VBS Mania - Gardening Mania

Tis the season. We are one month away from VBS 2014. 

My big outing today was to meet these two lovelies at Lowes. I have a van large enough to haul big pieces of foam board - which will soon be big trees.

Since I was at Lowes, I bought some more dirt, plants and seeds for my new garden. Stacia and Zander helped me fix one of the beds up...Zander commented that he now understood why the first colonialists didn't want to work in the fields. LOL

Yuuki had rolled in Michael's watermelons and the dirt of one bed. I bought some plants...and we'll thin them out when these grow strong.

There is something so soothing about sitting and watching a garden - even a small one.

Choosing Joy!

©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

School - Nearing the End

Somehow the older two got a week ahead of the younger ones....so we are doubling up this week. Which means next week will be our "last week" of school.....but um....we school year round....We'll spend the summer on math and language arts....and I'll read some books we couldn't fit in earlier.....maybe field trips....

These two dissected a crawdad today. Turns out our specimens are old, VERY old...I need to order another kit - and quick. LOL  We couldn't find the kit while we were in Japan - and we couldn't get anyone to mail us another set. It was too overwhelming to try to explain to Japanese clerks that I wanted specimens......when we unpacked HERE we FOUND a kit...but things are far to petrified to dissect. 

I guess the younger ones and I will finish before these two after all. ::snort:: 
Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Christmas Tea

It just felt like the sort of day to enjoy a Christmas Tea - so we did. We put Christmas music on Pandora, we steeped some tea, we sat and enjoyed the moment.

I'm determinedly looking for ways to LIVE FULLY  IN THE PRESENT...and this was a good start.

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Hummingbirds

Michael told me it could take a few weeks to attract hummingbirds...but look!  It was great fun to look outside during school and see this little guy. They continued to come all day. Isn't this a pretty feeder?

Unfortunately, they don't seem to like our nectar. They've not come back...they didn't really stay around long. We'll have to google and see if we can come with a homemade recipe that works better. They were so fun to watch. 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Mother's Day 2014

I really don't need cards and gifts on a specific day to feel loved as a mother. It used to be very important to me...but over the years not so much.  Probably because my kids do a great job of spoiling me throughout the year - my tank is full.  It's overflowing after Mother's Day. 

We planned a laid back day. We went to chapel. I chose to grill at home rather than fight the crowds in town. We puttered around. Kids called, texted, emailed....

We re-potted a plant

Played games

Yes, there were gifts. Michael and the kids spoiled me this year. I had flowers from Michael, roses from the kids and carnations from the Chapel.  I also got a really cool hummingbird feeder...Michael made the nectar for it. I'm really excited to have something besides snakes and pigeons in the yard.

A bit tired of the camera man - not me

The kids went together and got me a gel nail starter kit.   It will save significant spending money if I learn to do this at home. This is NOT a mother's day gift. Michael decided to plant watermelon in a bag.....

He also made two of these containers....and I'm happy.  I've spent too many months trying to decide what to do about container gardening. 

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

One S'more At A Time

Stacia loves helping me put together gifts for this and that.....This was a great week for her...Salsa and chips for staff and S'mores in a jar for the outgoing PWOC board.

This girl has begged for S'mores every day this week - maybe tonight

After a hectic year of service my prayer is for these ladies who have served all year,  are that they are able to breathe - to LIVE LIFE FULLY in the moments this summer....and so this project caught my heart and eye...and Stacia LOVES s'mores and asks for them daily. This was the winning pinterest idea! ::snort::

I was supposed to put it all in a wide mouth jar.  I had a lunch meeting to discuss Children's ministry 15 mins in the opposite direction from Walmart. I stopped at Dollar General and phoned home. Arielle took a baggy of crackers, marshmallows and chocolate and assured me they would fit in a summer cup.......

Our cups were evidently a bit bigger than the ones I purchased at Dollar General....I had to go from 6 - 3 mallows; and then I wrapped them which I don't think was a good idea...then I scrunched them all into the cups and prayed they didn't spring out like those snakes on springs when opened.

I was pretty proud of thinking to go search for free summer fonts to make the little card...and the flip flops have a teeny tiny PWOC logo on them - thanks to Lauren and The Hub.  The card says "This summer live life fully one s'smore (or two) at a time."  I loved the fact that the author suggested GLUE DOTS to attach the card. YES - no more ribbons or rubber bands for attaching cards. Shoot - I may become crafty if I'm not careful. Nah.

Yes, I know chapel staff are getting a collection of jars - but they are cheaper than these other things...and you know we ARE a Ramsey family. I think I am open to recycling your jars if you'd like to send them back to be refilled another month. LOL I have a zillion "gifts in a jar" ideas. LOL 

Even though the cups were squishy - I do really like them better than the jars for the summer feel of the gift. LOL

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Injustice!

Life is just not fair - or at the very least - dental care is not fair!

We had our first stateside dental visit today - because it took me forever to find the dentist we wanted to go to, and then another few months to get an appointment. ::snort::

We loved the dentist.

Overseas we were given ONE cleaning a year - and often it took longer than that for them to work us in. I didn't realize Stacia never got any sealants. Arielle should have had more on the back teeth and didn't get them. The boys had sealants when we went, and were young enough that they are just now due for more.

I discovered  I don't know how to breathe through my nose. I was doing just fine until she said, "Breathe through your nose," and I thought, "OH NO - I'm doing it wrong. I don't know how to breathe through my nose!"  Michael helpfully pointed out my "blonde roots were showing." I survived.

I  also discovered -  by listening today and asking some direct questions - the theory at our dental clinic seems to have been to "watch" things.....for instance I need to go back for scaling...the numbers they quoted were the same I remember from Misawa - but HERE they act quicker. The skeptic in me sees this two ways - either 1. Civilian dentists act quick before you move - get the money now, or 2. Military dentists didn't have the manpower to give us standard care. Could be a bit of both.

Via Google Images - not my mouth

In any event - I will go back for a scaling to help with developing periodontal disease. I will also have THREE cavities filled - and I brush religiously.

Arielle will have six - SIX - filled....and they said they can TELL she practices good oral hygiene as she has no staining from having had braces. She brushes and flosses religiously. She has a kit which goes with her and is used when she is out and about. No sugar is allowed more than 5 min on her teeth...and yet SIX....

Nolan had only ONE cavity - and ahem - he isn't religious about oral hygiene.

Zander hates anything in his mouth. You can imagine the trouble this creates. He got a lecture about brushing and flossing...and he had ZERO cavities.

Stacia LOVES to brush and floss. She has four cavities...and will get sealants.

Did you catch that? Arielle and I don't do sweets. We take good care of our teeth. The two of us have 9 cavities to share and periodontal disease. It also appears I have yellow teeth and should whiten them. What's a gal to do? I can't smile until I whiten my teeth ($200-500) - but if I don't do the scaling my teeth may fall out anyway - meaning I don't need to whiten them.

The boys do not take care of their teeth - and they are looking pretty.

What is NOT looking pretty is our budget. OUCH! I'm guessing we are all going vegan for a month or two....you know beans, rice and veggies until the dentist is paid off. ::snort::

I loved the office. I'm praying they are good at fillings and such. Will their shots hurt???? We went to Twelve Bridges.

The good news is - while the young dentist in Misawa was CERTAIN I needed my wisdom teeth out immediately; this dentist didn't even mention extracting them - just pointed out where they were on the x-rays.   Again the skeptic in me figures the dentist in Misawa needed to practice oral surgery -  the one here wants to focus on whitening teeth. ::snort::

Words to live by.....

Via Google Image

This pretty much was our day. It takes WAY longer to get dental care in the states....I guess 10 minute cleanings really aren't the standard in the industry. ::wink::

Choosing Joy!
©2014 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...