April 30

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM IN HEAVEN! 




In many cases, your mom believes in you more than anyone else.

She cheers you on, validates you, prays for you, supports you, and cries with you.

For some both of their parents are their biggest fans.

So, our mom was this person. My youngest brother was an 8th grader when she passed away, I was 25. All five of us kids were in need of mom cheer, mom prayer, mom support.


My brothers and sisters are good people. They are smart and they are "over comers", all of them in one way or another.  I want my mom's support and cheer just as much for them as I do for myself.


The good thing is, we have hope.
We will see her again in heaven!

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. -Philippians 3:20


But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:31

I am also so grateful that she was fun, patient, loved to laugh, and she knew Jesus!
She was raised by terrific parents and has wonderful siblings.
We have the support of her links, of her loved ones! We have her influence because of the mom she was.

April 29 -

Hammock fun

Nature

Treasure Hunts

Hikes

Homework, homework, and today more homework

Metaphors and Similes

Shark Writing

Math

American Sign Language

DISHES

Merit and Willem are so excited to get back to some regular fishing on May 5th. 

Their carp fishing sort of got busted.

We love the garden time and hikes. 

We are going through a lot of food! Family of 6, (two teenagers) three meals a day at home. 

We have checked out every basketball hoop in town. 

Heading out to weed! 

I can't believe the month of April is almost over - 

Chickens LOVE spring time! 

Kitten goodness, garden fun, thankful -

I wake up. I can’t wait to get to the kittens. 

I check my garden starts. 

I run in for a second cup of coffee, Merit is watering my deck flowers. Hazel usually joins me in the greenhouse by 9:30.

Laundry pile is high and sinks need to be cleaned.

I have a stack of books ten high that I am excited to read. 

Oren’s addition and subtraction puts a smile on my face. 

His building, creating, and art is amazing.

Merit and Willem play catch, watch King of Queens and Office re-runs, and play for hours with the littles. They help with yard and garden stuff too. Merit hits heavy balls every day and throws a bull pen every third or fourth day. This baseball love runs deep and is missed. 

This fostering gig is so much easier with healthy, social kittens!

Thanksgivings!

So many Thanksgivings -

Sunny, warm, beautiful days!
SPRING
Good reads
Chickens
Fresh eggs
kites
These kids making memories!
Home school - although not all aspects of this are a breeze
Our kids teachers are remarkable
Baking
Cooking
Take out



In the old days, I did not make enough time to exercise. I walked a few days a week, wanting to walk every day or get a workout in every day. Sleep has always been more important to me than working out. So working out at 10 pm or 6 am is not my thing.
These days provide time for me to exercise. Every day. It is one of my biggest blessings right now.

 There is so much beauty that surrounds us. 

 I LOVE watching Oren and Hazel play!
I LOVE listening to Merit and Willem laugh.
Our garden starts are so healthy! 

Vance is out flying kites often and is always up for a country walk. 

We have foster kittens now too. Pictures to come.

This time of respite and quiet is appreciated. 
My over thinking before got the best of me at times. I would over schedule. I would analyze conversations. 
I would consider what I did in a day, and what I did not make time for and it bugged me sometimes. Some days, putting a lot of pressure on myself. 
Oren enjoyed going to school each day - and he does miss his classmates and teacher - but he LOVES outdoor exploring. I like seeing his imagination thrive outdoors. He resists his chrome book a bit but appreciates seeing his teacher and classmates on flip grid. 
I was in my car A LOT. Now I am home, A LOT.
I know our society and economy needs to get back to business as normal. I totally understand that. 
But oh how thankful I am for the moments, for these moments.

I pray for all of those negatively affected right now. 

Along Crab Creek

So, it turns out the creek is not quite ready for kayaks - not enough water yet  - -
These boys probably walked 2 miles of their 3 mile trek.

Garden starts

Dinner!

Calico Cat Thrift Store

If you had read my blog for very long, you may know this story from the past.

I love thrifting. Strangely, I do not miss thrifting very much. The reason for this is because I was bringing too much "stuff" into our home. I do miss the "hunt" and the "therapy."

Calico Cat Thrift Store
Twila owned Calico Cat Thrift Store. My travels brought me there in search of a bargain, but more in search of Twila's company. A wealth of wisdom and kindness, I love Twila.
If I was buying books for teachers, they were free.
I remember buying cushions and pillows for "flexible seating" for a kinder classroom. Twila asked me "what are they for?" I told her. She said, "they are yours, no charge" -

About 4 years ago, my sister Natasha and kids were in town. Natasha and I went thrifting (favorite past time). We asked Twila if she had any baseball cards, she showed us these gems from 1987. She had three packages! Brittle bubble gum was included! We did a treasure hunt for Merit, Willem, and my nephew Lane and these were the prizes!

My boys are sentimental and nostalgic. I have no idea where they get it.
This is what the cards look like, today.
They have been gently opened and then carefully re-wrapped, gum included.

Spring

 Spring is always so busy. Previous springs have always been so busy. I ached to get into my greenhouse and to take more walks. Although I loved subbing, spring concerts, baseball and more baseball, BBQs, etc. it included days of being very rushed and spread a bit thin. I miss baseball the most. Merit and Willem miss it too.
But I am so thankful for a spring like this. I am sad about why it is like this, what many are having to deal with - But I am happy about kite flying, hikes, my kids making hundreds of memories together, garden starts, reading, walks, and baking.

I am a country girl through and through! I almost stepped on this guy on my walk last night! I immediately thought of my friend Nathaniel! He is Oren's buddy too and loves snakes!

Badger Hole

My friend at Ambetter, Ducks for entertainment

I called our health insurance company this morning. Coverage on some recent tests had me all in a tizzy, lack of coverage would be a better way of describing this.

I haven't done any zoom and very little face time since the start of all of this. I have seen some people meet in parking lots 6-10 feet away to chat, I haven't done that either. I did not think I really missed visiting with adults, aside from Vance. This prairie style life has me quite content.
Until I got the gal from Ambetter on the phone.
Not only did we chat about insurance, but we enjoyed chatting about life in general. She commented on Oren's singing. I told her he was both singing and dancing and loving life. Willem had no idea I was on the phone and was belting out song lyrics. All of a sudden the voice on the other end was so friendly and welcoming. We talked mammos, breast exams, being home, kids, kids dancing and singing... life is funny.

So, Merit, Willem, and Oren have very little interest in the ducks at this point, but Vance, Hazel, and I enjoy them quite a lot.

 They are messy and loud - loud only when they are not together.
My guess is we have a male and a female, which would be perfect since we named them Sam and Daisy!

Now I am researching bunnies.
And I want to get back into fostering kitties but visits for check ups and possible vet visits have me a little nervous.
But, what better time to nurture animals, than now?