June 6, 2016

I never thought we would have an exchange student that we would have to get rid of because of her attitude and upbringing and lack of socialization. We had one this year. Veronica from China. There was no connection...at all. She stayed in her room. She had no friends to speak of. She never went out the whole year she was here. She also said things that were hurtful, even if she didn't mean it that way. The final straw came the morning after her graduation party, when she said she didn't care about the party. AFS found a new home for her for the last month in 24 hours. I had spent the last few months stressed out and not wanting to do anything, not want to go anywhere with her and just dreading another day in general. There were a lot of tears of frustration. I haven't cried in a week. That is big. We will never have another student from China. She did explain that in China they don't say thank you for things, they don't socialize much. She also said there is no child labor there. You can't even find a job until you are 18. Yup, they are fed the koolaid from a young age. She drank a lot of it. Darwin is fact....yeah, right. Any way, I am much happier. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

Life

Since my last post, we have gotten another exchange student. Veronica from China. It has been a rocky road with her. She will stay with us, but it's going to be tough.

Andy and the boys moved in in November. That is tough too. The boys are having a hard time with their mother threatening to kill them and their father. Now to get through the divorce proceedings with a psychotic woman.

trying to get back on the healthy bandwagon this year. I was going to swim today, but the water was only 74 degrees. Tomorrow it should finally hit 80.

I am fighting a cold and don't have much ambition today. I sent out Christmas cards and paid bills and am doing a mountain of laundry. That's about it.

HyeIn came to visit and we took her to the airport yesterday. She was here about 3 weeks. It was a great visit.

Hopefully, I start posting more often again.

April 19,2015

Yesterday, Alair and Claire competed in a spelling bee. There are 4 groups of 2 grades each. Blair got 9th place in her group and Claire got 2nd place in her group. I was so relieved that Alair got a ribbon. I wasn't sure if she would.

Today, after church and Bible Study/Sunday school, we had Sunday Dinner with Kratzers, Wetzelnesses and Erik and Ashley. Again, Andy and Christine had an excuse not to come....... We had a baked potato bar with bacon, mushrooms, broccoli, sour cream, butter, shredded cheese and hamburger gravy. Also tossed salad and cantaloupe. Double Chocolate Banana Bread and Finnish Orange Cake with whipped cream for dessert.  It was kind of cold and crappy out today, so the kids had to stay in and they got pretty restless. Carly and Corine stayed for supper. Emily and Andy had a meeting at church.

This week I have to get Carsen's prom dress bustled and lamb and wolf costumes made for Friday night's school play. I also need to swim at least 4 times...hopefully  5.

Tuesday is our 37th wedding anniversary. I really don't feel old enough to be married that long. No special plans. We will see if the kids remember. All but one remembered my birthday on the 10th. He got reminded a few days later.

Kids

  It really made me think. This last weekend. Two sons-in-law, a daughter in law and a son made some poor decisions. I gave my two cents worth the next day...actually lit into my son.  Then I thought back to my younger years. I made a lot of the same bad decisions and more. People thought I was  'good girl'. I just never got caught. So many terrible things could have happened. I know God must have been watching out for me and that I had much more to do. I think about my life now. With 6 kids and 12 grandkids. Being able to adopt our 6th child when I was 47.  I am so thankful for what my life has become. I wonder what is still to come.

Spring Cleaning

 Last week I got the urge to clean. It really doesn't happen often. I don't just mean basic cleaning...I mean going down into the seedy underbelly of our house. Where water had backed up from the floor drain, flooding the floor and ruining things that had been stored in cardboard boxes. This flooding happened several years ago. At the time, we just threw out some things we could see were totally ruined and decided to deal with the rest when we had time. Last week I had time. There were about 30 tubs of stuff collected over almost 38 years of marriage, 6 kids and assorted parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I decided to do a quick keep, throw with everything first and then sort everything out later. Friday, Kim started hauling boxes of garbage out. Saturday, he loaded the pick-up twice and hauled it in. He has one more load to take tomorrow. Now I will sort what is left into categories. There are thousands of pictures to sort out, but that will happen another time with the kids helping. Each kid will get a bin with their stuff in. Special school papers and mementoes of their younger days. There will also be more throwing out of things at this time. I still need to scrub the floor and move around some boxes yet. I would do a lot this week, but I found out on Friday that Erik wants to have is birthday party here and Allison and Chris and family are coming down. I can't leave stuff out as Mila and Dannie probably won't leave it alone. I will start on a clutch for Cora for her wedding and look at what I plan on making Alair for Easter this week. I still have teddy bears to finish too. I feel really good about getting this much done and hopefully getting more done soon.

Winter Roads

  Yesterday started out not so good. It was snowing. I know it is winter in Mn, but it seems every time I have to go somewhere, it is snowing buckets. Then, by the time the bus brings Alair home, the roads are cleared and all is fine. It has happened three times to me. I got ready and went to Nell's for Bible Study. The roads weren't great, but she lives in town, so I assumed the plows would be out on the main roads sooner than smaller township roads. I parked on the street as I didn't want to get parked in. I was to go to North Morristown for lunch duty and had to leave early. As I was walking up to the house I slid on ice. Didn't fall.  I asked if someone would walk me down to the car when I had to leave. Annette walked me down to my car and we both slid. Didn't fall that time either. Started out for North Morristown and just turned onto the Camp Omega Road when I hit ice. Yup, I did everything I shouldn't. I didn't drive into it and over compensated. I ended up in the ditch. Kim was in Iowa. I called Aubrey. I told her where I was, and since Carsen had to be pulled out last week, she called the tow truck and came to where I was to help if she could. Adrenalin was rushing and I was an emotional mess. I called the school to say I wasn't going to make it. I got pulled out and Aubrey followed me home. I was still shaking.  Kim got home. Roads were much better. Alair got home. She got her homework done and so we were able to go to supper at church and Vespers. The day definitely ended on a high note.

February 22

  Here I am, sitting in my chair on Sunday morning. We should have attended church at 7:45 and Bible Study at 9:00. Alair should have attended Sunday School after church.  The morning started out fine. We all woke up at 6:00 and ate and started getting ready. Alair started complaining she had a stomach ache and felt like throwing up. She had a low fever. We decided to stay home. Good thing we did. At the time we would be in the car on the way to church, Alair had diarrhea.  As it was, she didn't make it to the bathroom.  A while later, she was vomiting with diarrhea. We are now watching movies and waiting to see how things go.  She missed two days of school last week with nasty cold symptoms and a fever.
  Yesterday, we went to Stillwater to do some shopping. Aubrey, Troy, Claire, Natalie, Carsen, Carly, Corine and Erik went along. We ate at Leo's Grill and Malt Shop. Got olive oil, tea, bottle openers, a new smoker for spring and a gift for Pastor and Mrs. Palm. Then we went back to the Twin Cities, to Ingebritsen's. Kim got some fish and Aubrey and I got some adorable little prints of trolls and little children.  After that, we stopped at HyVee and picked up pizza for supper.  Emily and Andy came to pick up their girls after going to a marriage retreat sponsored by their church. Carly and Corine stayed with us since Thursday. Friday, Claire and Natalie had a sleep over here too. It was a very busy time. We didn't plan on doing anything today except church, but then we didn't even get to do that. I hope Alair feels better soon.

National Lutheran Schools Week

  This week is National Lutheran Schools Week. The school where Alair goes has special activities all week. Today the kids baked chocolate chip cookies and invited former students and teachers to come and talk about the days they attended there. The school is close to 100 year old. It was very interesting to hear the older people talk. Some even brought pictures and report cards. You could hear the pride in their voices as they told stories of the strict teachers and how the students actually became one big family as the older students helped the younger ones and they all played at recess together. I am so glad that Alair gets to experience this too. The sad thing is, there are only 10 students attending out there in grades kindergarten thru fifth. I so wish the school would go until 8th grade. This June, two students will be leaving. If more families don't register, I'm afraid it can't stay open. After next year, Alair will be finished and we have to find another school. Also, the parents are finished as volunteers. It's hard to find volunteers these days. I have talked until I am blue in the face about the benefits of a parochial education and it really does no good. The parents that send their kids to the public school complain about many things wrong with their school system, but they don't want to try the alternative. We pray and pray.  We can't give up on the kids.

House of Living Stones

I have been kind of ADHD for quite a while. I can't seem to stay at one thing for very long. Especially reading. And I love to read. My mind goes from one thing to another. I preordered House of Living Stones by Katie Schuermann.  I started reading it in November.  I'm almost finished with it. 2 chapters left. It os a very light story about an LCMS congregation in a small town. Very light reading. I can't believe how long it took me. I was happily surprised when about a week before the book arrived, I got a hand written card from the author thanking me for my purchase and hoping I like the book. I do.
 More on the wandering mind.....I start in the kitchen doing dishes, then unload the dryer. I carry the unfolded laundry into the living room and drop it in the basket. I see some of my 33 year old daughter's things sitting on a table that she left here. I take it in the kitchen and do some more dishes. I then check face book and go into the bathroom and clean out the sink. I will iron 2 shirts and then decide I better start in my latest sewing project. Load the washer and dryer, oh yeah...finally finish dishes. Phone rings and talk to whomever....where was I? Right...vacuuming the living room. This is by 10:00 am. I am not kidding. Probably why I can't spend much time reading.

Swimming

The pool is warm...82 degrees. The building is not...60 degrees. So far I went out yesterday and today. I actually feel better mentally. I really enjoy swimming. It clears my head and I get to plan out my day. I am working up to an hour again. It shouldn't take too long. Today was 45 minutes. I hope I can keep with it. Not because I quit swimming, but because of the cost to keep it heated.

Age

I really must be getting old. When the older kids were in school, it really wasn't a big deal in the winter to go to activities in the evening. We were always at basketball, gymnastics, dance line, play practice and band and choir concerts. I just hate going out now.  I know that's why we won't have an exchange student for a few years. I always encourage them to be active in school here so they meet lots of kids. That means going out late at night to get them from away games and competitions. As we have a 9 year old, we only go to home games. It gets too late. Today it was 5 degrees when I came home from doing lunch duty at Alair's school. Tomorrow it will be -40 wind chill. School will probably be late. I have Bible study at 9:30 in the morning. Probably not going.

New Years Eve

Well, I'm sitting here in my chair watching The Little Mermaid with Alair. We just got done eating popcorn. Kim is in his office working on his new computer. He was in here watching the first movie...Despicable Me2.

I think about the past, present and future. How I have raised the kids..who they are. Should I have done things differently? Probably at least some. I think back to my parents...things they did right and wrong. I know they did the best they could..and it was mostly good. I am very thankful for my upbringing. I even think back to my grandma...I only knew one. We live in their home. She was a character. She and my grandpa would fight in German so we wouldn't know what they were saying. I wonder what our kids will think of how we raised them and what kind of influence I will have on the grandkids. We had Sunday Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's almost every Sunday. As our kids were growing, we had Sunday Dinner at either my parents or Kim's most Sundays until the car accident. Then it became easier for us to have Sunday Dinners and holidays. Now we have Sunday Dinners here most Sundays for whoever can be here.

I think about the health issues I have and how they will effect things. I can't walk very fast. I can't go up and down stairs very well. I need to lose weight and exercise. It is very expensive to heat the pool, but we did some financial things so hopefully er can keep it warm. I really like swimming. I also need to watch my diet closer so the diabetes doesn't get worse fast. I want to be around to see the grandkids  grow up. It's not easy raising another child. A nine year old girl. Sometimes I wonder if we did the right thing. Was it fair to her to have older parents? And sibling so much older than she? But I can't imagine our lives without her. But will I see her wedding? And her children?  I hope so.

This is the night to reflect on things. I'm not much for resolutions. I will just keep trying to do better at things and not try to be perfect. It is all in God's hands. He has blessed me so much with the family I have. I will also be thankful for all I have. I will trust that He knows what's best. I will try.

December 2014

Wow!!! Time really does fly. I can't believe how fast this year has gone.  With Kim's rotator cuff surgery in February; my new knee in April; going to the Black Hills in June and Nattapon going home the end of June.

It seems the older I get, the faster time goes. I really wish it would slow down some.  I had lots of projects for Christmas and now I need to start on the projects I put on hold in the fall.

I want to start blogging more and now that I finally have a new computer, maybe I will be more inclined. Hopefully pictures will go better also.

March 8,2014

Kim had his surgery on his rotator cuff last Friday.It went fine and he is trying to do all kinds of things. The dr. said driving was up to him....when he felt up to it. Emily went with him to Sanborn on Thursday and I watched the girls. After driving us home from the hospital in whiteout conditions, I'm not taking any chances.
  Today, Kratzers came over to go sledding and stayed for supper. It got to 40 and this was really the first and last time they could all go sledding. This has been such a cold winter. The huge piles of snow will be gone this week. I really am getting spring fever.
  I called Lakes Gas and asked what the price of lp is. 2.39....yay! I'm hoping to get the pool filled this month.I like the bike, but the pool is best.

Exercise

Since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last February, I have been swimming almost every day. Swimming along with diet have helped me lose 43 pounds. This happened by Aubrey's wedding in September. Since then I have had a hard time getting back in the swing of things. I hurt my knee and had to have an MRI. I will need surgery at some time. Kim needs shoulder surgery first. This month. Any way, I waited for the pain to go down,winter came. Below 0 temps and even colder wind chills. Then lp prices went up.  A lot. My weight also went back up 6 lbs. Today I broke down and bought a recumbent bike. I looked at several stores. They did not have the model I wanted in stock. Could not be found in stores within a 45 mile radius. My bike will be in next Wednesday. It will be set up and ready for pickup Friday or Saturday. I have a diabetes check the middle of March. I WILL LOSE THE 6 LBS. BY THEN!!!!

Life

Well,I really need to post more often.  I've probably forgotten a lot of things.

Allison and Chris and their kids went up to Grand Marais,Split Rock Lighthouse and Grand Portage with us. We had a really good time. We don't get to do as much with them throughout the year as they live 5 hours away.

I started sewing dresses for Aubrey and Troy's wedding. It was a wonderful day. Also the young lady in the front left is Nattapon, our exchange student from Thailand.

 The day after the wedding, Andy moved back home. Later he was diagnosed with PTSD from when he was on the fire dept. It has been discovered that boys brains don't fully develop until they are 25. He saw some terrible things and even though there was debriefing, it wasn't enough. He is getting help now and hopefully will be able to go back to his home at some point.He and Christine need marriage counselling also to work through everything.Andy was hospitalized over Christmas with confusion. He had an MRI, EEG. Spinal Tap and other tests. They all came back normal. The doctors decided it was probably caused by stress.

Before Aubrey's wedding,I had lost 43 lbs. and all my blood work was back to normal. Since the wedding, I hurt my knee and haven't gotten back into exercise.  It also got terribly cold for a long time and it has been too expensive to heat the pool. This weekend it is supposed to get fairly warm, above freezing,so we are heating it. I have to get physical. My blood sugar has been going up as has my weight. I now have to lose 6 pounds again.

Kim is having surgery on his shoulder next month. He fell when he was cutting wood and it just kept getting worse.

The top picture is all of  Aubrey's new family and the bottom is our whole family now. We gained 2 grandchildren,so now the total is 11!

I started volunteering at Alair's school.  Every day.  All afternoon. I really got to be too much.  I wasn't getting any thing done at home.  I enjoyed it a lot and still do. The kids are great and I get to do crafts when I am just watching them. I now get one day off a week and it helps a lot.

That's enough for now. I'm sure I will think of things I forgot, and when I do, I will have to write about it.  I will try to post more often this year.

June 12

The last week has been very busy. I am on the Miss Waterville committee and last Friday was the pageant. There was rehearsal Tuesday and Wednesday, and a barbecue on Wadnesday night for contestants, sponsors and the girls parents. Alair, Claire and Natalie also had Bible school every evening. Thursday was the closing program for VBS. Friday was the pageant and I made chicken salad and cherry berries on a cloud for 80 for a catering job on Saturday. After catering, I put about 16 pounds of chicken and a couple dozen cut up potatoes and seasonings in the electric roaster for a pot luck at North Morristown for Kay Cram's retirement. Kim, Alair, and I went into Waterville for fried bullheads for supper. Sunday morning we went to church at North Morristown.and the potluck was right after. I had invited Andy to come and eat with us as Christine was working. After eating we went to the Bullhead Days parade in Waterville and then grilled out at Emily and Andy's. It poured while poor Andy was at the grill. Ashley and Erik were there also. Andy and the boys went hoe after the parade as they were wore out.

Monday I cleaned house for the BS Ladies. and today I am shampooing rugs. I also am filling out the paper work for AFS and taking pictures of the inside of the house. We are getting a girl from Thailand this year.

Friday, Carly and Corrine are coming to stay until Monday sometime. Andy and Emily are going up to Canada with their church's youth group for a week. Melissa Witte is watching the girls until Friday. Should be fun. Hope it doesn't rain the whole time.

Summer schedule for church starts tonight.   I like Wednesday service.

June 2, 2013

I am down 30 lbs. so far.  It's a start. I feel pretty good.

Since I don't garden, I planned on planting a few things in containers. I haven't done it yet because of the rain almost every day. Tomorrow Alair and I will get potting soil and plant. It's supposed to be sunny.

Bible School starts tonight at our church. It goes from 6-8 through Thursday. Miss Waterville practice is Tuesday and Wednesday and the pageant is Friday. I cater on Saturday for the Ladies group at Louise's church. Chicken salad and dessert for 80.About...have to get the final number yet. Sunday we are going to North Morristown Church for a pot luck for Mrs. Cram. Then go to the Bullhead Days parade.

I had a few projects..Carsen's garter for prom and a quilt for Mrs. Cram. I had the students each make a square and I put them together.

May 7, 2013

Well I see I haven't posted in quite a while.  Things are going pretty well. I have lost 25 pounds....it's a start. My blood pressure is down also.  I swim every day and have started strength training.  We are also going to buy a recumbent bike. I need to mix it up a little. I have started cooking again. I got some new cookbooks and the things are very good.

Aubrey and the girls are all settled in for now. She and Troy will be buying Ruth and Art's house. They have found a house in Morristown to rent. The tentative closing date is July first. Aubrey is going to start moving her things into the house as soon as she can. She and the girls will still be sleeping here and eating breakfast here, but will have supper there.  That way Aubrey gets to cook more.

It is so nice to finally have spring. Winter was way too long and really took a toll on my attitude. This Sunday,we are going to eat at Olive's in Mankato. I figure the buffet will have a little healthier fare as it is mediteranean. I hope so any way.

Tonight we have open house at Alair's school. They hired a teacher and we are all so happy. we don't have to worry about the kid's education for a while. Tomorrow we have Honorary Member night at Ladies aid. We serve supper. Thursday is dance pictures and Ascension service at church. Pretty chaotic but we will make it. Saturday is Natalie's 4th birthday party. She wants a crown cake and I found a pan so I guess she gets it.

March 9th

Things are going better. I am counting carbs and finding recipes with nutritional information. I swim 60 minutes a day, every day.  I feel much better and I now know what I feel like when my sugar is high. I go back in 3 weeks to have the diabetes educator look over my sugar levels and decide what to do next.  So far my morning level is too high....every day.

Aubrey is almost moved in. Just the big stuff left and we need boys and trucks for that. The weather isn't cooperating well there though.

Got Easter decorations almost up. Not nearly as much as Christmas. Looks springy. I need that.