Day 268: Feeling better

Well, I slept almost 8 hrs last night, so I had tons more energy today, yeah!  Justin and Benaiah had slept over at Grandma and Grandpa's, so we just had the youngest two at home for breakfast. We got up pretty slowly today, and in fact, I had to "dress" the bed several times because we all wanted to get back in it at different points.  I don't know why I said, "dress the bed" but Jared and I disagree on if the bed should get made or not.  I always make the bed b/c otherwise, I don't feel like my day has started.  I don't make the kids make their beds though.  Anyway, I got everything ready for the week, and then I went to an essential oils class this afternoon.  I learned a few new tricks of the trade, but it was a company I originally researched 6 years ago, Young Living, so I knew enough to kind of figure out what I should try next for some of my own issues.  I was encouraged to try oils more often.  It's also helpful to know the representative as well as the hostess.  It was a nice 3 hrs away from the family today.  Then I zipped back home to get Keturah to choir practice and Grandma took the boys to youth group.

Instead of just wearing a shirt and his cute cloth diapers, today, Abishai tried not wearing a shirt, but keeping his shorts on.  I personally think he looks a bit lopsided with the small top and huge bottom because of the cloth diapers being puffier than disposables and then his shorts are a bit big.  He also tried on big brother's flip flops!

Meanwhile, these lovely things came today because FedEx delivers on Sunday!  So, out of the 5 things I ordered in the last week or so, 3 have come.  Hopefully, the last two will come tomorrow.  First, I think it's almost a sin that this pianist has never owned a real metronome in her life.  I splurged and finally got one because I am teaching both of the middle kids right now and a metronome app on your phone really doesn't do the trick.  We had a blast taking it out and figuring it out.  I'll have to get some videos of Abishai dancing to the beat.  He LOVES anything with a beat, even if it's the tick tock of the clock, or  the dryer, or a timer on a toaster oven.  Hilarious!  I have had getting a metronome on my wishlist for probably 10 years.  It was simply time to get one.

I could have picked any color, but I thought light blue was calming and would complement the rest of my "decor" in the living room.  But the baby blue reminds me of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill colors, which is so appropriate because my great-grandfather Haydn was the head of the music department there way, way back in the day.  My grandmother and my father both went to that school as well.  Music runs in the family from both of my parents, and also on Jared's side of the family a little bit, too.  Fun fact: Jared played trumpet in the Franklin Central High School Marching Band for 4 years, 3 of which, they won the state championship!  He does remember marching band very fondly.  And yes, we still have his trumpets and several other instruments, like a 3/4 size cello and a clarinet that was my dad's, and two kind of odd electric guitars that were his Grandpa Johnson's.  So, music, rather than sports, is in the blood from both sides.

Then, this other beautiful gift came today.  Ok, I bought it myself, but Jared told me I could after he got his first real paycheck.  I mean, money is tight, but it's been hard not having a blender to make smoothies with and it will help me stay more on track with my "diet."  You see, I don't like eating hard vegetables, or candy, or pepperint bark, or cookies.  I like my food soft.  So, smoothies are my favorite!  And the kids are excited to try out the milkshake button.  And I have a go to cup.  AND I can chop veggies.  Now, it wasn't the most expensive one on Amazon, but it wasn't the cheapest either.  It will be so nice having a much more heavy duty appliance than a $20 cheapie from Wal-Mart.

I'm thankful that we have enough financial stability to be able to afford these things.  I really want to improve my health so I can do more things with and for the kids.  It's very frustrating when you have to tell your 8 yr old daughter that you can't go outside with her so she can ride her bike because you just don't have enough energy to chase the toddler that will want to go out with us and you have  headache and aches and pains.  And insurance or not, doctors and medications are more expensive than ever.  I'm still in sticker shock over the price of a doctor visit here!  So, yes, I will try new things, and tweak things for myself, in order to serve my family better.  And they benefit, too, by having healthier options for food and breathing in essential oils or whatever.

Hubby made chicken soup for us while I was away today.  Those are some kind of chinese noodles I got him from Jungle John's in Ohio.  Jared likes his soup thick, and yes, thick it is now.  Lots of leftovers for dinner tomorrow!

And then there's the health food failures like this one.  I tried adding a glucconmon to my coffee because I thought it was in the Trim Healthy Mama plan's version of healthier coffee.  Turns out, it's thickening agent that helps non grain flours like almond flour and coconut flour stick together.  I had put it in my coffee cup, along with my normal collagen and MCT oil, and had gone to the other room.  Then Jared poured coffee from the carafe of coffee he made into my cup.  When he saw the results, he said something like, "Woman, come here, now.  What did you do to your coffee?"  It was as thick as pudding!!  Oh my goodness!  Total failure!  Good thing it was only coffee and could easily be redone.  I even tried putting my creamer in it and took a sip/bite.  Yeah, not worth it.  So I started over.  Whoops!  I don't like wasting ingredients, but sometimes it's part of the learning curve.

Ewww, extra thick coffee!

Tomorrow is Monday, again, already, HSG Co op day and hopefully, by suppertime, we'll have our Loot Crate and I'll have my wifi earbuds.  Yes, consumerism.  But I contemplate these things and have them on my wishlist for months before I "indulge" in them.  Money is precious, and the time it takes to make money is precious, too.  Anyway, time to go read my blender booklet!

Sunset after youth group and choir tonight.

Day 267: An off day

I woke up with a headache today, so I'm grateful we didn't have to do any school today.  I ate some of the caramel apples yesterday, and I think sugar is what triggers my headaches.  Boo!  I'm getting tired of discovered more things that affect how I feel so negatively.  So, I tried to stay awake and prep for co op, and then had a nap.  Therefore, no pictures were taken until church tonight.  Be sure to read through to the end, there's a sweet surprise!

Yup, I am king of the pews!  Yes, that's Abishai on a pew, per usual.

The man child playing this goofy, mindless game of using a half filled water bottle to do tricks, maybe to make it stand up?  I don't know.  It's all the rage at youth group apparently.

Hm,....what's that #18 represent?  T-shirt also worn by the man-child at this age.

Oh yeah, it's Peyton Manning when he played for the Colts.  Huge deal here in Indianapolis back in the day!

Big man, little boy, per usual.

Abishai discovered a "new" toy in Keturah's toy box.  His matchbox cars fit perfectly in it.  So, it's his new thing he carries everywhere so he can carry around his car friends, who like to eat with him, play video games with him, etc.

Meanwhile, I let Abishai into the school room, and this fun happened.  It's just some foam letters you can string onto a plastic string we've had since Benaiah was like 3 or 4.  He at first tried putting them back on the table, but then decided it was more fun throwing them on the floor.

Jared told Keturah to keep herself busy while she waited for her turn on the tv.  This is the result.  She glued pegs to a piece of paper.  They are stuck on pretty well, and some of the glue seeped through and the paper was almost permanently stuck to the table!  Oops!

I'm definitely disappointed that my blender didn't arrive today.  The tracking info said it should have been delivered.  Also, our LootCrate, which is filled with some fun comic book goodies could have arrived today, but says it will come on Monday.  You see, the LootCrate arrived in Indy on Thursday. It was transferred from FedEx to the USPS finally today.  Why did it need to sit in a FedEx warehouse for two days?  We don't know.  Oh well, hopefully when we come home from co op we'll have some goodies to open on Monday.  Meanwhile, this DID arrive today, a veggie spiralizer to make veggie noodles!  I'm fresh out of zucchinis, but I think I'll try it on carrots and a butternut squash tomorrow.

And finally, the best part of the day was this:

He can say his name!

Best surprise ever!

Day 266: Apple Day!

It was apple picking day, yeah!  But first, I'm going to share what I wrote on Facebook first thing this morning:

I'm so grateful and blessed to have a stable marriage. I couldn't have gotten through this rough year without Jared and his faith in Jesus by my side. When I can't pray or I'm mad at God or I'm depressed, I know Jared prays for me and continues to push me back to God. I'm glad he gets to work with his dad today in teaching true Christian leadership to others. Jared is so humble and willing to work hard at anything and everything so I can stay home with our babies. God has always provided jobs that are just enough income so that I can fulfill my calling. Can you tell I miss my lifelong partner although it was just for a night? I love the tv show Arrow bc both the character and the actor remind me of Jared. Anyway, I just I'd share that I miss my guy.

If you want more information on e2 elders, you can check them out on the link below.  It isn't just Gary, but two other men, Jim Estep and David Roadcup, who wrote the books and teach the seminars, so be sure to look them up too!

e2 Elders on Facebook

e2 Elders Website

My man, doing his new thing, sharing about leadership, working alongside his Dad.  Sweet!  And don't forget, Leah's Dad was a minister for years, and Jared's uncle is also a minster, and his brother.  It soooo runs in the family.  Benaiah doesn't stand a chance to be anything else!  Actually, it doesn't matter, but he has said he wants to be a youth minister someday.  The preaching/teaching "force"/gene/calling/Holy Spirit gift is strong in the Cook/Johnson line!

Now, the apple ochard.  It was so stinkin' hot! I don't think it's ever been 87 degrees when I've gone to an apple orchard.  In fact, 2 years ago on PEI, it was only 60 degrees on this day and we were outside for 3 hrs! (Thanks Facebook for reminding me of our memories!) We managed to hang out with a few new friends for about 2 hrs.  The bees weren't even that bad because of the heat keeping them at bay.  Abishai did really well getting in and out of the stroller, trying to reach apples, putting down apples he found on the ground when I told him to, and staying away from the mud.  He did fall a couple of times though.  But considering it was close to naptime, he did great!  The other two didn't want to fill up their bags all the way because it was too heavy.  They asked why we didn't get the smallest bags.  We DID get the small bags, Children, since I knew you would whine about it.  Then we picked up our "Gramma" pumpkins, caramel apples to eat at home, and apple cider slushies to have on the ride home.  Even Abishai got to enjoy the apple slushie this year.  It was nice going to a place we've been to multiple times so I knew what to expect for the most part.  The orchard had changed hands and names in the last 4 years, but was essentially the same.  We missed having Benaiah with us, which would have made the trip full circle because we started going there when he was probably Abishai's age with our MOPS group.  He was on his way back from the school retreat today.  (Plenty more pictures and videos of their antics from the retreat on Facebook, including a video of the 9th graders and their skit, including a squawking Benaiah!)  We got home, ate a little lunch, and Abishai went for his nap.  He had fallen asleep in the car, but only for a few minutes.

Sidenote: Apple picking is a Howell tradition starting when I was 15 months old.  There has only been a few years in 34 years that we didn't go when I was young or I didn't go while in college or something.  We went to the same orchard, year after year.  I was even able to visit there with my nephew and sister 5 years ago when my Dad died that September and I was out there for the funeral.  We also picked pumpkins from their pumpkin pile and watched them press cider.  One of the biggest traditions is that my Dad had a certain flannel shirt he wore each year.  He owned several, but there was a certain one reserved for apple picking day.  My sister currently has it and wears to the orchard when she can go since she still lives in the area we grew up.  I rotate my stash of flannel shirts (yes, from the 90's), that I wear, so I took one today, but never put it on, lol.  I know the apple picking tradition isn't always what my kids want to do, so I make it as short as possible.  We don't pick bushels of apples.  We focus on getting some pictures of the traditions, enjoying the treats, and picking just a few apples we will eat in the next few weeks.  The other tradition is the "Gramma" pumpkin.  My parents would always get my Gramma Koski a mini pumpkin/gourd to take to her house each fall.  When she passed away, my mom still bought one, probably at the grocery store, and displayed it.  These pumpkins have been known to stay on a shelf somewhere for months. Anyway, now I buy them every year, one for my Dad and one for my Mom.  Sometimes my sister gets some, too.  My other two siblings don't hold to our traditions as strongly, and that's ok! We are to make our own traditions with our own families, too!  The Howells did not celebrate Halloween, and we don't also, so apple picking, the pumpkin patch (without the Halloween part) and Harvest festivities are what we focus on.

Making a long day even longer, we went to the movie night at church that the kids love so much and watched "Inside Out."  We ate popcorn and drank water for free, but could buy pizza and pop.  Grandma watched Abishai while the men folk made their way back from Kentucky.  And wow, what a great movie! It's going on the Christmas wishlist!  I found myself choking back tears because I identified with the little girl. I didn't catch all the dialogue because of the nature of having kids going in and out of the room, eating, whispering, etc., but what I did get was awesome!  I would definitely recommend it to others, and even Chad, our elementary minister (3rd-5th graders), he had all his leaders and volunteers watch it because it encapsulates the 11 yr old brain so well.  Go rent it!

We, Johnsons, are known for keeping busy and always traveling about, aren't we?  It's never dull with the Johnson Dozen.  (That's, Gary, Leah, our 6, and Aaron's 4.)  OOO, I like that!  The "Johnson Dozen."  Hehehe.  I better not here that in a sermon though ;-)  Just kidding!  Good night!

Benaiah and his classmates!  Southside Christian School 2016-2017

Pleasant View Orchard, formerly Anderson Orchard.  And everbody in red at my insistence.  They didn't fuss about it though.

Gourds? Watermelons? I don't know but they were gone before we came back from the field.

Making new friends.  They moved to the shade after a few minutes though.

We played on the playground while we waited for a few more people to show up for our "field trip."

Golden delicious apples that the kids claim they like.  I told them that whatever kinds they pick, they will be eating, so choose wisely!

Justin getting ever so taller!

Look at that reach!

Abishai understood what to do almost immediately.  But he didn't know why they wouldn't come off the tree! He didn't have enough strength.  Plus these are some really big apples.

I'll just take the ones from the ground.  Thankfully, he put them down as soon as I said no.

My new little apple picker, and the red plaid shirt and long blue jean shorts with sneakers, remind me of my Dad, except he had jet black hair.

Huge apples!

They weren't all this nice looking, but some definitely were!

This time last year, Abishai was sitting in front of an apple tree while I tried to get some fancier shots of him playing around with apples.  He couldn't crawl yet.  Now he runs through the orchard.  Time flies!

Look, Mom! I got this one with lots of leaves on it!  Well, that's not great for the tree, because that means there will be less buds for next year, but ok,

Where'd she go?

The flannel/plaid shirt I did NOT wear because of the heat!

Apple trees!

Oh my goodness!  Can't believe Abishai is big enough to enjoy his own apple cider slushie!  I did end up putting it in his sippy cup that has a straw though.  Yeah for slushies!

Yes, I had a slushie too, because I'm assuming they don't add sugar to apple cider.  I LOVE apple cider!

Beautiful new sign!

Keturah picked the plain one and Justin picked the sprinkle one and I think that one has chocolate in it.  Yes, I tasted both.  I couldn't resist!

The Gramma and Grampa pumpkins!  By the way, we spelled Gramma Koski just like that, so my parents always wanted to be Gramma and Grampa.  Gary and Leah are Grandpa and Grandma, and if I'm trying to making a distinction between them and my parents, I'll add the "Johnson" after "Grandpa" or "Grandma."  It's the little things!

Day 265: All quiet on the Northern front...finally

Jared's away overnight in KY, so that's what I texted him.  Then I asked him how the Southern front was doing.  "Fine." Yup, he's busy doing his thing.  It was a decent day, with school getting done with only a tiny bit of struggle, yeah!  Keturah had an appointment, and then I took her out to her favorite restaurant, Steak and Shake.  She got a shake, I got a meal, go figure.  Then we showed Grandma how the middles ride their new bikes, and she was thrilled.  It was still so hot here that we didn't stay out too long.  When are the 85 degree days going to stop?!  We are going apple picking tomorrow in the same orchard that we did since Benaiah was little and usually with our MOPS group.  But we'll have to wear shorts and t-shirts again.  It still doesn't feel like apple picking season if you are wearing shorts.  It never has to me all these years living in Indiana.  How am I supposed to wear a flannel shirt like my Dad did all those years?  Hm,...more on that tomorrow when it's 87 degrees on September 23rd!  (PEI peeps, I'd gladly trade snow for heat, yes, I most certainly would!)

Meanwhile, Abishai woke up from his nap rather unhappy (maybe because of the other loud children yelling outside his door) and earlier than expected.  It took 20 minutes and Keturah to finally calm him down.  He was screaming and crying and didn't want to be picked up.  Sigh.

Benaiah is on a retreat at his school, and it looks like they are having a blast according to pictures from Facebook.  (See pictures below).

Now it's quiet.  Ah......

When you are on a retreat with your Christian school you play games, games and more games!  And listen to some great non academic teaching!

The drop the smores into your friend's mouth while blindfolded game!

Seems to me more like camp, then a school retreat.  I'm so glad we found Southside Christian School!  I don't think I could have coped sending him somewhere else.  He did take all his nerf guns and bought more bullets for them so they could have a nerf war, too.  I bet he would have taken his marshmellow guns too if he had had more room in his bags.

Proof we were alive today.  Keturah getting some comic relief with Tom and Jerry.

Mr. Long legs and monkey toes reading his favorite book series.

Mr. Fluffbutt getting some reading time in as well.  His growl for the lions is impressive.

Look, Mom, it's the Shake guy, and the Fry girl, and the Hamburger guy!  She begs to play these games all the time.  I never have enough change (or skills or patience) for them.  Cute stuffies though!

Day 264: Miscellaneous

Just a few captions since it's late and nothing too spectacular happened today.  We'll be tweaking the schedule a bit tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.  My favorite quote of the day came from Jared's Uncle Bill when he saw the pictures of Jared and Benaiah from yesterday.  He said, "Yes, it's unBeniable!"  Bwahahaha, I can't wait to share that with Benaiah when he gets home from his retreat.  Oh, and I've been getting a mile of walking in every other day or so, including walking the halls of the church tonight.  I think, just walking from the children's wing down to the middle is .15 of a mile.  No joke.  That's more than a football field length.  No wonder I get tired walking up and down the whole church.  I'll try to get a more accurate reading on Sunday during youth group.

This is what happens when you drop the little guy off in the big guy's room.  He loves it and gets into Justin's stuff!

Look, Mom, BB8 has his own bed!

OOOO, Legos!

Oooo, micro machines from Mommy's childhood!

Ooo, I found Ba-ba Justin's shirt!  And Abishai almost got it on all by himself!

Having fun at church while Justin was at Bible Bowl.  Benaiah is on an overnight retreat with his school the next couple of days.

Keturah's Grandpa homework: write down all the ways you have helped in the past week.  I didn't help her write any of it, so there's some misspellings.

Cute baby robot came cruising up to my desk today.

Abishai's first time on the windowsills in the hallway between the family life center and the auditorium.

I seriously thought this stand was from Quiznos, where I used to work.  It's from a company called "Quintlet" or something.  Lol.

Youngest 2 babies.

Sorry building cleaners, there's a few more handprints to clean on the windows.

During our 4 years away, they swtiched adult classrooms with kid classrooms, thus the cool bathroom signs.  At first, Abishai was concerned about getting wet from the water fountain, but then he liked how the metal sounded when he hit it.  That's a first for this mama.  Usually they just splash without making the fountain ring out.