I took #2 to the state park on Sunday to hear a talk on "Birds of Prey". He didn't enjoy the talk so much, but we did have a great time together. During the talk, the ranger showed pictures from around the park. I was pretty sure I could find this osprey's nest, so afterward we went for a hike. Sure enough, we found it and walked around the cove to get a better look at it.

The above picture is as close as my camera could get to it. The picture below shows you how close we actually could get to it. We had a nice time hiking around though. It was good to be outside after so much indoor time. Today is finally a little warmer, but I am really looking forward to a few days from now when it will be in the 50s and maybe even 60 degrees!

We weren't the only ones out there on our hike. We saw lots of deer tracks and other critters. As long as we didn't see any bears I was ok. We think these were coons. Speaking of coons, the name of our Envirothon team has been decided. Go "Dirty Coon Foresters"!

----------- Today was a hard day for my family. It was the day of the Geography Bee. We had to have 6 kids to have an official bee, and we were way short. I scrounged up some children last minute to participate, including #1. Wouldn't you know, #1 won. Once he found out that he had to take a written test, and if he won I expected him to study for the next Bee, he quickly declined the award, and #2 was named the Champion. #2 had issues with his pride and didn't want to win that way. I certainly understand, but the principle of the thing is that he studied hard, beat the only other kid that had studied, and he will put the effort into it that #1 won't. It was a hard lesson and decision for all of us.

Any Time Now

Before I left for church this morning, I went out to check on the goats. We have been having nearly record-breaking cold here, and Hubby told me he heard one of the goats crying. Since three are nearly ready to kid, I thought I better go check. Emma looked like she was losing quite a lot of mucous, so I decided to come back home after Sunday School. She still hasn't kidded, but I do think it is in the works for some time today. I really am not worried about her, but the kid(s) are going to have a time of it. I think the high today is to be in the 20s. I certainly would not want to be born all wet and freezing cold! So anyway, I got straw put down, more water taken out to the trough, and checked and checked again. Now we just wait. I am planning on taking #2 to the state park to hear a talk on Birds of Prey for his new 4-H project book. Yes, we turned them in a couple of weeks ago, and now we start all over again. Hubby will be here to use the blow dryer on the kids if they come while we are gone. What excitement!

#2 Does Exist

I feel like I have been focusing on #1 lately. #2 has been having some highlights of his own though. His birthday was last week, but he wanted his buddy to be able to come over to celebrate. So we had a sleepover on Sunday night. That made the first day of school on Monday a little scattered, but he had a good time. It was very low key. He had two friends from the Envirothon team come over and play and spend the night. They managed to fall in the pond while "ice skating." They played dodge ball and corn toss in the hallway, watched a movie, and played Risk. We had an easy dinner and cupcakes for dessert.

Yesterday, we inducted new officers in 4-H. #2 is Secretary for this year. He wanted to do it, and we normally have to beg kids to do it, so I was proud of him for that. However, I think this means it will be a hard year for the mom. He took notes yesterday, and we will type them this afternoon, but I still think I will have to diligently stay on top of things.

These are all of our new officers, left to right: Treasurer, Vice President, President, Secretary, Reporter, and Photographer. School is going well so far. Yesterday I read an excerpt of Julius Caesar in bed with #2. It was nice to cuddle under the covers and read together. We haven't done that in a while. He is studying for the National Geographic Bee which will be held on Tuesday. Envirothon starts up again on Friday, so he has been trying to catch up on his reading for that as well. He is finishing up a little History for Fifth Grade this week, and then next week he is completely in the Sixth Grade. It's going to be quite a year! --------- My own school starts next week. I will have one online class to learn about doing research. I'll get an email at the end of the week to learn more about it. Here we GO!!

LOVE

These are the monkeys doing what is so impossible to do in this life. The world is just chock full of evil; so how do you not hear, see, or say it? Even if you are able to control the evil that you say, you know you are still thinking it.

Maybe LOVE is the answer. Maybe if you are continually loved on, even loved to death, then when your stuffing falls out, it is just LOVE falling out of you, instead of more evil. Today some love fell out of my son.

There is a precious baby boy that we love via the internet. His name is Jonah, and he has a skin birth defect called EB. His skin blisters and falls off each time he is touched. Today as we read about Jesus healing the crowds, #1 instantly said, "If Jesus were here I would take Jonah straight to him." There it was. LOVE oozing out in the middle of school.

He also chose to get rid of some comic books he had been given as a present because "There's a lot of cussing in it, and it is making me mad." POP! Another thread broke in the fabric as LOVE wove a new design.

After 4-H today, I stood outside talking to a friend. When I got in the van #1 asked what we were talking about. I told him my friend's father is failing and soon will leave this Earth. His first thought was how sad for the grandkids to lose their grandfather so soon. Again, LOVE slipping out at the seams.

He is a good boy, and I hope LOVE always falls out of him in such lovely ways.

Sweet Angels

Christmas morning looks different for my boys. I have almost always had to wake #1 for Christmas morning. I don't normally have to wake him, unless it is a school day, but for some reason he sleeps through Christmas.

#2, on the other hand, was up early and waiting in the living room to get to it! He slept until 10:30 yesterday though. Too much partying with the dog, I suppose.

The New Year has just begun, and I am behind already. When we were returning from WV, #1 asked what the plans were for the last week of vacation. I told him projects. He sighed and said he was tired of projects. "Oh, not 4-H projects. Mom projects." We have been able to accomplish quite a lot this week...finish painting the hallway, clear out junk, prune the holly bush, etc....but there is still so much I had wanted to accomplish.

I made soup yesterday in my new programmable crockpot, and I will can it today. We like soup for lunch and that makes school days easier if it is canned and ready to go ahead of time. I also have other cooking projects started, so we can freeze and be ready.

All of this preparedness seems to be wearing on my family though. The other day we were out running errands and I made some comment about the boys being nuts. Then Hubby said something, and I decided they all were nuts. I rolled down my window and pretended to yell, "Help! Let me out of here!" #1 promptly reached up and undid my seatbelt, and #2 said, "Go ahead and get out, Mom. No one is stopping you." Aren't they sweet?

Hangovers

I have a dog hangover. We tried to stay up late last night to ring in the New Year, but I just couldn't make it. After watching Star Wars, the real #1!, and The Court Jester with Danny Kaye, Hubby and I headed to bed. The boys were going to watch Phantom Menace, the real #1 to their generation, and stayed up later. At midnight I woke to the sounds of the boys yelling "Happy New Year" and then fireworks in the neighborhood. That sent Kelly over the edge, and she started scratching at our door. We have learned to lock the door so she can't push it open in the middle of the night. So I went to comfort her for about 10 minutes, and then left her in the hallway as normal. About 2:00 she started scratching at the door again, so I went to let her out. She didn't want out, but came in our room. I gave in at that point. She quickly went to sleep on Hubby's side of the bed, and then she commenced having strange dreams. She howled, snorted, whined, and who knows what else, most of the night. So, even though we went to bed at a decent hour, had no special foods or drinks, embibed in no forbidden fruits, we still suffer hangovers! The bb gun isn't strong enough for what we would like to do. Happy New Year!

Blessings On Your Head

I woke this morning thinking the same thing all of you were thinking, "This is it. Another year gone by. What was important, meaningful, unforgettable?" I had several events immediately spring to mind...#2's baptism, our trip out west, twenty years of marriage, 4-H accomplishments, remodeling the house, and on it went. Then I started thinking about other friends who haven't had such a wonderful year. I have three friends who have dealt with suicidal children this year, friends whose marriage has been rocked, a friend with a child in and out of jail, a sister-in-law who dealt with cancer, friends whose jobs have been cut back or lost, another whose father's health has failed dramatically, a friend whose child was born with a terrible birth defect. Then I thought of stories that I have recently read...a six year old child died on Christmas Eve in his sleep, another family lost their baby to SIDS this year, and then had their house broken into and all of the pictures of their baby lost. What makes my life so much easier than others' lives I do not know. I certainly feel blessed by God that I have such a good life. I know from helping at the shelter that my life is easier because I was raised by Christian parents from strong moral backgrounds. My husband was raised the same way. That makes a difference in the choices we make. But there are other things that are just chance...cancer, dying children...these are the things of Life. So as I consider the end of the year, I remember three Scriptures that mean a lot to my insignificant self."Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in Heaven and you are on Earth, so let your words be few." Ecc 5:2 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands..." 1 Thess 4:11 And finally, "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8 Be quiet at the throne of God, mind your own business, and be just and merciful with humility. May 2010 bring with it wisdom to see the blessings among the curses, for truly, Life Is Good.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my sweet son. He still loves to kiss and cuddle with his mom, and she plans to appreciate it as long as it lasts.

All Boy

Eleven years ago today #1 became a big brother. It is startling to realize that #2 is now in his second decade. If it goes as quickly as the first, he will be twenty before the cat can twitch its tail. He has kept us on our toes from the beginning. He was a crier as a baby, never liking to be held for too long. He flipped over and crawled out of his bouncy seat by three months, pulled up at five months, and moved on to walking about nine months. When he was just a year old he would run into the in-law's kitchen, pull a chair to the door, and unlock the dead bolt to get outside. He hasn't slowed down a bit.

While we were home for Christmas, we went for a walk through the snowy lane. Hubby and #2 found this paper wasps' nest, and they just had to throw snowballs at it! For Christmas he received a bb gun from Santa, and Christmas evening was outside target practicing. His big adventure for his birthday was a desire to take the bb gun out and shoot rabbits for dinner. He did go out yesterday, but no rabbits were to be found. We went to CiCi's for lunch; pizza was a lot less trouble than butchering rabbits anyway.

At lunch I asked the boys their favorite tv show. #2 said he doesn't have one. That is likely true; he doesn't stay still long for a show. However, after a little thought, he came up with "Antiques Road Show" on PBS. He received this antique belt buckle for his birthday. He went antiquing with his grandparents last spring and picked it out. He still remembered it when he opened the package.

I was speaking with one of my aunts last week and she made a comment about #2. She said that when I was pregnant with him, she had felt sorry for him. #1 is so intelligent and bright that she felt that any other child would fade into the background next to him. But, she declared, he has held his own very well. "He's just a little miracle!" I completely agree.

Pre-Christmas in WV

We made it to WV in about 10 hours instead of 8, but that was much better than what we had imagined it might be. The roads were clear, and the only problem we had was sitting on I-95 in traffic. We arrived late Sunday evening and were able to get in an hour of visiting before bed.

The kids have been anxious to open all of the presents. We opened presents from the aunts and uncles on Monday. The boys received remote control planes from their aunt and uncle, and we promptly caught both of them in trees. They have been dislodged, after much throwing of snowballs and pulling of wild grapevines, but we are excited to try them at the other grandparents where trees are not so plentiful. On Tuesday we traveled to the extended family and opened presents there. Finally, this morning the kids were allowed to open the grandparents' presents. Giving is nearly as much fun as receiving for them, and #2 was happy to give everyone his salsa this year made from his own tomatoes.

I received a programmable crockpot. I had asked for one in hopes that dinner times when I am busy with other things can be a little less hectic. I also got a new cookbook while we were in Myrtle Beach, so maybe there will be some new meals in our future.

We gave the last grandchild a monkey. Now all of the grandkids have sock monkeys. #1 has loved his to death, and I was not sure we should even bring it this far. Nephew #1 (THE ONLY ONE) seems to like his monkey. The girls haven't been fond of theirs. Perhaps the tradition will live on in this new boy.

Here are the five grandchildren together. I know some of you around the country are happy to see this picture. The kids all love their cousins, and Hubby's brother's family is doing well.

After the WV basketball game, we will head to my hometown for a couple of days. I won't be able to update from there, so see you in a few days. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Family Christmas

Several years ago, we decided that I would like Christmas more if I had one day that could be MY family Christmas. I pick a day near enough to Christmas to feel like we aren't rushing things, but far enough away from our travel that I can enjoy the time. This year it was Friday; even the dog was part of the festivities.

I worked Friday, so we didn't start our celebration until after 5:00. We had a beautiful dinner on Grandma's fine china: shrimp, limas, corn, mashed potatoes, and fresh challah bread.

We really need to find a way to remove reflections from glasses.

Family Christmas

This year the boys could hardly wait for US to open our presents. They have really tried to get gifts that mean something to them and to the recipient. The boys saved their money and did their own shopping. #2 had us baffled because he was so excited for me to get my gift. He asked for days beforehand if I couldn't open mine now. Hubby didn't have a clue what it was- #2 hadn't bought anything in his presence- and #2 was keeping it a big secret. Finally, it was time. He pulled out his wallet and gave me a $20 bill! That was a huge thing for him; money burns a hole in his pocket.

#1 was very excited to give his dad a Calvin and Hobbes book that Hubby didn't have yet. He picked it out a month ago at Barnes and Noble and kept asking when we could go and get it. Hubby spent a lot of time today reading it. I would like to ban the books; I think they give the boys ideas. That Calvin is trouble!

#1 received his first "Manly" gift: cologne. He was so giggly and cute when he realized what it was. He has tried all of the kinds out and still needs to work on how much to put on. My boy will soon be a man.

#2 got a tool kit. He thought this was the gift that would make you a man. "You have to fix a lot of things around the house when you are a man," he told his brother. He spent a lot of the evening pulling out all of the tools and checking everything out.

After presents and dinner, we watched It's a Wonderful Life for a while. We were too tired to make it all of the way through the movie, but we gave it a good shot. Tonight we had our church youth group over for a little party, and tomorrow we head to WV for the extended family time. The weather outside is frightful, so we are praying for safety and Godspeed. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Pictures of Our Anniversary

We stayed at a Christian Retreat Center that lets pastors and their families stay for free on the off-season. We pretty much had the retreat center to ourselves. There was one other couple from Georgia there, but we only saw them twice in passing. The first night we went to an area called Barefoot Landing. There are lots of unique shops and restaurants clustered together around a lake and waterway. We ate a nice dinner and then walked around outside to look at the yachts and the shops. It started raining soon after, so we didn't walk too long.

We went to a movie on Wednesday and then down to the beach afterward to walk for a while. There were a few people there, but no one to take our picture. Here is our self-portrait. Hubby's arms are longer than mine, so I had him take the picture this time. I think it turned out better than at the yachts.

The eve of our wedding was one of the worst snow storms the area had seen in many years. It was cold at the beach, but at least we didn't have to cancel our plans for snow, as we had to do for our honeymoon. The weather forecast for Sunday isn't looking good as we prepare to go to WV for the holidays. It may be another long drive, but we'll be there!

Important Days

Hubby and I went away for a few days this week. Wednesday was our twentieth anniversary. Several of you readers are now saying, "That can't be! I'm not that old!" That's the same thing I've been saying. But, yes, it is true...you are that old! A friend watched the boys for us, and Hubby and I went to Myrtle Beach for two nights. We ate out quite a bit, visited a couple bookstores, saw a movie, and walked on the beach. Today was a great day for the beach, the other two days not so much. I will post pictures tomorrow, right now I want to hit the hay. But before I go, let me say, I answered "Yes." to Hubby today. He has always said that I never answered him when he asked me to marry him. Today I told him "Yes." I just wanted to make sure about it first; after twenty years I feel confident that we should go through with it. ---------- Today is also an important day in history. Pap would have been 96. He was a good man.

Holiday Banquet

Our annual church Holiday Banquet and Talent Show was this past Sunday evening. #2 and his buddy decided that they would show off tricks with their "Whizzers". Whizzers are buttons on a string that you try to keep rotating by pulling on the string. It truly is a talent; it took me a LONG time to figure out how to do them. You can judge how difficult it is based on how talented you believe me to be; just don't comment about it.

Anyway, the string kept breaking and so #2 didn't get to complete his best trick. He puts one end of the string around his teeth and only uses one hand to keep it going. After everything was over he was in tears because he didn't get to finish it right. He seems to be in that stage. He can't take things going wrongly. He will grow out of it soon if he sticks to his brother's schedule.

Hubby did his annual spoof on Prairie Home Companion. He writes a story each year about something that happens at our church. This year it was that we decided to have an Easter sunrise service between Christmas and New Year's Eve. There was snow, tongues stuck to metal chairs, and snowbunnies with hula hoops. He gets thrown off when people laugh, because then he starts laughing. You can see him trying to keep a straight face in the picture. ----------- Today I retrieved a few friends for my boys to play with. They spent several hours outside making a fort. I will take pictures tomorrow, but it is taller than I am and about 15 feet long. Other kids were in school today, but mine learned a lot about stability, support systems, and fresh air. I love home schooling.

Weekend Exploration

The other boys that went with us are on our Envirothon team. They are just as adventurous as #2. They plunged right through weeds and water, exploring every thing they thought important.

This snapping turtle made the grade. We had to stop the van and get out to look at it. Everyone forgot how badly they had to go to the restroom due to the intrigue of the turtle. I informed them that I didn't know where the hospital was- we had already gotten lost a couple of times- and they shouldn't get too close. Didn't matter, but we didn't need the hospital. Thank goodness!

Our hike following the sound of swans and geese lead us to this spot. We couldn't get any closer, but there were a LOT of snow geese. We tried yelling to scare them and make them all fly at once, but I guess two women and a few boys aren't all that scary. It was a nice day.