Happy New Year

Happy New Year! May 2010 be a year of growth and blessing to all.

This morning we have snow coming down...counties directly west and north of us are expected to have 8-12 inches last I checked so we will certainly get some. I confess I am rather hoping for more than less...my theory is that if it's going to be cold there ought to be snow on the ground.

The plan for this afternoon is to go pick up the first parts of the Hot Rod to be. We are starting with the body - a 38 Chevy pick-up. I have no good idea of what it will look like when we are finished but am thinking the process will be fun. I know that I always enjoy looking at finished ones more when there are pictures of where and what it came from so pictures there will be and maybe eventually an album with the pictures in them.

Dipstick today is picking up marshmallows from the marshmallow wars that were had here last night...Stretch got to enjoy playing games with the adults. Squirrel wasn't feeling overly well so he spent the evening in bed sleeping...he's likely in the best shape today as far as sleep is concerned. We had friends over...Suz, C and their 4 kids as well as another family with a couple of boys. I got to hold a 3 week old baby for much of the evening...and Stretch got diaper changing experience. Overall we had a good evening. It was close to 2:00 am before B and I got to bed though.

Squirrel and Stretch are both looking forward to going back to school next week. There will continue to be adjustments for Squirrel as he will still have some doctors appointments to face and learning to watch people when they talk. He is still having issues with no hearing in his left ear...we are hoping that it will eventually return but don't know at all. Dipstick is not looking forward to returning to school quite as much...he would usually rather be out working in the shop than in class.

Speaking of working in the shop...B is now officially self-employed. He was called back to do 5 engines at his old place of employment with no guarantees as to how long he would be there before being laid off again. So he said thanks but no thanks. I am confident that his place here is the best for him but it's still scary at times. We will definitely be learning new things and relearning others...trusting God to provide.

On that note...I'm stopping for now...trying to get pictures to load onto the computer and will post goals for 2010 another time.

Home

Well Squirrel and I are home now...he was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. He is still wearing a cervical collar and will have to wear that until the 29th at the earliest. He is scheduled for some more testing to attempt to find out why he passed out in the first place...

At the moment he is pretty bored...finding creative ways to get around without having to have someone "walk" him. Tomorrow he will start doing some easy chores...just to keep him occupied. In the meantime I am playing catch-up from being gone so long.

Squirrel

Squirrel has been in the hospital here since late Wednesday night when he was brought into the ER by ambulance. He was admitted to the Pediatric ICU with a concussion and hairline skull fracture...now diagnosis has been expanded to include possible whiplash type injury. We will be here at least until he is able to keep a meal down and be up walking around without extreme dizziness and nausea. He started "eating" yesterday...more than just ice chips and has had a bowl of cereal this morning.

We ended up here because he passed out at school on Wednesday afternoon and fell off the stage - about a 3 foot drop. He managed to come down off the top riser but then tumbled off the stage. I did not see this happen...but very thankfully was sitting on my bus in the parking lot waiting for afternoon route to start. I was coherent enough to make sure they got someone to drive my bus route but other than that my focus has been pretty much on him. The choir concert he was involved in practicing for that was scheduled for that night was cancelled immediately.

Time to get off this public hospital computer and get back into his room.

A Post???

Wow...it's been a very long time since I've posted anything...and I actually have pictures to post...but likely won't get to that tonight.

• Dipstick has broken his new glasses - that he's only had for a week and the eye doctor's place is closed tomorrow
  
• Dipstick's grades currently are not failing!!! This is awesome as he's been grounded for weeks due to failing grades & undone homework.
• I enjoyed an awesome visit with my sister and her children yesterday. B and I drove to Grand Rapids to meet them. We enjoyed lunch then went to the public museum. It was too much to comprehend all in one day but so much fun to look. We enjoyed a nice supper at the restaurant near their hotel then headed home.
  
• All 3 boys stayed home and went to school yesterday...was nice to spend the day just with B but equally nice to get home late(r) last night and see all the boys
• Belle and Boo are beautiful handsome children that are growing so rapidly...they took to B very well - so much so that he was surprised.
  
• Today was spend "recuperating" - I napped between bus routes and did laundry and dishes
• Tomorrow will be spent preparing for a home show that I'm hostessing here Friday evening.
• Stretch's fall play is over as is cross country...Life isn't slowing down much as the Gospel Choir schedule is picking up
• Squirrel is running 3-4 days a week after school - usually in town but occasionally at the high school. He prefers to run at the high school as he thinks it is more interesting
• My brother N and his wife I will be back from overseas for a month over Christmas...based near my mom and dad.
• Excitement is high as my mind frantically runs around thinking about whether we will be able to make it north to see them...and what I should be working on to take to them
• Still much concern over my Mom and Dad's health
• Crops are slowly being harvested
• Weather is still often rainy - today was misty and foggy most of the day. Was so thankful that we had a nice if chilly day yesterday
  
• Boys should be home from church soon

I am totally rambling now...think I will go look at the project I have in mind to deliver up north. Was looking through pictures earlier this evening...found 1 set that showed many of my stitching UFO's...maybe someday I'll get them finished.

First "real" meal I've had in 2 days tonight...I baked roast in the oven and made potatoes and veggies to go on the side. I had hoped that there would be enough roast left to do another meal but it doesn't appear so this time. Cookies are just coming out of the oven...I paid bills today and balanced checkbook. I also got some cleaning done and a short nap in. It was really nice to be off school today and Friday...especially since I was down sick with something Friday and Saturday. I haven't had more than 1 cup of coffee since Thursday afternoon...not sure how bad I want to go back to drinking it - at least as much of it as I was. We will see how tomorrow goes.

Dipstick is at boy scouts tonight...he's missed several times. Stretch is upstairs doing homework while Squirrel is watching military channel on tv and waiting on his turn on the computer. Squirrel helped out here quite a bit today...inside lifting and carrying laundry for me as well as outside doing stuff for B. The camper is covered for the winter, the canoe is up on the wall in the lean-to...stuff is getting done. We have plans for re-arranging the shop office...I'm kind of looking forward to getting that done though I'm not sure when it will happen.

Cross country is over for another year - Semi-state was Saturday. I was supposed to get to drive the bus for that but...thankfully Stretch and Squirrel got to go anyway...both riding the bus.

Brrr...

Brrrrr...it's cold here tonight. Actually it's been rather cold all day today though I did not light a fire during the day. Think tonight I will make sure it's stoked well before bed as tomorrow is supposed to be as cold as today was...and I like a warm house to wake up to.

B and Dipstick are watching tv tonight...the movie "Pearl Harbor". We have it on dvd but it's not one I've ever wanted to watch. Stretch and Squirrel are out tonight at youth group and should be back shortly. (Dipstick has been grounded due to his grades but his homework is done for tonight). This afternoon after school there were parent/teacher conferences at the high school. I really like how this school district does them - arena style with teachers paired up at tables. That way parents can visit with any teacher they wish to and skip some if necessary. Parent/teacher conferences are at the middle school for Squirrel next Wednesday night - same style. I much prefer this to just seeing one homeroom teacher out of several and getting notes on how the student is doing in the rest of the classes - in a 15 min. appointment. The other benefit to doing it arena style is that overall it seems to take less time to cover the teachers.

Boys are home so I'm getting booted off the computer...one goal for this weekend is to take pictures of all 3 boys outside somewhere - the weather is supposed to be better - not as cold and rainy.

My heart questions...

No half started posts at all recently...have thought about posting but just not got it done...Don't feel like I've got much done at all recently though the house is mostly clean.

My heart is somewhat heavy this morning...yesterday morning there was a serious car wreck involving at least 4 of "our" high school students...the school where Stretch attends and the district I work for. Two vehicles were totaled, 4 students were injured. Of those 4, one is in a drug-induced coma on life support and one has multiple breaks in his back and neck as well as internal bruising. The injuries of the other two students were more minor...cuts and bruises mainly. Rumors are swirling ... the gist of which is that there was some sort of racing going on - in the early morning darkness on a 2 lane country road - with possibly another vehicle that left the scene...one vehicle clipped another one and two rolled. Likely most of us will never know the exact story...authorities may have trouble figuring it out. But the results...lives forever changed...families...pain...loss...

I have trouble comprehending this...my heart questions why? All I can do is pray for those involved and believe that God will work it for good. Stretch commented that it really again makes you realize the frailty of life and how fast it can change.