas in charge of helping them get the clothes to their rooms, so we'll see. Sounds like they're fighting down there . . ."Sylas stop choking Aiden". Oh my. I'm being lazy and sitting in bed writing my blog.
It rained a bit last night for the first time in about a week. It's been really humid for the past 3 days. I do not love humidity. We're watering the garden and flowers alot and the garden is growing well. Although, the slugs have been eating some, so we've replanted. Anyone know how to keep slugs out? I love working out in the yard, better than working in the house. I would rather pull weeds and haul water to gently water my seedlings, than do housework. But alas, the laundry is piling up and the floors need washed. maybe since I have so many helpers home today. . .hmmm . . .
So, I'm meditating on that verse that "all things work together for good to those who Love God". It seems like there's a dark cloud following me around, but I know that God won't give us more than we can bear and that He follows along closely with us, even the very hairs of our head are numbered. So, it will all work out eventually and I still have so many things to be thankful for. Well, I gotta go for now, Colin has been up here crying twice, because "the boys are being mean to me" and "Sylas yelled at me." So, I will go play referee. "This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it".
People are suppossed to drive 20 miles per hour in the school zone part of the highway, but it's constant traffic @ 7:45 in the morning. Well, after the van was on the side of the road, I had to run the kids across the busy highway to the school. Whew! Jacklin made it to the field trip. Thank goodness we have AAA. I called them and they towed the van to the repair shop. I borrowed a friends Suburban to pick them up from the bus stop yesterday.
Well, the van is still being repaired or they're still trying to figure out what is wrong. Kenny replaced the fuel pump, air filter, some sensors, but it seems to be an electrical problem. We just had a tune up on it in February, but I keep thinking maybe its just a defective spark plug or something. Cuz, I know so much about fixing cars.
So, today all the kids are home from school and I am sick with the flu that has been going around our family. the headache, sore throat, sinus pressure sickness . . .yuck! Aiden very sweetly made me breakfast-in-bed. he made OJ, oatmeat, and yogurt. Rona ate most of it, cuz my appetite is not too good. They are all so happy to be home. I told them they could do 1 chore and then play, so right now they're putting away their laundry. I put Sylas in charge of helping them get the clothes to their rooms, so we'll see. Sounds like they're fighting down there . . ."Sylas stop choking Aiden". Oh my. I'm being lazy and sitting in bed writing my blog.
It rained a bit last night for the first time in about a week. It's been really humid for the past 3 days. I do not love humidity. We're watering the garden and flowers alot and the garden is growing well. Although, the slugs have been eating some, so we've replanted. Anyone know how to keep slugs out? I love working out in the yard, better than working in the house. I would rather pull weeds and haul water to gently water my seedlings, than do housework. But alas, the laundry is piling up and the floors need washed. maybe since I have so many helpers home today. . .hmmm . . .
So, I'm meditating on that verse that "all things work together for good to those who Love God". It seems like there's a dark cloud following me around, but I know that God won't give us more than we can bear and that He follows along closely with us, even the very hairs of our head are numbered. So, it will all work out eventually and I still have so many things to be thankful for. Well, I gotta go for now, Colin has been up here crying twice, because "the boys are being mean to me" and "Sylas yelled at me." So, I will go play referee. "This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it".
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