off to Jeff City

Tonight we (MLK and I) head to Jeff City, I hate the driving but it will be okay. I am looking forward to her going on this, it will be good and a time to grow. I will blog more when I get home from it all.

the still before the storm

Ahh quiet reigns throughout the house but in 20 minutes it is time to get everyone up. Then the craziness begins. Everyone is tired and worn out from all the running and going. I helped pack both girls yesterday and then will pack Dave today. Pray for Daves energy he is kinda pushing it. I cant wait untill next week-vacation!!!! Yeah!!!!!

Please pray for the family as they are all going different direction. This adventure for MLK will stretch her as she know no one on this choir tour. Pray that she makes friends quick and enjoys herself and remembers her manners (that is such a Mom thing to say ). It is such a good thing for her but scary for me. She is so grown up but yet so young at the same time. She has such mixed emotions at time, wants to be thought of as mature but then wants to sluff off on duties. The constant reminder to her that rights and responsibilites go hand and hand they are linked together.

Got lessons plans well over half done, maybe three fourths done, hope to chip away at them this week.

Will start on thyroid meds, as the numbers are off there, but the pharamcy didnt have the prescription filled when I went by so I am hoping to get that on Wednesday. Tuesday take MLK to Jefferson City to go on trip. She is to have to memorize the music, so last night I ask her, do you have it memorized?? She said mostly, but I have two more days mom. Ugh, what a procastinator!!

MDK has been pretty worn out and sleeping lots since camp, I am not sure she slept at camp, but seemed to have a grand time. Dave is plain worn out from camp.

Our anniversary will be next Saturday, it will be seventeen years! Wow that has gone by quick, we are almost forty and have teenage daughters, what happened.

I have so enjoyed my sisters blog, remembering those days, remembering the doubt that comes with the craziness of that age, thinking not much changes, just have new and sometimes more complicated issues with kids. I wonder when they become adults does it become easier or do you sit and worry anyway? Proably at least some of the time.

Well better wake up the crew soon.

doctor's visit yesterday

Yestery went to the doctor and found out results of my blood tests and got my back and leg put back in right alignment. My iron, sodioum,pottasium,and all that was good. My cholesterol was a little high not bad. My estrogen was normal. However part of my thyroid was off, so they will put me on a low dosage of thryoid meds and moniter me. My liver enzymes were good also.

My stomach is rumbling this morning make all sorts of noises. It is quiet here at the house, and it seems a little overcast outside. I worked on lesson plans yesterday and plan to do the same thing again.

Hoping Dave sleeps half the day away, he was so tired coming back from camp. It was really good to see Sagers yesterday.

The girls and Dave will start packing again, as soon as the laundry gets done. Then a week of vacation for the family and then we are back to the school grind.

More later

home and all are safe

They all got home from camp. Dave said he had a great crew but is tired. He and I laid down to take a nap and he is still sleeping. MDK had a great time with her two friends. D. Sager was down here. Dan and Dot have a son also MLK age, they kinda have a crush on each other. At least good friends.

Going to try to get alot of laundry done so they can all go again. Dave and MDK leave on Monday and MLK on Tuesday. Well I will blog more later.

slow at work today

I have had a rather slow work week, not many people coming in, when it gets extremely hot or extremly cold, people dont get out.

MLK andI picked cucumbers got about 30 between us, alot of green tomatoes but nothing ripe yet.

Dave and MDK come home tommorow, MLK goes off on choir next Tuesday, lots of laundry between here and there.

Been watching Star Trek voyager and just relaxing in the evening, kinda nice.

mom's here

My mom came over to visit and we sat out in the swing and talked. It was nice to just kick back and chat. Work has been about the same. Two weeks till vacation, yahoo! Hope I get everything done before then.


Well going to camp to take pictures so will blog more when I get home.

off to camp they go

Off to camp Dave and MDK go, if if I get everything packed. MDK and MLK were really tired yesterday. They have both been running and doing alot. I now need to get them both back in the habit of going to bed around 10. During our school year we do a 10 to bed 8 get up schedule. Then everything starts around 9 and ends around 2. We can get almost everything done in 4-5 hours a day. Mostly because they work at their own pace and dont have to wait on other students, no breaks much and so forth and so on. MLK may need more time due to the fact that she will have a heavier load in high school. Sometimes we do projects in the evening too. We will pretty much have MDK at camp, then MLK on tour, then vacation and then back to school.

My room is finally somewhat clean, it had become a dumping ground of sorts, I still need to clean the dresser and the closet but it is so much better. The classroom is getting better also. I am seeing overall progress with the house, it got pretty bad when I was off with my ankle and Dave has having a hard time. Now it is slowly getting better. MLK had a good time at the bday party but was bushed when she got home, wonder if she stayed up too much?

Well better get people around for Sunday morning. Things are slowly getting better there also.

doctor visit

Went to the doctor yesterday, for the funky pain I was having in my left back. It all goes back to my foot. With the wierd gait I had for a long time I have thrown everything out of kilter, I will be going back Friday to get it put back in place. I am in hopes that will help. She also took blood to check my hormone level, thyroid, etc before switching my meds around. So hurry up and wait till next Friday. So heat and ibuprofen till then.

MLK went to a birthday party hope it went well. Shan has one other friend that likes to isolate and be queen bee at these parties and sometimes it can be rough on MLK. Hope it all went well for her. She was looking forward to being with Shan but not with MA. I remember people like that.

MDK has helped by mowing the lawn, with my back I just cant push right now. She has been a great help. Have a funeral to go to today with Dave. Then hopefully pick up the house and start packing everyone for camp.

Well better go for now.

down to the nuts and bolts

Been reading my sisters blog lately and she has been writing alot about parenting. It can be the toughest job you will ever do.

I get scared myself when I think in about 3 years MLK will be 18 and can legally do as she pleases. Now I dont think she will up and leave and be done, but there is so little time left to do what needs to get done. I have to teach here to drive, teach her about money, teach her to think outside of herself, teach her how to have a good work ethic, and so much more and then MDK is only two years behind that.

I quess it is good esp. at my kids age that they know I am very human, to be able to admit to mistakes, that truely God is the one and only that can take care of them and supply their needs. I stand and watch with much prayer that they adopt their own faith, they must develop their own personal relationship with God. They are both saved, but I worry will they be able to overcome some of the nastiness of church people. Be able to seperate the two? It is a question heavy on my mind.

I think that boundaries are so important for kids, they feel safe they are able to focus on what is important. Boundaries and routines give them a grounding a sense of security. So many teenagers are treating as little adults given too much freedom too soon. Feel insecure and thrown out onto the world too quick. So I struggle with what freedom and when. I am already starting in the small things to say MLK this is your decision and your consquence, boy that really spooks her, she would rather me make the decision and then if she doesnt like it she can be rebellious. Takes all the fun out of it. MDK is between girlhood and teenage hood a rather rough spot, the hormones are starting to wash over her body and I am losing my little girl. She is exicitied I am not.

Today we clean house, MLK has a birthday party to go, I have a doctor's appt. we will go to town and get the rest of the stuff for camp.

Well better get around for the doctor.

had to laugh

Just got done reading my sister's blog had to laugh hysterically, her son acting up makes me laugh. It was so cool to know that I am not the only one.

Just had to share that.

at work

Here I am at work taking a short break while all my junk emails at work download, then I can move forward.

MLK applied for a job this week, we will see if she gets it or not. She is somewhat exicitied about it. I think that we will proably limit it to no more than 20 hours a week. It will be waitressing.

We started cleaning up the office took out three bags of trash to burn what a mess, still have a ways to go but at least it is started.

One of our members at church finally died after a long struggle with cancer. Dave will be very busy with that for a few days.

Well better go!

looking forward to . .

I know this sounds wierd but I am looking forward to getting school started back in full swing. I have had a break for almost two months and I am now starting to get that itch. So first on the agenda is getting our classroom back in order. I am running the girls through the baths and then we will clean till 10 when they have Bible study and then we will start again after words.

The office is the last great frontier in my house alot of other things have been gone through and finished . However that has not. I plan to get on that today.

What will we be doing this fall while here it is-
MLK- Biology (complete with lab through the homeschool group)
American Lit- a textbook and supplemental reading also Analogie workbook
American Sign Language-taught by me of course
Algebra One- not her favorite
Consumer Math-will piece away at it over the next four years
World History-planning to make a time line with this down our hallway
Exploring Art- she is very exicitied about this

She will also hopefully be taking a short self enrichment writing class at the college. We will do some PE activities, some field trips and other fun stuff.

MDK-
American History- hope to read some biography along with textbook
Chronicles of Narnia- her literature with writing, science, history and art rolled up in one
General Science- an intro may be a challange for her but will give it a try
American Sign Language with MOM
Typing- need to brush up skills
Math 8/7 if this is easy we will bump her up to Algebra 1/2 I think

We will also learn how to sew this year and do more cooking.

Well better get off her and get the day started

stuck

Have you ever been stuck at work, you finish what you can do for the day and everything is much too big and complicated to get a start on for this day. That is where I am right now, about 4:30 I got all that should get done for today, done, and now I am stuck. All the other things on the list are too big to be getting done today. So I have till 5 to get out of here. It is a predicment everyone has now and again. You long to hit the door but cant think of all the things you could be getting done and arent and so forth and so on.

Today was a rush rush rush till the before mentioned 4:30. I hardly had time to breath. Hoping to get to my basement this week. We will wait and see.

Having some major tired spells may go to the doctor as I cant get caught up on my sleep.

Well I may take off it is 7 minutes till.

dreams

For the first time in maybe two to three weeks I dreamed. I was driving a semi truck and then I was stoping at a gas station and I was in New York City. It was wild, where and how do you come up with these things.

Been sleeping alot lately, may go to the doctor and see if my hormones are off, I have alot of physical sympthoms that sugest that they are off also.

It was nice having the night off last night, I cleaned a little read a little. The girls went on a swimming outing yesterday and swam all day got home about 8 they seemed to have fun.

MLK is my Eyore, there is a personality type called melcolony and I think she is that. I do think she had fun, it just went a little long for her liking. She also didnt have a best bud there to hang out with. She gets along with the other girls she is just not part of the herd mentality were they act silly and goofy, it in fact annoys here for them to flirt and carry on and act dumb as she says. MDK had one of her best buds with her so she had a good time. Just the difference in my girls, one is a solitude type the other a social butterfly.

Well better get around for work.

best buds

These two are the best of friends and have been for about 3 years now. MLK and L so enjoy their friendship and it is one of those friendships I think will last a lifetime. L is a great Christian gal with great parents and the only problem I have out of the two of these is that they stay up too late talking and tie up the phone lines. Doesnt MLK look so grown up here, she is a freshman this year. Wow is that a shocker for this OLD mother. Both these girls helped out with our VBS this week.

stop and smell the roses

What a harried time of year. The girls have run and done and stayed with friend and VBS and and and. I am myself trying to slow down and smell the roses. I picked up and made a consicious effort to read lately. I also need to get to taking pictures again. I love doing both things and sometimes I just get caught up and dont smell the roses. I want to not lose the tree for the forest.

I am looking forward to getting back to the rhythm we have when we are doing school, this forces us to limit our running and doing.

Talking about stop and smelling the roses, I think it is officially time for my Sunday afternoon nap.

a new boss, the shakedown

Today they announced the new CEO his name is JC Dollar, he will be arriving in Sept 1. The board president announced gave a little speech. Some of my co worker my "favorite" (sacrasm) where upset about the way we were addressed. Basically it was a if you are doing a good job then dont worry if not you need to worry. Quess the ones that were upset are the ones that need to worry maybe.

Anyway the girls are at friends today, tommorow is another clean up day, tonight is last night of VBS. I am exicitied to be done with it. Tommorow is the tailgate party, then we will have swimming party Sunday afternoon. Well better quit since I am doing this on a break at work.

tommorow a new boss

Tommorow MERIL will have an announcement of a new boss, he has a Deaf/Blind son is what is rumored if they pick him. Everyone is a little flighty wondering what is up around the corner here at work.

Trying to finalize some vacation plans and nail down an inexpensive getaway to St. Louis. So looking forward to some time away from it all. Things seems to be gradually getting better at church.

Getting girls shopping done for camp and choir tour, getting MLK signed up for an enrichment writing course at the college this fall.(5-6weeks). Will have the enrichment class list coming out, doing lesson plans, settling debts, cleaning house, doing VBS I am feeling a little overwhelmed.

Hoping my 5:15 doesnt show so I can get to VBS on time tonight.

Better go!

discouragement is alive and well. Today was a great service had someone come forward to get baptized, people have been getting saved, the Lord keeps bringing people into the church. However, Satan is using his favorite weapon on both Dave and I, discouragement and criticism.

The deacon that we never thought in a million years would be the person that discourage us is as Dave says still "gunning" for him. Today it is not the music but that we should turn in all bills and that we should just tithe through the church. So we will proably do that, but the church will not like that as we pick up and take care of many bills as our tithe that are not ours to pay. We go way beyond the 10% that God asks of us and give till it truely hurts as time. I mean when my parents give us a gift in the past, they said none of this is to go to the church. People that truely know us know that we give money time our lives for God and for the place he has called us to. I think it is so discouraging because it hurts that someone so near and dear to us would wound us so deeply and I really thought that after he had time to simmer down that he being the Godly man I know him to be would then apolize not for the jest of the conversation ( because difficults and disagreements will happen) but the way in which he treated my husband. However he seems to be continuing on a path that is not one of healing.

I have a difficult time not getting bitter about this, we have been in ministry for almost 15 years and we have 15 years worth of wounds to prove it. But then Jesus lets me know that he was wonded rejected and despised by men. I have to remain keep my focus on the goal as our VBS theme says this week. Hebrews 12:1 &2 Run the race, keep our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Chrissy paraphase). May God provide us a respite though from the constant onslaught of discouragement. Please pray for Dave's health as it has been such a precerious thing for this last year to year and half. Please pray for me that I might keep my big mouth shut! :) Pray for the girls, they get to see the underbelly of the ministry and that is just not a good thing, pray that they keep the faith. Prayer is something God has impressed on our heart, so if you feel lead and you know of some prayer warriors please tell them to pray for us and our church.

Well I have not been able to blog as much as I like lately, we did get the basement computer hooked into the internet finally. So I am down here checking email and working on my Sunday School lesson.

Dave has had a awful week this week. Deacon's meeting was horrid and very discouraging to him. He has also felt like this good wave is coming to an end. His asthma has been flared up the last two weeks (the pollen counts here are off the charts). The doctor gave him a new asthma med and then also a med to stave off the fatique. He took it for the first time yesterday, so we need to watch it and see how he does with it.

VBS starts this week and I am okay with that. I am usually exicitied and ready to go but just have some mixed emotions about the church right now. The theme lately with alot of people is gripe and complain. So it is harder to get motaviated to do the right thing.

MLK finished her ITBS test so they will have results in about 4-8 weeks, about the time we start back in full swing. MDK and I are reading through a book about CS Lewis. Dave has a collection of his writing so I think we will just dedicate part of the summer to pursuing studying about this great guy.

MDK got stung by a wasp a couple of time so has to remain on Bendryl and boy is she a basket case. It makes her emotional and tired. We have to keep her on it due to the way her body reacts to the stings.

If any of you find my spunk and ambition I need it back. For the last few months I do what needs to get done and have trouble getting inspired to do that. I cant seem to shake this funk. Sometimes when this happens it means my meds need to be adjusted, but I have not had all the other symptoms that come with it that show I need to change, which includes inablity to focus, not remembering how to get home (that was the scariest thing I did off my meds), messed up sleep patterns, excessive appettie, being weepy. I just dont have any drive left. However I keep plodding along, working on stuff I know needs done, until I get inspired.

Felix our new kitty is sin in a package. Brenda I think is seeking revenge on me for something. I found out his former name was pain in the butt. He is so bad.

Well better go and finish my SS lesson.

at work

Only worked two days this week due to the 4th had a nice time back home. Then came home did dishes and picked up some, need to do more of that. Getting ready for VBS.

ungratefulness- do we do it alot, I catch myself at it. I know that it is such a bummer to be on the other end of it.

David's 37 today, cant call me the older woman any longer. Happy birthday to the best man on the planet.

church people

Church people can drive one nuts. I am not happy with them today as they can be so hurtful to my hubby at times. The mama bear comes out in me!

Summer is half gone already, ball is over, one camp down one to go. Plan to get some lesson plans going. MLK is at her grandparents doing ITBS and we are gearing up for VBS.

Been working the fireworks tent, finished off 4th of July celebration at church. Visiting family and then will head home again.

Our laptop is down so my blogging may be sporadtic.