April 21-27, 2019
April 21-27, 2019 Easter, Giz and Grampy Visit Concludes, Prom, Chainsawing and Strings Performance
April 21-27, 2019 Easter, Giz and Grampy Visit Concludes, Prom, Chainsawing and Strings Performance
Hello Friends!
Spring:
Spring:
Sunday began with our church hosting an Easter Breakfast meal at 8 am. Jim actually made GF pancakes for Teresa and me! He added cinnamon applesauce to the mix and they tasted so good! Plus, it was just SO nice for someone to think of me and go to the trouble!
After breakfast, we headed over to our church auditorium for our Strings Group warm-up's before church started. I helped teach Sunday School, for the Ladies Group, after the service. Because so many people were having special lunches with their family our normal leader couldn't stay. Then there were only two girls in the Teen class, so Dd and Rebekah joined our class. We are still doing: Entrusted (study on 2nd Timothy) by Beth Moore.
After church we five went out to eat at China Buffet; G&G wanted to treat us to one meal while they were here. After lunch, I took my normal nap, and Dh chatted with his parents.
Sunday night we finally broke out the UNO, PIT, and Skip-Bo cards and laughed up a storm! Wow, did we laugh a lot.
Monday: Plans with Grampy
Dh took off Monday and Tuesday to be home with his visiting parents. Giz and Grampy, Dh's parents, drove up from Indiana to spend a few days with us and help us get a few chores done. We've lived here 4 1/2 years now and still have barely touched the surface of getting this house fixed up. When Dh talked with Grampy about what they could work on while here Dh said Grampy kept coming back to cutting wood---his favorite hobby!
Giz's health has really taken a major blow the past two years, so much so that I don't encourage her to do any chores when she visits anymore. She usually finds a few things to do, that she wants to do, that hopefully don't push her too much. After two years of recovering from knee surgery, heart surgery, and then liver duct repair surgery she has really been through the wringer. Now her eyes are really fading fast as her Macular Degeneration has taken off and her vision isn't doing well. All the issues have also affected her personality, she has changed a lot. It is hard for all of us, her most of all I'd think, to see this as her new normal and accept she isn't going to go back to her old self. Life is a lot darker and harder for her now--figuratively and literally.
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| Before |
Monday: Dh and Grampy: Molding
Last April when G&G visited they planned and bought all the molding to put up around the door we had replaced the year before. The new door wasn't as big as the first door so we needed a very expansive molding to make up for the difference.
They got it all figured and the visit ended and that was that. During the fall, last year, I stained and sealed all that molding but Dh never had time to put it up. So, when Dh asked me what chores I wished they could work on I quickly suggested they finish the job they have been unable to finish for almost 2 years now!
And guess what...they did! They didn't put up one of the molding layers, but it looks SO much better! Yay!!!! Yay!!!!
They got it all figured and the visit ended and that was that. During the fall, last year, I stained and sealed all that molding but Dh never had time to put it up. So, when Dh asked me what chores I wished they could work on I quickly suggested they finish the job they have been unable to finish for almost 2 years now!
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| After |
And guess what...they did! They didn't put up one of the molding layers, but it looks SO much better! Yay!!!! Yay!!!!
Monday: Giz, Dd, and me:
Giz kept herself occupied for most of the day. She decided to weed around the pool. She sat on one bucket and used another bucket to hold the dead leaves and weeds. Meanwhile, Dd did her homework somewhat during the day. Then in the evening, she had Dh help her with her Algebra while G, G, and I sat there watching. I planted some more seedlings in tubs, planted some greens, beets, spinach in the outside garden. Last July, when G&G visited they brought up a section of Dh's favorite flower, a peony, and I planted in a shady safe spot. Since it has just popped out of the dirt and doing well I replanted it to our front garden, it's a permanent home. It took right to its new place and continued to shoot up.
Monday: Mooville
Since we all (except Dd) had physically worked really hard all day we figured this would be a good evening to go to Mooville. Mooville is a special ice cream place, their ice cream is so good you don't mind driving the thirty minutes to get there! I'm glad it is that far away or I might be tempted to go there more often!
Tuesday: Giz, Dd, and I to thrift store:
Giz had asked for us to take her to our local thrift store; she needed some specific white/cream colored shirt for church. I'm not sure if she found what she was hoping for, but we all found a few things. I found a pair of cotton khaki pants that will be great for gardening.
Grampy/ Dd Swing Chair:
Grampy took Dd to Ace Hardware to buy hardware to hang the hammock chair they had bought her for Christmas two years ago. She decided she wanted to have it installed by our deck table where she could sit in it and do her reading.
It didn't take too long before they got it all up and ready. Giz sat in it and found she liked it so well she is insisting Grampy find another for her and hang one for her too---maybe even inside her house!
It didn't take too long before they got it all up and ready. Giz sat in it and found she liked it so well she is insisting Grampy find another for her and hang one for her too---maybe even inside her house!
Tuesday: Chili:
While Grampy and Dd were working on the chair Dh was put to work making his chili!
He puts it in a crock pot and leaves the lid on only until it boils, then he takes the lid off and lets it evaporate to make a thick chili.
Apparently, Giz likes a wet chili because I spent the day walking past the crock pot and taking the lid off and she would walk by and put the lid back on!!!!
It turned out good even if it was in the middle of a tug-of-war!
We had it for dinner, and I made GF cornbread to go with it.
He puts it in a crock pot and leaves the lid on only until it boils, then he takes the lid off and lets it evaporate to make a thick chili.
Apparently, Giz likes a wet chili because I spent the day walking past the crock pot and taking the lid off and she would walk by and put the lid back on!!!!
It turned out good even if it was in the middle of a tug-of-war!
We had it for dinner, and I made GF cornbread to go with it.
Tuesday: Grampy and Dh: Huge Tree
Grampy brought his super big chainsaw to work on a tree that had fallen during the winter. It is such a massive tree that his biggest chainsaw was perfect to help get this tree reduced.
Giz sat on a stump for hours watching the guys work. I had to laugh because when I'd go to check on the progress I'd see Grampy working the hardest---and he will be 84 years old next month!!!
Giz sat on a stump for hours watching the guys work. I had to laugh because when I'd go to check on the progress I'd see Grampy working the hardest---and he will be 84 years old next month!!!
Chainsawing beside the front road:
Since the fella's were using Grampy's chainsaw I took ours to the front woods and worked there by myself. I cut for hours! I really cleaned up that area!
I was really surprised at how much I accomplished and how sore I was by the end of the day!!
My night's sleep was pretty awful, I was so stiff. I also hurt my left hand-- I don't know if a bee stung me or if a poisonous thorny plant pricked me, but, wowzers, did my hand hurt and swell. It continued to get worse for days and I had to take off my wedding ring.
I was really surprised at how much I accomplished and how sore I was by the end of the day!!
My night's sleep was pretty awful, I was so stiff. I also hurt my left hand-- I don't know if a bee stung me or if a poisonous thorny plant pricked me, but, wowzers, did my hand hurt and swell. It continued to get worse for days and I had to take off my wedding ring.
Tuesday: Giz and Dd to Thrift Store:
Dd has been invited to go with her girlfriends to KCTC's Prom. She had seen, and tried on, a blue prom dress at our thrift store on Monday. She decided that was the dress she wanted and Giz offered to go with her back to the store to see if it was still there. I thought she might wear one of the two dresses she found last year, but she wanted this blue one.
Tuesday: Evening:
Dd had her days portion of Algebra to do with Dh in the evening. After her math homework was finally completed we all went to the dining room table and brought out the Skip-Bo and UNO cards. We laughed and laughed and laughed! It was a great end to the day and to Giz and Grampy's visit. I could tell Giz especially was really tired and ready to go home. She is always ready to leave before Grampy and had been bringing up her stuff to their truck for two days. It didn't help that this visit Dd wasn't on Spring Break and had to spend so many day hours on her lessons leaving Giz with nothing to do and kind of hanging.
Wednesday: G&G head home:
We all woke up early on Wednesday. Dh had to go back to his work and the real world and G&G had an 8-hour drive back home. After we all had eaten our breakfast Dd came downstairs to say goodbye to her grandparents.
Wed: Dd and I:
Dd got on her homework and I started adjusting to the transition again. It is always a whirlwind of emotions having G & G visit, made even harder having to see Giz struggle and change. Dh's day was really hard with the machine he helps maintain wasn't working. He came home and split wood for most of the night and admitted he did too much.
Olympians:
Dd and I went to Olympians. We just have two more regular nights and then the party on May 15th. It has been a really good year and I feel like we've done a fairly good job sharing Jesus with two girls especially.
Thursday: Migraine
Migraine. After doing my morning chores my migraine continued to build. I finally took a Maxalt and that ended up taking me down. I went to bed and felt like a deflated balloon. By the afternoon was able to mentally focus enough to get into my Bible study---Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer. I'm glad I had all that time to really focus on my study and dig right in. I felt super guilty that I wasn't able to work and get lots of chores done. Migraines really stink and make me look lazy on those awful days; such a bummer.
Friday:
Dh had the specialist come in yesterday to work on the broken machine, and still, on Friday the parts aren't in and the machine is in pieces. He had a rough week. Dd's alarm clock didn't go off and she over-slept a bit. Luckily she still left the house at her normal time, she just didn't have a lot of getting her hair fixed like she normally does--no biggie.
Chickens:
The chickens are doing very well and enjoying being outside. I've been picking many clumps of grass and greens. The chickens slurp them up like spaghetti noodles! They love greens so much! I'm glad I can pick greens for the girls. I've decided to not buy any chicks this year; the coop is plenty full even if the older ones seem to have stopped laying.
PROM:
Saturday was Dd's prom! She went to a different prom this year and with a different group of girls. She thought the church, where the prom was held at, was much bigger (better for dancing) and had a much better sound system for the music.
Prom was an all-day event this year. They all met up at J&J's house--J&J are twin sisters and they invited Dd to attend with them this year. They met at 12:30 and got dressed---hair, make-up, and prom dresses. Then they were chauffeured to the park to have their pictures taken. After pictures, they went to eat dinner at Culvers before heading over to the dance that started at 6:30. After all the fun and dancing they went to McDonald's before heading home, IN THE SNOW! Can you believe it?!! She said it was really coming down in Grand Rapids, luckily in our town, it must have been a little bit warmer because we only received rain.
Dd isn't the over-sharing type, so all I was told was: "It was a lot of fun." I did manage to get a list of the bullet points from her later. She was really tired and that is always a sure sign she had a good time.
Chickens:
The chickens are doing very well and enjoying being outside. I've been picking many clumps of grass and greens. The chickens slurp them up like spaghetti noodles! They love greens so much! I'm glad I can pick greens for the girls. I've decided to not buy any chicks this year; the coop is plenty full even if the older ones seem to have stopped laying.
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| Lots of seeds have sprouted and are growing fast! |
PROM:
Saturday was Dd's prom! She went to a different prom this year and with a different group of girls. She thought the church, where the prom was held at, was much bigger (better for dancing) and had a much better sound system for the music.
Prom was an all-day event this year. They all met up at J&J's house--J&J are twin sisters and they invited Dd to attend with them this year. They met at 12:30 and got dressed---hair, make-up, and prom dresses. Then they were chauffeured to the park to have their pictures taken. After pictures, they went to eat dinner at Culvers before heading over to the dance that started at 6:30. After all the fun and dancing they went to McDonald's before heading home, IN THE SNOW! Can you believe it?!! She said it was really coming down in Grand Rapids, luckily in our town, it must have been a little bit warmer because we only received rain.
Dd isn't the over-sharing type, so all I was told was: "It was a lot of fun." I did manage to get a list of the bullet points from her later. She was really tired and that is always a sure sign she had a good time.
Dd's Academic Progress For the Week:
Bible:
Church, Sunday School, Olympians, and Independent Bible Study with Word of Life and Awaken: 90 Days with a God that Waits
Volunteering:
1 1/2 at the library--Story Hour
1 1/2 at church-- Olympians (games)
Grace Co-op Classes:
Cultural Geography (BJU)
Spanish I (BJU and DuoLingo)
Algebra I (Saxon)
Introductory Logic
Exploring Economics (Ray Notgrass)
Next Week:
Back to Normal--no Giz and Grampy, no prom, no birthday gifts (Giz and Grampy had brought her gifts up and let her open them with them). Hoping for a nice, boring week!!!
Next Week:
Back to Normal--no Giz and Grampy, no prom, no birthday gifts (Giz and Grampy had brought her gifts up and let her open them with them). Hoping for a nice, boring week!!!
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