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'Tis the season I guess... I find myself humming while I work - decorating, baking, Christmas Card writing... Things are not "busy" in my home. They are relaxed and warm. Chaos abounds outside and on the other end of numerous phone calls, but not here. Here, is my safe haven. Here, family and friends are called to unload and rest, refuel and refresh. But most important: Here, is a name. My very special name for Him. He is Here. What else is needed? Standing and waiting, Watching and looking up. Until next time, |
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Here you are - right around the corner yet again. And here am I. Stumbling through another year! I am exhausted! Dear husband is still unemployed. He takes odd jobs here and there trying to make our ends meet. Nothing is paying squat anymore. Four years of college will get you a $10/hr job - maybe. It's been a year since I've written because we had to let go of our internet service. We just recently got it back, but I'm unsure how long we can hang on to it. It IS a luxury! Trust me, I know a necessity when I see it. At times, electricity was a luxury... But here I am. Still standing, Lord! (thank you!) Isn't there a lot going on in the world? May I please implore you to visit Raptureready.com? Go to the Discussion Boards and read, read, read. Especially under "Gog/Magog" threads. So many are unaware of the times. Don't be one of the many that are clueless. Well! We begin our homeschooling the last week of August. I always look forward to beginning again. Alas, this year I have only my youngest three children. Another graduated this year. (my oldest son) Three down, three to go! My youngest is turning 10, and my other two are turning 13 and 16. Where are the babies of my house? The cradle has been empty for so long! Ten years! The gray hairs at my temple keep telling my age. Reminding me I have better days ahead... Oh yes! Bring them on! What day will I not cherish? What day is not a reminder of God's love? Even through the valleys, even through the storms, He walks with me. Standing, - amazed! Until next time, |
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Wow. September. Oh, I love Autumn... But is it September already? Wasn't it... just March? Have I lost so much time? So much has happened since March. And isn't that always the case when time passes too quickly? Since March, my husband has left one job to begin another. And recently, he has had to yet again find something else. He just wants to work. He wants what we all want so desperately these days... stability. Can't we just be still and live our humble lives? I'm tired. I just want to find "home" and go to it. Embrace it. And never, ever leave it again. (smile) You know what I mean. Don't you? Still standing in, Until next time, ps: joy is still my strength... |
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I do love this time of year! Is there one I really detest?? The Spring storms scare me to death, but not the Spring. Appropriately enough, this year Spring finds me packing up one nest and moving to another. (Minus one chick) The new nest helps take my mind off the lack of that one. That little chick helped raise the other five, as I recall. Though she is absent, her spirit certainly remains! So much to do around here - inside and out! I remember the first visit after the old family moved out. Me and my daughter arrived with pencils and measuring tape. We wrote down the measurements of each window and sketched a layout of the house. Next, I walked through the empty rooms with planner and pen. I made a list of every piece of furniture we had and noted where each would be placed. I did the same with each cabinet, drawer and closet - writing what things were going to go in them. When the moving boxes arrived it made things much easier. Once everything was in place, I could start hanging our pictures and decorating. I finished the decorating about two weeks ago. Last week, I updated my M.O.T.H. schedule, the children's chore lists, and organized all the school books: K4 through 12th grade. And now that I feel like I have homeschooling back in control, I can finally concentrate on making the house truly a home. Getting back to doing those little things that we love. A little gardening, a little sewing, baking up aromas that beckon visitors... Reading before bed to the sound of the crickets outside my window and writing in the early hours before dawn to the songs of the morning birds. Yes, things have finally slowed back down. At least until tomorrow, |
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Thank you for your prayers. They mean so, so much! Well, we are in a house. We are renting a lovely mobile home from the RV Park owner. It sits on a hill at the end and just above the RV Park we moved from. God has been very good in watching over us. The children are doing well and adjusting to the recent move. Only last week we rented the moving van to get everything out of storage buildings. Although we moved in on January 13, we had to wait a bit before finally retrieving our belongings due to weather and finances. I'm still unpacking boxes! Homeschooling is going much better as you can imagine - being able to spread out more. The pets are even with us again! What a joy that brought to the children! (and to the pets, I believe) Being able to cook again for the family with a real oven... and (oh!) a real bathroom with a normal size shower - what a blessing! I want to go back and invite all my old RV neighbors over for a thanksgiving dinner! I just want to open it up to them to have a place to come and rest and feel "normal" if only for a while. But then, I remember that RV life IS normal to most of them. And what I now have is considered for the rich. We are far from that, but the truth remains. Kerry and I are considering starting a Bible study and posting it on the message board of the RV Park. I have no idea how many would come. And, we wonder how safe it would be. We so want to share our blessing with someone else in need. Perhaps God will show us how to serve best. Time for bed. Besides the move, we recently found out our oldest daughter will be getting married in June. (gasp!) "What? My baby getting married?? But, it seems she just left the nest! " I wring my hands and pace the floor. How can I be the mother of the bride down here when she's up there? So much to do here. So much to do there. And the 4th adds another year to my life! Another year? Already? (more pacing... more wringing of hands...) Oh my! Look at the time! One o'clock a.m. and my in-laws are coming tomorrow! What was that I need to remember?... Be still. Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 (Sigh) Standing... still, -Until next time |
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Well now... Just when you think you know where you're going... Let me bring you up to date as quickly as possible: Found a house for us. Found buyers for our house. Packed and boxed. Within the last 48 hours of making the move, the house we were going to fell through, AND We moved temporarily (in the POURING rain) to my oldest daughter's rental home, AND The buyers for our old house fell through. We were forced to foreclose on our home. We stayed with my oldest daughter (who had only been in her home for two days prior to us moving in) for the next month. Kerry tires of commuting on the weekends. The decision is made to move into the RV with him until further notice. We did. Oldest daughter is taking care of all the pets until we get into a home of our own. (sigh) It's been a tough month, but we're making it. Never done this before... Small quarters and my car is packed with homeschool book boxes. But we can do this. We're still together. We're healthy. And we still have hope. We're looking forward to a blessed Thanksgiving. Hope you are, too. Until next time, |
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It's been a real "frog-strangler" these past months, but, by golly, we're treading water! The For Sale sign is in the yard and we've had several lookers. We're packing and boxing and looking online at possible future homes... Nothing so far "looks" like home. Funny how we can imagine so clearly what it's supposed to look like. Kerry comes home on the weekends (he's found a job and has been working out of town for two weeks). He sends us pictures of homes for sale in the area. I know he misses us and the feeling is mutual of course.
I know from experience that it's best to pray, prepare, hang on tight, and ride out the storm. This is only another test. And,...
"I have always been a storm." - Stevie Nicks
But,...
"Storms never last do they, baby?" - Jessie Colter Jennings
This, too, shall pass. Yes?
Until again,
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(sigh) Things are pretty grim around here lately. Kerry is without a job, the house is about to go into foreclosure, the utility bills are mounting, and we had to sell our van. We're down to one car and most of the groceries are being provided by generous church members that bless us on occasion. God is providing our needs. Kerry does jobs on the side for neighbors and friends such as fixing their cars or (recently) roofing their house. We are bartering - which is quite rewarding. Thankfully, our health is holding up. (As we have no insurance presently) I'm trying to find homes for puppies and kittens born 7-9 weeks ago. It's a zoo around here! Or more like a nursery, I should say. Kerry has been very patient with us - allowing us to find good homes for each one. (He's not exactly a cat lover like the rest of us...) Anyway,... this is our life right now. I know God has plans, but sometimes, I wish He would clue us in on them now and again. The waiting is hard, but it's making us stronger... I guess. Blessings to my readers.
Until next time, |
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I guess it comes with March... Change. Beginnings. Spring. Kerry is taking on a new career change in buying and selling real estate. Honestly, he's like a kid in a candy shop. He's hanging on to his old job of being a mechanic until he gets all his ducks in a row. But, boy is he proud of his new ducks! Happy husbands are a good thing to have around the house. Lots of things have been happening house-wise. We almost lost it until an aunt of mine stepped in to buy it. Then, the aunt was in an accident and a month later decided to back out of the deal. We're still trying to come back from that ordeal. Kerry is working on getting the house refinanced for us in order to save it. I sure hope he can. I pray he can. My three boys left this morning to stay the weekend with my parents at their ranch. With Sara working and going to school, she's rarely at home for any amount of time. That leaves just me and my other two girls at home. Things will be awfully quiet around here.
Tomorrow is my birthday. I noticed the Jonquils are stretching after a long sleep.
Until again, |
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Our Blue Roof is ON!! The roofers finished the project the day after Christmas. What a gift! Let the soft rains come again!
On a bluer note, Kerry is looking for a job these days. And as so many wives will tell you, this often leads to depression (throughout the family) of some degree. Life gets hard(er). Sometimes, this really becomes a time of testing. As in our case, other things can "happen" to add a little more stress to your already stressful life.
Blue sparks. Our 80+ year old farmhouse has been slowly going through some facelifts. (Accent on "slowly".) How slowly? EXPENSIVELY slowly... (fencing, repairing pipes & plumbing, repairing tiling, repairing flooring, stripping very old wallpaper, stripping paint, replacing a water heater, and most recently... after trying to repair it first - putting on a new roof.) These projects have been spaced out through the 4 1/2 years we've lived here. Now, recently, another monster raised it's blue, ugly head. I bet if you look over the above list, you can figure out which monster this one is. Yep, electricity - wiring. In the last month, we started noticing lights that would flicker. Then, recently, breakers going off. And, last week, sparks coming from the breaker box. Kerry knows about wiring, and quickly disconnected the troublesome breakers. A few days later, another breaker began sparking. So, we're running on only three of 7-8 breakers. We've had an electrician come out to inspect the situation. Not only do we have to get a new box, but the entire house needs re-wiring-SOON! ($$$) NOT the kind of news a jobless man wants to hear. I have no idea what our immediate plans are. We need to move out of the house until repairs can be made - just because it's not safe. We DO have both sets of parents living within an hour of here. However, you know what it's like moving a family of eight into someone else's home for an unknown amount of time... Not to mention returning every day to take care of all the animals that will remain at home.
So, we sigh and roll up our sleeves once more.
"After all, tomorrow is another day!"
Until again, |
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Still no roof... We had some setbacks, and another roofing company will be doing the roof soon - as soon as the weather lets up. Christmas is right around the corner, though! We've been so busy decking the halls, we've scarcely remembered the roof! The tree is up and the kittens love it so! Balls don't stay on the tree and my bird ornaments... well, they've flown south. Our windows are covered with paper snowflakes, and snowmen outline our bulletin board. Stockings, stockings - EVERYWHERE! (and more in the makings) We homemake new ones every year for new babies and new family members... (we adopt anyone who wants one...) Paper Christmas trees adorn our school door and countdown calendars with pockets and moveable mouse or Santa are in two rooms. Come to think of it... I need to make a navitity scene one with perhaps a moveable birthday candle... Hmmm... I really need to get straight back to work! I have cookies to bake and bread to knead. Here it is the 15th, and I haven't started on the outside of the house yet! Merry Christmas to All! Until next time, |
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Great news! We're finally getting a new roof! The men will be putting it on the week after Thanksgiving! No more leaks! God is so good!
We are making tentative plans for Thanksgiving. Looks like lots of exciting things coming up... School is moving right along. At times, right out the window. You know how the holidays can steal our minds... We want to be doing anything but school. I have to admit, I am antsy about baking, decorating, and making gifts.
But, right now... I'm afraid it's time for bed. So, until next time, |
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(Big sigh of relief) Our house is safe and soundly ours. God is good. We SO appreciated all the prayers!
November is here and boy is she off and running! So many plans already! I'm loving all the excitement in the air. And are we cooking this month or what?? I love the kitchen smells in November! Aromas are all part of the children's memories of the holidays. Homemade breads, cakes and cookies... Simmering pots on the stove... and scented candles everywhere. And the crafting going on...! We're already busy making gifts for Christmas. What a joy it is to sit with the children and sew while reminiscing of past Christmas'. We take all of December off from schooling in order to finish up all our projects. Since we school year-around we can afford to do this and we look forward to it all year! Duty calls...
Until next time, |
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Lots on my mind tonight... Too much to mention here. Kerry is working late tonight and I just got in from Miah's soccer practice. I walked two miles while he practiced.
Sunday was our first Small Group Bible Study. Kerry and I are teaching and another couple is hosting - using their home. It went very well. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. We served a quick, hot meal to everyone and ran a shuttle for the young children over to their own Bible study at the school. I met some new faces that I'm sure will become close friends.
Tomorrow, is Kalan's soccer practice and my Weight Management class at Curves. (Besides school, of course!)
I've decided to plan a Harvest Party at the end of the month. (Even though I can't say for sure we'll be here... I do know that the situation is in Good Hands. So, I'm at peace with it. I will continue on until my path is redirected. Sometimes, I catch myself wanting to remind God of the date - making sure He hasn't forgotten about us. But, why? Did He not ask to leave my burdens with Him? He said nothing about checking on them or that He might need my advice as to what to do with them. But isn't it just like us to want to help carry those burdens that we've given to him? It's kind of like taking our children to the babysitter and then never leaving.
Ah, well... duty calls once again. Until next time,
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These autumn days take me away so easily... School is done for the day, Specials have been completed, and I just got back from my Curves workout. I still have two errands lin town and Miah's soccer practice to finish out the day. This will be a somewhat stressful week. After endless attempts to correct the situation, it is finally, completely out of our hands now. And, perhaps, that is how God wants it. My husband is filing for bankruptcy this week. We've never had to go through anything like this before. I feel so helpless. Yet, it's not a humiliating feeling - as we have fought this for so long. It's not like we just laid down and let it happen. Things have happened that were out of our control. I know I must sound like I'm rambling... but for now that's all the time I have on the computer.
Until later, |
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The day has flown...
I went to my Curves meeting and workout this morning (an ongoing personal battle) while the kids schooled at home. I'm only gone for an hour and I give them goals to reach while I'm away. When I return, we step back into our schedule. During lunch, I made a bank deposit and paid an insurance bill. Then it's back to school. Our church is beginning small group Bible studies on the 16th. Kerry and I will be teaching one on Sunday evenings. The church needed a flier about each Bible study for a sign up sheet being posted next Sunday, so I've been working on that this afternoon. I'm sitting here waiting on Kerry to call and confirm that it's okay to pay an electric bill that's due. The kids are outside playing and the kittens are inside napping. The house is quiet except for the squeals blowing in through the open window. There are no soccer practices tonight, so maybe we can slow down a bit. The leaves are falling like crazy these days... and I'm sinking fast.
Until another time, |
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Another school week begins...
We begin our morning at 7:00am. Time to rise and shine! After dressing, it's time for our Pet Duties. While the kids are taking care of their pets, Mom is taking care of the laundry. We meet for breakfast and a quick run-down of today's plans. Sara, 20, has college classes in the mornings and works in the afternoons. Lily, 17, will be working on a new schedule for upcoming weeks. She's about to start her first job. Kalan, 15, will be meeting Dad for lunch. Kalan has a soccer game this evening and Dad will be taking him. Kyle, 12, has a normal day of school and chores. Jeremiah, 10, will have a normal school day with soccer practice later this evening. Jessea, 7, also has a normal school day.
School begins at 9:00am. We break for lunch at 12:00, and return to school at 1:00. We'll school until 3:00 and begin our Specials (special chores). At 4:00, we'll break for a snack and to rest. At 5:00, it's time for Afternoon Chores. Mom and Miah (Jeremiah) leave for soccer practice at 5:30. Mom walks during his practice. At 7:00, we head for home. At 7:30, Mom prepares supper. Dad and Kalan will be in shortly.
As with any large family household, we use our schedules as a guideline. We do good to actually stay on it... We have struggles and emergencies like everyone else. But, we work together. Our home is never quiet. I'm not sure what I'll ever do when it does empty out. We love friends and family coming out to visit. Autumn is my favorite time of year, and I love to garden and decorate our home with fresh new colors. And, as always, it's time to give the computer chair some space... Until another time,
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