Challenges

Well...now I'm being treated for strep throat - woke up yesterday with a painfully sore throat that hopefully will begin feeling better by this time tomorrow. Normally I try really hard to wait a week or so before going to the doctor to make sure that whatever I have at the moment is not a virus that will clear up on it's own. Not this time - what with school starting on Thursday, a wedding in less than 3 weeks, knowing I'd been exposed to strep and everything else going on I figured I wasn't going to mess around - I don't have time to be sick. So today I'm officially not attempting to accomplish anything because I simply can't. And tomorrow instead of going to MI to get with Mike's cousins for the day I will be doing everything I should have accomplished today. Fun fun.

In the meantime, Dipstick was sent home from school today- his first day - with 101' fever. I haven't seen him yet - probably won't today. Hopefully it's not a relapse but we will have to wait and see. B is discouraged - the siding that was supposed to be installed on Saturday was the wrong color and will take 3 weeks to come in. That means that the "siding party" that was scheduled for Saturday will have to be rescheduled - basically the house is not weather sealed yet either. I'm hoping that other work can be done during those 3 weeks rather than it being at a complete stop but I don't know enough to be certain if that will be the case. I'm certain that this is one of the joys of remodeling rather than starting over new.

I'm off to my couch for now - will hopefully come out of hibernation in a day or two with pictures and something lighter.

Yeah!!!

Yeah!!!! I'm back!!! Not that too many people even knew I was gone...but I sure missed having good access to the computer. It's so nice to have the computer working much better than it was...and faster. Now I just have to get all my files backed up onto something else - especially my pictures. The laptop - while it worked to check one email address - really didn't help too much with anything else.

Computer issues, Wedding Plans & stuff

ARGH!!! I hate not knowing enough about computers to be able to fix stuff without having to call someone for help. To me if I can't click on something it's not worth my time. Now I'm suspecting that my desktop (which I'm not using at the moment) may have caught (is that a valid description?) a virus. I'm running my spyware program and will run my virus program and hopefully both will work. I've also called my brother-in-law in Chicago who is my computer guy who will do some research and get back to me. In the meantime I either have to go somewhere to check email and blogs or hope the laptop will work. On the plus side...having to babysit the desktop while it's doing this means I've got time to compose a blog post.

Wedding plans are coming along I think. I probably really need to get some phone calls made nd and possibly visits to a couple of people who are helping me today. I still haven't decided 100% whether to have the reception at the church or to try to have it elsewhere. Invitations are mostly sent - that was finished yesterday. There are a few that I didn't have valid mailing addresses for that I still need to send. However those should be done today I think. I need to finish cutting out the last dress and find out how the "sowers" are doing. I need to firm up what's needed for the reception and when it will be purchased...

School starts in a week or so. Last night was registration for Dipstick - it didn't feel well-organized at all. I went along to help and learn but didn't bother to stand in the transportation line as his bus was listed on his paperwork. B was thankful I was there as he finds it overwhelming. I suggested he ask Stretch how I reacted when we registered him for 6th grade - in a new school system without Mike. I'm much better able to handle things now. Of course it helped that we bumped into someone from church and she helped us get started. Tomorrow night is Squirrel's orientation - he is so excited! He's looking forward to learning to play trombone - we still have to get one. He's been trying to teach himself to play my old clarinet in the meantime.

Craig and Ginger have found a place to move to - it needs work but the rent is affordable and it's in their desired location. I'm not sure when exactly they will move but it won't be this weekend as they will be in Chicago at a conference. I'm watching their two boys from tonight until Saturday.

This weekend is the annual father/son campout and canoe trip that one of the men from church heads up. My boys have gone for the past 3 years - they've been "adopted" for the weekend. This year Stretch can't go because a youth leadership retreat was planned for the same weekend and he's one of the youth group leadership team. Squirrel doesn't want to go because Stretch can't go - even though B and Dipstick will be there. I'm a bit torn - this is the one night/weekend a year that I normally have no responsiblities to the kids - I get to sleep as late as I want, clean, stay up, watch whatever movies I might want to watch...s o selfishly I rather look forward to this. However this year I'm watching Ginger's two boys so would have some responsiblities anyway and it might be beneficial to have Squirrel home to play with their oldest. I really could use some wisdom right now that I don't have.

Other than that there's not a huge amount of stuff going on. I've got to spend some time with my bus route - learning it and contacting riders to let them know what time I'll be there in the morning. It seems that the summer has just flown by.

Update

It's a hot humid Saturday afternoon here and for a change I'm not helping on the house. This morning I was up early to go make invites. That turned out to be a lot of fun - working with my 2 SIL's and MIL to be as well as Ginger. There was much laughter and chatter and some pictures throughout the morning. I had to run to the store to get glue dots and we ordered pizza for lunch. From there I came home and crashed for a nap - taking 2 phone calls during that time. I could have gotten away without the nap maybe but feel much better for having taken it. (this is the best picture of the ring I've been able to get - hope it shows enough. My hand is resting on a completed invite...you'll have to wait to see the rest of it)

Stretch and Squirrel had spent the night at a youth group camp-out. Dipstick and B were up working on the house - they will be down for supper. If there's time when I get this done I will go start mowing my lawn - it is beginning to look very tall and decidedly overgrown.


The house is taking shape - the walls are all framed up, most window and door openings are cut and the roof had tar paper on it. It is looking big at the moment but I really believe that it won't seem quite so large when it's finished. Instead it will be a nice retreat from the world where we can entertain and have family in when desired. (the above picture is from a week ago - it's of the "west wing" where the master bedroom suite will be located)

Last week was the 4H fair - I spent more time there than I think I ever have any other year. Squirrel, Dipstick, B and I watched both the regular demolition derby last Sunday evening as well as the combine derby on Tuesday. Squirrel and I were disappointed that there was no bus derby this year but overall we enjoyed ourselves. (The green Oliver was one of the last 2 combines running at the end of the show. My favorite part was watch them come off the ground when they hit)
Other than that not too much is going on. School starts in just over 3 weeks and the wedding is 2 weeks after that so I'm definitely staying busy. Next week should be very busy as it's the last week before Suz goes on a 2 week vacation. Being as she is "wedding coordinator" and matron we are trying to get as much done as possible. We still have 3 dresses to cut out, flowers to choose and I'm not sure what all else. Enough rambling for now....I need to either pack boxes or mow lawn. (and I guess I will have to come back and add pictures later as they won't co-operate right now).

Busy Busy

Busy Busy.... I need to be out the door picking up dress pattern instead of sitting here typing. I keep thinking "tomorrow" I'll get a good, interesting post written with pictures and all. It's not happening at the moment. We've been to TaeKwonDo this morning and I needed second cup of coffee before moving on. This afternoon I'm cutting out dresses again...yesterday I packed boxes. The house is moving along but it won't be finished. Yesterday and today I've had Dipstick...but today Stretch is not likely to be home "early" from work - no storms predicted. More another time.

It's been over a week (I think) since I've taken time to sit down, organize my thoughts and write. Yesterday I was gone pretty much all day - left the house at 9:30 am and didn't get home to stay until after 9:45 pm. I think I was home about 30 min in early afternoon. It was a good day overall but exhausting - I was at my girlfriend's house with her, her sister M and 11 children for most of the day. We were working on wedding stuff - M is sewing outfits. Suz and I will be doing all the cutting and pinning of stuff so all M has to do is the actual sewing. It went amazingly well with 11 children running around - 3 of whom were between 2-4 years old. The weather was nice enough that they could play outside part of the time and they were able to eat lunch outside. It was still really exhausting though. Suz and I were also able to get the wedding time and reception menu set and arranged.


From there I had a short stop at home before I headed into the "city" to buy fabric and meet a couple of girlfriends for supper. It had been several months since we'd seen each other so it was nice to sit at a nice (freezing) restaurant without children to visit and catch up. We met at Grief Group - we've all lost our spouses so have that in common - and extended a friendship outside of it. Fabric purchasing didn't go so well - I was only able to get two of the four colors of fabric I still needed. The other two I ended up ordering - they should be in next week I hope. I also stopped briefly in the bookstore - didn't purchase anything there and went to the big scrapbooking store in the mall. It had been awhile since I'd been there - it's always nice to get in to see what's new. Most of their stuff is too fancy for me but some stuff I can use. They didn't have the size calendar I needed though. I was able to see B for a few minutes on my way home - that's always nice. Time is flying past and there's a lot to do yet it seems like a long time until the date.

Today Squirrel was supposed to go to TaeKwonDo but he had stayed up until after I got home last night so wasn't able to wake up sufficiently. I really needed the day at home today - not having to go anywhere would be wonderful. Boxes are slowly getting packed and sorted. Some things will go quickly but there is quite a bit of sorting to do. On the other hand, the couple that looked at the house changed their mind on making an offer. I'm sort of relieved because they would have wanted me out far sooner than I would have felt ready to move out. This way I don't have to add packing to my other pre-wedding things to complete. While getting the house sold ahead of time would be nice it's not something that has to happen and will happen easier without quite so much going on I think.


B's house is coming along - trusses were set Sunday afternoon. We had wanted to get them done Saturday but it rained and stormed too heavily. The nice thing was that when the sun did come out Saturday windows and doors were framed in so now I can start to get a better idea of how it will look. Hopefully the rest of it will come together faster - I needed to get paint swatches while I was in the city yesterday but I forgot to stop there - it wasn't on my list to do.


Guess that's about it - I've been here on the computer for some time and it's probably time to go see what else needs done around here. Oh yes...B did give me a ring - absolutely beautiful with a wedding band to go with it. And I had no say in choosing it - he did fabulous.

Changes

So much has happened in the last week ... in a sense my life has completely changed again. I've had fairly constant company for the last couple of weeks. Since my sister left I've had a family living here on an indefinite but temporary basis. They have 2 sons that are close in age to my boys so there's been the extra fun and challenges of having playmates around. The family sleeps in B's camper which is now parked in my driveway but most meals we share. It's working out pretty good.

My brother and his wife were here for almost a full week. They arrived Saturday June 28th and left the morning of the 4th. They were able to share a bit about their ministry in Bangladeshin church and we had a good time visiting. Thursday evening we had a cookout at B's - that being the last night they were here. There was quite a crowd - B, Dipstick, B's parents, Squirrel, Stretch, me, my brother N and his wife I, Ginger and her two boys (hubby was at work), Suz, her hubby and 3 girls, B's stepson Jay (Ornery) and his daughter and Bob another friend who's heading up the construction at B's house. So food is ready and we gather for prayer. B leads - a huge step for him - and puzzles most everyone by his prayer. When it's over he gets on his knees in front of me and asks me to marry him. I was absolutely speechless though of course I said yes. For the rest of the evening I was pretty much useless as far as serving anyone or making decisions. Even though there was plenty of food I ended up hungry at bedtime I was that distracted. Thankfully Suz took over cooking, serving and everything else - including finding someone else to do my driving run that was scheduled for later that night. There was much 4 wheeler riding, eating, laughing and fellowship going on - in addition to several very very muddy exhausted children by the end of the evening.

Friday was a relatively quiet day. N and I. left around 10:00 am and made it home about 8:30 that evening. Stretch and I went to B's to help move stuff out of the remainder of the downstairs to prepare for Saturday. We went to Suz's that evening to watch fireworks with part of her family and friends. Saturday we worked...tearing off the roof and walls out at B's. He started at 8:00 am and we didn't stop for the day until well after 7:00 pm. Things look a lot different up there - ready, I think, for reconstruction to start. We have just over 6 weeks until school starts again and 8 weeks or so to plan and pull together a wedding. Hopefully construction will be finished by then also though it already has taken longer than expected to get to this point.

The boys - for the most part - are excited about us. Dipstick definitely is thrilled as is Stretch. Squirrel is taking a bit more time to think things over but he's coming around. It helps that he is not being forced to change school districts and Suz has a pretty good insight into how his mind works. "Ornery" even approves. (and there is as much of a story behind that nickname as there is any of the others). There is a couple possibly interested in my place even though it's not "officially" on the market yet. It would be absolutely wonderful if it sold quickly and at a reasonable price.