Snow! Glorious Snow!

Guess what happened at our house yesterday?

And it's still happening today!!

Nothin' like a few snowflakes to give everyone a day (or two) off school.

What's that?

I home school?

Oh yeah, huh?

Well ... as a home school mom, I usually go by whatever the school district schedule is. So, in that case, since they are having a few snow days - so are we!!!

Now stop bugging me. I have all these fun things to do on my snow day!

Enjoy the pics!

~Brenda

Picture Post!

Anybody up for some pictures?

I hope so!

I thought I'd simply post a few from our busy weekend. Daniel came to see us. Ok, he mainly came to see Ashlee. But he did a good job of making us feel like he came to see us all. Ha!

So...the pics:


This is Andrew and I at the airport, right after we said goodbye to Daniel. I guess he's protecting me from terrorists ...

Or something.


We took a few snapshots before church. Jessie was running late so she didn't get in on them. Daniel does not help me feel tall, that's for sure!





At the airport again. I think they got a little bored waiting for boarding time.

Ashlee, Daniel .... and the Chick-fil-A cow. ;)

Lookin' good, lookin' fine....

The tall ones.

Daniel was able to meet a lot of the extended family, and we were able to talk face to face, and get to know him better. I mean, yes, we've known him since he was about seven. But there was an eight year gap where we moved away and lost touch. So while I feel like he's an old friend, there's still lots of getting to know each other that needs to be done. As you can imagine, that's difficult when he's a couple thousand miles away.

Shaun preached that morning, as our Pastor was away. He is at seminary as I speak, and we'll be glad when it's all over and we'll be able to simply minister. I'm not sure "simply minister" would ever be an accurate phrase. I know it's not simple. It's hard work, stressful, rewarding, challenging, etc. But it's God's work, and that is what we are called to. So in that sense, I am looking forward to it.

'Nuff said.

As for this week, we're doing everything from hunting, to cooking up a storm for the hunters, to dressing up for the church Trunk or Treat activity.

So ya'll come back soon for what is bound to be some seriously ridiculous pictures!!!

~Brenda

Drive by blogging.

It's what I do now days.

Why so hurried? Well, here's a few reasons:


***I am in the process of getting ready for company. Dan'l -- the boy my daughter is head over heels in love with (her words) is coming to see us on Friday, and will spend the weekend with us. He plans to meet some of the extended family, go to church with us, and simply get to know each other a little better. Obviouly not a long visit, but we are really looking forward to it. If you want to get to know Dan'l better, go here.

***Shaun is preaching on Sunday, because our Pastor is out of town. This doesn't require much of me, except giving him time to study, more praying and ... wringing of hands. Maybe not all in that order.

***Shaun's sisters just visited from out of town. They came to see Jeanine, of course. And by the way, Jeanine is doing well, considering. Since they removed the brain tumor, and now that she is off of all meds from the surgery, she is looking like her normal self. And oh how I love her little self. Now she is undergoing chemo and radiation. She did have a struggle with the chemo at first, but they've added a med that helps her keep the chemo (and her lunch!) where it ought to stay.

***Shaun and Andrew will be going hunting in a week or so. This usually means lots of preparation, and this year is no different. I'm excited for them, because it will be just the two of them this year. I can't wait to hear the survival stories, and more than that, I can't wait for my freezer to be full. No pressure, guys. ;) And by the way, if you're reading this, and you are shocked and appalled that we would be hunters ... keep it to yourself, and don't open that can of worms. You know ... for the sake of keeping peace on this blog. Ha!

***Secretary work. If you remember, I'm the secretary for our little church plant that we've been attending for about three years now ... or maybe it's four! While this does take a bit of my time, it's worth it. I can't say that I enjoy all of the work, but I always enjoy helping. And I actually do enjoy much of the work. Especially if it involves emailing, writing, helping missionaries, etc. All right down my alley!

***Doctor's appointments and procedures. My life has been full of them lately. However, this week ... no appointments or procedures scheduled!! Woot woot! I do have to start a new med, which I have so far cowered away from. I'm sorry!!! But I know it's not going to sit well with my tummy, and yet ... if you want to be cured, you have to do what the doctor says. You can't go in and tell him his suggestion didn't work if you haven't tried it. So there ya' go. Do I have to take the pill? Yes, I have to take the pill. Somebody give me some motivation here, because that's not quite cutting it for me. I am, at times, a horrible patient. Especially when it comes to conventional medicine, aka pill popping at it's finest. Bluh.

So there you have it. My life the last week. It's hectic, it's stressful, and it's awesome all at once. This is what God has put on my plate right now, and I am more and more accepting of whatever it is that He gives me. Note that I didn't say I was good at managing it all! I said I was good at accepting it. But I suppose that is a start. Because years ago, my tendency would have been to simply run from it all. Whether that be ignore it, move away from it, or get severely depressed from it all.

After reading the above, you might ask what it is that is really all that stressful. Well, to start, I didn't name everything and every challenge me or a loved one is going through. But yes, a lot of this is just "life."

Some people deal with everyday challenges better than others. And I would say that I have never really learned to deal with everyday stress and what most people would consider "normal." Add to that the health problems (of me and my family), and the stresses that our close family is going through right now, and it's a prescription for anxiety, depression, and ... running.

But don't worry. I'm not going anywhere.

I won't run. I won't hide. I will deal, with God's help, with what He has given me to deal with. He is the one in control. It's my job to trust Him, ask Him for help, and draw strength from Him.

Is it not good that we have that kind of Savior? Folks that "trust" in Buddha ... in dead gods ... they have no hope. Nobody to draw strength from. No living well to quench their very real spiritual thirsts.

I am thankful for the opportunity to trust in Him. And without the troubles, why would I need to trust Him? Lean on Him?

I wouldn't.

So thank you, Lord, for the troubles. Help me to trust in You, not in my own strength. Help me to only be refreshed by You, and not turn to what the world would tell me quenches my thirsts and longings. So many distractions, and yet You are the One who satisfies and is so faithful. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you ... whether the waves be calm or tumultuous.

Amen!

~Brenda

Destination Revealed

Wow! I have a whoppin' 30 minutes to write you a blog post! I'm sooo excited! I've missed my Lovely Lurkers. Thanks for hopping on over, and not giving up on me.

My love for blogging has not ceased, thank you very much. But unfortunately, a lot of my blogging time has.

Anyway, glad to be back in the saddle again. Out here on the prairie. With my hair flappin' in the wind, the breeze and sunshine whisping across my face ....

Ahem!

Back to reality ...

Ashlee is thousands of miles in the air as I "speak." I'm excited for her to be back from her trip ...

But I'm not sure the feeling is mutual.

Boys do that to young girls.

That's right. She went to see a boy.

An Airman.

She's been in the south, far away from this prairie, far away from everything she's ever known, but not far from my thoughts.

However, I'm not so sure but what we were far from her thoughts.

Why?

Because young love is terribly distracting. It makes you forget your cell phone. It makes you not answer your cell phone when your mother texts you. And it makes you downright ....

Twitterpated.

Yep, that's right. Ashlee's gone off the deep end. Into the sea of suffocating romance and smooshyness.

What's that? You want to meet him?

Suuuuure!!

Here he is when he came to visit last April - or perhaps it was May. I lose track.




His name is Daniel (hence the attempt to get just his name in the above pic) and we've known him since he was about seven.

His father was our Pastor for nearly ten years.

His mother played a crucial role in my life from the time I was a VERY young mother to my late twenties.

His sister and I used to play the piano together in church.

He used to turn my music pages for me as a little boy - and he did a darn good job of it!

He's about to make Captain in the Air Force.

He's 26.

He's a strong Christian.

He's fun to be around.

He's respectful towards Shaun and I.

He's very affectionate.

He's very sentimental.

He's very giving.

He's smarter than a whip.

My point?

My point is that I like him.

Excuse me while I grovel in that ... but honestly, I haven't like most of the boys Ashlee has brought home. So this is new and refreshing to me.

And I think they're cute together, to boot.

Don't you?



So please excuse me while I relish in my thankfulness to the Lord for bringing them together. And trust me ... it WAS Him that did this.

But that, my Lovely Lurkers, is another blog post!!!

~Brenda

A Week of Firsts ... And A Guessing Game

I love "firsts."

First kisses.

First day of school.

First tooth.

Well this week, we had a few of our own firsts!

Our first snow. Andrew was kind enough to pose for me outside, even though he had a bit of "electric" hair:







And Ashlee went on her first plane ride. Her first trip to an airport. And her first lessson in baggage care: Bring a strap so you can roll your baggage instead of carrying it.

She carried it low:

She carried it high:

She rolled it, scooted it, carried it with Jessie, and dropped it over and over. Unfortunately, I was laughing too hard to get most of it on camera:

That oh so important task of printing a ticket:

After getting rid of our baggage, so to speak, we stopped off and got a bit of coffee and breakfast at Caribou Coffee. Nothin' like a ton of little caffeine for a post baggage boost:

A few pics taken by Jessie - because she thinks my new camera is uber special:

We were cuttin' up so much, we got a few strange looks. But we just took that as confirmation that we were having the time of our lives. This picture is only funny because it's so absurd that I would actually drink coffee. And no, I didn't actually do any slurping. ;)

Me going ballistic with my uber nice camera:

After we burned two hours of free time (we were a little paranoid about getting there in time), drank two coffees, ate one cherry danish roll, and bought a really cute pink hoody, I put my oldest baby through security ...

And on to her gate to board ....

She looks sad, but she was sooooo excited to go on this trip.

What's that?

You want to know where she's going?

Off to college?

Uhm, no.

To see her grandmother?

Nooooo.

On a mission's trip?

I think not!

Tell ya' what. You tell me where you think she's going. First person to get it right gets ...

Gets ...

Well, you get the enjoyment of getting it right!

Note to family: Since you know the exact location and what Ashlee is making this trip for, you are automatically disqualified. And please don't divulge her destination.

For the rest of my Lovely Lurkers ... I'm not asking you to tell me an exact location. I'm asking you to guess the purpose for her first flight, her first trip away from home, and her first trip .... without ME!

Happy guessing!!

~Brenda, the empty nesting Mama on the Prairie

Living with TINK!

Please help me.

I've been finding Pixie dust lying around the house ...

Sprinkled on my counters ...

Sparkling in my sink ...

I think TINK might have come to visit me.





Or perhaps ... she's living with me!!??








Yes, I found this girl in my house. She strongly resembles Tinkerbell and even acts like her at times. She says she knows a boy named Peter. So Peter, if you're out there, please leave a comment. Tink is quite anxious to see you.

~Brenda

P.S. Peter, please bring your Hoover.

R-E-L-I-E-F

Anybody up for a little update?

Good!! Because I have one!

I had a little procedure done this last week (would love to provide you with a link, but there's just not much information on the web), in an attempt to improve my stomach function, get the pressure relieved that was causing my heart palpitations, and allow me to eat more foods.

So do you want the good news or the bad news first?

The good news?

Okay.

The good news is that a lot of the pressure is off, and my heart palpitations have significantly decreased. Not just in number, but in severity. As a result, I am resting much better. I'm also much more relaxed, because I no longer feel like someone is trying to shove my stomach back up through my throat after I eat.

Sorry. I know that wasn't pretty.

The bad news is that I don't think it's going to allow me to eat more foods. As in, more variety. However, I am able to eat supper now, whereas before, I found myself skipping dinner quite often just to avoid the pain and discomfort. So I'm hoping I will at least be able to maintain my weight.

Since I only eat meat and yogurt (with a bit of honey), I obviously need to add some variety. Dr. J is very tight lipped about what bridges we may eventually cross to get to that beautiful "other side," so I don't have information on what the next step is.

He also took biopsies of my small intestine to test for refractory sprue. I'm not going to worry about that unless I have to, so therefore I refuse to talk about it. :-)

So for now, I am content and thankful for the bit of relief I am experiencing, and while good ol' Dr. J has said this is not a permanent solution, I will take what I can get. For now.

Relief.

It's a beautiful, beautiful thing!!!

~Brenda