Our Day

We had a guest preacher today at church. He spoke on the importance of being "committed to Koinonia" - committing to community, following through with fellowship. It was full of Scripture, which I look forward to exploring further this week.  Stacia and Allie liked the specific steps he gave for intentional fellowship. He talked about how we need to remember the battle belongs to the Lord, but we are in it together. I have been processing what it means to allow others to be in the battle with us....it requires vulnerability. Just processing. I thought it FUN that this was a strong sermon on community given by an INTROVERT. Often, when I talk about this topic, I'm brushed off because I'm an extrovert. Good to hear his thoughts. 

Josiah and Carrie are celebrating ONE YEAR of marriage, and they brought Liv out to celebrate with us. We love sleep overs with Olivia. She was able to have lunch and visit with Allie before Allie went in for work.  The girls were jumping on the trampoline when they were foiled by rain. 

They switched to standing on the deck and throwing the ball for Millie. Retrieving the ball meant a lot of running across the yard and up and down stairs for Millie. We like to tire her out. 

Go get it, Millie

They set up a sleeping spot for Liv next and then baked some wildly sprinkled cookies.  We settled in to watch Frozen 2.  GG woke up. I made a quick Sunday dinner. We moved on to Apples to Apples. Whatever did we do around here before Nolan bought this game for Stacia?  Nolan made it home after 10 hours of work. He played a game with us and then went to take a nap as he expects to get called back in to work. 

Livie, Stacia, Nolan 

It's pretty funny how many words match up for Baby Boomers or Millennials. LOL 

The girls have settled down for bed. GG is in bed and I'm going to read for a few hours. Good night. 

FRIDAY!!!! YES.

I found myself sitting in the back corner where I sat with Nicole two weeks ago, with a yummy bowl of Hungarian mushroom soup. This time we celebrated a successful first week...survival...the first week for Arielle to mommy two 18 month olds and a 3 yo, the first week for Allie to do college classes, and the first week of Stacia's senior year.  She submitted her first Lit response paper on Father Brown and said it felt good to be back at it. 

We enjoyed our soup and split a goodie, or two.  We checked out a gym and a novelty store. Then we came home to our various projects and Benny and Arielle headed home. 

I pulled all the beans today...see that meager crop? This isn't our best gardening year. LOL I pulled a couple of cucumber vines. We've got lots of cucumbers to go....and look at that white Dragon Egg cucumber. 

This dragon egg is big enough to be a squash. LOL Speaking of squash we have a good sized kabocha squash. I'm trying to decide how long to leave it...long enough to mature but early enough to avoid the slugs. 

It was a relaxing afternoon. We decided to have a fire after dinner. Allie got called in to work at dinner....fair time...everyone needs fast food.  I drove her in, then got home and got dad out back and just as we got everyone OUT there it began to rain. We were not to be deterred. I gave Dad an umbrella and told him to enjoy the fire. ::snort:: 

We snacked on carrots, while we sat around the fire, under the umbrellas. 

Allie called and I ran to pick her up. She picked up 3 extra hours. We sat around and enjoyed hot drinks. 

It's good to have the week wind down. And each week will get a bit easier until we all feel a new normal. LOL 

No Rain Today!

We left early this a.m. for Bible study. It wasn't raining when we got home so I spent time outside while both girls worked on school. 

Michael bought me the greatest gift - my own 12 in, battery powered chainsaw...today he taught me how to use it. I plan to get out and do more...today was full. 

I couldn't resist spending time in the garden. So.much.rain. Wow - lots of slugs...but the Dahlia's are great. Did I mention before I didn't realize they were perennial and planted them right in the middle of a garden bed? I planted them as seeds and figure I can try to move them in a bit or just pull them and plant more. LOL  

Dahlias and Brussel Sprouts 

Will they have enough time to produce a few meals? 

Brussel Sprouts

More peas and squash. Michael isn't impressed with these peas...he wants sweeter, sweet peas. I'll have to do some research. I let them get too big but even the tiny ones aren't as sweet as the ones he remembers. 

I pulled the pea vines. The chickens loved it! 

The pumpkins are growing...but I'm just not sure they'll have time to mature...The early variety didn't do a THING...these Connecticut ones are doing better. 

Every bit counts....in the freezer for stir fries and soups....

Allie spent the afternoon at the fair and met us at Life group. 

Stacia and I prepped our meal offering for Life group me and watched a couple of episodes of, "When Calls the Heart." 

Life group met tonight. I never got a shot of the other side of the room. humph!

 

Krista, the gal under the tv, proved how considerate of a friend she is when she left me sleeping in the parking lot last night. I didn't even know she'd come by the car. I sure was tired. LOL 

Nolan spent the night with Grandpa. He was happily in bed by the time we got home. 

Another Day

The highlight of the day? 

Maybe Dad's doctor appointment? They wanted to check the blood pressure readings we've been taking and discuss the results of Dad's echocardiogram. 

In a nutshell - they didn't BELIEVE some of our readings. I was glad Michael was there to back me up. I KNOW we take 3 readings of the odd ones and choose the best to record.  The thought is he'd be dead if the readings we get were accurate...my thought being...that's what I've been TELLING YOU since May! They are high and they are all over the board.  BTW, this is with a new blood pressure monitor they ordered less than 2 years ago. I think that dad's numbers are simply CRAZY.  HOWEVER, they are "ok" most of the time, as we juggle all the meds to keep them o.k. 

We didn't learn anything new.  Dad's physical heart is simply not his best feature. 

I had just enough time to make Salmon chowder when we got home. Stacia made biscuits. I was surprised when EVERYONE came up for dinner. That doesn't happen often at all. Unexpected time off...always exciting. 

We headed to church for youth. I grabbed a nap in the car. It was great. 

That's our wild and wonderful day. 

Allie's First Day of College

Yes, I'm a goob. 

BUT - who cares??? LOL  

Allie began her college classes today and I was there to catch a photo! ::snort:: 

She is taking 15 credits - from two Universities - all with an eye to get where she wants to be! Her coursework this semester is all online. 

 Go, Allie! 

Stacia's FIRST Day of our LAST Year of Homeschooling

 This is the first day of Stacia's SENIOR YEAR, and the first day of our 34th year of homeschooling!  

34 years and we FINALLY did the first day of school picture! snort:: Thanks to Stacia for humoring me, getting dressed, and putting on make-up for a photo! LOL Thanks to BreAnne for loaning us her board.  One spot says, "What I want to be when I grow up," she put a big question mark. I told her she should read it, "Where do I want to be when I grow up?" That's an easy answer - Japan. LOL 

Two weeks ago, at co-op a sweet gal came in and wanted to know who  Obachan was. She is of Japanese descent and had seen a marking on my car proclaiming to all I'm Bachan.  As we talked, I shared Stacia's heart to go to Japan and she assured me there are plenty of jobs she can get in Japan, and I should be at peace about her going. Maybe not at 17 - I have quite a long way to go until I'm at peace. LOL 

We were up at 0715 making sure Stacia understood the manuals and syllabi for each course.  She is taking Japanese History, Japan 4, Logic, Comparative Religions, Classical Lit, Music Comp and a "shadow credit" of math. 

Today was a wild start to a school year. First, all the intro discussions with me put her "behind" where she wanted to be. Then Arielle and the boys came over to allow Mike and I to go out for brunch. Our respite hours have been cut as she will have therapy with Little Buddy during our normal times.  We jumped at the chance to go out...Stacia was sad not to be able to play with the boys...but she stayed focused and soldiered on. 

GG and Little Buddy 

Danny & Arielle

Arielle has her hands as full as her heart as she juggles Little Buddy and Danny. I didn't get a photo of Benny today...he was busy. 

Millie did NOT take kindly to Stacia having her attention back on books. First, she laid on Stacia as she tried to read Father Brown. 

She finally gave up, grabbed pink monkey, came upstairs and pouted on the couch. I swear she is part human. 

Dad was loud today. He was in a good mood. Which we love.  He expressed it by singing all types of old songs - LOUD.  Krista suggested she use noise-cancelling headphones tomorrow.  A great idea. 

All in all, Stacia got er done. 

Michael got 3 cottonwoods cut down from the front of our house - and some brush from the orchard taken down as well. 

Alex had the day off. Nolan and Allie had work.  Stacia and I went out with Krista tonight...which I will blog next. 

Mani & Sushi

One more birthday celebration? Why YES...Krista gave Stacia a trip to the spa, dress up and dinner at her favorite Japanese restaurant. Stacia was allowed to bring a friend...Allie was working on the only day Krista had off and so she chose me! 

Stacia's first mani

Krista got a pedi

Krista sprung for us to get hot wax on our hands, here we sit with our hands wrapped in hot wax and "mittens" which are really hot pads.  

I had a horrible time with the chair. I realize I'm ditzy, but the gentlemen could have helped me. I sat down and the chair kept rolling away from the table. I kept grabbing the table and scooting it forward. When they put the mittens on, I could no longer pull myself forward or grab the edge of the table to keep from rolling. Stacia told me to scoot back in the chair. I told her my feet weren't touching the ground, I couldn't use my hands and my bum muscles weren't strong enough to scoot me back. It was momentous - the first time I heard Stacia snort. Finally, when he was taking the wax off my hands, the gentlemen calmly said, "There is a lever on the side." Um...he couldn't have said that 30 minutes earlier? ::snort:: Someone very tall had been using the seat before me. Once I lowered it, my feet were on the ground, and I quit rolling. Now I know. LOL  The wax was divine. I'm still picking it out of my rings. LOL 

After dinner we went out to Sakura's for yummy Japanese food....I missed the dress up memo. I'm not sure how. Aren't they lovely? 

I have been focused on back blogging in my spare moments. It has taken HOURS to upload, then download, then select and edit photos for August 2020. I remember they were texting and asking if I'd like to go, I put it on the calendar as mani and sushi but somehow, I thought we would go to Reuben Haus. ::snort::  After a leisurely dinner we headed back to our town and decided to stop in and see Allie and Nolan. We didn't want to be "that" family - the one that stops in without buying...so we shared a dessert. 

Other than gifts still coming from Amazon Prime, I think her 17th birthday celebrations are completed. A word about Amazon....some things come in 4 days....some things in 4 weeks. I've given up trying to figure it out.