Storms

Well, we finally got winter here in ND.  Of course, it was packed into just 5 days, but we have snow!  After the first storm this past weekend, the kids were able to get out and enjoy a bit of cross country skiing.  The current storm is still raging away, but it’s supposed to leave a bit of snow (up to possibly 12 inches).  Maybe the guys will be able to snowmobile!

Today is a storm day.  The classic, it’s too windy, snowy, unpredictable, we shouldn’t be driving kind of day.  I’ve cancelled my appt. in Fargo – and let’s hope the next day they ‘put’ me on (I didn’t get a choice with today because it’s very difficult to schedule with my dr. – and for some reason they want to see me sooner than later) fits with the family’s schedule a little better. 

While the kids don’t get school off, like every other kid around us, I’d already scheduled a lighter day.  That’s better than a full schedule, right?!?

Lenten Reading

Wednesday, the newest issue of Catholic Digest showed up in my home and the subscription is good for 2 years.  I’m not sure who purchased it, but it wasn’t me.  I’d subscribed years ago, but let it run out because of a few reasons that are most likely no longer valid.  I admit to not looking at it again until yesterday when I had a moment.  There were some great articles and suggestions on Lenten reading.

Since I’m on a cleaning out, purge the stuff, clean out the closets and drawers kind of kick this Lent, the following book fit right into the plan. 

Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit

I purchased it as an e-book on my kindle.  It asks that you do a very simple task to clean around your home, but also has a meditation for the day on how that task relates to life in a spiritual way.  The author wants the book to take you on retreat during the Lenten season.  Sounds perfect to me… I don’t have to leave the house and I get simplicity, too.

Tuesday DayLook: February 21, 2012

Looking out from my back porch... yesterday it snowed and this may just be the biggest accumulation of this winter season.

I am thankful for... a cleaner home, good food, friends, health and family.

I am reading… after reading comments and being intrigued, I’m reading “Wheat Belly.”  Very interesting.  I still love bread.

I am praying for... an improvement in a personal relationship.

I am hearing... Zeke writing away.

I am wearing… jeans, a brown t-shirt, and a striped cardigan.

From the School Room... whittling away at the subjects.  I have started planning next year’s course work and have purchases some supplies.

From the Kitchen... yesterday, I baked caramel rolls and an almond swirl bread.  My first loaf of bread didn’t ‘mix’ in the bread machine, not sure why.  A second loaf is rising nicely.

From the Garden… managed to order the seeds needed for this year’s garden.

From the FarmYard… the chicken’s were out in full force on Sunday.  They really travel around the farm yard, but they do such a great job of cleaning and scratching.

A successful moment… 5 large bags of donations for the thrift store and 3 bags/boxes for friends went to Fargo with Eric on Monday.  Two more bags of toys are ready to go out the door.

A few plans for the rest of the week… meeting a friend in Fargo to attend a Wildtree tasting at Clay Your Way, Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, district delegate convention, crop judging, 4-H meeting. 

Happy 9th Birthday!

Zeke turned 9 on the 18th of February.  We’d planned a party with both sets of grandparents, but we had to cancel because of sick kids.  So, Zeke opened gifts and had birthday cake with just his parents and siblings.  That’s how it goes some years.  But, Zeke is about as unruffled as they come.  He’s easy going and the most understanding boy.  Thank goodness!  He’s wanted a mini motorized bike for quite some time, so that will be part of his gift (update: he’s changed his mind and says it can either be the motorized bike or a go-cart – the later may be easier to find!).  Zeke will pay for part of it (he’s been saving) and we’ll pay for part, as well.

Thankfulness

Motivation eludes.  That may be an odd way to start a post titled as such, but because some in our house have been unmotivated and I seem to have a hard time motivating ‘them’, I finally just stopped worrying about it for a couple days and did something I could finish.  So, I’ve been going through closets, clothes, kitchen drawers, games, toys, dress-up clothes, basically any area that needed cleaning, organizing, or down-sizing.  Apparently, I haven’t done this for a while, or I just haven’t been ready to part with the items!  I am now. 

Which leads me to the title…

I’m thankful I have a place to donate all these items.  Some will go to the local thrift shop, some to friends, and a lot of clothing and household linens will go to a group traveling to Peru this summer.

Less is more.  Less is freeing.  Less leaves us more time for the important things.  Less can be motivating. 

Here we go again…

I’m pregnant!

We told the grandparents yesterday (they were supposed to all come for dinner, but one of the kids got sick… and both sets of grandparents are set to take long trips this week.  So, the party was cancelled.)  We told them with a bouquet of Valentine flower with the note included.

We told the kids this morning at breakfast, although some had already guessed because it’s been very hard to find ‘regular’ shirts that fit well.  It’s not my first pregnancy, so the body knows what it wants/needs to do!

While open to the possibility of another child, I’ve had an ongoing health issue that made the probability quite slim.  And, I was caught off-guard because I had what I thought was a cycle in December.  However, I wasn’t ‘really’ charting (ie. no temp taking) and I wasn’t ‘really’ paying attention to other signs.  I’m not so young anymore, cycles do funny things at this time of your life.  So, when I completely missed the January cycle, I knew something was up.

The goofy thing is that on Epiphany, I wore an outfit that didn’t make me look as slim as I normally do… and THREE people asked if I was pregnant!  Of course, I said no.  My dear friend, Beth, even told one inquirer that I’d had a Colorado Bulldog at her home the day before (Bison FB team in Championship game)…and I had.  I honestly had no idea I was expecting.  However, since that day, I had a few symptoms that really made me wonder: swollen fingers (couldn’t put my wedding ring on or take it off), almost fainted in the shower, suddenly too hot on one of the coldest days in January, tired at odd hours, my jeans are a little snug (I’d attributed that to Christmas eating, but not anymore!).

Trying to keep a pregnancy incognito when you’ve had a few pregnancies really isn’t that easy.  Let’s just say I’m thankful we were finally able to get the word out to our parents so I could dig out the maternity clothes!  The body just knows what it wants to do … expand the waistline.

So, while the first appt. has yet to occur, we know we’ll be due sometime in late September or early October.  One can never really tell with my kids who have all been various amounts over their predicted due date.  Thank goodness I’ve been feeling pretty good this time around.  Only tired in the evening, when I should be tired!