Saturday, July 23, 2011

This pretty much describes our weather this week



98 Degrees + 90% Humidity = 115 Degree Heat Index (Like wind chill, but the other direction!)

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Blessings--Living the good life!

So much good news is happening in my life, and the lives of those I love!

BigGirl and LargeBoy have been having a great time at Youth Conference, Girls Camp (BigGirl) and Scout Conference (LargeBoy). LargeCousin and BigGirl are both redecorating rooms for 4-H projects, and so the nasty "orphanage pink" paint is covered with bright white primer, and ready to be cute! We have been Freecycling like mad--I got rid of 12 old chairs, 3 TV sets, 2 computer monitors, the metal bunk bed frame, and the bags for the vacuum I no longer own. AND I received a half sized violin so SmallDaughter can start Suzuki violin lessons*.

But--my good news is small potatoes compared with the other good news!
Dear Aunt Shanny, finally found the right new car, after months of agonizing car shopping. Dear Sister Ali, AND Dear Sister Rach, who both finished school with honors (Ali in Culinary School and Rach in Massage/Spa School) have both landed their dream jobs--and because they are so awesome, they are wowing their new bosses!

And best of all, Aunt Andi finally got her miracle house. It is truly amazing and perfect. It is located in a great neighborhood (unlike the one they currently live in!), it has bedroom, bath, and living areas on the main floor, so they don't have to keep going up and down the stairs (which is important as Uncle R's health is declining). There are many other miracles in it as well.

SmallDaughter is loving therapy (Summer Session of Riding Therapy, as well as Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies).

We are SO Blessed!

*Violin lessons are for 4 reasons:
First-and most important--While learning any musical instrument helps your brain form new neural pathways, apparently Violin forms more than any other.
Second, In Suzuki lessons, they often start with children as young as 2 years old, so they are used to non-readers with very short attention spans!
Third, SmallDaughter has always been fascinated by, and attracted to violins.
Fourth, apparently I am a masochist. Personally, I hate the violin--it is (with the possible exception of piccolo) my least favorite instrument. I am not even fond of solo violin when it is played by a master, and being wielded by a very poor novice? SHUDDER. She is worth it, though.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Stuff to Ponder

I have had a lot of things running through my mind lately.

Here are a few of them:

How grateful I am for our Nation. For the people who have sacrificed their entire lives so that my children can live without fear on a daily basis.

Fireworks on television are just not as good as the real thing. We are very fortunate that our front yard is the perfect spot to watch our town's display--and for a small town, it is a really good show!

If you are a SmallDaughter who is bored, you can easily entertain yourself by pouring a bottle of hair conditioner on the floor and sliding around in it. Even more entertainment can be found by pouring a bottle of maple syrup on top of it. It provides a lot of "entertainment" for mom, too!

We seem to have become the home of last resort for all the gray cats in town. I am not sure why they are all gray, but we have some really pretty variety. They don't know about the surprise spaying/neutering that is in their futures!

Chickens are a lot more entertaining than I ever would have guessed. However, filling the waterers (especially when it is really hot or really cold and they are drinking a lot) is really a drag.

My sweet husband did a bunch of "honey-do" stuff around the house, and it is really great having a new kitchen faucet, etc.!

I worry about my friends far away. I have been really blessed to have amazing people in my life. I keep them in my prayers, but I wish we could be a lot closer.

My big kids are really awesome. They are busy doing camps, and hikes and sleepovers and--LargeBoy just got offered employment (baling hay!).

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Medical Condition (or not) N.I.I.

It has been a long time since I have approached 4:00 am from nighttime end ("wow, I really should be sleeping, I have to get up so soon..."). I am up at 4:00 am fairly frequently on the "crap it's still dark and I have to get up" end of things.

However, this week I did see 4:00 am--because of a severe case of NII (Novel Induced Insomnia). Yep, could not put the darn thing down. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb if you were wondering.