Tuesday evening...

Cold weather, cozy reading

coloring and painting...

After MONTHS of Merit's lower back giving him pain, we have turned a corner. He still has a little pain but it is SO much better! Many prayed and we are so grateful. Thank you God that Merit is feeling better.

His back prevented him to play fall ball basketball and limited some of his gym time, he has had SO many physical therapy appointments since May. But a physical therapist at the Othello hospital really seemed to pin point what was going on. We had become quite discouraged before our visit there. Dr. Gerber and his treatment have been an answer to prayers!!

This morning - - This afternoon

 This morning

 This afternoon

The dusting of snow gone and it is a beautiful day! Almost too warm for a sweatshirt by the end of our hike!

Basketball and fun at home

 Wild Will

me and Hazel Jane

Nellie had a successful North Dakota hunt - she brought Vance with her. It was VERY cold and there were not a lot of birds. They hunted with a good group and may consider some sort of hunting in Hawaii next year. ;-)

This team is SO fun to watch!

Willem has played fantastic defense for a couple of years, his offense needing work. Although the work never stops, Willem's really getting all aspects of the game figured out. His hard work is paying off. We lost in over time. This was a very physical game. I am proud of these boys.

It's Monday! 
It was a great weekend. 

Late start Mondays are so perfect. 

Willem has a game in Quincy tonight! 
Basketball try outs start for Merit. 

Hazel and Oren have had a lazy morning of play, which I love!

My chickens are happy. They love life before the ground is frozen... I will be back later with more pictures and updates.

Book It!

If you read my earlier post about a fun, old memory including BOOK IT certificates, here's the follow up! 

We redeemed Hazel and Oren's book it certs at Pizza Hut last weekend and had so much fun! 

I laughed and laughed and thought of my mom ten times! 

Pizza Hut has some good pizza. 

Their wings and breadsticks are delicious too! 

ohhhhh I love days like this!

Christmas Goodies

 This week's student teacher conferences have been so good. 
Thrifting while having a spare morning hour or so has been a quiet time I have needed and it has been fun. 
I LOVE VINTAGE CHRISTMAS. 
If you have not been into The Favored Farmhouse lately, check it out! 

The "hunt" is so fun! 

These 4 I adore!

I had two fantastic days of subbing in kinder Thursday and Friday. It was a group of kids that work well together and some of the sweetest personalities I have seen. The learning is SO remarkable. I can watch things click. 

And then I feel extra grateful, because for this year I live with a kindergartner! And I get to see the growth, the imaginative nature, the mindset, and the learning!

Hazel and Oren have been hilarious this weekend. Their play, so fun! 

Merit and Willem are super into the HAWKS game! Monday night football, they sure love it. 

This is conference week. I love meeting with their teachers. 

Merit and I met with a coach this weekend who was interested in talking about Merit's baseball future. He had some ideas for  summer baseball for Merit too. 
When talking colleges, he encouraged Merit to dream big. He mentioned great schools far away.

All of this is important and good. 

But when I see this here at home, I am reminded of the little people who will miss a fantastic ROLE MODEL. We are sure enjoying his junior year, knowing his senior year will come quickly. 

Thank you Veterans

Some days are heavy.
I fight something heavy that can't be accurately described.

Today, that heaviness comes from taking a closer look at our veterans.
Humbled, I thank them.

One man's story I know better than most. My brother in law - I know some of his military burdens but I know more of his life when home. I know so little of his story - in the grand scheme of things - but I am thankful for who he is.

And it was good of Merit to come to me this morning and remind me of how much respect Reese has for our grandpa Ken - his wife's grandfather and my grandfather -

The gift of Memory

I am remembering things from my past vividly and clearly! Things I have not thought of in ten or twenty years.
My brain is really going over time, but my two most recent memories really had me laughing.

My Grandma Dorothy for years and years had her hair done every Friday. She wrapped her hair each night in toilet paper and bobby pins to keep the "do" done. :-)! She had the toilet paper neatly folded on a shelf in her bathroom near the toilet. A couple of times through the years when the toilet paper roll was empty, we pulled a few squares from her neat, folded stash. Only to have her not be able to wrap her full head that night. 
The memory brought me back to her awesome rambler, her hallway, her bathroom, my Aunt Janis' voice, my grandma's voice... and let me share another fun thing about this memory, my friend's Mark and Debbie listened to the toilet paper memory with such enthusiasm! 
Oh I miss my Grandma Dorothy! 

This "new life" I am living with all of the kids in school full time has allowed me more quiet hours of thinking. This has been a blessing and a curse.
Mostly a blessing.

 Grandma and her "great grands" the summer of her 90th birthday!

Book It
 I thought Book It was a thing only when brother Matt and sister Tasha were elementary kids. 
Kids who read daily or a certain number of hours through the month received a certificate for a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. I remember Matt and Tasha bringing home these certificates and thinking "yes! We are going to Pizza Hut in Bellingham!" There was not and is not a Pizza Hut in Lynden. 

Typically our Saturday outing was grocery shopping and going to Grandpa Ken and Grandma Alma's (which we loved!) My mom was also running kids, cleaning, yard work in the warm months, and the list goes on. She had a lot on her plate. And many Saturday nights our mom and dad went out to dinner. But one Saturday - the usual "to dos" were set aside and we were redeeming two personal pan pizza certs!
Our mom did not go to Pizza Hut in Bellingham - I don't think we'd ever been and now as an adult and mom of four, I realize two "book it" coupons do not equal a free lunch, especially when a few family members don't have a coupon. :-)!

I remember, vividly, sitting in the booth! So thankful my younger siblings got us to Pizza Hut in Bellingham -- ha ha! It was so fun. I remember ordering a large Pepsi and spilling the entire thing! I was in high school.
I remember the bill coming and my moms eyes were big. 
So many things about that day have come back to me! All because my sweet Hazel and my diligent Oren brought home book it certificates. 
I'm taking them to Pizza Hut, Moses Lake! And Merit and Willem are coming too! 

The gift of Memory