Soccer practice.
Band practice.
School.
Laundry.
Cooking.
Scrubbing toilets.
Feeding goats.
Feeding chickens.
Collecting eggs.
Adoption paperwork.
Library.
Soccer practice.
More band practice.
More laundry.
More school.
Training seminar.
Phone calls.
Paperwork.
Soccer tournament.
Music festival.
So what have you been up to?
And can I just say that I will be immensely relieved after Sunday, when some big chunks are off that list.
1. Andrew's soccer tournament was today, so NO MORE SOCCER PRACTICE!!!
2. The Music Festival is going on this weekend, and our band is closing it out. Yes, we have a band. Not quite like our worship team, but almost. Our worship team plus a lead guitar/vocalist, another vocalist, and a dobro. Performing, rather than leading worship.
But, we're the first Christian band to play at this festival, so pray for us, that it's a valuable outreach time! We've been practicing tons, and we have fun...but I could use an extra 5 hours in my week, and after today, since there aren't any other gigs to play anytime soon, we'll get back the 5 hours we've been putting in a week. Phew!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
It's a party potty day!
Actually, it was more like a party around here today!
Apparently Anna has a secret switch that just needs to be turned "on" for potty training. She stayed dry ALL DAY, even through her nap, and told me three of the times that she needed to go, (instead of me always asking her).
Now if only I could find the secret switch...praying it stays on for tomorrow, too!
Apparently Anna has a secret switch that just needs to be turned "on" for potty training. She stayed dry ALL DAY, even through her nap, and told me three of the times that she needed to go, (instead of me always asking her).
Now if only I could find the secret switch...praying it stays on for tomorrow, too!
Friday, September 11, 2009
April's Visit!
The month of July brought with it April to our house! We had so much fun answering people's questions as to how we're connected. Most people she was introduced to assumed that we were friends from college or something.
"Well, no, actually. See, our husbands grew up as best friends together in the same small town, and we spent time as couples together just handful of times over the past decade or so, but you know, we're really just kindred spirits and now our husbands keep in touch pretty much through us." True story!
April and I have always just had the kind of connection that you can talk every day or only talk every few months and still pick up right where we left off. We have encouraging (at least for me) discussions on raising our kids, homeschooling, and living out our faith. Our prayer times together are sweet, and the time always too short. *sigh*
But I would much rather have a friend such as April that lives thousands of miles away than to not have a friend like her at all...she's a gem, and I'm so grateful for the time we had this visit.
This was a combo visit Wendy/see more of Alaska/have downtime/pray over school plans for the upcoming year/rest trip for April.
I would like to just say right now that someone can be completely refreshed without actually being physically rested, and that just because one's wife stays up talking too many nights instead of getting actual sleep doesn't mean that one's wife shouldn't be sent off to Alaska for two weeks every summer. Just a random thought thrown out there to no one in particular.
My kids enjoyed having April visit as much as I did! One afternoon she took Jacob and Anna to the park/beach (Andrew was at Space Camp that day), and watched the kids into the evening so that Mark and I could actually have a date. Much appreciated!
These pics just cracked me up! I think April must have had the multi-shot setting with the timer on it for these...I just wish I knew how to put them together in a toggled action frame set!
We had lots of time to visit family, hang out, and she spent a lot of time reading to and playing with the kids. Regrettably, I forgot my camera on our wildlife cruise in the bay, which was memorable all on its own. It was just a wonderful visit all the way around, and definitely one that needs to be repeated!
I'll have to wait till tomorrow to post the adventure just April and I took...though you've seen some pics on their blog. It was truly a mountaintop experience worth blogging about!
"Well, no, actually. See, our husbands grew up as best friends together in the same small town, and we spent time as couples together just handful of times over the past decade or so, but you know, we're really just kindred spirits and now our husbands keep in touch pretty much through us." True story!
April and I have always just had the kind of connection that you can talk every day or only talk every few months and still pick up right where we left off. We have encouraging (at least for me) discussions on raising our kids, homeschooling, and living out our faith. Our prayer times together are sweet, and the time always too short. *sigh*
But I would much rather have a friend such as April that lives thousands of miles away than to not have a friend like her at all...she's a gem, and I'm so grateful for the time we had this visit.
This was a combo visit Wendy/see more of Alaska/have downtime/pray over school plans for the upcoming year/rest trip for April.
I would like to just say right now that someone can be completely refreshed without actually being physically rested, and that just because one's wife stays up talking too many nights instead of getting actual sleep doesn't mean that one's wife shouldn't be sent off to Alaska for two weeks every summer. Just a random thought thrown out there to no one in particular.
My kids enjoyed having April visit as much as I did! One afternoon she took Jacob and Anna to the park/beach (Andrew was at Space Camp that day), and watched the kids into the evening so that Mark and I could actually have a date. Much appreciated!
These pics just cracked me up! I think April must have had the multi-shot setting with the timer on it for these...I just wish I knew how to put them together in a toggled action frame set!
We had lots of time to visit family, hang out, and she spent a lot of time reading to and playing with the kids. Regrettably, I forgot my camera on our wildlife cruise in the bay, which was memorable all on its own. It was just a wonderful visit all the way around, and definitely one that needs to be repeated!
I'll have to wait till tomorrow to post the adventure just April and I took...though you've seen some pics on their blog. It was truly a mountaintop experience worth blogging about!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The 1st!
Yesterday was a big day here at Faith Mountain Farm! After feeding and watering and caring for his chickens for just over 3 months (they were a month old when we bought the chickens, and they start laying anywhere b/t 4-6 months old), Andrew was rewarded with his first egg!
He and I head out to do the farm chores around 7:30 every morning, and we get everyone fed and watered in about 15 minutes. I was just filling up the girls' water (goat girls, in case you're wondering), when I heard Andrew holler to me from inside the barn, "Mom! Mom! Mom!" I went racing in there to see what was wrong, and instead was treated to his beaming face and excitement "Look! There's an egg! Our first egg!" Now how cool is that for a seven-year old? Pretty amazing, since even I was pretty excited about it!
I headed in to get the camera and Jacob and Anna so that they could see it in the nest, Anna still in her PJ's and all. The excitement for Andrew lasted quite a while, and he enjoyed calling Daddy at work and calling Grandma and Grandpa (who had been hoping for fresh eggs while they were here!) to share his news. Everyone who has stopped by the house in the past two days has seen the egg!
Actually, visitors today were treated to a view of three eggs, as there were two more out there today! Andrew was pretty amazed by that, and I don't think he'll get the big picture till all 15 of them are laying. Fresh eggs! Get yer fresh eggs here, folks!
He and I head out to do the farm chores around 7:30 every morning, and we get everyone fed and watered in about 15 minutes. I was just filling up the girls' water (goat girls, in case you're wondering), when I heard Andrew holler to me from inside the barn, "Mom! Mom! Mom!" I went racing in there to see what was wrong, and instead was treated to his beaming face and excitement "Look! There's an egg! Our first egg!" Now how cool is that for a seven-year old? Pretty amazing, since even I was pretty excited about it!
I headed in to get the camera and Jacob and Anna so that they could see it in the nest, Anna still in her PJ's and all. The excitement for Andrew lasted quite a while, and he enjoyed calling Daddy at work and calling Grandma and Grandpa (who had been hoping for fresh eggs while they were here!) to share his news. Everyone who has stopped by the house in the past two days has seen the egg!
Actually, visitors today were treated to a view of three eggs, as there were two more out there today! Andrew was pretty amazed by that, and I don't think he'll get the big picture till all 15 of them are laying. Fresh eggs! Get yer fresh eggs here, folks!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
On the home(school) front
We started school this week! Yes, on Labor Day. That's okay...they hadn't been doing any laboring from which to take a break, and Mark had to work anyway. Let the school year begin! They, as you can see from our 1st day picture, are quite excited!
I'm more excited about this year than I have been for the past two years of homeschooling. I think part of it (and if I were a superstitious person, I might want to knock on wood saying this, but I'm not so I won't) is knowing that we won't have to pack up and
move in the middle of the school year. When Andrew was in kindergarten, we had just moved in early September, and then moved again in December. And then we moved again in January of his 1st grade year. This year, Lord willing, we're not moving anywhere!
So it's partly that, and the fact that I feel more organized and prepared than ever. With April being here for two weeks this summer (I know, I haven't blogged it yet-that was July, folks), we talked a lot about school and training kids and keeping up with a homeschooling family. And then she shared all of their organization schedules and charts, and by gum, my family doesn't stand a chance. We're going to keep to a schedule this year! And it's going fantastically, though my tongue is firmly planted in cheek, since it's been all of two days.
But here's the irony of it all. Our first day of school is humming along smoothly. The kids are all outside for "recess" while I make lunch, as I can see their play area out the kitchen windows. Just two minutes before calling them to come in, Anna falls and screams. I run out barefoot, Andrew's saying over and over that she's bleeding. And bleeding she was. She had hit a rock in the driveway just so, a patch of rocks that are shale-like sharp.
I scoop her up to get ice on it, instruct Andrew to put all their apple slices off their plates and into a baggie to take with us, direct Jacob to the van, and off to the ER we went. (Side note: This is the exact reason why Mark is very reticent to sell his car, which hasn't sold yet, btw). With as much blood as there was, I simply could not tell how deep the cut was. Andrew sat next to her to hold ice on for at least a few minutes, but that's all she would tolerate.
Mark met us at the hospital, and thankfully our friend Lynne from church was on duty! Sure enough, it needed stitches, as they weren't sure they could use Dermobond so close to her eye. Upon checking, they decided it would be okay to use it. Mark held her leaning back against him while they worked. She cried and cried as they were cleaning the wound...and I just leaned over and whispered in her ear a short prayer to Jesus that he would help her cooperate so that her owie would get better. And she stopped crying. And sat there calmly while they held her long eyelashes up out of the way, never moving while they applied two layers of the glue. What a trooper, and how real is our God? Very, very real, my friends.
Yes, just make a schedule and see what happens! Seriously though, when we got home, I knew exactly what had been missed and what was most important to juggle. And when it came down to it, after getting a bit done when we got home,we only missed Science (well, that and me folding laundry, but hey) and I think a trip to the ER is a pretty good science field trip, don't you?
This is Anna today...quite the shiner. She's complained quite a bit about her owie 'urts, but overall is doing well.
Speaking of schedules, it says I'm supposed to be in bed at ten, so all for now...
I'm more excited about this year than I have been for the past two years of homeschooling. I think part of it (and if I were a superstitious person, I might want to knock on wood saying this, but I'm not so I won't) is knowing that we won't have to pack up and
move in the middle of the school year. When Andrew was in kindergarten, we had just moved in early September, and then moved again in December. And then we moved again in January of his 1st grade year. This year, Lord willing, we're not moving anywhere!
So it's partly that, and the fact that I feel more organized and prepared than ever. With April being here for two weeks this summer (I know, I haven't blogged it yet-that was July, folks), we talked a lot about school and training kids and keeping up with a homeschooling family. And then she shared all of their organization schedules and charts, and by gum, my family doesn't stand a chance. We're going to keep to a schedule this year! And it's going fantastically, though my tongue is firmly planted in cheek, since it's been all of two days.
But here's the irony of it all. Our first day of school is humming along smoothly. The kids are all outside for "recess" while I make lunch, as I can see their play area out the kitchen windows. Just two minutes before calling them to come in, Anna falls and screams. I run out barefoot, Andrew's saying over and over that she's bleeding. And bleeding she was. She had hit a rock in the driveway just so, a patch of rocks that are shale-like sharp.
I scoop her up to get ice on it, instruct Andrew to put all their apple slices off their plates and into a baggie to take with us, direct Jacob to the van, and off to the ER we went. (Side note: This is the exact reason why Mark is very reticent to sell his car, which hasn't sold yet, btw). With as much blood as there was, I simply could not tell how deep the cut was. Andrew sat next to her to hold ice on for at least a few minutes, but that's all she would tolerate.
Mark met us at the hospital, and thankfully our friend Lynne from church was on duty! Sure enough, it needed stitches, as they weren't sure they could use Dermobond so close to her eye. Upon checking, they decided it would be okay to use it. Mark held her leaning back against him while they worked. She cried and cried as they were cleaning the wound...and I just leaned over and whispered in her ear a short prayer to Jesus that he would help her cooperate so that her owie would get better. And she stopped crying. And sat there calmly while they held her long eyelashes up out of the way, never moving while they applied two layers of the glue. What a trooper, and how real is our God? Very, very real, my friends.
Yes, just make a schedule and see what happens! Seriously though, when we got home, I knew exactly what had been missed and what was most important to juggle. And when it came down to it, after getting a bit done when we got home,we only missed Science (well, that and me folding laundry, but hey) and I think a trip to the ER is a pretty good science field trip, don't you?
This is Anna today...quite the shiner. She's complained quite a bit about her owie 'urts, but overall is doing well.
Speaking of schedules, it says I'm supposed to be in bed at ten, so all for now...
Getting there
You may not realize it, but great progress has been made in the past week.
As of September 8, I have finished blogging all of my pictures from June.
Thank you, thank you very much.
As of September 8, I have finished blogging all of my pictures from June.
Thank you, thank you very much.
What are the chances?
This is me and my friend Lara. Lara and I were friends back at Messiah College some 11 years ago. We haven't kept in touch one iota in the past 11 years...maybe a quick "will you be my friend?"note on facebook, but how unique is that? Exactly. Not at all.
Yet here, Lara and I are standing on my deck. Random? COMPLETELY!!!
See, in general, I'm only on facebook a few times a month. While we had a work team here this summer, they asked if we had seen the facebook page of their trip, which of course we hadn't (sorry, Rejoice!), and felt compelled to. Now I may be remembering the exact date a day or two off, but the gist is the same. I hop on facebook the night of June 24. There is a message from Lara that she sent in mid-May, saying she was going to be travelling from Fairbanks to Anchorage the week of June 21-27, and did I have any travel tips for her.
I email her back right away, saying that it's only 100 miles to Anchorage, I would gladly come and see her there, but that if she wants to see the most beautiful part of Alaska, she should really head to our neck of the woods (we're rightfully biased).
The next afternoon, I get a call from her. Guess where she is? That's right...just 30 miles away in S., headed right past our house later that afternoon. She's travelling with her parents, who are with SOWERS-a group of retired RVers who travel the country serving at Bible camps and conference centers and such.
She stops by, and she and her mom and I have delightful visit. Her mom, Stephanie, shared about their work, that her husband is a plumber, and where they're headed, etc.
Now I haven't yet blogged the construction project that has gone on in our basement, but we were stalled out at that point, needing a (you guessed it) plumber. I jokingly mention that if he has a few extra days this summer, we could really use a plumber, though I didn't know how much the church could afford to pay him. Ha, ha, ha...
Fast forward a mere two days. Gary and Stephanie can't get into their next schedule campsite for another week. Could we use his help? God's sense of humor and timing are positively incomprehensible. Are you kidding me? No...Gary and Stephanie came for the week and blessed the socks off of us. We thoroughly enjoyed having them camped out in our driveway. Jacob warmed right up to Stephanie, gladly held her hand on walks, and talked her ear off from the get-go. For those of you who know what Jacob can be like, you now know how special Stephanie is! And oh yeah, Gary got an incredible amount of work done on the new bathroom in the basement! Thanks, Gary and Stephanie...the boys are still talking about your time here! Thanks, Lara, for connecting us with your parents...and it was wonderful to have such an unexpected, fun visit!
Yet here, Lara and I are standing on my deck. Random? COMPLETELY!!!
See, in general, I'm only on facebook a few times a month. While we had a work team here this summer, they asked if we had seen the facebook page of their trip, which of course we hadn't (sorry, Rejoice!), and felt compelled to. Now I may be remembering the exact date a day or two off, but the gist is the same. I hop on facebook the night of June 24. There is a message from Lara that she sent in mid-May, saying she was going to be travelling from Fairbanks to Anchorage the week of June 21-27, and did I have any travel tips for her.
I email her back right away, saying that it's only 100 miles to Anchorage, I would gladly come and see her there, but that if she wants to see the most beautiful part of Alaska, she should really head to our neck of the woods (we're rightfully biased).
The next afternoon, I get a call from her. Guess where she is? That's right...just 30 miles away in S., headed right past our house later that afternoon. She's travelling with her parents, who are with SOWERS-a group of retired RVers who travel the country serving at Bible camps and conference centers and such.
She stops by, and she and her mom and I have delightful visit. Her mom, Stephanie, shared about their work, that her husband is a plumber, and where they're headed, etc.
Now I haven't yet blogged the construction project that has gone on in our basement, but we were stalled out at that point, needing a (you guessed it) plumber. I jokingly mention that if he has a few extra days this summer, we could really use a plumber, though I didn't know how much the church could afford to pay him. Ha, ha, ha...
Fast forward a mere two days. Gary and Stephanie can't get into their next schedule campsite for another week. Could we use his help? God's sense of humor and timing are positively incomprehensible. Are you kidding me? No...Gary and Stephanie came for the week and blessed the socks off of us. We thoroughly enjoyed having them camped out in our driveway. Jacob warmed right up to Stephanie, gladly held her hand on walks, and talked her ear off from the get-go. For those of you who know what Jacob can be like, you now know how special Stephanie is! And oh yeah, Gary got an incredible amount of work done on the new bathroom in the basement! Thanks, Gary and Stephanie...the boys are still talking about your time here! Thanks, Lara, for connecting us with your parents...and it was wonderful to have such an unexpected, fun visit!
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Happy Father's Day!
We had a very quiet Father's Day this year...with the hubbub of the Solstice Festival going on, there's not usually too much we can do. But we certainly took the opportunity to tell Mark what a fantastic dad he is! The kids made cards for him, and the special rocks they had made for Nat'l Trails Day came out of hiding. Anna was so excited to give her to him! (And I must say that I'm pretty impressed with her...the wire and colored beads she chose are so well coordinated)! Andrew also gave him the little pinch-pot he had made in art class.
I just wish I could find for Mark the perfect gift that reflects what an amazing husband and father he is...we are very blessed to have this man in our lives!
I just wish I could find for Mark the perfect gift that reflects what an amazing husband and father he is...we are very blessed to have this man in our lives!
Solstice Festival
The solstice festival was relatively uneventful this year. I was working long hours at the bake sale, Mark was helping out at the rummage sale at the church, and mom and Rebecca came to have fun with the kids! There were the usual game booths which the boys enjoyed, and a new highlite this year was a pony ride!
Baby Harry!
June 17th was a very long but wonderful day! You may remember me mentioning my friend Willow. The long-awaited baby boy finally was ready to make his appearance, though he stuck it out for t-h-i-r-t-y--s-i-x hours before finally being delivered by c-section. But, when baby weighs 9 lbs, 3 oz and mom is lucky to weigh 100 lbs. when soaking wet, that's what can happen! Definitely worth it, but it sure took a while to catch up on sleep...poor Willow still hasn't caught up, I'm sure!
Friday, September 04, 2009
Popsicles
After the boys and their cousin Keenan put in a hard day's work in the hot sun, I treated them to popsicles.
Just so you know, goats love popsicles.
Yes, that was news to us, too!
Just so you know, goats love popsicles.
Yes, that was news to us, too!
Potty Training
I wish I could say we were all done in this arena before school starts on Monday, but it just isn't so. *sigh*
She's cute anyway, and that makes up for a lot, right?
She's cute anyway, and that makes up for a lot, right?
No caption
Because honestly, I don't know what I'd call this!
Do love the mismatched slippers, though!
Do love the mismatched slippers, though!
Summer
Dirt-digging
Popsicle-eating
Goat and chicken feeding
Picnicking.
All good things to round out a summer...
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