(Mostly) Good Times

As I go about my daily tasks, I write blog posts in my head. Before I know it, that's old news and I'm mulling over another.  So here are some bits and pieces.
  One of the things I enjoy about rainy cold weather ; somehow work just seems less pressing. I find it easier to make time to enjoy things with the children.

The girls loved this little project the other week:

Really they were very simple. We took some clean baby food jars, slapped on some Mod Podge, covered it with ripped up pieces of tissue paper, and topped it off with some fun glitter and a ribbon. Drop in a flicker tealight candle and the girls had their own safe candle, they had made themselves. Of course the idea came from pintrest. Except, of course, those were cuter, done in Christmasy colors. I just bought more tissue paper and maybe we'll be making some of these for simple gifts from the girls. 

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This :

is the week I was hoping to get some good fall photos of the littles...by the end of the week I was able to but it was still chilly.

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And then there was That Tuesday evening. Madam had been to a Ladies Night.  Gifts, Laughter, and Dainty foods. Friends. A Lovely Time. But Madam was beginning to get a tad worried. Baby was sure to be good n ready for his mommy. She sped thru the murky darkness, rain shining under the glare of head-lights. A CD played and Madam prayed. "Lord, please keep me safe and don't let me hit any deer !"
  And then suddenly, a large black mass of fur, and two beady eyes staring at her. Three smaller bundles of fur strung out behind Mama Bear. A foot on the break, a prayer gasped out, and then an aweful bumping, thudding, going on under the car. In a daze, Madam pulled to the side of the road and retrieved her cell phone from the floor. After pulling her jumbled thoughts together, she carefully put the car in gear once more. Would it still drive fine?  A few more thuds came from below and then all was fine.
  Poor Mama Bear is likely still grieving the loss of one or two of her cubs. Madam was able to drive on home despite internal tremblings, a lost license plate, dented up radiator (in the shape of a small animal), and a few other issues of that sort. Nearing home, her mind suddenly registered the words coming from the CD : "Jesus travels with me !!" Gratitude to her Father, weld within. She didn't loose control of the car on the wet roads, she didn't hit the hunkin' mama, the car was still drivable with neither head-light being broken out !  
The car has been replaced though. With 250,000 miles on it and needing new tires any way, it was no big loss.
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 The next day was one of the most fun I had in awhile. I loaded up my little crew and left around 8 AM. Picked up my MIL n SIL. Christina had a doctor appointment in Eau Claire..about 2 hours south of here, so we made a shopping day out of it. We got to lots of fun stores..Once Upon A Child, Hancocks, JoAnnes, Tuesday Morning,the Mall...The children got tired but did very well. They had fun in the play area at McDonalds and another one at the mall. Hannah's delight was picking out fabric for a school dress for next fall. Hancocks had some awesome sales. I got one piece that was originally around $20, marked down to $3.89 or so. At JCPennies, I got a pair of jeans for approx. $42 off the original price :)
  It was a weary crew that got home around 6pm that evening.
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  I started telling someone that life has slowed down some since summer but then I realized how wrong I was. Revivals begin this week. Tonight is a birthday party for Jacob's dear grandma Laura. Friday my baby will be a year old already. I look forward to getting down to the Women's Seminar at Bethany this Saturday. Thanksgiving and hunting loom on the horizon before the rush into December. 
                                      
 

Monday Morning in October

It's Monday morning. The sun is shining. Three little people chatter and squish their play-dough into crocodiles and ice cream cones and roads. Baby plays with a lone Sunday shoe and tastes a cast-off hair band, before screeching his desire for Mommy's lap.
  Laundry flaps in the cool breeze. Another load tumbles in suds, ridding itself of Last week's grime. The floors and counter tops are littered, the bed is stripped. "Move beds, use up zucchini, wash curtains, clean windows, work in flower beds.." are part of my week's to-do list. Not written down except in my head are "7:30 dentist appointment tomorrow morning, shop, and make chili for sewing-circle on Thursday.."
  After having company for a week, followed by a busy weekend, I'm delighting in this "day-of no-demands-except -that -which-my -family-or I-demand upon -myself."

                                                             Playing McDonalds

                                  Pontoon ride on Grindstone Lake with Jessie and Andrea Heatwole

                                                    My Birthday Girl- Heidi Jo~ 4 years !

                                                             Her Candyland Cake

                                         With 2 siblings, 2cousins, n two 2nd cousins to celebrate

Redoing Great-Grandpa Mahlon's Roof

A Little Bit of Our Trip

 The morning we began our trip was bright, beautiful, and cool. Before leaving we finally got our pontoon-plane rides over the flowage. We totally loved it !

 Our first stop, 5 hours into the trip was for supper with the couple my husband is working for. This is his hobby collection of antique show cars. The house was lavish and gorgeous. I was soo glad we ate outside..especially when my baby decided to puke..and puke ! We spent the night just on the south edge of Chicago.

 This was a beautiful spot on Lake Erie where we stretched our legs and enjoyed the sun, wind, and waves for a short bit before continuing on to PA and these dear friends. I totally enjoyed our picnic, long walks and talks, and hanging out with Travis and Donna !

From there we had a pretty drive east about 3-4 hours before arriving at the campground where we met my family. Campfire meals, laughter, lots of little people to watch, sunset hayride, mile hike to the bottom of the canyon (and back up, huff-puff ),local visitors, and just special quality time with family for the last time before Marlins headed to Kenya.

                                                      Us eight siblings all together..a bit of a rarity !
  We left the campground, Monday forenoon and found a laundry-mat. I got some kind of sting on more arm which ended up getting swollen and red (about 10 inches long) and achy. A few days later I got it checked out but was so upset with the Dr. bill I never got the prescribed meds. Loisann made a charcoil poltice for it and that took out the stiffness and some of the swelling. Two days at my parents, entailed some shopping, more laundry, and a swimming party that was wonderful ! ( friends, sisters, and a real true swimming pool...not a mirky lake ! ahhh, bliss !)

 Thursday morning we headed for Virginia. At a park, we met my "spice" firend, Ruby Showalter and her 2 cuties. We had lunch together and then the littles splashed in a pool while Ruby n I gabbed. Somehow we always take right up where  we let off, even if its been a couple of years, and we never run outa things to gab n laugh about ! From there we had  a little family time and went to "The Big Yellow barn" and "Route 11" chip factory before going over to Brian Highs. Their whole family and Brian's girlfriend came over for supper. I was sooo tired and it was bitter sweet being there for the first time since Elaine died. I coulda bawled. But finally the children were in bed and just a few of us were around the campfire and we had a lovely visit after all.  The next night we were in Indiana where we spent the night with Moine and Rhoda. We sure enjoyed their hospitality and visiting with them. The children hit it off real well too :) We both have 2 boys n 2 girls.

 As lovely as a trip as we had, it's always great to be home again after 10 days. We arrived home happy n sleepy around 10 pm, Saturday night.

  Until next time ~ Jan

Bits n Pieces of My Life

  Amazing..I'm back at trying to blog. I believe it's been nearly 10 months since I last blogged. Don't worry, I'm not about to try to cover all that elapsed time in this post. I'm just going to jump in and write random thoughts and happenings as they come to me.

  A couple weeks ago was our week of summer bible school. My husband was in charge of it this year and I really enjoyed being involved. Mixed up schedules, way early suppers, late nights, grumpy children, were all part of the week but so were all the fun that VBS includes..singing children's motion songs, just observing the children and loving on them a bit, washing up a sweet lil 5 yr.old who wore the same set of clothes 3 nights in a row (my guess is she also slept in them), entrusting my baby into the arms of a live-wire girl of 12 or so which really seemed to make her trust me more in return. One evening she carried him into the church and plopped down in her row, announcing, "I had a baby!"
                                            There were trying times too, rowdy children, crying child, stolen candy and cell phone, keeping my 2 year old reasonably quiet while he played in the entryway, trying to send a "child" bigger than myself back outside when he's snooping through classrooms during recess, fussy baby...But all in all we had a good week and the program went better than I expected.

We went camping last week..just our little family. Just nearby. It was nice but would've been better if we wouldn't have had to feed the mosquitoes. They were dreadful and my poor babies would wake up at night crying and scratching. We were home some inbetween. Jacob had off work on the Fourth but worked Friday while I stayed at the campsite with the children. It looked like a long day when the tots were whining and scratching but it actually went pretty good the rest of the time. We did a scavenger hunt, read stories, played tag and ball, walked to the lake and splashed there-in, walked back, rested/ napped and then The Grandparents came over for supper.
 We returned home before noon on Saturday. Jacob made a water slide for the children and they had lots of fun in that. The thermometer read 95*s.

The other day I asked the children what they thought the best thing will be about heaven. Heidi thought the best is that there are no mosquitoes there !    One day she prayed, "Thank you for this food and thank you for everything. Amen"   I'm like, "That was a short prayer!" "Yeah," She says, "That way I can eat my food quick." I had to laugh when she asked me one day if people ride on a camels hips. Of course she meant humps.
    And my baby is just growing so fast. He is now 8 months old. Has four teeth. Sometimes if i ask him if he wants to go up, he'll lift his chin or roll his eyes upward and make himself stiff. Then I'll hold below his knees and lift him into the air. I'd kinda forgotten about the patta-cake game till a day or two ago. Now if I ask him if he wants to play it, He'll put his hands together all ready for the fun.

 

 Yesterday I made a 5 gallon batch of laundry detergent. It was a good feeling to get that off my list and be set for awhile with that. I also made one of Jacob's favorite pies. Cheese custard. Served with cherry pie filling and coolwhip, it disappeared all too fast.
 Today I was trying to get Mahlon to "go potty". In an attempt to help things along, I turned on the spigot. As if he knew what I was doing, he says, "Mom, that's not gonna work." :}  Later I had him trying again but after a bit let him get up. To my chagrin, he soon went..but on the pile of books by the potty instead. Aarg..I just do not relish this part of mothering !
 Hannah continues to read, and Read and Read. I was a bookworm too. Growing up, It became my escape when life was rough. I hope I can teach my children to instead, escape to their heavenly Father. I read too many "Christian romance".  It's my desire to stock our shelves with reading materials that teach and build-up. There are so many great books out there, but it takes money..or friends :) I just read this bookwhich I borrowed from a friend. It's a small book but packed full of inspiration. I want to get myself one and some for friends.
 And now I need to see if I can whip this place back into shape and get supper underway while the little people sleep. Earlier THIS is what they were up to :

I wondered what they were playing. Turns out Hannah's in the hospital having a baby. Guess that makes me a grandma ! Until next time, ~Jan