Tonight I was outside sitting near where my girls were hanging out. Both Ria and Tea had sticks slightly taller than they are - giving them the appearance of shepherdesses. Ria was sort of leaning on her stick (which is actually Jessie's walking stick brought here from our last residence) and Tea was mimicking her posture.
Then Ria got a really dreamy expression on her face and she began, "It's just so lovely here. We're so blessed to live in this beautiful earth and have this wonderful house. We are just so very blessed, aren't we!?"
"YES!" my heart screamed and I told her quietly, so as not to freak my kid out. ^_^ And the spirit whispered, "Singing hymns is really sinking in!" And WHAT a gift and treasure THAT is! I'll share more about the singing hymns thing, in November. It's part of a bit of a project. ;)
Yes, Mom, you know what it is. Please don't give it away in comments - or I won't publish what you write!! ;) heehee ^_^
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Things They Say
Jessie wears glasses because he cannot see well without them (of course).
This morning Ria asked Jess why he wore glasses. He told her he needed them because things looked fuzzy without them. And then her suggestion: "Maybe you see things fuzzy because you haven't cleaned out your eye buggers!"
Jess just looked at her with an sardonic expression. I LAUGHED!
What do YOU think?
This morning Ria asked Jess why he wore glasses. He told her he needed them because things looked fuzzy without them. And then her suggestion: "Maybe you see things fuzzy because you haven't cleaned out your eye buggers!"
Jess just looked at her with an sardonic expression. I LAUGHED!
What do YOU think?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Fun Day
Saturday the 24th was a fun day. It was the third annual Water Day sponsored by the Primary of my Ward. It was quite cool. The most entertaining activity was a slip and slide. Now, if you have in mind one of the small narrow blue plastic 'slip and slides' like that which I remember from my youth... well, you wouldn't have a good idea of it by more than half. The actual slip and slide that was employed for much water fun was a white-ish/clear plastic of about 12 feet wide and probably 100 feet long. It was set up in a nicely sloping area of the church yard. It was SERIOUSLY cool.
There were two water hoses held by adults to keep the slide slick AND, said adults, squirted watery dish soap into the mix to make the slide more slick. The kids had a GREAT time with it and it was quite enjoyable to watch. The most fun was had, it seemed, by those adults who took a couple turns to go down.
Tea was not much interested, so I was spared the indignity of trying to skid down for a slide and, instead, landing plop, kerplunk and immovable. Now, I know remaining steadfast and immovable is a commendable trait. It is one I am ever striving to attain and maintain, but on a slip and slide to be as successful at it as I would surely be, well... that's only degrading! ;)
While that all was fun and funny enough, I have to say my greatest enjoyment came from a private experience. Tea, Kat, and I had to use the potty. We rushed around to find a door open, only to realize that the building hadn't been disturbed yet. Thankfully a dear brother came rushing over after someone alterted him to our impending danger! We made it to the bathroom in just the nick of time... for ME! Well, it was not QUITE in the amount of time I would've needed to help Tea AND take care of myself as per our normal routine.
So, since Tea has been doing SO well using the potty on her own, I put her in place and went to the stall right next to hers to do my thing. Just as I finished my stream, I heard, "Yeeeaaauuuuhhhh." It wasn't a rejoicing or a talking noise. It was a distressed one. I asked what was wrong and Tea just sort of whimpered. I consoled her telling her I was geting up right then. Before I even pulled myself together, I checked on her cause she just sounded so pittiful. And what did I find? My youngest and smallest sitting IN the toilet, looking up at me with worry and a sort of disgust in her bright blue eyes. And ALL I could do was laugh! Seriously, I couldn't even pull her up out of the toilet for the first 3 seconds 'cause I was laughing so hard!
When she saw me so full of mirth, her expression slowly changed. First her eyes got a bit crinkly and eventually she smiled, too. Thankfully only a small part of the bottom of her shirt was wet by the toilet water (and her pee-pee). But her shorts protected her from constant contact with it. Perhaps that's really odd to some, but I rarely carry extra clothes with us because my girls have really rarely ever needed such a thing. And I guess I honestly just don't think about accidents of the toilet kind! ^_^
What fun we had on Saturday morning!
There were two water hoses held by adults to keep the slide slick AND, said adults, squirted watery dish soap into the mix to make the slide more slick. The kids had a GREAT time with it and it was quite enjoyable to watch. The most fun was had, it seemed, by those adults who took a couple turns to go down.
Tea was not much interested, so I was spared the indignity of trying to skid down for a slide and, instead, landing plop, kerplunk and immovable. Now, I know remaining steadfast and immovable is a commendable trait. It is one I am ever striving to attain and maintain, but on a slip and slide to be as successful at it as I would surely be, well... that's only degrading! ;)
While that all was fun and funny enough, I have to say my greatest enjoyment came from a private experience. Tea, Kat, and I had to use the potty. We rushed around to find a door open, only to realize that the building hadn't been disturbed yet. Thankfully a dear brother came rushing over after someone alterted him to our impending danger! We made it to the bathroom in just the nick of time... for ME! Well, it was not QUITE in the amount of time I would've needed to help Tea AND take care of myself as per our normal routine.
So, since Tea has been doing SO well using the potty on her own, I put her in place and went to the stall right next to hers to do my thing. Just as I finished my stream, I heard, "Yeeeaaauuuuhhhh." It wasn't a rejoicing or a talking noise. It was a distressed one. I asked what was wrong and Tea just sort of whimpered. I consoled her telling her I was geting up right then. Before I even pulled myself together, I checked on her cause she just sounded so pittiful. And what did I find? My youngest and smallest sitting IN the toilet, looking up at me with worry and a sort of disgust in her bright blue eyes. And ALL I could do was laugh! Seriously, I couldn't even pull her up out of the toilet for the first 3 seconds 'cause I was laughing so hard!
When she saw me so full of mirth, her expression slowly changed. First her eyes got a bit crinkly and eventually she smiled, too. Thankfully only a small part of the bottom of her shirt was wet by the toilet water (and her pee-pee). But her shorts protected her from constant contact with it. Perhaps that's really odd to some, but I rarely carry extra clothes with us because my girls have really rarely ever needed such a thing. And I guess I honestly just don't think about accidents of the toilet kind! ^_^
What fun we had on Saturday morning!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Ben!
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to YOU! Happy birthday, DEAR Be-en! Happy birthday to YoooOUUUuuu!
I hope it's a lovely day in every way!!
We love you down here! ;)
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to YOU! Happy birthday, DEAR Be-en! Happy birthday to YoooOUUUuuu!
I hope it's a lovely day in every way!!
We love you down here! ;)
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Same, but Progressing
I've begun to get a sense of the whole "one eternal round" thing that is one of the major phrases used to refer to our Lord. Life is a bit of that, isn't it? I mean, there are lots of minor differences, but mostly lots of similarities... hopefully with some progression stuck in here and there. *_* Yet another way the Lord has us in training to become like Him, seems to me! :)
The things that are the same are the majority.
The new things include, but are not limited to: my calling in my new Ward. I've been called to be the Compassionate Service Leader. I've always thought of the Compassionate Service Leader as a RS calling, and technically it is, but when Bishop set me apart he referred to me as the Ward's Compassionate Service Leader. So... interesting. I've been officially in the calling (with sustaining and setting apart done) for about 1.5 weeks. Apparently a mother of a member in my Ward seems to be on death's doorstep. It will be interesting to see what I'm asked to do after she passes. It could be a lot... or barely anything. Just depends on how much they want to turn over to me, it seems. There is no handbook for the Compassionate Service Leader. That's a tough thing for me because I'm big on following the rules and enjoy being able to see responsibilities I'm meant to fulfill and working to fulfill them. So, I kinda have to make up my own guidelines and such along the way and accept those give me by my Bishop and my RS Presidency. Should be interesting! :)
So far I've sent out a couple cards to Sisters I've felt could use the support/encouragement. The cards were homemade, which I hope makes it more special. I've made a couple calls. Not a big deal thus far. I'm super glad to have a calling again, though. I was feeling SUPER itchy... spiritually... cause I didn't have a VTing route or calling. Still don't have a route, but I know why, so that's all right.
New things for me/us also include a trip to LA on the horizon. I'm so blessed with a Mom who wants me to go with her to see her family there. So, if we Golly's pay out anything for the trip it will be really minimal. My only sorrow over the whole thing is that the girls and I will have to go without Jess... AGAIN. He'll stay home and continue to be overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. :( I'm still hopeful that we'll ALL get to VA for Christmas! If Jess canNOT go this year, the girls and I will stay home. But if he CAN get vacation, which he's technically eligible for since he's already in his second year at The River Grille, then we'll all go! I hope and pray so!!!
Additionally, but not less importantly, of course, we are 14.5 weeks preggie. I've waited longer than ever to share the news this time because during the first two weeks after I found out (weeks 4 and 5), I had a good bit of spotting and have been worried about the viability of the pregnancy since then. Additionally, though less importantly, yet still a factor, one can never tell, after having two children, how people are going to react to the news about another addition. Why is this important to me at all? Well, I don't want to cast my pearls before swine (and my children - even in utero!- are DEFINITELY pearls of GREAT worth to me!). So, if I wonder if someone will be even a bit negative when learning that I'm preggie, I'd rather note tell them because I want to continue to enjoy the anticipation of meeting my new little person without the negativity of others - including those who have been deceived about the populations' sustainability and/or those who do not believe in God and/or understand His first great commandment and the fact that it is still en-force. So, I keep my joyful news to myself, for the most part. I have started to share the news with a few people who I believe will rejoice with me and/or who I like a lot and believe they will at least pretent joy at seeing my joy. :)
Brace yourself because this next bit may come as a surprise to you: At 11 weeks we actually had a 3 minute ultrasound (I KNOW!) so we could see if the baby's heart was beating. It was. The ultrasound was used because we could not get a heartbeat via the doppler and I'd had some horrible thoughts/feelings (especially the night before the appointment) that the baby was dead, but because I wanted the baby so very much, I was not allowing my body to release. Since we're out of the first tri-mester, I feel more confident that the baby will come along and be born healthy and whole at it's appointed time.
No, we will NOT find out what we're having until the baby arrives. (Due date: early March.) So, don't ask what we're having. We have thoroughly enjoyed finding out which gender baby we just made by looking between the legs at each previous birth thus far.... For me it provides extra motivation during the whole labor and pushing phase. With my history of LONG labors (and not just prodromal!), I need the incentive! ;) At this point, we're simply expecting another girl. If we get a boy... well, that'll be just fine. But we know we make 'em smart and pretty when we make 'em female, so we're totally fine, happy, and excited about that likelihood and eventuality. Based on personal revelation, I expect at least a few more girls who will arrive in our family over the next 8-10 years. So, if one comes along in March (hopefully on Ria's birthday... how FUN would that be!), then it'll be one of the few more we're expecting to welcome. ^_^ Ria wants a brother. I don't mind if she gets what she wants, but I'm rather leaning toward preferring a girl. THAT desire makes me think we'll have a boy simply because I rarely get what I want when I want it. I'm okay with that. Seriously.
If we have a girl, her name will be Evelyn. I've decided on middle names, too, but Jessie has not officially approved them. But we'll call her either Emi or Emm... depending on the middle name(s). I was sure it would be Emi at first, but now I REALLY hope for Emm (because of the middle names I want Jess to approve/like.
Let me tell you about our girl's name and our naming process in general. I've sort of chosen the names all our children. I have these specific ideas about the names I would like and why. I share them with Jess and he approves immediately if it's a go OR he'll say something like, "I don't know... we'll see...." if he doesn't like it. Well, I had suggested any number of girls names after Tea was born for the next girl to join our family. He said no, in his way, immediately to all of them. I was becoming frustrated because for each of the other girls (the ones we already have) Jess was immediately cool with the names I'd carefully considered and presented. Well, I thought really long and hard and finally suggested my sister's first name "Evelyn." Jessie IMMEDIATELY loved it and said YES. So, that's how our fourth daughter has become Evelyn. Now, he has, thus far, disapproved all middle names I have suggested. So, I'm REALLY hoping when I make the suggestion I have carefully considered for some time now, he will immediately jump on board. I have such a strong feeling that Jessie is immediately on board with certain names because he has a sense of who that child is/will be and what his/her name should be. My husband can be a truly amazing and inspired Captain of our little family's ship!
Thus far, should we experience the surprise of a boy, his name will be John Matthew (Mark). Mark is not officially approved by Jess, but I'm hoping! We will call him Jim(m) either way. :) Both Jess and I have Dads whose names are John. Additionally, I have a brother John and a great Uncle John. Matthew is the name of my Uncle who is most like an Elder brother to me and Mark is the name of another Uncle who has been super good and loving to us. I also have a great Uncle Jim who has passed. So, we honor those who have loved us so very much and/or we who love... at least, that's one of the reasons we name our children after members of our family! :)
Progressing... I can see progression in me - especially through the difficult trials I have faced recently. It seems it is true that as we progress, the trials become more intense. Yet, even though that is true for me, my ability to cope and deal is far greater than when the trials were less and easier. The only explanation for this is the strength of the Lord, which I experience in far greater abundance as I apply myself to His Will and turn to Him in all things.
I've been learning in such personal ways the truth of "my yoke is easy, my burden is light" (a quote from the New Testament... I have been striving to make His Word a part of me and will, in the future, learn where I found His Word). I remember a lesson I heard when I was a youth. It was about yokes. Basically the yoke was described as a wooden long thing with two grooves (rises/dips) in it for oxen. The oxen were strapped/tied in and then both stepped in time to pull the load to which they were attached. Father has been showing me how I get in the way of the "machine" by raising my "shoulders" up to bare too much of the burden and/or stepping out too fast, which results in the same effect. Because I am a believer in Christ and His Atonement for everyone, Jesus is in the other yoke right there next to me. He is always in perfect accord with Father's Will, of course, so he will step forward in time with Father's Will. If I do not, I will bare too much of the load or cause the journey to stall (if I'm lagging). Not that the load/burden is not all mine anyway... cause it IS, but because I believe in Christ, I am able to rely on His strength, as I do things in His time, to bring to pass His eternal purposes. It's amazing stuff. And though I've KNOWN these things for basically my whole life, I have come to a deeper and greater understanding of them these last few months. My heart is learning the lessons poignantly!
The things that are the same are the majority.
The new things include, but are not limited to: my calling in my new Ward. I've been called to be the Compassionate Service Leader. I've always thought of the Compassionate Service Leader as a RS calling, and technically it is, but when Bishop set me apart he referred to me as the Ward's Compassionate Service Leader. So... interesting. I've been officially in the calling (with sustaining and setting apart done) for about 1.5 weeks. Apparently a mother of a member in my Ward seems to be on death's doorstep. It will be interesting to see what I'm asked to do after she passes. It could be a lot... or barely anything. Just depends on how much they want to turn over to me, it seems. There is no handbook for the Compassionate Service Leader. That's a tough thing for me because I'm big on following the rules and enjoy being able to see responsibilities I'm meant to fulfill and working to fulfill them. So, I kinda have to make up my own guidelines and such along the way and accept those give me by my Bishop and my RS Presidency. Should be interesting! :)
So far I've sent out a couple cards to Sisters I've felt could use the support/encouragement. The cards were homemade, which I hope makes it more special. I've made a couple calls. Not a big deal thus far. I'm super glad to have a calling again, though. I was feeling SUPER itchy... spiritually... cause I didn't have a VTing route or calling. Still don't have a route, but I know why, so that's all right.
New things for me/us also include a trip to LA on the horizon. I'm so blessed with a Mom who wants me to go with her to see her family there. So, if we Golly's pay out anything for the trip it will be really minimal. My only sorrow over the whole thing is that the girls and I will have to go without Jess... AGAIN. He'll stay home and continue to be overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. :( I'm still hopeful that we'll ALL get to VA for Christmas! If Jess canNOT go this year, the girls and I will stay home. But if he CAN get vacation, which he's technically eligible for since he's already in his second year at The River Grille, then we'll all go! I hope and pray so!!!
Additionally, but not less importantly, of course, we are 14.5 weeks preggie. I've waited longer than ever to share the news this time because during the first two weeks after I found out (weeks 4 and 5), I had a good bit of spotting and have been worried about the viability of the pregnancy since then. Additionally, though less importantly, yet still a factor, one can never tell, after having two children, how people are going to react to the news about another addition. Why is this important to me at all? Well, I don't want to cast my pearls before swine (and my children - even in utero!- are DEFINITELY pearls of GREAT worth to me!). So, if I wonder if someone will be even a bit negative when learning that I'm preggie, I'd rather note tell them because I want to continue to enjoy the anticipation of meeting my new little person without the negativity of others - including those who have been deceived about the populations' sustainability and/or those who do not believe in God and/or understand His first great commandment and the fact that it is still en-force. So, I keep my joyful news to myself, for the most part. I have started to share the news with a few people who I believe will rejoice with me and/or who I like a lot and believe they will at least pretent joy at seeing my joy. :)
Brace yourself because this next bit may come as a surprise to you: At 11 weeks we actually had a 3 minute ultrasound (I KNOW!) so we could see if the baby's heart was beating. It was. The ultrasound was used because we could not get a heartbeat via the doppler and I'd had some horrible thoughts/feelings (especially the night before the appointment) that the baby was dead, but because I wanted the baby so very much, I was not allowing my body to release. Since we're out of the first tri-mester, I feel more confident that the baby will come along and be born healthy and whole at it's appointed time.
No, we will NOT find out what we're having until the baby arrives. (Due date: early March.) So, don't ask what we're having. We have thoroughly enjoyed finding out which gender baby we just made by looking between the legs at each previous birth thus far.... For me it provides extra motivation during the whole labor and pushing phase. With my history of LONG labors (and not just prodromal!), I need the incentive! ;) At this point, we're simply expecting another girl. If we get a boy... well, that'll be just fine. But we know we make 'em smart and pretty when we make 'em female, so we're totally fine, happy, and excited about that likelihood and eventuality. Based on personal revelation, I expect at least a few more girls who will arrive in our family over the next 8-10 years. So, if one comes along in March (hopefully on Ria's birthday... how FUN would that be!), then it'll be one of the few more we're expecting to welcome. ^_^ Ria wants a brother. I don't mind if she gets what she wants, but I'm rather leaning toward preferring a girl. THAT desire makes me think we'll have a boy simply because I rarely get what I want when I want it. I'm okay with that. Seriously.
If we have a girl, her name will be Evelyn. I've decided on middle names, too, but Jessie has not officially approved them. But we'll call her either Emi or Emm... depending on the middle name(s). I was sure it would be Emi at first, but now I REALLY hope for Emm (because of the middle names I want Jess to approve/like.
Let me tell you about our girl's name and our naming process in general. I've sort of chosen the names all our children. I have these specific ideas about the names I would like and why. I share them with Jess and he approves immediately if it's a go OR he'll say something like, "I don't know... we'll see...." if he doesn't like it. Well, I had suggested any number of girls names after Tea was born for the next girl to join our family. He said no, in his way, immediately to all of them. I was becoming frustrated because for each of the other girls (the ones we already have) Jess was immediately cool with the names I'd carefully considered and presented. Well, I thought really long and hard and finally suggested my sister's first name "Evelyn." Jessie IMMEDIATELY loved it and said YES. So, that's how our fourth daughter has become Evelyn. Now, he has, thus far, disapproved all middle names I have suggested. So, I'm REALLY hoping when I make the suggestion I have carefully considered for some time now, he will immediately jump on board. I have such a strong feeling that Jessie is immediately on board with certain names because he has a sense of who that child is/will be and what his/her name should be. My husband can be a truly amazing and inspired Captain of our little family's ship!
Thus far, should we experience the surprise of a boy, his name will be John Matthew (Mark). Mark is not officially approved by Jess, but I'm hoping! We will call him Jim(m) either way. :) Both Jess and I have Dads whose names are John. Additionally, I have a brother John and a great Uncle John. Matthew is the name of my Uncle who is most like an Elder brother to me and Mark is the name of another Uncle who has been super good and loving to us. I also have a great Uncle Jim who has passed. So, we honor those who have loved us so very much and/or we who love... at least, that's one of the reasons we name our children after members of our family! :)
Progressing... I can see progression in me - especially through the difficult trials I have faced recently. It seems it is true that as we progress, the trials become more intense. Yet, even though that is true for me, my ability to cope and deal is far greater than when the trials were less and easier. The only explanation for this is the strength of the Lord, which I experience in far greater abundance as I apply myself to His Will and turn to Him in all things.
I've been learning in such personal ways the truth of "my yoke is easy, my burden is light" (a quote from the New Testament... I have been striving to make His Word a part of me and will, in the future, learn where I found His Word). I remember a lesson I heard when I was a youth. It was about yokes. Basically the yoke was described as a wooden long thing with two grooves (rises/dips) in it for oxen. The oxen were strapped/tied in and then both stepped in time to pull the load to which they were attached. Father has been showing me how I get in the way of the "machine" by raising my "shoulders" up to bare too much of the burden and/or stepping out too fast, which results in the same effect. Because I am a believer in Christ and His Atonement for everyone, Jesus is in the other yoke right there next to me. He is always in perfect accord with Father's Will, of course, so he will step forward in time with Father's Will. If I do not, I will bare too much of the load or cause the journey to stall (if I'm lagging). Not that the load/burden is not all mine anyway... cause it IS, but because I believe in Christ, I am able to rely on His strength, as I do things in His time, to bring to pass His eternal purposes. It's amazing stuff. And though I've KNOWN these things for basically my whole life, I have come to a deeper and greater understanding of them these last few months. My heart is learning the lessons poignantly!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Happy happy birthday Mo-om DEAR! Happy days will come to you all year! If I had a wish, then it would be: a HAPPY happy BIRTHDAY to you, from ME! ^_^
You are an amazing person. You provide a tremendous example. I am ever priviledged to consider you and call you my friend. Thank you for loving me the way you do and always striving to be the best person you can be. I love you, Mom!
I plan to/hope to call. Just wanted to make sure some of my thoughts were here, too! :)
You are an amazing person. You provide a tremendous example. I am ever priviledged to consider you and call you my friend. Thank you for loving me the way you do and always striving to be the best person you can be. I love you, Mom!
I plan to/hope to call. Just wanted to make sure some of my thoughts were here, too! :)
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Living Without AC: mold
It's something most people don't think about because we don't have to think about it. But air conditioning is a form of slight refrigeration, which is a preservative. If you do not use AC, as we do not use AC, you will learn, at some point during a tremendous summer as we have down south, the truth of "moth and rust doth corrupt" and understand more fully why we should not lay up our treasures on earth where those things (AND MOLD) will destroy those things we value.
The mold started about a month ago. August hit and so did the mold. On the walls. In kitchen cabinet. In boxes: on shoes, clothes, and other random things. It showed up on cavas containers, inside of plastic containers, on containers.... It's everywhere. And it doesn't smell good. Of course, it doesn't look good either. The most upsetting place I found it, though, I think, is on my couch. Behind the big cushions. I found it on a Sunday. So I broke the Sabbath. I felt like it was an"ox in the mire" issue because I was told as a youngster that I am allergic to mold. I would imagine my kiddos may be as well. Anyway... It's been interesting. Frustrating... and on top of all the other trials that have hit over the last month or so... almost debilitating.
Thankfully, as I write, I have begun to feel a lightening of the heaviness and darkness that has hung around our home and the peoples within it. So, things are still difficult (mold is showing up in new places), but I'm managing better.
I hope you can use AC. It's SO much nicer NOT to have to deal with THIS issue!
The mold started about a month ago. August hit and so did the mold. On the walls. In kitchen cabinet. In boxes: on shoes, clothes, and other random things. It showed up on cavas containers, inside of plastic containers, on containers.... It's everywhere. And it doesn't smell good. Of course, it doesn't look good either. The most upsetting place I found it, though, I think, is on my couch. Behind the big cushions. I found it on a Sunday. So I broke the Sabbath. I felt like it was an"ox in the mire" issue because I was told as a youngster that I am allergic to mold. I would imagine my kiddos may be as well. Anyway... It's been interesting. Frustrating... and on top of all the other trials that have hit over the last month or so... almost debilitating.
Thankfully, as I write, I have begun to feel a lightening of the heaviness and darkness that has hung around our home and the peoples within it. So, things are still difficult (mold is showing up in new places), but I'm managing better.
I hope you can use AC. It's SO much nicer NOT to have to deal with THIS issue!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Burning
The whole "living without AC" thing has been going pretty well. It's been hot, but we have been favored with many clouds, good amounts of rain, and many clouds. A body cannot appreciate overcast days until you have to endure a good handfull of Florida Sunny ones with NO AC. I'm tellin' you, the days when the sky is clear, the girls and I roast. It's burning hot, for serious!
So, yesterday was one of those days. Burning. Hot. We endured. And roasted. And sat a lot in front of the fan. And steamed. Seriously hot. Even with 21 foot ceilings in the main living area it is seriously hot. Lately our general area has been experiencing record highs. Yeah. I know. Seriously not cool given our circumstances. But we have been favored (please re-read above if you're not sure how we could be favored whilst living without AC).
I think yesterday I wasn't feeling so grateful. And so, the Lord showed me how it could be worse. (I'm pretty sure I was feeling sorry for myself in the burning heat and feeling like it couldn't get worse.) Well, it did. You see, even during the hottest days of not-a-cloud-in-the-sky and/or no rain, we have the cooler nights to look forward to. It generally gets mostly comfortable by around midnight. Which, because of Jessie's work schedule, is usually when we're going to bed (even though I totally want to fall asleep by 9pm every night lately!).
So, last night, Jess and I were in bed by midnight. Yeay! We weren't up any later! I fell asleep quickly, for me, but woke with a bit of a start right at 1am. I felt super confused. Why did I wake up? What was wrong with my environment? Cause I knew there was something amiss. And then I knew: the fans were not rotating. It was burning hot - already. I'm sure the electricity was off a total of 1-2 minutes. Within that time ALL of us were awake. Ria and Kat to use the toilet, Tea, Jess, and me because it was just THAT dang hot. Tea was screaming in discomfort. Jess and I were snappy. Not a nice night.
The electricity did not come back on until 5:07am. I know the exact time because I checked my phone (THANK YOU EVES!! the one I rolled over in the van gave up the ghost, at least with my SIM card in it, a week ago!) when I felt the fan begin to blow on me.
Between 1am and 5:07am I woke up at least 4 times to spray myself with water from my haircutting spray bottle (just water, of course). Poor Jess had to get up for work within 2 hours after the electricity came back on. During the time of the outage, he got up at least as many times as I did. He got wet fabric and wiped our girls off and tried to make them more comfy as well as himself. Since I'd been kicked out of bed by Tea, I didn't know any of that until this afternoon.
Even if I had known, I don't know that the story would be much different. Jess is a MUCH better night-time parent of older than 1 year olds than I am. Our children are completely and totally my responsibility from birth until around 13-18 months old. After that Jessie takes over and does a bang-up job! It's really a lot less intense if you remember that night nursing requires between 6 and 8 wakings when exclusively nursing and planning to do so for two years. At least, that's the way it's been for me. And that 6-8 times only decreases at around 10 months old - but even then the nursing wakings are between 4 and 6 times per night. Anyway, thankfully Tea slept a while after Jess left for work and then all our girls got along quietly for a while, so I got a bit more sleep than he did.
So, living without AC is really not all that bad. Living without fans... now THAT would be hellacious. Seriously problematic! Thankfully, as a result of the fine-tuning of our electricity consumption, we've been able to reduce our electric bill just below the budget allowance and I'm hopeful we can get it even a little bit lower since we're turning off our water heater daily. We'll see!
The point is, it's working... this whole living without AC. It's endurable AND it's helping our finances. Difficulty in the short-term... sacrifices and all, so that later in some unforeseeable future time, we can maybe have things a bit easier AND have no debt to worry about! So, as long as we can run the fans, it's working. ^_^
So, yesterday was one of those days. Burning. Hot. We endured. And roasted. And sat a lot in front of the fan. And steamed. Seriously hot. Even with 21 foot ceilings in the main living area it is seriously hot. Lately our general area has been experiencing record highs. Yeah. I know. Seriously not cool given our circumstances. But we have been favored (please re-read above if you're not sure how we could be favored whilst living without AC).
I think yesterday I wasn't feeling so grateful. And so, the Lord showed me how it could be worse. (I'm pretty sure I was feeling sorry for myself in the burning heat and feeling like it couldn't get worse.) Well, it did. You see, even during the hottest days of not-a-cloud-in-the-sky and/or no rain, we have the cooler nights to look forward to. It generally gets mostly comfortable by around midnight. Which, because of Jessie's work schedule, is usually when we're going to bed (even though I totally want to fall asleep by 9pm every night lately!).
So, last night, Jess and I were in bed by midnight. Yeay! We weren't up any later! I fell asleep quickly, for me, but woke with a bit of a start right at 1am. I felt super confused. Why did I wake up? What was wrong with my environment? Cause I knew there was something amiss. And then I knew: the fans were not rotating. It was burning hot - already. I'm sure the electricity was off a total of 1-2 minutes. Within that time ALL of us were awake. Ria and Kat to use the toilet, Tea, Jess, and me because it was just THAT dang hot. Tea was screaming in discomfort. Jess and I were snappy. Not a nice night.
The electricity did not come back on until 5:07am. I know the exact time because I checked my phone (THANK YOU EVES!! the one I rolled over in the van gave up the ghost, at least with my SIM card in it, a week ago!) when I felt the fan begin to blow on me.
Between 1am and 5:07am I woke up at least 4 times to spray myself with water from my haircutting spray bottle (just water, of course). Poor Jess had to get up for work within 2 hours after the electricity came back on. During the time of the outage, he got up at least as many times as I did. He got wet fabric and wiped our girls off and tried to make them more comfy as well as himself. Since I'd been kicked out of bed by Tea, I didn't know any of that until this afternoon.
Even if I had known, I don't know that the story would be much different. Jess is a MUCH better night-time parent of older than 1 year olds than I am. Our children are completely and totally my responsibility from birth until around 13-18 months old. After that Jessie takes over and does a bang-up job! It's really a lot less intense if you remember that night nursing requires between 6 and 8 wakings when exclusively nursing and planning to do so for two years. At least, that's the way it's been for me. And that 6-8 times only decreases at around 10 months old - but even then the nursing wakings are between 4 and 6 times per night. Anyway, thankfully Tea slept a while after Jess left for work and then all our girls got along quietly for a while, so I got a bit more sleep than he did.
So, living without AC is really not all that bad. Living without fans... now THAT would be hellacious. Seriously problematic! Thankfully, as a result of the fine-tuning of our electricity consumption, we've been able to reduce our electric bill just below the budget allowance and I'm hopeful we can get it even a little bit lower since we're turning off our water heater daily. We'll see!
The point is, it's working... this whole living without AC. It's endurable AND it's helping our finances. Difficulty in the short-term... sacrifices and all, so that later in some unforeseeable future time, we can maybe have things a bit easier AND have no debt to worry about! So, as long as we can run the fans, it's working. ^_^
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Jessie Is Published
I hope you'll read his work. It's sort of a joint effort, really. I write, he reviews, changes, and approves for publication. Sometimes not in that order, but that's more due to his work schedule than planning or anything else.
So far he's earned $0.02!!! ;) heeheehee That's not much, of course, but with your help we can get up to the $25 for first pay-out. And that would be SO nice! Any extra income is always appreciated. I'm sure you feel us on that!
How can you help? Well, read his articles, of course. ^_^ He gets paid for the traffic to his pages, subscriptions to his writing, and page view quality (time spent on his pages, as I understand it). So, check us out often... if you would. It'll certainly make a difference to us!
Our goal is to publish at least 3 times each week. This week most of the publishing was today, but hopefully it'll be more spread out in the future.
I'll make sure to share when he's got new stuff up, too. THANK YOU, in advance, for your support! :)
So far he's earned $0.02!!! ;) heeheehee That's not much, of course, but with your help we can get up to the $25 for first pay-out. And that would be SO nice! Any extra income is always appreciated. I'm sure you feel us on that!
How can you help? Well, read his articles, of course. ^_^ He gets paid for the traffic to his pages, subscriptions to his writing, and page view quality (time spent on his pages, as I understand it). So, check us out often... if you would. It'll certainly make a difference to us!
Our goal is to publish at least 3 times each week. This week most of the publishing was today, but hopefully it'll be more spread out in the future.
I'll make sure to share when he's got new stuff up, too. THANK YOU, in advance, for your support! :)
Monday, August 9, 2010
The Lesson Blackie Taught Me
First: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dad! I won't tell everyone how old you are, but I hope your day is a really happy one. :)
So, the lesson is not all earth-shattering or anything. But it IS meaningful to me. What is it? Well, the lesson is: it's really okay for a Mama hen to spend time away from her chicks so that she can return to being a really good Mama when she returns. Now, I DO think this principle can be over extended, as in Blackie's case (but, then again, she's a bird... so probably it's just right for her kind)... but what I mean is that people acting like Blackie would be inappropriate. How is Blackie acting? Well, needing to be away from her chicks ALL day is a bit extreme... at least, that's my opinion. And since this is my blog, that's what you get! ;) But taking some time away is quite okay.
I have long known this, but the lesson is especially well taken at this time when there really isn't a WAY for me to get away in a meaningful way... MAN, that's a lot of "way"! ;) With Jessie working ALL the time and doing some specific and necessary other work when he should otherwise be home and available for relief of full childcare responsibilities, I have not had a real break from full responsibility for our daughters since the last time I was able to spend a couple hours in the temple. I can tell you, the strain is beginning to effect me. Not positively.
Hopefully there will be another temple trip, at least, in the near-ish future. 'Cause it doesn't look like Jessie's "weekends" will be available for childcare-relief of any sort worth mentioning. We can hope....
So, the lesson is not all earth-shattering or anything. But it IS meaningful to me. What is it? Well, the lesson is: it's really okay for a Mama hen to spend time away from her chicks so that she can return to being a really good Mama when she returns. Now, I DO think this principle can be over extended, as in Blackie's case (but, then again, she's a bird... so probably it's just right for her kind)... but what I mean is that people acting like Blackie would be inappropriate. How is Blackie acting? Well, needing to be away from her chicks ALL day is a bit extreme... at least, that's my opinion. And since this is my blog, that's what you get! ;) But taking some time away is quite okay.
I have long known this, but the lesson is especially well taken at this time when there really isn't a WAY for me to get away in a meaningful way... MAN, that's a lot of "way"! ;) With Jessie working ALL the time and doing some specific and necessary other work when he should otherwise be home and available for relief of full childcare responsibilities, I have not had a real break from full responsibility for our daughters since the last time I was able to spend a couple hours in the temple. I can tell you, the strain is beginning to effect me. Not positively.
Hopefully there will be another temple trip, at least, in the near-ish future. 'Cause it doesn't look like Jessie's "weekends" will be available for childcare-relief of any sort worth mentioning. We can hope....
Sunday, August 8, 2010
All's Forgiven
We just found an egg. Our first egg!!!
Okay, so, actually, JESSIE found the egg. :) It's a lovely light greenish color. Reminiscent of "Green Eggs and Ham" which, of course, is totally perfect since my kiddos LOVE Dr. Seuss! Kat actually wants to call our puppy Dr. Suess. ^_^
So, ALL IS FORGIVEN... Blackie is now an egg producer!!!
Maybe that's why she's been acting so crazy! I mean, humans get kinda crazy when they are fertile... or their bodies are able to reproduce. Maybe chickens do, too.
I'm definitely letting Blackie out daily now - with few qualms. I just hope we continue to be so blessed as to keep her near home. She WAS trying to investigate our neighbor's yard today... and since the fence is a bit of a problem... *sigh* We'll see.
Okay, so, actually, JESSIE found the egg. :) It's a lovely light greenish color. Reminiscent of "Green Eggs and Ham" which, of course, is totally perfect since my kiddos LOVE Dr. Seuss! Kat actually wants to call our puppy Dr. Suess. ^_^
So, ALL IS FORGIVEN... Blackie is now an egg producer!!!
Maybe that's why she's been acting so crazy! I mean, humans get kinda crazy when they are fertile... or their bodies are able to reproduce. Maybe chickens do, too.
I'm definitely letting Blackie out daily now - with few qualms. I just hope we continue to be so blessed as to keep her near home. She WAS trying to investigate our neighbor's yard today... and since the fence is a bit of a problem... *sigh* We'll see.
Lessons from Blackie
FIRST... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KIRSTEN!!! I cannot believe you are already TWO!!! ^_^
So, for the past many days Blackie has been acting a bit differently. She's been FAR less patient wtih her growing chicks. She's been especially hard on the two birds who seem most surely to be males. She's hen pecked them, pulled feathers and then consumed them... and basically been a bit mean. Additionally, she's been acting a bit nuts... like almost flying into the main door I use to access the outdoor part of the chicken tractor. She's definitely been more anxious and nervous... and her chicks have seemed more anxious and nervous and definitely afraid of her.
Blackie came from a farm. She was a chicken who roamed 34 acres. Or very nearly. There were that many she could've roamed. When she hatched her chicks, she was confined with them to a small space. Apparently other hens will kill the chicks that are hatched. I'm not sure why. I'm still really new at this whole thing. I can imagine, though, that it's far too much of a job for one hen to protect her brood from lots of other hens. So confining her with her chicks is a good safety measure.
Well, I've seen the confinement area for the hen and chicks. It's quite small. So, when Blackie came here, she was moving into a larger home than the one in which she'd been confined.
Until her chicks grew some.
They are now flattening the grass area in about 24 hours when they are moved to a new area in the yard. This would not serve a chicken who has been used to fresh grazing every day for her whole life prior to babies. At least, it wouldn't serve or be sufficient when he chicks are more able to fend for themselves a bit more.
What resolution could there be? Well, I decided, even though my fence is no more in place than it has been, to let Blackie out to fend for herself. I did so for a few hours yesterday afternoon. She was nowhere in sight when I went out to put her back in the tractor. I looked. Didn't see her. And then I called her. And there she was... walking right toward me after I called her! She came to the tractor, wandered around it looking for another way in than the one I offered, and then reluctantly made her way in when I moved out of her way. She investigated the run area a bit and then made her way into the coop.
I let her out again today. Hopefully it will continue to work this well until I ca let all the chickens out all day and close them up at night. That will happen when the fence is fully in place. Thankfully the chicks really have not known anything other than confinement for their short lives. They are not really stir crazy!
So, the lesson? Any guesses?
So, for the past many days Blackie has been acting a bit differently. She's been FAR less patient wtih her growing chicks. She's been especially hard on the two birds who seem most surely to be males. She's hen pecked them, pulled feathers and then consumed them... and basically been a bit mean. Additionally, she's been acting a bit nuts... like almost flying into the main door I use to access the outdoor part of the chicken tractor. She's definitely been more anxious and nervous... and her chicks have seemed more anxious and nervous and definitely afraid of her.
Blackie came from a farm. She was a chicken who roamed 34 acres. Or very nearly. There were that many she could've roamed. When she hatched her chicks, she was confined with them to a small space. Apparently other hens will kill the chicks that are hatched. I'm not sure why. I'm still really new at this whole thing. I can imagine, though, that it's far too much of a job for one hen to protect her brood from lots of other hens. So confining her with her chicks is a good safety measure.
Well, I've seen the confinement area for the hen and chicks. It's quite small. So, when Blackie came here, she was moving into a larger home than the one in which she'd been confined.
Until her chicks grew some.
They are now flattening the grass area in about 24 hours when they are moved to a new area in the yard. This would not serve a chicken who has been used to fresh grazing every day for her whole life prior to babies. At least, it wouldn't serve or be sufficient when he chicks are more able to fend for themselves a bit more.
What resolution could there be? Well, I decided, even though my fence is no more in place than it has been, to let Blackie out to fend for herself. I did so for a few hours yesterday afternoon. She was nowhere in sight when I went out to put her back in the tractor. I looked. Didn't see her. And then I called her. And there she was... walking right toward me after I called her! She came to the tractor, wandered around it looking for another way in than the one I offered, and then reluctantly made her way in when I moved out of her way. She investigated the run area a bit and then made her way into the coop.
I let her out again today. Hopefully it will continue to work this well until I ca let all the chickens out all day and close them up at night. That will happen when the fence is fully in place. Thankfully the chicks really have not known anything other than confinement for their short lives. They are not really stir crazy!
So, the lesson? Any guesses?
Saturday, August 7, 2010
And Then There Was...
A phone in my yard.
Yes.
Strange?
Yes. Especially to my wondering eyes!
It should not have been, since I actually DO know myself quite well. And for those of you who know me pretty well, you will likely not be surprised at all when you consider who is writing.
*sigh*
Okay, so... my old small silver phone that has SO many phone numbers I could not have otherwise replaced has been recovered! On top of it all, it's been recovered by none of than me! Weird, right?
And how?
Well, a few days ago I felt that I absolutely must mow the lawn. At least half of the front yard lawn. Our mower is a Reel mower - THANKFULLY under the circumstances about which I'm going to tell you, at least. A powered push mower probably would've sucked my phone right up and spat it out in millions of small pieces! Seriously.
In addition to being in our own yard, which I could've only found AS I was mowing, it was squished into the ground (mostly sand, which one could only be thankful for having a mostly sandy yard in circumstances like these!).
How? Why?
Well, the night I "lost" the phone, I honestly do not remember putting my phone back in my pocket after using the toilet. Rather, I clearly remember putting it on top of a TP dispenser in a public bathroom (and if you know me, you KNOW memory is an issue at times!) and NOT picking it back up because I was dealing with Tea, too... well, obviously I did pick it up. It promptly fell out of my pocket when I raced from the van to the bathroom upon arriving home. We have a turnaround spot in our yard, off of our driveway, into which we turn when we arrive home, so that we can pull into our carport in reverse. This makes future departures much easier because our driveway is rather long and we're more used to backing IN to it than OUT of it - since that's what we've mostly always done since we've lived here. Anyway... the phone fell out of my pocket when Jessie pulled into the turnaround spot and I hopped out to race to the bathroom in our house. It had obviously been run over a couple times after it fell to the ground there in our sandy yard. Thanks be for sand there for these circumstances, right!? But the only thing amiss was a small piece which seems squished out of place. I pushed it back in line with the phone (where it was supposed to be) and the phone seems to be fully functional. Love my OLD phone! It is one durable piece of technology! It's a Nokia five faves phone... maybe not quite 8 years old. Jessie thinks it is more like 5 or 6 years old. But that IS ancient as this technology goes... isn't it?
So, all of this worry and weirdness and world-full-of-lonliness for the few days of torture I endured living without my phone would have been averted if only Tori's (my) memory was sure and clear. Let me tell you, living without AC is CAKE, even here in the heat of the deep south, compared to living without a phone!! And the craziest things about THAT is that I haven't used the phone to speak to anyone other than Jessie since I've had it back! Seriously.
I've been observing Blackie some more and she's taught me another valuable lesson that is sort of related to this phone-less experience... stay tuned for that!
Thank you to those who acted as angels in my life by offering me their no-longer-in-use phones! I was offered four different phones by four different people and I am SO very grateful for the blessing you are and the miracle you brought to pass in my life! Seriously. Really and truly!
Yes.
Strange?
Yes. Especially to my wondering eyes!
It should not have been, since I actually DO know myself quite well. And for those of you who know me pretty well, you will likely not be surprised at all when you consider who is writing.
*sigh*
Okay, so... my old small silver phone that has SO many phone numbers I could not have otherwise replaced has been recovered! On top of it all, it's been recovered by none of than me! Weird, right?
And how?
Well, a few days ago I felt that I absolutely must mow the lawn. At least half of the front yard lawn. Our mower is a Reel mower - THANKFULLY under the circumstances about which I'm going to tell you, at least. A powered push mower probably would've sucked my phone right up and spat it out in millions of small pieces! Seriously.
In addition to being in our own yard, which I could've only found AS I was mowing, it was squished into the ground (mostly sand, which one could only be thankful for having a mostly sandy yard in circumstances like these!).
How? Why?
Well, the night I "lost" the phone, I honestly do not remember putting my phone back in my pocket after using the toilet. Rather, I clearly remember putting it on top of a TP dispenser in a public bathroom (and if you know me, you KNOW memory is an issue at times!) and NOT picking it back up because I was dealing with Tea, too... well, obviously I did pick it up. It promptly fell out of my pocket when I raced from the van to the bathroom upon arriving home. We have a turnaround spot in our yard, off of our driveway, into which we turn when we arrive home, so that we can pull into our carport in reverse. This makes future departures much easier because our driveway is rather long and we're more used to backing IN to it than OUT of it - since that's what we've mostly always done since we've lived here. Anyway... the phone fell out of my pocket when Jessie pulled into the turnaround spot and I hopped out to race to the bathroom in our house. It had obviously been run over a couple times after it fell to the ground there in our sandy yard. Thanks be for sand there for these circumstances, right!? But the only thing amiss was a small piece which seems squished out of place. I pushed it back in line with the phone (where it was supposed to be) and the phone seems to be fully functional. Love my OLD phone! It is one durable piece of technology! It's a Nokia five faves phone... maybe not quite 8 years old. Jessie thinks it is more like 5 or 6 years old. But that IS ancient as this technology goes... isn't it?
So, all of this worry and weirdness and world-full-of-lonliness for the few days of torture I endured living without my phone would have been averted if only Tori's (my) memory was sure and clear. Let me tell you, living without AC is CAKE, even here in the heat of the deep south, compared to living without a phone!! And the craziest things about THAT is that I haven't used the phone to speak to anyone other than Jessie since I've had it back! Seriously.
I've been observing Blackie some more and she's taught me another valuable lesson that is sort of related to this phone-less experience... stay tuned for that!
Thank you to those who acted as angels in my life by offering me their no-longer-in-use phones! I was offered four different phones by four different people and I am SO very grateful for the blessing you are and the miracle you brought to pass in my life! Seriously. Really and truly!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Life Without...
So, I've willingly given up a lot pretty recently. They were things I would've had to let go or do without (once I got the electric bill!), but giving it up of my own accord certainly made it easier. I definitely know the difference since we lost AC in the house we used to rent about 2 months before we moved out of it. So, I already knew what it feels like to lose something I like and didn't want to give up.
As of today... I am without phone. Oh, the pain! No... SERIOUSLY! My anxiety level has about tripled. So, what did I do? I watched a movie. I've said for some time now that TV is the middle-class man's opiate. So, once more I prove myself super weak and ineffective. But at least I didn't do what I first thought about doing! Wathing the movie definitely DID the work I hoped it would do. Now... need to borrow many more movies from the library... No, not really... but maybe. *sigh*
Obviously, it has not been easy for me to lose my phone. One of my first thoughts was that I would just return to FaceBook use a little earlier than I'd planned. Well, I've talked myself down from that skyscraper, but it's still really tempting! So, you see, I really have done better by watching a movie than my first thought!!!! ;)
Don't we all feel a bit safer because of phones? I mean, we can call for help at home or abroad and know that someone will answer almost immediately! We can call and check on our loved ones when they have been absent a bit too long. We can SPEAK to another adult using large-ish words AND be completely understood... or at least, with a phone we have the ability to do so at any given moment.... Even if we don't actually make any of those kinds of phone calls... we could! Now, I can't. I think that's among the top reasons my anxiety has increased so dramatically. Thankfully my modern-day opiate is still effectively working even though the movie ended a few hours ago.
I was able to return to my current "extra" work with the opiate soothing my jangled nerves. The work? Helping Jessie find restaurants to which to apply in person as well as and applying on his behalf online. It's time consuming work and the online applications can require some writing (but not the fun kind)... so it can be stressful on top of the effort to simply maintain things around the house.
Pray for us. We are praying for a miracle, really, at this point. Jessie will submit his two weeks' notice in about 5 or 6 days. So, I'm sure you can now understand more fully the number one reason for my anxiety level to be anything more than the regular mild stress of home-stay-Mama-ing.
The Lord directs and we do. THAT is the reason for the upcoming submission of notice and that's all there is to it. I honor my patriarch and must trust in his understanding (after questioning much). So, I'm sure it'll be all right. But I'm equally as sure that your prayers will carry us some... or, maybe, I'm hoping they'll lift me. I could really use it right now. Thank you, in advance, for caring enough to send a few good thoughts and words of support to our Father in Heaven on my little family's behalf!
As of today... I am without phone. Oh, the pain! No... SERIOUSLY! My anxiety level has about tripled. So, what did I do? I watched a movie. I've said for some time now that TV is the middle-class man's opiate. So, once more I prove myself super weak and ineffective. But at least I didn't do what I first thought about doing! Wathing the movie definitely DID the work I hoped it would do. Now... need to borrow many more movies from the library... No, not really... but maybe. *sigh*
Obviously, it has not been easy for me to lose my phone. One of my first thoughts was that I would just return to FaceBook use a little earlier than I'd planned. Well, I've talked myself down from that skyscraper, but it's still really tempting! So, you see, I really have done better by watching a movie than my first thought!!!! ;)
Don't we all feel a bit safer because of phones? I mean, we can call for help at home or abroad and know that someone will answer almost immediately! We can call and check on our loved ones when they have been absent a bit too long. We can SPEAK to another adult using large-ish words AND be completely understood... or at least, with a phone we have the ability to do so at any given moment.... Even if we don't actually make any of those kinds of phone calls... we could! Now, I can't. I think that's among the top reasons my anxiety has increased so dramatically. Thankfully my modern-day opiate is still effectively working even though the movie ended a few hours ago.
I was able to return to my current "extra" work with the opiate soothing my jangled nerves. The work? Helping Jessie find restaurants to which to apply in person as well as and applying on his behalf online. It's time consuming work and the online applications can require some writing (but not the fun kind)... so it can be stressful on top of the effort to simply maintain things around the house.
Pray for us. We are praying for a miracle, really, at this point. Jessie will submit his two weeks' notice in about 5 or 6 days. So, I'm sure you can now understand more fully the number one reason for my anxiety level to be anything more than the regular mild stress of home-stay-Mama-ing.
The Lord directs and we do. THAT is the reason for the upcoming submission of notice and that's all there is to it. I honor my patriarch and must trust in his understanding (after questioning much). So, I'm sure it'll be all right. But I'm equally as sure that your prayers will carry us some... or, maybe, I'm hoping they'll lift me. I could really use it right now. Thank you, in advance, for caring enough to send a few good thoughts and words of support to our Father in Heaven on my little family's behalf!
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