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 Hello Friends!  

This is the last week of summer, a profound statement to be sure.  Six months ago, my husband came home to work.  Six months.  And I am not sure why that is so mind-blowing, except that it is!  Slowly though, life is resembling normal.  We have been attending church in person with my parents.  Glory!  We have trimmed way back our usual commitments.  I am on a leave of absence from my ladies bunco group. I am not in Sunday school.  We still Zoom our small group meetings.  But, I can see a glimmer of hope when going to the grocery store and all is well there with the stock.  

We truly are enjoying a new rhythm of life.  We have found it so enjoyable to visit our college kids.  This past Saturday we spent with our oldest.  After a leisurely lunch with extended family, we played 18 rounds of disc golf, his favorite sport.  Then we all enjoyed a trip to Dairy Queen.  We took him to the grocery store and loaded him up.  (Yes, there goes my grocery savings, Shani! Haha!). But I don't mind.  It was a joy to get him restocked.  He doesn't have a meal plan this year, also no car, and he finds it hard to carry groceries on the bus.  

The weekend before last, we trotted up to see our youngest at his school.  He decided that he wanted the mini-fridge that a friend had gifted us, so it was our pleasure to bring it to him and take him to lunch.  We did not stay too long but it was so good to see him.  He is doing so well and we are very thankful.  

Soon it will be Grace's turn for a visit!  And then they will all be home for 6 weeks at Thanksgiving.  And then I am adding a newborn to my side-gig!  I will so enjoy those newborn snuggles again.  I will have 3 littles to keep me busy at home.  And BOOM 2020 will be history!!  

Until next time!

Summertime, Socially Distanced of Course

Our summer is quickly coming to an end with schools starting soon.  Our oldest goes back to college in two weeks!  The youngest goes in three weeks and our middle goes in 4.  Three kids at 3 different schools is fun, really.  I am thankful they are all in-state.  We are 1 hour and 15 minutes from two of the schools and 1 hour 30 minutes from the other.  They are just far enough away that coming home is possible but not likely to happen too often.  For the first month, they will stay put and we will come to them if they need anything.  The semester will go quickly as they will all be home for 8 weeks the end of  November.  Already looking forward to it! 

Monday our state becomes a masked state.  I know it is a controversy, especially if you have clinical reasons not to wear a mask.  I just wear mine and go about my life.  Hopefully, this trial will ease some soon. 

We did manage to get up to Lake Michigan for a day trip on Jeff's staycation week.  We were able to avoid the crowded beach.  We had a yummy lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.  We walked up a dune trail.  We sat on the beach and read books while Grace produced a lovely watercolor.  I never want to take for granted again these times with my kids at the beach.  I was tempted to despair a little.  I wanted a week at the beach, not 3 hours!  But I realized that 3 hours was more than some get so I needed to be thankful for them.  

We have been riding our bikes, playing disc golf, walking to the little park when the weather is not unbearable. We were going to go camping but the weather turned super hot and humid so we have put that on hold for September and October.  I am looking forward to camping this fall, something Jeff and I can do together without children.  

Speaking of the empty nest, since the kids have been home since March, I am ready to send them off!  It is time for them to be working towards something productive. Yes, I will miss the daily interactions.  I will probably not hear from the oldest very often.  I will eagerly await any and all text messages.  Thankfully, I have been down this road a couple times now and I am prepared for the emotional toll.  I am actually looking forward to a few of the perks of the empty nest, especially, less food to buy and fewer dishes to wash.  It has been 22 years since Jeff and I lived alone.  

Summertime freedom is almost over but there is still a lot of summer left to enjoy! 

See Grace? Say Thanks, Always!

Nearly every day, I take a moment and write in my notebook something for which I am thankful.  I've been in this habit for several years now (inspired by Anne Voskamp's 1000 Gifts).  I really enjoy looking back at previous entries, too. 

Recently, our pastor gave us the assignment to write down 10 things a day for a week!  While I decided to only write down 5, it was an interesting exercise, even for someone used to the task.  He told us, "When you see grace, say thanks, always." 

I am very grateful in general, especially now that we have come through a challenging and long season of illness.  I thought this week I would record my observations of grace here along with a few pictures that I have enjoyed recently. 

12/14/19 The gift of a relaxing Saturday afternoon at home.
12/15/19 Pizza delivery after church when having visitors makes everyone happy.
12/16/19 A snowy day at home, able to avoid driving in the mess!

12/17/19 Good post-op visit for my husband with the surgeon!! This is huge.
12/18/19 The husband's bloodwork came back within normal limits!! 
12/19/19 Two sleeping babes at the same time, a little rest for me. 

 

12/20/19 Blessed with some very nice Christmas gifts from the babies' families! (They went over and beyond to express their appreciation and I am so very touched!)  

12/21/19 Having all three of my young adults home for the next few weeks.  

What Do I Do All Day?

My homeschool career is mostly over with only one student home, ready to graduate in May, doing his own thing.  Last school year I decided to find a job to do at home after thinking long and hard about working outside of the home. I even went to an interview at a local school! 

My heart has always been at home, so I started to think about what I could do from home that I am good at.  And about that time, someone from church put a notice on a Facebook group that she was looking for someone to care for her new 12-week old baby.  That was over a year ago.  I have had quite the year.  In March, I saw another notice in the same group for another baby.  Now I have a 17-month-old boy and an 11-month-old girl coming to my home four and three days a week. 

The whole idea was quite a change for me. I had to relearn all that I had forgotten about babies.  And I had forgotten a lot!  And I also fell in love!  I love those babies!  I love their families.  It is hard, honest work.  Those babies keep me busy from 8 to 5.  My own family has sacrificed and fell in love with the babies, too.  And the babies love them.  Their families trust us with their most precious children. 

A year ago we did not know that my husband would end up having major abdominal surgery this past November and we would need every extra penny I have earned for insurance deductibles.  God knew.  I am thankful for the work, the joy the babies bring, their families' friendships.  And it is wonderful to see how my children have learned to care for little ones, a valuable life skill. 

February Blessings

• Jeff got his bonus!  (But we have to use it to fix my tooth.) 
• We have the means to fix my tooth!
• Sunshine
• New ink pens
• A crockpot full of chicken
• Our little space heater keeps us warm
• Watching musicals with Grace
• Oral surgeons who are skilled
• Texting with my aunt
• Pink and blue sunrises that are amazing
• Dorothy (cat) curled up next to me
• Seeing my sweet aunt's heart for others
• Church days
• A warming trend, even with the rain
• Good anesthesia during my oral surgery
• Support of my family and friends during my recovery
• Robins heard singing in the early morning
• Getting an email that says someone prayed for me
• State testing mercies for Trevor 
• My mouth is healing.  The antibiotics are working.  
• Good probiotics
• Library's electronic books
• New recipes to try
• 60 degree days
• Surviving meteorological winter 

As you read, my February was a little different than usual. I had oral surgery to remove an infected tooth after a very painful, unsuccessful root canal in January.  I was put on strong antibiotics and had to take them for four weeks which caused some unwanted adverse reactions.  The actual tooth removal involved cutting out the root from the front of my gum and I had a bone and skin graft.  The stitches were removed today and the surgeon is pleased.  It will be healing until June!  Anyway, I am so thankful that the worst is behind me.  

January Gratitude Journal

For the last several years, I have been writing things that I am thankful for or things that bring me joy in my paper journal.  I have decided to write them here for the coming year.  This one is from January.  

• Neighbor children spontaneously shoveling our snowy driveway, just because they are kind
• Space heaters when our furnace went out for four days 
• Sunshine on a bitterly cold day
• Podcasts to listen to as I do my housework (What Should I Read Next) 
• Spotify playlists to listen to as I do my housework 
• Surviving -11 F despite frozen pipes and furnace quitting
• Library trips on a cold day
• Our old van starting during the cold snap (battery keeps on going!) 
• Generous grandparents helping with college 
• My 5th grade Sunday school girls make me smile
• A 10-year-old crock pot keeps us fed on busy days
• When an ice storm misses us
• The furnace didn't catch fire when the switch burned out
• Abundance of food
• Youth group leaders, winter retreat
• Amazon delivery when you don't feel like leaving home
• Old friends enjoying fellowship 
• 50 F days in January
• A day to rest at home
• Hot tea when you have the sniffles
• Birdsong in the winter
• Visits with your college student
• Unexpected lunch with my dad
• Emergency dental offices, temporary fillings, pain medicine (more about this in Feb.) 

A Good-Bye House Tour

The other day we had to get the house all tidy and clutter free to take pictures to send to a Realtor who was going to give us some comparables, so I thought I would share some of the pictures here as a sort of memory post.  We have had a lot of good memories here. I have never had a nicer home. Selling is bittersweet of course.  I don't want to go into that here.  I want to remember this house as just another example of God's great mercy to me.  He is an amazing God!!  As it turns out, I was already living in my dream house and now it is time to move back home.  Good-bye home sweet home.  You have been very good.  I am so very thankful.