EKjourney Backup

Oh my...how did we get from this... ...to this.... ...to this?? We now have a teenager in the house!  Time is slipping away and sometimes I want to hold it back and other times I want to push it forward!  Parenting this strong willed, independent thinker hasn't always been easy.  In many ways, he is just like me (stubborn, witty, a short fuse, the way I learn...).  He even looks the most like me.  He is in that time of life where he is figuring out who he is, what his true interests are, wrestling with faith and understanding, and figuring out to learn and operate within the way the God made him.  Oy, it is nerve wracking to watch.  I will admit that I am a worrier.  How do children grow, and become their own people, and leave "the nest"?  What does this process look like?  What is my role?  How do I let go?  How do I keep my focus on grace and love when my natural tendency is to get frustrated? Cinnamon rolls for breakfast (fo...

Thanksgiving was a work day.  Phil worked 2, 12 hour days and then had Wednesday-Friday off.  We hit the ground running with house stuff - Phil and Alec working on various outside things, particularly, the shelving in the dryroom.  I did some cleaning on Wednesday and then yesterday (Thanksgiving) cleaned out the metal shed.  Oh my, it was so disgusting!!  Every surface area was covered with mouse poop and it was dusty, damp, and the floor was wet.  The children helped haul everything into the mudroom and of course it was raining so now there is poop, pee, and dust mud on all the bags and bins.  Luckily, the 15 or so huge black construction bags filled with bedding, clothing, and misc household items has not been chewed into.  All the bins were safe as well just covered in poop and pee.  Everything has to be gone through, washed, and all the bins will have to be sterilized before they can go on the shelves in the dry room.  I tossed thin...

This was actually on Friday.  Phil had supervision duties at the school play The Wizard of Oz so we made it a family event.  We went out for dinner and then watched the play.  Glorielle was quite excited to wear a princess dress and to meet the actresses.   It was a late night. It was such a pretty sunrise.  I took a ton of pictures only to discover that I had not put the card reader in the camera.  Luckily, I had taken a couple of pictures with my camera phone.   The the sun came up (and I put my card reader in) and I watched as the lighting hit from the Southeast and the fog rolled in.  I am amazed at how far the sun has "traveled" along the horizon.  I have never really noticed that before (probably because I have never had such a horizon line).  It comes up far to the South over the little farm on the hillside rather than far to the North over the tree block near the horizon hill I always take pictures of.  We still ha...

Mid November... My mom was in the hospital for a couple of days following an issue with her heart.  She ended up having to have her heart shocked back into proper rhythm.   Piano lessons, Art lessons, Awanas, Piano recital, Music class, Play, and Pageant Rehearsal. Rain and a few sun breaks. The mudroom floor is done and as soon as we figure out what to put down on the floor for muddy shoes, we can start using it as the main entry to the house. Not the best picture but these two trees have been stunning this autumn! We are so busy that I can't get school done, do all the shuttling around, and get 3 meals on the table, let alone go through boxes.  One of the big issues that I am having is a place to put things - I need shelving, closets, outside storage, and room to sort.  We now have dumpster number 9 for garbage and my parents van for Goodwill items.  That will help and hopefully I can get these piles to diminish.  Really really really, I so just want...