school, life, and such

John pointed out the week of silence here, between posts. Sorry! We've had lots going on this week, and I'll just throw in this post to the bored few who are curious as to what, exactly, we are up to...?



As most of you know, John's business closed 2 weeks ago. That was a difficult process, and yet God carried us, as He is faithful to do. John still has a lot on his plate though, and the silver lining that I had imagined (of my husband home, enthusiastically tackling home improvement projects!) has yet to materialize. He is still working 8-10 hour days because there are no longer 25 employees available, that he can delegate jobs to. So he is Mr. Business Manager: answering calls, dealing with banks and lawyers, discussing lease options with interested parties, filling out paperwork and more while also being Mr. Fix-It: maintaining this huge facility, fixing sprinkler heads, cleaning the pool, mowing the giant lawn, selling off extra inventory, and guarding the place from vandalism and thieves.



Thursday I joined a few like-minded friends and we drove up to Portland for the annual Homeschool Conference, coming home Saturday night. I was hesitant to spend precious money or time, but am so glad now, that I went. We are going on our 8th year of homeschooling and I needed encouragement and fresh vision, and got it. Besides the great speakers, great seminars, it was great fun playing "Slumber Party" with 3 christian sisters in a small hotel room. We talked. We laughed. We went to bed by 9:30. With all of us close to, or over, 40? Sleep is as precious to us as our children. The other terrific thing about the conference was the huge exhibitors hall, filled with new curriculum that I have researched online and "thought" I would love but was unsure. Being able to flip through books and talk to the vendors there helped me decide what would truly work for us, and I bought most of what we need for 09-10. I am really, really excited about our coming school year and...don't tell my kids...but we might start school early this year, just because I can't wait to start digging in to those books together!

(I'll do another post in the fall, outlining the what and whys of our choices for the year. It will probably sound like an infomercial and be something that only similar, book-crazed homeschool moms, will find interesting so I'll be sure and post a clear warning, first)

Caleb wanted to play the Wii, so while John was talking to me on the phone, Caleb handed him a note.
"Dad. Can we do electronics?
Show 10 fingers for Yes.
Show 11 fingers for No."

This is a classic Grandpa Matthews tactic and shows the power of DNA. If you can't get the other party to agree with you? Just make it impossible for them to disagree with you.
Either way, you win. Which is the most important thing.
Obviously, we don't agree that winning is everything, so we are glad to have at least 9 more years of teaching and training this little guy. We'll keep praying that God will enable our little charmer with the desire to use his powers (that wit and intelligence) for good, and not evil. In the meantime, it's sure a fun ride!

Garden is bursting with life! Lots of weeding, watering, harvesting going on.

Still running, but struggling with some overuse injury that looks/feels like plantar fascitiis. The 4 mile loop I do is hard asphalt and having its effect! Doing some special stretches to try and loosen up my Fred Flintstone calves. The always-accurate-Internet diagnosed tight calf muscles as the major cause of shin splints and plantar fascitiis, my two constant buddies. So I bought some arch supports yesterday and will put in a few miles on a soft, wooded trail tonight.

For a few days, it looked like Anne had a new job and my brother and his family would be moving near us. It was very disappointing to all of us when the job didn't materialize, but we are stretching those faith muscles, listening closely to see if God's answer to this prayer is No, Yes or the dreaded Wait. It took over a year before the house/job/details came together so that Lee and Claudia could move near us. When they did, we could all see just what God had been doing, and why it took so long. I am holding on to that as a reminder of just how perfectly "He works all things together for the good, of those who love Him"

Tuesday is our 19th wedding anniversary! Come back tomorrow, where I will probably gush on and on about John, my knight in tarnished armor. Unless, we are fighting. Then the blank page will speak volumes, huh? But we never fight on our anniversary. Neither of us want to spoil the rare dinner out at a nice restaurant, so we keep the peace. haha.

While I was away, ALL 5 boys (the 3 under 13, plus Daddy and Grandpa) started work on the treehouse. It's as big as the kids bedrooms, people! I'll take a picture later, but it is quite the impressive structure. They are planning Nerf gun placement and water balloon attacks and I tried to help. I suggested pink paint and crystal fairy lights to dress it up and was almost run out of the yard! Sheesh!

I am teaching Sunday School this month, a special elective class on "Gardening". I have up to 10 giggly girls in there and you know I am loving that...No one in there has a problem with pink paint and crystals. In fact, they requested crafts (oh, okay... I suppose we can find something.) Then, in between projects, I am sharing different Scriptures that relate to gardening. There is a lot, surprisingly. Yesterday they learned how God sent the ravens to feed Elijah, as they painted birdhouses. Next week we are discussing the pollinators-bees and butterflies. So we'll learn a few verses about Honey and have a taste test, because honey takes on the flavor of the flower nectar it is gathered from. For butterflies we'll do a fun craft then discuss how that ugly, crawling caterpillar changing into colorful, flying beauty is exactly what God does in us...
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17