Sad, but mixed with Joy

My Grandmother died last week. As mentioned in my previous post, we knew she would leave us soon. We had planned a family Christmas celebration at the nursing home where she resided for Sat. Dec. 11, so several of my extended family members were all there. At 3:00 am that day, my mother awoke me, saying that hospice had called and Grandma wasn't doing well. We headed to the nursing home, arriving about 4 am. We spent the day together, watching her slowly decline. While sad, it was also such a sweet time of togetherness with my family. To see my uncle play hymns (recorded on his iphone) next to Grandma's ear, and then a time of us singing together, through the tears; to see my cousins from Texas that I hadn't seen in about 5 years, to see the faith of my family, in action. Grandma died about 30 minutes after we left to return home. Mom said it got quiet, so she thought Grandma must have thought the party was over and it was time to go home. Home--home to her heavenly Father, safe in the arms of Jesus.

The funeral was a sweet time of reunion also, getting the chance to visit with other relatives I'd not seen in a while, and meeting some that I'd never even met! It's strange how sadness can be mixed with joy.

My Grandmother

I went to visit my dear grandmother in Kansas City yesterday. She's 91 and isn't expected to live very much longer. She's lost circulation in one of her feet and fluid is accumulating around her heart. As she was lying in her bed, with her beautiful white hair, and a baby blue fleece blanket snuggled around her face, she had a peaceful smile on her face as she listened to my conversation with my mother. I pray that when she goes, she will look like that; so peaceful and happy.

As I hugged her good-bye, kissed her soft cheek, and told her that I loved her, her scratchy voice said, "I love you too, baby" and I wondered if would be the last time I would hear her voice. I know Mom was thinking the same thing. The tears were flowing as we left.

I haven't died yet....

Thought I just blog, just so you would know that the training hasn't killed me yet! :-)

I have less than 2 weeks to race day. I don't like running yet. I thought I would by now. It IS getting better though. Originally, I thought my goal would be to run the whole 5K without walking. I've concluded that it's not going to happen. I'm happy with the fact that I can run over a mile without walking. It's a great achievement for me! :-)

an Announcement!

It's official! I'm training, with my friend Allison, to run a 5K. I AM NOT a runner! I've never been a runner, BUT hopefully I can become one now. My dad is a runner. He's run 15 marathons. He ran one last December at the age of 74! But I did not get the running genes. I've always said that I have small lungs, which makes it hard for me to run. We measured lung capacity in physiology class in college. I had the smallest lungs in the class. But I'm ready to "expand" them.

I did my first training run yesterday. I am SO sore today! But tomorrow, I will do another training run. I have a schedule to follow and I will follow it---even if it kills me!

Allison is a runner. She probably wouldn't say that she's a runner, but I think she is. Kenny said she has good running form. (He didn't say that about me! LOL!) She'll push me. She inspires me! I'll keep you updated on my progress. If I don't, you'll know that it killed me!

New Dishes!

There are certain things in life that I think should "match;" towels, sheets and dishes. While I'm certainly not judgemental about someone else's home! (Don't worry--I don't even NOTICE these things at other peoples houses!) for me, I like to have these things match the other decor. In the past, when I've moved into a new home, I've purchased towels and dishes to match, EXCEPT for when we moved into our current home two years ago. I didn't have time to shop and I did have any extra cash at the time. SO--for two years we've been using the old dishes; the dishes that are really looking BAD due to their age, (they have a design on them that has mostly worn off) and that are green and peach. My kitchen is painted gold and I have lovely red canisters!

Last week, I received in the mail, my Kohl's discount coupon and sale ad. Fiestaware was on a great sale AND I got a 30% off coupon!!!! How exciting! So on Saturday, I went to Springfield with the sole purpose of buying new dishes. I love my new scarlett and sunflower Fiesta dishes! They make me smile! My kids love them too. Isn't it silly that "dishes" can bring such joy? But they do!

Puppies! What a surprise!

Saturday morning, we had a surprise at our house! Leia, Clarissa's border collie, had puppies! We didn't even know she was expecting! So we now have 7 little black and white puppies! (She gave birth to 8, but unfortunately, the tiny little Snoopy died in the night last night)

Now we're waiting for Sally to have her puppies. As a short little beagle, her dragging belly is unmistakably full of babies! :-)

A Birthday Celebration

Yesterday, we celebrated Clarissa's 13th birthday. She was 13 on July 24, 2009. Yes, that was a year and 2 months ago, but we never celebrated.....until yesterday!

When Jenna turned 13, she invited 5 friends to go to St. Louis with her. We went to the art museum, lunch at Olive Garden and ice skating at the mall. So when Clarissa was 13 last year, we kept trying to figure out a good plan for her celebration. But it never worked out, until now!

Yesterday, we went to St. Louis, taking her friend Joy Nisbett, and her mother, Kim. We started out by stopping at Mobil on the Run for quarter drinks,(thanks Cardinals!) went to Olive Garden for lunch and then on to the Fabulous Fox Theatre to see "Shrek the Musical." It was AWESOME! I never really cared for the movie, in fact, I've never sat through the whole thing. It never "grabbed" my attention. But the live version..... I loved it! The music was wonderful, the costumes and puppets, and set were all beautiful. The singing was superb! And the story is really pretty sweet too!

After a run through Sam's, we ended the day by stopping for Hot and Ready Krispy Kreme donuts! Yum! I've never had one fresh off the conveyor belt! It's really a good thing we have to drive to St. Louis to get fresh Krispy Kremes!

And in case you're wondering, yes, I really like celebrating my kids' birthdays. This was such a good tradition to start! ;-)

Celebrating 50 years!

Photos by Parrett Photography/ Angie Parrett

The cake was a near replica of their wedding cake 50 years ago. (see photo below)

Anniversary Weekend!

50 years together--still walking hand in hand

Our whole family--Mom and Dad, my brother and his family, my sister and her family, and our family

My parents and our family

Meredith--looking beautiful!

Matthew playing croquet.

My Parents have been married for FIFTY years!

I love my parents! They are wonderful people. They are my friends and they love my children. What more could a girl ask for??

Tomorrow is the 50th Anniversary of their wedding, August 27, 1960. They had only met 2 months earlier, on June 27th. It was the summer after Mom had finished her freshman year of college. Her boyfriend had left town for the summer, to sell Bibles, door to door. She just wanted to go water skiing..... Dad had a boat! The rest is history! I've always loved their story.

Now, as a mother of 4 girls, this story has become somewhat disturbing! How will I feel if MY daughters decide to do something like this when they are only 18? In light of the fact that Mom and Dad have been married for 50 years?..... Hmmmm..... I'll have to think on that for a while! Or maybe I won't have to!

Our family will all be together this weekend to celebrate. I'll post pictures of them "now" next week.

New School Year!

We started school this week. It's gone ok so far. I'm still working this week, so that has made it more challenging. Last Spring when I started working, it worked out well, but NOW we have a kindergartener! Meredith is SOOOO excited about school! She's mad when we are busy and "skip" the day. But K is so easy for her that we do 2 or more lessons in one day--so we can afford to skip a day here and there. Jenna is loving British Literature (Sonlight 530). I'm doing American History with Clarissa and Rebecca (Sonlight 100). I think it's supposed to be self study, but I LIKE to do it with them--so I'm reading the history aloud to them.

Tomorrow is my last regular day of work. I'm staying on as "irregular part time" so that I can sub for the courier sometimes. They've already asked me to work 2 days in Sept.

Jury Duty

I've had jury duty since May 1, but yesterday was the first time I had to report. May, June and July were so busy that all the days I was called, I had an excused absence. So I arrive yesterday and am assigned #4. For some reason, I felt like I would be chosen for the jury---and I was! So I spent all day today listening to testimony. I will do the same tomorrow and the next too. I must say, besides the incredible cold temperature of the courtroom, I am enjoying the experience. And the timing couldn't have been better. Our calender is completely clear this week. I had planned to start school on Thursday, but it won't hurt to wait until Monday. We homeschool so we can be flexible, right?

Wow--twice in one week!

Times are changing again! Kenny has accepted a new position at Ft. Leonard Wood. He starts Aug. 16. I've turned in my resignation at work. Although I love my job, I'm very thankful that I'll be able to be home full time again. I feel blessed that God provided a job for me when it was needed, and blessed that it wasn't needed for very long.

summarized summer

It's August! Where did the summer go? We start school in 10 days!

For me, June was filled with fun at the theatre. I played the role of Miss Casewell in Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap." It was challenging and very fun! Rehearsals started June 1, we opened on the 17th and ran through the 27th. Fast and furious! During that time, Jenna went to Washington D.C. for a week, as a part of the Rural Electric Youth Tour. She won an essay contest sponsored by Intercounty Electric. I won this same contest 26 years ago--so it was pretty special for me too! In addition to Jenna being gone, Clarissa was gone for 10 days. She went to Deer Valley Guest Ranch in Colorado with my parents, and had a blast!

While I was finishing my Mousetrap run, the girls started rehearsals for "Annie." They opened July 8, running through July 18. Jenna was in the adult chorus, being the apple seller, Annette (one of Warbucks' maids) and one of the Boylan sisters. Rebecca and Clarissa were orphans.

After the closing Sunday matinee, Jenna made her first solo road trip! She went to Searcy AR, to go to Harding's Summer Honor Choir program. It was a somewhat uneventful trip, but this Momma was a little nervous! She thought she was lost at one point, but she actually wasn't. I was very thankful for the phone call at 10:30 pm saying that she had arrived safely. Her return home on Saturday--during the day--was much less stressful for us all! I'm thankful for cell phones. How did my parents survive my first solo road trip??????

This week, Jenna is being a counselor at Little Prairie Bible Camp. Clarissa and Rebecca are there also, as campers. I'm prepping for school.

Jenna is a senior this year. She'll be doing Sonlight's British Lit program, finishing up some of her electives and studying for the ACT. I've been thinking way too much about the fact that this is our last year with her home! There seems to be so much that I still want to tell her, teach her, experience with her! But I am confident that she'll be fine--and even better than fine--even if we don't accomplish all that I would like.

I'll be doing Sonlight 100, American History, with Rebecca and Clarissa. When Jenna did it, she was "on her own" so I'm excited about being a participant this time. Our big school "change" is that Meredith is starting Kindergarten! Oh my, I have to go from being a "consultant" to being a teacher again! And Matthew is going to go to Day School! He's actually 24 days too young, but because the girls work there, (and because he is FINALLY potty trained! Hallulujah!) they're letting him come early. Praying for a blessed year!

Last year, I had hoped for a "normal" year--no moving, births or other interruptions. For the most part, it was normal. Somehow holiday theatre productions seem to interrupt more than I would like, but we made it through in a somewhat "normal" manner. So this year, I'm praying for a blessed, extraordinary, normal year!

And maybe I'll blog more...... Don't count on it!

Jenna said that I am a bad blogger (no great revelation there!). So I'm updating today, simply so I can tell her that I blogged THREE times in April! :-)

Jenna has decided that she would like to learn to play the cello (she said it is a NEED, not a WANT). So she needs a cello to play. Anyone have a cello they would like to sell, cheap? :-)

We will be celebrating Mother's Day a week early this year. Mother's Day weekend is a great time to go camping, so I'm cooking dinner for my mother THIS Sunday, instead of on the nationally recognized day. Who says we should honor them only on a certain day? We should honor them ALL the time! Jenna asked me if she can use my debit card to get part of my mothers day gift.... hmmm....I'm not sure how I feel about that! :-) She's never written a check to anyone except for me. I give her cash, she writes me a check. I need to get her a debit card that debits HER account!

Snoopy!

Tonight I finally got the chance to see the WHOLE show--"Snoopy! the Musical." Meredith was a Woodstock and a pumpkin. She was the wigglyish pumpkin and it was my first time to see a pumpkin wave! (she had a friend sitting on the front row!) The Woodstock dance was so cute! Clarissa was one of the Lucys. She was loud, obnoxious and cute--just as Lucy should be! Rebecca was one of the Peppermint Pattys. So cute! I was so proud of each and every one of them! Kenny and I will be going tomorrow night, which will be their last performance.

Kenny killed a turkey this morning. Matthew was running around the house saying, "Daddy shot a gobbler!" Adorable! Our friend John is here to hunt in the morning. It's supposed to storm all weekend. Hope they don't mind being wet......

time for a new update?

so once again I will say it, I'm not a very good blogger! :-)

We've had lots of changes since I last wrote! The biggest one being my new part time job. I didn't even know that I was wanting a part time job, but God have provided the most perfect job for me! I'm working for the hospital outreach lab as a courier. I work 1:30-7 pm on Mon, Tues., Thurs. and Fri. I drive to 4 different clinics, picking up specimens and test orders. When I return to the lab, I process them into the lab for testing. Here's why it's perfect: no late nights, no weekends, quiet time in the car to pray, sing, be silent, think, memorize lines for the upcoming play that I'm in, listen to encouraging messages such a sermons and homeschool conference speakers. In addition to all this, I like that I'm pretty much "on my own" to get my work finished. When I'm finished, I can go home. I'm very much an independent kind of person, so I like this part a lot! I feel so blessed!

One of the other advantages to this arrangement is that I am forced to be more organized with my time. In order to feed my family, I HAVE to have menus planned and a good grocery list. Jenna has been fabulous about getting dinner ready. (If you have never seen the "Saving Dinner" cookbook--you should check it out. 8 weeks of menus for each of the 4 seasons, complete with side dishes, although sometimes they are strange choices!--we're flexible with it. We've used it long enough to know which things we prefer to skip). I've also had to be more organized with our schooling--which is never a bad thing!

and on that note--it's time to get school started! I'll not promise to write more later--but I will try! :-)