Manic Monday

Look at how close I am to being "current" on the blog (except for the stuff from last summer and the stuff from May and July). ::snort::  Sorta current! LOL

Sunday is worship service for us....and lunch together afterwards.  We headed to the one place in town that ALWAYS has a table big enough for all of us....it's back in an alcove and works well for Dad to hear and us to be able to talk loud without disturbing everyone. They seem to like our group. Shhh....it's a secret but the waitress DID say we are her FAVORITE big group.   I was SO focused on talking with Josiah and Nolan when we walked in I didn't even NOTICE the big, furry, animated spider that attacks legs...or the skeleton with a bowl of candy on his lap.  I was a mama on a mission - talking with two of the man childs I don't get to see all the time. ::snort::  An added bonus to lunch was Krista's friend, Brittany, joined us.

After lunch Alex, Michael, Krista and Josiah went to the shooting range.  Dad fell down our three inside steps on the way to church and opted to stay home with a heating pad. Stacia and I stayed with him and watched some Netflix...well...OK I slept. It's probably a good thing I didn't end up watching Bella and Gideon - I had no idea how tired I was. LOL

Monday -  today!

Michael is feeling under the weather. I'm hearing this "bug" manifests as flu symptoms and/or as a killer sore throat, headache and dizziness. Well - shoot! Michael had the flu-like stuff first....and then Krista and I got it....and now he's got THIS. We are hoping the bug is on the way out of the house.

While Michael slept and the kids worked on school.....I compiled their first quarter's work samples and sent them off, did a ton of catch up book work for us, checked on some things for dad....

Krista and Stacia are rock stars. They came in at 5 and I hadn't started dinner. I usually begin at 3 or 4 depending on if it's an "at home" night or a "churchy night."  I was still working on bookish things. I'd pulled out chicken in the morning, but had forgotten all about it as I kept pushing to clear my desk. They pulled dinner together - saved my bacon.

Unwelcome Guest

A strange knocking on the side of the wall outside of my nook signalled the arrival of an unwelcome guest. He flew back and forth all day. We are in the process of making our home less appealing to him.  

He did not approve of the plastic window frames. 

I fancy he wanted in out of the cold temps......

Unexpected Fun Finale

My phone was ready to try out....I do like the photos on this one a lot more than the other one. I'm sure the almond butter inside the previous camera had something to do with the fuzzy photos. 

Michael found more lights and took them around the corner of the house and down along the deck. 

Krista had invited the girls from the youth group over for dinner, games/movie and spending the night.  As the day went on, it became apparent only one gal could make it - Allie. Stacia and Allie had plans to meet up this afternoon anyway.....rather than cancel....we invited the whole family over for dinner. 

Now THIS was God. We'd been trying to find the "right time" to have the D family over for a YEAR.  One thing and another kept getting "in the way." Spur of the moment...."Would your whole family like to come over for dinner and Allie can still spend the night?"  Their oven had JUST broken....it was great timing.  Nolan was home. Everyone was well.  Josiah dropped by and joined us.  AND...I didn't have any time to worry about the whole "what can I fix?" thing. Saturdays are "breakfast for dinner" at our home....I'd planned fruit and a couple of breakfast casseroles for the youth girls....and that's what we had. 

We're so glad they were flexible and came over for the evening. We visited while the "kids" played games....

Jessie, Josiah, Krista, Alex, Stacia, Allie

 It's a serious game of Nertz when everyone is on their feet! 

Yikes- we realized it was nearly 10 p.m. and the D family had a drive home.  This was an unexpected fun finale to the week.

First Snow and Much More

Michael stayed up and caught photos of our first snow of the year. October 11, 2019. I certainly wasn't up at 2:36 when these were taken. 

I did notice the white and cold at 8:00 a.m. LOL 

Stacia and I couldn't make it out for our Brave study....and we didn't make it out for breakfast today either. We DID sneak away for a bowl Hungarian Mushroom soup and a table in the corner. LOL The soup was yummy. Yummier still was the sugarless brownie!  The shop next to the coffee shop is one of our favorite spots to browse.  I think THIS would be the perfect lunch box for a person working in the local high school - Krista hasn't taken me up on it.

No one would mess with this lunch box. LOL 

Note that snow is now on the sheer face of the mountain...winter is coming soon.  We're watching the snow come down to our level. 

We got home to find Michael cleaning the chimney! YES. 

Krista's a great helper

When the clouds lifted - they left behind quite a bit more snow on the face of our mountain. 

A couple of days ago I bought a new phone. It was TIME - I've still not blogged about all my phone mishaps but I really thought this phone was a goner a year ago. LOL  ANYWAY - while we played Farkle tonight I let the phones exchange data. 

Photo via Krista 

Benny (and his parents) have been out all day. Cory's Mom is in town for a visit. He came up when he got home and heard a game going on. I am SURE they will be happy to be in a home where they do not have neighbors playing games above their heads. LOL  

Mike, Alex, Stacia, Benny, Krista, GG

 Benny models one of Stacia's hats - we're hoping it will fit the little one she made it for. 

It's been a full week....I spent Monday and Tuesday pretty much DOWN....and most of the week lounging....but the rest of the family got a LOT of things done around here.

BTW, while this was the first snow...it didn't stick around all day....so I'm still proclaiming fall.

Benny, Bunny & Chickens

Wednesdays are most often "BENNY DAY!" CoRielle go to work and GG gets to play all day with Benny. ::grin::

Benny seems to think if he holdd the lid to his head he can talk to "Cor" and "Mommy."   

After I got Benny dressed, our first project of the day was to go on a walk - to get GG's paper. It's always fun when Benny accompanies me. 

He enjoyed throwing scratch over the fence for the girls.

GG's day begins with the paper - so Benny's must too....

...and coffee and milk....

He was not too full to have 3rd breakfast with Papa. He even shared. 

Phoenix, our rooster, does NOT appreciate when Road Runner flies the coop. They pace up and down the fence line; her clucking and him crowing. LOL 

We keep Petunia, our lame chicken, in the greenhouse. So far she has been enjoying it. Today was cold enough that Stacia didn't want to play outside with Dash. The greenhouse was the solution and all three had a good time.

Dash and Petunia

Moose Yoga

There was some suspicion the moose would not return after their run-in with our garden fence. However, we noted they left about the timing hunting season started - and they seem to do that every year. Sure enough....hunting season ended, it snowed in the mountains and our moose are back.

Our biggest garden pest to date!

Do you see her?

The first two back were not just ANY moose - it's ROSY with the red collar!  Rosy and "Baby," back at Wibbly Wobbly Acres and.....

THEY'VE LEARNED YOGA!

Benny is a great moose spotter! 

"No! Moose! Owie."  It was cute to listen to Benny warn them about the garden fence (which we turned off when we'd harvested). 

This spot next to the woodpile is where they used to sleep - but "someone" put a gravel pile in their sleeping spot. LOL 

It's fun to have them back again. I can be very hospitable when they aren't eating all my cabbage! 

Sunday Catch Up

It's important to Michael and me to keep this journal current....but it's been an entire week since I updated.  Obviously, I need to figure out how to add time to blog into our new normal.

Added to our schedule by Dad moving in....a daily "Dad" to do list. This is sure to lighten up as we get "everything set up." This week it meant visiting a couple of medical practices, the DMV, many phone calls, calling a couple of creditors, writing a couple of notes and sending a couple of checks Dad wanted sent, preparing a couple of legal documents, laundry.... Also added to the schedule are leisurely visits, coffee making (I'm getting good - or at least Dad drinks all I make now LOL), one or two coffee dates with Dad and whoever else wants to join us, lots of family games at night, and a family read aloud time on our "at home" nights.  We continue to count ourselves blessed for the richness having Dad in our home brings.

Added to the schedule because it's fall - SCHOOL and ministry start ups.  Our typical week will look like this:

Sunday  - church, company and family
Monday - School
Tuesday - School, Benny, Women's Bible Study (p.m.)
Wednesday - School, Youth (p.m.)
Thursday - School, Brave (with Stacia), Piano lessons, Japanese lessons, Life Group (p.m.)
Friday - School
Saturday - House, yard, family projects, relax... Men's breakfast once a month

We've done it for two weeks now and it is manageable. I cut out a second Bible study - and I can tell it was a good thing for our sanity.

Maintaining a focus on moving naturally will be more of a challenge as the weather gets cold and icy. This fall it comes in the form of  walks, animal care, bit of gardening and yard, outside projects, and wood splitting and hauling. The kids and I add a workout of some sort to the day. I believe they aim for 3 - 4 times a week. I aim for 6.

I've said for decades, "I am not a natural caregiver." God, however, has chosen this role to mature my faith and deepen my dependence on Him. I had thought  the role would go away after the kids left home.  Maybe not so much.... Since this is not a "natural" for me, I am heeding the advice of many not to neglect self-care. I continue to contemplate what self-care will look like in this season.  This week it was reading when possible, grabbing an episode of Heartland with Stacia, working out, catching up with my 4 girl childs, and sitting in my car for 3 hours of glorious silence and solitude after dropping kids at church. I am thinking a quarterly or maybe semi-annual get away to a cabin in the woods may be self-care. LOL

What does self care look like for you?

I've caught a bug of some sort and am home from church. I'm not sitting for long periods and am going back to bed now....but I'll do more daily back posts in the "near" future.  It's been a great week.