Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We have another 100 puzzle pieces sold!!!!! Thank you! Not all of it is coming up on the chip in, as we have been handed some puzzle purchases!!!! Thank you! It was a rough day yesterday, and to have that occur literally brought me to tears! I had just put on all my makeup for church (I generally don't wear much if any!) and I so didn't want to wreck it, but it was just wonderful. It was wonderful to have this lovely couple say they wished they could hand us all of it (and this amount was wonderful!!!!), and we could share how we dream of someday doing something significant for an adoptive family - not that they need to know that it was us, but to know the amazing blessing it is - because it is the gift of life and a child, not just cash. The cash is to get us to the child. Honestly, at this point, money is nothing more than paper to me. A means to an end. Anyway, thank you so much! So, of our 1000 piece puzzle, I will double check tomorrow, but I think we have186 pieces sold! My fun tomorrow night is laying out all the pieces and labeling the sold ones and beginning assembling!!!
On a fun note, I am going to try to post some photos! My favorite time of year is spring, and I am literally reveling in it! Spring on the farm is so fun! We so enjoy the spring, the warmth, the joy of being outside again! I am sitting here at the computer, listening to Steve and a couple of the big boys putting up the ping pong table in the basement, and the other kids taking a break, sitting at the table chatting. Happy noises! Even with some rain!
This is Chief, our Baskir Curly gelding - he is about five. He is so sweet, and gentle! We haven't ridden him as of yet (just got him a couple weeks ago - before the last snowstorm), but his ground manners are amazing and he is so gentle to handle! We know he has had training, but isn't he cute!!!!
This photo is one the kids let me take for the first article I sold!!! (Tsion, Ben, Faith and Solomon - my fab four - more than half of the year they are all the same age!) My first magazine article! And I just got word that another one sold! Whoo-hoo! I am a published author! I am so excited! I keep writing short ones for a local magazine that I like the content of, and I have a couple that I want to submit to Adoptive Families, and have two books in the works! But how exciting anyway! I have always dreamed of being an author!!! I get to write about what matters to me - kids, family life, adoption, attitude and what not! Yay! Not that I expect it to be a career, but wouldn't that be cool?
And the lovely Levi - what a change for this rescued gelding! We have no idea what he really is, at least breed wise, but he is about 15 hands high or so, stocky like a draft horse, and was not treated well before he came here. He is now approachable, even cuddly sometimes, and rules the herd along with Kiley's saddle mare Onyx! Who would have thought it given how shy he was when he came home. With warmer weather, we plan to try and see if our suspicions are correct and he has been trained to ride. I think so, given his responses on the ground, but he was so scared for so long that it is hard to tell. But he is an amazing animal!
Well, I just wanted to share some photos! I love spring on the farm! I am hoping to get to the garden somewhat, but that might have to wait for Monday, in between the kids schoolwork (recess break = Mom in the garden) - Kiley is at Horse A Rama this weekend - in Manitowoc - she is riding in the Parade of Breeds and then with an exhibition with a trainer just after that - her first starts at 12:30 and then she is back on about 2 I think, done around 3 or 4. I told her that we can wait on buying her birthday presents (Sunday) until she goes to the vendors/used tack sale at Horse A Rama! She loves the idea. Now if she doesn't find what she is looking for there (we always always buy used) then we as parents are given two days grace to get her the remainder of what is on our list for her - if I go shopping now, I won't have any funds if she finds what she needs at Horse A Rama - she loves that deal!
I am keeping life sort of in boxes right now - basically around events - right now we are in the adoption work phase - until late tomorrow afternoon - pray for favor for tomorrow, though I am sure our visit will go well. Then as of tomorrow night, I am in Horse A Rama box, and then come Sunday night, after collapsing for a while, I can be back in homeschooling mama phase. I was able to pick up a couple extra hours next week, and that will be good, but not too overwhelming. I hope the weather keeps picking up. I love the warmer days, and longer days! I am hoping to end every evening with a ride on one of the horses, or training time with one, but we shall see. Soccer starts soon, but we haven't gotten that call as of yet!
Hope you can keep your chin up this weekend! Remember, what you choose to feel or value is your choice! Someone just asked me how I can be so upbeat. I had to think about it, and my thought really was, well, I could choose NOT to be, but then I would be frustrated or mad, or envious, and that doesn't sound like a good time. So, I have to choose to look at the good. There is good in everything! Even the chores we do are for a good reason - laundry, cooking, cleaning, all are for good reasons. I had the best time cleaning the bathroom with Faith today! She decided to have fun cleaning the tub and shower stall while I cleaned the floor, put things away, etc. She was hysterical, cleaning the tub with her feet, cleaning solution and a rag. We got the bathroom clean, had fun together, and spent time together. I cleaned the stove with another child - we were cooking dinner, wiping around and having a great chat as we did it together. The way I see it, I could be grumpy about doing a crummy job - because it is you know - or I could enjoy doing it - maybe not the job, but the company or whatever! Some days this is easier than others, and actually, I am better at doing this at home than going to work or out and about. I would rather be home! But, if I don't have a choice, can I make it fun or make it beneficial and fun at the same time? Life isn't intended to be misery, though certainly it can be! Put it this way, we had a river in the basement for over a month with the thaw and rain. We have NEVER had that before. Stinks. Three to four inches in the basement. Ugh. Upside. Well, we only keep things in the basement for storage, and the things at floor level are in plastic tubs because it is damp down there. If things got wrecked, well, they weren't important generally. So, it helped us declutter. And really, as it turned out, we were able to totally scrub out our very old basement, simply BECAUSE of the water down there! We actually were able to turn a part into an area for the bigger kids to keep some activities that were appropriate (I am still hiding the drums!!!!). The kids and I were so proud of how good it looks, we got Dad to help us move the pingpong table down there - up on blocks of course. But either it had to go (the place it was is becoming a bedroom area for the little girls) or it went down there. Nine of us got a lot done in two hours! Unbelievable! We are so proud! Steve was so pleased to see what we did. Talk about teamwork and family values! So, what could have been a tragedy, a flooded basement, has turned out to really help us (and even cleaned out from the chicks being brooded down there until two weeks ago). If I kept a negative attitude, what would it do, except really make us miserable, make the kids miserable, and make life unpleasant, and we would miss the gifts. I chose the gifts. Sometimes they hide really well. Really, really well. But, the only control I have over some things is how I react to them, and I won't allow anyone or anything to rob me of any of my joy, my pleasure in my family, or take away my family time. If I let circumstances make me sad or bitter, well, it takes away my time with my family. I only have so much time with my children. They will grow up fast, I intend to relish every single second. So, that is why I chose an upbeat attitude. Because otherwise, it is draining and takes away my life! LOL!
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Well, I just wanted to share some photos! I love spring on the farm! I am hoping to get to the garden somewhat, but that might have to wait for Monday, in between the kids schoolwork (recess break = Mom in the garden) - Kiley is at Horse A Rama this weekend - in Manitowoc - she is riding in the Parade of Breeds and then with an exhibition with a trainer just after that - her first starts at 12:30 and then she is back on about 2 I think, done around 3 or 4. I told her that we can wait on buying her birthday presents (Sunday) until she goes to the vendors/used tack sale at Horse A Rama! She loves the idea. Now if she doesn't find what she is looking for there (we always always buy used) then we as parents are given two days grace to get her the remainder of what is on our list for her - if I go shopping now, I won't have any funds if she finds what she needs at Horse A Rama - she loves that deal!
I am keeping life sort of in boxes right now - basically around events - right now we are in the adoption work phase - until late tomorrow afternoon - pray for favor for tomorrow, though I am sure our visit will go well. Then as of tomorrow night, I am in Horse A Rama box, and then come Sunday night, after collapsing for a while, I can be back in homeschooling mama phase. I was able to pick up a couple extra hours next week, and that will be good, but not too overwhelming. I hope the weather keeps picking up. I love the warmer days, and longer days! I am hoping to end every evening with a ride on one of the horses, or training time with one, but we shall see. Soccer starts soon, but we haven't gotten that call as of yet!
Hope you can keep your chin up this weekend! Remember, what you choose to feel or value is your choice! Someone just asked me how I can be so upbeat. I had to think about it, and my thought really was, well, I could choose NOT to be, but then I would be frustrated or mad, or envious, and that doesn't sound like a good time. So, I have to choose to look at the good. There is good in everything! Even the chores we do are for a good reason - laundry, cooking, cleaning, all are for good reasons. I had the best time cleaning the bathroom with Faith today! She decided to have fun cleaning the tub and shower stall while I cleaned the floor, put things away, etc. She was hysterical, cleaning the tub with her feet, cleaning solution and a rag. We got the bathroom clean, had fun together, and spent time together. I cleaned the stove with another child - we were cooking dinner, wiping around and having a great chat as we did it together. The way I see it, I could be grumpy about doing a crummy job - because it is you know - or I could enjoy doing it - maybe not the job, but the company or whatever! Some days this is easier than others, and actually, I am better at doing this at home than going to work or out and about. I would rather be home! But, if I don't have a choice, can I make it fun or make it beneficial and fun at the same time? Life isn't intended to be misery, though certainly it can be! Put it this way, we had a river in the basement for over a month with the thaw and rain. We have NEVER had that before. Stinks. Three to four inches in the basement. Ugh. Upside. Well, we only keep things in the basement for storage, and the things at floor level are in plastic tubs because it is damp down there. If things got wrecked, well, they weren't important generally. So, it helped us declutter. And really, as it turned out, we were able to totally scrub out our very old basement, simply BECAUSE of the water down there! We actually were able to turn a part into an area for the bigger kids to keep some activities that were appropriate (I am still hiding the drums!!!!). The kids and I were so proud of how good it looks, we got Dad to help us move the pingpong table down there - up on blocks of course. But either it had to go (the place it was is becoming a bedroom area for the little girls) or it went down there. Nine of us got a lot done in two hours! Unbelievable! We are so proud! Steve was so pleased to see what we did. Talk about teamwork and family values! So, what could have been a tragedy, a flooded basement, has turned out to really help us (and even cleaned out from the chicks being brooded down there until two weeks ago). If I kept a negative attitude, what would it do, except really make us miserable, make the kids miserable, and make life unpleasant, and we would miss the gifts. I chose the gifts. Sometimes they hide really well. Really, really well. But, the only control I have over some things is how I react to them, and I won't allow anyone or anything to rob me of any of my joy, my pleasure in my family, or take away my family time. If I let circumstances make me sad or bitter, well, it takes away my time with my family. I only have so much time with my children. They will grow up fast, I intend to relish every single second. So, that is why I chose an upbeat attitude. Because otherwise, it is draining and takes away my life! LOL!
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans for hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
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