bizarre....

It was too much work for too little money, but it was nice to be out in the community and see some people I haven't seen in a while. The little girls enjoyed it, for a while anyway...being at the bazaar. Will we do it again? No. But ask us when we forget a bit about how much time and effort we put into it. It WAS fun.

And, there is leftover fudge, which my teenage daughters are raiding.

Tonight, I am going to a party! I rarely get to to to parties, so yay yay yay! It's at Emily's house, which is also Mirielle's house, in town. I am bringing a big bag of pistachio nuts, some mini peppers, and some leftover fudge.

And no surprise, I feel guilty. I was gone all day, never mind that I had the younger girls with me, I still felt the pull of home. Now I am leaving all these kids with Daddy and going out to be with the 25 and up girls:) I took a trip to the small city between the bazaar and home, even though it's out of the way, to buy chicken wings to make for dinner before I leave, you know, appeasing the conscience and all, but guess what? The daughter who was with me grabbed two 10 pound bags of boneless skinless chicken breast instead of wings...and this mom didn't notice until I opened the bag and poured it on the baking sheet and...what? So they are having chicken, fresh rolls, and veggies.

Ah well. Life is good.

friday again already...not that I mind, but slow down, life!

Camille and I on our little outing yesterday...

Okay. Life is going by too fast. I want to stop and enjoy it. Here's one way I have started to to that...in the evenings, when my teenage girls gather in the living room, I put away my phone or my laptop, and look right at them, and talk to them. I hug them when they walk by and tell them they are cute, or sweet, or how much I appreciate them. It's so easy to parent on autopilot, nagging about who left what where. Did you do your homework? Brush your teeth? Leave your clothes in the dryer? Oh, and the orders I can bark out, not even thinking how I would feel if someone wanted me to do something RIGHT NOW.

But to stop a minute, and think about things...to be appreciative of the moments, because this IS LIFE. It isn't all preparing for Christmas, or preparing them for adulthood, or getting things ready for the bazaar. THIS IS LIFE. To live with no regrets isn't living for myself, it's living with an awareness of how I am to people, and being kinder and more patient, maybe even doing nice things for people instead of just thinking of me me me.

We can't seem to keep our dogs off the couch. They have the leather one they are allowed on because it is easy to wipe down...but they like the other couch because they want to be next to their friends. They thrive on being next to peoples. I wash the couch covers a few times a week. And guess what? I am the number one perpetrator, because they look at me with those cute little faces and want to be pet and cuddle.

Anyway. Paul and I are taking some of the younger kids to Florida this winter to visit his mom, and we are so excited about it. We haven't picked the dates yet as it has to be fit in with Paul's travel schedule for work, and we haven't picked which kid can't go yet, as we can only fit seven in the van:), and 8 of us want to go. Can we double buckle for a few thousand miles? Oh dear. Anyway. We're thinking of staying for a day or two at the ocean...oh warm sand and sunshine, I love thee. It's only the beginning of December,and beach weather already seems like a distant memory.

Davian is coming over soon, and I have things to do, and kids to teach, and clothes to wash, and and and...

smile!!!

Lydia Eleanor....is she not cute? This picture just makes me smile.

So this morning we are taking a little trip to a Mennonite fabric store, where they sell bulk spices and candy and sprinkles and and and...fabric, of course. I need cream of tartar to make more batches of gingerbread playdough, and haven't found it in lots of other stores. So I NEED to go there, ha. It's a wonderful little store with all sorts of interesting things...

Camille is excited to go and is picking out her own clothes. So far she has a frilly pink skirt, a white blouse with black hearts on it, and a peach colored top to go under it. Now she is picking out leggings to go with it. Um, I don't know if there are leggings in this world that will pull that outfit together, but she has some florescent pink ones that she thinks are darling. I said fine, just change the peach colored shirt to a pink or black one.

Jon is feeling a bit better now, his temperature is 99.3. He's going to stay here and chill with Joseph and Kathryn.

Anyhow...I have tons of things to do:)

ahhh, finally....my comfy chair....

Can you stand another boring day recap? Here goes...

1. Up and out the door by 8:15 to my brother's house, to babysit for two of his grandchildren for a few hours with Kathryn. My oldest daughter Emily had Jonathan, Char, and Cam at her house for an overnight, so it was a teeny bit hard for me to leave knowing I could be working on bazaar stuff and wrapping presents with no little kids home. But, I enjoyed little Mimi and baby S.

2. Davian came to my brother's house, and then back home with me. He stayed here with Kathryn while I ran to the post office to pick up packages, although Joseph had picked them up while I was at my brother's. Then to the dollar store, Big Lots, Walmart, AND BJ's...hurrying home to sweep up and do the morning work I never got to...plus eat some brekky/lunch...

3. Then out the door to work at the basketball game. I was not thrilled to be the money manager. I don't like change, I don't like new things, and I didn't want to do it. I had to go to the money meeting, and I couldn't figure out how to lock and unlock the money bag. But I figured it out, and it was fine. We had to stay until well after the game was over, and the traffic was horrific. And...Jonathan had been texting me while I was working, telling me he was sick...his temperature was 99.5...then 100.5...and he feels awful. I also felt awful, not being home when my little guy is sick. But Daddy was here with them:)

4. I walked 4.14 miles today, according the ap on my phone.

5. Tomorrow I have lots of stuff to work on for the bazaar, and it's supposed to snow, so I hope I get to stay home.

6. Emily had the three youngest overnight, then she took the shopping for their secret santa gifts, and then took them for Chinese food and sushi. I am so extremely thankful for my older kids and how they bless the younger ones.

7. I don't want to tell them how much I miss them because I don't want them to get homesick, but I miss Abigail and Margaret so much. A year is a long time to be away from your daughters. I am thankful I am going to see them both in March!

8. I am at the Too-Tired-To-Get-Up-And-Go-To-Bed stage right now. I am so so tired. Partly because Duke is such a jerk. Ha, I like saying that because an old dog like Duke...he's nothing but goodness on four wobbly arthritic legs, and calling him a jerk...just makes me laugh. But I wasn't laughing at 4:00 this morning when he started that intermittent woofing. I knew he had to go to the bathroom, so I got up and he wobbled right to the door, wagging his tail...of course Suri had to go too, and they stayed out there for like ten minutes, finding the right places and sniffing around. It was pouring rain, so I had to get two towels and wipe them down when they came back in, and they were deliriously happy because they thought it was morning! Breakfast! Petting! Oh happy! No way. I told them to lie down, and I headed back to bed. It was NOT morning yet. Ah well. I tossed and turned but was happy to get back into my warm comfy bed anyway.

9. I am excited about Christmas. We are getting our tree on Sunday. I hope we have lots of lights that actually work. I hate doing the light untangling and the messing with the bulbs to get strands of them to work. 1st world probs, eh?

10. Tonight I got to spend lots of time working with my friend Angela. She is the most compassionate and thoughtful friend...she has 8 kids, and her husband is an 8 year cancer of the esophagus survivor, who has also had cancer re-appear in a few places, and had had different treatments, ect. If you are a praying person, pray for her, and her husband, and their family. Their kids are absolute gems. Their little boy Toby is Jonathan's bestie, he is so sweet and kind, he's a marshmallow. He has no guile. Anyway, I enjoyed my time with Angela...

Sorry...I am tired, and can't think straight...the house is quiet but no, I can't write...ha.

stories and more stories....

These girls are fun...they are my six youngest daughters...Jonathan fits in there too, but he was in Washington D.C. for the weekend with is his big brother Joseph, visiting his big brother Sam:) Anyway. Here's my story....

You know the electrician story, right? Benjamin called him, he came and fixed the electricity in our living room which had been out of order for months (Jon kept teasing me, "Mom can't imagine an Extension Cord Christmas!"). This guy fixed it quickly, then called Benjamin out in Seattle, and told him that it was for free, because he likes to bless people and, "your family seems like they need it.". OUCH. Anyway. While we were working at the football game Saturday night, I told Evelyn I am just so embarrassed by the electrician's generosity. She said we would never see him again, just to forget it. Oh no, I told her, now that we know him, we'll see him everywhere. We jokingly kept pointing out tall silver-haired middle aged men and saying, "That's him!" Anyway, fast forward to Sunday...I was out and about with those six daughters of mine, and as we exited the dollar store, a man was holding the door for us...he said, "Hi! I thought I recognized you! I recognized all the girls! I'm Joe-The-Electrician!"

Since I'm so mature, I smiled and greeted him, and waited until I was ten feet away before I joined Evelyn in falling-down-in-the-parking-lot laughter.

Anyway. Yesterday we went to the pool. Davian, little Mr. Joy, LOVES walking down the ramp into the water, he just delights in it. I asked him if it was fun, and he said, "It's swimtastic!" Little sweetheart.

(Miss Camille after our swim:))

It was a busy day, and quite productive. We made three more batches of gingerbread playdough for Saturday's bazaar, and a trial batch of chocolate covered mint patties, which were quite yummy. I still have stuff to make, like fudge and more playdough.

My sister-in-law Kim and I went to the craft store after the pool...after making sandwiches and hanging up the suits and towels and making sure everyone was accounted for and being watched properly, the three Real School girls were home by then.

We stopped at Target first because duh, we were all alone sans children and it's almost Christmas. I bought Camille something I had been wanting to get her for a while, and yes, I wanted it too...a little marketplace for these little forest creatures...a miniature old fashioned farmer's market, with lots of little details, so cute and little...an employee in the toy department suggested the store would honor the 15% online Cybermonday sale if we asked, so I decided to get this for her. I also got a few other gifts...

Then to the craft store where SO many things look SO fun! I got some wood ornaments for the kids to paint, and some green foam sheets to cut out little trees, and candles, and ribbon, and and and...:)

It was nice to eke out a few hours to spend with Kim, we go back a few years. We have been friends since middle school...so almost 40 years! She married my brother, has 12 kids, so we have no end of things to talk about. Our kids have grown up together, her youngest daughter is besties with my little girls, and she homeschools her four youngest. We have gone through all sorts of real life, but still get along well and still have some good laughs.

Home, where this little sweetie, my granddaughter Lydia, was visiting....



Miss Charlotte Claire with Lydia...

Mali had to work last night, so we had the sweetie for a while, until her daddy came to pick her up. I LOVE having a baby in the house.

Anyway, we're not having an Extension Cord Christmas, and there are lights in the living room windows. It makes me so happy to have the room bright again, without all those cords. If you want to appreciate something, live without it for a while.

This morning, we have schooling to do, then lots of crafts to work on. I have a roast to put in the oven, yay. Tomorrow I am working a basketball game with Joseph, Kathryn, and Evelyn...which will be fun, but it will mean I can't get crafts done, so I have to work on things while I can, which is just a teeny bit difficult for Miss Procrastinator here.

chiseling out some quiet time...

No matter what, Camille loves me.:)


Miss Lydia came to visit us last evening...Kathryn and Sonja enjoyed her immensely...Suzanne and the little girls did too. And of course Grammy here was in heaven.


What is this? Well, this is Evelyn Joy having fun with her favorite friend, Miss Suri.


This is from our walk along the canal the other day...Paul with Suri, the girls on their bikes...

Today is a relatively blank slate. We are out of dog food, oops, the pups had small servings supplemented with a few dog biscuits this fine morning. I have ideas for gifts and crafts and need a few supplies. The older girls have things they need to be at this afternoon, choir practice and party planning committees, ect., and need rides. The younger girls might go wreath selling with some of the girls, but that isn't for certain yet. So as per usual, Mom can't just wake up and decide what to do with her day:)

Time is flying too fast. Christmas seemed so far away for so long, and the stores were decorating and advertising way too early. Now it seems like the autumn just sped by and all of the sudden, it's Christmas. This wouldn't be a problem for those who plan ahead, but for people like me, with a million good ideas swirling around in my head, and not enough time to do them all, blah. This Saturday we have a table at a craft bazaar, and do I have one single thing completed? Oh, I have ideas and plans!

But as for right now...right this moment, life is good. Suri is snoring on the couch, Char is watching something on her tablet, Paul is out hunting, and the other kids are still all in bed. I took inventory of my gift closet this morning and it was dismal. I came out here to get my Christmas list out first, and of course the dogs acted like they hadn't seem my in a week, and I had to take them outside, then feed them, and lo and behold one of them had thrown up on the living room floor, and nah, I simply couldn't just skip down into my room with the Christmas list and leave that there. Dang. And of course I wonder if it was Duke, who has been so limpy and hobbly lately. He had better not go and die on us right before Christmas.

Last evening, I ordered pizza for the kids from the place in town. It's yummy stuff. I was tired from working my shift at the football game, and didn't make an alternate meal for myself...so I cut a thin strip of a piece, which was added to by another thin strip...until I had probably half a slice...and they are huge slices. Oh well. Real life happens. Miss Lydia was here, and we were enjoying her, I had been on my feet, didn't feel like making healthy food. Oh yes, I have the whole plethora of excuses.

Eating white flour, sugar, and simple carbs gives me heartburn, and headaches. But that knowledge seems far off when that cardboard box is opened and the aroma of pepperoni and of that amazing crust wafts out...

Today is another day. I will be smarter today. :)

teenagers, Christmas, and poor me syndrome, and travel plans

Suzanne took this pic on Thanksgiving...the day we didn't have our celebration, the glorious day we went to the park. It wasn't just the beautiful weather, it was my beautiful girls. They were all on board, and if you have ever had a teenage daughter, you know what I mean. When one girl has the attitude, it can taint the whole day. We had the park to ourselves, and it felt good to be silly and run around and swing as high as we could go. This is how little kids feel all the time, impervious to what others think...

Evelyn and I did venture out to do a little bit of Black Friday shopping on Thursday evening, since we had our turkey dinner on Wednesday this year. Walmart was madness, and people were annoyed and frustrated, but there were a few cheerful faces. We got the one thing we went in there for, and three extra things on the way out the door. We had some good laughs at about a lady in the parking lot cursing the drivers and saying how They Ain't Got No Business Tryin' To Run Us Over When All We Want Is To Get Us Some Deals. Proud to be an American.

So yesterday I didn't go shopping, for the first time in Black Friday history. Paul and I went to the canal with the two little girls and their bikes, and Suri. Suri was so good...she got to off-leash it for most of the time...she doesn't go too far, then she turns and trots back to us, she kept between the girls ahead, and us. We walked over two miles.

At home, it was time to decorate for Christmas. Joseph and Jonathan took a trip to Washington D.C. to be with Samuel this weekend, along with some of their friends. Some of the girls went someplace with Emily, so it was only the two little girls, Sonja, and me left to pack away the autumn stuff and get out some Christmas stuff. Camille and Char were really in to it. They put lights up in the kitchen all by themselves, then got pretty princess dresses on, turned out all the regular lights, and danced to Christmas music in the lovely light of those twinkling little Christmas bulbs. I got out my phone to take some pics, and Char hid, so I told her just to dance and I would put it away. :)

This morning, we have our last college football game to work, then we're picking Lydia up. Mali works nights now at the hospital, 7 to 7. She runs on fumes, but we are happy when we get to watch Lydia.

Okay...here's a story...the electricity in our living room stopped working several months ago, except for a few outlets. So we ran electrical cords to a few lamps in the evenings, then I picked up the cords and rolled them up in the mornings. We had asked a friend to come fix it for us, and he didn't get to it...so we asked again, and he would get to it, yes. Months went by. I thought it would be like that forever. I know, I know, we should have just called an electrician, but anyway. The story...I was talking to my oldest son Ben the other day, and he was incredulous that we were not getting it fixed. He is in an apprenticeship for HVAC (heating, ventilation, air condition repair/installation). He said it was probably a simple fix, and that for my Christmas present, he was calling an electrician. He did. The guy called us yesterday, was in the area, and came over to take a look. Long story short, it was a simple fix. And now it's fixed. The guy was super nice, and was floored when he asked if all the kids milling around were ours and I pointed to a family picture. He was simply floored. He genuinely liked the kids here, talked to them, told them to be nice to their mother.

Now our house was clean, we just had thanksgiving, and we had cleaned. But our house...is getting a bit run down. There are things that need fixing...like the big spot of where the hallway gate had been...where the paint rubbed off...and we never did put the molding down in the living room along the bottom of the walls, after getting new flooring.....like 6 years ago. And then there's the kitchen window with no trim around it, the one Paul replaced himself. And so on. It's not a mansion, but it's our home, and it's mostly clean. But.

Ben had made arrangements with the electrician to send him the bill, because it was my Christmas gift. But Ben texted me and had me guess how much the guy charged. Nothing. Not a penny. He told Ben that once in a while he likes to bless people, and our family "seemed like we needed it". I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. But I decided to just be thankful, and not take it as an insult:)


And the travel plans: Emily and I are taking the two youngest girls of the Five-Girls-In-A-Row...to Norway in March! Suzanne 14 and Sonja 13!!! We bought the plane tickets!!! We are going to a sisters conference, and to visit Abigail and Margaret! And, we have an 8 hour layover in London on the way home and are hoping to see the city. Sonja Kathleen is ecstatic, she has to get a passport!!!! She is going on a plane! Sonja is the youngest of those five girls in a row, and she is the sunshine of the group. She is loud and silly and funny and she appreciates things. She's called, "Ginger", but she insists her hair isn't red, just a little orange-y. Suzanne just went to Israel,so she is a seasoned traveler. But she's never been to Norway, and is quite excited. She's more quiet and reserved, but when she does get chatty and animated, it makes you feel good. And to make her all happy about something is so worth it.

Anyway. Life is good.