rain, rain, go away....

but too bad, I walked anyway.

and this doesn't seem like much, it's a start, a good start to the day.


So yesterday, my morning started out differently. I drove the three high school girls to school because Evelyn was doing a speech/presentation on how to make a pour-over coffee, and iced coffee, and had lots of equipment to bring. They had extra time, and were very thankful they didn't have to take the bus, so it was worth postponing the morning walk. (I went later!). I decided since I had such an early start and was dressed in bye bye clothes, I would go to the grocery store while I was out, all by myself, after dropping them off at school.

My first stop was Aldi, but dang it, I was out TOO early, it didn't open for an hour. So I went to the big grocery store across the street, and had the store just about all to myself, mostly me, and the workers. I leisurely ripped out coupons for things on sale, and got some shampoo and girly supplies and cleaning products, without having any kids sighing and rolling their eyes at how mom takes SO LONG.

I truly enjoyed myself.

Then, Aldi! That parking lot filled up fast. I had wanted to get there ASAP, because they just had a new ad come out, and they had swings for $7.99, with the ropes and hooks and everything! I got two of those round disk swings, one for the tree in the front yard (in the same tree as our big webbed swing), and one for the swingset in the back yard, which has been looking like a kid with missing teeth for a few years now. I also got two regular swings for $7.99 each, and the girls put them up as soon as I got home. Now there are four swings, a glider, a round disk swing, and a baby swing on the swing set.

Aldi had too many good things, I had to just walk past them. Their prices are so good, but it still adds up. And did I really need the big outside clock/thermometer? Or the squishy footrest-seat thing? Or MORE throw pillows for the deck? (I got an outdoor rocking chair there last month for $24, and I LOVE it. It's SO comfy!)

Anyway. It's raining cats and dogs, I walked, and didn't melt.

Getting into good habits means breaking through the excuses. I know myself, it's never going to be free sailing, but it does get easier when you just do it.

So Adrian is a very handy son-in-law. He built the front porch in no time flat, and then he built Evelyn a raised bed garden box. He used all old deck lumber for the garden box, and mostly old lumber for the front porch, but new decking and railing wood. So yesterday after school, Evelyn and I headed out to get potting soil and a few more plants for her box. We put down old wood in the bottom, then landscaping fabric, then filled it up, and planted wildflower seeds, and put in some flower plants.

Our new deck needs to be stained, so yesterday we carried all the chairs and tables down to the yard, ha people are going to be slowing down, thinking there's a yard sale here. I had just put up strings of solar lights, so I had to take those down, they are long and tangly. We plan to wash it up nicely today in the rain, then let it dry for most of tomorrow, which is forecast to be sunny, then stain it in the afternoon when it's in the shade. It's supposed to be sunny and dry on Thursday and Friday too, which will give it a few days to dry properly.

It's hard to find a stretch of days to do these things here in the northeast, with our frequent rainy days. But I'll say this: I don't mind a rainy day. Today is so overcast and gloomy and comfy. I love it. Even walking in the rain wasn't a hardship, the drops pelting on my hood reminded me of camping in the rain. And rain brings out the good smells of the lilacs and fresh grass. There was something dead down near the woods though, and yuckkers, I walked a little faster by that.

Anyway.

Last evening, I found myself home with just Jonathan and Camille. The older girls all went to a girls' fellowship night at Emily-Abigail-Mirielle's house, where they had a fire and celebrated Charlotte Claire's birthday. Camille isn't in the youth group yet:) Paul works in the evenings now, so anyway...I offered them to do something fun. We threw some ideas around, which is honestly the most fun part, then decided to just go to town, four miles down the road, and get some take-out Chinese, and rent a Redbox movie. We got sesame chicken, and the movie, "Wonder".

Kathryn is making a nice breakfast for the homeschooled kids, and we have work to do...:)