Thursday, August 31, 2006
Just Stuff
* We're slowly getting into the school routine. I'm struggling with being happy about the time commitment it requires of me. I do like the Sonlight stuff that we're doing. I guess I'm just struggling with contentment with where I'm at in life and the job that God has called me to.
* The Grabers are coming, the Grabers are coming! Neal, Sandra, Heather, Meriah, and Shania are arriving here tomorrow afternoon. Yay! So, I'm expecting the next week and a half to be mostly partying. :-) We might even go camping on Sunday night. I was really looking forward to that, but the weather is a lot cooler already, and Josiah is sometimes fussy, and I'm starting to feel wimpy about it. We'll see...
* I just have to say that I love my kids so much! God has graciously been teaching me patience and love and how to value them more. Don't think I'm perfect though! Caleb has taken to asking me, "Mom, are you getting mad?"!! That makes me stop and examine my heart and my words!!
* And then there's my dear hubby. God is doing a great work in his heart! I'm so thankful that he is seeking God and saying yes to Jesus! And I have such a struggle to TRUST God in the process. I'll just confess here that two of my besetting sins are fear and control (a form of pride). I get so worked up about stuff that I think Keith should do or shouldn't do, etc. Then when I give it to Jesus and confess my fear and control and just pray for him, God does something in his heart. Of course, duh! (To quote a certain young niece of mine.)
* That's all for now. My two big boys are at Grandma Graber's for the day and I have computer and internet work to do. I'm closing in on buying a digital camera! Yay!
* One more thing... Keith and I are going back and forth on whether or not we should go to Winnipeg for Kim's wedding. Sept. and Oct. are so busy already, it would cost quite a bit, to make it "worthwhile" we should really go out on Thurs. and take the boys to the zoo or something on Fri. - which would all cost more money. We could just go Sat. and come back Sun. and leave the boys here. But we said we wouldn't do that again after the trip to Dad's wedding. I really want to see Twila and the others who will be there and OF COURSE, see Matthew and Rhonda, and I'd love to see those three adorable little flowergirls. And of course, it would be great to see Little Kimmy get married to her handsome man and share in their joy. Oh dear, what should we do?? AARRGGG!
* Okay, that really is all for this time. (This was gonna be a quick little post!)
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Yes, I'm Still Here!
-the gorgeous sunset on Friday night
-playing games on Sat. morning with nearly everyone getting involved. Mary Leschied and Esther Mast even ran the three-legged race!
-Ryan, Melissa, and Emma stopped in on their way back to MN. It was nice to chat with Melissa!
-We ate frogmore stew with the Hartmans Sat. afternoon. Delicious!
-Tammy and Menno and family were there for the weekend! It was so nice to see them again!
-Shelley McKenzie and her daughter Courtney were baptized Sunday after the worship service.
-There were virtually NO mosquitoes!! But lots of bees. :-(
On Monday, Keith picked up our Sonlight order which had come over the weekend. Yay!! It was a lot of fun to look through everything. I told Caleb we might be ready to start next week. I have just a little more reading to do so that I’m familiar with what we’re doing. I ordered Math and Language Arts from Abeka and that’s not here yet, but I’m in no hurry for it…
This past week was more laid back than the last month or so. No blueberries to pick. Not as many beans to pick. No big deadlines looming. Mary-Jane was staying here until tonight. She’s going to stay at Kendra’s for the rest of her time here. We watched a Nicole Johnson DVD on Monday morning. Good stuff!
This morning we all went garage-saleing. We found some great stuff. I now have a punch-bowl and Little Scotty has a life-jacket. My family is having a “garage-sale”, Christmas gift exchange in October when Matthews and Rachel are here. And the Grabers are having a “garage-sale” birthday party for everyone when everyone is home next week or the week after. We got almost everything we need. Yippee! So, tonight after supper we had fun wrapping stuff in newspaper. I hope you all like what we got you! :-)
Tonight we had a first for our family – a shabbat meal! I’m sure it was pretty far from an actual Jewish Shabbat, but we tried to do some of it. The purpose of it wasn’t to "be Jewish", but to hopefully benefit from some of the aspects like just having a special meal together, speaking blessings to one another, reflecting on the past and what God has done, etc. Hopefully it will become a family tradition. Time will tell.
Okay, it’s time to sample my dessert for tomorrow (chocolate chip blondies) and then head for bed soon!!!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
An Ethical Question
Friday, August 18, 2006
It's Working!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Just a Sheep Needing a Shepherd
The other strange thing is, that even when I know he’s hungry (like yesterday) he has little or no interest in solids. And he’s 7.5 month old. How weird is that?!? Please pray for wisdom for me to know how to tempt his tastebuds. And I am a little concerned because when I weighed him yesterday, he had gained only.5 oz. or less in the last two weeks. That’s not enough! So, here’s a promise for all of us Moms: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.” Isaiah 40:11
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
I Need Your Prayers
Sunday, August 13, 2006
A Little Exercise
What Drains Me
-Fighting and/or disobedient boys
-Carrying the burdens of life alone
-Not being connecting with my hubby
-Fear, bitterness, trying to control
-Unresolved conflict
-“Wild” kids (too much noise and confusion at once)
-Childish foolishness
What Rests Me
-A nap!
-A snuggle/talk on the couch with my hubby
-Watching a movie
-Playing a game with adults
-Talking with friends/family
-Blogging and reading my friends’ blogs
-Scrap-booking with friends – or alone
-Doing just about any craft
-Organizing and getting rid of stuff
-Talking and praying through issues with my dear husband
-Laying on the couch and reading a book – I think. I haven’t tried if for so long that I’m not sure.
So, how about you? What drains your tank and fills it up again??
Miscellaneous...
Tomorrow is Logan's birthday. I have this little obsessive compulsive thing I do where Logan has the same kind of cake that Caleb had on that birthday. I'm starting to see that it's a bad idea, because Caleb always gets to pick his cake and then Logan just has to take what I give him. Up until now it hasn't been a problem. But when Caleb turned four, he knew his numbers - and even some addition. So, when he saw pictures of his cousins' cakes that were shaped like a 7 and a 9, he thought that was neat. So he had a "4" cake for his birthday. Now Logan comes along and he doesn't know a 4 from a 2 from a z! :-) So, I had to do some convincing and explaining to get him to agree to a "4". He did agree. Then this morning after church I saw him talking to Mary Lescheid. Later she came and told me that Logan invited her to his birthday party. He told her, "It's okay, we'll have enough. We're having four cakes!" He just doesn't get it! Hopefully we'll have a fun birthday party anyway.
Hey, Rachel, I Did Have Time!
Accent: I don’t have one – everyone else does. Seriously, I don’t know. Probably somewhere in between American and Canadian.Bible Book that I like: Psalms – they’re so “real” and sometimes I feel like something was written just for me.
Chore I don't care for: Lots of them. Can I tell you what I do like? Organizing and putting stuff away, laundry. The rest I do because I have to and I try not to complain. :-)
Dog or Cat: Neither, thanks, but I’d be less opposed to a dog, IF he doesn’t dig up my flowerbeds and if my boys were old enough to take care of it!
Essential Electronics: Computer and – hopefully soon – a digital cameraFavorite Movie: Apollo 13, The Hunt for Red October, Princess Bride, An Affair to RememberGold or Silver: Gold, please, and lots of it. :-) Just kidding
Handbag I Carry Most Often: This cute little brown thing I bought at Kohl’s on a little outing with my sister and her roommate. It was so cute I had to get it, but it really is too small. Almost more exciting was the smashing red wallet I got at the same time. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to make me happy!
Insomnia: Only in the first trimester of every pregnancy – ugh! And after the occasional caffeine overdose. But I’m pretty careful about that (the caffeine, that is) since I hate the effects of it!
Job Title: Hoo-boy! Full time nanny, law-enforcement officer, teacher, nurturer, cook, maid, psychologist, helper/supporter… I could go on…
Kids: Three rambunctious, full-of-energy, precious boys! Ages 6, 4 (tomorrow), and 7.5 months.
Living Arrangements: Yellow house with a big yard. Four bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, basement rec room and shop. And we’re so thankful for it!!
Most Memorable Moment: Hmm, probably that one where he said “Will you marry me?”! Or else that second just before the 50 (?) foot freefall on the “Demon Drop” at Cedar Point or King’s Island. Remember that, Brenda and Karla? :-)
Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: I try to forget…
Overnight Hospital Stays: Just three times with my little baby boys. Two nights with Caleb and one night with Logan and Josiah.
Phobias: Nothing so strong that I’d call it a phobia.
Quote: This wiill have to be a paraphrase and I don’t remember the author. But I know I read it in Reader’s Digest. :-) “With kids, the days are long and the years are short.”
Religion: Follower of Jesus Christ and a daughter of the King!!
Siblings: One awesome, cool, really great, very funny, kindred spirit sister, and five great brothers (who also have a decent share of coolness and funniness – and sometimes just plain weirdness!)
Time I Wake Up: It seems like I consistently wake up between 5:00 and 5:30 – from months of feeding Josiah, I guess. But I go back to sleep and (try to) get up around 6:00.
Unusual Talent: Nothing springs to mind. Maybe someone will have to remind me…
Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: I don’t totally refuse, but I mostly avoid tomatoes, raw onions, and probably asparagus. And there are numerous others that I just don’t cook with, like eggplant. I need to be more adventurous, I guess.
Worst Habit: Getting excited about projects and then over-committing myself.
X-rays: My hip once, and my wrist when I smashed it in the big mixer at the bakery. Wasn’t that a lot of fun!!
Yummy Stuff I Cook: I’m tempted to say breakfast, lunch, and supper, but I know it’s not all yummy. Let’s see: homemade whole-wheat bread, various mexican dishes, muffins, desserts, moose roast and the fixin’s, pizza… Hey, I’m hungry! Who wants to come over for peanut-butter popcorn??
Zoo Animal I Like Most: Probably monkeys, elephants, and giraffes.
There, I did it! Now I tag Derek and Elise. Have fun!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
True Confessions
*I bought three shower curtains in Kenora because I didn’t know which one I wanted. Now my dear hubby gets to return two in Winnipeg this weekend.
*Some of my flowers died from neglect – mostly lack of sufficient moisture. :-(
*Last week’s and this week’s laundry were all folded at the same time - this morning. Things are getting a little out of hand with the housework!
Okay, I want to hear some true confessions from all of you! No excuses! And that means you people who lurk out there and never comment, too. Lisa, Betty, Kathrina, Sheldon, Elise, Derek, Brenda, Karla, I know you’re out there!
Poor Little Guy

On Thursday morning, Rachel and I were getting ready to go to Kenora to get Josiah's picture taken. Wouldn't you know it, Josiah had a close encounter with a hair straightener! He got quite a shiner. Bummer! So, we went anyway and got some really cute pictures of him. We put some make-up on it, but you could still see the bruise. Oh well, I guess since he's the third boy he thought he had to do something to be different than the others!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
If...
And if he makes a big mess of crayon shavings on the table and floor…
And if you’re having a busy, somewhat frustrating morning…
And if you think to yourself, “Oh, he’s having fun and I’ll just clean it up when he’s done"…
Give your head a smack and find some other fun activity for him!
And if you choose to ignore this advice, then you’ll need a vacuum cleaner, a thumbnail, a good cleaning rag (preferrably microfibre), and lots of patience.
You can take it from me. I know.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Oh Blissful Day!
Living Off The Land
When we got home, I picked two bucket of beans. I had gotten some moose steak out of the freezer for supper and the rest of our supper came out of the garden. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before and it was really fun. We had beets, beans, grilled zuchini, cucumbers, and three itty bitty carrots. And of course, blueberries for dessert. Unfortunately, we didn’t raise the milk and yogurt we had with them! It was all quite delicious! And it gave me a good reminder of God’s goodness and abundance!!
By the way, picking blueberries is hard work and I sorta feel like an old woman tonight!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Yeah, I'm still here...
-Wendy helped me get started on staining the kids play structure (it was looking terrible!) and then I finished it.
-Rachel came! Yay!!!
-We made almost 24 dozen donuts on Sat. morning and sold them at Ned and Marcella's garage sale. I won't tell you how many I ate!
-There were people we know from IA in church on Sunday, (Loren and Lisa Helmuth. He lived here many years ago.) so we had them over for supper. Rhonda, Loren asked about Matthew.
-We picked two buckets of green beans in our own little garden, and last but not least...
-Blueberries! I went with Sue and Wendy yesterday. We didn't find very good ones, but I got a few. Then, later I heard of a better spot. So, hopefully we can get some more!
So that's what's going on around here. And today Rachel, Josiah and I are going to Kenora. Rachel's looking into some jobs and I'm shopping (!) and getting Little Joey's picture taken.
Newsflash! At the ripe old age of 7 months, Josiah is now sitting up (with supervision because he's still tippy.) Yay!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Supper!
Slice up about 2 lb. of steak or roast into very thin, narrow strips. Slice when it’s partly frozen if possible. Brown in oil. Add 2 cloves garlic when frying or after. Put in small crock pot on low. Add seasoned salt, pepper, worchestershire sauce (1 tsp?), and a couple squirts of BBQ sauce. Cook for 5 hours or so. Add sliced green peppers and onions – be generous. I sauteed them a little first. Cook another hour or two. Put meat mixture on sub or hamburger buns (homemade is best of course). Top with cheese. I used Mozzarella, but Rita said the recipe called for Swiss.
I thought it was deeeelicious. Keith said next time he’d add lettuce, tomato and raw onion. Do what ya want. Ya will anyway! (As my Mom and her Mother before her used to say!)
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Well, Isn't That Sweet!
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I'm cooking up something intersting and new for supper. If it's good I'll tell you about it later. :-)
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I weighed Josiah today and he gained the required 2 oz. So we'll just keep plugging away for now. The last 3 days or so, I've had a bit more milk and he's nursing a little better. I guess I should just keep asking the Lord for that miracle!
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Lazy Days Of Summer!
One beautiful morning I was out on the patio which is in the shade in the morning. I had the following “thought train”: “It’s so beautiful out here in the morning. I should have a brunch for some ladies out here on the patio like we did last year. Hmm, last year we did that for Wendy’s birthday. Good idea! I’ll do that for Wendy’s birthday again. Let’s see, Wendy’s birthday is… in two (or was it three) days!!” So we did pull it off and had a lovely Thursday morning brunch with Wendy, Phyllis, Leslie, Helen, Lisa, and myself. Lucky for me and Wendy, Kendra had the same idea, so she had Wendy and me over for brunch on Sat. morning. That was so nice - and relaxing too!
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On Saturday, Keith and I started sorting through our way-too-large collection of books. I am so pleased with our BIG pile of books to get rid of. And it’s almost scandalous the things I threw away! :-) Of course, as these things often are, we didn’t get done that day and I couldn’t get back to it until Thursday. But now it’s DONE and the books are all on the shelves (or waiting to be sold or given away). That is sure a good feeling. And it’s a good feeling that we even have some extra space. It’s a good thing because…
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We’re thinking seriously of doing the Sonlight Curriculum for Caleb’s schooling this year. And it involves a lot of books. Which is one of the main reasons Keith likes the idea. He loves to read! So, we really need to get serious about deciding and ordering…
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Monday and Tuesday were “Mad Marathon” days for me. When will I ever learn? My family got together for supper on Monday night at the beach. I made BBQ beef sandwiches for the main course. Of course, I have no use for store-bought, white hamburger buns. So I made buns, and the BBQ beef. And, since Keith’s birthday was the next day, I made a birhtday cake. (But I did concede to use a cake mix.) So, that was a busy day! But we had a nice, relaxing time with the fam at the beach…
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Tuesday was Keith’s birthday. I had been planning for awhile to make him a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Then I decided to have the leadership team over for dessert after supper. So, I had to make two cheesecakes. I decided on English Toffee for the second one. It was a killer! (As in delicious, not difficult.) Thankfully, both Caleb and Logan were at Bible school that morning, so I could really fly. Keith ordered chicken enchiladas (sorry, Rachel) for supper and his parents joined us for that. He was surprised when others started showing up after supper. :-) I had asked Alvin to lead a time of blessing/encouragement/prayer for Keith. I think that was a special thing for him. And the cheesecake was wonderful!
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Caleb had the idea to get Seafarers for Keith’s birthday. We finally played it last night. And I won, but only because Keith hadn’t counted his points and didn’t realize he had enough to win. :-)
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Here’s a story for any guys who might be reading. And I’m writing this with my husband’s permission! Our ancient, yet trustworthy (go Toyota!) van was having some real brake problems. It pulsated like crazy whenever you braked. So Thursday evening Keith changed the brakes on the left side. He had bought parts for both sides, but it turned out only the left side was bad. So the next morning I was taking Caleb to VBS and I started to hear grinding sounds whenever I braked. Then there were metallic rubbing sounds whenever I drove too. I knew this wasn’t good, but I had to pick Caleb up from VBS. Guess I should have taken the truck. This morning Keith took it apart to see what was happening – and discovered he had put the outside brake pad on backwards. There were big grooves ground into the brand-new disk. Big oops, but it was kinda funny too. He was glad he had the extra disk to put on!
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And now back to the feminine side of things… Little Josiah isn’t nursing well and I’m 98% sure it’s because I don’t have enough milk. I’m taking medication, but if I take too much I get head-aches. :-( This week when I weighed him he had only gained .5 oz in just over a week. Not enough! I’m trying to stick it out until next Tuesday when I will weigh him. But I’m quite sure the little guy will be going on a bottle next week – unless Jesus does a miracle before then. So, you can pray that I will have LOTS of milk, or that he will go on the bottle without too much of a fight. I don’t look forward to the emotional trauma of weaning him!
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And on that cheery note, I must be off. It’s Norseman Days and we’re going to go take in some of it and eat Helen’s bannock burgers for supper.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
My Favorite Little Monkeys!


Just in case anyone is wondering... Josiah is rolling over both ways, but not showing many signs of sitting up. He's eating some baby food, but not always very excited about it. And it looks like he had the chicken pox last week! How odd. I don't know where he wouldn've picked it up. He had some mosquito bites on his face, but kept getting more, which I thought was odd. Finally a friend said, "Are you sure that isn't chicken pox?" On closer examination, it seemed she might be right. He got more the day after that and then that was it. They aren't scabbing over much, but a nurse friend said it could still be that. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be bothered much by it!! Now we'll see if the others get it in a couple weeks.
