A Beautiful, Spring-like Day...Finally!!!

I thought it would never get here.  I really think this has been the longest, coldest winter I can remember!  Even last week we had below zero temperatures!  And you never know... maybe next week we will again.

We have our windows open.  Its a little chilly in here, but the FRESH air feels so good!

The opossums seem to realize it is spring.  We had THREE in our backyard last week!  Dallas calls it "opossum season".

The children took a long lunch break today.  They wore t-shirts and played in the big snow pile way in the back.  It is a man-made pile.  When we have a snow day, Dallas has to go out and play in the snow plow snow.  He always drags snow from the driveway and even the yard, just so they can have a big pile to play on. {What a fun dad!!}

I am hoping we can finish school quickly so that maybe even MOM can get out into the fresh air!  {Actually I would love to go for a run... I know that sounds weird!}

Have a happy spring day!

Judy

Engagement announcement

Our daughter Jordyn is now

officially {and finally!}

Engaged to Ethan Long!

We are all looking forward to the big day,

May 25, 2013

Congratulations to a wonderful couple!!!

4th of July

We don't normally associate the 4th of July with something sad like a funeral.  But we spent July 3rd at the most patriotic funeral I have ever seen.  A man who was a veteran of WWII, though he never left state side, he trained hundreds of young Navy pilots to serve our country.  The whole Legion group was there.  Twenty-one gun salute.  Flags.  Taps.  The Navy officers saluted the casket before they folded the flag to give to Grandma.  All the flowers were red, white, and blue.


He married Dallas' Grandma... two months after Dallas' brother and sister-in-law married... two months before we were married.  {How many people can say they got married the same year as their grandparents?!}  Grandma had been a widow for 20 years.  Now after nearly 17 years, she is widowed again.  They were very in love.  They were full-time companions.  They were so good to each other.  Now Grandma Alice is alone again.  

"Grandpa" John Ole Evans

September 9, 1920 - June29, 2012

Today we rest before our church 4th of July celebration.

Happy Birthday, Joseph!

He's my Little Man.

My Blondy-Boy.

 My "Comedian Bacon".

{Photo taken in the cave at Silver Dollar City, 2010}

And he's nine.  NINE!?!?!   When did that happen?  The poor little guy turned the big nine while I was in the hospital.  In fact, I had my third surgery that week on his birthday!  Did he complain?  No.  He was too worried about Mamma.  Others pitched in and tried to make it special, but not on his birthday.  {Big Sister} Jordyn held a hospital party for him the next morning.  She bought decorations and made a cake.  She even had a birthday hat he "had" to wear.  Next, some dear friends took ALL FIVE {of the little set of} kids for the entire weekend!  They did all kinds of fun stuff, including bought each one a brand new outfit... new from head to toe!  Shoes, jeans, socks & undies, 2 shirts, jackets... we just couldn't believe it!  (We've never done that!  I usually say, "If we find something good at Salvation Army, then you can get something!")

Joseph eating his birthday cake Jordyn made for him.

Celebrating with his brother & sisters.

Dad & sick Mommy... two IV pumps and too many IV's to count!

{These pictures were taken February 18, 2012}

Joseph is more reserved than some of our other kids.  He is very sensitive and sweet... but sometimes that sensitivity is unbridled and manifests itself as anger. {Or is that just a "man thing"?}  The best part is that he is sensitive to God's word.  When he was about five years old, I was convicted to read to my children from the Scriptures, not just children's picture Bibles.  I was reading in Proverbs, those verses that contradict good with bad.  He was so convicted about his "bad" behavior, he got saved that night!  What a blessing to lead my own son to salvation in Jesus Christ!  He was so sincere, I felt sure that he truly accepted Christ that evening. Praise God!

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That is why we do this!  That is why we homeschool... why we make sacrifices on one income... why we follow the commands of Deuteronomy 6:  ⁶ “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. {KNJV}

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Well, Joe, I hope you had a great birthday, anyway, despite the unfortunate circumstances of the week.  I sure wouldn't have had that surgery done that week if I had known it would turn out so disastrously!  Mamma still loves ya, and your turned nine without me.  I LOVE YOU, LITTLE MAN!!!

An Early Spring, 2012

I just love spring!  I love the weather change, the color change, the change in where the kids can play {and eat}.  The first thing they always want to do when it gets nice out is have a picnic.  That works our just fine because our back deck is right off the kitchen through a patio sliding door.  They are in and out all the time when its nice out... which saves a lot of sweeping the floor!

Here they are on our front deck.  I am not sure why they chose the front, maybe it was less windy.  Mac & cheese and strawberries, what more could a kid ask for?

Once the winter breaks, which isn't normally until about now, or even a couple more weeks, we start preparing the ground for our garden and planting tomatoes & green peppers in the house.  This year I used egg shells in egg cartons, which I thought was brilliant.  In the past I have bought the trays with the little disks of soil that plumps up when you water it.  The trays are big and made of a fragile plastic.  Then we have to figure out where to store them the rest of the year without them getting damaged.  I like the egg shell idea better.  We will plant shells and all!

The tomatoes {on the right} were up in just 3-4 days!  After putting them out on the deck a week later, some of them grew about an inch in just one afternoon!  I was so amazed!  Dallas has the garden all tilled and ready for me to plant... whenever I get around to it, that is!

Happy Spring!

Judy

Linked up with:  Our Simple Country Life  Raising4Princesses

Our Breakfast Menu

After years of feeding my kids cold cereal, only to have them begging for a snack 30 minutes later, I decided a couple of years ago that I needed to actually cook breakfast.  It saves us a lot of money on cereal and is so much healthier and more filling for the fam.  Also needing to simplify life and cross one more thing off of my list of things I have to think about each day, I made a "set" breakfast schedule.  It makes life so much easier for me, and the kids love knowing {and looking forward to} what they know is for breakfast that day!

Monday is Oatmeal Day {not a favorite, but very simple for a Monday morning!}

Tuesday is Toast of Bagel day  {not too exciting, but we have an early lunch on Tuesdays/Thursdays due to activities}

Wednesday is Pancake Day {Yeah!!!  Everyone loves that!  Served with Little Sizzlers}

Thursday is Eggs & Toast Day

Friday is French Toast Day 

Saturday is our special Omelet Day {Served with bacon or sausage and sometimes leftover pancakes or French toast}

When possible, I make Saturday breakfast sort-of a party.  My husband is normally only home for one meal per day {if that} so when he is home on Saturday I want to make it special for everyone and fix something he really likes.  The kids prefer just eggs with cheese {no "yucky" stuff like onions, peppers, etc.}  Dallas & I like to put all kinds of "yucky" {YUMMY} stuff on our omelets.  

Green onions, green peppers, red peppers & mushrooms sauteed in butter.

Kids' cheesy eggs.

The Little Sizzlers

Mamma & Daddy's omelets.  Mmmmm!

It makes a great start for our Saturday!

Judy

Linked up with:  Menu Plan Monday  Welcome Home Link up

WARNING: DETOUR!!!!

Aren't detours annoying?  Like if there is a bridge out, and you can see where you need to go, but you have to go 3 miles out of your way to get there.  You can get lost, you know, if you don't carefully follow the signs.  And sometimes, even if you do follow the signs, you still don't end up where you ought to be.

Well, I have had a detour.  I had a simple, outpatient procedure planned for Tuesday morning, February 14.  I know, "who plans a procedure for Valentine's Day??"  Well, it was the week Dallas was off work, so we were off school and I didn't have to worry about having him take a day off or anything.  Except that every medical procedure comes with risks.  Between my family history and Murphy's Law (Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong... or something like that.)  Something went wrong.  Two additional surgeries and 7 days in the hospital!  I think I was even slightly addicted to my  pain drug for a couple of days there!  I have been home for three days now, and I am just not feeling as well as I think I should, and my doctor agrees.  One's body just takes a while sometimes to get over the sting of surgery.

Today I slept... A LOT.  And I hope it helps because tomorrow I will actually be home with my children!  I miss them.  I miss our "normal" {Tongue-in-cheek}. I miss helping them and snuggling them on my lap.  I missed Joe's birthday!!  I miss reading to them and being able to actually stay awake to finish the chapter!  I don't miss cooking.  {Thank you, church family!!!}

I feel as if I got a little lost on this detour.  I am not very faithful to read my bible and pray, but I had been working on it before this happened.  Dallas and I had got into the routine of having family devotions before school each morning, but we've been distracted {to say the least}.  I wanted to read the Gideon bible in the hospital room, but had double vision from all the drugs.  {2 IV's, 3 pumps; 4 bags of antibiotic, plus saline, nutrients, potassium, and pain}  My emotions had shut down through it all, and I didn't feel like talking. {What???? I know!!}  I never questioned God, though.  I knew He was in control.  I knew it didn't do any good to ask "Why?"  I was able to lie there and trust that He knew what He was doing, and asked Him to teach us what He wanted us to learn.  It still may take us a while to figure that out, as long as we learn!

Corah: My hero!

My daughter Corah is my hero. I tell her that often.  Every time she does something that I never could have done.  Not at her age, not at my age, not at any age could I have done it!

She can play the piano... IN FRONT OF PEOPLE!!!!  Wow!  I never could do that.  I tried. (And cried.)  She can even memorize the music and play it by heart!  I never could do that.  She is awesome!

She is a wonderful singer.  She has a beautiful voice and has already done a couple of duets for church.  I did that... but not at age 12!!!

Her latest thing was the Acts Academy drama.  She didn't have the lead, but she had a pretty major role.  And was fabulous!  She was even the FIRST person to speak in the play!  (That made my sooo nervous!)  And Corah was nervous, too... but she did great!

Isn't she darling with her flowers from her sister, Jordyn?

Here she is with her good friend, Kelli.  In the play they were best friends, "Betty Lou" (Corah) and "Bernadine" (Kelli).  It was a 50's play so they wore circle skirts and ponytails.

Corah with her special little sisters, Mary (back) and Leah.

*Sigh* My hero.

Wordless Wednesday, 7:25 this morning...

Overwhelmed

The title describes how I have been feeling for the past month+.  Starting homeschooling without much organization, always feeling like I haven't had enough sleep {because I really don't}, dealing with the issues that go along with having elderly parents, starting a new home business- with all the fears, expenses & new things to learn that go along with THAT,  Hubby working extra hours, a constant backache, the repentant prodigal son who is stuck in Texas indefinitely{and very homesick, I might add!}, my 91-year-old dad {whom we thought was saved for close to 60 years} says now that the Bible is not true and he just can't believe it, and don't forget the two-year-old and her campaign to gain full control of the house- particularly her MOTHER....  I believe it all adds up to a nervous breakdown!!!

My Pastor's wife likes to share the verse, "when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2  This verse has meant a lot to me these last several weeks.  Whenever I start feeling like crawling in a hole is the only solution, I remember this verse.  It is really the only relief I have.  I go to the Rock and He refreshes me and fills me with His love.  He gives comfort and peace.  I am so thankful for my relationship with my Savior.  I don't know how an unbeliever could get through all this stress.

"Thank You, Father, for the love and strength which only YOU can give!  I am so thankful for what You have done for me on the cross, and in my life.  Help me to just lean on You all the time!"


P.S.  I do have a few pictures to share, but the computer is not accepting my memory card... *sigh* just one more thing...

Good-bye, Summer, 2011

After two weeks of our 2011-2012 homeschooling year, I thought it might be time to get back for an update.  The summer seemed so fast, but it didn't seem very productive.  I was pretty lazy this summer!  Normally I do as much cleaning and getting together with friends as possible.  Not this year.  I am not sure where the summer went!  I finally went to the doctor in August to ask (AGAIN!)  "Why am I so tired?!"  After a few questions, my doctor signed me up for a sleep study.  He thinks I have sleep apnea!  He scheduled me to do a home test.  The first test was just an oxygen sensor.  I didn't think it would be too big of a deal, but it was pretty tight on my finger and woke me up with my finger throbbing.  I slept terrible so I kept it another night and did it again before I sent it back.  I thought I was done, but another company called me and sent more equipment for another night.  I had to strap a device around my chest, use a nasal candula, and a finger moniter.  THis finger monitor wasn't as tight as the first.  I slept fairly well that time and sent it back the next day.  I don't know the results yet, but Doc. said that if sleep apnea is the problem, a c-pap machine will work wonders and I should feel more rested after the first night.  Hopefully I will find out the results next week.

Next I went to a new chiropractor and had x-rays and scans done.  I was shocked to find that my spine has developed a slight curve between my rib cage and my sacrum.  No wonder my lower back hurts so much!!!  YIKES!!!  Of course this chiropractor can "correct" the problem.  We'll see.  I have been going to chiropractors for years....

My garden has kept me slightly busy, too.  I have had plenty of zucchini and am finally getting a good crop of green beans.  {We haven't had enough beans to freeze in several years, so I am pretty happy about that!}  I have started digging potatoes, but will leave the rest for Dallas & the kids.  My mom-in-law gives us corn every year from a farmer up north.  I see no need to plant it if she is going to give it to me!!  We're set for another year.

"Tom & Huck" just having a little backyard fun on a REALLY hot day!

August 22 was our big day to start school.  Despite the disorganization of the basement {where our schooling area is}  we do have a small area reserved for schooling.  I have accepted too many people's "cast-offs" that I never ended up using.  It is going to the dump!  As our basement fills with stuff, it gets harder to fight off dampness.  A lot of things are going!! I have a goal of filling the garbage can twice each week.  It is actually harder than I thought it would be.  I hate having to make a decision of what to do with stuff!  We are sort-of doing a half-week this week because Dallas will be home.  We normally plan NO SCHOOL when he has a vacation, but he planned it so close to the beginning of the school year, I didn't feel I could cancel altogether.

Here's hoping we have a lot of fun with Daddy this week, it is his last vacation week until after Christmas.  He has some single vacation days left, but this is the last full week.  We are really hoping to make it count!

Family Camp 2011

Getting ready for camp this year was not normal.  It was the same week we lost Molly.  I was feeling very tired and depressed.  We really didn't have the money to PAY for our camp week, so we had a decision to make about whether or not we would cancel.  I kept putting it off..... long story short, the LORD provided and we went to camp.  I had 24 hours to pack 5 people for camp. (Two were already at a camp so I didn't have to pack much for them.)  Dallas got off early that day so he was able to get the mowing done and other stuff to prepare to go.  I had a "rough" list to follow otherwise, I didn't have a clue where to start!  I had been on an emotional roller coaster that morning: worried, disappointed, shocked, and joyful... my head was spinning!

Somehow we managed to be ready to leave home around noon on Saturday.  We drove seperate, picked up the kids from our friends' who had picked them up from camp, then went on from there. {With a couple of detours, but never mind...} We had an amazing week at camp!  Despite the 117 degree heat index, God blessed us SOOOOO much!  He did a wonderful work in our family and we are just so thankful that it worked out for us to go!  I was even able to sleep more at camp than I normally do at home.  Of course there wasn't as much to do at night like at home.  No dishes, no computer.....  Here are some pictures to show some of our fun:

With that heat, the pool was a must... EVERY day!

Leah's mode of transportation

 Joseph's first time on the climbing wall

Corah, way at the top!

 Peter & Leah at the carnival on the last day.

There was a "Cowboy" theme.

 Mary and her friend.

Our new, 2011 family portrait!

That last picture was taken on a permanent "building front" in the basement of the dining hall {Jensen}.  When they finished the basement, they used an old barn someone had donated, so all the walls have faded barn wood.  It looks amazing! 

Corah and friends playing games in the basement of Jensen. 

You can sort-of see in the background that they aren't totally finished with the basement.  There is a coffee shop, the snack shack, an indoor roller hockey rink which separates into three very nice, large classrooms for the little kids.  The incompleted area will be the camp store.

 Wednesday, family game night, the cowboy version of Bingo-- "Ye-Haw!"

We aren't in this picture, but its a good view of the basement of Jensen and the new snack shack.

 Family devotions

Couple devotions

We just had such a nice time, and it was so clear to us that God really wanted us there!  We are so thankful to Him for making the way clear for us to get there, then to work on us while we were there!

Coming soon..... summer birthdays.....











July, 2011

Wow, it has been a long time since I updated my life story via blog!  Part of the reason was that our internet provider wasn't doing a very good job... :-(  some of the problem was just busyness! 

Well, I guess I should start with the 4th of July.  It was a great day we spend with family!  We went to my hometown and watched the parade with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece and her husband, son, and cousin, and the rest of the Clarke County population.  It was a beautiful day and a good time together.  My niece, Jenny has been in the military since 2001 so we just haven't seen much of her in the last several years.  It has been nice to have her stationed relatively close to home. (Missouri)

Next was take the kids (Corah & Joseph) to camp.  This was Joe's first year, so I was excited to take them up there, with a few friends, too.  Joe was a little overwhelmed with being trapped in a minivan with 4 girls, but survived, none-the-less.  Next year there is potential for a couple of BOYS to go, too, so maybe it won't be such "torchure". ;-)

The next day, we had a family tragedy!  Our 13-year-old dog, Molly followed Dallas & Peter on a walk to the river -about one mile- on a very hot, humid, still day.  She happily tagged along WAY behind without them knowing.  They were at the river "checking it out" for a while when Molly came over the hill, barked once, as if to day, "Ok, you're safe." and headed back home.  Don't ask me how she made it home but she collapsed in front of the garage door and never got up again.  She died during the night.  It was a terrible feeling to go to bed that night knowing that she would be "gone" in the morning.  Here is her "Obituary":

Today we said good-bye to our very dear and faithful, ever-present

friend

companion

protector

entertainer

bumble-bee-chaser

playmate

After 13 years of love, devotion and service, we will sure miss her!

If we were gardening, mowing, plowing snow, playing, sledding, walking, sitting, whatever, werever, she was there.

Molly: January 1998 - July 12, 2011

I was truly amazed how hard it was to say goodbye to this dog!  It really made me sympathetic toward someone who lost a really special person.  I even was depressed for quite some time!  Sometimes I still think I hear her heavy breathing when I first walk out the back door.  She will truly be missed around here!

Summer: Organize, Relax, Play

I didn't post anything last week because it didn't seem like we did anything!  After the painting adventure, I went straight for organization.... in a laxadazy way. {Is that a work? I guess it is now!}  We worked on the girls' room last week, plus the usual stuff {laundry, cooking, trying to keep up}.  So far the kids are keeping their "new" rooms rather tidy!  Every morning we have a race: BOYS AGAINST GIRLS!  Most days it is very close.  They stakes are high {Hershey's Kisses} and they are doing a great job!  This week my focus was BATHROOM DRAWERS.  Each bathroom has 6 drawers.  The worst two were mine, of course.  I threw away old beauty products, gave away a few extra hairbrushes, and made some stuff that was formerly on the counter in a basket to fit in a drawer.  Now I have all the miscillaneous "littles" to deal with.  You know, parts of who-knows-what {and if I throw it away, as soon as the trash man drives away, I will figure out what it went to and wish I hadn't thrown it!}Oh, and how many pencils and pens does one need in the BATHROOM????  {Blame it on homeschooling!}  I know I should be getting more done each day, but it is my summer break, too, right?!




On Sunday, June 26 was the annual Dale Family Reunion.  I didn't honestly expect anyone to show up to "nowhere" Iowa, but we actually had a great turn-out!  All of my {living} siblings were there and several of my nieces and nephews and their kids.  There was LOADS of food and so many people I couldn't talk to everyone!  I guess that's a good thing!  My Mom started the reunion journal in 1968.  it is fun to read through the years and remember the good ol' days {and miss all those who have gone before us}.  My dad was the middle button of 11 children.  He has been the oldest for quite some time and the two youngest are still living and one other aunt by marriage.

{top} My Dad with my niece Jenny who drove up from Sedaia, MO

{second} My Dad with My nephew Nick and his new girlfriend, Teresa

{below} My niece Tina with daughter Elisabeth and boyfriend Mike

Yesterday Dallas got off work before noon, so we met  him in Des Moines and went to the Iowa Historical Building.  This is the Mammoth display, very impressive! {HUGE!!}

There was a lot on display this time which I had never seen before!  We used to go every year or so and see the same stuff, it was worth the wait!

This is just one example of the MANY taxidermy displays that are set up at theIowa Historical Building.  Each animal is given a number and each display has a list, naming each animal and sometimes even the age of the animal.  Some of these animals were stuffed in the 1920's!

The Grant Wood display at the Iowa Historical Building ;-)

June 5-11

First thing Sunday morning Peter lost his first tooth!  By the time his Tuesday softball game, he had lost its neighbor!

Speaking of teeth...

Corah got her braces on her top teeth on Tuesday!  This is phase one of a two-year process. {Isn't she so cute!

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I love "no school" times.  There are just soooo many things I'd rather do than school!  But taking sick kids to the doctor and changing 300 diarrhea  diapers isn't on that list!  But, being the mommy, that is what I did Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Mary had all the symptoms of strep throat, but with a test and a culture, neither showed up.  She is on antibiotic and is better, but was not comfortable to eat for 4 days!  Leah, on the other hand, had diarrhea for two days for no apparent reason.  Her poor little back-side was so sore, I had to spray her off each time with the shower hose. {I love that thing}

Thursday was a very special day for Leah {despite the diarrhea}.  It was her second birthday!  We went to Grandma & Grandpa Dale's house {Pa-ka & Ma-ka as Leah would say, sort-of backwards *cute*}  They would be here by breakfast time on the kids' birthdays if they could drive!  So we take the party to them!

Leah & her cake

Leah & Mommy... Love the expression on her face!

Good cake!

Grandma and Grandpa are soooo kid crazy!  They enjoy our visits so much.  Being older, they thought they might never meet my little ones, so every visit is extra special.  I am very thankful they have lived to their ripe old ages!  Dad will be 91 this week, Mom is 85!

 Mary, Grandma Mary, Leah

Me & my Momma

Friday was the first day of the NICHE Conference. {Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators}  I LOVE going to NICHE and now that Corah is getting older, she can go with me!  We have such a good time together, one-on-one, can't beat that!  I so appreciate the encouragement and education I get there.

When we got home, I got to find out everything that Daddy did while I was gone.  I heard about how the kids drove him nuts {hmmm, welcome to my world!}, but he also moved the boys into their new room! {Jordyn moved out and they inherited her room}  Exciting!  And then "the news"....  "Dad painted our room... CAMMO!" {hide freaked out feelings}  "Oh, really?  SHOW ME!"

OK, well that wall is 90% doors.  They LOVE it!  And then Mary said, "Now wait 'til you see your bathroom!" {Oh, no!......  OK, its not cammo.  just some dots like that only tan.  ONLY tan.  Not sure what he was thinking, but the whole room needs paint, anyway, so... oh, well!

Saturday night EVERYONE was home!  Tyler {and his girlyfriend} and Jordyn, plus all of us.  I was beat from NICHE and all the guys {+girlyfriend} went fishing.  I collapsed on my bed and put in a "Love Comes Softly" video.  *Sigh* Chick time.