on the creek...

For several springs (and summers too) the baseball fields have been our favorite hang outs. 

Although we miss baseball, Crab Creek and the land around it has become a great place to spend many hours.

Gardening, kayaking, swimming, hiking and the list goes on. 

Last night's storm was a small portion of what they predicted, but it was a bit of a storm. 

We biked through the rain and ran through the rain.

We are to resume to a bit of a schedule this week, re-introducing baseball. And we only have a week and a half of school left.

I do not know what to think of all of this. 

Our positive Covid cases are rising again, with that comes concern.

Our small businesses and restaurants are re-opening  - I want to see them make money - our restaurants are opening at 50 percent capacity... but then with the last few days seeing cases rise it makes us wonder what the coming weeks may bring.

For many years I have blogged about personal life and our happenings. Never intending it to be a "highlight reel" but more of a highlight REAL - the thing is, there are just snippets of life's happenings we share. 

I have had a bit of a look into the struggles of households with all of the recent changes. 

No household is exempt. 

I am so pleased with how much these kids help each other.

Oren's Birthday!!

I cannot adequately express how proud I am of these kids!

Merit, Willem, and Hazel had so much fun making Oren's birthday extra special!

4 friends surprised us throughout the day, dropping off gifts and kindness!

Hazel made his cake and did a marvelous job! I am so very thankful!!!

And we saved the pinata for today!! Pictures to come!!

Happy Birthday Oren!!

 Happpy Birthday!! We love you so much Oren Paul!!!

 Oren is a character!
A JOY!
Life is so much sweeter with him in it!!

"therapy" at Marilyn's

Marilyn's greenhouse

 Marilyn added two young spunky ones to her older pair, Sable and Scooby -

"Therapy" at Marilyn's

This girl was in heaven

The weekend

 Hours and hours of baseball!

Sunday! May 17th

The last several summers we planted our garden on Mother's Day and keeping up on weeding and maintenance got tricky in the days and weeks following, with us being out of town for baseball quite a bit.

The cool thing is when I got back from a three day tourney with one of the boys, I could visibly see the progress of the garden. Now, I check on it six times a day. Little progress is noted. On a positive note, there are less weeds than previous summers.

Yesterday I went to the Farmer's Market while Merit shot at a nearby hoop. The breads they have there! Delicious! I bought an asiago cheese and a smoked gouda bread. We had the smoked gouda cheese bread with ribs, baked beans, and a salad last night. Yum! The market has a couple of people selling handmade sanitizers, soaps, lavender products... so much fun stuff. And the asparagus we bought there the last two weeks has been so good.

School in the fall does not look like "normal school" I would love Merit and all of the seniors to have a fun, "normal" year! Playing sports and making memories with friends... we shall see I guess. That feels hard.

About 5 months ago I bought a beautiful handmade doll house. I really like doll houses - more than my kids ever have.
It fits Barbies okay, although it was not built for that size doll. I know I will get a little girl here one of these days who falls in love with it... our friend Addie? Our niece Quinn? Our niece Ingrid? Today I am going to set it all up and see if I can entice Hazel and Oren to get their play on.

10 quarantine blessings

1) Sibling bonding
2) and the TIME for sibling bonding
3) time for exercise
4) This is the best I have slept in 20 years
5) Garden fun, garden time, time to weed
6) baking
7) Prairie style living
8) time for letter writing
9) Farmer's Market outings
10) I don't have to make school lunches! Whoop whoop!



There is good in this, there is hard too.
For example, personality conflicts are a bit magnified when you are 60 days together, all home -
It takes patience and forgiveness.
The dishes
The small businesses that are suffering. I am so impressed with the creative ways they are trying to move their product! Delivery, curbside pick up, online shopping...
I feel very sad for those who have lost their lives to Covid 19.


My verse for this week.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Nature

 Never have we had so much time for nature. This is a blessing.
We miss sports, but bird watching, creek fun, kite fun, and planting are a few of the things that have taken basketball and baseball's place.
Although I see Merit and Will improving their skills daily. Their dedication impresses me.
Oren and Hazel are loving their binoculars and the golf cart!

 Looks like this red winged blackbird is hitching a ride! But really, he is trying to chase the cattle egret off. 

Longview Elementary/Homeless Camp

Walking in a gas station parking lot Sunday I nearly got hit by a speeding car, hollering profanities. The car raced into the parking lot, looking for the homeless woman I passed on foot.

Our homeless population is a heartache.

I don't know what the answer is. 

I knew a third grader a few years ago. She and her family had been homeless for a couple of years. She was the brightest, sweetest thing! During a very cold winter, a family let her family live in their shop or shed. Over time, they were placed in some housing. Our community helped them, Grant County Housing Authority I believe. The dad got a job. I saw the dad and the children get off the GTA bus once near Frontier. K, the third grader, spotted me. She waved and said "Dad, that's Mrs. Jansen!" I have so much respect for that girl.
 I don't know where she is now.

I remember she was a great reader. I subbed in her class. I complimented her on her reading. She told me that when you are homeless with no TV but do have access to books, you read a lot.

I have a heart. I have a heart for our homeless. But I do not want a homeless camp 638 feet from an elementary school. I don't know where it should go. But I do not think it should be that close.

I have to tread carefully. My goal is to not offend.

A lot of our Longview students live in mobile home parks and apartments, several walk to school. I want any outings to be safe. I want them to be able to visit Longview's play ground on the weekends. I want them to be able to walk to school safely. With a homeless camp 638 feet from our elementary school, all of this looks very different.

Not all homeless people are criminals, sex offenders, or abuse drugs. Sometimes homeless people are children. Sometimes they are disabled veterans. But from my observations, many of our homeless people are addicts.

As we consider an appropriate site for this camp, I pray that it is not near an elementary school. I get it, a few miles out of town, not tarnishing the look of downtown. But this isn't the best plan.

Longview's student population appreciates the help, assistance, and care of our community. I have to thank our superintendent, our district, and Longview Elementary School. We have so many working together to make sure online learning is a success! Free lunch and breakfast given out Monday through Friday is a huge blessing. CHS, our district, and a local church put together garden kits. We loved planting ours! What a cool gift.
Our kids are feeling the support and concern during this abnormal time, from their teachers, principals, secretaries, and the list goes on.
Considering our location and our student population, a homeless camp nearby is not a wise idea. These kids need us to help them learn and succeed, while being safe.

Life over here.

 Missing This


Crab Creek gets more fun every year!

We are all about hand me downs here and if it means your sister's pink sandals, so be it. 

Got a Walmart grocery order today and was pretty excited. 

I am encouraging my boys to stay off of social media because they will see that people are getting together and sometimes one can feel a sense of missing out. Merit admitted that yeah it can kind of bum him out.

Once this is all over I sort of think I should delete facebook and get a flip phone. 

Living prairie style suits me pretty well. 

The garden is going to be a dream come true. (I think, I hope)

Oren learned how to drive the golf cart! 

It had been out of commission for a year. We got new batteries. 

Even on the hard days, there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for! 

Mother's Day 2020

 So thankful for the example my mom was!
Thankful for Grandma Dorothy, heaven is also her home.
And I am so grateful for Grandma Alma! An example of patience, faith and love.

My kids have many special moms in their lives! Including their grandmas and aunts....

My kids make me happy when skies are great. 

They are sunny and bright! 

My sunshine and sunflowers!!

I know many moms who cannot be with kids and grand kids today. I saw that so many flowers were being delivered! Cards sent and videos made... we all find ways to make it special -

 

 And every Mother's Day, my heart bleeds a little

Friday I thought wow, will these kids even get a baseball season? 

Merit and Willem work on baseball skills every day - 

They miss the friends they used to see 6 days a week during baseball season.

Merit works on basketball skills every day! 

They have homework, yard work, they help their younger siblings often

-50 plus days of quarantine-

I felt kind of edgy yesterday (even though I have enjoyed this time at home INCREDIBLY)

But, we stay put and we stay strong. 

We are all in this together.