Just Call Me Long-Winded!

I guess it’s time for an update! I hope this doesn’t get really long. My dear sister commented one time that it’s feast or famine with me. So, I hope I don’t bore you with a long “feast”. I’ll try to give you some highlights of the last few weeks – if I can remember them.

* I had a major attack of “dumb” and cut my finger quite badly with my big kitchen knife. “Remember kids, safety first! Always cut away from yourself and don’t use sharp knives unless an adult says you can!” There should be a sign like that in my kitchen! Anyway, I didn’t have stitches, but I ended up in the ER twice to get it bandaged. Then I had a huge bandage for a week, and no soaking it (i.e. dishes, showers) for a week and a half. It’s doing pretty well now.

* We’re the proud “possessers” (no money has changed hands yet) of a “new” van. It’s funny how “new” can be such a relative term! Anyway, it’s newer than our other one with less miles and rust. And it runs!! It’s really nice to have a vehicle. My in-laws, on the other hand, are the proud owners of a (for real) new Toyota FJ. Yeah, I hadn’t ever heard of them either until now. You can google it if you’re curious.

* We had a (mostly) fun adventure last weekend and went to Poplar Hill to visit our friends Arthur and Iris. We left Josiah with my Dad and Dru since we took the truck which only seats 4. That was the first time I left him overnight. :-( It was my first experience of driving on a “winter road”. What that means for the city folks is the community is fly-in only for most of the year. But in the coldest part of the winter, they make a road . You drive on land for a ways, and then drive across a lake, then land, then lake. On and on. The land-road is narrow and very, very rough. It’s wide enough to meet and pass other vehicles, but just barely. The lake roads are quite smooth and wide, but, well, they’re made of ICE. So, that was a little nerve- wracking for me because my dear hubby is of the opinion that nothing bad can happen when you’re driving fast (in my opinion) on a wide, clear ice road. Anyway, we made it safely, and had a fun visit.

We stayed up late like a bunch of teen-agers playing Empire Builder. Of course, our kids still had to wake up at 7:00. The guys made breakfast and then went ice fishing. They got enough with what Arthur had caught the day before to make a good lunch for all of us. Mmmmm! Fresh walleye!! And one jack-fish thrown in for good measure. Iris and I talked as much as we could around all the hustle and bustle. I baked and she decorated a birthday cake for a little guy in the village. It turned out really well!

The ride home was a bit more stressful than the way in. We got started a bit later than we intended and I was worried about meeting big trucks (semis- they travel the winter road more at night when it’s colder). Oh yeah, Jesus said not to worry. He and I are still working on that one! We met a group of three big trucks that were hauling modular jail cells. The beam under one of them had broken and the modular was tilted over to the side. As he was driving toward us, we could see the thing wobbling back and forth. Caleb and I were freaking out, I must say. The driver was wise and kind and stopped the truck while we went around him, hoping the thing wouldn’t let go and crush our little truck. That was scary!

The rest of the winter road went fine. We didn’t meet any other big trucks. Then we got on the Nungessor Road (all season road) and it felt like a wide smooth highway. The problem was, it was glare ice, and this time we did lose control. We slid across the road and “bounced” off the snowbank and then straightened out. Keith acknowledged it was only by the grace of God. We thought we were toast. The funny thing was, the boys were in the back talking and being silly and they never stopped the whole time we were skidding or after. They acted like they didn’t even notice. Needless to say, the drive was a “marriage enrichment” experience, if you know what I mean!

Monday morning bright and early Caleb started puking. This fun little activity continued every hour or two all day until bed-time. Logan didn’t want to be left out, so he joined in the fun soon after lunch. Since he got a late start, he had to wake up every few hours through the night to throw up. It was quite a day. The next day, and off and on for the two days after that, they just laid around and slept and had fevers periodically. It’s been quite a week! I hope they’re on the mend, but I hear that this flu that’s going around is a long one. Logan was well enough to go with Keith to cell group tonight. And I must say, this sickness sure makes bed-time a breeze. They’re too tired to put up any fuss or mess around. Unfortunately, Josiah has a fever this afternoon and evening. I hope he doesn’t get the whole stomach thing. It could be just teething, perhaps…

And now, here’s the most exciting thing of all… I’m leaving tomorrow for the weekend to go scrap-booking with a bunch of ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoo hoo!!! Stormer Lake here we come! There will be about 15 of us and I think we’re going to have a blast! I’ve talked to at least 3 other Moms of little kids who are just ecstatic about this weekend. :-) I made a chocolate truffle cheesecake for supper tomorrow night. Hehehehe. Josiah getting a fever has put a bit of a damper on my enthusiasm, but Keith says he thinks I should still go. So, I guess I won’t argue and I’ll just pray for them all!!! Oh, and did I mention that I’m REALLY excited about this weekend???

Well, way to go if you’re still reading. I guess I’m pretty verbose here. Rachel, you’re right again. Okay, I’ll shut up now.