Thankful

Matthew made his first big purchase last week.  He has wanted to buy a truck since he turned 18.  We encouraged him to keep saving his money and buy something that would last and also still have plenty of savings.  (And to be glad that his dad let him drive his truck for two years!) He has been diligent and he found the perfect "red neck" truck!  The man that sold it to him was about our age. He smiled as Matthew was counting out his cash and said it reminded him of himself when he bought his first vehicle.   Matthew said his leg was shaking as he counted it out.  It doesn't take long to appreciate the value of a dollar when you have to shell out that much! :)

 

Macheus went back for follow up blood work and it came back normal!  I knew in my head that he was probably fine, but it still was a little scary.  When they did blood work last week when he was so sick they told me his blood platelets were very low.  He said it was probably the virus but he wanted to repeat it the next week.  That same week a very dear friend of ours son was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer.  I also heard of a fellow home school mom in our town that was told she may have leukemia.  I went home that night and googled blood cancers and had my mind reeling.  Google can be a really bad thing sometimes!

 

Thankful for this little cowboy that likes to color his face (and everything else) with markers!

This kid...

 

is such a mess! Some of the conversations I have with him are hilarious!  Macheus spent most of last week sick.  When little ones are sick they usually lay around and sleep or watch movies.  We have "pulled the plug" on all movie watching around here several weeks ago.  We haven't had "television" in years but we have MANY DVDs, and my boys LOVE to watch them!  Myles is probably my worst at wanting to watch stuff.  Unfortunately, he has even learned how to use the computer and find his shows online.  Crazy, I know!  Anyway, in an effort to spare his little brain (I always tell him he is killing brain cells!) we decided to just cut it out all together for a while.  Today I was letting Macheus watch a Thomas and Friends and Myles kept trying to come into the room and watch too.  I told him to scoot and find something else to do.  He said,  "Well, I am sick too mommy! Can't you hear that!?" 

I was getting ready to leave for piano lessons, and he came into my room and said, "You are a character mommy."

Another day he said,  "You are a hoot mommy!"  Can you tell the things that are said to him? :)

He is one of my biggest challenges these days and one of my biggest sources of laughter!
I love that little boy!

Mac, Mexican, McKenzie and Mice! :)

It has been a LONG week!  Macheus was sick most of the week.  I ended up taking him to the doctor and all I really found out was that he was negative for strep and flu.  Whatever virus he had it sure kicked his tail!  He finished it off with a rash all over that finally faded today.  He has to go back next week for a repeat blood test.  I'm a little anxious about that but praying everything will be back to normal.

This picture was taken when we had to take Madeline to her college campus to pick up books.   We were waiting in the van on her and he was so grumpy.  Little did I know he was getting sick. :(

 

He stayed in my bed for two days!  I don't know that I have ever had a little one sick enough that they didn't attempt to play!  Yesterday was his first "normal" day this week!

School days....

Malachi has blossomed this school year.  He is good in math and has an unbelievable imagination and skill with building things.  Thank goodness his reading has taken off this year!  He loves reading his new Bible every night.  It is so sweet!

 

 Myles discovered puzzles!  I never thought he would sit still long enough to work one, but when he sets his mind to something he is so determined!

This morning it was a cold rainy morning and Macheus enjoyed my bed a little longer! :)

 

I spent the day today with McKenzie. She had an ob appointment and then we went shopping for maternity clothes.  We got sidetracked at Gymboree (which was much more fun!) and I bought something pink!  We were able to find some cute maternity clothes!  She thinks she is huge and had nothing to wear.  Her daddy gave me orders to go buy her some clothes.  So cute how she is still her "daddy's girl"!

 

 While we were out we had lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant!  I love spending time with my children by themselves, and I am so thankful McKenzie is close enough that I still get to spend time with her!  I had a big "ding a ling" moment while we were eating.  This particular restaurant always asks your name when you get there and if you have been there before.  They give the slip of paper to the waiter/waitress and they greet you by name when they come to take your order.  The girl walked up and looked directly at McKenzie and said, "Welcome back, Marcy."  For whatever reason it made me laugh and I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop.  I felt so stupid and didn't want the girl to think I was laughing at her.  I said,  "I'm sorry. I'm Marcy and I don't know why I found that so funny."  I felt so stupid.  Ok.... that was really random! :)

I got home this evening and Madeline had dinner cooked for the family, and Mariah had kept the boys all day for me. I love my boys, but I sure don't know how I would manage without my girls!  It is great having both!

Madeline was standing in the kitchen and had this pained look on her face.  She said,  "Oh, I said I wouldn't tell you!!!  I have to!! Matthew saw a mouse in the office last night!"  I immediately left the house to go buy traps (we haven't had mice in several years!) and texted Matthew and called him a "traitor".  He texted back and asked what I was talking about.  I simply texted back, "Mouse".  He said he didn't want me to worry about it when I had so much else going on.  He had planned on setting traps tonight.  Needless to say the underneath part of our house is filled with poison and we have snap traps set!  We are pretty sure it came (or at least that is where it went back to!) from a vent.  Marc is going to check all of the duct work tomorrow!  I HATE roaches, snakes and mice!!!  We live in the country and thankfully rarely have any problems.  And I am thankful!

 

~Goodnight

Busy hands

It is Sunday afternoon and we stayed home from church today.  Marc had to work out of town until last night and Macheus has had a fever this weekend.  It was a good day to lay low.

 

 

Poor little guy.  So pitiful when they don't feel well.  You know your kids are pretty healthy when you try to find some medicine and they all expired a year ago!  We are letting the fever burn and hopefully whatever the junk is will be quick! I am already ready for spring! :o)

 

Keeping his hands busy! I have to constantly be thinking of things for Myles to do.  He is constant motion and energy.  He sat or an hour painting!  Score!

Gearing up for another busy week.  The girls begin new piano teachers tomorrow evening.  They were taking from an older lady out of her home and it was time for a change.  They will be taking from a music school in a neighboring town.  They will have different teachers so their lessons will be at the same time.  Because Madeline is a more advanced student now she had to have a specific teacher.  This will be her first time having a man and she isn't very excited.  I am hoping it will push her to the next level.  The great thing about our new schedule is there is no more lessons during the school day!  Marc will come home form work, I plan to have dinner in the crock pot on Mondays and I can leave the boys at home!  I will use that night to get my grocery shopping done!  I'm excited about attempting to get more organized. That is one of my new year goals!

Friday night ramblings...

Phew! It has been a long week!  We started with a bang when last Sunday evening we got back into town after church and discovered an injured horse.

Madeline's horse "Mocha" had somehow gotten her leg tanged in the fencing and cut it really bad.  Not something you want to see ever but especially on the weekend!

              (This is actually a picture of Mariah on "Candy". "Mocha" is the darker bay.)

Because we do all of our shots and things ourselves we rarely need a vet.  Our "horse friend/neighbor" came down and called every vet in the area and found one that would come out. $1000 later she is all stitched up and Madeline has an hours worth of work each day for months! OUCH!  Nothing like a hit on the budget to start the new year!

                                               (Not a happy girl.... Madeline nor the horse!)

The cut was about ten inches long and went to her bone.  Thankfully it didn't cut any tendons so she should have a full recovery.

 

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Monday morning we started our "back to school after Christmas break" with the kids STEM Science classes at the Air Force base.  This has been the best thing ever for the boys!  It is stretching Malachi academically.  He is learning a lot of science but also how to do research.  Pretty cool for a nine year old!

I honestly didn't know how Myles was going to do in these classes.  I think he is a very smart kid, but he is really immature.  I have the hardest time at home getting him to focus when I am teaching him.  He would much rather be playing outside. (I know.... what boy wouldn't rather be outside!)  I have been amazed at how well he has done.  This week they studied simple machines.  They read stories, watched a movie, built a simple machine and went on a scavenger hunt out in the museum area.

I stay the entire time that they are in their classes.  I snuck and snapped this picture of him and he spotted me. :o)

Monday morning when we loaded up to go, the van wouldn't start.  Matthew was still home so he tried to jump it off.  When that didn't work we loaded up into our pick up truck.  It is a big F-250 with a hitch on the back.  After classes we were sitting at a busy intersection and a car slammed into the back of us.  The guy pulled off into a parking lot and when I pulled in and called for the police to come the guy sped off.  It was the weirdest thing to be the "victim" of a hit and run! :o)  Thankfully we were all fine and the truck was not damaged.  The hitch probably did some serious damage to his car though!  We were so thankful that our van was dead that morning!  It probably would have damaged the bumper and thankfully all we had to do is put a new battery in it!
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Matthew got a deer a few days ago.  It wasn't as big as he had hoped, but it is getting late into deer season and it was the first chance he had to get one. We are hoping for at least one more this weekend!  It is so awesome that he can do the entire process himself from shooting it to putting it in the freezer!

 

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Today was a really busy day!  I had lots of phone calls to make trying to get my dad's house ready to rent again. (The joys of having renters destroy your property!)  That on top of babysitting a three year old little boy AND trying to homeschool made for a crazy day!  McKenzie asked me to help her with something this afternoon.  When I finished teaching the boys  I had two errands to run.  After that I headed to McKenzie's house and helped her with what she needed.  I told her I was going to get a pedicure and she decided to go with me!

 

We were cracking up because the Asian gals in there always try to talk us into spending more money.  The girl looked at McKenzie and said, "Oooh... you need eyebrow done, huh?"  McKenzie ended up letting her do her eyebrows.  Both of us asked for the extra "hot stone massage" and both girls said, "No, you need callous treatment instead."  So... we both had our callouses worked on.  Maybe next time they will let us pick what we want! :o)  I was never a pedicure person until I realized that they work wonders on my "runners feet"! 

 

After our pedicures we headed next door to Publix where Matthew was working, bought some groceries and then headed home!

Well, Matthew just got home from work and I am headed to bed!

~Goodnight!

Happy Birthday, Mariah!

 

The holidays are a busy time for our family.  Just after Christmas we celebrate back to back birthdays!  On New Year's day we celebrated Mariah's 13th birthday!  Just got Matt out of the teen years and now Mariah enters the teen years. Praying we survive them with this spunky girl! :o)

Someone gave me this New Years crown when she was born.  We have taken a picture of her every year.  She asked me this year when I was going to stop doing it. :o)

Mariah is so excited that she has passed Madeline up in shoe size and now in height.  These things are important when you are thirteen! :o)

Mariah was easy on me this year for meal planning.  She requested chili dogs and a chocolate sheet cake!  We had a quiet day at home with just our family.  She loves Little House on The Prairie, so we all sat together and watched it in the evening.  Thirteen is the age that Marc takes the girls out by themselves and gives them a "purity ring".  I will post about that soon!

Mariah is a fun, energetic, creative, hardworking girl!  She loves horses, drawing, all things sweet and being outside. She is my "get it done" girl!  She doesn't always want to get it done, but when she is under pressure or sets her mind to it she can work circles around most people!  She is at a pivotal age and I pray that she continues to yield her life to Christ.  This is the age that I have seen so many parents cave to their kids.  It is such a balance of "holding the line" (Marc's famous line!) and starting to slowly let them make some decisions (and sometimes fall) on their own.  Not always easy and I pray that we remain diligent as her parents.

"So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. "You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess. " Deuteronomy 5:32-33