Thanksgiving

We went to Michigan to see my family for Thanksgiving.  My parent's paper is about 2  inches thick on Thanksgiving morning.  My children found the add that they wanted to check out.  They are looking for a good deal on a Wii...they are saving their money to split the cost of a system.

 My brother and his family came over on Thanksgiving Day and after dinner we played Railroad Pedro (Pee-dro).  Has anyone else heard of Pedro?  It was an old farm game that my grandpa played with his buddies. His children became a 2nd generation of Pedro players.  My brother and I are third generation and my children are now 4th generation Pedro players.  JoAnna can't wait to be old enough to play with us.  

On Friday my mom received a call from her brother.  There was a place open in the nursing home for my grandpa (the Pedro player).  He is 95  and has been in an assisted living situation, which costs $2,500 a month.  It is about time for Medicare to kick in and they will only pay for a $5,000 a month full nursing home.  That's our government!!!  Here I am with Grandpa in August of 2006.  He has been showing signs of dementia, even forgetting his own daughter.  The funny thing is that he has not forgotten Chris.  He always points to Chris' picture and says, "I know he died, but how did it happen?!"

We drove home on Saturday and had everything unpacked and put away by bedtime.  On Sunday we had our first roast from our full freezer...wonderful!!  Then Lydia bathed the dogs...here are Tessa (still wet), Lydia and Maia (dry and fluffy).  

Skull Session

Today was a big day here is Ohio...the Ohio State vs Michigan game.  My friend Kristine and her daughter, Elizabeth are big Buckeye fans.  Well, as I reported in a previous blog my daughters and I are Wolverine fans.  Now, I must tell you that I don't follow sports or really even care...I just like to be an antagonist.  I am also proud of the state in which I was born...the only state that has a built in map on most every human body in the world.  So, buckeye fans, like it or not, you have a "little bit of Michigan" in you!!  : )  

Anyhow,  today Kristine and I took the girls to the Ohio State band skull session.  2 hours before each home game the band rehearses one last time before marching onto the field.  They invite the opposing team's band to join them and today we thought that the Michigan band would be there, so we went.  We drove an hour and a half to Columbus, fought traffic, walked through the crisp air, rushed half way around St. John arena, found seats and no sooner sat down when we heard them announce that the Michigan band only comes every 4 years.  We were all disappointed b/c we wanted it to be a fun day of rivalry.  JoAnna proudly carried her Michigan wolverine with her.  She would push it's hand and it would yell, "Go, Michigan!" and then play Hail to the Victors.  She held it up for the ladies in the line for the restroom and squeezed it's paw...it's a good thing she's cute.  

We left after the skull session and took the long way over to Easton and grabbed some lunch.  It was a great day to "just be out."  Everywhere we went people joked about the Ohio State fans hanging out with the Michigan fans.  

Seriously, I really do love Michigan.  I grew up in Muskegon, which is right on Lake Michigan.  I grew up swimming in that lake, camping on it's shores, watching the beautiful sunsets and enjoying the snow that it caused every winter.  I would love to move back home, but I believe the Lord still has a purpose for me here.  I will trust and obey my Lord...even in enemy territory.    

grandparents

My parents came in on Thursday morning.  The children have been enjoying having fun with them.  We went to Walnut Creek Cheese and found some yummy Amish treats...cheese, homemade jams, beef jerky and of course we had to get some homemade ice cream.  One evening my mom, Lydia and I went to a Pampered Chef party and Caleb went to a lock in at our church.  My dad stayed home with JoAnna and they played games.  She got him to play the Littlest Pet Shop Game with her, but in the picture they are playing Crazy 8's.  He said that JoAnna also gave him a lesson in biology.  She explained the whole process of how food goes from our mouths, through our bodies and eventually to the toilet.  Maybe she's listening better in school than I give her credit for.  

Where's the Beef?

It's in our freezer!!  A man at our church donated a beef cow to the MMS families that attend our church.  We split the cost of processing the meat and now I have loads of beef.  What a blessing.  My mom is coming this week and I hope she'll help me learn how to cook soup bones to make soup.  I've heard they make the best soup broth.  My children's (it used to be Chris' also) favorite thing about winter is that it is time to make homemade soup and homemade bread.  I'm not sure what is better the soup and bread or my chai tea...hmmm...that's a toughy.

Ready for winter

Today was supposed to be school day, but only a little school was accomplished.  I went to the doctor and stopped at the fire station to cast my vote on the way home.  Go McCain and Palin!

This evening the Adelsberger family from MMS came over and helped to get my house ready for the winter.

  I was so glad to have them here.  I think about all of the things that Chris used to do and many times it stops there.  I never really get to doing them.  Caleb figured out how to change the furnace filter so that was already done when they arrived.  Josh raked up and pulled pine needles (from the neighbor's tree) from my gutters. He also power washed my house...which has never been done since we moved here.  Their son Noah and my Caleb mowed the yard.  Hannah and JoAnna picked up pine needles from the mulch.  Kristi and I worked with making sure all the dead flowers were removed and planters were stored in the shed.  It feels so good to have all of that done.  Thank you so much Adelsberger family for helping us get all of those things done.  Sometimes

 it is not that I can't do it, but my mind has so many things to think about.  It ends up being the tyranny of the urgent and outdoor things don't seem "urgent".   The evening ended with my homemade pizza.  Yummy!!   

Thank you Adelsberger Family!!

MMS Monday

Today I continued to work with Mary on learning what she does in the office.  She had to finish up end of the month reports so I had a chance to get the boxes of envelopes ready to go home to the ladies.  They will adhere address labels to them.  In the near future those envelopes will hold the MMS GroundCrew and go out around the world telling news of what's going on at MMS Aviation. After I finished I went in to Mary's office and she had just finished up.  She then went through the reports to show me why she does what she does, where to get the information, where to put the information and the list goes on.  Mary is truly an asset to MMS and I respect her more than ever for all the hard work and long hours she puts in.  I told her that I wish we could open a "cover" on her brain and pour her knowledge into my brain.  In this picture she is showing me how to pay bills.

Later in the afternoon an announcement came over the intercom system informing us that the MAF Chad 206 was about to go up on it's return to service flight.  We were privileged to be a part of the circle of prayer for the airplane as it returns to service in South Africa.  Dale was the team leader who headed up the project, which lasted over a year.  I must say that today Dale's face showed great joy...as well it should have.

Here we are circled up and getting ready to pray.

Just after take off.    

Time Flies

New Blinds

We sure tend to get busy.  Life as a single mom speeds up and just keeps right on going.  A week or so back Lydia and I went shopping.  The gentlemen at the home improvement store destroyed several sets of blinds before he finally handed them to me and said that they would be close enough.  My mind is a number trap so when he failed to subtract 1 and 3/4 inches from 36 correctly I told him what it was.  I then I told him half of that (so that he could take equal amounts off of each side) but he wouldn't listen to me.  In the end he cut them wrong and we had to find someone who could actually do it.  When we left Lydia asked me why he wouldn't listen to me, I just told her that he was probably too proud to admit that I was actually right. We then talked about how we all have that problem.  We are too proud to go to God and tell Him we messed up and then we try to "fix" it and make it worse.  When will we ever learn??  Lately I have been blown away by the Lord's complete total love for me and I have asked Him how He could still love me when I "blow it".  He gave me a picture of how much I love my own children.  Yes, they "blow it". Yes, they disappoint me.  BUT, I still love them and I always will.

Here we are hanging our new blinds.  It feels good to be able to have a sense of privacy at night. 

Trick or Treating

 With the children being home schooled most of their friends are from church and thus we have a hard time meeting the friend requirement to finish the books.  One option is to pass out invitations in your neighborhood.  We make up invitations and pass them out with our candy on Halloween night.  This past Halloween night we actually saw John McCain and Sarah Palin. Lydia said that we should have given them extra candy!!  Then she looked at me with her devilish look and said, "If someone comes as Obama we'll tell him he gets no candy!!" 

Lydia, JoAnna and their capable assistant Maia waiting to pass out invitations and candy.  

Sparky Day

JoAnna's Sparky Club decorated cookies today and then the went to a Nursing Home and passed them out.  JoAnna is wearing her daddy's apron...it has daddy's hand prints on it.

Getting Ready for Winter

Back at home Caleb was taking down the swing and putting away the summer things.  I'm not sure if he was having more fun looking through Chris' tool box or actually doing the work.  I cleaned out the garage and straightened things up a bit.  Lydia was at a friends with Maia so Tessa was tethered to Chris' tool box to keep me company in the garage.  It is a beautiful day here and a jacket was not needed...one of the last beautiful days of fall.  I just might have to turn the furnace on soon.  Part of the reason I haven't turned it on yet is that Chris would try to get as close to November as he could.  He would be proud of me for making it to November!!  The other part is that I can't remember how to change the filter...I guess I had better ask someone soon or the kids will turn into ice cubes.  I sure wish I had paid more attention when Chris tried to teach me these things.     

You know you're a home school family when (#4)...

...your 7 year old daughter helps you make bread and she can count it as home economics.