Out like a Lamb......(fingers crossed)

Well March has definitely come in like a lion in this household!  We have been sick, in pain, and even had a medical emergency.  Jim started with the crud.  Not too horrible, but it hung on for well over a month.  Nate got another of his chronic sinus infections.  The first round of antibiotics didn't seem to take care of it, so he was put on another round of stronger antibiotics, which made him really sick.  Instead of talking to the doctor about it, he just continued to deal with the gut ache and vomiting until the RX was gone, but he was still not better.  Throat was sore and swollen at this point, so back to the doctor for a 3rd time.  Ran a strep test, which came back negative and was told it was a virus that had to run it's course.  A few days later, his tongue and throat was so swollen, he couldn't eat or drink, so back to the doctor for a fourth visit.  Ran another strep test and blood test for mono, and again called it a virus.  This time he did get a shot for the swelling and a RX for prednisone and started a third antibiotic, just in case, and he is finally doing better.  I got the crud, not too bad, but at a time when my precious low energy reserves had already been used up, so it took a toll on me.  My back has been bothering me this past month and I've had some pretty painful episodes.  Seems like it always happens on the weekend, so I'm hanging on by a thread for Monday to come so I can get to the chiropractor for some relief.  The chiropractor did some x-rays, which hadn't been done in 10 years, to compare and thankfully things hadn't changed much in that time.  He did see a few things that might be causing me more pain, so we are trying some new things to hopefully get it under control.  This weekend, while not great, was better.  Jim was showering for work several weeks ago, when he called for me to come and help him.  A varicose vein burst open and was shooting blood everywhere, so I bandaged him up and got him to the emergency room.  Surprisingly and thankfully, the bleeding stopped by the time we arrived.  That first aid training paid off!  He followed up with a vein specialist, and had that vein taken care of so it doesn't happen again.  As the doctor examined him, he noticed a few things that were of concern, so he will have to be monitored.  And now today, I found out his pulmonary doctor ordered a breathing test I assume based on data from his sleep apnea machine.  I'm so glad we switched to that high deductible health plan.......she says, dripping with sarcasm.  I hope things are going better for you and your family this month!

Jim will be going to Chicago soon for some manager training.  I hope to get away to visit at least one long weekend.  Our nephew is getting married this spring, so we are also making plans to attend the wedding.  Looking forward to seeing family-it has been awhile, and everyone is so busy, I don't even hear much from them anymore.  Most exciting is that we booked a 2 week river cruise in Europe later this year.  It is so recent, it doesn't seem real yet, but it will soon when I have to pay for it!  It is also a little overwhelming, but this company seems to understand that and will hold our hand and walk us through it.  And camping season is coming!!!  Made arrangements already for the camper to be worked on and hoping to get out there and have some fun this summer!  

Noah just got back from the Big 10 championship in Indianapolis.  We reinstated Sunday dinner, which he makes it most of the time.  Nate is always working though....He had a good yearly review and nice bonus and paid off one of his student loans, so life is good!  Nate has been doing some traveling with his band and playing shows, even though he is sick.  They signed his band for a show this spring.  Here is the link Rock Fest 2016   It's kind of a big deal....I've even heard of some of the bands he is playing with!  Pray he's healthy!!  I have been busy at work hiring a couple of new aides and will start training next week.  Completely new task for me, so praying it goes well.  I continue in my BSF study of Revelation and Beth Moore's study on the Holy Spirit.  Both should be done soon.  I am growing in my knowledge and use of essential oils, and have made a few concoctions that I apply topically.  This weekend I am attending a Growing Medicinal Herbs seminar and next weekend I start Life Coach Training.  Shortly after that I am going to Outcry  So excited!!  Also starting to plan wardrobe needs for my trip.  I have been practicing the past few years packing light, but this will be a real test to see if I can get two weeks into a carry on!  

So that's about all for now.  It is a nice afternoon, which means I need to go and get the girls walked.  Especially since they are calling for measurable snow in two days!  Everything is starting to bloom, so that's not good news.  Hope all is well in your life and as always, would love to hear from you!  Comment below, or even better Face Time me.  Ta Ta for now!!

New Year off to a Great Start

Did we get all caught up with the Christmas edition?  I mentioned that there were more exciting things to come, so I'm glad you are back for more of M's Musings!

How was Christmas for your family?  We were kind of low key this year.  Very few gifts were exchanged, but we still had plenty of good food, family time and fun.  It is the one time of the year that we are all under the same roof for the night, and that is precious to this momma.  The reason we kept it simple was because we decided to all go to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas TX for New Year's.  I never thought in my life that I would do something like that....but I did!  Of course the men in my life were a driving factor.  Michigan State was playing Alabama and Jim really wanted to go.  Noah got on board when he found out it was going to be at "Jerry's World", so we decided it would make a good family trip and asked Nate if he could get off work and come too.  We haven't all taken a trip together in nine years!  We spent the first day driving to TX, the next day at the Cotton Bowl, the following day was a down day, and drove home the next day.  The best part for me was spending time with my boys.  They talk more and you find out things when you spend time together.  For example, Nate was excited to take us to Deep Ellum, an area in Dallas where he has played several shows with his band.  As we drove around, I found out he has been to the art museum, the JFK museum, and other places that I never imagined he would even consider stepping foot in.  Noah was an excellent chauffeur, which was a huge blessing to his momma.  I didn't get behind the wheel once on this trip-a first!  While perusing Facebook before the game, I figured out Jim's college roommate and his wife were in town for the Cotton Bowl and we were able to connect before the game.  We have not seen them since we have been married and that was 28 years in December.  The weather was a little cool, but tolerable.  The stadium was amazing!  It was covered, so we were able to sit inside in short sleeves to enjoy the game.  We had great tickets, but in the Alabama end zone.......  The game started off tight, but took a turn for the worse towards the end of the second quarter......  In case you didn't watch the game, Michigan State didn't score at all.  Disappointing, but it is only a game after all;  at least that is how I deal with it.  Some people, who shall remain nameless, were still moping the next day.  I wasn't involved in the planning, or I would have mentioned that our down day was New Year's Day and most things would be closed.  We did go to the Gaylord Hotel and walk around.  Yes, everything in TX is bigger, but not necessarily better.  I liked the Gaylord in Nashville MUCH better!  I thought we could spend the whole afternoon exploring, but after an hour, we were pretty much done.  So that was our quick trip to TX.  How were your holidays?  Did you do something new or stick with the traditional?  What was the best part of your celebrations?

So we came home, and the new year had begun, and I felt like I was behind.  Christmas decorations were all still up, presents needed to be put away, resolutions/goals were not even on my radar, and it was my heavy week at work.  So I have been easing into the new year, which is just fine.  Most of the Christmas mess has been dealt with and I have purposed in my heart to make some SOULsolutions instead of resolutions.  I love Ann Voskamp's blog, A Holy Experience, and that is where I got the idea.  If you are interested you can follow this link to read more about  SOULsolutions I framed mine and placed it where I look at it everyday and I am amazed at how God has already brought me opportunities to grow! I began a new Beth Moore study about the Holy Spirit at my church this year.   I was sad to have my year plus study on ministering to the Lord end, but excited to study this subject and study it with the women of my new church for the first time.  I also attend the BSF study on Revelation, which is new this year.  I went on women's retreat in January and had a really nice weekend.  I wound up having a room all to myself, which I realized was a blessing in disguise.  I spent some quality time with God and then slept soundly through the night.  

Noah blessed me with an infrared sauna gift certificate for my birthday, so I have been going to my local salon for sessions.  I have been researching infrared saunas and would like to have one in my home.....but thought I should actually try it out first.  I do feel like it is making a positive difference in how I feel, so that has only strengthened my position.  I also purchased a mini trampoline and have started bouncing.  I've read some articles that say that bouncing is a great way to activate your lymphatic system and clear toxins.  I have noticed my sinus drainage is clearing up already.  Another good thing for the lymphatic system is dry brushing, which I have started, but I have not been  consistent about that yet.  We have a new insurance plan this year, which is causing me to seek out some cheaper, more natural health care solutions.  So I have begun dabbling in essential oils.  I diffuse oils every night and have just purchased the materials to make my first topical solution.  Other than a short lived cold, I have been healthy this winter.  Another positive thing I have done for my health is using a light box.  I get SAD really bad in Jan/Feb, but I use the light box in the morning when I have my quiet time, and I am doing much better this winter season.  Work has been interesting lately.  I have done some supervisor training, interviewed, hired, and will begin training a new employee for the first time.

Not much new with the rest of the family.  Nate continues bar tending and playing shows with his band.  Noah is working hard at his job and the gym.  He is also studying for his grad school exam. Jim is busy with his new job.  He works long hours.  He is going to Chicago for a month for some training.  It will be fun to go visit him-I love Chicago!  We are hoping to do some more traveling this year, so come back next month for an exciting announcement (hopefully)!

Well that's all I have for now.  Peace and blessings.

Merry Christmas 2015

If you are here reading this, it is probably because you received a Christmas card from me. If you received a Christmas card from me, it is because you are someone VERY special to me. Maybe you are a cherished member of my family where the bonds of love run deep. Maybe you are a friend from high school, college, the military days and beyond. God brought you into my life for a time, and now we are scattered all over the country, but you are still close to my heart. Perhaps we are blessed to be working through this present day life together as friends, and I'm so thankful for you. Some of us are acquainted through work, neighborhood, bible study, or church. I love you all! You have enriched my life and I am grateful for each one of you.

I decided to come back to my blog after a long hiatus for a couple of reasons. The first was to simplify and save paper. Not everyone cares to read the "Christmas letter". I get it. We are doing a series at church titled "Behind the Christmas Card", and that card you received is the perfect example of how everything is not as picture perfect as it appears. More on that later. So I am going to keep it real. Sometimes real is pretty hysterical and sometimes it is downright boring. Sorry about the later.....there has been a lot of boring this past year. Another reason for revisiting the blog is I've grown weary of wading through a bunch of useless shared information on Facebook in order to get to the good stuff-the stuff about you and what is going on in your life. Maybe you feel the same way. You long to connect more often. You long for more depth. That is not going to happen in a once a year highlight letter, so I plan to come back at least once a month to update this blog throughout 2016. It got kind of lonely before......no comments, no discussion back and forth. I hope that you will let me know when you do stop by the blog, what you think, and what is new with you.

So here we go! Let's start with that smashing Christmas card. Looks like a family that loves each other and enjoys being together right. Well maybe not Noah, he seems a little pained....but the rest of us look like we are having fun right? Look how color coordinated they just happened to be that day; they are so in sync with one another. Look at that solitary woman surrounded by all those men. I'm pretty sure they all "rose up and called her blessed" right before picture time, because she is positively glowing. Ok enough all ready!! It took us two years to make that picture finally happen. The first year I was sidelined; recovering from what was expected to be a simple shoulder surgery that turned out to be not so simple. The next year I spent trying to coordinate schedules, only to call and find out the studio wasn't open that day. One year of pleading and waiting for someone, who shall remain nameless, to finally get to a professional barber for a haircut and a shave. "What haircut and a shave?" , you may ask....which was my response afterwards as well. I planned and shopped for clothes (the nameless one has an extensive collection of band t-shirts....but none of them were family picture worthy). I returned what I had bought, because he didn't like.....you name it. We finally found one, but didn't realize the mistake of short sleeves until after our photo shoot. The works of art are a recent addition to his forearms, and weren't there when I purchased the shirt. C'est la vie. A date was finally set, information sent to all. This was happening! Someone, who shall remain anonymous begin to drop hints that he wanted to wear something different than what we had talked about. Fine, we switched up our plans at the last minute to accommodate. Picture day has finally arrived, and the one who shall remain nameless is no where to be found. I call, I text, I wait.....nothing. An hour before we were to leave, I finally track him down through a friend on Facebook. He arrives home, doesn't shower because it makes his hair all frizzy, and says, "this place has Photoshop right?" "No....why?" Apparently someone threw a bottle hitting him in the forehead giving him a nice black & blue lump. Break out the makeup, do my best to cover it up. The anonymous one calls a half an hour before we leave to borrow an iron. He arrives to iron the shirt I thought he wanted to wear, the one we all switched it up for, complaining. It was too different, he felt like he stuck out, he only wore it because I wanted him to, that's what I get when I plan things at the last minute......it continued through the photo session, and afterwards....So here's the bottom line, a family picture has always been challenging for our family, and probably always will be. Our very first session took 2 1/2 hours to get a newborn to cooperate. We even had to buy him new clothes after a horrible diaper incident, of which I will spare you the details. Our next family picture took days.....Jim got held up in traffic, we waited in a long line only to be turned away upon reaching the front because they were closing, we went to a different photographer only to become a casualty of seagulls flying overhead. Why should I expect anything different? Letting go of expectations.....Secondly, I'm thankful my family will still agree to make the effort it takes to get a family picture. I know it is not their thing, but they do it and it pleases me. I believe someday they will understand and be thankful too. Last of all, I'm thankful for the growth in my character. Yes I was frustrated, but I kept my cool, remained flexible, and responded kindly. It is exciting when you see God working in your life! So that's the story behind our Christmas card. What is your story? What is God teaching you through it?

So now for a quick update on the family. Noah spent the first five months of the year in San Francisco. He was there to receive some additional education and returned to his office with a nice promotion. He bought some furniture and moved into a different house. He has been talking about going to grad school, but I haven't seen him do anything about that yet. No dog or special girl in Noah's life thus far. Nate is living the dream.....His band made another CD and did several tours around the country. He made a stop in Indianapolis, where Aunt Shelly and Uncle Jon came out to hear him scream....I mean sing. As mentioned earlier, he got a couple of new tattoos on his forearms; a wolf and a flower. He is still working at the same place, mostly bar tending. No nice girl in Nate's life right now either. Jim and I did a lot of camping this summer. In August we went to Kansas City and got the VIP treatment at a Little Big Town concert. In October we took a trip with friends to a cabin near Chautauqua, NY. We visited Niagara Falls, the Chautauqua Institute, and Allegheny State Park for a peak fall color tour. It was a relaxing and fun trip. In November we took in the MSU/NE football game. It was a beautiful day, full of celebration and surprises. The best surprise was finding out my cousin Dan was in town and connecting with each other on the sidelines before the game. The worst surprise was a loss for the Spartans, their only loss this season. We have another fun trip planned, so come back to the blog next month to hear all about it! Jim started his new job as supervisor of the chemistry lab about a month ago. It keeps him busy and out of trouble. He has much to learn, and it can be stressful. One thing he is learning is how to use his new smart phone. Yep, that's right, Jim traded in his flip phone! This past year I have working to reduce my toxic load. I've switched to more natural skin care products, toothpaste, cleaners, laundry soap, and even deodorant for a time......I just couldn’t make that one work for me. I recently switched up my cookware and I'm learning how to cook with stainless steel; lower and slower. My word for the year has been brave. This has led me to step out of my comfort zone, and I'm so glad I did. I have finally found a new church, established great new relationships, and grown closer to the Lord. I tried to learn the bagpipes, and failed, which I'm sure my neighbors appreciate. I painted a few pictures, of which one is perhaps garage worthy. I've even sang on stage a couple of times at church this month, and actually had fun. In fact, it was all fun! You don't have to be good at something in order to have fun with it......which leads to the other thing I have experienced this past year, and that is freedom. A wonderful liberating spirit of freedom to just be me! This decade of my life is off to a great start. What has God been doing in your life this past year? How have you changed because of it?

I want to wish each one of you a very Merry Christmas and may God bless us all in the year to come. Come back soon!

Holiday Haze

I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted an update. I thought about trying something new; just writing about my life, thoughts, & experiences. I am normally an open and honest person. I wrote it all down and then deleted it. I guess I am not ready to be so vulnerable yet. Instead I will just stick to the original stated purpose of this blog.

Really not much new or exciting has happened since my last update. With the massive flooding at the plant, Jim was put on rotating shift work over the summer. How it worked out is when he had time off, I was working and when I had time off he was working. Consequently, we did not do as much camping or boating as we would have liked. Summer is also my busiest time at work and this year it was especially brutal. Don't know how I am going to make it through next summer if some changes aren't made. So between these two things, you can see how the summer just breezed by and now we are well into fall!

All the overtime that Jim worked this summer helped us to purchase some new things that we needed. First of all, the vacuum cleaner broke. I have had so many vacuum cleaners that this time I wanted a really good one. After much research, we purchased a Sebo vacuum cleaner and I LOVE it. It does such a good job and is much easier to use. Then we fenced in our backyard. Why didn't I spend that money sooner? It would have saved me so much aggravation with our other dog! It is really nice to just open the door and let the girls out every time they ring the bell (and they love to ring the bell). The only thing that worries me is the hawks. They fly over and look at our dogs a little too intently. I guess they could be mistaken for a bunny to a hawk, so I still try and keep an eye on them out there! After that, Jim started pushing for a shed. I was ok with this because our garage is quite full. It is very hard to fit our vehicles in anymore. So we shopped around and bought a Tuff Shed, and we LOVE it. Very well made and lots of storage. We are still in process of moving stuff from the garage out to the shed, but I should finally be able to park in my garage this winter! Our washer broke (and I always hated that washer and dryer), so we were on the hunt for a new set. We finally purchased new front loaders and I now LOVE doing my laundry. Everything comes out so clean and fresh. I am not exaggerating-when I hang my things to dry (which takes much less time because the spin cycle is so efficient) it makes the whole room smell wonderful. Same detergent, same fabric softener. Hopefully, they will last and not have mechanical problems. Our most recent purchase has been a snow blower. We are getting old enough that we just can't shovel anymore. So far, no snow...... but at least we are ready!

Noah is in his last semester of school. He will graduate in December with a degree in finance. He lost his teller job of three years right before school started. He has been home for many interviews for "real" jobs. Recently, he has had some second and third interviews, so I am hopeful that he will soon be gainfully employed! We have been talking to him about a graduation party, which he just decided he wants (with only a month's notice and in prime office party season). So my holiday stress level just increased quite a bit! Now that we are part of the Big Ten, Nebraska played Michigan State at home last month. It took some doing, but we were finally able to secure some tickets and all go to the game. Unfortunately, State did not have a good day and NE had a great day. Still it was fun and it was also our last camping trip of the season-beautiful weather for the end of October!

Nate is still working at Jimmy Johns. He doesn't seem any closer to a real career, but we hardly see him, so it is hard to know for sure what is rumbling around in his head. He is being more responsible and doing what we ask, so we do see some progress toward maturity. He has been kind enough to dress up in costume for the kids at the library twice since summer. Once he was the character from Llama Llama and today he was Tacky the Penguin (which was one of his favorite stories growing up). It does my heart good to see him do something nice for others!

It was Bailey's birthday yesterday. She is now one! She loves her new toy and woofed down her pup cake! Holly will be two years old next month. Holly continues to struggle with urinary tract infections. We just had our carpets cleaned and now are giving her cranberry tablets to change her PH and hopefully prevent any more UTIs.

We are staying home for Thanksgiving. I have put out a few invites, but have not had any takers yet, so it may just be our family. Heck, it may not even be just our family, since I haven't heard from Nate yet if and when he is working that day. I am clueless about Christmas-no ideas whatsoever right now. Maybe some gift cards or a family trip are in order! Family trip.......more stress to plan that around schedules......maybe just gift cards!

Well I think I will sign off for the night and go read my book. It is really good, if I can just stay awake! Please leave comments if you read this post. It can be discouraging to think I am trying so hard to connect with my family and friends and it is all in vain.

Summer Fun

We have had fun while traveling this summer. Our first stop was at Silver Lake State Park where we TENT camped with our family. Haven't tented for years and found out that our tent needs to be re-waterproofed. Still it is a good tent and kept us pretty dry through all the rain. At the last minute we decided to bring Bailey and Holly. It was challenging with the rain; what to do with two wet sandy pups? Dom had his own challenges with equipment breakdowns.....not to many dune rides this year. I think he was more bummed about it than anyone. We did visit the Silver Lake Lighthouse and for the first time were able to climb up inside. That was pretty cool. We shared some amazing smore combinations around the campfires-even in the rain! My mother in law was so kind and brought extra food for us so we wouldn't have to bring cooking gear and coolers. She is the best! Wouldn't even let me clean up!! The last night we had movie night and watched RV. It was a big hit and I think a new camping tradition. My favorite part was a surprise visit from our music teacher, Mr. Abbott and his wife. My siblings hadn't seen him in over 20 years. He is still just as much fun as when we were growing up.

We left Michigan and headed for Chicago. Jim had a conference which left me time to explore the city. The first day I made my way to the wonderful store, Ikea. I LOVE that store! The next day I made my way downtown with another conference wife and her niece. I was so nervous about trying to figure out public transportation and finding my way around. Turns out my IPhone was a huge help. It would give the bus route to get me where I wanted to be and all sorts of other helpful information. I really couldn't have done it without my IPhone. We took a taxi to the train station, then the train downtown, then several trips on the bus, another taxi to the restaurant, the subway back downtown, the train back to the suburbs, and a shuttle back to the hotel. I was pretty proud of myself! We saw Millennium Park, Grant Park, Taste of Chicago, Navy Pier, and ate at a Peruvian restaurant. I can't wait to go back-so much to see and do. The following two days I shopped a bit at the mall and hung out by the pool and read. Had beautiful weather in Chicago.

My last trip was a cruise to Key West and Cozumel. I traveled with a girlfriend-don't think Jim would have enjoyed it too much. We had a beautiful suite with a private balcony. We watched a movie on deck the first evening. It was kind of like being at a drive in theater. The next day we went into Key West and hopped on and off a trolley tour. Learned a little history, heard some stories, saw some neat homes. That night after dinner, we danced the night away to 70's and 80's music and took in a musical show. We were in Cozumel most of the next day and we spent our time at the beach. Very relaxing. Our last day was a fun day at sea, and we enjoyed lots of time lounging around the pool, cheering for the Hairy Chest Contest, and watching them carve an ice sculpture. After one last wonderful dinner in the dining room, we went to a bar and sang karaoke. A cruise isn't something I would want to do again and again, but with the right people it would be a fun trip occasionally.

So that was the fun. The rest of the summer has been hot, hard, and messy.

HOT-we are in our 3-4 week of high temps and high humidity. Hard to get anything accomplished in this weather. Even the dogs refuse to go out when you open the door and it's like a furnace blast. We got our shed, but it has been so miserable we haven't spent much time moving stuff out there. Anything you have to do takes extra effort and leaves you feeling wrung out.

HARD-work has been very challenging for me this year. Not enough help and the exhaustion that comes from trying to provide good customer service to all those people. I honestly don't know how much longer I can go at this pace. Many unresolved frustrations also.

MESSY-Jim's plant has been flooded all summer and will probably not be ready to go back online until late fall. Consequently, he has been put back on shift work. That has added to my HARD, because his schedule conflicts with my schedule. We have only been camping twice this summer. He also has big chunks of time off, which he loves, but I hate. He doesn't do anything which is a huge energy zapper for me.

Things are looking up though! Summer Reading Program has ended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are going camping at the lake next week! This heat wave has to end sometime!

Nate has been working hard, picking up extra shifts. He is also doing great about keeping track of his schedule and getting to work on time. He can learn! His paychecks look much better and he is finally getting back on track financially. He cut his finger at work while I was on my cruise and needed 5 stitches.

Noah is doing well. He had a problem with his ear after a firecracker exploded too close over the 4th. Went to the doctor (for the first time since he's been in college) and is doing better. He came home for a wedding this weekend and we went suit shopping. We got him some beautiful suits for 70% off. Hopefully they will help him land that job and that girl!

What fun have you been up to this summer?

CRAZY

Things have been CRAZY around here. Jim has been working such long days and now the plant is preparing for the worst flooding they may have ever seen on the river. In fact, the outage has been suspended until the flooding issue is dealt with. They have sandbags 5-6 feet high and are bringing in additional inflatable (?) berms to protect the plant. They have contracted with the high school for parking and will shuttle the people to the plant where they will be ferried in on a boat (probably by my husband) and deposited on the roof of a building. They will enter the building through a hole cut in the roof-at least that is the plan right now. CRAZY!

The summer reading program has begun at my workplace. Not only has the volume greatly increased, but then there are all the issues that have to be dealt with too. Explaining the program, showing them how to sign up, getting them new cards, new nannies, expired accounts......CRAZY!

Maybe we are just getting too old for all this CRAZINESS!

We have found some time to have fun during all this CRAZINESS. A couple of weeks ago, we went to Kansas City for the weekend. We had a beautiful hotel room downtown and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Brazilian restaurant on the Plaza. We went to see the Princess Diana exhibit before it returned to Althorp this month. It was very interesting, especially her wedding dress. It was simpler than I thought it would be and I couldn't believe how much it cost! It you want to know, leave a comment with your guess about the cost and I will respond with the actual cost. Last weekend, we camped for the first time this year. We stayed close to home, but didn't have very good weather. Cool, rainy, and a constant threat of river flooding kind of put a damper on our regular camp fun. This weekend we went to CineDine and saw the movie, Bridesmaids. CineDine is a theater where you can get food and drinks served to you during the movie. It is always fun and I loved the movie! Today, we went to the fancy wine shop for a free Sauvignon Blanc wine tasting. They had 10 different wines to try and we could have as much as we wanted! We wound up buying a couple of bottles with the gift card Nate gave us for Christmas. Sweet! We also bought tickets for the wine event next weekend-over a 100 wines to try! Can't wait for that. Later in the evening, we went back for a free outdoor concert.

Last week we bought a shed. It will be installed later this summer. Not exciting, but it is a very nice shed and it should clear out my garage so we can actually get our cars in there! Nate got his first paycheck. It doesn't look like it is going to pay enough to cover all his expenses as a delivery driver. Too bad, because he kind of likes it. Noah is very frustrated at work and has been applying for some new things. He now lives in an apartment with two other guys. Not as much room, but he does have a pool! We are preparing for our upcoming trips. Looking forward to seeing family and exploring Chicago. I've finally been getting some info about my cruise, so I'm getting excited about that too. Bailey did really well with her spay and is all recovered.

Other than that, not much new to report. How CRAZY have you all been?

For the Sake of One

Ok-I have one person that reads this blog, so I will continue to write!

Mostly have been busy potty training the dogs. Yes, I said dogs. It seems we get things going well with one of them and the other one acts up. Things are going pretty good right now though. We finished fencing our back yard, which has really helped now that the weather is nicer. Bailey finally figured out to ring the bell to go outside, but she abuses it! No sooner does she come in and she is persistently ringing the bell to go back out. Annoying, but I figure it will lose the novelty soon. I just have to remain patient!! Bailey is going to be spayed tomorrow. The weather has been nicer so we have enjoyed many walks and trips to the dog park. Bailey still acts weird there. She is interested in the other dogs, but as soon as they show any interest in her, she tries to make herself as small as possible and hightails it back between our legs. I'm not so sure she is going to move past it at this point. Maybe the spay will help. Bailey lost much of her beautiful red color after her first grooming. She is more like a strawberry blond now.

Nate has had a rough couple of months. After his illness, he lost both of his jobs on the same day. Then his girlfriend broke up with him. My heart hurt so much for him, but she hung around a few weeks longer, which gave me hope. Unfortunately, she did end it with him for good. She was so good to my son and I loved her too. Nate just wasn't ready to be the person she needed him to be yet, and I'm glad she respected herself enough to have the courage move on and not settle for less than she deserves. I do miss her though and am sad for them both. Nate went through another rough patch of job searching. He finally landed a job at a sandwich shop this week. Keep praying he will move forward with his life too!

Noah did get a job offer as a financial planner, but turned it down. After going through the interview process, he found the job wasn't what he thought it would be and it wasn't a good fit. He started dating a new girl, but that ended quickly. He is pretty discouraged in the relationship department right now. He finished up school and moved into his new apartment. Has one more semester in the fall and then GRADUATION!

Jim is very tired. He has been working an outage and it is not going so well. Has to get up at 4am and is home close to 7pm. At least he is working days and the overtime is always good.

I finished up Bible Study Fellowship last week. We have a new person at work that I have been training. She is completely new to the library system, so it is going slower than I hoped. I taught some beginner computer classes at work the past couple of months. They went well, but kind of maxed me out as I am only part time. We brought the camper home and I have been busy repacking it and getting it ready for the season. We have several trips planned, but more about that later! I am going on a Mexican cruise later in the summer with a friend. Good chance for me to experience a cruise-Jim is not that interested after his stint in the Navy. I had a nice Mother's Day. Noah took me to breakfast, the boys hung around and helped me with some projects including getting the bikes ready to ride and installing my new bell. We had pizza for dinner before Noah went home. I love my boys!

We had some rare company in the spring. Jim's Mom, sister Dorothy and her three boys came for a visit. The first day was rather cool and breezy, but they had some nice spring weather while they were here. I think they had fun. Noah even arranged for them to tour Memorial Stadium.

Well talking about that pizza made me hungry for some....got to go!