July is ending

Today was the final day of swim lessons. And we have no plans for the weekend...which is totally wonderful as we've been rather busy. Next week Autumn has day camp all week and Josiah has an eye doctor appointment. It is still rather hot and humid...but it is summer and to be expected. I am making 5-day pickles (and need to go change the water again). I think I'm going to try to make "Banana Pickles" also...we'll see how they turn out. Someone gave me lots of cucumbers and I needed to do something with them.

I'm very excited to be an aunt to a very special new baby girl...but as it's really my sister's news, I don't feel comfortable spreading it all over the internet...we'll just call her Baby "M". We hope to get to see her in a few days.

Only a few more weeks until school begins again....

My sister-in-law gave me a very large zucchini so yesterday I made a zucchini chocolate cake (which the children won't eat because of the zucchini even though it's the best, moistest cake ever) and 4 loaves of zucchini bread...of which 1-1/2 are left because Josiah is inhaling it I think!

Tonight we had pancakes for supper (chocolate chip, blueberry, & regular) and "dippy" eggs along with grape juice, applesauce, and the above mentioned zucchini products. I tend not to cook as heavy when Randy is not home.

Summer

The heat and humidity has definitely arrived, accompanied by occasional thunderstorms. Tonight Janae & Chase were trying to cool off by rubbing their popsicles on themselves...yeah, I don't recommend that!

We have 2 more days of swim lessons. My sister-in-law is keeping the 3 youngest tomorrow while I take Josiah & Autumn so only 1 day after that of keeping them corralled for half an hour. And then we will all visit. The kids are very excited to play with their cousins.

Today we enjoyed spending time with Grammy and my sister & her son, swimming, and then going to see my brother's (&his wife's) bathroom project. Rachel and my mom kept the kids while I ran to pick up WIC checks so we ended up having a nice day out.

I contacted the adoption attorney today and introduced myself. She of course was willing to do the legal work for us. So one more thing off my list.

Tonight I am tired...heat does that to me, as does running after the kids, and staying up late reading books. :-) The other day I read "The Little House Reader" which contained other writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder, information about her and her family, and other writings by members of her family. I enjoyed that immensely.

Life

We enjoyed a weekend camping at Woodcrest Retreat with friends from church. Our church had their Sunday service in a pavilion there and some of us camped for the weekend. I neglected to take more then 1 picture so no pictures of this past weekend. Today I've been doing lots and lots of laundry.

Swim lessons continue this weekend...only 3 more days of trying to contain Chase. I've enjoyed visiting with the other moms in between tantrums and chasing him around.

On this week's agenda is completing those IFTA tax forms. As I do Randy's bookwork, I need to have these fuel tax reports filed (and paid) quarterly...so they are due July 31.

I spoke with the adoption caseworker and she is projecting an adoption date of early September...unless the judge is on vacation.

Well, I need to get Mark to bed....the others are in bed, not sleeping, but there.

Today

Today was an interesting and challenging day. Before 8:00 Chase had (1) gotten into the bathroom, found a small tube of toothpaste, smeared it in his hair and was eating it out of the tube and (2) got into a 5 lb. bag of sugar and was eating it by the handful. And that was just the start....there were "squabbling squalls" periodically throughout the day and Chase was into everything! But there were good times too....

Josiah & Autumn had swimming lessons day 4. It's a group thing so I don't know how much they are learning but they are enjoying it. I try to enjoy keeping the other 3 out of the water during the half hour.

The kids all immensely enjoyed playing in the rain this afternoon.

Tonight I ran some errands and finally braved taking the kids to the library. I have been such a wimp about this as this is something that doesn't "Have" to be done as we have plenty of books at home. And I only had one stroller so I needed to carry Mark and push Chase. As I didn't have my "library bag" I limited the kids to 5 books each. They are so thrilled with the new books to read....I really need to make this a bi-weekly priority!

And now, because I have some books, I will get off the computer...and still stay up late! :-)

Official Adoption Update

The parents of our boys have not appealed the termination of their parental rights so we are free to go ahead with the adoption. We have completed our training and the family profile is complete. There will be some legal paperwork to be completed and then the adoption. We are very excited!

July 21

Well, really, not much is happening...anyway, not much to post! Last week the 30-day period for the boys biological parents to appeal the parental rights termination was up. I have not heard of any appeals so I guess it went through okay. The caseworker comes for her monthly visit tomorrow and then I'll know for sure. Then, from what I understand, it's just legal matters to take care of before adoption. Not sure exactly when that will take place, but hopefully this fall. Last week we had the final training session that the agency who is doing the adoption required so that is now complete.

In other family news, we blanched 15 qt of carrots between yesterday and today. Josiah & Autumn have swim lessons this week and next week. As mentioned above, the caseworker comes tomorrow and Mark has a well-baby check-up on Friday. Like I said, mostly normal home stuff going on, nothing to exciting. I did get to spend some time with a friend from my youth who is also a foster & biological mom. We took the kids to the park and then had lunch at her house. I enjoyed it immensely! And the older kids were extremely glad that Daddy was home and they did not have to hang out with "little kids".

Ramblings and Recent Photos

The kids picked some flowers for me. I need to work on having them cut longer stems! I enjoy the bright colors.

Autumn lost a tooth! (Now if only the tooth fairy can remember to visit her). :-)

Autumn using Grammy's bubble maker at the cabin.

Autumn loves to play the games on http://www.highlightskids.com/

West Branch of the Susquehanna River

Other Random Thoughts:

(1) Chase has discovered my container of dry oats and for some reason decided to eat them...and he likes them!

(2) Randy will be home tomorrow. I can't wait!

(3) There are a lot of beans to do again tomorrow.

(4) And speaking of "doing" beans....is that proper language usage? And how else would you condense "pick, clean, break or french, blanch, put in bags and freeze"? Possibly preserve?

(5) The heat and humidity of summer has finally arrived. But after all, it is summer!

(6) And did I mention that I'm very excited for Randy to be home again???!!!!

Song - Adopted

I enjoy playing hymns on the piano when I can...I stumbled across a hymn by Fanny Crosby (music by John Sweeny) that I hadn't heard/seen before.

Adopted

O what a blessing, how can I express it?
Out of the fullness of rapture I sing,
Now by the Father received and adopted,
I am a child and an heir of a King.

Refrain
I am adopted, O wonderful love,
Heir to a heritage purchased above;
Tell it, my soul, and joyfully sing,
I am a child and an heir of a King.

O what a Father, how tenderly gracious,
O what a Savior to make me His care;
Tho’ I have slighted, rejected, and grieved Him,
Still He permits me His kingdom to share.

Refrain

O the unsearchable riches He giveth,
Riches increasing from day unto day;
Treasures in value all others excelling,
Treasures that never will rust nor decay.

Refrain

When I have finished the work He appoints me,
When I have ended my journey below,
Then to my Father and Jesus my Savior,
Home to a beautiful palace I go.

Refrain

Since the Last Post

This past weekend we enjoyed a wonderful time with my family at the cabin. All of us were there for at least part of the time except my sister & her family as baby #2 is due July 28. While we had a great time playing games, rafting down the river, kayaking, and of course eating and talking, it ended on kind of a tough note as my niece fell in the fire shortly before they were ready to leave. We had already left. Anyway, she burned her arm/hand and has 2nd & 3rd degree burns and will need to see a plastic surgeon. So we are praying that everything heals quickly and so thankful for the doctors who know what to do! I do have some lovely pictures of the river...if I ever get them on the computer.

Also last week two of my friends came over for the afternoon. They don't live locally so that was a very nice treat....of course I neglected to take a picture!

This week is a rare summer week of "nothing". So tomorrow Josiah's friend is coming over for a sleepover. Saturday is our final day of Training for adoption. And as of Wednesday the 30-day-period for appeal of the termination of parental rights is up.

Today Randy was home and picked the beans for me so we did up 10 quart of them. Then he got 3 baskets of applesauce so we also did 42 qt. of applesauce to freeze. So much more gets accomplished with more then 1 adult in the house! He will leave early tomorrow morning for Michigan and then Alabama so I expect him back sometime Friday. The next time I pick beans this week I'm sure it'll take much longer without him...the kids do help well usually though but it's not quite the same! Randy has way more energy then I do! Maybe I should switch to coffee and I'd have more too?!

On a separate note, I've started thinking about adoption announcements (hoping of course that everything goes through and we will need them). I would like to put one or two (Bible) verses on them and have been thinking about my options. Some of the ones I'm leaning towards are the ones in Psalm 139 (You knit me together in my mother's womb.....) and Psalm 127? (Sons are a heritage from the Lord, Children a reward from Him.) Anybody have any other suggestions that I should consider?

July 6

Today started out very nice...beautiful morning cool enough to enjoy a cup of hot tea. We took our time getting up and going. And as I thought about what to do the rest of the day (other then the normal laundry, pick the beans, make meadow tea and such) I thought that doing errands after a busy weekend was not a very good plans...surely the kids will be more cooperative tomorrow. However, against my better judgement, I proceeded to run some errands...they did pretty well all things considered. :-) The girls played very well together for much of the day as Josiah was not here to distract either of them.

Chase did take a nap (after several sneaky attempts at being other places then his bed). But afterwards he:
*emptied a can of ant spray in the toy room (someone left it there after spraying for ants)
*attempted to eat rock salt (which he climbed on a bin to a high shelf, removed, and tried to hide in a corner of the garage to do so). He was not real impressed with it!
*tried to empty a can of Lysol in the bathroom as well as "clean" the toilet bowl (someone left the door to the bathroom open).
*figured out that the door latch on the game cupboard was only for show as the hinges were broken on the one door and pulled everything out. Autumn graciously helped me put all that away (in another place without broken hinges) after everyone else was in bed.
I was very ready for bedtime to come tonight!

While shopping at Sharp Shopper this morning it dawned on me that I forgot to wipe off my mother-in-law's stove after boiling over the peas on Friday night. I was concentrating on remembering to sweep up the food that fell on the floor and forgot the stove.... Also at the store a nice older man stopped me and asked the ages of my children. I valiently refrained from adding that there was a 9-year-old not with me today. He then proceeded to tell me that his daughter was expecting #3 and her household is rather busy so he thought mine probably was too.

My sister called with the news that our friends Janelle & Kevin had their baby. The kids and I will probably try to visit Baby Laina sometime before school starts again.

After picking up the games and puzzles, I diligently worked at the business bookwork and am now rewarding myself with the opportunity to blog....but I really should end this and go fold some laundry while I wait for Randy & Josiah to get home.

Oh yes, and did I ever mention that the blogs I write in my head are much more interesting than the ones that come out online? Somehow I can compose wonderful things when I'm not in the position to do so. Oh well....Have a wonderful day!

Photos

Some photos from the TFC Truck Rally previously mentioned:

Here Autumn is wrapping potatoes for the evening meal.

Janae helping also.


Randy's Truck

Josiah--worn out from walking/running all over the place.

It was a beautiful sunny day. It was hot, but had a lovely refreshing breeze.

Sunday

The rest of the week has gone much better then my previous post. The children have been (mostly) playing together nicely! Friday afternoon we took supper back to Randy's parents house (where Randy parks his truck) and grilled pork tenderloin and baked potatoes. We also had fresh peas from our garden. We had Tandy Cake for dessert. That evening Randy picked the last of the peas, some green beans, and some beets. Saturday we enjoyed just having a day at home to catch up on some things around here. Randy did have to run to school and spent several hours getting the buses ready for DOT inspection. In the evening we babysat our friends' children. We also made ice cream. Yum!!!

This morning we enjoyed worshipping at our local church. We had a lovely salad for lunch (and some leftovers for those children who aren't big salad eaters). I put Chase to bed and have spent over an hour now trying to keep him there...he's been found on top of a dresser, in Josiah's bed, and in MY room getting into all my scrapbooking supplies! The girls are excitedly waiting for Grammy to come and take them swimming. The weather is a bit cool for mommy not to mention mommy's not real interested in supervising Chase & Mark around the pool. Randy & Josiah left right after lunch.

This week we expect to pick/blanch/freeze lots of green beans; hangout with friends; shop at Sharp Shopper; and other normal homemaking duties (laundry/clean/cook etc.).

July 1

Today was not the best day in this household...well, really, it started out well. Randy was home this morning which was a rather nice treat. We took our time getting up, eating breakfast. We ran in to the outlets to look for more capris for me and shorts for him....I ended up getting jeans instead so I still need either capris or skirts, but that's another thing. He left out again shortly after lunch.

The afternoon was good also...so I guess really the evening was the tough part...the older kids played (nicely) with the neighbors for quite awhile, Chase & Mark took slightly overlapping naps and I managed to get some scrapbooking complete (until the next batch of pictures get ordered anyway). The evening however was another story. We had our main meal at lunch today since Daddy was home and had sandwiches for dinner. 7-year-old was rather upset about not having ham as an option (Daddy took the rest to work). Then, I had the nerve to let her brother & a neighbor (also 9) go fishing by themselves! She was rather upset/moaning/whiny the rest of the night..."I never get to go anywhere by myself, do anything by myself, I want to go fishing, etc." Long hour! Then at bedtime I've been reading "Heaven for Kids" by Randy Alcorn. And she said "I wish I could go to heaven right now so Josiah wouldn't pick on me...and I wish I could've gone fishing". Yeah, now what's a mom to say to that! She did admit that she was tired, settled quickly (with tear stained face) and is now sleeping peacefully. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for her!

Otherwise, the rest of the children had fairly good days. For some reason Chase was getting out of bed tonight, and then lay there and screamed for awhile...not sure what that was about! After tucking him in (for the 3rd or 4th time) he finally settled. Now everyone is sleeping...baby just fell asleep across my lap.

Thursday Chase has a 2-year check-up so my sister-in-law is watching the other 4 while I take him. It's at 9:00 so I guess I can't laze around like I did this morning!

And now that I think about it, it really was a good day...with some bad moments...but it was good.

Book Review

"Sympany in the Dark" by Barbara Rainey and Rebecca Rainey Mutz. A very well written book dealing with the death of Rebecca's firstborn daughter (lived 1 week) and Barbara's granddaughter. I could not read it without crying. But I would still recommend it!