On the Road Again!

We had a very nice Thanksgiving Weekend. We left Sunday and went to Gerald's parents house. We dropped the kids off and then Gerald and I went to the city to enjoy some time alone. We had a very nice dinner together and enjoyed some quiet time. We also did a little shopping. We were back at Grandmas before the kids even went to bed.

Monday we celebrated Thanksgiving with the family.

My mom has been in the hospital for the last week. Her first round of chemo just about did her in and she has been slowing recovering in the hospital. The pneumonia is still a concern, but there are rumors that she is about to be discharged. The kids and I are going to head down to Montana in a day or two (depending on when the discharge happens) to help take care of her. Her doctor has ordered her to rest and not do any work whatsoever! So we will be there to make sure that she follows those orders. We are so thankful that she is doing better and that we once again have the privilege to help take care of her. That will be her one and only round of chemo - she has decided not to take any more.

Gerald will once again hold down the home front. It is never fun to be separated as a family. If you live in our area please check up on Gerald now and then while we are gone. In September when we were gone I heard that he ate several meals of cheese sauce and chips. :(

The kids are excited to see Grandma and Grandpa Pust again. Pray for our safety in traveling, to stay connected even though we are separated, and that my mom would continue to improve.

Thank you very much,

Sandy

Mental Health Day

I am more behind than ever!!! Have you ever felt that way? Some of the lists are in my head and some are actually written down. Today I feel overwhelmed with it all and so far haven't done a thing except teach school. Don't get me wrong - we have been busy. We've canned apple juice and apple butter. We have also canned pizza sauce and salsa. There are tomatoes on the counter and tomatoes in the freezer. There are cut up peppers in the freezer and way more peppers sitting in the garage waiting to be taken care of. There are also several stalks of celery sitting in pails in the garage waiting to be taken care of. I've made desserts for fundraisers, watched my nephews for a weekend, supervised piano practice, taught school four hours every day, picked apple for the children to host a fundraiser, completed all the necessary paperwork for police checks and child abuse registry for helping out at Awana at the church down the street, said no to directing at Awana. I've harvested seeds from my flowers and stored them away for next year. I washed, dried, and folded countless loads of laundry. I've taken Andrew to the doctor and then onto the pharmacy to get new asthma medicine. We've been to the library to check out books, and driven kids to birthday parties. We've attended a presentation on Noah's Ark, got together with our home school group to kick off the year, had our first gym night, and I've attended two mom's meetings.

I've been busy!!!

But the list doesn't seem to get any shorter. The bathrooms desperately need to be cleaned, I need to make an appointment for flu shots and for Andrew's vaccination (I'm only a year behind on this one). I am always working on lesson plans and making sure that I haven't forgotten anything - although I did discover today I am about a week behind in assigning a science project to Caleb. I am always planning meals, cooking, or doing dishes. The house hasn't been dusted in - well, I can't remember since when. The extra bedroom has become a catchall room that is starting to look like - well, one of those houses that you read about where authorities enter the house to find only a trail accessible. The rest of the room is covered in junk. Those peppers and the celery in the garage need to be taken care of in the next day or two. Floors need to be cleaned, living room picked up, and still piano to be practiced. The garden plants need to be cleaned out as do the flowers. And then there is the quilt that I would love to finish and the next child waiting for theirs to be started. When is there time for that??

So today I am going to curl up on the couch with a cozy blanket and do nothing. That list isn't going to run away and I need a day off. It is a mental health day for me. Maybe I'll make a cup of hot chocolate and look at the quilting magazine I checked out from the library. Everything will seem better in the morning.

Sandy

Grandma' s House

The kids and I arrived home last Saturday evening after being at my mom's house for a week. The kids didn't really want to come home yet. They did miss Gerald but thought that he could just come to Grandma's house. They had a very good time - even though Grandma was recovering and spent lots of time in bed. They were good helpers too, mowing the lawn, watering flowers, feeding the birds and squirrels, and helping in the house with dishes and anything Grandma asked them to do. Grandma Katie also spoiled the kids by sending me to the video store so they could watch the original Star Wars trilogy. They were thrilled and loved them!


We also decorated cupcakes and went to the nursing home to help my Grandma celebrate her 95th birthday.



We also enjoyed beautiful sunsets!!


My mom is still recovering from her surgeries. She will be starting chemo shortly followed by radiation. We had a great week at her house with her and feel so blessed to have been able to help her out. The following picture is one week after her surgeries!


This past week was spent getting back into our normal routine here at home and connecting as a family again. Tomorrow I hope to get some work done in my garden and enjoy a quiet weekend.

Sandy

Off to Montana...

This past week flew by much too quickly. We had another great week of school, the kids started piano lessons, I had an appointment with the doctor about my shoulder, the moms of our home school group met to plan the year, my mom had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, and we let Andrew open his birthday present early.

School is going great - I am loving that we are organized and the school days are running smoothly. The kids are getting into the swing of the routine and picking up where they left off last year.

I had an appointment on Tuesday for the surgeon to evaluate my arm. He sent me for an x-ray and I will see him in three weeks. We assume the plan is still to try another cortisone shot. The surgeon (he is doing the shot - we are not considering surgery) wants to be sure which tendon is giving me all the problems before we precede. It is almost a year since my shoulder first starting hurting.

Our home school group is gearing up for another year. We love being part of this group. We are planning a penny carnival for the kick off. The kids have some great friends in that group and so do I!!

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a little while ago. This is a secondary cancer in that she was diagnosed with multiple myloma several years ago. She had surgery Thursday to remove the tumor. They got most of it - but not all of it. Three hours after her surgery they took her back into surgery to try to get control of the bleeding. She is still in the hospital and starting to recover. The kids and I are leaving in the morning to head down to Montana. We plan on being there when she gets out of the hospital and spend some time at home with her helping her out. We packed up all of our school books. We will have school and help mom in any way that she needs.

Andrew's 10th birthday is on Monday. His birthday wish was for our family to spend the day together, have a scavenger hunt, and have brownies to eat. Since then Grandma had surgery and we will not be together as a family. We let him open his present tonight. He was thrilled - a new watch! Hopefully on Monday we can do something to help him have a special day. He told Gerald that he has a week to get his scavenger hunt ready.

We would covet your prayers for the next week,
Sandy

Weekend News

We finished our first week of school. We're off to a good start - the week went smoothly and it feels like we are starting to get into a routine. For the next few weeks a few more things are added to the schedule. We are attempting to keep the schedule somewhat simple this year - we will see how successful we are at that.

To celebrate the arrival of the weekend and the successful first week of school we had a fire last night.It was nice to sit and relax as we watched the flames.

This is how Caleb looked - see what he is holding in both of his arms!

Do you think he wanted to play catch??? He asked Gerald if he thought his knee was good enough to play a little football catch. When Gerald told him yes, he would throw with him but not do plays or running Caleb acted as if he won the lottery. He ran to the garage, got both footballs and sat down on the chair by the fire to wait. How patiently do you think he waited?

Later the kids played with their swords - something they have been into for a long time already.

By the way, the boys took the last two pictures. They are definitely getting better at using the camera. They love to take their own pictures.

We spent all morning in the basement cleaning and rearranging. If I would be honest I would admit that the basement only gets cleaned about once or twice a year. We went through ALL the toys and cleaned out what was broken or what the kids didn't want any more. We changed things around so that it is a little more user friendly. We also rearranged the school room. It is nice and clean down there - a good accomplishment!!

Tonight Olivia helped me make Cream of Broccoli and Cheese Soup for supper. The carrots, celery and onion came from the garden. They were picked, washed and in the pot within a few minutes. Olivia informed the family at supper time that the soup was very healthy! That is one of her favorite meals.

We're looking forward to a day of rest tomorrow!

Sandy

Wordless Wednesday

Anniversary - School

Yesterday we celebrated a golden anniversary with Gerald's parents. Fifty years of marriage!! What a blessing to be able to be a part of this special day. The whole family attended church with them in the morning. We enjoyed a disco lunch that their friends cooked for us. We took family pictures and decorated for the reception later in the day. The reception was a wonderful occasion to listen to stories about their lives - from courting days to marriage, from crazy competitions to sharing their lives and their Lord with others. We are very blessed with the heritage they are passing down to us and our children. We love you mom and dad!!!

Fifty Years of Marriage

After 15 weeks of summer vacation we started school today. Last week the kids weren't very excited yet but as the books came out and the walls began to be covered with posters and curriculum they started hanging out in the school room.

We started this school year by letting them sleep in. We didn't get home until 10:30 last night from the anniversary celebration so we decided to let them sleep in until 8:00 am. We had a great first day of school. It will take me awhile to settle into a good routine but it feels good to have had a great start.

Even though she doesn't look like it she was excited to start Grade Two

Ready for Grade Three

Grade Five

2009 - 2010 School Year

The Teacher

World Championships

Most of you think that the world championships are taking place in Berlin, Germany! But today there was a competition that took place on Reimer Field in Steinbach, Manitoba. The high jump was the only competition that was recorded. The following pictures prove that the above said competition actually took place - including the medal ceremony. The father of the contestants even made it off the couch to watch the final jump of the competition.

The Bronze Medalist

The Silver Medalist

The Gold Medalist

Showing off their capes and medals (ribbons)

Gerald is recovering nicely - although he is getting tired of laying on the couch. He saw the doctor this morning who said his incisions look good and are healing. The doctor cleaned the incisions (including a blood clot that had formed in one of them) and taped them closed again.

Not his normal pose

We are heading out to Rosenort tomorrow to help celebrate Gerald's parents 50th anniversary on Sunday. The day is full of many events and promises to be a great time of celebrating a wonderful occasion. And, the sun is suppose to shine!!!

Enjoy the weekend,
Sandy

Gerald's Knee Surgery

We woke up this morning with the hospital calling to ask us to come an hour earlier since they were running ahead of schedule. So we got the kids ready and off and left for the hour drive to the hospital. Getting through admitting was a breeze and Gerald was quickly laying on his bed waiting to be taken to the O.R. And we waited and waited until just a few minutes before his originally scheduled time. Hurry up and wait!!

The surgery went well with the cartilage being ground up and sucked out (that was Gerald's definition - he watched the whole thing on the screen). The staff was amazing and they took very good care of us. I had a very relaxing time sitting around the waiting room and then next to his bed. I previewed Andrew's text books for this year and cross stitched. Probably the most relaxing day I have had in awhile.

The drive home wasn't so great for Gerald as he ended up laying down in the back of the van hoping the nausea would pass. All the bumps on the roads didn't help either. He walked into the house went to the bathroom and laid down on the couch. He said the pain has hit - as they said it would. He'll take it easy for the next few days. So far the kids are offering to take care of their dad - we'll see how long the enthusiasm for that lasts. I might have to remind them that they don't have to wake him up to ask how he is doing.

Thankful for a successful surgery,
Sandy

The Circus Came to Town

We have had almost four inches of rain in the last four and a half days. The kids are getting very bored with being inside the house. I even let them watch two DVD's today - that is almost unheard of in our house. Last I checked they aren't predicting rain for tomorrow. My garden has been stagnant for a long time. My harvest expectations get lower every week.

The circus came to our house yesterday in the form of our children. They decided to put on a show for Gerald and I - tickets and all. We had a great time.

Deep Sea Diver Cute Cotton

Misses Grannie trying to jump rope


Hidney Togbey playing hockey

Tomorrow before lunch Gerald and I head to Grace Hospital in Winnipeg. His knee surgery is scheduled for 2:00 pm. If all goes well he should be leaving the hospital a few hours later. I told Gerald I was a little worried about him - this is his second surgery in two years. Last year he had his three hernias repaired.

I am starting to work on the school room. We are planning on starting school next Monday. The kids said they are excited to be in the next grade and see what's in their books but are not ready to start school. I told them we are starting whether they are ready or not. We have had 15 weeks of summer vacation - it is time to hit the books again. And, they are calling for rain several days next week so we will likely be inside the house anyway.

Trying to keep dry,
Sandy

Lewis & Clark State Park, ND

We arrived home last night from our camping trip to Lewis & Clark State Park with Glenn and Nancy. We had great weather, fun in the water, wonderful food, and great time of connecting with family.

Many games of 'grounders' were played on the playground

Grilling some chicken

Cooling off by watching a DVD in the shade

A fun afternoon at the lake

Nice tree climbing Caleb

The kids are in Rosenort tonight at Grandma and Grandpa Reimer's house. We have a wedding to attend tomorrow so Grandma took the kids home tonight. There were very excited to go. As they pulled off the driveway they asked again how many nights they would be there. I am not sure what the response was when they were told it was only one night.

Enjoy your weekend,
Sandy

We're Leaving Tomorrow!

The pile of items to pack into the van has grown tremendously as we have organized and packed all day today. We are leaving in the morning to head down into the states. We plan on having a week of vacation with my sister and her family. Our annual camping trip with them. We are all looking forward to time away from home, shopping at Target, relaxing by the fire, and connecting with family again.

Hope your week goes well too!!
Sandy

Goodbye Lobo!

Yesterday Lobo left our house with his new owners. There were lots of tears here after he left. This morning it felt a little strange without him and yet all three kids said they felt good about the home he went to. He is joining a family with four kids and another Schnauzer about a year older than he is. The new owners said that the kids could come and visit him if they wanted to. They live a little over an hour from us. Since our initial conversation this morning about him being gone life has continued on and there hasn't been a single comment about Lobo. Both Gerald and I feel like we gave the kids time to adjust to the idea before it even happened and that helped the transition.

Our neighbor Jake died on Saturday. He had been in the hospital for awhile. He had a stroke a month ago. Even though Jake moved into an apartment almost a year ago he still lived close by and when we would see him the kids would run and give him a hug. He still stopped by for a visit every now and then and we had visited him in his apartment. Jake was a great neighbor to us and we will miss him.

We had a fun weekend with Gerald's family in Pinawa. I think Andrew's count of deer he saw was somewhere in the sixties. We went rafting/tubing down a river. The kids also went tubing behind Uncle Milt's boat. All three of them counted those two events as the highlight of the weekend.

Today it is laundry - quite a few loads as we catch up from being gone. The kids are playing outside and we are enjoying the sun!!

Sandy

Rainy Day Parade!

The kids are off at the parade - in the rain! They walked to Gerald's office (the parade goes right by his office). So the four of them are watching the parade while I am at home - dry!! Do you think they will share their loot with me if I am dry and they are cold and wet?

I took Lobo out to the kennel as we are leaving today for the weekend. We are spending the weekend with Gerald's family in Pinawa. We are looking forward to the weekend. While the weather doesn't sound all that great I am sure we will have a great time.

So, until Monday,
Sandy

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

I purchased my first Christmas present last week. And as of today I have three checked off the list. I'm feeling pretty good about what I have accomplished already. I told the kids that I purchased a gift for one of them today and it is for the child that has an A in their name. They didn't think that helped a whole lot. This year I am determined to finish early and space it out so that it isn't so overwhelming!

Our family has decided to get rid of our dog, Lobo. The kids were not very happy about the idea at first. It has been a process but now we are all on the same page and ready for him to go - not that we won't cry the day he leaves. We have had several inquiries and one that wants to come a look at him. We all agreed that we would work to find a good home for him. Now that we are all ready for him to go I hope it happens soon.

I love this picture of Olivia. I took it last Sunday while the boys were playing tennis. She was peeking around the tree. She is growing up so fast! What a beautiful young girl!!!!

Off to take a family walk,
Sandy

Sunday Afternoon Tennis Match

Dear Sweet Fuzzy Little Bunny,

I know that you are a growing bunny. And you are very cute - we've seen you as you quickly hop away from us. We know that you need to eat your vegetables to grow big and strong like your parents. And we know that carrots are especially good for you. They are oh-so-tasty straight from the garden. But, we don't particularly think that you need to rob our garden to enjoy your delicious vegetables. So, today the boys of this household created a barrier around the garden. Caleb and Andrew believe that you are too little to make it over the "moat" they created. We will keep watching the carrots very closely to see how many more are lost and if you somehow manage to wiggle your way into the garden stronger measures will have to take place around here. Do we understand each other?? Good! Have a good evening finding a new source of dinner.

P.S. We do think you look very cute!

The lazy days of summer

Olivia's Birthday Party!

Although Olivia's birthday was last Sunday today she had a party with five of her friends. She could hardly wait for 3:30 to come so her friends would arrive. They had a great time making some foam purses, having a scavenger hunt, making pizza, and eating cake. Hard to believe she is 7 years old already. We are so blessed to have her in our family!!! We love you Olivia!

(Searching for scavenger clues)

(Opening presents)

(Her ballet shoes cake)

(Singing Happy Birthday)

Until later,
Sandy

We're Back!

Our two month hiatus from blogging is over! I can't promise that we will be consistent but we will try to post again before sixty days pass by. I won't even try to go over all that has happened in the last two months. We had some great visits with family, good holiday time, celebrated two birthdays, and completed some projects in the house. This week Gerald is back at work and the four of us are carrying on with our summer break from school. Although, the younger two did bring up all their school books the other day and start looking through them.

Our cool rainy summer hasn't done much for the garden. We ate the two cucumbers on the plant and there isn't even one more that is growing yet. The harvest will be very slim this year!! On the other hand my flowers look amazing!! I am so proud of them - especially since I grew most of them from the seeds that I harvested last year.The big news of today is that Olivia got her first big hair cut. We have always kept it trimmed but have never done more than that. It was starting to get really ratty at the bottom and there was often lots of tears when we fixed it. Here is her before picture.

And here is the after picture - six inches shorter!

We all think she looks great! She was so excited to be able to wash it herself (with a little coaching) tonight. And it is still long enough to do some princess hairdos!

And that's all for today!
Sandy

Home and Gone Again

Gerald and I had a great time at Abundant Springs. And, the kids had a great time at home with Miss Brenda! A huge thank you to her for taking care of the kids during that time. The last two days we have unpacked, done laundry, and now repacked for our trip tomorrow. We are leaving in the morning for Cody's wedding and then on to my sister's house for a bit of a holiday. So there will not be a new post for about 10 days. We are looking forward to the wedding and some R&R. See you after that!

Sandy

Foto Friday

Summer Vacation Starts Today!

It is a cool, cloudy, rainy day today but summer vacation has started for us!!! Yep, we finished school today. Actually, Olivia was inspired yesterday to finish all her work. The boys decided to follow suit today and completed all their work. How does it feel???? Excellent!!!! We are very excited to have finished first, second and fourth grade. They worked very hard all year and we are going to celebrate tonight by going out for supper before Andrew's soccer game.

Andrew's first game was Tuesday evening. Gerald and Olivia went to the game while I went with Caleb to his practice. Andrew played goalie the first half and defense the second half. They won the game and that is always an encouraging way to start the season.

And so about that memo we didn't get.... Remember this post? Take a look at the current picture I took today.

Yes, you are seeing a third house for sale down the street. I guess the race is on to see which one will sell first. Lots of opportunity to get to know new people coming up!!!

Off to get ready to go out for supper with my family,
Sandy