Merry Christmas 2008!

12-17-2008
Merr-e-Christmas! I’ve been awake since 4:00am, so if the contents of this letter sound slightly delirious, it’s because I’m on my third cup of coffee. Sleep deprivation has a way of making me crazy! And no, I didn’t wake up at that early hour because I’m super-mom. One of the kids had the sniffly-sneezies in the night, and I was unable to go back to sleep! My Christmas list was going around in my head - only a week left – and I still have most of my shopping to do! But then my thoughts turned to our friends and family, and since it has been a couple years since I wrote a letter, I figured I’d update everyone.
We just came through the first blizzard of the season, and I must say we enjoyed it quite a bit. We stocked up on groceries, books and movies from the library, and bought a new shovel too! We spent the time (Saturday evening through Monday morning) cozy and warm by doing some extra baking, tackling a few odd jobs, and lounging around the house. I made a turkey dinner on Sunday and the little ones thought it must already be Christmas, with all the cooking and extra goodies in the house! But, come Monday morning the party was over, and the hard work of shoveling all that snow began!
Our family picture this year was taken at our Civil Air Patrol awards banquet. Kyle, Alicia and Mitchell are all CAP members. Kyle won the “Senior Member of the Year” award, which all the cadets vote on. It was quite an honor for him.
Kyle is still working for the Fargo Jet Center as a line technician and web content manager. He’s also keeps busy teaching an adult Sunday School and Children’s Church class, as well as classes at our church’s Bible college. For the most part, his activities keep him out of trouble. He still loves spending time at home the most, and can usually be found doing something with the kids. He’s their greatest teacher.
Alicia turned sixteen this year. Kyle and I are still recovering. Sometimes I look at her and think, “Who are you, and what have you done with my little girl?!?” She is a sophomore this year, and is still a voracious reader and enjoys knitting and quilting. She’s my right-hand-man, so to speak, and does a lot for our family by helping with all the stuff it takes to run a household. She’s much more capable than I was at that age! She is looking ahead to college – possibly nursing school, or perhaps even a career in cosmetology. She is leaning towards the latter at this time. We’ll find out in a couple years!
Mitchell is fourteen and we’ve all been enjoying the adventure of his voice changing. Even he pokes fun at himself! He is currently gainfully employed by a family friend who manages apartment buildings. He cleans the common areas – hallways, laundry rooms, entries, etc., once a week for a large 5-building complex. He also kept busy mowing lawns last summer for different neighbors here in town. He is currently in 8th grade and is still leaning towards a career with the military.
Kaylee informs everyone that she will be thirteen (!) on her next birthday. I’m resisting having three teenagers in the house! But time will march on, no matter how much I wish to slow it down. Her favorite things are purses, cell phones, and Dora the Explorer. She has graduated from Barney, although he still holds much fondness in her heart. Our darling girl is indeed growing up, and informs everyone who will listen of that fact!
Jessica is eight this year and is rapidly becoming a young lady. She loves to style her hair, Kaylee’s hair, the neighbor kids’ hair, my hair – anyone who will sit still long enough to get braids and pony tails and all sorts of other styles. Jess has been enjoying learning some cooking skills - she can make a mean hot dog! She also proudly knows how to operate the microwave (with supervision of course) and is becoming more and more helpful with household tasks. She still loves anything to do with Princesses – she’s our girly-girl.
Justin, our baby boy, was five in May. I’ll tell him, “I love you more!” and he says, “I love you the whole wide world, the whole wide sea and the whole wide space!” He loves to draw and color, create things with Lego’s and Magnetix, and anything else he can stack, arrange or put together. His little mind is constantly going and he keeps our whole family laughing with his little comments.
As for me, I hate to brag, but…I turned 4-0 this year. Impressive, ain’t it? For my birthday I got new wrinkles, gray hair, more aches and pains, and some memory loss. Oh, and one less tooth! Are you jealous yet? Actually, it has been a good year for me. I had weight-loss surgery in February (which went great) and since then I have lost almost 80 pounds. I’m feeling better than I have in years and I’m more than half-way to my goal weight. When I reach my goal I’m sure you’ll hear me shouting!
We are still homeschooling, active in our church with various ministries, and as you can see from our picture, as good-lookin’ as ever! ;)
Well, I hope this letter finds you healthy, safe and warm, and enjoying Christmas with the ones you love the most. We are still in Hawley (and loving it here!) so if you happen to be in our neck of the woods, stop by! We’ll put on a pot of coffee and if I don’t have anything baked the kids can run down the street to get some Carl’s Lefse!
To conclude our letter I leave you with this scripture verse: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
In His Care ~ Kyle, Beth, Alicia, Mitchell, Kaylee, Jessica and Justin

An Irritating Scam, and A Wonderful Blessing

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you are aware that I tend to use writing as an outlet for my frustrations. During the first portion of this post I am going to "vent". It's soapbox time, kids!

Recently while perusing Craigslist I came across an incredible deal, one that I could hardly believe existed. (In hindsight, that thought alone should have been a red flag.) Someone was selling a baby grand piano that looked like it needed minor repair and cosmetic work for just $250! They said all the keys worked, and that the foot pedals would need to be re-attached. I spoke with the person who placed the ad, and we exchanged emails and more pictures. I informed them I was very interested, but I would not have the money until January or February, and that we would not be able to see the piano or possibly make the purchase until then. (The people supposedly live several hours away from here.) I also told them I would understand if they got a buyer before then. I set the whole idea on the "back burner" of my mind, but did make it a matter of prayer. I figured if the Lord wanted us to have this piano, He would make a way. Well...today I got an email, the buyer claims he has received several phone calls and emails informing him his piano is worth between $3,000 and $5,000 and he was going to "hang onto it", unless I was of course able to offer him substantially more money. Now, I wasn't born yesterday. As one of my friends likes to say, "I didn't just fall off the turnip truck!" I had done a little research on this piano, and if it was fully restored, repaired and tuned, it might fetch as much as he claims. But it's not worth that much money in the condition it is in. So, I sent him back an email, expressing my doubts and concerns. I guess the moral of this story is that if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. The hard part is that this potential opportunity really tugged at my heartstrings. You see, my parents had promised to buy me a grand piano one day, if I continued to take piano lessons all through high school, but they were never able to afford one. Up until last year I had my childhood piano, but when we put our belongings into storage prior to moving here, I gave the piano to my sister. I could not bear putting the piano into storage - I knew it would damage it. It was a good thing I didn't too, because some of our belongings were water damaged, in spite of the storage facilities owner assuring me they'd "never had water problems". Anyway, I have really missed having my piano, and this seemed like such a good opportunity. I could envision my family gathered around the grand piano, singing together, giving my children piano lessons, enjoying the sound only a grand piano can make. *Sigh* Oh, well. It stinks to be scammed. I am very thankful that I didn't "fall" for this person's claims. The main reason I know it's a bogus situation is that he reposted his original offer (which I initially saw a month ago when I first contacted him) just this morning. I wonder what is missing in a person's life to cause them to scam someone else? I will need to remember to pray for this person.

On a more positive note, we received an incredible, awesome blessing this week. We have had a major need, something we have been praying about for quite some time now. God met that need this week, and I want to give Him praise and thanks for this abundant blesssing!

Our Christmas Cantata is this Sunday, provided we don't get the awful winter storm the weather service is predicting. If you are local, and we don't get snowed in, I hope to see you there! It's at the Fargo Baptist Church, at 6:00pm - and Kyle, Peachie, Pickles and I all have speaking parts. I'm nervous! There's something very nerve-wracking about having that tiny microphone attached to my ear. I wonder if I have a phobia? Please pray it will go well - and that we'll remember all our lines! I hope you have a safe and warm weekend!

In His Care ~ Beth ~

Update Shmupdate

It's been awhile since I've posted so I thought I would write an update for y'all.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. We drove "up north" to spend the day with Kyle's mom and his family. The meal was great, and it was fun to see his brothers and their families again. The kids had a grand time playing with their cousins!

We decorated for Christmas last weekend, and I love walking through the living room and seeing the lights. I don't do much - just a small tree, the manger scene, some lights on the banister, and a few "Christmasy" decorations around the living room. A couple of them (a bell-shaped candy dish and a candle-holder shaped like a yule log) were ceramic pieces made by my Mom. I remember sitting at the dining room table when she painted the yule log/candle holder, watching her skillfully wield the paint brush with green and red, brown and black. She loved to do ceramics and was very good at it.

I've been cleaning the house "FlyLady-Style" and plan to go through every drawer, closet, nook and cranny before I have family visiting the week after Christmas. I have a lot of bags of clothes to take to the thrift store for donation. I also plan to re-arrange and thoroughly clean the basement. We recently had drain tile and another sump pump put in - so basically everything we had stored down there got piled along the center of the basement. It will be a good opportunity to get rid of more stuff! I also hope to rent a steam cleaner for the carpets and some of the furniture. Nothing like a family gathering to prompt me to thoroughly clean and declutter!!

Not much else is new. It's getting cold up here in Minnesota and I told Peachie yesterday that I truly understand now why people head south in the winter! If I could, I might too!!

Stay warm! ~ Beth ~

An IKEA Break from the Norm

On Monday evening I travelled with three friends to Minneapolis and spent the night in a hotel, then yesterday we went to the wonderful world of IKEA!! We spent hours shopping (mostly looking!), oohing and aahhing, and laughing and enjoying ourselves. We even had breakfast and lunch there. Breakfast was 99 cents and was a large plate full of eggs, bacon and hashbrowns, and lunch was only 1.99 and was a large plate of pasta and sauce. I could not finish either one, it was a lot of food!

I am still in awe over the hugeness of that one store, and the good prices and quality of most of their merchandise. I found a bed I would love to get, it was a metal-framed bed that had a vintage look to it, and it was only $149. Not bad for a bed! (Mattress not included, lol!) I also saw a couple of lovely light fixtures that I would really love to own. I walked around with my camera, gleefully snapping pictures, until an employee came up to me and said, "You cannot take pictures in THIS store!" I was quite surprised and a little embarrassed. I apologized, told her I didn't know, and she said there was a sign at the front of the store, which I didn't see. Oh well, live and learn.

After we were done at IKEA we went to the Mall of America. Oh, how I wish my kids could have been with us! We just walked around, looked at as much as we had time to see, and enjoyed ourselves. We went to the American Girl store and I wish my girls had been along, and we also went to the Lego store, and I wish my boys had been along! There were so many fun things to see, more than the eyes could take in. Plus the whole mall was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Fun!

Being in a big city made me realize once again how much I love and appreciate the rural life we live. Give me the tiny library, clinic, post office and grocery store any day! Visiting a city is fun but living in the city is definitely not for me!

I must also take a paragraph here and thank and praise the Lord for a much-needed break for me. My whole family pitched in and made this little trip possible. It's not easy for Mom to get away and it has been years since I have done something like this. I must confess that last week I was crying out to the Lord for a "calgon moment" because I was in dire need of a break. On Sunday a dear friend invited me along for this trip - and by Monday evening I was on my way! God is always so good to bear our yoke when we need it the most. Thank you, Lord!

Frank Edward Waslaski, Jr.

Eight years ago this month one of my brothers (the third-born in our family) died from Pancreatic Cancer. I knew very little about this disease until I got the awful phone call of his diagnosis. At first I thought my sister was being too negative when she said he would probably not be here for Thanksgiving that year, he was diagnosed on October 9th. But as he rapidly declined I knew she was right. She says it can be hard to be a nurse sometimes, because she usually knows the worst-case scenario.

So, let me tell you about Frank. We called him Little Frank, and Dad was Big Frank, even though he was much larger than our Dad. There are five kids in my family - my two oldest brothers Richard and Robert, then Frank, next comes my sister Mary, and I am the baby of the family. I've often thought since Frank's death that our family lost its mediator, the bridge to everyone else. He was close to all of us, and I suppose some of that came from being the middle child. I really don't know if there was anyone who didn't love Frank, he was the kind of man I like to classify as a cross between a hell's angel biker dude and a marshmallow-teddy bear.

The last couple years of his life Frank lived just ten minutes from me, and we talked on the phone almost every day. He'd call me up and ask, "What are you doing?" and I'd tell him, then he'd say, "Okay, goodbye!" and we'd laugh. He often brought his laundry over for me to wash, I still have the laundry bag he used. It was usually only two or three loads but it was most of the clothing he owned. He was very generous towards me, once he even financed a trip I took with my oldest brother and Peaches when she was a baby. We travelled to South Dakota to a family reunion and Frank paid for the gas and food. We stopped at all these little cafes along the way and had such a pleasant time together.

One time in high school, when someone had broken my heart, he threatened to do them bodily harm. I knew he would probably do it, so I didn't actually "sic" him on that person -but just knowing I had his love and protection and concern helped me through that difficult time.

I never thought I would see my big, strong brother become as weak as he did, but the cancer spread so quickly it was almost as though it was eating him alive. He fought back until the very end. He had just turned 42. I still miss him very much.

Dad had died two years before Frank, and Frank's death was much harder on Mom than Dad's had been. Frankie took a piece of her with him when he died and she was never quite the same. I suppose it is that way with all mothers when they lose a child. I was thankful Dad did not have to watch his son suffer so much. I don't think Dad would have handled it well.

A day or so before he died I was spending time in his room, he was past the point of talking much but did respond to take pain medication and to voices. We knew the end was near. I reminded him that God's word makes it very clear that we can only have eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. I quoted a couple of my favorite verses, Ephesians 2:8&9 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." I prayed with him and encouraged him to make sure that he was ready to meet the Saviour. I'm trusting God that one day I will get to see the ones I love and miss so much who have gone before me. What a family reunion that will be!!

Disappointments

I have not wanted to post the last week or so. We've had some disappointments lately and quite frankly, I've been a little down. But sometimes it helps me to write, so, here goes...

First off, I'm disappointed in the election results. I'm concerned for our country. But I have been thinking of the song, "The Solid Rock" - "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness ~ I dare not trust the sweetest 'frain, but wholly lean on Jesus' Name ~ On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand." So, if you too are tending to worry about the future, sing with me! And let's all remember to pray for our country and future new President.

Disappointment # 2 ~ Last Friday Kyle found out (somewhat by default) that a manager has been hired for the Moorhead airport. *Sigh* Oh well. We are puzzled, because they so enthusiastically interviewed him - but then never let him know either way even though he called them to inquire. It was very unprofessional of them to leave him hanging like that. They had all his contact information - phone numbers, email, snail-mail - so at the very least it would have been better to get a rejection letter. However, we prayed that God's will be done in all this and we have to trust that He, for whatever reason, did not have this in His plan for Kyle. Our oldest son, Pickles, asked us if it seemed sometimes that God was "taunting" us. I was a little surprised he asked that, but at the same time I'd rather have the kids see us go through things like this, and still rely on the Lord for the outcome. So it was a good opportunity to explain to him that we'd prayed for God's will, this must not have been within His will, and although we are disappointed it would be wrong to allow ourselves to become angry or bitter. And there is always the possibility that God was preventing us from getting into a bad situation. So, we told our son that we will "count our blessings" and thank God that Kyle has a good job right now, he's not unemployed, we have a nice home in a lovely town, and our health, and a wonderful church, lots of friends and family...the list goes on.

And this brings me to the last thing, although in the end this is not really a disappointment, but a relief. Kyle decided we should not move at this time and when he told me that, a lot of stress rolled right off me. I was dreading packing and moving and all that entails. Gas prices are down, so that has been a huge help to our budget. In the long run, it might make financial sense to live closer to where he works - but in the short run, we simply cannot afford all the expenses of moving right now. Now let's all hope and pray that gas remains below $2 a gallon, like we saw last night!!

Happy 16th Birthday, Peachie!!

Sixteen years ago today I became a Mother for the very first time. It was one of the most wonderful days of my life - ranking right up there with the day I became a child of God, and my wedding day.

Kyle and I were so excited, we could hardly stand it. Peachie was such a wee, tiny baby - a friend loaned me preemie clothes and they were still a bit big on her. She was about three weeks early and when we brought her home from the hospital she only weighed about 5 1/2 pounds. I jumped into motherhood with enthusiasm and a solemn resolve to refrain from complaining about the tough times adjusting to a newborn. Some dear friends of ours had lost their baby girl just two weeks before Peachie was born. I didn't want to take the moments we had been given for granted.

I loved holding our new baby, showing her off to friends and relatives, and playing with her, bathing her, nursing her and spending time as a trio with her Daddy. She quickly had him wrapped around her tiny pinkie finger and he has remained there to this day. Have you ever seen the movie "The Father of the Bride", where the parents are helping the bride pick out a "Keck" (Cake) and she falls in love with the most expensive one? Well - the look the bride gives her Dad that causes him to melt and give in to the outrageously priced cake is a look that Peachie has down to a "T" - and of course Kyle melts like he has never had a backbone!

I could share so many memories, so many moments that are frozen in my mind. The months and years have gone by so fast, too fast. Sometimes I tell Peachie that she is a Mother's dream come true in a daughter. She truly is a joy to me and blesses our whole family in so many ways. She's a hard worker, an avid crafter, and a voracious reader. She rarely has idle hands - usually because she is always carrying a book! She's like "Belle" in "Beauty and the Beast" - walking around and singing while she is reading. She'd rather read than eat! She's so much like my own Mom that way.

So, Happy, Happy Birthday my Darling Peachie! I love you so very much - thank you for making me a Mother sixteen years ago. The journey has been a very Sweet Sixteen years!

~ Mom ~

The Valley of Decision (or is it Indecision?)

Sometimes I wish God would send an email, and tell us exactly what to do. When it comes to big decisions, I tend to want to freeze up and remain undecided. I can pick paper or plastic, I can choose between caramel or chocolate, I even know when to drink decaf vs. regular roast. Picking out a pair of shoes, or buying a new dress, is a little tougher for me, and when it comes to the BIG stuff, like whether or not we should move, I don't seem to even know my own mind.

Kyle is still waiting to hear on the job at the Moorhead Airport. We should know something within the next couple of weeks. So, by the end of this month, we'll have some major deciding to do. If we decide to move, we should give our notice here by November 1st, so we can move on December 1st. However, then there is the matter of coming up with the extra money for moving expenses - and December is Christmas, of course. Moving to Moorhead seems to make better financial sense in the long run, as we won't have the expensive commute any more. But in the short run...

As my sister would say, "I'm a teepee, I'm a wigwam, I'm a teepee, I'm a wigwam...I'm just two tents!! (Get it? Too tense? Read it out loud.)

Got it now? No? Okay, call me, and I'll 'splain it to you.

ACK.

On to more pleasant news. We are preparing for a visit from my dear Aunt and Uncle, who live in Roseau, MN. They'll be here tomorrow and will be spending the night. My Aunt is my Mom's youngest sister, and when I was a kid her youngest daughter was my Best Cousin. We used to have so much fun together, and I loved visiting them - we'd go to the pool, the roller-skating rink, and their town even had a movie theatre and a Dairy Queen! Then, by the time we were teenagers, they also had a Hardee's - can you believe it?!? Hey - I was raised in a small town in ND with a whopping population of 315 people. My graduating class was a big one - nineteen people in all. So a town like Roseau was huge to me. We would go to the fair with them in the summer, camping at Lake of the Woods, fishing on my Uncle's boat, shopping, visiting with other relatives and neighbors - it seemed the fun activities were endless. I'm excited to be able to return a bit of the hospitality they showed me in my growing-up years. I want to honor them here in our home. I've got a couple of special meals planned and need to do some house-cleaning and spruce up the bedroom they will be sleeping in. I hope they'll be comfortable here and that most of all, they will see Christ at the center of our home.

Well, Mr. OneMore will be here soon, so I need to get a few tasks done and make a couple lists for jobs for the kids. Do you do that? I'm a big list person. You'll find lists all over my house. Shopping lists, to-do lists, wish lists, prayer lists, the list goes on and on...ha! I even like the word, "list" - isn't that a cool word? Makes me want to say it out loud - "list". Go ahead, say it. I know you want to, too. Anyway, I was shopping the other day with a friend and she asked me, "Where's your shopping list?" and I said, "Up here" while I tapped on my forehead. I know, scary. But I have the aisles of Wal-Mart pretty much memorized and I was buying bulk items - flour, sugar, rice, baking stuff, etc. - and I knew in my head what I needed. But that's another post...

So dear reader(s), lol! Please pray for us, that we'd know God's mind on our upcoming important decisions, that we'd have a lovely visit with my relatives, that I'll get the stuff on my lists done in the next day or so - miracles do happen!!

New Appliances! Woohoo!!

Earlier this week there was a knock on the door. It was our maintenance man, telling us to clear out our refrigerator, because our new one was about to be delivered. (Our property managers decided to buy new appliances for all their duplexes.) The kids were so excited - it was like Christmas around here! We flew into action, taking out the food (and throwing the "must-gos", as Kyle calls them) and cleaning off the top. We had a basketfull of stuff on the top of our fridge!! With barely enough time to clean out underneath and behind the old appliance (yuck - how does this stuff accumulate?!?) our sparkling new refrigerator had arrived. How nice it looks - and how clean!! :) Later that afternoon our very nice new stove was delivered. It felt so good to clean out behind the old stove, wash the walls, cupboards and floor, and put in a brand-spanking new appliance. We were all doing a happy dance! And the new appliances inspired me to deep-clean the rest of the kitchen and dining room and give the floor a very thorough scrubbing!

One of my kids in their excitement said, "It's going to seem so easy to keep the kitchen clean now. And I don't think we'll have a problem keeping the appliances clean!" Ah, but I know better. The newness of these appliances will wear off. One of these days I'll go into the kitchen and won't smile about how nice it looks. I'll forget the newness of it all. Soon they will be just a stove and a fridge. It's our human nature to want to go on to the "next thing" and it can be very hard to be content with what we have.

That is what I am struggling with these days. Kyle is on the verge of a potential job offer, and we are still not sure if we will stay here, rent the house in Moorhead, or possibly buy a house in the spring. I'm not fond of change, mainly because I don't like the "up in the air" feeling of not knowing what is going to happen. I can be so fickle!

After Kyle looked over the new appliances the other day, he said, "They are making it very hard to want to leave here!" Indeed. This place has become home to us more and more the longer we live here. We really do love it.

So we need to, once again, hurry up and...wait. I'm glad God is sovereign and knows the outcome. It can be hard to prayerfully wait on Him but that is exactly what we need to do.

I hope this lovely fall day finds you with a deep feeling of contentedness, resting in Christ for the outcome of all your decisions. Even if it is as mundane as buying the chicken or the beef.

In His Care ~ Beth ~

Things I Wish I Could Ask My Parents

Most of you probably know that both my parents are gone now. It's a surreal, lonely feeling at times. I had my Dad until I was thirty, my Mom until I was 39. Often I wish I could call them on the phone and ask them questions or get their opinions. Even though there were issues that we disagreed upon, I'm going to miss having them a phonecall away as long as I live.

Recently I read that some are comparing our economy to the difficulties that were experienced in the Great Depression. I can't help but think that those who actually went through the Depression are probably offended at the comparison. I wish I could ask my parents what it was really like - Dad was born in 1928, Mom in 1933. Even if they don't remember their own experiences as young children, I recall them talking about what their parents went through, during the 30's and then WWII. Gas lines. Sugar Rationing. Small Blessings such as shared garden surplus or a box of hand-me-downs. My parents were the kind of people who knew exactly what "Needs versus Wants" meant.

I think that is one of the biggest problems we face in this fast-paced society. We want things to be quick and easy. I'm guilty too. Right now Kyle is possibly going to get a very good job offer. In my mind I'm already praying we won't run ahead of God and take a leap that could be detrimental to our family. We've hoped and dreamed for so long of a better job for him (although we have been very thankful for the stable job he currently has) that now when it is a very real possibility I find myself thinking of buying a house, wondering what is next. I've had to pull my own head out of the clouds and remind myself to be content with what we have. The way I do that is to think about all the things we love about where we are at. Counting our blessings, so to speak.

I can't count how many times in the last weeks I have wished I could give Mom a call, tell her our latest news, share the funny things the kids are saying and doing. She would be excited for us, proud of Kyle, she'd laugh at what the kids are up to. Better yet, I could visit her and make her coffee, maybe go shopping with her. She loved Wal-Mart almost as much as I did. Okay, maybe not. But she did love the JC Penney catalog!

I pray that today I'll be content with what God has provided, that I'll trust Him and wait on Him for our future. I was praying early this morning that I do not want us to get ahead of God and find ourselves floundering. We've been there before - we don't want to go there again. I'm so much like Peter it's scary. "Hey, I wanna walk on the water too!! Okay...maybe not - HELP!!!" Some days it seems like I don't even know my own mind.

Anyhoo, I hope you will have a great day today. I plan to enjoy to the fullest the fabulous weather we have been having. I don't remember weather being so ideal in the summer and fall as it has been this year. One more blessing to count...

In His Care ~ Beth ~

It's All In The "CO"

Punkin', our fourth-born child, can be described in one word: Precocious. Not "precious" - although she is that too - but her own personal descriptive word is pre-CO-cious. Ah, the "CO" says so much about her! If you look up that word in the dictionary, her picture is next to it. Really.

Punkin' was born the week my dear brother was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. We found out his fatal diagnosis on a Monday. I was standing next to my washer and dryer while my sister told me the awful news on the phone. I called my doctor and asked him if he would consider an induction, because my brother's prognosis was dire and he had very little time to live. I needed to be with him and my family. My doctor agreed, but it turned out it would not be necessary. The stress I was under put me into labor the next day, and my baby girl, all 8 pounds of her, was born the following morning. I called my sister and she asked me, "What are you doing?" and I said, "Oh, having a baby!" Punkin's birth in the midst of all our family's devastation over my brother was a breath of fresh air.

Punkin' and I bonded so strongly the moment she was born, I practically grabbed her from the doctor and started to check her over myself. I asked him if she was going to have an extra chromosome like Peanut and he said "No, she's fine". I was so relieved I burst into tears. I don't think I realized until that moment how much I actually did worry about that possibility.

Our first night together, when I finally let the nurse take her to the nursery so I could get some much-needed rest, I was awakened to Punkin's loud cry as the nurse brought her down the hallway to me. She handed her to me, and the crying stopped instantly. My fourth baby and I still stand in awe of the strength of the mother-child bond. I will never forget that moment. The nurse said, "I've been trying to get her to stop crying for over an hour so you could get some rest!" I was torqued. What's up with that? This was the same nurse who gave Pickles a bottle of formula in spite of my explicit instruction that he was to have NO BOTTLES. It was written in his chart and I put a sign up in his bassinette. Perhaps this nurse could not read, and she must have also been deaf - because I told her when I agreed to let her take Punkin' to the nursery that if she cried at all I wanted her brought back to me. I know the nurse knew I was stressed, I know I needed my rest after having labored the night before - but who lets a newborn less than 24 hours old cry for over an hour?!?

Anyway, I'm getting irritated all over again just thinking about that, but those moments set the tone for the next nine months with our new little baby. She never wanted to be apart from me. And I was clinging to her for comfort as much as she needed me. I know that much of it was due to her feeling the stress I was under as my brother's health rapidly declined. He died just five weeks after she was born. I'm so thankful he got to see her and to hold her.

Peaches was one of the only other members of my family who could calm Punkin' when she was crying. She developed colic and it was very difficult at times. She had a very good set of lungs and could scream until I think even her angels must have been tempted to plug their ears. I tried very hard to be thankful for her cries - because Peanut almost never cried. She didn't cry after she was born, she didn't cry when they were digging around in her arms to find a vein, she didn't cry when she was hungry. Peanut was too content, if there is such a thing. I remember thinking, "I just want her to cry!" Well - I sure got what I wanted when Punkin' was born!

Speaking of Punkin's guardian angels, she has kept them very busy in her soon-to-be-8 years. One of my favorite stories to tell about her is the time she fell through the hole in the floor. When she was very little (about two or three) we were renting an old farmhouse and in the hallway there was a broom closet that she and Peanut loved to play in. They would go inside, shut the door, and giggle and giggle, thinking they were hiding from the family. One Wednesday night as we were getting ready for church they were playing inside the closet, and we heard a loud crash, then Punkin's scream. I dashed to the closet, but the only one standing there was Peanut, looking bewildered. I could hear Punkin' crying, but I couldn't see her. The broom closet was attached to our bedroom closet through the side, so I thought perhaps she had climbed inside our closet and something fell on top of her. I ran into my room, threw open my closet door, and started to pull boxes and clothes out as fast as I could. Punkin' was still screaming, and we could not find her!! WHERE WAS SHE?!?!?!? I began to grow more and more panicked, I considered calling 911, and then suddenly Kyle realized that THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FLOOR. Right where my darling little girls had been standing. At this point I began to scream and cry, I thought perhaps she had fallen into the old cystern that was underneath the house. Talk about scared!! I think I was feeling the same desperation to reach her as she must have felt as a newborn, screaming for me in the nursery while some stranger attempted to comfort her.

Kyle ran for a flashlight while I stood there like a raving maniac and when he flashed it down the hole he could see her walking around in the basement. He ran to the basement door and down the steps, and instantly Punkin' stopped crying and said, "Oh, hi Daddy!"

The miracle of it all is that Punkin' did not have one single scratch, bruise or scrape on her. She had fallen eight feet onto solid concrete, through a hole that had been cut years prior for a stove pipe. Our landlord had just put an old thin metal sign over the hole - and the sign crumpled under her weight. It had sharp edges, so that if she had fallen onto it she could have been very seriously cut or punctured. Not only that, if Peanut had been the one to fall, she would likely have been seriously injured due to her low muscle tone. In my mind I can just see one of Punkin's angels softening her fall. She was just fine.

I was not. I was in hysterics, practically having a nervous breakdown. I gathered my children around me like hens gathering her chicks and blubbered something about never allowing them to leave my side as long as they lived. To this day I have a phobia about kids playing inside closets. You just never know when there might be a hole in the floor!!

So, that is a little bit about my Punkin'. She also has a sense of humor a mile long - very much like my Mother's. One of her comments when she was little was, "Mama! I hurt the elbow that's next to my foot!!" (She meant her ankle.) I'd write more about her hilarious "Punkin'-isms" but this post is already too long.

I hope God gives you something to smile about, and to be thankful for today. I woke up thinking about this - and just wanted to share it with you.

~ Beth ~

Happy Birthday Kyle

Today is my Honey's birthday. He is 42 today. I remember when he turned 35, a (very young) friend of ours told him, "If you live until your 70, you are half dead already!" ACK.

I baked a lovely cake to have with supper (chocolate bundt, with chocolate frosting and marshmallow filling), I'm making one of Kyle's favorite meals, and the kids made him cards and pooled their pennies and bought him one of his favorite candy bars. PeeWee was counting out money and lining it all up, trying to decide how much he had and if it would be enough to get a present for Daddy. I thought that was pretty sweet.

Kyle has an interview at the Moorhead Airport for a manager position this coming Tuesday. He has always had a deep love for all things Aviation. When I met him in 1986 he was working on his Pilot's licensing, and over the years has worked his way up to Commercial Pilot. He talked to his Dad this afternoon and told him that ever since he was a little boy he has dreamed of a job like this. Will you pray with me that God will give him this position, if it is His will?

I can't think of a better birthday present for my sweetie. ~ Beth ~

Am I Becoming A Morning Person?!?

Something is wrong with me. I have been waking up early - sometimes too early - and I've been able to get up and going long before the children wake up. I used to savor the time I had after they went to bed - in fact, I savored it so much I often ended up staying awake until the middle of the night. But something must have happened to me when I turned 40 because when I see 9 or 10 pm my body insists on going to bed. And if it reaches 11pm my body thinks it's exhaustified. Hmm - there must be a correllation between going to bed early and waking up early...

This morning I woke up and thought it was still the middle of the night. Nope - 6am. I thought I smelled coffee so I went to the kitchen to investigate - I figured Kyle had made some earlier when he left for his 5am shift at work. Nope, no hot coffee. Oh well, I just went ahead and made some and right now I am enjoying it (with flavored creamer - French Vanilla - I might add.)

I think perhaps one other reason I'm able to be so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning is that I am feeling so much better after having lost 75 pounds. I am off 2 of the 3 blood pressure medications I was on and I'm going off the third. I can take a walk or bike ride without needing oxygen, I don't get sluggishly tired every afternoon, and I am sleeping so much better (less snoring). The health benefits have been so wonderful. I do need to keep losing, still have a ways to go. Over the summer months my weight loss has slowed but that's to be expected. I'll get there - I've come too far to turn back now!

Besides Mr. OneMore, I have a friend coming over today so we need to get some housecleaning done this morning. Sometimes I feel woefully inadequate when I am having company over. Okay, most times I feel woefully inadequate. I often say that if you are coming to visit me, drop in anytime. (You might wanna call first, I am a tad busy with all these kids.) If you are coming to see my house, give me a 24 hour notice. And if you inspect the closets or under the furniture you'll find something, all right. If you have the audacity to bring a white-glove mentality, I'll bust your kneecaps, at least in my mind I will anyway. Because I've had a white-glove house - BC that is. Before Children. I can still clean like that, it just doesn't stay that way for more than, oh, an Olympic minute. I get my living room all nice and neat, dusted and vacuumed and decorated and lovely - and out come the Magentix and My Little Pony set and the Lincoln Logs. This is why I have home decorating magazines - I can see what those fancy living rooms are supposed to look like. But when I pine away for something like that, then I hear my Mom's voice saying, "You're gonna miss those smudgy fingerprints and sticky Koolaid splashes and toys on the floor sooner than you think!" My dear Mom was the epitome of the 50's housewife. Spotless, beautifully decorated house, incredible meals, able to sew or craft anything - yet when I visited her and Dad in their new Arizona home with my first baby when she was just 9-months old, Mom left the smudges from her pudgy fists on the floor-length bedroom mirror for a very long time. She could not bear to wash it off - she was so overjoyed to have my baby girl in her house!

Well, I reckon I need to waken the troops soon. We have a busy day ahead of us, today is Math, Spelling, Geography/Social Studies/History, and probably some Grammar. (I love diagramming sentences. Seriously.) Oh, and Homemaking 101. I might even bake a loaf of bread today - I found a recipe that my family loves. They can devour a loaf so quickly it's shocking. I wonder if there is an Olympic event for that?

Have a dandy day ~ Beth ~

Finding a Topic

Sometimes I think, "Today I just wanna write." but I can't always find a topic. So I decided to just start writing and hope that a topic will find me.

I was kinda crabby yesterday. I've had extra kids this week (for a total of 8, make that 9, counting the Biggest Kid of All - my hubby) and so that meant extra cooking, extra laundry, and lots of extra noise. By suppertime my ears were ringing and I told them they could not talk to me unless they were bleeding from an artery or their pants were on fire! (This was a joke, of course. I think a couple of them took me seriously, though. :)

I had to laugh at snack time yesterday afternoon. I sent them all to the park after we got done with schoolwork (the little bit we managed to squeeze in anyway) and while they were gone I sliced up two cantalope and had it served up on plates on the table, ready for them to eat when they came in. They started to trickle back to the house, then it was like a shark feeding-frenzy! They were like little typewriters, snarfing from one side of the rind to the other. When they got done there were rinds scattered all over the table. I wish now I'd have taken pictures. Or video - they probably set a new world record for fastest disappearing cantalope. (How do you spell cantalope? Cantelope? Cantaloupe? Can't remember!)

Today is our last day with two extra boys, as their parents are coming home tonight. Even though it's been chaotic I know I'll miss them in the quiet after they are gone. I should say the "relative quiet" because I'll still have my own five plus one more for daycare. Mr. OneMore is quickly becoming part of the family though and finding his niche. It's not really like doing daycare. And the dog has certainly claimed him as part of her pack, especially considering the facewashes she gives him when his Mom brings him "home".

I'm thankful the weather has been so incredible lately, especially this week. The kids have played outside much of the time, and we've been walking to the park every day as well. Good, fresh air. And it gives me a chance to regroup and pick up the house a bit when everyone is outside. And check my email :).

Well, homemakey-type things are calling my name, and the kids all need breakfast. They slept in a bit this morning, as they were up late watching a movie with the Biggest Kid of All. Speaking of the Biggest Kid of All, I've yet to see a man who can get children more wound up than he can. He's a kid magnet. The Pied Piper on steroids. I told a friend the other day I'm going to get all the kids prescriptions for Ritalin and I'm going to get myself some Valium. I think I'll get a tranquilizer for the hubby too. You can imagine the noise level when he gets eight kids hyper and laughing, then the dog starts barking...

Anyway, I wish you a quiet, peaceful day. Add some chaos, and laughter, and maybe a few tears, and you'll have a family.

Soapbox Time

I'm going to wax political for a moment. If you don't want to read a conservative opinion, then hit delete. Yes, these are my opinions. It's also my blog. ;p

First of all, take a moment to watch the following video. Watch it all the way to the end, it will make you cry.



That says an awful lot.

A couple of other things have happened in this election campaign that have gotten on my remaining nerve a bit. One is an article that was written last week entitled, "We Can't Afford McCain's Tax Cuts" - huh? Since when can we not afford having more money in our pockets?

The other is a quote from Joe Biden that I saw yesterday (which incidentally has mysteriously been buried amongst nasty articles about anyone even remotely conservative) where he stated, "Be Patriotic - Pay More Taxes". My response to that is, "Tell it to the members of the Boston Tea Party!!" Honestly, I can hardly believed the man dared to say such a thing to red-blooded Americans. It's kinda comical though - I think he just shot himself in the foot there, so to speak.

Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now. Have a nice day.

Update from the Almosta Ranch Homestead

Hi Kids,

It's a lovely morning here in the Red River Valley and the weather has been so gorgeous this week. Actually I think it is one of the nicest summers and falls we have had weather-wise in my memory. Seems the kids have been playing outside more than inside, which is always good.

We have extra kids right now. Some friends of ours went on a vacation so we have two of their boys for a week, and we are also having a little boy who is PeeWee's age join us full-time while his mom works. It's been a very busy household and I am constantly amazed how much food that children can consume. We had a tea party yesterday, with real tea, grapes, and cookies. You'd have thought I'd thrown a deer carcass to starving lions when I brought out the Nilla Wafers. And the grapes went down so fast I was certain I'd be performing the Heimlich on someone. I don't think they even chewed!

School has been going well. We are reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Farmer Boy" about Almanzo Wilder's childhood in NY state on a huge farm. That book makes me so hungry. You need to have a snack on hand if you are going to read it, otherwise you'll drool on the pages. I thought it would be a good book to read with extra boys in the house. Yesterday we read about Almanzo's favorite food, which is "Apples n' Onions" and so I googled it and found a recipe. Our neighbor had given us a big bucket of apples (which were almost gone!) so I fried up onions and apples in butter, threw in some brown sugar, and we all tried some. I thought it was pretty good, very different, but good. The younger kids didn't like it and the older kids were rather neutral. I probably won't make it again but it was fun to try something new. Next I plan to try "Bird's Nest Pudding" - another recipe from the book. It's baked apples in a merengue crust drizzled with real cream - google it and drool.

Well, I reckon I should get some tasks done, considering they are screaming at me from every room of the house. The tasks are screaming, not the children. I've yet to find a way to silence screaming tasks. Except to get on the computer. ;)

Have a dandy day!!

And WHY do I homeschool again??!?

Two blogs in one day! No, I'm not feeling particularly creative today. Writing is an outlet for me, and right now I need to VENT. So, brace yourself. If you are having a Happy Homeschool The-World-Is-So-Wonderful-Day, I suggest you don't read any further. Because what I am about to say will pop your little homeschooling bubble.

Disclaimer for First-Time-Homeschoolers: Yes, these days do occur. If you think otherwise you probably should not be homeschooling. Yes, that is my opinion. It's also my blog. ;)

Let me 'splain.

Today has been one of those days where I can understand why some species eat their young. I even said that to my 15-year old today!! First of all, I woke up at 4:30 am (FOUR-THIRTY IN THE MORNING) and could not go back to sleep. Four, no five, make that six, antihistamine and a major allergy attack later, I was drinking my coffee, relishing the peace and quiet before I heard the pitter-patter of little feet, and the stomping of big feet. (Why do teenagers walk like elephants?) The first irritation of the day came when I realized the child responsible for bringing in the groceries last night neglected their duties and LEFT THEM IN THE CAR. Which meant (get ready now) I DID NOT HAVE FLAVORED CREAMER IN MY COFFEE. Just plain. (By the way, hubby took the car to work, so it was not a matter of simply going outside to get the groceries.) You coffee drinkers understand me here, especially you Moms out there who are addicted to, I mean drink coffee. It is one of the few pleasures I enjoy during my day. I drink my coffee, wake up, have my devotions, check my email, etc. and basically get ready for the day. Is a little flavored creamer too much to ask?

Then I made the mistake of waking up the children. I should have, repeat, should have let them sleep. Because as soon as they awakened, they needed to eat. And as soon as they needed to eat my carefully straightened kitchen and dining room was quickly in a state of disrepair. Sigh.

After breakfast I decided to tackle cleaning the stove and refrigerator. I know - why?? Well, our property manager was sending out someone to inspect the stove and fridge - and I wanted whoever was coming to look at them to think that I actually cleaned them once in awhile. Little do they actually know...

Anyway, I assigned one child the task of washing dishes. For whatever blessed reason that child got sidetracked not once, not twice...but three, make that four times. The first time they were mesmerized by something on the tv. The second time they decided it was time to check on the dog. The third time they went to change clothes. The fourth time they chose to CLEAN THEIR SHOES ON THE TABLE. No, I am not kidding. By this time, with no flavored creamer to sweeten me up, I was a tad frustrated. I gave this child THE LOOK and asked them, "WHAT are you DOING?" This child actually had the audacity to look surprised and then said, (and I am not kidding) "Well Mom, I decided that since you were using the scrubber on the stove that I would do this first, because I can't wash dishes without it." HUH?? My kids all think I was born yesterday. I'm not sure what planet this child is from but I proceeded to inform them that it is possible to wash dishes with a WASHCLOTH. What a novel idea!!

Later in the day while we were having school, I was doing our daily Bible reading, and I swear that every possible way to wiggle, act up, or be naughty possessed not just the little ones, but the big ones too. Actually my youngest was probably the best behaved of the lot. I try not to be a Nazi during Bible reading but in my opinion that is the most important part of our school day. I expect the kids to respectfully listen, although I do let them draw or color. I was not able to allow even that today, because drawing became "I wonder if I can color on my brother's skin with this marker" and "how far can I rip this paper" and "If I eat this paper will it taste good?" and a scrillion other little naughty things. So I took away the paper and tried to sound reasonably cheerful during the rest of Bible reading. It's hard to sound cheerful when reading Leviticus though.

After phonics with the Little Ones, I had them pick up the living room (all those bits of paper they didn't eat were on the floor) and an argument erupted over who owned what scissor. An argument also erupted down the hall with the Big Ones who were doing spelling. So I referreed the Big Ones, broke up the fight among the Little Ones, then retreated to my bedroom. If I can just make it to bed time...if I can just make it to bed time....

Shortly after sitting down to relax for a moment I heard the loudest slam I have ever, ever heard from the door downstairs. Turns out a visiting friend was mad about something. I had the sense to thank God no fingers were severed. And the dog wasn't in the way. She'd have been cut in half, I just know it. I reprimanded the offender...and sent the whole group to the park. Now it is quiet in the house. Ahhh...

I think I'm going to go lock the door!!

I Remember

I remember on that day, 9-11, where I was when I first heard our country was under attack. The phone rang, and my friend Suzanne was on the line. "A plane just hit the World Trade Center!" she exclaimed. I scrambled in my mind to think of what and where the World Trade Center was, and might have even asked her. I vaguely remembered reading about the attack in '93. My next thought was that surely it was an accident, a small aircraft hitting a skyscraper. I briefly remember thinking it was too bad, surely a few people would lose their lives in an accident like this. Suzanne told me to turn on my television, and that she would call me later.

I went into the kitchen where I had a tiny tv/radio combination, the screen was black and white and just a few inches across. I turned on the news station just as the second plane slammed into the second tower. With horror I realized this was a huge catastrophe, and that it surely was no accident. Talk began to surface on the news about a "terrorist act" and further word came that the Pentagon had been hit, and another plane had gone down in a field in PA. I was so scared, and the horrible images on the tv screen terrified me. Would they hit the base in Grand Forks? How could I protect my children? Should Kyle come home from work? What was coming next?

We all remember seeing people falling or jumping to their death. Awful. Watching the first tower, then the second, come tumbling to the ground, knowing there were thousands who were dying. People dazedly walking through the streets, covered with soot, or blood, or both. Then the long days of rescue and recovery, hoping and praying for just one more survivor. There were only twenty people rescued alive from the rubble. They likened the falling buildings to a "washing machine filled with chunks of concrete". It sickens me that many people never even had a trace of their loved one left to bury. One rescuer said, "There were thousands of people in these buildings. Where ARE they?!?" I can only imagine their frustration.

Like the generation before us who witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, 9-11 is also a day which shall live in infamy. I still cry when I hear stories of people who lost their lives. Let's remember to pray that we will never forget, and pray for God's mercy and grace upon this great country of ours. God, please bless America!

Reflectively yours ~ Beth ~

Trig Palin

I watched part of the speech Sarah Palin made last night. I must say that I was impressed. Typically I don't get too involved in politics, and I avoid political discussions like the plague. However, when I saw the Palin family join her on stage, and saw her take her baby boy Trig (who has Down syndrome) into her arms, my eyes filled with tears. I read that the Palin's knew Trig likely had Down syndrome before he was born. Typically babies with Down syndrome who are diagnosed before they are born (9 out of 10, to be specific) are aborted. That horrifies me. Nine out of ten babies with Down syndrome who are diagnosed before they are born are aborted! It makes me sick to fathom this.

If this was the only issue on the table in the upcoming election, McCain and Palin would get my vote. Of course I will base my voting on more than this one issue - but in my opinion human life is the biggest issue of all. Not oil, not the economy, not healthcare, not education - but the sanctity of human life. McCain is not as pro-life as I would like to see - but Palin has balanced that nicely and is living out her conviction with her own child.

Yes, this is my opinion. But it's also my blog. ;)

I hope Sarah Palin will tell the world about the awful statistics against pre-born babies with Down syndrome, and other special needs. Those of you who know Kaylee understand where I am coming from. Can you imagine us taking her life because she was created with an extra chromosome?

God's word says that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". He formed us in our Mother's womb! We are His handiwork, created for His pleasure. I shudder to think there will be people who see baby Trig Palin and think he did not deserve a chance at life. I'm sure there have been those who have thought that when they have looked at Kaylee as well. People have said as much to us in person. Really.

I'll be watching Sarah Palin closely. So far, she has my vote. And in forty or fifty years, who knows? Maybe Trig Palin will be president!!

My Favorite Time of the Year

This morning when I went outside I noticed many leaves had turned color and fallen to the ground. September and frosty nights are just around the corner. I'm loving the chill that has been in the air tonight after several hot days this week. I want to snuggle up in a cozy sweatshirt with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa.

This time of year, when thoughts turn to getting back to school, is my favorite time of year. We got new school supplies for the kids today - backpacks, pens, pencils, colored pencils, crayons, markers, highlighters, rulers, scissors, protractors, erasers, glue, folders, notebooks and paper. The little ones were so excited about their new supplies that they kept their backpacks on all evening - even when they went to the park!

We officially started school this week, after about a month off. I typically don't take a long summer break. I like our schedule to stay pretty much the same year-round. And then when we do take an impromptu day off for fun, or if someone is sick, I don't worry that we are not getting enough school time in. Today we studied Bible, math, spelling, and two new countries from our list of countries of the world, which encompasses geography, history and social studies. Peachie also worked with the little ones in their activity workbooks. Next week we'll continue to work on reading with Punkin' and Peanut. I'm hoping PeeWee will even pick up on some of the reading, even though he is only five.

I'm a little blown away by the thought that our oldest is already in tenth grade - a sophomore!! I've picked out a Higher Mathematics course I want her to take and I'm still looking for a good high-school level science program. I have a few ideas there. She is talking seriously about possibly going to beautician's school. Right now her plan is to live at home for at least a couple years after she graduates. She wants to get a part-time job her Senior Year to save up for a car. After she graduates she also intends to take some courses at our church's tuition-free Bible college. She has also tossed around the idea of going into the medical field. I think I need to have her take an aptitude test to see where her strengths and weaknesses are. It might help if she can do a little job-shadowing as well. It's hard to grasp the thought that the little girl who was bouncing around like Tigger not so long ago is quickly blossoming into a young woman. The rest of the kids are not far behind her either!

I hope you are looking forward to Fall like I am - brightly colored leaves, crisp fresh air, ripening apples on the trees, warm cider and cocoa, baked potatoes and squash, cozy soft sweatshirts, football games, harvest ending, the garden's bounty reaped and stored - then on to Thanksgiving, then Christmas...Oh, the seasons fly by so fast.

Reflectively yours ~ Beth ~

In Memory of Dad

Ten years ago today I was standing in a hospital room with about ten or fifteen other relatives, watching my Dad take his last breaths. I was taking his pulse as I felt his very last heartbeat - and I was certain I knew the moment his spirit left his body. It was the first time I had ever seen anyone die.

Three weeks prior to Dad's death we were admitting my Mom to the hospital for knee replacement surgery. Dad had been suffering from a severe headache - we all thought it was the flu. My sister (an RN) noticed Dad was having weakness on one side, so immediately after seeing Mom off to surgery, she escorted Dad to the Emergency Room to get checked out. The doctors ran some tests and admitted Dad to the hospital. A couple of hours later I was visiting Dad in his hospital room, and I noticed he was very confused and did not know where he was, or what was going on. He thought he was still back in Arizona, and that my brother had just made him the best cheeseburger he'd ever had. I immediately alerted the nurses to Dad's confusion and told them he appeared to be experiencing some short-term memory loss. By the time test results came back, Dad's stroke had worsened, and that evening they took him off to surgery to put a shunt in his brain. The surgeon's predictions were dire - he said if Dad survived 24 hours, he would likely be a "vegetable". I was sitting in the ICU waiting room with my oldest brother when the surgeon gave us the news. It was all very surreal.

Amazingly, Dad survived the surgery and within a couple of days was alert and talking, although he still experienced some weakness on one side, as well as some confusion. Some of that could have been attributed to the medications he was on, but it looked like Dad was going to pull through this stroke and survive. However, infection began to set into his body, and he began to worsen. I can't remember all the details - one day seemed to blur into the next with all the stress of having Mom in Rehab for her knee, Dad in the ICU - and on top of all that, we were moving. I had three little children at home and was juggling them between friends who were generous enough to watch them.

Dad had to be in restraints in the ICU because he kept trying to pull out tubes and fiddle with lines and leads that went to the monitors. I noticed that if someone was in the room talking, he would relax and listen. If it got quiet in the room, he would pull against his restraints. Having the tv on made no difference - he wanted to hear someone talking. I think he must have felt alone and scared. So I started to read to him - the Bible and Reader's Digest. I went to the Bible book store and purchased the New Testament on tape - and even the nurses would play the tapes for him. As long as there was was someone talking or the tapes were playing, he would remain calm. Many times I encouraged Dad to be sure that he was ready to meet his Creator and I prayed with him many times.

Shortly before we had to make the decision to cease all treatment and move him out of the ICU I saw a friend of mine, who is a doctor, and told him about what was going on with Dad. He had just admitted a patient of his to ICU and he looked over Dad's chart - and he told me the infection was not survivable. I was shocked - no one had been so blunt to me up to that point about the seriousness of Dad's condition. The next morning we moved Dad to a regular hospital room and decided to cease the feeding tube but continue the IV fluids and pain medications as needed. One very rude and angry nurse chewed me out for "allowing" Dad to have IV fluids - she said it was time for him to die and the fluids could keep him alive for weeks. I was dismayed that someone who did not know our family and had not followed Dad's case could make such a harsh judgement call. We had made the decision to cease all "heroic" or invasive treatments (ventilators, further surgery, etc.) as a family - it was not my decision to make alone. The day we had to make that decision I looked the doctor in the eye and asked him if it was HIS Dad how he would handle the situation - and he gave us some very good advice. In the end it was my Mom's final decision anyway. I was only there for moral support. That nurse's harsh criticism made the situation even more painful and difficult.

The morning of Dad's death we decided to cease IV fluids. It was obvious death was imminent and we wanted all the tubes gone. I asked Dad if he could hear me, to squeeze my hand - and I felt a little squeeze. I told him he was not going to be with us much longer - and urged him once again to be sure he was ready to go. I prayed with him and asked him if he knew he was ready to squeeze my hand again. One little tug, one little movement of the fingers from his once very strong hand - and my heart was assurred. Daddy was ready to go Home. Sometimes, especially now that Mom is gone too, I miss him so much that I cry. I wish I could see him chuckle over a shared joke, or over the children's antics. I wish he could have seen our youngest two children, born after he was gone. Our youngest child is named after him. It makes me sad they will never know the man who worked so hard all his life, and had such strong, capable hands, and could fix anything he set out to fix. I'll have to settle with sharing my memories of him with my children, and living with the hope that I will get to see him again someday.

Shortly before Dad died I heard the words to this song on the radio - "Just think...of stepping on shore, and finding it heaven ~ of touching a hand, and finding it God's ~ of breathing new air, and finding it celestial! Of waking up in Glory ~ and finding it Home."

Grove Family Update

It's a lovely summer day today and we are having a busy morning on the "Almosta Homestead Ranch". No, that is not a fancy name for a Spanish-style farmstead. You might need to read it a couple of times to get the pun. If you don't get the pun, you can chalk it up to my odd sense of humor!!

Last night I washed a load of stuffed animals. I know, that sounds kind of weird. But we've been having allergies galore lately so I thought that might help. Besides, the kids each got a new stuffed animal yesterday at the "National Night Out" that was held at the park, literally in our back yard. The local law enforcement, fire department and ambulance department were there, handing out T-shirts, whistles (which we confiscated when we got home! ACK!), stickers, bracelets, can wraps, and other goodies. There was also a pig roast (I haven't been to one of those in a long time - probably since one of the last weddings on my Dad's side, yup, a pig roast at a wedding!) and that pig's head was one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. Peachie got the apple from the pig's mouth - but didn't eat it when Kyle pointed out WHERE the apple had been! Besides the barbecue they had ice cream and root beer. Yum! The little ones thoroughly enjoyed the inflatable jumping thingy (you know, the jumping thingy they go inside and jump around in) and it had a slide down the side. PeeWee wore himself out with all the activity. It was a lot of fun and many people from our little community were there. Plus I didn't have to cook supper!!

Peaches and Pickles are heading to Bible camp next week with our church youth group. It is held in Chetek, WI - and they cannot wait. I'm excited for them and praying they will grow spiritually, along with all of our teens.

We are still praying about/waiting on the Lord concerning whether or not to move to Moorhead or stay put. We have not yet gone to the bank to see if we might qualify for a loan with decent terms/interest rate that would buy us a house in the country within our budget. It would be nice to be putting that money each month into home equity. But then again - it's convenient when something needs repairs to just call the landlord! Please keep praying God will show us which direction to take.

It seems the weather has been especially nice this summer - not too many unbearably hot days so far. The house stays pretty cool if I shut everything mid-morning on those days it is promising to be hot. I'm thankful for that since we don't have AC. (Well, we have a tiny window unit but don't use it because it can't keep up!)

I hope this note finds you enjoying your summer and doing something you truly love. I'm off to work now on the Almosta Homestead Ranch. Gotta feed the critters and muck out the stalls!! ;)

Recipe Time!

Hey kids! It's recipe time!

On Sunday I made my (infamous? notorious?) Taco Chili for the Teen Singsperation. I often get asked for this recipe so I thought I would share it here with you. Keep in mind that we have a big family - so I make a huge batch of this. You might want to scale down or freeze the excess.

Taco Chili

3 lbs. hamburger
1 large onion
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can corn
1 small can black beans
1 huge can kidney beans (I like to use the gallon-sized can, but sometimes these are hard to find.)
4 packets taco seasoning - you might want to add more according to your taste

Brown the hamburger and onion, drain, add taco seasoning and water according to directions on seasoning packets. Put into large stock or soup pot, and dump in all the canned stuff (no draining necessary). Add extra water if desired - I usually don't because we like it thick. Heat it up, let it simmer, serve with sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips, black olives, flour or corn tortillas, hot sauce - whatever your little heart desires.

This recipe is what I call a "no-brainer" because it is almost fool-proof - and so easy! You can use ground turkey or shredded chicken in place of hamburger, you can add any kind of beans you like, or even rice. Throw it in the pot! Use up those leftovers! Enjoy!!

If you have a recipe to share, post it. Especially if it is as easy as this one!

Assumptions

Many years ago when I was in college I had a roommate of mine tell me that I was "presumptuous" when she was angry with me for borrowing a sweater of hers without asking. I was eighteen years old, very naive, and honestly did not know what that word meant! I must admit though, that this has been a character flaw of mine. It is very easy for me to assume that I know stuff. God has worked on me in this area of my life but something happened yesterday that reminded me I have not "arrived" and still have some work to do. Let me 'splain.

When I woke up yesterday morning I was thinking about the house we might rent in North Moorhead. Although I have not seen inside, we did peek in the windows last summer when we had first applied for the rental when it was still empty. Since I know the general lay-out of the main floor I was arranging furniture in my head, thinking about where I would put things and setting up housekeeping in my mind. Then it dawned on me: What if God does not want us to move? What if He says, "Wait." I must confess that I had already assumed what God's will was going to be for us in this situation. The "Pros" list is longer than the "Cons" list and in my tiny brain I figured that was the obvious direction God was pointing us.

So, with conviction in my heart, I confessed my assumptions to God and asked Him to truly have His will in this. Yes, I had already asked for His will - but because I assumed that we'd be renting this new place I was setting myself up for disappointment and a feeling of failure. So while I prayed I asked God to help me relax in His will and to trust that He knows what is best. Maybe, by some miracle, God has a house in the country for us to buy instead. Maybe He wants us to stay here in this little town we have fallen in love with. Maybe He wants us to be missionaries in Outer Magnolia. (No, that's not a typo. Think "Monster's Inc." ;)

"Thank You, my Beloved Heavenly Father, for once again reigning me in and picking me up when I have fallen. Help me to rest in Your will, knowing that your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. Help my actions, words and thoughts to be pleasing to Thee. Please show us which direction to take in all areas of our lives."

In Jesus' Name ~ Amen ~

Vintage Blessings

When I went to our local thrift store this past weekend for their monthly bag sale, I found a vintage chair with needle-point upholstery that I thought might match my vintage couch. How happy I was! But I noticed there were two springs under the cushion that were broken, so I decided to ask Kyle first if it could be fixed. He figured it probably could be fixed, or the springs replaced, so I went back to purchase it for a mere fifteen dollars. I brought one of my couch cushions to see if the colors would blend, and yep, they did. Now the sweet little chair is sitting right next to the antique table from Kyle's Grandma, with the matching antique doily on top, that is next to the vintage couch. I'm thrilled at how God has put together our living room. Let me 'splain.

Last summer I found my couch in a used furniture store. I was told it might be up to 70 years old but it's in such pristine condition, I doubt that is the case, because it has not been re-upholstered. I think it is probably from the 60's, and it has a miriad of colors - several shades of green, tan, cream and orange. The frame is a lovely carved oak and it has a coordinating glass-topped oak coffee table. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and was shocked they only wanted $150 for both pieces. I had them put my name on the couch and told them I would pick it up as soon as I was able. The store was a couple of hours away in the town we had moved my Mother to when she needed assisted living. Unfortunately though Mom's health rapidly declined and she died a couple weeks later - and with the expenses of travelling and moving and then costs associated with the funeral, I knew purchasing the couch was not going to be possible. I briefly prayed that if God wanted me to have the couch that it would be available when we could afford it. Then I put all thoughts of the couch out of my mind - no sense dwelling on something I probably could not have, and my mind was occupied with my family's needs at the time.

Fast-forward eight months later when we received our tax return. On a whim I called the furniture store to see if the couch was still available - and it was!! I told them I would come and pick it up and arranged a date, and very gleefully made the trip. While I was there I met up with a good friend and my sister-in-law for lunch. I was so happy!

When I got home Kyle and the kids had moved our old couch out of the living room (which I gave away on FreeCycle) and had everything vacuumed and dusted, ready to move the new couch in. I was so excited - this was one of the nicest pieces of furniture I had ever had the pleasure of owning!

Slowly, over many years, I have accumulated different pieces of furniture to put together our living room, and it has become one of my favorite rooms in my house. The needlepoint chair was a thrill for me to find and it coordinates beautifully with the couch. I also have a china hutch, a long and narrow glass-topped table I put pictures on (I inherited this table from my Mother, and I spray-painted it a cream color), my Mother's wooden rocking chair, an antique sewing machine a friend of mine gave to me, and one of my favorite pieces, an antique wooden school desk that I found several years ago in a little shop in a small town.

The funny thing is that the doily on the end table from Kyle's Grandma is the thing that ties it all together - and I have had it the longest of anything in the living room. It has most of the colors I have decorated with - cream, green, orange and brown. Who'd have thought that all those years ago when she crocheted that doily I'd be using it still in 2008.

These are my Vintage Blessings - and they are treasures to me. If I can ever figure out how to post pictures I will. I'm hoping to eventually find a large area rug for the living room. I wonder what God might have for me to put in there next?

A Vivid Memory

Today I was in my favorite store (that would be Wal-Mart!) and I had the most vivid memory of my dear Mother, who died last summer. I was getting material for Peachie to sew culottes for herself for camp, and the woman who was measuring out the yardage deftly flipped the bolts of cloth to get the 2 yards I needed, sliding the material through her hands and laying it down against the measuring stick on the table. Suddenly I remembered standing next to my Mom as she purchased cloth, and it was as though I was watching the lady measure and cut through the eyes of a little girl. I could remember looking at patterns with Mom, picking out notions and buttons and thread and many other fascinating things at the local seamstress' shop. I could hear the shirr and click of the scissors as the material was cut. My Mom could literally sew anything - and she often did without a pattern. She would make matching outfits for herself, my sister and I. We'd pick out pretty material together and matching lace or rick-rack, and zippers or elastic. We must have gone on many shopping trips together because this memory was so vivid - I could even smell the yard goods and remember telling her just what kind of outfit I wanted her to sew. How talented she was with so many things! I got such a lump in my throat that I was glad there was a couple of ladies ahead of me in the line - because I got a little teary-eyed remembering.

Now my dear Peachie sews on the machine my Mother once used. Mom passed many things down to my daughter - her love of literature, history, quilting, crocheting and now, sewing. When Peaches is sitting at the machine sewing away I can almost see Mom sitting there. She would have been so proud to see her granddaughter using the machine.

I miss you, Mom. I wish we could have been shopping together today, or that I could have at least called you and told you about these precious memories.

Homestead In My Heart

Recently I considered renaming my blog "Homestead In My Heart" because I was reading a favorite blog of mine by a woman who is living the things I hope to do some day - like owning a country home, and raising lots of critters. She has all sorts of wonderful pictures on her blog, and the best recipes - most of them made from scratch. In one of her entries she encouraged her readers to consider themselves "homesteaders" wherever they are - if it's on their own land, in town, or even in an apartment in the city. I liked that thought, and since that day I have been considering our little corner of the world to be our very own homestead - even though we are renting a duplex in a small town. It's all about attitude. I'm doing many of the things I would do if were in the country - homeschooling, gardening, baking, cooking, homemaking, etc. - and with all the conveniences of town living! ;)

Peachie and I polished up her vintage dresser today (I love vintage finds! and this was given to us, such a blessing!) and so now all she has to do is have Daddy move it to her room and attach the mirror. She was also recently given a Captain's bed with drawers underneath (another blessing! Thank you Lord!!) and so she has plans to re-arrange her room once we are able to pick up the bed.

Peachie and I also went to the thrift store in our little town today as they have a monthly bag sale - all the clothes, shoes, purses, and even toys you can fit into a bag for five bucks. Well, we found enough to stuff the bag full AND I found something that thrills me to my toes because I have been wanting one for a very long time - a KitchenAide mixer with dough attachment!! WOOHOO!!! When I first saw it I passed it by, as they wanted fifteen dollars for it. However, they were also having 50% off everything - so I snatched it up after making sure it worked. It has two glass bowls and two mixer attachments, not sure how old it is but it is in nice shape and works great. And guess what - my hand-held mixer just died so I'm sure I would have spent at least $7.50 to replace it. Isn't the Lord good to give us the little desires of our hearts? Actually that wasn't such a little desire for me - it was very specific. I've been wanting a KitchenAide mixer for a long time, with the dough attachment - but they are very expensive. So it went on my "wants" list and I would have been content with a hand-held mixer. I think things like this happen to remind us that God cares about every detail of our lives. Now I just need to believe that someday...in His timing....He'll give us a little plot of land with a house and maybe a barn too where I can raise those critters! And I'm not talking about the kids!! ;)