Year 7, January 31st-February 6th, 2022: Snowmagedden 2022

 Monday: Get a Move On

- Slow start, strong finish.

- Prepped for IAHE Capitol Day tomorrow, lunches, clothes, where to park, and even our tour got switched. And there's now a possibility that Jared will join us.

- Got school done with the kids. But I still had to tell the monkey to sit his butt down in the chair. I can't teach a moving target. Small movements only within the confines of a chair. I can't have Abishai swinging from a bar when I'm holding up a map of Mesopotamia for him to see or talking about how the eye works. He wouldn't last 1 day in a classroom and he would be put on medication right away I tell ya. Poor kid. I'm glad he's home with me. We did get our snuggles in this morning, too.

- Prepped for big snowstorm coming Wednesday night through all day Thursday. Up to 12 inches predicted.

- Keturah got the Christmas lights untangled and brought the sled in from the shed. Justin located and and put the snow shovels at the front of the garage. I rescheduled my massage for this Thursday to the following Thursday. 

- I made a rice blend for dinner, including brown rice, black rice, black lentils, and black quinoa and no one but me ate it. Why do I even bother trying? They ate the frozen vegetables I steamed in their bags. And the warmed up leftover meat and pizza. This is why I don't menu plan. I need to just make food I like and they can just eat peanut butter and jelly. If I feel like making something special, I have to do it for me, and make enough for everyone. And if they don't like it, they can go hungry. Their pickiness is getting on my nerves. Or, if I just want to eat a granola bar for dinner, then so be it. They can make their own food. Lately, they have all said, "I'm not hungry." Jared won't eat a big meal at dinner time either. I don't want to put effort into something I don't even like to do if it's not going to be pleasing to someone else. So I won't. I give up. Cook for yourselves. 

- And I have decided that I'm taking over Keturah's Bible class next year and I'm going to make sure I set the pace with Abishai as well. We have to skip Bible class again this week because of people's lack of availability. So, I called it. We will finish out this year and then it's over. I'm moving on.

- Tomorrow is a very big day. I don't feel rested enough. I'm going to need all that special energy only God gives me. I'm going to do my best to go to bed early tonight. I need to figure out parking and all that, too. But Jared just informed me that he is able to go! The new hire won't actually start until next week due to a death in the family so he's available! Praise the Lord my dilemma is solved. What an answer to prayer! I'm internally jumping up and down right now! Eek!!!! Praise the Lord! My husband will be by my side for once, like he should be! It's my turn! I sent him a long text message about it today about how I just want to be supported and uplifted in my ministry by my family as much as I and the rest of us support e2. And God has provided a way out of this conflict of schedule. ONLY God could have changed this schedule. While we mourn with our friends for the loss in their family, (the new hire are friends that we've known for 25 years), it is the way God has used to provided an answer for my specific prayer. God turns something not so fun into something good. And maybe that's how He does it sometimes. It's not good for someone else, but it's good for someone else. Kind of like when a person donates their organs. The family of the donor suffers the loss of their family member, but the donated organs saves several other people and brings hope to their families. Looking for the good in every situation. I did also sign us up for the small group meeting next Sunday, out of obedience, so I don't think that's a direct link, I can't help but think it helps a little when I show my faithfulness, too. I try to always walk in obedience, too much sometimes. But who knows. Jared's going with Justin and I tomorrow. I don't know if we will still leave the other two or not. Now I need to wrap this up and figure out the rest of the details.

He insists that he needs to read his reader by himself. I don't have the strength to argue so I just try to listen in. I think he's ok like this for a few days. I'll be next to him on Wednesday and possibly Thursday to make sure he's catching every word the correct way. But he's doing very well for a 1st grader.  Check out the videos below. BTW, a few people have posted recently that Abeka phonics is too hard or goes too fast or is too much per day. I've never had that problem, even with Keturah, who was a bit slower than the boys. I guess I just don't add all the drills. And with Abishai, we are "behind" the pace to finish all the 1st grade readers by the end of the year, so I need to pick up the pace and/or go through the summer. He could do it, but he doesn't like sitting for that long. But the workbooks aren't that hard. It's one side of each page per day. I don't understand what these other parents expect. Anyway, I have successfully used Abeka to teach my kids to read. And my sisters and brother also successfully learned to read with Abeka. No need to change it up.

I watched a bunch of clips today of the Convo in Canada people cleaning up all the trash and making sure any graffiti was cleaned up and repeating over and over and over that they didn't want people to do this stuff. Many people made videos of fist bumping cops and asking cops how it was going, were they being peaceful and respectful, etc. and the cops were all very pleased with the crowds. But that's also Canadians for ya, eh? It's a family friendly environment, with kids there during the day, too. And loads of food being delivered and such. I did read that some people had blocked a local homeless shelter and demanded food, but that must have been just a couple of people being rude. There was even a meme that showed how the media was only focusing on the couple of rude people while ignored the 10,000 peaceful people. I also saw that the truckers did have to work with police today to make a better pathway through downtown Ottawa today to get traffic flowing again. They did come to an agreement, thankfully. There's been no arrests, no deaths, no injuries. That's way different than the Black Lives Matters events here in the states 18 months ago. Way to go, Canada!

Also, PM Justin Trudeau skipped town because he was afraid of the violence. Wimp. He hasn't even made a video addressing the crowds yet. I can't wait to see how this plays out this week! Update: He did, and of course he pointed out the ONE guy with the Nazi flag and the ONE person who vandalized a single statue and the couple of people who demanded food from a shelter. He and his family actually have Covid-19 so they do have to quarantine, but I'm glad that he stepped out of the secure location they are at and made some comments. He said he wasn't going to be intimidated. Well, then you are going to have truckers on Parliament Hill for months, buddy, because they ain't going home. It's a stand off. What an idiot. Just as much an idiot as our current and former presidents. Just get rid of the mandates and leave us alone. That's not that hard. Really, it's not.

Abishai history assignment was to build a ziggurat out of Legos.

Tada! One Sumerian ziggurat!

Tuesday - IAHE Homeschool Capitol Day

- It was a miracle we all got up and out the door by 9am!

- The littles didn't know they were going, too, but they obliged, for the most part. Thank goodness Daddy was there to help.

- Downtown was well, it's usual self, kind of quiet. Not empty, but not buzzing either. It's winter, in the middle of the week, no big events are coming or going, so just kind of boring. A couple of construction projects were going. A few homeless people loitering about. Definitely not pretty. Just dull. Blech.

- We parked under the downtown mall as usual, and it was a quick walk to the State House. There were a few other groups there, and that's why we only had part of an atrium. So the State House was very busy. Both the House and the Senate had morning and afternoon sessions. They have a long session this year, so lots going on with tons of bills. It was good to see the place humming with activity. No mask mandate, but some had them on. It was loud and chaotic, which wore me out quicker than I wanted it to. But we did what we could.

- I helped out with sign ins from 9:30 until our tour at 11pm. The kids did their best to be patient. Kellie and Kya, with James, were running behind, so they got there just in time for our tour at 11. But it all worked out. There was enough spots on the tour for all of us and I think Jared, Kya, and Kellie learned some things. Abishai and James were just hungry. Justin and Keturah were just bored. Justin did the scavenger hunt. But we didn't do any of the other activities that were set up by our wonderful IAHE team. We could have written a thank you note to our Senator and Representative Mike Speedy. We could have taken that to their offices, or set up a appointments with them. If we had stayed long enough, we could have sat in the gallery of the House and watched them work through some bills. But hey, we got to see the actual national Senate in action, so, no pressure to sit in our state legislature, lol. Plus we could just bring up the camera feed if we want to. A lot of the main sessions are available for public viewing via the website because as our tour guide said, "This is YOUR house." And it is true. She was encouraging us to go exploring on the first level to walk around the offices and committee rooms and press rooms and ask questions. There really isn't too much off limits, which is kind of strange. I mean, there are signs if there are certain things going on like committee meetings or a full balcony during a session. But truly, the government is here to serve the people. It was a good feeling to hear that from a tour guide for once. She was good at her job.

- Jared liked seeing all the original white oak in the Supreme Court room, the oldest original Supreme Court room still in use in the United States. I believe we are the seat of the 7th District of the Supreme Court. Almost everything in that room is from 1888 when the building was finished. And the building came under budget by something like $50, just shy of $2 million dollars. It would cost billions to replace the building because it's made of Italian and Vermont marble, Maine granite, Indiana limestone, and German stained glass. It took 10 years to build.

- I enjoyed seeing my IAHE friends in the flesh and hugging them. I really wanted to go back and spend the afternoon with them, but I compromised and went with my hungry kids to the mall for Chick Fil A instead. I was getting overwhelmed with the noise and my energy levels tanked. We had done just enough and I was content to know that Jared and all 3 kids had come. That was enough of an accomplishment for this year. Plus we got to have it this year. Next year, maybe we can have an actual rally again, and Jared can go and be a little happier about being there and we can do more of the activities, like talking to our Rep and Sen. We'll see. One step at a time.

- Kellie, Kya, and James were done, too. And that's why I followed their lead as well. Once we filled up the little guys' food tanks, we parted ways and brought Kya home with us for quiet time. Abishai had been all up in Kya and Justin's faces during the tour and then again at home, but thankfully Jared stayed home for the rest of the day and that helped keep Abishai under control. 

- And now it's quiet, all quiet before the ice storm that will turn into maybe 6 inches of snow. Schools have declared e-learning for the next 3 days. We still have ASL and I have an appointment tomorrow. It's not supposed to turn freezing until after dinner tomorrow night. And then the snow comes on Thursday, so I canceled my Thursday appointment. Everything should be cleared out by Saturday afternoon for gym day. So, time for a snow day and lots of school on Thursday. The shovels and sleds are ready. Here we go!

Feeling like that a bit today as I wore out way before I wanted to. I didn't eat enough or drink enough in time. Plus the little guys wore out as well. But not just my physical body, but the chaos and noise of the State House was getting to me and the chaos of not knowing what I should do next. And not wanting to by too pushy and complete the activities myself. Yup, silly body.

Rainy from tonight until tomorrow night after supper, then changing over to snow. Snow from then until 24 hrs into Thursday night. Which means, ice first, snow second. That makes for disastrous road conditions for Weds night and Thurs morning. And depending on the way the winds move, we could get 3 inches, we could get a foot. You just never know.

Bwahahahahaha! This is a joke, but really, forecasters don't know exactly what everyone will get.

I love this! Although there's no way ever that Indiana ever gets 100 inches of snow with one snowstorm. Lol!

Because my family moans and groans about selfies, I took mine by myself. No need to waste energy getting them together in the chaos. I just wanted to show off my golden badge, ok? First time wearing my IAHE badge at the State House! Woot! Woot!

There was several groups representing robotic teams on the "ground" or rather the 2nd floor/main floor so at least Abishai had something to watch for the first 90 minutes. I think there was a group from Purdue and a group that was state wide and maybe a local group. That's why we couldn't have our rally today in our normal spot.

Gotta love those incredible Vermont marble pillars! And they aren't hollow either! That's solid marble! How they got them here is a mystery! Actually, probably by train in the 1880's. But still, that's a long journey!

The chandelier in the House of Representatives chamber has 100 lights in honor of the 100 seats or representatives it has. Again, just like in the other years we've been here, the Republicans have the majority, so they take up the whole left side plus part of the right.

Seating arrangement is by seniority choosing whatever seat they want and some choose the back or an aisle seat. So who knows where Rep Speedy is this year. They are in session from January through March and everyone has other jobs. It's not a full time job like it is at the national level. They get a small stipend for their work. The mural represents how Indiana spends our tax money (left) and how it gets money (right) like through taxes and agriculture, tourism, etc. We couldn't see into the Senate Chamber because the gallery was full.

Abishai wanted me to take photos of the Supreme Court room because everyone else was. I didn't take many photos overall because a) there's a nice tour online and b) I've taken photos in previous years. But here's the 7th circuit of the Supreme Court. It has the first woman serving as the Chief Justice on it. A total of 5 judges. And all original furniture, woodwork, lighting, etc. Modern technology like computers, cameras, and Covid barriers of course.

Photos of previous justices date back to 1816. Justices are not elected, but appointed through an application process. The 3 finalists are then presented to the governor and then he chooses. Justices serve for as long as they want to, but must retire by age 75.

The public may sit in on court cases if they arrive before 9am.

Well behaved kiddos, even Abishai and James, eating CFA for lunch at the downtown mall. The CFA was just as quick as they are everywhere else.

And here it comes. Hurry everybody, let's panic to the grocery store at once. Including myself because I actually do need my medication for Thursday. And I can't skip this one. Grrr.....

It's warm enough to go outside to swing!

Warm enough for spring today, with a winter storm approaching. Way to go, Indiana. You're tricking all the flowers into blooming early. Gotta love this confusing weather.

Wednesday - Rain, Rain, Rain

- As predicted, it rained all day. Our school district declared today, tomorrow, and Friday as e-learning days because of the ice coming tonight and then the snow. The snow totals keep changing and I'm guessing we will get 6 inches. Gone are the days of school delays. But 3 days of e-learning? Even with weather reports two days ago, the temperatures weren't going to make roads bad until after school buses would have been parked back at the school after their afternoon runs today. What a silly decision they made.

- We still went to ASL lessons today. Then my ultrasound tech asked if I could come in early for my appointment, so I went in at 2pm instead of 3:30pm to check my ovarian cyst and stuff. Everything looks the same as it did a year ago. Nothing, literally nothing, has changed. So now all that stuff is complete. Then I stopped at the grocery store for my meds that I actually needed to take this morning. Whoops. I picked up a bunch of candy per request to spoil the kids for the first and probably only real snow day this year. 

- The kids finished up their work, including Abishai, while I was gone this afternoon and then got on screens. Jared was home by the time I got home at 4. I guess he got sent home early ahead of the ice as well. Ok, then. I needed to get on the computer and finish the IAHE newsletter for February so I worked on that while they ate dinner. I just finished my afternoon coffee at 7:30 and am finally eating my dinner at 8:30pm.

- I hope we get more than 6 inches of snow but I'm not holding my breath. And with ice underneath, it's going to be a mess. I'm glad people will be off the roads tomorrow. Lots of flights are already canceled. Tomorrow's cancelations and e-learning makes sense. It's supposed to stop by tomorrow night. We should still be able to make it to gym day on Friday. Oh, but Justin works tomorrow. I'm sure Jared can get him there and back just fine. Or, he could walk, technically. We wouldn't make him do that. It's less than half a mile and just a few inches of snow. We've seen way worse than this. I might think differently tomorrow, we'll see. 

- Locals were saying stores were selling out of shovels and ice melt. First of all, why? Why do people not already have snow shovels? Do you get rid of shovels when you move or something? If you are over the age of 18, you should already own your own snow shovel, at least a mini one for your car. We live in Indiana. We always have at least a little bit of snow. Get with the program. Second, I saw that some HOA's don't let you use ice melt even on your own driveways! What?! It's YOUR property! I would do it anyway. It probably has something to do with cement driveways or something. Maybe it puts pits on them. But that's just dangerous and ridiculous that some people care more about looks than safety. So dumb. There's just no benefit to living in neighborhoods. None. I won't do it. Ever.

- And finally, I hope this snowstorm allows me to rest. And lets me catch up some. Maybe start on the taxes. And let's me put away the Christmas books since it is now February. Something like that. I'm not feeling well from lack of sleep and this crazy busy week so far. I'm stressed out, too. And I've got to put in a good day of school tomorrow. That's the top priority. Snow, school, and shower. Three 3's. Just like I had 3 B's when I went to the grocery store today: my Butter, my Brita water filter, and Bananas, as well as my prescriptions and fun foods. I always try to prioritize 3 main things. They don't usually start with the same letter. But it's fun when they do. And then I can remember them and not have to write them down. And rest, I'll find time to rest as well, at some point. My puzzle is very lonely right now. I want to finish it. Maybe even tonight. Bye!

Northwest Indiana has all the fun because they get lake (Michigan) effect snow.

Radar at 10 am. Huge storm front, all one line, all one storm. SLOW moving storm, so it did dump a ton of rain and it will do the same with snow. It was moving more northeast than east, and that's why we stayed in the rain area for so long. If it had gone straight east, we would have had snow all day.

Aww, thinking of my mama. I did pick up a tiny heart shaped sampler to have on Valentine's Day in honor of my mom and dad. The story goes that my Dad gave my mom one of these the day before my brother was born, which was the day before Mother's Day, in 1987, and she ate all of it before she went to the hospital because she wasn't allowed to eat at the hospital, just like now, in case they put you under for a c-section. Yes, my brother was born on Mother's Day. Or was it that she wasn't allowed to have milk because of breastfeeding? I don't know. But she stuffed her face with a Whitman's sampler, lol. She loved chocolate. And my Dad could only afford the cheaper stuff. But when they lived in Indiana, she really liked the Lindor truffles. That was her ultimate luxury chocolate. She didn't get to experience the good stuff from Europe like I have. But I'll also eat the cheap stuff, too. It doesn't matter. Chocolate is chocolate.

I say this, but I do separate out things like ADHD traits versus things they can change. Yes, you have ADHD, however, you can put coping mechanisms in place that will help you get to appointments on time. Or I'll tell the 13 yr old daughter, yes, you're a teen, but you don't have to act like it. You can act older and more mature because you know how. You don't HAVE to talk back. You don't HAVE to groan about chores just because other teens do or you see it on TV. You're better than that. God sees you and knows you how you are right now, but He wants to take you to the next step, to something better. And that's what I've always tried to be. I ask myself, what is the next bit I can work on to improve? What is the next little coping mechanism I can learn to be on time? What are some essential oils that will fix this minor issue of mine? What can we do to teach Abishai how to tie his shoes? Never stagnate. Don't be lukewarm. Always do your best. It's ok that you have a mental illness, but do your best within that mental illness. What can you do today that you couldn't do yesterday? Now, that's going to be hard when I start to really decline, and I've watched it through documentaries and fictional TV shows depicting dementia and Alzheimer's. That's a tough one. But that's not what we are talking about. We are talking about 17 yr olds breaking out of the mold and being different. Just like Benaiah. Just like Justin. And their peers around them. Don't stop. Take the next baby step. Learn a tidbit more. That's how growth and success comes.

The snow is coming! It just hadn't happened yet when I took this screen shot. There will be a little lull overnight after this first batch though.

But look what's coming tomorrow! Part B of this system! Flights have already been canceled in all these major airports. The storm is going northeast/east, like a broom sweeping across the nation. We'll be shut down for a couple of days. New England gets hammered for the 3rd time in two weeks. Have fun up there! And you thought it was going to be an easy winter, eh? Lol. Oo, and the truckers that are part of that Convoy 2022 in Ottawa on Parliament Hill are getting the snow, too because it looks like it's in Quebec. Fun times everyone! Stay safe!

Bwahahahaha! Cousin Donna sent this photo around. And yes, Phil is a liar because we always have 6 more weeks of winter no matter where we live. Silly Groundhog Day. What a silly holiday/tradition. I don't get it. But, whatever. I need to find the book and read it to Abishai though. He might like it. It talks about the holiday but it's actually scientific because it talks about the differences between groundhogs and beavers and other ground rodents. It's a cool book, but I leave it in the picture book shelves. Hm,....and I suggested that the kids and Jared watch Groundhog Day with Bill Murray but he choose to play video games with Abishai instead. Whatever.

Snow

Hail

Thursday - Snow! Snow! Snow!

- Average snowfall is probably around 4 inches, maybe 5.

- Moderate winds and snowfall all day. Certainly not as heavy as a true north'easter, but signficant for this area. I'm hoping that the plows will have everything cleared out by the morning. The snow is supposed to be done falling by 9pm.

- Justin got to work by came home around 1pm with a migraine and nausea. He napped and got up at 3pm, just in time for screen time I might add, feeling better. He didn't do any schoolwork or shoveling. He and Jared decided to try to walk to work in the morning if the roads aren't clear. Not my choice but they'll have to live and learn. I told Justin to work as long as he wants to. I'll go to gym day if we have and bring Kya back to house if they come to gym day. Or we'll get together tomorrow.

- I got 2 of the 3 S's done today, school and snow, but not a shower. I checked over all of Keturah's work and it was excellent. I got all of Abishai's work done. We finished up Abishai's work as well. And we even had lunch early! And then I finally let the kids outside with Socks! Abishai couldn't stop saying the word "snow" and every time he said it with a certain tone of voice, Socks would get up from wherever he was and had straight to the back door! Socks was super excited! But then he didn't stay out that long because the snow kept getting into his eyes. When I brought him in, the snow had gotten under his first layer of fur, to his second layer and down to his skin. Poor puppy! And his paws looked a bit raw. He'll have a better time tomorrow when it's snowy on the ground but now snowing. It wasn't bitter cold out, and the wind wasn't biting, but it was cold enough.

- We spent the afternoon doing our normal screen time and rest time. Super predictable, I know. But routines keep us grounded, trust me. I made a nice dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes that I'll mash later for myself, and steamed fresh green beans. And then the usual wind down to bedtime.

- Tomorrow, like I said, Justin will try to work and Abishai and I will try to go to gym day if anybody else will try to get out. Abishai and Keturah have Grandpa class first though.We'll see. Schools are still doing elearning and the church and many businesses said they were going to stay closed regardless. It's like Indiana has no clue how to handle snow. It's just nuts.

- Every year I say this, but it seems to get worse and worse. It's like they've never seen snow. I can understand maybe 18-25 yr olds being nervous, but they aren't the ones making decisions and being all nervous about it. For less than 6 inches of snow, schools were closed on Wednesday when it rained all day. It snowed all day today, so fine, close the schools. And then, from where I'm from and in Canada, crews would be working all night and everything would be perfectly clear for buses to start making the morning runs first thing tomorrow morning with no problems. Even the morning commute would be fine. Get a grip people. 6 inches in nothing! Nothing I tell ya! You all drive SUV'S and trucks with 4 wheel drive. I never had any of that and I drove in worse weather than you. Just get it done. Plow the road, and go out. Shovel and be done with it you all. My 7 yr old was born between two snowstorms that dumped 2 ft of snow a piece. Literally 2 ft on Sunday/Monday, cleared it out Tuesday, got stuff done on Wed/Thursday, he was born at home on Friday, and it started up again on Saturday and snowed until Monday, another 2 ft. And that's after we already had snow piled higher than our heads that year. I just shake my head at the rest of ya's. Those down south dealing with ice, that's a whole other story. Ice is awful. Stay home away from that. But snow? Scrap it off, let the snow dry the road, and off you go. Even my kids are wimps not remembering how to get it done. Sigh. Rant over.

Today's weather: Snow All Day

Same storm system as yesterday, but now we are in the blue instead of green. This is one slow moving system. Thus all the high amounts of precipitation.

Sorry for the ad in the middle there. But today's forecast plus the next few days. Not too bad all things considered. The snow will stick around on the ground for a bit. Maybe we'll need to take an afternoon to go sledding. Maybe on Monday when kids are back in school.

Same weather all day long.

Fireplace going all day long, too, kept us nice and toasty.

Now that's how a winter day should look like.

Ah, now it feels like winter and the season and month Abishai was born in.

A quick clean up so Justin can get to work. Yes, you can clean up by using a broom. Who knew! We do own 3 shovels though.

That's just the first layer of snow.

Abishai made a to do list for himself and Keturah. Watch the video to find out what it is!

Yup

I was going to do my snow totals from what was on the table but the kids cleared it off. Maybe I'll try from the porch in the morning. We'll see!

Working on history timeline figures together. This week it was a Sumerian man, the tower of Bable, and the Epic of Gilgamesh.

They are just checking on the legitmacy of the group. But there are lawyers and accountants that are working with them now. The GoFundMe donations were up to $10 MILLION!!!! What?! That's nuts!

Ready to go out there!

Can't them to go out there on the most days of the year, but add snow and they'll go!

I should have asked them to get the snow off of the trampoline. Oh well. At least I'm warm and dry inside.

Socks is out there protecting them.

It's not like Socks to slow down and not want to play as much. The cold snow going right into his face must be bothering him in his old age.

I wish we had a hill in our yard so they could go sledding right away. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Poor 12 yr old doggy. The wind brought the snow right up his back, under his outer layer of fur, down through his 2nd layer and close to his skin. It was blowing into his face, too. I don't remember it every getting that close to the skin before. Plus all the normal snowballs on his feet. He didn't last as long as the kids did! I felt bad because normally he loves the snow!

Hopefully he'll enjoy it more tomorrow when all the snow is just on the ground and not flying into his face.

They actually got up into the tree house for once!

I've never thought about it this way before. But it's true.

Aw, brother and sister time.

The snow is supposed to end around 9pm.

But will it?

I don't think it will ever leave us.

Did you know? I hadn't a clue!

Nice formation of snow on Leah's window through the screen to the glass. She thinks there was a cobweb there and the snow landed on it. Fun!

I finally finished this puzzle! It wasn't a hard one, I just hadn't gotten back to it. The last few pieces always go so fast!

Friday - Blue skies and clear roads, where is everybody?!

- Why is everything still canceled? Why didn't kids go to school today? Why are buildings still closed? Indiana, you are a wimp! I just KNEW the roads would be fine today! The plows had done their job overnight. I found a website with all the highway cameras on it and all the highways were clear and even some were completely dry by 9am. The city streets looked a little mushy in places, but nothing I couldn't handle. I looked out at our street, and it was still covered a bit, but it was obvious that a private plow, like a personal truck with a plow on it, had been through it a couple of times and I could easily drive slowly on it and have no issues. So it was time to get out of the house!

- Like seriously, if this was NH or PEI, the schools would have only be closed yesterday during the actual snowfall. Not on Wednesday when it rained during both commutes and not today either. Not in our school district. Maybe in the rural school districts there would have been delays. Ok, fine, maybe the subdivisions were an issue. But I didn't grow up with subdivisions. Even on my private street in NH, which was really a neighborhood that shouldn't have been plowed, it always used to get plowed because it was a bus route, even when we only had two bus stops. Good gravy we live in a different era.

- And my kids seem to have forgotten how snow shoveling works. It took Jared and the kids all day and several trips outside to get it all done. Well, let me back up here a second.

- First, as Jared and Justin laced up to walk to Justin's work, Gary drives up with the snow blower in his trunk. I did NOT call him. I didn't even pray that he would somehow show up. Not at all. I didn't even fuss when Justin was going to leave without a winter coat on. I was thinking if these two hooligans were going to make the 20 minute trek to Wanamaker Feed & Seed, and Justin was going to be dumb enough to not wear a proper coat, and Jared wasn't going to remind him, well, let it be a lesson to them both. Life lessons for the both of them. But, God knew better and answered my prayer that I never had to even pray. Gary left the snow blower and took Justin to work! Praise the Lord!

- Jared snow blowed the driveway and then disappeared for the next hour. He didn't take the van, so I have no idea where he went. Then he came inside for awhile. I don't normally do school work with Abishai on Fridays because we usually leave at 12 for gym day and Keturah was done with her school work at 11, so I told them both to go outside and work more on the cars and driveway or go build a snowman or take the dog out or something. I was jumping in the shower and left them to get dressed by themselves with Jared there to oversee it. Well, Keturah managed to brush off my car, and then I guess Jared told her to clean off the trampoline after she brushed off both cars. She didn't get the memo that both cars needed done. When she went to do the trampoline, I guess Abishai had a big fit, because after I got out of the bathroom, he was inside and all mad at everyone. Keturah was still working on the trampoline. After she came in, Jared sent her back outside to do the van. Meanwhile, the sidewalk was still not shoveled. Uh, why didn't Jared use the snow blower on it. Well, maybe because it's concrete. Ok, but why not the shovel. Because he doesn't want to shovel because his back. And he likes to use a broom to sweep snow. I don't have a clue. 

- Finally around 2:30 after Jared had picked up Justin, the last of the snow was shoveled up off the sidewalk by Justin. What should have taken us maybe an hour to do, had taken 6 hrs. Guys, we lived in Canada during the worst winter in 50 years. What is your problem? A little out of practice. eh? Are we expecting someone to magical clean it up? This was too much for Mr. Sun to handle. 7 inches worth. Good grief. And because the sidewalk hadn't been done until 2:30, my package couldn't be delivered. Grrrrr. I almost had to go out and shovel myself today. And I wish I could. I miss shoveling. But I know I would have been sore and weak afterwards. I had the time, too. Sigh. So that's our snow removal saga for the big snowstorm of 2022.

- Other highlights of the day was Jared bringing in the small trampoline, or maybe it was Abishai himself, and putting it under the hanging bar in the living room for Abishai to jump down on after swinging on the bar. Um, I don't own a gym. I own a house, thank you. But ok, fine, whatever. I just need to train Abishai to put the stool and trampoline away when he's done.

- Justin and I did get out and go to Greenfield today to have some Kellie and Kya time. Kellie and Kya needed to get out of the house, too. So Hitherto had some guests today. Then we brought Kya home. Poor Kya had to listen to Justin and I babble all the way home because we were both hyped up on caffeine. As my Dad used to call it, we were both being "motor mouths" and thinking faster than our mouths could form the words. Our ADHD was showing up in overdrive. But it was fun. Justin and I are quite the pair sometimes. And like I predicted, the roads were fine.

- We couldn't have gym day today, even if people were comfortable on the roads, because in cold and extreme weather, some of the Indy Park facilities can become places for the homeless to go to warm up. So the facility we go to had opened it's doors as one of those places. And we all know that most homeless people are harmless, but, no one wants an incident and it's safer for everyone to keep things separate. That means that the older ladies who play pickleball had their time slot canceled as well. I'm super happy that the facility is used for the homeless. There are definitely some homeless that beg on the street corners in that area, and I hope that they were able to know about and use the facility today. Of course if you are homeless, how can you afford a cell phone in order to know that the facility is open, but, nonetheless, it's there. I also know that the homeless shelters are also allowed to exceed their normal limits and fire code limits during extreme weather and temperatures. And this is why I prefer to support the organizations that take care of the homeless rather than give directly to the homeless. There are measures already in place for them. They can get out of poverty and their situation if they choose to. Some don't choose to. Some do and there are many success stories. But all the same, I hope that they are all warm and safe during this extreme weather.

- Let's see, anything else? Hm,....My ponytail is now a Lilla Rose size smaller than it was. I went from a small (barely, I was sometimes a medium when it was wet) to an extra small). The mermaid spray smells nice and smooths my hair down a bit. I was afraid it was going to make it feel greasy, but I've been concentrating it on my roots and rubbing it in well. The witch hazel I think cuts down on the oiliness. My friend likes the smell, too at least. I plan to put in a full day of work tomorrow with taxes, projects, email, resting, etc.

- Abishai did get to karate tonight, thank goodness, because he was driving us up a wall with his pent up energy. I hope he gets worn out. Next week they are redoing the floor so he doesn't have class, but it's his birthday weekend, so, there might be extra things for him anyway. We'll see! I've somehow got to make that happen. Somehow! Eek!

New England, PEI, and Ottawa's turn. Have fun!

Kind of hard to tell how much we got, except now you can't see the little kick board and shovel the kids left on the porch.

Jared thought he could blow the snow away from the door with his mini shop vac. Unfortunately, no such luck. Bummers.

The kids had cleared off the table. We got this much more snow from about 5pm through the overnight.

Socks did eat a little bit of snow and he went over to the fence to say hi to Mr. Floyd.

The morning after the storm.

All the footprints are covered over again.

I might have to measure this later to see what our snowfall totals were.

Socks, why were you laying down in the snow out there?

The wind must have blown all the snow off of the sand box/pool area. But why did Socks want to lay down out there? Come in here, dude! Are you trying to get away from the noise inside? He wouldn't stay outside yesterday because of the snow blowing around. Jared keeps thinking he's going off to die or something. He is acting different. But maybe it's because he just wants to sleep and Abishai's craziness won't let him. I don't know. It's kind of a nice spot for him though.

Grandpa Johnson dropped off the snow blower just in time.

Not our car, but I wish we had thought about it! How cool!

True that! After I watched some crazy videos today. Oh goodness me!

Pretty chilly out there today!

And that's the official word on the snowstorm! As you will see below, in my screenshot, that was supposed to be a photo but I totally messed up, my measurement concurs with the above. This measurement in the tweet is taken at the weather station that is at the airport.

Came home to the little girl doing this hard work. No hat, no snowpants. She must be hot in that new coat of hers. Well done, Sis! And with a tiny shovel to boot!

Oooo, that's rich! And that certainly won't happen if a convoy ever reaches Washington, D.C., or any state house for that matter. In fact, the FB group that was trying to organize one for the States was shut down completely without warning and so was the personal FB page of the organizer. Completely deleted. But this Canadian stuff has been ignored. Censorship at its' finest.

When mainstream media says the trucks all went home. Nope.

Oh wait, I didn't know what I took a screenshot of until just now. This might be photo shopped. I didn't realize it was a Canadian flag and an American flag. And I didn't realize it is our Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., right? Oh boy. Probably photo shopped.

Oh, yeah, those are Gary's footprints from this morning. Pretty deep.

Well, if people had finished their job this morning, my sidewalk would be nice and cleared off and melted by now, too. But no, a 1 hr job took 6 hrs to complete today. I think my people are a little out of practice. And yes, if I had the strength, I would gladly go out and do it all by myself. I love to shovel. I used to do it all the time for my parents and when we lived in Beech Grove. It was a great workout!

Isn't it gorgeous! Blue skies, white snow! Oh, God, make it last for a long time! Makes me miss Canada! They've had snow storms for like 5 weekends in a row now! I'm so super jealous!

Then this monkey or his daddy put the trampoline under the monkey bar so he could not only hang and swing on the bar, but jump down to the trampoline afterwards. Um, I don't a gym. I own a house. Get thee outside! Now! You not only have a swing set with a hanging bar, but you also have a trampoline! Out, out, out!

Yup!

Yup, again, because when I was in Kroger on Wednesday, well, it wasn't this bad, but it was still messier than it should have been. And it's been like that for 2 years, not just because of the storm. There's not enough employees to keep it clean and restocked properly, and not enough stock either. But even without new stock, they can't keep the shelves organized. It's awful. And it didn't used to be that way.

Our street looks like our street in Charlottetown always looked in the winter. So navigating it isn't an issue. Go slow and don't bother stopping at the stop signs because it will be hard to start up again. It's easier to drive on snow than on the packed ice underneath. I love the look of snow covered roads. Better than pavement. But can you imagine what the red dirt roads of PEI look like? Well, yes, a bit dirty in the spring, for sure. But many a times, with them lined with evergreen trees, it was gorgeous. Just gorgeous.

I hit the wrong buttons. This is a screen shot. And you can't really see the numbers either with this angle. But we got about 7 inches. This is in the front flower beds and I don't think we get a lot of drifting in this area.

Well the front walkway finally got cleared, sort of. Apparently it's not good enough for the postal service because they couldn't walk up the driveway to deliver a package today. Can't blame them. I'll have to go out and clean up better tomorrow myself and put down some salt if Jared lets me. Or leave a note on the mailbox. Sigh.

Don't you just love the sound of snow crunching under your feet? I do! And the sound of walking in the woods with all that stillness and hollowness? It's not eerie to me for whatever reason. It's just the sound of the season. And I forgot how bright the snow is when the sun comes glaring through the window, wow. Well, I do remember how it kept the house bright during long PEI winters. Again, I miss it. The cold, the snow, the seasons. My favorites. Bring it on!

Daddy made Abishai a personal pan pizza from a tortilla shell, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni!

Saturday - BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

- Yup, that about sums it up! When I woke up from my nap this afternoon, I peeped my nose out from under my blanket (b/c I had nuzzled down under it) and I whined, "Mom, I don't want to get up for school. I don't want to adult today. It's tooooo coooolldddddd." Granted, I had already been up from most of the day, but I really, really didn't want to get back up. I had already spent several hours at my desk in the coldest room of house. It's so cold in there that my toes feel like they have frost bite. For me anyway, oh yeah, I have extra socks sitting here as I type! Hold on! I need to put those puppies on! (wrestling them on, brb). Ah, that's better! Oh, and my heating pad......I use the heating pad because I don't have a heating blanket and a blanket is too awkward in this small space. Believe me, I've tried. And I know I can move my laptop, but Mommy, I don't wanna because I never can get the angles right to type well and all my creature comforts are around me with the chair that hurts the least etc. etc. Remember, my laptop is my desktop. I'm not like the rest of the world that uses a laptop as an on the go item. Nope. It stays on my desk. There's too much risk in this crazy zoo of someone messing with it and breaking it. And my gorgeous phone takes care of 95% of what I do in a day. Albeit it takes way too long to write posts and messages on FB, lol. What hey, whatever, it's how I roll.

- I spent the morning fixing the IAHE Newsletter and cleaning out that email inbox. Abishai rolled around the house quite literally while the middles spent time doing who knows what in their beds, either reading or screening. 

- Jared spent half of the day putting together the shelving unit that goes above the back of the toilet for the big bathroom! Finally! I'm pretty sure I purchased that last spring. Well, I told him I was going to tackle it myself today and wouldn't you know, he got to it. It's an old wives' trick actually. You attempt to do the project yourself, get the power tools out, and the husband gets all panicky and jumps in to save the day and finally does the project. Ok, it wasn't quite that way today, and I didn't really threaten him like that, but I had been thinking about at least opening the box and looking at the instructions to see if I could it since the first of the year. I mean, how hard is it to screw things together, right? I've done it before, but it was a long time ago. So, it's finally, finally, FINALLY done! Now I can do my REAL part and clean out under the sink and go through the things in this box behind my desk and situate all the pretties just the way I want them. Yahoo! Which means I have a new project for the week and next weekend. Stink. I'll chip away at it as I chip away at the taxes.

- It's officially tax month! I always start the taxes as soon as I get most of the documents and this is the first weekend where all the documents should be legally sent to me via email or the mail so I can official start. I opted for the nap instead of opening TurboTax so I'll punch in a couple of keystrokes this evening and then hopefully do more tomorrow. I think I'm already gone to have some issues to figure out so it should be an interesting year. TurboTax says it's my 6th year doing taxes with them, so that's cool. And I haven't had any major issues and we have some very interesting stuff with the clergy deduction and the Canadian stuff that first year back and now Benaiah moving out, etc. so, I think we do pretty well. I feel a bit more ready and on top of it than I did last year. Maybe because we are in a good routine already for the year again and I've come up for air from a very funky week and I'm ready to do something else that doesn't have anything to do with me thinking about emotions people. Just black and white rules and regulations and numbers, here we go. Accountant beast mode. Papers don't talk back or argue. It's either right or wrong. Well, unless you get an accountant that fudges the numbers for you if you want to pocket extra money because you are a thief. But that would be stealing. Point is, it's black and white (and red!) Profit, loss, taxes. Easy math. let's go!

- I'm not ready to go out in the cold tomorrow, but we are going to meet some leaders of open small groups to see if they would be a fit for us. I have a list of questions and preferences ready and I've already prayed for obvious signs for one group to stand out this time. And if not, back that obvious, too, and we'll keep praying and looking. They will have this meet and greet again, or God will make it happen another way. I just need to keep praying for myself to have an open heart. There's other issues we need to work on right now, too. And then it's a normal Sunday, with the twist of trying to catch a few of Abishai's friends to hand birthday invites to. I don't have a clue who the parents are, so we are doing this blind, and I feel weird about it, embarrassed really, and I've put it off and off. I need to get to the classroom before dismissal, but what if the doors aren't open yet. And I need to talk to Grandma before hand as well. Ugh. The timing of this is nerve wracking. Sigh. And then I have to actually pull together the party bit with some balloons and decor, snacks, drinks and cake. I think I'm going to really low key and go to Party City, let him pick out a couple of things, and go to the grocery store and buy a premade cake from the bakery or just cupcakes! Yeah, I'm going to be that mom! No homemade anything this year! He just doesn't have a favorite theme anyways. But I'll figure that out on Monday with him. First, the invites that I almost forgot.

Well, when one peaceful protest starts, it fuels another and another and another. Yes, we can speak up and not have our freedom stepped on. It's a very cold time of year to do this, but Canadians and the Finnish people are touch human beings.

I couldn't grab my phone out of his hands quick enough before he took a selfie! I was half asleep! Boy!

I said it was cold today! It will warm back up to upper 20's tomorrow and throughout the next week. That means the snow will still be probably for Abishai's birthday, yeah! I don't think I actually wrote this yesterday, but I'm so used to the kids have birthdays in the summer and planning pool parties, that I didn't realize I can plan sledding parties for Abishai's birthday parties! We've just kind of winged it inside because we haven't had snow to play in here in Indiana. And when we lived in Canada, he was too young for a party. So yeah! That's exciting!

Wouldn't the boys have loved having something like that? We have a chest of drawers like that actually but I am not talented enough and it belongs with our bedroom suite so I'm not going to go messing with it. But how cute!

Of course this happens. However, later today GoFundMe said they would automatically give it all back to people in 7-10 business days? Well, how are they going to use those funds right now when the truckers need them? Good grief. They will work it out, I'm sure. The protest organizers are on it and they have lawyers at their side now.

What, Dog, are you just dying to go outside again? Do you have friends to play with and talk to? Actually, he did today. But it's too cold to stay out too long. He's so cute though!

Take up your Saturday positions everybody! Just waiting for that magic 3pm screen time to come around. Abishai spent the morning using Jared's new dust buster shop vac to clean off his trampoline of crumbs and dog hair.

This was after she already spent several hours on her phone, so don't let her fool you into thinking she had been reading all morning. Oh shoot, I could have washed bedding today. There's always more work to do!

This one spent his morning working on a little homework, listening to music, and trying to ignore Abishai. Oh yeah, and playing his Nintendo Switch. And then he thinks the universe owes him more game time in the afternoon and evening. Hey, little man needed his Justin time, too. How about some Uno or Spot it? What about them Legos? But everybody was tucked away in their hidey holes today. You don't need a huge house to feel comfortable. Just your own little space to call your own.

The box that we avoided for what, almost a year?

I asked for towel racks for a good six months as well. One of them got done today. Jared only put it in the wall with one scew. Probably because eventually we will redo the bathroom? We'll see how annoying this becomes. It's a bit high for me and close to my head. I probably would have moved it over a bit. And I kind of wanted an O-ring one like in the kitchen or a bar like the other towels are on. But this was Jared's idea. And I knew it was going to be this. I just don't know if I like it or if it's going to get in my way or if the towel is still going to slip too much. Only time will tell. The wood isn't treated either. At least we didn't have to pay for it.

Same with this guy. We did need this put in today because we only had the toilet paper holder that hangs off the back of the toilet and I don't think it fits with the shelving unit. This shouldn't be too much of an issue although the rod is a bit short. We'll see. I have to work on rearranging everything anyway.

I used the zoomed out feature so you can see it all instead of stepping into the tub. It is short, and I'm kind of glad of that. I can then reach the top for things or put a deep basket up there or something. I know it's a little unstable because Jared didn't put that last piece on. I'm not sure if that's because we'll need to move this to paint the bathroom or what.It does have a shelf inside as well. It doesn't look great colorwise at the moment because of the lighting and the current paint color. But imagine the color in here being a light blue turquoise color with a hint of grey to it to go with my beach theme. It will go well eventually. There's no light in this corner because the light that goes with the fan doesn't work or we don't know how to change the lightbulb or what. The light bulbs we have in the vanity lights are yellow and not bright white like they should be. And the paint on these walls are golden yellow and awful. We've lived here for almost 5 years and I've begged and begged for this bathroom to be redone. The floor was redone soon after we moved in, including a new toilet. We are keeping the sinks and cabinets, including the red color, and little backsplash and shelf. I know what paint color I want that will tie everything together. But the wall behind the light bar needs fixed and the lightbar needs replaced. Everything needs properly mudded, sanded, and painted. And we need a new tub and tub surround because it's so stained, and there's a hole we used some silicone on. Plus there's old mold stains on the ceiling. It's the worst room in the house and I spend the least amount of time in there. In fact, I use the other bathroom far more often because of this mess. It got an almost total makeover because it's a tiny half bath. It needed a new floor, toilet, drywall, some of that wainscotting type stuff, but only halfway, and then they put the mirror cabinet and pedestal sink back in. The vent cover never went back on, so that looks bad though. 5 years though. We spent 10 years in the Beech Grove house and spent of that time redoing the bathrooms. You would think we could get to these bathrooms and finish them. Maybe this will be the summer we get this done. I hope so. We have the know how. We just don't have the physical ability. Sometimes the money is there. Sigh. But today, we got one part done and now I can work on getting rid of a box behind my desk that has some odds and ends of bathroom stuff in it and go through the stuff under the bathroom sink. I can make one step forward. Finally, after nearly a year.

Sunday - Extra Stuff

- Sunday was made extra different by Jared and I going to a small group "faire" of sorts meeting a few small group leaders to see if one of the small groups that had lost some members and were looking for new members would be a fit for us. And let's just say that: THE LORD PROVIDETH A HOME! Here's the rundown.

- I've been nervous for years, right, about this whole small group thing. And then lately, as a family, things haven't been going great, either. But, finally, I was ready to say, fine, let's do that whole Connect Sunday thing and see if there are groups that need new people to join them that have already been through Rooted and all that because nothing else is falling in our lap and we are stagnant and kids are settled and job is settled and the reason I don't want to go to church is because I have no one to sit with or look forward to seeing, so it's easier to just stay at home. I need a reason to be there. I need someone to ask why I wasn't there. And if I sat with friends that would actually notice if I was gone, then, perhaps I would be more apt not to be there. Just like if I didn't show up to a meeting for the IAHE or if I didn't show up on a Friday. I don't want to disappoint someone else. I need external motivation. So it just happened that this meet and greet Connect thing was two weeks away, so I obediently signed us up before I could talk myself out of it. The key word here is obedience.

- And then Jared had time to get out of working in the nursery for this week, so that was easily solved. But then I started doing my anxiety thing about what it was going to look like and what was I going to ask and how Jared was going to interact and what if there were only groups with young people and young families, etc. And then Jared and I weren't really getting along, so that played into the mix. My point is, I was going into this morning with a lot of fear. I had to talk myself into stepping out the front door and into the building. It was so hard. The social anxiety is strong with this one, I'm telling ya. But again, we were expected to show up, and I hate disappointing people, and Jared had already done some milling around, so I had to show up. And more importantly, I had to get to church because this was the last Sunday to invite friends to Abishai's birthday party and I didn't want to disappoint him. Actually, that was more of a motivator. Jared could have handled the small group thing I guess, but God had other plans.

- I got there, looked through the short description of each group about what time and day they meet, and what age group and gender they are, and we narrow it down to really just 2 or 3 based off my criteria. I wasn't trying to be too picky, but at the same time, small group is a life group, and my time is very limited and I need it to be something that is uplifting and helpful and not something else I have to lead and manage, so that would be the first criteria. It couldn't be a group with a bunch of young families. I/we need mentor couples, so it had to be our age/stage of life and up, for the most part. I also had a preference on which evenings but in the end, it didn't really matter. I was also hoping for mature believers, families that didn't have a focus on income/work, some that homeschooled even, and maybe some families that I already knew possibly, but those were a little less important, sort of. I did go with an open mind. Or rather, I tried not to fret. I prayed that God would make it overly obvious or overly not. Slam dunk or close all the doors. No hemming and hawing. Well, He made it obvious, and an obvious slam dunk. 

- The first group we sat with has my very first official employers, another couple I've known from my first year here in Indiana who also homeschooled their kids, the new hire for e2 who homeschools and whom Jared went to college with, and a family whose oldest girls, twins, are in Keturah's small group and so I already know the mom because she volunteers with the group and I trust her. Boom, baby, boom! Sold! I wouldn't have to start over with new friendships. All of the people we've known from before have always still greeted us whenever we've seen them. In fact, I already have all of them on Facebook to this day with no hiccups and they've been at the church since I came on the scene. So I could easily pick up where I've left off. Keturah would automatically have friends with the twins and the other daughter that's already in her small group and now I know why they've formed a tighter bond, because their parents have. And the whole homeschooling thing wouldn't be much of an issue. I've always wanted to pick the brains of the other two homeschooling mamas and what their journeys have been like. So, match made in Heaven?! I think so! When can we start?! We'll see! They meet on Tuesday nights, and this Tuesday, I have an IAHE mtg. Jared and Justin might be helping with Rooted but maybe not, so that's our only complication at the moment. After that, we just have to figure out Abishai's karate nights. But we'll make it work.

- And then I had to embarrass myself and hand out invitations. Well, I stalked the KP area, was the first one at Abishai's Sunday School classroom door, called him over, handed them over, and had him pass them out to his classmates. The only hiccup was that he gave him to some of his leaders, which I told him not to do, and so a few kids didn't get them. Whoops.. So, we might be having 20 families to our house on Saturday. Honestly, with my return rate for parties, we'll have 10 families or less. I don't know anybody's names, first or last, but I gave them my phone number and address. I just didn't know what else to do. Now the fun part comes with decluttering the whole house so we can fit people in here and then getting decor and food and buying cupcakes. And that's it. Eek! Basically, I might have to skip school with Abishai to pull this off. I'm doing it "Kellie" style. Abishai doesn't have a theme though. So I'm just going to take him to the party store and letting him pick a couple of things and then using plain colored whatever and buying cupcakes on Thursday or Friday and calling it good! Not sure what we'll do for games or toys out to play with but I'm thinking Legos, ring toss, cars? But lots of things need to be removed from the main rooms. I can do this, right? I hope so! And I hope we still have snow but warm temperatures so we can send some of them outside to play! Summer birthdays are so much easier!

- We had lunch with Grandma and Grandpa and Benaiah got to join us because his small group switched from Sundays to Tuesdays! Yeah! I got my son back! He gave us all the update about his first week of work, which was mostly driving around with his trainer on what will be Benaiah's route. He has to sit for his chauffeur license because he will be driving a box truck all the time. But he actually has to go to Layfayette and Westfield and Columbus, so about an hour out of town. That's nuts! And that's literally what he will be delivering! Nuts and bolts and fasteners. So 30lb boxes but they are small boxes. Okey dokey. Should be fun. But at least we have him for Sunday dinners again. And dinner was all about bacon, like bacon wrapped asparagus and bacon on pork chops and BLT mayo pasta. It was gluten free pasta and Leah said she didn't like it because the pasta was too grainy. I'm like, I don't even notice that the pasta is grainy anymore because I eat it all the time. I don't remember what regular pasta tastes like. It would probably be too mushy for me. I saw her sneak extra bites as she put it away though, lol. And then Keturah ate half of my leftovers for her supper before small groups tonight. Oink!

- I wasted the afternoon on dumb videos. I tried to take a nap and then Justin was using the PS4 and talking very loudly. Abishai was going to follow him into the garage, but it was uber cold again today so I made him sit by me instead under my blankie. I could have been way more productive today than I was. And now it's 9pm. I have a headache and I should type more info in for taxes. Sigh. But I'm now finally hungry for dinner and I don't know what to say because Jared and Keturah are doing their nightly Bible reading aloud together. The dog thinks he needs to go outside again, which is not true because he just came in 30 minutes ago. He had to get up because Keturah got off her bed. Wow, I'm tired. I need some food, some TV and some bed time. It's been a long day. That's get that done at least and start fresh tomorrow. And then we'll do our normal week, plus go sledding, plus do extra cleaning and prep for a birthday party for the almost 7 year old! Wowzers! Let's go!

Double tickles for the almost 7 yr old!

Someone missed his sister this morning. Socks might be the biggest dog you've ever seen but he thinks he's a spoiled lap dog. Just a big love as they say. He loves to cuddle. And it's because we've made him that way. And we're home, so he's now off duty as protector. Isn't he the sweetest bed warmer you could ever have? Keturah said she couldn't even get properly under the covers like she normally does before he got up and right under her chin. Awww.

Today's selfie taken by me. He was under the nice warm blankie with me. But I think he got too warm. Or he just needed to wiggle more than I did. Either way, I couldn't nap like I wanted to because big brother had moved to the garage to play a specific game and I recorded his fast and obnoxious talking. Take a listen below.

Justin Talking Smack with Other Gamers

 

The End