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First of all, thank you for all of your kind remarks about how cute Jesse's puppy is - he was thrilled that she was an Internet hit!!!  Apparently, I'm having better success potty training her than he is.  I took her out again this morning, walked back to where Sampson leaves his "stuff" and she did the same thing, immediately . . . left her little puppy dropping mark.  It's only 19° right now . . . I hope my husband realizes the sacrifice I'm making for HIS puppy!  LOL  Yesterday, we played with her a bunch to make her tired and then put her in her crate while we had school.  She slept while we schooled and didn't wake up until we took a break for lunch.  Good dog!  Still having a hard time reconciling myself to the fact her name is Sushi.  I tend to call her Sush!!!

Some friends asked how the other pets were taking to Sushi.  They aren't.  Chirper thinks she's okay most of the time, but is growling & hissing at her this morning.  This is the first time I've ever heard him do that!  Sampson hangs out with me.  No, (correction) . . . Sampson hangs out *ON* me.  He sits on my feet and leans against my leg for protection.  Sushi has way too much energy for his tired old bones.  Stormy is in shock.  She can't believe I brought Chirper home . . .and now . . .  a D-O-G????  Poor Stormy.  She hangs out in Annamarie's & Luci's room and is taking her meals back there in bed!  I'm sure she wishes we'd move her litter box in there!  Walking down the hall to our bathroom to get to her litter box is a cautious trek for her!  Meanwhile, she is sequestered and spending much time in bed swooning from the shock of a new dog!

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We're caught up with home school, again.  Yesterday was a long day at the table.  We haven't done penmanship, but I'm not concerned about that as much as the core subjects.  I didn't teach Friday - too chaotic . . . or, something . . . I don't remember.  So, yesterday, we did Friday's and Monday's agenda and now we're ready for Tuesday.  Luci is still needing help writing letters and she is confused with numbers (like the teen family, the twenty family, etc.) and will need some extra time writing those on paper.  The best way to remember them is to write them repeatedly.  Another surprise about Luci - as dramatic and larger than life as her emotions are exhibited, she has the tiniest handwriting!  I think I expected large, bold letters with a twist and turn flair all over the paper!!!  She writes like a chemist . . .tiny, neat, and concise!

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One of my character sketch books (Volume 2) arrived yesterday, over 450 pages.  Yee haw, I was excited!!!  That's the $40 hard cover book I got for about $8.  There isn't a jacket on the book, but the cover of the book looks like a beautifully bound encyclopedia.  Still a pretty book and in more than "Good" condition, as the seller stated.  The book has wonderful science studies of different animals and birds and a character trait is attributed to each animal with a Bible lesson and Scripture to back up the character trait.  I'm so excited and can't wait to get Volume 1.  I haven't found Volume 3 at the same good discounted price.  So, I'll be patient until I find one.  Patience is another character trait studied in these books!  This book can be used year after year as children grow into young adults.  It's fantastic!

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The girls are wanting waffles for breakfast.  Not the EASY, frozen ones, but ones from Wava the waffle maker!  That means measuring ingredients to make the batter.  I might need another cup of coffee before cooking breakfast!

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Jesse is taking off of work on Thursday.  Rissy has an early morning appointment with our long standing pediatrician.  She's seen Rissy since she was just weeks old.  She will check out Rissy's legs and hips and why Rissy is having such back problems and pain.  Then, she'll refer her to an orthopedist, if she thinks Rissy needs that.  I know what will happen already!  The orthopedist will say there's nothing wrong with her bones, it must be neurological and the neurologist will say that since it's neurological, no surgery will help, so there's nothing to be done.  Then, we will end up back in the pediatrician's office.  Hopefully, she will order the xrays a chiropractor needs (the child's hips and lower back WHILE STANDING).  If the doctor orders the xrays, we will only have to pay for chiropractic adjustments and insurance will pay for the xrays.  It's pretty bad when your 7yo asks you to "pop" her back each night and has to take Ibuprofen for her back pain.  She's asked for a heating pad as a gift - poor thing!

We also have to visit our banker to renew our equity line of credit.

Seems like there was one more thing - oh yes!  The pets.  Sushi needs her incision site checked and Chirper is ready for another nail clipping.

A VERY busy Thursday and a VERY cold day!  Today will be 44, tomorrow 54, and Thursday 24 for the day's high!  Brrrr!  What a rotten day to be running around town!

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Today's To Do List:
*  Annamarie's laundry (did Rissy's yesterday)
*  Call Child Welfare (didn't call yesterday, decided to wait since it was a Monday)
*  Prepare a financial statement for our banker (for Thursday appt)
*  Finish vacuuming the house
*  Start to organize the cupboards in the foster children's room

I doubt I will accomplish everything on my list.  A financial statement with pen & ink will be a start and clearing out *anything* in the foster children's room will be good.  I still haven't done anything about curtains or hanging things on the wall in that room.

Gotta run!

Be blessed  ~

The girls have had their baths and I'm about to take a shower and wash my hair.  It can dry while we do school.  School will be starting a little late (I like to start by 10:30 and finish at 1:30), but it can't be helped.

The puppy has been named (BY JESSE).  Her name will be Sushi Abigail.  Yes, Sushi.  Like Chinese/Japanese food!!!  Jesse likes to eat sushi and thought she was all different colors (like sushi) and thus the name.  Abigail, because it has a Biblical meaning of, "my Father is joy" - Sushi Abigail (only a man could pick that!).  She has been a handful.  Pottying everywhere and chewing on anything and everything.

Jesse and Sushi went shopping together yesterday.  He dropped by his mother's house and then went to Wal-Mart to buy Sushi toys and such.  I asked him to pick up a couple of cans of 409 carpet cleaner while he was there! 

She had him up the first night.  She slept next to our bed in her dog crate but cried unless he put his hand down by the crate's opening.  Then, last night, he moved her to the den with him because she was whimpering.  He took her outside to the backyard - nothing.  She came back in.  She pottied on the carpet.  He cleaned it up.  She ate a few bites.  Went back to her carrier. Then, whimpered until he let her out, only to find she had soiled her bedding.  He isn't taking care of her potty needs immediately and he has had the pleasure of cleaning up numerous times.  I took her out of the crate this morning, carried her to the backyard, and she promptly did her business.  THEN, did the big job on her puppy paper that Frank bought for us.  An amazing invention!  I don't doubt my carpet will be the the victim of many more accidents & attacks, and it's entirely possible I'll have that new carpeting, we desperately need, by next summer!  Not everything "bad" is "bad"!!!!!!

The day is beginning dismally dark and cloudy.  I haven't a clue about the forecast, except later in the week it's supposed to be cold again.  I have a few things that need to be tended to today, besides the obvious home schooling.

Today's To Do List:
*  A child's laundry (whoever gets here first)
*  Doggy potty duty
*  Load dishwasher
*  Call Child Services again - our worker's supervisor never called me back last week
*  Prepare a financial statement for our banker - time to renew our equity line of credit
*  Finish vacuuming the back of the house (I just love my new Dyson - gush! gush!)
*  Check my "to be paid" bills file and see what's due this week

There's the ever present task of inventing dinner.  We didn't eat leftovers this weekend and that may end up being the fare de jour.

Be blessed  ~

Of course, there's no way I'd get a new baby and not share pictures!  Her papers say she is 8 weeks old.  She's a red & blue heeler mix with some Kelpie (they look like a miniature black & brown German Shepherd to me) and is VERY quiet right now.  Too many children and too many pets are new and scary, not to mention she is recovering from her hysterectomy.  My b-i-l bought her a soft blanket that she slept on last night at his house.  She is on it now and staying under the coffee table or near the formal living room's carpet.

Here are my puppy "baby" pictures!

Most of her back and hips are "frosted" blue gray like Stormy's coat.  A gray or blue fur on top of darker fur.  Her paws have mottled red & white fur.  I haven't looked at her or handled her much because I'm trying to give her a wide berth.  There will be plenty of handling time later when she is healed and more acclimated to our home.

I must say, I wasn't impressed by Aldi's yesterday.  Incredibly small square footage, and not that much of a savings on most of the things I normally buy except for butter, milk, & bread.  I don't buy enough of that to warrant shopping (and spending gasoline to do so) at two places.  I have found a Wal-Mart that is cheaper than the other Wal-Marts, plus it has clothing, pharmacy, etc.  Fortunately, it is close to my house.  I compared canned vegetables, mac & cheese (made several ways), spaghetti sauce, cake & cake frostings, ketchup, mustard, pancake mix & syrup, and canned tomatoes.  I bought one of each to see if we liked their products.  That said, I took the price for my name brand A-1 Steak Sauce, Minute Rice, and Heinz Ketchup (compared to the Aldi brand)  out of the competition and my total savings was $6.55  Most things were a 3 - 5 cent savings except for butter, milk & bread.

The store is hard to get into and back out of, because it's on a 6 lane highway.  Getting into the parking lot requires a left turn off of a crowded 4 lane road and  leaving the parking lot requires crossing 3 lanes of highway traffic and getting into the 4th lane - a left turn lane.  The extra store time and money saved just wasn't there.  Not UNLESS we used Aldi's to stock up on all the things I just named above (canned & boxed goods).  If I went once a month for those canned items & potato or cake mix items, it might be a bigger savings. 

I'm curious, to all of you who shop at Aldi's - are they all smaller than regular grocery stores, or is it just the ones here in Oklahoma City?  Both stores I've been in (here) are about 4 or 5 lanes and that's it!

I need to go read to the girls again.  They are wild and I am NOT with it today.  I feel like going back to bed and taking a headache pain pill.  No way do I trust 4 little girls in my house while I rest!!!  And, I especially don't trust them with a new puppy in the house!!!  Wish I could think of a food to serve for lunch that would make them sleepy!!!

I need to get lunch for the little girls and me in a bit.  I may hit the leftovers in the frig (taco soup & ham & beans) or I may conjure something else up and save the others for leftovers after church tomorrow.

Decisions!  Decisions!  It would be nice if I did some laundry - but I'm truly not up to it!

Okay, that's it!

This has been one of the most confusing weeks.  I awoke today thinking it was Thursday!!!  I don't know why (???)!!  Just been one of those weeks, I guess!

Luci has been down with a cold.  I thought it was allergies, but it seems more like a cold.  Annamarie "claims" to be sick this morning.  I haven't seen her, but Rissy said she's sniffing.  Annamarie forgets she can blow her nose - so we'll see if she's sick or has allergies.  She asked the girls to bring her breakfast in bed!  Right!  Of course, I said "no" and that was the end of that request!  Yesterday was warm-ish and today is truly going to be even warmer (near 70°) - BEFORE the cold front arrives this afternoon.  Then we'll drop to 40° with strong northerly winds.  No WONDER everyone is having problems with their nose.  I let Rissy and Annamarie play outside yesterday afternoon, after we came home from grocery shopping.  Hopefully, my decision to let them play outside isn't the cause of Annamarie's nose problems!

We have the girls' therapy appointment today.  I'll have to quickly determine if Annamarie is truly sick.  No need going to a therapy appointment if she's not feeling well.  The therapist plans to start testing for achievement.  I want to know how successful I've been in teaching her at home.  It's nice to have a record of that, too, if someone should ever challenge me.  But, the point is, there is no sense testing her if she isn't feeling up to par.

Last night, I compiled a price list from Wal-Mart.  I have some old receipts of groceries and made notes yesterday of the Wal-Mart prices.  I'm going to the much extolled Aldi's today to comparison shop.  There are a few things I need and I will try their discount brands: mainly, I'm going there to compare prices.

Speaking of grocery shopping . . . I was so proud of the girls yesterday.  We had a talk before going into the grocery store and I told them "We are going to go in here and this time NO ONE is going to talk loud.  NO ONE is going to be mean or ugly to a sibling.  NO ONE is going to shove a sibling out of the way  when that sibling is helping me, so that the "shover" can help.  We are going to be polite, use quiet voices, AND act like ladies." 

Guess what???  They did!!! 

One woman and her mother asked what I did to "make" our girls behave so well.  I laughed and told them I had just had a talk with them in the car right before we came in.  One woman said, "Yeah, but today's kids are ALL horrible at this age.  You must do something different."  Funny thing, she had caught us in an empty check out aisle with our chicken tenders we had purchased from the deli and we were praying quickly before eating.  That might have given her a hint!  LOL 

THEN . . . an elderly gentleman saw us in the pharmacy and, again, in the food section.  He spoke about what lovely girls they were and how nice they looked in their dresses and what grade were they in and how wonderful it was they were home schooled and . . .  Well, he couldn't stop talking with them.  He said, "You sure are well behaved little girls."

When we were back in the car, I told them how wonderfully behaved they had been.  I asked them, "Wasn't it nicer to be told how well behaved you were, rather than have me correcting you in front of other people?"  They agreed, the compliments were great.  I went on to explain they should act that way, even without compliments, because people DO notice them and, although they might not say it, they either had a good or bad impression of our family.  They mulled that around a bit.  They paid no attention to where I was driving, as they thought about the pleasant store jaunt.

I pulled into McDonald's and ordered 4 ice cream cones.  "Thanks for being such well behaved children while I shopped!" I gushed!  I'm not against rewarding children as much as I am bribing them.  BUT, we'll see if my gushing and ice cream cones helps them remember to be kind to each other - at least while out in public!! LOL 

I talked to the humane society where my b-i-l is getting our puppy.  The girl who answered was a wealth of information.  I got online and started reading about red & blue heelers (I noticed my typo yesterday of "healer" - which is maybe what my brain needs - "healing"!!!) and about puppies in general.  They don't recommend spaying a female at 5 1/2 weeks and I began to worry about the poor thing.  Being found (or brought) to an animal shelter, spaying surgery, my b-i-l picking her up today, and driving to our city (a 2 1/2 hour drive) tomorrow, and then her ending up here with us - new owners.  What a traumatic couple of weeks.  Our vet doesn't recommend spaying until the dog is several months old.  She hasn't had her tail docked (sp?) and I saw, while looking at internet pictures, that none of the heeler pictures had docked tails.  Good!  That's cosmetic and not necessary, anyway!  I asked the shelter about diet, shots, etc.  She said they charged $50 for spaying surgery, shots, and a computer chip placed in the dog.  That's a heck of a bargain at $50!!  Our vet is NOT expensive, but charges $60 for the computer chip alone.  Spaying is more than $50.  She hasn't had a rabies shot - the shelter said she's still too young.  Anyway, we have a crate in the garage (larger than our cats' crate) and I'll bring it in and clean it today.  That way she can have a place that is confined until her incision heals.  I'm not a huge dog fan, although I like all animals.  I just gravitate more towards cats and feel more comfortable caring for them.  I'm sure I'll think the puppy is darling!

Speaking of pets, specifically cats . . .

Remember yesterday's picture of Stormy sprawled flat?
 

Strange as it may seem, there was another cat stricken with the same debilitating malady.

Flat cat #2 (Different cat, same position, same location as Flat Cat #1, same day)

BTW:  Annamarie is fine.  She just wanted breakfast in bed.  I asked her how many times she's been allowed (in her WHOLE life) to eat in her bedroom.  She admitted it had never happened.  (sigh)  I guess feigning sickness was worth a try???!!!

Be blessed  ~

P.S.  Our homeowner insurance company approved more money to have our roof fixed properly.  We will be replacing everything down to the wood and *some* of the wood deck on the roof.  They are also paying to have our ceilings painted where water leakage has left its ugly mark!  THANK YOU LORD!!!!!

Last night, Jesse came home, asked why the trash wasn't collected from wastebaskets and I told him because it was Tuesday night.  So, for the second time in 7 days, he told me the day of the week - WEDNESDAY!!!!!  And, I woke up this morning thinking it was Friday . . .

Definitely "dayzed and confused"!!!!!

Nothing happened yesterday like it was supposed to.  I gave up late morning and spent the entire day reading back posts of someone who is relatively new to me.  It sure was more interesting than my totally out of control REAL life.  The girls are NOT listening, and school wasn't even attempted.  I supposed this is a time of reeling them back into a routine that includes school. 

We didn't use the fireplace yesterday.  The morning and the evening were chilly, but we're saving our wood for "cold" days and I hate to burn it on a chilly day when we can wrap up to stay warm.

Wrapping up worked for Sampson.

Stephanie came over last night with JanaLyn.  The apartment's gas line to the laundromat had a problem and they left her wet clothes in her laundry basket and a sign on the door saying, "Sorry."  She figured it would be fixed the next day, but it wasn't.  She had two baskets of wet clothes and came here to rewash and dry them.  They spent the night.

There was an extra head in the den this morning - Stephanie's.

This morning, I walked through the formal dining room and heard voices (yikes!  no one can hear me, but I can hear voices???!!!) and found THIS under the table.

We had a pot of pinto beans seasoned with ham last night.  Didn't even mess with cornbread.  I slow cooked it on the stove all day, so no energy was expended on dinner!!!  I have to think about dinner tonight and get something out of the freezer.

The puppy Jesse is getting is a 5 1/2 week old blue healer/red healer mix.  I think she's too young to be spayed, but the place is doing it, anyway.  Her tail isn't docked and it is past the safe age for doing that, so I guess she'll be a long tailed blue/red healer.  I don't care.  We will NEVER enter a pet in a show - we have pets as pets - not to show.  Plus, that would mean one more place I have to be in my busy life!  This should be interesting!  Jesse has potty trained all of our children.  That's an area I lack expertise.  I don't know how things will go house training a puppy when Jesse is at work all day, most days!  At least our carpet is old and definitely needs to be replaced! 

Full teaching schedule and then grocery store.  Sounds like a long enough day already and I haven't even gotten started.

So much for moving "onward and upward" - I feel pressured and would much prefer this position than the "ready, set, go!" position!

I only did four things on yesterday's list:
*  Taught school
*  Fixed dinner
*  Baked a cake
*  Called our public school system, regarding foster children's enrollment

That left three things undone:
*  Wash my hair
*  Wash our sheets
*  Clean big TV screen and glass end table

If it had to do with food - it got done. 

If it had to do with cleanliness - it didn't get done!

Technically, I only did two things on my list.  I called the public school system; AND, I taught school.  Actually, I taught school twice!  Rissy fixed our dinner and the cake.

School was worse than a typical first day back from vacation.  Luci whined and squirmed in her chair, like I was making her sit on tacks.  Rissy paid no attention to the page I was teaching,  but she flipped forward (in each book) to more "interesting" pages!  Annamarie cried twice.  The second time she cried, I sent her to her room and said, "When the girls are playing later this afternoon, you will be doing school work!"  Humpf!  . . . wait a minute . . . (my words caught up to my brain) . . . that means *I* will be teaching again this afternoon!  (guess I'll never say *that* again!)

Rissy cooked our dinner.  It started with me having her brown the meat for Mexican soup.  Then, I opened all the cans of beans, hominy, tomatoes, and tomato sauce AND got the spices down from the cupboard.  She asked if she could take over and I let her.  All I did was add water to the stock pot.  She took it from there. While I was teaching Annamarie in "afternoon school" (so dumb, I'll never say that again!!!!), Rissy baked the caramel cake and cleaned up everything from hand mixer to bowls.  What a help!  The Mexican soup was excellent and Jesse asked for seconds after his long hard day at work.  He had a horrible day at work (I won't go into it), and I pray today is much better for him!  I pray today is much better for ALL of us!!!!

I woke up this morning early.  I didn't look at the clock because I was afraid it was SOOOOO early I'd feel worse than I will (most likely) feel, anyway.  Something about KNOWING how early you wake up makes the symptoms of sleep deprivation worse!

I snapped a few pictures of my girls, this morning.  I had to laugh at the pictures I've been posting lately.  Only early morning pictures!  No pictures of my children dressed in *CLOTHES* - only nightgowns!  They truly *do* own clothes and we *DO* get dressed (eventually) around here!   Everyone needs a shower today and hair washed.  That will happen *BEFORE* dressing!  But, just for for the record, they don't wear nightgowns 24/7!!!

I AM tired.

I ordered some more school books.  I found them (for very cheap, cheap, cheap) on Amazon.com.  Two of the character building books I was talking about yesterday.  Brand new the first two volumes would cost $80, plus shipping and handling.  I bought the first two volumes for $31.23, which *INCLUDES* shipping.  That was a true blessing!

Luci isn't feeling well.  I think I woke up early due to allergies (throat was swollen again) and Luci is taking her allergy medicine (as of yesterday), again.  This morning, she sounds like she has a full blown cold.  She also has a nasty loose cough. 

She woke up and came walking out of the bedroom in her shroud of a princess blanket!

Be blessed  ~

I'm so glad I have no where to go today.  The girls (Annamarie & Luci) talked 4-EVER in their bed last night, which also kept me awake.  No TV or video games for the girls today.  We're having a problem listening to Mom, lately.  Except Chirper, and I think he listens because food might be in store for him if he pays attention to me!  Nonetheless, Chirper "loved" me awake and is in one of his affectionate moods this morning.

So sweet.  He loves EVERYONE so much!

Today's To Do List:
*  Homeschool resumes . . . I teach/Children learn
*  Wash our sheets
*  Invent dinner (just took ground beef out of freezer to make ?????)
*  Bake cake (I've already baked muffins this morning for breakfast)
*  Call public school office
*  Clean big screen TV and the glass end table in our den
*  Wash hair
*  Read newest book, if I have time

I better leave, now . . .

Be blessed  ~

Something about turning the page to a new year makes me feel hopeful and inspired about what the new year will hold. 

You may have to remind me of these statements in a few months when the hum drum dailies continue to roll by!!!  Maybe not, though.  If we have foster children coming and going, life may be VERY exciting.  Then again, we could have one set of siblings that stay for a long time . . . one never knows (thus, how easily excited I become when thinking of the new year)!

I'm grateful for our fireplace and our stock pile of wood!  We've kept our fireplace going almost non-stop since the cold front came blazing through here a few days ago.  Even the pets are hanging out close to the fire!

Stormy was close by, on the back of another sofa in the den, soaking up the warmth!

Let me explain . . .

Jesse picked up my new vacuum cleaner on Saturday.  I'm in love!!! It's a Dyson "animal" and has the same powerful suction as my Kirby, but less than half the weight, on board attachment tools (Kirby doesn't), AND no filters, belts, or bags to change.  I don't know how it's constructed, but it REALLY cleans.  I cleaned the den, formal living room and dining room and had a canister full of junk!!!!  I KNEW we were filthy people!

Seriously, it sucked the edge of our old carpet out from the tack board in one doorway, AND . . . picked up some kind of silty sand or "DUST"  (powder like consistency) from the carpet.  Jesse figured it was sucking stuff from the cement foundation through the carpet pad (which I believe has disintegrated, anyway) and from the backing of our carpet. 

You don't empty the canister by pulling it off and shaking stuff loose, you push a button and the bottom of the canister opens up and the collection of filth falls out.  Jesse said I should start emptying it over the outside trash cans.  When we attempted to "pull the plug" the grunge in the bag was like powder.  *Literally* like powder.  I had to clean up from the places where we missed the trash can and it felt like talcum powder.  I don't doubt that's what my Kirby has been vacuuming up all along and why the bag always fills so quickly.   I used to used my Eureka first and THEN the Kirby for the microscopic stuff.  That's the way I saved bags.  Since my Eureka quit, I have been using the Kirby only and the bag fills up every 3 or 4 times I vacuum.  A bit too expensive for my tastes!

So, now you know how I've been spending my time for the past few days.  Jesse caught me looking off in space yesterday and asked what I was thinking.  I jokingly said, "Ohhh, I was thinking about vacuuming, again!"  We both got a chuckle from that and I think he was pleased with his purchase for me.  I'm very practical and prefer "home equipment" (whatever?!!!) to extravagant gifts of luxury.  I think my new Dyson "Animal" IS a luxury!!!

I think I'll have the girls sit with me at the table today while I plan 2 weeks of lessons.  I can discuss with each of them what they will be learning and it will make them feel like they are back in school again after such a long break.  You know?  Just the discipline of sitting at the table with their books???  Don't forget, we stopped "regular school" the week of Thanksgiving.  That's when I switched to "December school" which was covering things their regular books leave out. 

Some of the things we studied that deviated from their usual textbooks was:  1)  Fine Arts: "Mona Lisa" & "Whistler's Mother", etc.;  2)  Middle East History:  Egypt, the Nile, pyramids, King Tut;  3)  Geography:  The 7 continents & details about them like rivers, deserts, & animals within them;  4)  Fables & Tongue Twisters:  They LOVED it (!!!);  5)  Reading:  Not them reading but *me* reading fairy tales to them.  I never read them when the girls were younger.  I was afraid it would make them fearful.  Now they are older and I felt more comfortable reading them "Goldilocks", "Rapunzel", "Rumpelstiltskin",  "Hansel & Gretel", etc.; and, 6)  Science:  Animals and their habitats with the food chain thrown in for gory measures!!!

Now it's back to the same ol' books!  They are very excited that we will have new History, Geography, Health, and Science books to start.  It's only a continuation of what they had before, but since they are new books . . . they are great books!  The phonics will be new also.  It will take a while for the books to arrive in the mail, but maybe not too long.  I doubt this time of year is when many people order school books for their home schools.  That's another good thing about schooling year round, we seem to miss the flurry of book orders and time delays in mailing.

Today's To Do List:
*  Make up the list of bills that need to be paid in the next 10 days (done)
*  Pay bills that are due this week (done)
*  Order school books for girls (done)
*  Plan school lessons for 2 weeks
*  Call bank to redo our equity line of credit (we renew it each January) (done, the banker called me)
*  Call our public school administration office to see what I'll need to enroll foster children
*  Bake a cake
*  Keep the fireplace going for extra warmth

Be blessed  ~

Thank you all so much for the nice anniversary wishes.  That's why I asked Jesse to read my blog. 

We didn't do anything "great" expect spend the day together, and that's pretty great since it rarely happens!  AND, I didn't have to cook yesterday.  That's REALLY great!!! LOL!

We bought a beef tenderloin and had the butcher halve it.  We're having that tonight.  That's one more meal to eat at the white & beige table before I put away the fancy stuff!

Jesse has taken the girls and JanaLyn shopping at Wal-Mart (they all have money burning a hole in their pockets!) and then out to lunch at CiCi's Pizza.  He's a braver soul than I.  Four little girls out on a Saturday with nice weather before another cold front moves in later today????  No way would I go to Wal-Mart!  But, he had to exchange Luci's bike.  There was a defect and the training wheels were unable to be fastened on one side.

While they have been gone, I've done several loads of laundry, used the broom under the washer and dryer (YIKES!!!!  I was living in filth!!!!), cleaned the kitchen and run the dishwasher and have a few things that need to be washed by hand soaking.  The kitchen sink has been scoured.  The girls' restroom mirror is polished.  I transferred some money into our account (from our business account) and paid a few bills.  I ate a salami & cheese sandwich in between sitting, standing, and walking by my desk!  I was just getting ready to transfer birthdays to my new 2009 calendar when I saw I hadn't finished this post I had started earlier.

My house feels better.  I found out . . . You can't clean your house if you're never home!  And it definitely had become a dumping ground in the past few days.  All I have left is my desk (yeah!  I know!) and I'll be satisfied that I've done a lot of cleaning today!

No "To Do List" today, everything I intended to do is *done* except for the few papers on my desk and the 2009 calendar.  By the time I finish, the gang will be home!

Be blessed  ~

We are going to eat lunch and dinner out and that's the extent of our celebration.

Nothing special and nothing fancy.  We couldn't come up with something that was doable, since the girls' have an afternoon therapy appointment and Stephanie, our babysitter, is working and not available until 7pm or later.

So, our FAMILY, that remains here living with us, is celebrating our 11th Anniversary!!!  Apropos, I think!

I dug up and scanned some old pictures.  My scanner/printer is on its last legs and the color is HORRIBLE.  I can't even successfully edit the reddish color away.  But here you go!  A green instead of reddish picture!!!!

We were married on a Friday and Jesse took off from his job on Monday to clear out his apartment.  On Tuesday he was fired from his job.  On Thursday I became (embarrassingly) ill with bronchitis, which lasted for a couple of weeks.  We had to postpone our wedding reception until the end of the month because I wasn't able to pull together anything until I felt better.  What a way to start a marriage.  Jesse went back to waiting tables the first of February and I had a miscarriage at the end of February.

So much for a rocky start!

We've been through many sickness or maladies together.  Within a year of our marriage, I was struck with a debilitating back problem (my spine was collapsing) and received an early death prediction from a doctor.   God healed me (suddenly) and I've been going and blowing strong ever since.

Jesse had an accident at the restaurant.  He slipped on a wet kitchen floor.  He required two ankle surgeries and finally a disability claim was settled on a permanently ruined ankle.  No more waiting tables.  Throughout it all, God provided financially for us in one miracle after another.

His daughter Nikki went to live with her mother in October of 2001.  A heavy, sickening blow to us and our Christian values.  In December, my grandfather died.  In January, my uncle died.  In February and March Jesse had family members die and then in April another of my uncles died.  The next few years were filled with foster children (drug and/or alcohol exposed infants) and worrying about our own grown children.  We continued to hold fast to our faith and grew together as we grew in our Lord's presence.

We were blessed and able to moved to a larger home (almost double the space we had in our first tiny home), which was a HUGE "fixer upper" and we continued to foster babies.  But, 2000 square feet was easier to breath in, compared to the 1060 square feet where we started, sometimes with 4 foster children.

Several weeks after moving here, Nikki came home from an OB appointment to meet (face to face) burglars in our home.  She was savvy enough to grab our phone as they ran out the back door.  She ran out the front door to ID their vehicle and called her dad, and then me, to tell us her news.  We told her to call 911 and he and I raced home.  What a scare.  She went into early labor that night (scared the baby right outta her!) and Jaiden came out a beautiful baby with lots of dark hair.  Eventually, almost all of what was stolen from our house was returned.

We prayed the very minute we got home and the burglars ended up taking most of our jewelry (within an hour of the break in) to the pawn shop Jesse and Stephanie's husband (our son-in-law) worked.  Jesse had left to come and be with Nikki, here at the house, but the burglars sold our stuff to Rob!!!!!  They like him so much, they came back the following Tuesday (while Jesse was bringing Nikki home from the hospital), but Rob was ready for them.  He called the police and then chatted with the 2 men until the police showed up at the store.  Talk about another miracle!!!!

After Jaiden was a few months old, Nikki left again to go back to Denver and married Jaiden's dad.  So much for a teenager to handle, but she's done well.  We miss seeing her, and it's been hard, but we continue to enjoy phone calls.

So here we are 11 years later, thinking of the bumps and jolts.  They don't compare to the blessings that have been brought to us.  They don't compare to the sweetness our marriage has acquired and the peace we both feel being married to the other.

We have 3 children that are ours and Jesse is step-father to Stephanie and I am step-mother to Nikki.  Five beautiful daughters.  MORE of a blessing that we ever anticipated.

In eleven years, I have never lost the thrill I feel when Jesse opens the front door, coming home from work.  I still feel a rush when we hold hands.  Just watching him do something simple (like pumping gas into my Suburban while the girls and I sit inside) makes my heart swell with feelings of love.

I love him, I care about his heart, I like him (like a best friend), I enjoy his company so much, and I love sharing our day with each other in the evening.  I praise God for the wonderful job He did matching us, one with the other.

I have fuzzy and vague recollections of what life was like before I met him.  But they are so fuzzy and most of those years have been replaced by all of the memories he and I create daily.  Life is good.  Our God is good.    

When you first get married, you are so full of hope, joy, and you tend to see the world and your future with stars in your eyes.  I wonder if we were told what the rough spots would be in the next few years if we would be brave enough to still willingly say, "Til death do us part"?????

I'm off to get dressed and do little girls' hair so we can spend the day together.