Year 2, Day 178: The Missing Piece!

Quick note first, I found the missing piece to my crankiness!  I wasn't taking my multi vitamin which has the special B-6 in it that gives me the energy I need!  I put it in my coffee cupboard because I have to take it mid morning after I eat a good breakfast or I feel sick to my stomach.  I took 2 pills today, per my doctor's instruction, and oh my goodness, I felt ill.  I think I might take 1 after breakfast, and another one a couple of hours later.  I did feel more awake and focused this afternoon and overall better.  So yeah! I'm glad I figured that out!

Otherwise, it was a great day!  I was sore from moving stuff around yesterday and tired from staying up late to catch up on blog posts, so I focused on sit down stuff today.  I did rearrange my papers and just doing that lifted my mood.  I have got to figure out how to get photos to work again on the CD's I burn, because my computer is way too full!  So, that's one of my big computer projects.  But Gary also found out today that Medicaid doesn't count a housing allowance in their calculations so we can still possibly qualify for it since taking that off our gross income puts us under the upper limit.  That means I will be calling them again tomorrow and see if we can get back on it.  It still doesn't help much, but at least we won't be fined and our medications will be covered, as well as ER visits possibly.  My stuff is never covered by any insurance, so it doesn't help there.

The kids had some great outdoor time, did their chores without much issue, played for the required 1st hr of Abishai's nap before they got their electronic time, and then had some great outdoor time again this evening.  It did rain off and on today, so we had to be mindful of that.  But despite that, our friends came over and got most of the fencing done! They will finish it up tomorrow!  I feel much more at peace knowing that the dog and the toddler can't immediately get out.  Now, I know they will both figure things out eventually if they want to, but at least I have a "first defense."

Tomorrow is more of the same and maybe I'll get some books unpacked.  Also, my sister challenged me with a decluttering challenge - get rid of 1 thing on Day 1, 2 things on Day 2, etc. so I need to get on it tomorrow and get 6 things decluttered tomorrow.  Now, I won't cheat and count the things I already set aside for giving away.  Then Benaiah comes home Saturday morning!  Can't wait! Except, he'll be going to church for tech team all weekend.  Then maybe I'll get my slave, er, my son back!  He's got some work here to add to his work hours when he's rested up.  Oh, and Sunday night is CIY celebration night and then we send Justin off to IWU to CIY at noon on Monday.  That's the last "camp" for us this summer.  And, next week is my birthday.  Time marches on!

Instead of making a bat box last night, Daddy was working hard on this fun device!  A real tire swing!  He will put up the plastic tire swing, too, but needs a taller ladder.  Keturah, especially, loves it!

Even Abishai was able to get in it, understood how to sit and hold on, and had a blast!

Lots of cooperating going on!

Abishai was trying to stay out of the pathway of the swing, but was kind of playing peek a boo as well.  That smile melts me every time!

We used a towel so the rubber wasn't so rough.

Keturah found some special papers of mine in one of my old horse books.  Cool!

Pony Club is based off of a program from the UK, and it does include learning about fox hunting (but they use fake fox smell, not real foxes).  The levels start at D-1, then D-2, D-3, C-1, C-2, C-3, B, and A and by the time you are an A, you can get on any horse and do any maneuvers a B can do and you have a working knowledge of a horses' anatomy and it's basically a great prep for vet college!  You learn how to do show jumping, do English dressage, cross country (including jumping),  take care of the horses and their environment, travel with them, and lots of other things.  You participate in written tests, as well as riding tests and competitions.  But you can only be in it until you turn 21 I believe.  So, my instructor took the basic program and developed her own, separating out the different parts because some people don't want to learn all the disciplines, including having one program just for the care and head knowledge of horses.  Anyway, great memories!

I looked at the salad I made and said, "THAT is a pretty salad!  It's definitely worth a salad!"  I like a big variety of veggies in my salad with just a little bit of lettuce.  As I was looking for tongs, I saw these salad grabbers and thought, yup, use it or get rid of it.  So there you go.

Time to play with Daddy so Mommy can have a break!

Haha! You're stuck!

The old fencing is somewhat secure.  New fencing goes in tomorrow.

He's got his eye on a bunny in the next yard, who just sat there and teased him eating its patch of clover.  Poor dog.  Jared was talking to a neighbor last night and was saying that Socks doesn't pay attention to anything, even yummy morsels of food, if he can't SEE it.  He does pay attention to things he can hear though.  It's because he's a shepherding dog and wants to warn us of any intruders.  He sees and hears things before we do.

Big insect!

While Mommy had her break, Abishai ended up in the pool.  I did get his clothes off before he was totally soaked though.  When I got back to him, his diaper was massively full of water!  It was hilarious!

In and out with ease!

Splish, splash, get the leaves out!

Very saggy bum.

Socks does occasionally chew on sticks, and even chases them.  He doesn't fetch though.  I gave up giving him chewable treats long ago because he simply doesn't use them.

We added an old pillow for more comfort on the swing.  For now, we'll try to keep it from getting too wet and we'll bring it inside every day.  Otherwise, we'll let the sun dry it out, maybe wash it, and then toss it eventually.

Say what?!  I thought the tire swing was for the kids!  Oh wait, sometimes, he's just a big kid.  But only sometimes.  I LOVE these moments of bliss!

That wicked smile of this kid!  And his villainous/victorious laugh (that Jared taught him).  What a hoot!

What a big boy! He's now on TOP of the swing showing Grandma how it works!

So adorable!

The moon!

As I was putting away the Pony Club certificates in a photo album, I found these pictures for Throwback Thursday.  I'm pretty sure I will never be this size again, but I still have the bikini!  This was just a month or so before our wedding.  And yes, we know Benaiah looks just like Jared.  Jared is 22 and I am 20 in this picture.

Jared always has fun with his parking skills.  And we had our first date in this car.  I'm not sure why we weren't driving the red truck that day though.  It was a cookout with our college friends.  We called ourselves 24:7 as in we are living for Christ 24:7.  The funny thing is, I still have lots of those folks as Facebook friends and a few paired off and now have kids as well.  It was an incredible, dedicated, deep group of 20 somethings.  We met as often as we could on Saturday nights, so for Jared and I, it was every other weekend.  Jared would drive 8 hrs on Friday from his college to my college and back to Indianapolis.  We would do laundry on Saturday, then went to small group and Bob Evens afterwards.  We went to church on Sunday morning, had Sunday dinner with the folks, and then Jared drove 4 hrs driving me back to college.  Then he went back to his college (another 4 hrs) on Monday morning.  We did that for 2 years!  His dad paid for a lot of his gas because his folks wanted to see him as often as they could.  Thank you, parents, once again, for gas, laundry, food and shelter.

And now, 16 years later, we have 4 kids, one dog, lived in another country, are on our 5th home, and I don't know how many jobs we've had, etc.  Lots of changes.  I took this picture though because Abishai hasn't sat on Jared's lap for a meal since he was under 1 year old.  Abishai started watching us eat when he was just a few weeks old.  Now look at how big he is!  

This was Abishai's view at the dinner table in Charlottetown, siting in Daddy's lap.  Eventually he sat in the high chair and we brought that up to the table.

Aw, he was several months old, but still so small.

Oh, and I asked Abishai if he was big or little tonight at dinner time.  He said big.  So, I told him that big boys sit down in their chairs at dinner.  He then responded with no hesitation, "Little."  Yes, child, we know you can manipulate any situation to your advantage.  SMH (shaking my head).  He keeps our home going, that's for sure.