Life Here on the HIll

I am so horrible at updating my blog. I used to update it all the time before I started work and now I don't seem to have time for anything. :o(

For the last 4 weeks, we've been going swimming. We've gone on my days off and we really look forward to it. Great exercise too!

I've been incredibly dizzy, light-headed and weak for the last 2 months. The dizziness usually stops when I sit down but not today. I've been sitting down for a while and my head is still spinning. I saw my dr this week and he ordered blood work and a cardiogram. My heart rate was only 49 beats per minute so the nurse got me to stay to see the dr. He ordered a chest xray and more blood work. So far everything has come back fine. I have to call him on Tuesday to get the rest of the results. My rheumatologist is away for a few weeks so he is sending me to another dr. I'm not sure if he is a rheumatologist too.

I hope the dizziness goes away soon. I'm back to work on Sunday.

Water Woes

Well, we had our work Christmas party last night but it sure didn't feel like winter. Very mild temperatures and lots of rain. Alot of roads still closed and some towns calling a state of emergency. I know some folks who couldn't make it home and had to stay with family and others who did manage to get home only to be evacuated. Others, I know, have been up going on 48 hours just trying to get or keep the water out of their basement. And it is still raining!!

Got the Christmas cards done and mailed last Thursday. DS thought they would cost at least $10 to mail. If only! I told him it would probably be more. $21.00 later the cards were shipped off.

Still have a little shopping to do, some baking and hopefully some relaxing.

Oh and since I started typing this it started snowing. Crazy!!

Making a List & Checking it Twice.

No, not a Santa list. (He's not real you know!). No I'm making a list of the things I need to get done before Christmas...some things need to be done before Monday. It seems I check one thing off the list and add two more. :o) Tomorrow I hope to get my Christmas cards written out and mailed before I go to work. I tried to wrap gifts today but I realized that I was still waiting for some things to arrive in the mail and I didn't have enough gift bags. Oh! And no gift tags.

I'm also in charge of games for our staff Christmas party. I found the games we're going to play and now I just have to make sure I have everything needed including the prizes. Should be lots of fun!! :o)

It was a chilly -11c tonight on my drive home. Nice to feel the woodstove when I opened the door. There's nothing like wood heat to keep a person warm.

Home on the HIll

Well, our big storm turned out to be not so big. Some areas had a bit more snow and some folks lost power but overall it wasn't what the weather center forecasted. Lucky us!

We got the christmas tree decorated today. I think it looks great! It's nothing you would see in a home decorating magazine. Lots of colorful mini-lights and a wide variety of ornaments. Each ornament has a special story. There are also plenty of candy canes too.

When Caleb was about 3 years old, my brother-in-law asked him what he wanted for Christmas.
"Nothing", Caleb replied.
"How about a toy?" my brother-in-law asked.
"No, I have enough toys now."
"How about some clothes?"
"No, I have lots of clothes?"
"Well, what do you think you'd like for Christmas then?"
"Hmmm....How about a candy cane!", suggested Caleb.

That's what I think of whenever I see a candy cane. :o)

Winter Wonderland

A big winter storm is on its way. We are supposed to get 10 inches of snow. It hasn't started to snow yet so we'll see what tomorrow brings. It could turn out to be nothing but flurries. That would be alright with me. I'm not a huge fan of winter.

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas either but we got our tree today. We were looking for a 12 foot tree but ended up settling for a 9-10 foot tree. We each picked a different tree so when we found one that all 3 of us agreed on we went with it. DH & DS put it up tonight and we'll decorate it tomorrow.

Where Does the Time Go???

Good intentions. That's what I have when it comes to updating my blog. But you know what they say about good intentions!

I couldn't believe that it has been over a year since I've posted anything. Wowzers!

Homeschooling and work along with all of the other everyday things seem to keep me so busy. I miss the days when I was just a stay-at-home mom & wife. Things weren't so hectic and stressful then.

Well, I am just going to have to find the time to record the events of my life...my busy, busy life.

A Quick Update

Here is a very quick update on what's been going on here in my neck of the world.

July
* DS turned 11 years old. I don't know how that happened because it just seems like we brought him home from the hospital.
* DS went to Junior camp for the first time. I also stayed at the camp because it is in a whole other province and it was his first time being away for that long. I think it helped him to know I was on the grounds if he needed me.
* DS & I went to campmeeting. We ended up coming home a few days early because my father-in-law, who was already in the hospital, got word that he would need to have his leg amputated. DS & I came home to be here with my husband and in-laws.

August
* My father-in-law had his leg amputated due to complications from diabetes.
* My husbands aunts came home for a visit to see my father-in-law. They took us (14 in total...would have been 15 if my father-in-law could've come too) out for supper and surprised my husband with a birthday celebration at the end. He was very surprised. :o)
* My father-in-law passed away 3 weeks after his surgery and 6 weeks after going into the hospital. Even though we knew he was struggling to get better it was still a shock to get the word that he passed away. We know this is not the end. We will see him again at the resurrection.
* My nephew got married. We are just 7 years apart in age and I practically grew up at their house. I was touched when he asked me to say grace at his wedding reception.

September
* Back into the swing of things with homeschooling. Still trying to juggle homeschooling, work and house keeping. I appreciate any prayers.
* Went to Prince Edward Island with DS, my husband, my mom & my mother-in-law. We just went for a few days but we had a great time. We had fun mini golfing, go cart racing, bumper cars and of course dressing up as Anne of Green Gables.
* We had a mother bear & her 4 cubs hanging around our fields...Yes! 4 cubs!! Haven't seen them lately though. We'll see who shows up in the spring.

So that is just a bit of what has been happening here. Still working on organizing that scrapbooking area. That is such a huge job that I am done before I even start. ;o)

Spring Cleaning

Blogging isn't the only thing I have been falling behind in. I can't even remember the last time I scrapbooked anything. I am hoping to get everything pulled out of my scrapbooking area in the loft, organize it somehow (and still be easy to get to) and get rid (or sell) the desk. I want to make myself a little, peaceful reading nook. I think it will be the perfect spot.

Somehow, posting this here will, maybe, make me more likely to actually follow through with it. lol :o)

Today, the 3 of us managed to get the van cleaned out, vaccumed and dusted. It looks so much better!!

May is Lupus Awareness Month

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and tissue damage to virtually any organ system in the body. Symptoms of lupus may include joint pain and swelling, fever, debilitating fatigue, skin rash, kidney problems, anemia, chest pains, strokes, seizures and sun sensitivity.

Join the global effort to:

• Educate physicians, patients and the public about lupus

• Increase funding for lupus research

• Establish lupus as a significant public health issue worldwide

Can you name the organ systems in your body??

Take this quiz.http://www.lupus.org/newsite/pages/lupus-awareness-month-2009.html

Where to Start??

Wow!! It has been a loooong time since I last posted anything!

I'm too tired and worn out to write up a long post, but I'll give you the Reader's Digest condensed version of my life lately.

Started a new part-time job last June(o8)...not because I wanted to, but because I had to. Hubby is in the wood industry and it has not been a kind one to be in lately.

Thought I was getting arthritis this last fall which was discouraging enough, but then it turned out to be more that that. I was diagnosed with Lupus in February of this year.

Now, I have low blood pressure (what's that all about??). The doctor thought it might be my Lupus medication but I've been off of that for a week now and it is still low. 100/68.

We are still homeschooling. Still love being a full time mom! :o) Wishing I didn't have to be away so much though. Thankfully they are accommodating. They understand that I homeschool and that I need Fridays and Saturdays off. Plus, it is just a 10 minute drive from home. (In all things give thanks!)

Oh and we are also the new and proud owners of a cat. Never thought I was a cat person til this little tiny fur ball was abandoned at my in-laws last Thanksgiving. She was so tiny she would fit in my hand. She is a cutie for sure!. :o)

Seven Prayers A Day

Angie at Bring The Rain has a wonderful post about praying for our children. She has included 7 prayers to pray throughout the day...each and every day. Click on the button above to read the actual post.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!!!!

Jonah is Gettin' the Hits!

Every once in a while I like to see who has been visiting my blog and what they are looking for. I have registered with SiteMeter to track this info. It's free. :o)

Anyway, the most popular post is the one I wrote on the Jonah Craft that my son did last year at campmeeting. I think the last 30 hits to my blog have all been due to a google search for Jonah.

The thing that I find most puzzling is that, of all the visits that that post gets, I have only 1 comment. :o(

It is a really cute craft is you are looking for a fun activity for VBS, church or home.

La La La...I'm Not Titling This Post. :o)

Tired...should be sleeping...but I'm updating my blog. :o)

We invited my in-laws over for supper today after church. It turned out my brother-in-law & sister-in-law were planning to stop by for a visit at my in-laws place so we invited them for supper too. There was plenty to go around.

After supper we went for a walk. Before we left we couldn't find the dog. We assumed that she had gone with my nephew who left ahead of us. We caught up with him, but no dog. I figured that once we got back to our property she would run to meet us. Still no dog. I stood on the deck calling her name and whistling but no sound or sight of her. So my son and other nephew & I went driving to see if we could spot her. We would stop periodically and call her and look over the fields. You guessed it still no dog. Driving back to our place I decided that I would drive to the top of our hill. No dog there so we turned around a drove back down. That is when the 2 boys remembered that they had been playing hide & seek in the barn...maybe she was in there. They ran to the barn and sure enough there she was. Boy, was she glad to be out of there. She was so excited to be released. I don't know why she didn't bark when I called her so many times from the deck. I was so glad that we found her safe and sound! :o)

Homeschool Happenings

This afternoon we went to visit friends. They homeschool too. The kids had fun playing while my friend and I talked homeschooling. We seemed to stay on the topic of science. She is using Bob Jones this fall and I think I am going to wing it with my Dinah Zike Big Book of Science book as well and books and movies from the library. We are both enjoying lapbooking with the kids so I think that will be a given. :o)

When we got home I asked Caleb what he would like to study in science this year. So far, he has said Volcanoes and Kingdoms (plant, animal, fungi...,etc). I'm thinking that will be fun.

I've set up another blog to keep track of our homeschool happenings. Right now it is still a work in progress so I have the privacy settings on. I am trying to think of a way to highlight subjects and skills. Possibly highlight the subjects with color and bold italics for the skills. Good thing I will have the summer to figure it out. lol ;o)

What A Beautiful Day!

It is such a beautiful day today!! The sun is shinning and the fields and sky are the prettiest green and blue. :o) A great day for hanging out laundry...which is waiting in the washer for me. ;o)

I have a little bit of time to myself this afternoon as my son went with my husband and brother-in-law to deliver wood. He loves helping his dad. :o) I am never very productive though when he is gone...when the cat's away. lol ;o) I will probably work on some homeschool planning and organizing. I guess that is productive.

Supper is in the slowcooker so I don't have to worry about that. Yay! :o) I put a roast in early this morning and it should be nice and tender by supper time. I read somewhere that the slowcooker takes less power/energy than the oven. Not sure if that is true, but I enjoy the slowcooker for cooking my roasts just for the convenience factor. It's great in the summer time too as the kitchen doesn't heat up like it does with an oven.

Well the nice weather...and wet laundry are calling me. :o)

A Quick Blog Post :o)

Well, it is almost midnight here and I really should be sleeping and getting some rest. I've been sick since last Monday evening and am just starting to feel half decent. Still stuffed up and a bit achy at times. Ironically I had made it through winter with no colds or anything and then boom I get this. No fun! Although, I did get a book read while I was taking it easy. I'll post about that later when I have more time. :o)

We went for a dirve with my in-laws today. We went to a green house to get some more plants for our flower garden and vegetable garden. We ate supper out and then home again. My mother-in-law dug up some of her extra perennials for me. :o) She gave me irises, lillies, lady slippers and another kind of lily. I'm not much of a green thumb so I hope they are tough enough to survive my inexperience. lol :o)

It's after midnight now, but this was the little suggestion at the top of my blog when I started typing...

Choose your battles wisely ~ give patience where patience is due, and continually ask God for wisdom in discipline.

My son and his best friend don't get to see each other regularly because we live about 30-40 minutes apart, but they love to talk on the phone. I am constantly reminding my son that when he is done talking that he needs to check to see if anyone left a message while he was on the phone. Lately he has been forgetting to do that. It can be an hour or more before he remembers to check it. :o( My mom called earlier this week and left a message and then was worried because she knew I was sick and wondered why we weren't answering the phone or returning her call. (Mom's think the worst you know.) Again tonight he forgot to check and I only got my friend's message 1 1/2 hours after she called! So I told him that if that happens again he will not be able to use the phone for a day or so. But, now that I am thinking about it, it is also punishing his friend. What to do? I think I am going to try reminding him to check for messages when he is done talking.

I need to be patient and pray for more wisdom in my discipline. :o)

Titles????

Sometimes I wish I didn't need to come up with a title for my post. Technically I could leave it blank, but somehow I feel the need to name it. Strange!! lol :o)

There is really no name for this post. I'm just rambling about my day. We left here early today and didn't get back til about 3:00pm. It was such a beautiful day, that when we got home, I did a quick load of laundry and got it hung out on the line. I looovvveee hanging things on my clothes line!! Good thing too because our dryer has been broke for a few months now. It is supposed to rain tomorrow so I wanted to take advantage of the sunshine.

My husband cooked supper. :o) I did the dishes while our son cleaned out the van. He had to get out his things, any garbage and any recyclables one of (or both) his grandmothers gave him that were in there. After I did the dishes, I went out to get my things, etc., out of the van and then vacuumed it out. Wow! It looks so much better! I always say that we will stay on top of things and not let it get messy again, but of course it does. lol :o)

Then it was time to bring in my laundry, fold it and put it away. That drawer really needs to get a tidy and quick!! lol :o) I think I will try to tackle my son's drawers too. I need to sort through what he has outgrown and pack away some of his long-sleeved shirts to make room for his summer clothes.

Never a dull moment. ;o)

Making A Note

It's interesting that, when I looked back over my blog, I was reading things that I had forgotten all about, but was so glad that I recorded them here. Something happened back on March 12 that I want to be sure I make a note of.

On that evening I had to run out to the store. It had just started to snow very slightly and my son thought that I shouldn't go. He said the things I was going for weren't important. lol :o) I knew that the roads would be fine and reassured him that I would be okay. He knew I was going to go when he saw me putting my boots on. He came over to me and said, "Well, let's have prayer before you go." and then he proceeded to pray for me to have a safe drive to and from the store.

Spider Lapbook

This is the first lapbook that we completed. The black spiders on the file folder are Caleb's fingerprints. He drew on the legs and eyes.

This lapbook is made up of 3 file folders put together. This is a look at the inside of the first section. Did you know that scientists say that we are never more than 3 feet away from a spider??

This lapbook included a variety of activities.

We polled our friends and family to find out who is afraid of spiders.

This section included a tic-tac-toe game, acrostic poem, trivia, copywork and a puzzler.

The life cycle of a spider.

Lots of new vocabulary words!!

I really like how this little mini book turned out. It pulls out to show the answer to the question.

Did you know that a spider is not an insect?