Once again, we, and I mean in the royal sense of the word, are expecting! Our dog, that is. I heard a few gasps over the internet! No need for panic! We just got the good news yesterday. In the words of the vet, "She's loaded!" Don't know how many pups that means, but all I heard was, "You don't have to worry about your son's tuition next year!" I should always add, Lord willing, as we know enough by now to not rely on man's strength, or a dog's strength. Lord willing, by faith, the puppies will help pay for his tuition! All that to say, we are excited! The amazing thing about dogs is how short the gestation time is - just 64 days. So, even though we found out 100% yesterday, we will see new puppies in just a month's time! I don't think I'm ready for this. I still have 14 cats in the house. Ahhhhhh!!!!
We are spending more time outside recently and have been noticing a lot of cars slowing down. We always have cars slowly driving by our house. We never know what it means and, I hate to say, it usually makes me concerned. They've slowed down because our dog is on the road, or a cat, or a chicken, and even a cow and horse! So, I usually go to, "Oh no" in my head. But there are other times where people are driving by and just taking pictures, of the cows, the horses or even just the view. That's ok. I can handle that.
But lately, we've had actual wildlife photographers out. We have observed since we lived here that we have snowy owls on the property. There is a nest nearby and at least 2 owls, maybe 3 with little ones, are flying around. We started to notice just what time they come out and it is just before sunset. Suddenly the sky seems full of these owls hunting all over the fields. The photographer that came the other day stayed nearly an hour trying to get the perfect shot with their super long lens. I was so grateful to be able to see them every day. I don't have a good camera to prove these beautiful birds exist, but they do, and I just love it. Another gift of nature from above.....
Tuesday, 27 March 2018
Friday, 23 March 2018
March Break Camp and Near Misses
Next year I will charge for March break! I didn't know I was running a camp, but apparently I am! I have to say, though we hardly needed the time off (we take too many breaks to mention!), it was a super fun week. We ended up having several extra kids at our house. Some for just a few days, and one for the whole week. On the first night that everyone was here, we had 11 kids, most of whom were teenagers. It was so loud! It really felt and looked like a camp. Camp dishes, camp meals, camp dorms.....people were everywhere. This might normally be quite overwhelming, but, being the ever-social person, I quite enjoyed it and ate up the extra conversations that were going on all the time.
I was, of course, the camp director and the camp bus driver. Each morning I drove everyone to their daily activities which included volunteering at a maple syrup farm while the others worked at a greenhouse full-time. I should have added up all the hours I spent in the car that week. If I had a dollar for every hour........it was crazy.
Meanwhile junior camp was also going on. I had such good intentions of doing a super huge mega-clean on the house, but we were never home! The library always offers fun almost-free programs and the homeschool group put on an amazing Shakespeare play which we went to see, so I was also driving those younger ones all over the place. But again, being busy for me is oddly fun. I do wish I had a camp maintenance guy as well as a custodian for all the chores that need to go on. Will I ever ever ever get on top of all that has to be done? Not likely....
I also ended up at an airport dropping my niece off in Buffalo as she wanted desperately to be a part of camp, too! She flew in from Illinois to be with cousins and had a great time.
All during this experience, we were praying. I know my parents were praying. I don't know if I prayed specifically for safety. I think I was more praying that I would have strength to get through the week and money to pay for all the food and gas! But, someone out there was praying for us cause we had a number of incidents that could have gone extremely badly, but by God's grace, we got through the week unscathed.
One of my son's had a minor car accident. It could have been quite serious, but God protected him and on one of the iciest days of the year, he slid into a ditch, no damage to himself or the car or anyone else. I hate to think what would have happened if he had slid into oncoming traffic. That same day a local girl died in a car accident just down the road. Another son had a major slip at the greenhouse on cement. He reflected on it later and was amazed that he didn't hit his head on the floor which could have also caused major damage. He ended up with just a bruised hip. Our Olympic son, who is only 7, thought he was also a flying superhero and jumped down 8 steps at breakneck speed in a church. He landed on his foot in a bad way and limped for days. Why didn't he break it? Why didn't he fall back and hurt his head or break his back? Don't know. My youngest son had a close encounter with our pond. Suffice it to say, he could have been a story in the newspaper if my other sons hadn't been right there. I shudder to think.
Our cats didn't fare so well. One of the new kittens got discovered by our dog and met a quick end.
I don't think it would be wise to just write it all down without stopping to thank God for His obvious protection. I don't have any answers as to why we were spared tragedy while other families experience it, not to say we won't some day, just not in the last two weeks. I know we have guardian angels working overtime for our family. I put in so many hours of driving as did my oldest daughter last week. We had no breakdowns with cars, no incidents on the road. I am so grateful.
The only thing I know is that they were all wake up calls for me. I never know when it will be the last time I see one of my children. I want them to know that, too, which is why when they are mad at each other, I remind them to love one another as tomorrow might be a different day. I was sitting with a friend having a tea this week, a few days after the near-tragic pond affair. She said to me, "We could be at a funeral right now." Yet, there we were drinking tea. Drinking tea, not sitting in a church somewhere. I didn't want to think about it, but at the same time I felt like I had to. I felt like I should be more grateful. I wanted to really soak in God's goodness to me in that moment. Boy, was I grateful. It puts everything in perspective when you come so close to losing someone. I've looked at all of them differently this week. When I feel bothered by something, I quickly say a prayer of thanks for the fact they are on this earth to bother me! I'm grateful to drive them places, grateful to be woken up by my 5 year old who sneaks in my bed at night, grateful to be homeschooling that 7 year old who gets into more trouble in 5 minutes than all my other kids do all day.
I pray I won't need a real tragedy. These wake up calls were enough.
I was, of course, the camp director and the camp bus driver. Each morning I drove everyone to their daily activities which included volunteering at a maple syrup farm while the others worked at a greenhouse full-time. I should have added up all the hours I spent in the car that week. If I had a dollar for every hour........it was crazy.
Meanwhile junior camp was also going on. I had such good intentions of doing a super huge mega-clean on the house, but we were never home! The library always offers fun almost-free programs and the homeschool group put on an amazing Shakespeare play which we went to see, so I was also driving those younger ones all over the place. But again, being busy for me is oddly fun. I do wish I had a camp maintenance guy as well as a custodian for all the chores that need to go on. Will I ever ever ever get on top of all that has to be done? Not likely....
I also ended up at an airport dropping my niece off in Buffalo as she wanted desperately to be a part of camp, too! She flew in from Illinois to be with cousins and had a great time.
All during this experience, we were praying. I know my parents were praying. I don't know if I prayed specifically for safety. I think I was more praying that I would have strength to get through the week and money to pay for all the food and gas! But, someone out there was praying for us cause we had a number of incidents that could have gone extremely badly, but by God's grace, we got through the week unscathed.
One of my son's had a minor car accident. It could have been quite serious, but God protected him and on one of the iciest days of the year, he slid into a ditch, no damage to himself or the car or anyone else. I hate to think what would have happened if he had slid into oncoming traffic. That same day a local girl died in a car accident just down the road. Another son had a major slip at the greenhouse on cement. He reflected on it later and was amazed that he didn't hit his head on the floor which could have also caused major damage. He ended up with just a bruised hip. Our Olympic son, who is only 7, thought he was also a flying superhero and jumped down 8 steps at breakneck speed in a church. He landed on his foot in a bad way and limped for days. Why didn't he break it? Why didn't he fall back and hurt his head or break his back? Don't know. My youngest son had a close encounter with our pond. Suffice it to say, he could have been a story in the newspaper if my other sons hadn't been right there. I shudder to think.
Our cats didn't fare so well. One of the new kittens got discovered by our dog and met a quick end.
I don't think it would be wise to just write it all down without stopping to thank God for His obvious protection. I don't have any answers as to why we were spared tragedy while other families experience it, not to say we won't some day, just not in the last two weeks. I know we have guardian angels working overtime for our family. I put in so many hours of driving as did my oldest daughter last week. We had no breakdowns with cars, no incidents on the road. I am so grateful.
The only thing I know is that they were all wake up calls for me. I never know when it will be the last time I see one of my children. I want them to know that, too, which is why when they are mad at each other, I remind them to love one another as tomorrow might be a different day. I was sitting with a friend having a tea this week, a few days after the near-tragic pond affair. She said to me, "We could be at a funeral right now." Yet, there we were drinking tea. Drinking tea, not sitting in a church somewhere. I didn't want to think about it, but at the same time I felt like I had to. I felt like I should be more grateful. I wanted to really soak in God's goodness to me in that moment. Boy, was I grateful. It puts everything in perspective when you come so close to losing someone. I've looked at all of them differently this week. When I feel bothered by something, I quickly say a prayer of thanks for the fact they are on this earth to bother me! I'm grateful to drive them places, grateful to be woken up by my 5 year old who sneaks in my bed at night, grateful to be homeschooling that 7 year old who gets into more trouble in 5 minutes than all my other kids do all day.
I pray I won't need a real tragedy. These wake up calls were enough.
Friday, 9 March 2018
Embracing the Struggle
Just when you think you are in a new and good routine, it changes....yet again. I've told new moms many times the same thing. You think you have your baby in a great pattern and you've figured them out, but then then they hit a new stage and you have to relearn the whole child. That is my world with teenagers...it's not just babies that change!
In the Fall, I couldn't figure out why I was having such a hard time getting school done with the little ones. Then I finally understood it was because I was driving my oldest to all of her jobs she had. I was in the car for significant amounts of time and the younger ones either came or stayed home with an older child. By the time I came back they were off the wall and it was hard to get them going again. Fortunately this didn't last long and she was able to get a car and I was able to get back to schooling.
Now it is the 3rd and 4th child I'm driving everywhere and I attribute this to an answer to prayer! Gotta watch what you pray for! I knew they both needed money and I knew they both needed more reasons to get out of bed earlier and work harder in their school, so I prayed. Two of my older kids had been working at a greenhouse all year long just on Saturdays. I knew as Spring was coming they would need more help, so we offered that my daughter join in to help. They were happy to have her! I didn't realize this would be the answer to prayer on so many levels.
I told my daughter,, who HATES waking up, that she could only take this job where she would be working in the afternoons if she woke up at 6 and did her school work. She agreed. But was she all talk? I wanted to see what would happen. To my shock and amazement, she's been up all week, maybe not right at 6, but shortly afterward! It's been absolutely hilarious to hear my kids say, "Look at that!" They were pointing to the sunrise. I had to explain what it was. They hadn't seen one before! Ok, I jest. But, the point is made, this one child in particular would sleep all day if she could. And....yes, my older kids, except for a few, all drink coffee....my Dad will be proud. They really are his grandchildren, after all! So, they wake up, try and find a Bible to memorize or read, drink their coffee, eat their breakfast, do their chores, and then, here comes the driving part, I have to drive them to the library now each morning, as there is a shortage of quiet and computers in our home. They work all morning until lunch and then I bring them lunch, they eat, and I drive them to work until RM picks them up on the way home (unless he forgets, like yesterday!) I'm back in the car, all the time.
But like I said, I'm seeing this as an answer to prayer. They are so motivated to get up early. They are motivated to make money, to save money. One of the books I'm having my son read for school is How to Buy a House Debt-Free. He just might be able to do it one day. I'm so glad my kids aren't afraid to work. I'm so glad they are able to work together. I'm so grateful that though it is hard work it isn't a toxic environment. I'm grateful that it is relatively close to us. I don't love the driving, but I love the chance to be with my kids in the car and just to be able to talk all the time. With the older 4 gone all day, I then get no distractions with the younger set once I get back. It's just like it was with the older four when they were younger! It's so fun to do it again. And, I've taken the time in the car and turned it into car-schooling! I play a geography songs cd the whole time and now my kids know more world geography than most adults!
I pray for my kids all the time. Because I have so many I have to break it up into bite-size prayer chunks and so I pray for one kid a day and two of them on the weekend. That way I can focus more specifically on a child's specific needs. As I pray for them I never know how God is going to work. I never know how He'll answer my prayers as well as what each child needs. It is often only in retrospect that I see how He's answered my prayers. I prayed for work for my older daughter, now she has 4 jobs and a few extra things on the side! I prayed for my son and school. He not only got in, but got a scholarship and is off to India this year. I prayed for my next two children about certain qualities I knew they needed in their lives, more discipline, better attitude towards school, purpose for living and God gave them hard work that is forcing them to get up and work hard all day. They are now so tired at night they no longer stay up late, which made it so hard to get up in the morning. They hit the sheets early and are out. Love that! I prayed for patience with my younger children and I got asked to give a talk on anger! Guess what I have to work on every day! I prayed for more time with my younger kids to homeschool them and God got my older ones out of the house all day. That makes for a lot more time to homeschool!
As I look back over my much tougher year in homeschooling with so many changes, I'm amazed not at how hard it has been, but how God has met me in each need, each prayer. A very famous author, as of late, Jordan Peterson, has become famous for figuring out that when life is hard, it's the best! I have to agree, the harder life has been, God has just been that much more amazing.
Last night, RM and I headed out to the barn in the cold. Our water pump might be broken. The water comes into our home in spits and spurts. Not good. Could be expensive and it could mean he has to miss the quiz meet this weekend as he'll have to stay home to fix it. Was I worried? I would say, "Concerned." Was I disappointed he wouldn't be able to make it this weekend? Disappointed, but ok with it as all my other kids would be there to help. But what kept me from going into a downward spiral was how this was another chance for us to see God work. RM said to me as we went back into the house, "It can all be solved." Good words. God has met us again and again, from kid issues, to house issues. We've seen big answers and we've learned to embrace the struggle.
In the Fall, I couldn't figure out why I was having such a hard time getting school done with the little ones. Then I finally understood it was because I was driving my oldest to all of her jobs she had. I was in the car for significant amounts of time and the younger ones either came or stayed home with an older child. By the time I came back they were off the wall and it was hard to get them going again. Fortunately this didn't last long and she was able to get a car and I was able to get back to schooling.
Now it is the 3rd and 4th child I'm driving everywhere and I attribute this to an answer to prayer! Gotta watch what you pray for! I knew they both needed money and I knew they both needed more reasons to get out of bed earlier and work harder in their school, so I prayed. Two of my older kids had been working at a greenhouse all year long just on Saturdays. I knew as Spring was coming they would need more help, so we offered that my daughter join in to help. They were happy to have her! I didn't realize this would be the answer to prayer on so many levels.
I told my daughter,, who HATES waking up, that she could only take this job where she would be working in the afternoons if she woke up at 6 and did her school work. She agreed. But was she all talk? I wanted to see what would happen. To my shock and amazement, she's been up all week, maybe not right at 6, but shortly afterward! It's been absolutely hilarious to hear my kids say, "Look at that!" They were pointing to the sunrise. I had to explain what it was. They hadn't seen one before! Ok, I jest. But, the point is made, this one child in particular would sleep all day if she could. And....yes, my older kids, except for a few, all drink coffee....my Dad will be proud. They really are his grandchildren, after all! So, they wake up, try and find a Bible to memorize or read, drink their coffee, eat their breakfast, do their chores, and then, here comes the driving part, I have to drive them to the library now each morning, as there is a shortage of quiet and computers in our home. They work all morning until lunch and then I bring them lunch, they eat, and I drive them to work until RM picks them up on the way home (unless he forgets, like yesterday!) I'm back in the car, all the time.
But like I said, I'm seeing this as an answer to prayer. They are so motivated to get up early. They are motivated to make money, to save money. One of the books I'm having my son read for school is How to Buy a House Debt-Free. He just might be able to do it one day. I'm so glad my kids aren't afraid to work. I'm so glad they are able to work together. I'm so grateful that though it is hard work it isn't a toxic environment. I'm grateful that it is relatively close to us. I don't love the driving, but I love the chance to be with my kids in the car and just to be able to talk all the time. With the older 4 gone all day, I then get no distractions with the younger set once I get back. It's just like it was with the older four when they were younger! It's so fun to do it again. And, I've taken the time in the car and turned it into car-schooling! I play a geography songs cd the whole time and now my kids know more world geography than most adults!
I pray for my kids all the time. Because I have so many I have to break it up into bite-size prayer chunks and so I pray for one kid a day and two of them on the weekend. That way I can focus more specifically on a child's specific needs. As I pray for them I never know how God is going to work. I never know how He'll answer my prayers as well as what each child needs. It is often only in retrospect that I see how He's answered my prayers. I prayed for work for my older daughter, now she has 4 jobs and a few extra things on the side! I prayed for my son and school. He not only got in, but got a scholarship and is off to India this year. I prayed for my next two children about certain qualities I knew they needed in their lives, more discipline, better attitude towards school, purpose for living and God gave them hard work that is forcing them to get up and work hard all day. They are now so tired at night they no longer stay up late, which made it so hard to get up in the morning. They hit the sheets early and are out. Love that! I prayed for patience with my younger children and I got asked to give a talk on anger! Guess what I have to work on every day! I prayed for more time with my younger kids to homeschool them and God got my older ones out of the house all day. That makes for a lot more time to homeschool!
As I look back over my much tougher year in homeschooling with so many changes, I'm amazed not at how hard it has been, but how God has met me in each need, each prayer. A very famous author, as of late, Jordan Peterson, has become famous for figuring out that when life is hard, it's the best! I have to agree, the harder life has been, God has just been that much more amazing.
Last night, RM and I headed out to the barn in the cold. Our water pump might be broken. The water comes into our home in spits and spurts. Not good. Could be expensive and it could mean he has to miss the quiz meet this weekend as he'll have to stay home to fix it. Was I worried? I would say, "Concerned." Was I disappointed he wouldn't be able to make it this weekend? Disappointed, but ok with it as all my other kids would be there to help. But what kept me from going into a downward spiral was how this was another chance for us to see God work. RM said to me as we went back into the house, "It can all be solved." Good words. God has met us again and again, from kid issues, to house issues. We've seen big answers and we've learned to embrace the struggle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)