Monday DayLook: October 20, 2014

Looking out my back porch... it’s sunny today.

I am thankful for... good friends, my family’s good health, the fact that I can homeschool, living on a farm, fresh eggs.

I am reading… I’ve started reading this blog because while I’m not really into ‘fashion’, I would like to be able to combine what I have to make nice outfits.  I really appreciate Cyndi’s style…and she’s Christian.

I am praying for...  a young man who was in a serious car accident and has many months of recovery ahead of him.  Also praying our country’s leaders are able to make wise decisions and thus contain the Ebola virus that has now entered our country’s borders.

A random thought… I’d just like the members of my family, who are old enough, to pick up (and keep picked up) their OWN belongings.  Is this really such an impossible request/wish/want?

A favorite quote… “No one in the world can alter truth.  All we can do is seek it and live it."  ~ St. Maximilian Kolbe

I am hearing... the two youngest rolling around on their plasma cars.  This noise is worth it…yea, I know it can be hard on the floors, but my sanity and their ability to get out that extra energy is well worth it.

From the sewing/craft room… I’ve been thinking about Christmas & holiday crafts.  It seems early, but the time goes so fast.

From the School Room... we are pluggin’ away.  Graham and Zeke are staying on top of their subjects and doing great.  Angelina finds grammar, science (Biology), and Latin challenging this year, but I think it’s good for her to be challenged.  Most years, she doesn’t find the school work too hard.  Greg is does well, when he’s consistent in doing his work every day.  And therein lies his challenge! 

From the Kitchen...  I would so like to spend more time in my kitchen! I’m craving soups and baked goods.

From the FarmYard… we are almost ready to merge the chicken flocks.  This is probably the longest we’ve let the young flock stay in the Wahoo.  But, Fall has been so hectic.

A successful moment… making it through the month of September felt gratifying. 

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: stayin’ home, FB practice for Greg every day of the week

Tuesday: dance for Angelina

Wednesday: stayin’ home

Thursday: dance for Angelina

Friday:  NDSCS Diesel Days for Greg & the Bishop is in town to bless our newly remodeled rectory.

Saturday/Sunday: Football playoff game for Greg, 4-H Awards Program

A picture memory...

September 2011 – WOW…have they all changed.

What’s up?

Lots and lots of football games.

Greg is #69 and a lineman for the Loboes.  He looks huge in his gear.  I’m always amazed that he used to be my 9lb 1oz baby boy.  Crazy.  They are having a good year.

 

Zeke is #55 in the Wolfpack 4th-6th grade team.  He’s also a lineman.  He loves the tackling.  Their team is fun to watch.  Such enthusiasm.

 

Graham is also playing flag football.  They play a 15 min scrimmage during the half-time of a couple home games.  He’s the kid in the middle of the photo with dark pants.  These kids are just racing all over.  Lots of laughing parents.

 

So, yeah.  We’ve been going to a lot of football games.  Some Saturday and Monday, but pretty much every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday since the last week in August.  Schoolwork is still getting done (we started after Labor Day…that post may or may not ever get posted!)…RE started last week…Angelina started dance in September (that’s a month earlier than normal and has it ever impacted our schedule in a crazy way)…Eric’s been gone for two weeks…the tomatoes still need to be harvested…we had a nursery do a bit more landscaping/tree planting (LOVE IT!)…we are attending our first BISON game as a family on Saturday.  And that’s about it in a really small nut shell.

DayLook: Thursday, August 14, 2014

I am thankful for... the days of August when the weather is mild, kids enjoy being outside, chicken butchering is done for the year, and school hasn’t started yet.

I am looking forward to…Greg’s senior year of school and all that goes with it, football games for my boys and the NDSU Bison, camping one more time with family at the end of the month (never thought you’d hear me say that…for those of you who know me well!), and late Summer/early Fall colors in the flower garden.

I am reading… novels on my kindle.  Eric and I watched Divergent the other night, and while I’d read Divergent, I hadn’t read the other two books in the trilogy.  After watching the movie, I read the other books within the next two days.  I enjoyed the series for the most part.  I appreciated closure at the end, even if it’s wasn’t how I’d envisioned.

I am praying for...  a successful and uneventful harvest for our family and a smooth start to our school year.  October will mark one year since my dad’s accident.  I pray for him and everyone helping on my childhood farm as they enter harvest (and the combine) for the first time since my dad’s accident.

A random thought… another of my children has been diagnosed with shingles.  That’s right, I said another.  And they’ve both been 11 years old!  I find it interesting and maybe somewhat of a double standard that older persons who are diagnosed with shingles are not told to stay home and avoid people, but my two children…who both had the chicken pox at the ages of 3 and 1 years (not vaccine related)…were told to stay home and avoid contact with anyone.  I’d also like to see a bit more research on how/if the chicken pox vaccine is possibly related to an increase in the incidence of shingles in younger adults and children.

I am hearing... the ripple of the water from the aquarium.

From the School Room... slowly becoming organized for the coming year.  Still have last years completed work to sort through and file, but all the non-consumable texts and materials have been stored.  Supplies have been purchased and syllabi are updated.

From the Kitchen...  purchased two lugs of peaches earlier this week with the hope of canning at least one lug.  So far, we’ve only eaten them fresh, but they are delicious.  Angelina used up a zucchini by making chocolate chip zucchini cake; I frosted it with brown sugar frosting.  Very good recipe; even though I initially thought it would flop because she halved the pan size (didn’t read instructions carefully enough). 

From the FarmYard… chicken butchering was spread over three days on two different weekends.  It’s done for the year.  We’ve already started delivering some of the frozen birds to customers.  The laying hens continue to produce!  The newest layers will begin production as early as mid-September.  The sheep are done for the year, and the hogs are being taken in to the butcher in batches of 5 or 6.  It’s awesome to be able to produce so much of our own meat.  Just wish I was a little better about the garden…

A successful moment… both boys had physicals before football practice started, thank goodness.  I’d forgotten about that little, but major, requirement until two weeks ago.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
1. Mass to celebrate The Assumption.

2. Supper with friends.

3. Bills, bills, bills.

4. Trip to Fargo for a doctor appt. 

Picture memory...

Angelina’s dress for the 4-H Sew ‘n’ Show Contest.

 

Lily, purebred Black Labrador Retriever.  Newest addition to the farm and great fun.  She’s much bigger than this photo shows.  This was back in June 2014.

Clean rooms…

In an effort to encourage my children to clean their rooms and then keep them clean, I created an award.  The award is a prize of their choice (parental approval required) won by having the cleanest room at the end of the week – provided the rooms are clean.  Some prizes necessitate winning twice.

Interestingly, the award has been won – two weeks in a row – by Graham, age 7, and Louis, age 4.  Graham needed two awards to win his Hexbug and Louis needed two awards to win a Link shield. 

There have been weeks when no one has won because the rooms were simply NOT clean! 

There has been some movement toward a cleaner room for Greg & Zeke, who share a room.  Angelina loves her piles, so is farther away from a solid win. 

AND, this past week, I completely changed it up again.  Zeke was moved in with Louis and Graham into the room with Greg.  Because…I’d been finding half empty cups of iced tea and chocolate milk on dressers (and behind clean towels in cupboards), bowls of food in drawers, under the sink in the bathroom, in storage tubs…it’s just plain GROSS!  Of course, no one fesses up to the empty bowls and cups.  So, my solution was to mix up the living arrangements so I could keep track of the offenders (yes, I do have an idea of ‘who’ is doing it, but they’d always blame the roommate).  And, yes, my kids get plenty to eat, just not that kind of junk whenever they want. 

It’s part punishment/consequence for poor decisions, part older sibling helping younger sibling learn to keep a clean room and make good choices.

I have no idea if it will work or even help, but something needed to be changed.  Here goes.

Monday DayLook: March 24, 2014

Looking out from my back porch... it’s a beautiful (but cold!) sunny morning.

I am thankful for... one dance recital finished, workbooks being finished, 18 month old little boys running down the hallway, sunshine, fresh eggs, grandparents who come down for the weekend to watch grandkids in their activities, opportunity to connect with homeschool friends this past Friday, cute little wrestlers & a working washer/dryer to do laundry.

I am reading… ‘33 Days to Morning Glory.’  As I come to areas in the book where I’m asked to write or brainstorm, I’ve written everything in a journal.  I figure it’s a good record to look back to in reference.  Also started reading ‘The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling’ by Debra Bell. 

I know it seems odd for a mom who’s homeschooled for TEN years to purchase and read a book like this, but this particular book has a section on teens.  It’s what I need.  I’ve always said I reaffirm my decision to homeschool every year…and believe me, when you homeschool teens you’ll go through ups and downs that shake you and make you doubt your conviction that homeschooling is the right decision.  I’m not even through the first chapter on teens and already this book has fortified my resolve!

I am praying for... the young man from our community who is going through a difficult time.  My friend’s father came home from the hospital last week, so his long road to recovery is now taking place at home…he still needs prayers.

I am hearing... the phone is ringing again.  No need to answer this one.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… laundry is being done.

From the School Room... Greg is gone today for FFA Crop Judging, so the rest of the kids have my full attention.  We started the day in their bedrooms, because our ‘life skills’ class has been neglected the last few weeks.

From the Kitchen...  I’ve been reading ‘Say Goodbye to Survival Mode’ by Crystal Paine.  This week, I’m focusing on de-cluttering the kitchen.  I’ve included the pantry and dining room because it just makes sense to me. 

From the FarmYard… snow is almost all gone and its not as muddy anymore.  We can see buds starting to form on the trees!

A successful moment… was able to attend one day of the North Dakota homeschool convention. 

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: dance for Angelina

Tuesday: wrestling for Louis/Zeke/Graham, dance rehearsal for Angelina

Wednesday: dance for Angelina

Thursday: lunch with our new Bishop, wrestling for Louis/Zeke/Graham, dance for Angelina, Mass with the new Bishop

Friday: dance for Angelina, wrestling tourney for the Louis/Graham/Zeke

Saturday/Sunday: dance rehearsal and Ballet Academy Recital for Angelina

A picture memory...

Louis (almost 3yo) & Graham (6yo)

August 2012

Wordless Wednesday

Hand-me-downs

This is an outfit that Graham, age six, wore when he was a baby.  I love seeing my boys wear clothes that have been passed down.  Sometimes it doesn’t work because they’ve been born in different seasons or have grown differently, but it’s sure fun when it works.  I suppose I should be thankful for the cool Spring, or this may not have been possible.  Both Graham and Marcus have such blue eyes. 

What do you know!  I found the pics of Graham as a baby.  Of course, he wore the outfit at 6 months.  Before Marcus was born, I always thought Graham looked very ‘Miller’ (my side of the family tree), but after comparing one can tell Marcus is even more ‘Miller’ looking.

Cousins!

 

My mom watched my sister’s boys while she was on a trip with her husband.  On their way home, mom and the boys stopped out to visit and celebrate Mr. W’s 4th birthday with cousins! 

He was hilarious!!   He insisted that he couldn’t blow out the candles until we’d sung Happy Birthday.  He has this birthday routine down pat.

Marcus and Mr. C had fun playing together.  Well, maybe beside each other!   At least they aren’t at the stage where they both want the same toy and grab for it.

Grandma Golden Acres loves the babies.

Mr. C has such a cute little nose.  It reminds me of my sister when she was little.

Proof of Living

 

Oh, you thought my house was always clean and organized?  Not so.  I do manage to usually clean up the toys, but…not always.  They’ll just be taken out the next day, right?  It’s just proof that we actually live in our house.  All day, every day, for every hour!

A cool raccoon book for Louis from Grandma Green Acres.  He so serious sitting here!  He’s almost never still.

Graham above, working on handwriting…and Zeke below, doing the same thing.  Both absolutely love handwriting (dripping with sarcasm right now).

Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres with all the kids.  They were over for Greg’s birthday yesterday.

Just Suzie…

I am not sure when I will find time to blog consistently again!  I seem to lament about this a lot – not so much online, but in my own head.  I see I am not alone in this lament!  However, REAL life keeps me in the present and away from a keyboard.  Or, maybe it’s the fact that one more little soul in the house leaves less time for idle pursuits.  Yes, in many ways, for me this is an idle pursuit.  I didn’t set out to make waves or gain ‘friends’, or become followed by many.  While I am pleased, blessed and fortunate to have made friends because of this electronic pursuit (and make them ‘in-real-life’ friends), that just wasn’t my goal.  I DID, however, want to record my family life!  So, I suppose my priorities have changed, or in the very least, I’ve adjusted them.  And, that is good.  Besides, posts bulging with pictures are just my speed right now and they will do.
For now, blog posts are caught up to real life.    What better thing to do during a BLIZZARD.  The kids enjoyed playing their electronic gadgets; we ate leftovers when hungry; Eric was the only one to venture outside into the blowing snow after we came home from church this morning; Angelina gave Marcus a bath by himself – he enjoyed it immensely; Eric read to the kids and maybe we’ll be able to watch a movie…cuz we sure won’t be going anywhere tomorrow!  Thank goodness the electricity hasn’t even flickered.
The lower third of the state was covered in red closed roads?  Yes, we won’t be going very far out of the farmyard.
This Blizzard has been in the forecast and predicted and talked about for the last two to three days.  We were in the 8-10 or 10-12 inch range.  Most of us hoped that the weather people would be wrong or that it was a late April Fool’s Day joke.  It’s not joke and the weather forecasters weren’t wrong on this one!  I’m sure we’ve had at least 8 inches, but it isn’t done snowing.  The snow is heavy, wet and sticky.  Drifts are deep.  Clearing it will be a chore, but my husband just said, “However, it probably means we can get the snowmobiles out again.”  Yes, I see snowmobiling being in the plan for tomorrow.
Do we take a snow day from school??  I’m not as sure on that…the kids may drive me crazy if they don’t have something to do for at least part of the day.  I’d sure enjoy it though!
Good night, friends!

March 1-9, 2013

 

Whipping through the months (while the blizzard whips snow into drifts outside my kitchen window – yes, I’m writing about March during an April blizzard)…if you are still reading, ‘May God Bless YOU!’ 

This is quite possibly one of my favorite pictures of Marcus.  Taken o the 5th of March, he’s just learning to sit and entertain himself.  He rarely tips over.

The first full week in March is the Valley City Winter Show.  Eric is at the show all week, and the kids have the State 4-H Crop Judging Contest on Friday. 

Angelina is the 2013 State Junior Champion! 

This has been her goal for two years.  Zeke (Jr. division) and Dash (Sr. division) did well and improved their scores. 

This year, we took all the kids to the Winter Show on Saturday, March 9.  Usually I bring the kids in on a weekday, but with a baby, I just wasn’t up to doing it.  The grounds are usually very muddy and messy…this year was no exception.  Graham and Angelina, especially, want to see the magician that performs, but all the kids enjoy the show.  I also wanted to see the kids’ crop/seed sample entries.  Dash, Angelina, and Zeke all had multiple entries and even placed in the overall division with some of them.  It was a fun day and we ended by going to mass at 4pm in Jamestown. 

Afterwards we went out to eat at a small Chinese restaurant.  There was only one table available – their heat was out in the main dining area – but it was so worth it.  We’d not eaten there before, but we all agreed that it was the best Chinese we’d eaten in quite some time.  Plenty of leftovers for the next day, too!

February 17-28, 2013

 

Let’s see, this is the beginning of Lent.  I actually felt very prepared for Lent this year.  I’d made copies of sacrifice charts, I’d colored a calendar for Lent and hung it in the kitchen, we all made it to Ash Wednesday services…basically I had a plan.  And then we all got sick.  For two and a half weeks all the junk that everyone else had been dealing with finally came knocking on our door.  Even Marcus had his first major cold – the kind where you sorta sleep in a chair so the baby is upright and can breath and maybe sleep. 

So, you can be thankful there are not pictures!

During this time, Angelina made it to NO dance classes on Monday, but she made it to every single Hunter’s Education class.  Yes, she is now certified!  And, I think she enjoyed the class as much as Zeke enjoyed reading her manual when she came home each night.

Eric missed everything because he, for the most part, was gone to a meeting or golf trip.  Lucky him.  That’s probably fortunate, because he was responsible for taking the kids to all their activities on the weekends when he was home.

He and Dash attended Citizenship in Action, an Extension sponsored event, at the state capital (Bismarck).  Dash was elected Lt. Governor, so had quite a good time and learned a lot.

Eric and Dash also went to the Catholic Youth Advisory Board planning meeting in Langdon.  This was their first planning retreat and they had a great time.  They planned out the Jr. High Youth Rally.

Our church had their Mission weekend the last weekend in February; I really wanted to attend because the talks sounded so wonderful.  I dropped Angelina off to help with childcare each day.  Eric and the three older kids made it to the Friday night mission talk…me?  Nada.  Sick kids.

HOPEfully we are covered in immunity!  And February is at an end.

Miller Ski Trip 2012-13 (#3)

 

Now, my dad has a crazy sense of humor. I may have inherited a bit of it, but I tend toward the sarcastic.  This is totally my dad!  He found these crazy hats at a truck stop and decided that his grandkids would thoroughly enjoy them.  And, they did!!

Our family trip wouldn’t be complete without pictures.  So, first it’s Grandpa & Grandma with all the grandkids.  With this many, it’s hard to get a bad picture …or a good picture depending on how you look at the scenario.

The headbands are a little big for the littlest Golden Acre Grandkids, but they persevered.

 

The Lahlum Family…and another of the headband conquers baby pictures.

 

My parents, to whom we are thankful for giving us life and these wonderful family memories.

 

I didn’t include all my sibling family photos, but I have to include my brother Eric.  He has a great sense of humor, too.  He was replicating the Karate Kid in the above shot.  I have no idea where that came from…

now, this…I take complete creative credit for the idea that began it all.  I made an offhand comment to Anna, my sister-in-law, that, “I think they should make NDSU.”  Said sarcastically, of course!  And, from there we have the following fun…we ladies stood up on the balcony and directed the guys into proper position…and LAUGHED and LAUGHED!

Don’t worry, the guys do get better with practice.  From scrunched up on the carpet…

…to rolling up the carpet and moving some furniture..

…to the best we could do with this many people and this little space.

Then, the guys had to have their own brand of fun!!

Happy New Year!  Go Bison…a few of the group will be headed down to TX at the end of the week for the championship football game.

While the snow cover on the mountain was sufficient, the night we left…on into the morning of our departure…it snowed A LOT.  Wish we could have stayed to ski one more day. 

I should note that I chose not to ski this year.  Getting all the kids to lessons and having a 4 month old baby would have made it challenging.  And, I did want to relax.  In addition, there was ‘baby weight’ and I had no desire to shop for post-pregnancy ski pants!  This was the year to ‘take a break.’  I enjoyed visiting, reading my Kindle, watching the kids in their ski lessons, and playing Scrabble with my brothers (they actually used a timer!!).

This is the view out the balcony door on the morning of our departure.  We left for home on Jan 2.  We drove all the way home.  Thank goodness traveling wasn’t affected by the snowfall.

Overall, another excellent Miller Ski Trip.