summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

again again

Every day it's the same thing, sweep the floor and clean things up. A coffee mug here, a tea cup there, with the teabag in it of course, and no one left it there. When I ask, they are eager to suggest one of their siblings, but if I question said sibling, they shrug and say Wasn't Me. I usually don't try to sleuth out the culprits. But seriously, a package of opened crackers on the coffee table? rrr.

There is always laundry to do, and dishes. I have cupboards and closets to organize, and the big freezer needs defrosting.

It's not that I don't like cleaning my house. I don't really mind. I just don't like doing it every.single.day. It gets old. Especially when I pick up say....a lego. I pick it up and put it on the counter, then the next day, there it is again, on the floor. I know, I should have had Jon take it, or put it where it belonged in the first place: one of the junk drawers, where it could mingle with the rubber bands and push-pins and Box Tops For Education.

Now of course I am thankful that I can walk, lean over, and physically do the things I don't really want to do. I am just venting about the sameness of it all. And hey, when your husband is in France all of the time..."we took the train from Paris", he said. Oh my life! That's what Aaron used to say. Oh, my life!

But overall, I can't complain. Homeschooling these five kids has been the absolute best thing I have ever done, besides have them all in the first place. They are having bagels and cream cheese, and bundling up in warm clothes. We have our two new space heaters humming, because it's cold outside! It was 20 degrees (-6.6 C) when I got up this morning. brrrr.

The dogs didn't stay out too long today:)

I know winter comes every year. It just does. But this year, the autumn went by so fast! I hope this early snow isn't a shadow of things to come. Up east of the lake (Ontario), and over near Buffalo, they are getting pounded. Four feet of snow or more. The NYS Thruway is closed through there, too.

We need another trip to the library, but not today. The little girls are invited to a birthday party this afternoon, and Jon gets to go too to play with the birthday girl's brother. We took a little trip to Walmart last evening to get a gift, and it was too much fun. We moseyed and dawdled and meandered through the store. We looked at the toys, pressed the buttons, and picked out a little doll in a little car seat, and a nice little blouse. We also picked out different colored Powerade drinks (I like purple Zero, no calories). We decided on frozen rasberries and vanilla ice cream for a treat when we got home. But. Lo and behold, right there above the vanilla ice cream: Pumpkin pie ice cream. Made by the local dairy. Oh heavenly yum, I didn't say no, I just bought one. And, I ate some last night. Sonja was pretty pleased to see it too. I made sure my dinner was lo-cal, a mug of tomato soup, a bowl of raw spinach with some turkey slices and pepper.

Anyway, it was fun to go out and about with the three youngest. The five girls went to Girls' Fellowship at Emily's house, and Joseph just stayed home. Honestly, having only nine kids home is rather easy. :)

I miss Paul. I'm glad he'll only be gone for a week this trip instead of two.

Okay, and here's the really really fun news: my mother-in-law asked me if I want to accompany her on a trip to....Seattle! To visit Ben and Ashley and little Anya, my only little grandchild! Next spring or summer....of course I said yes, and shh, we haven't asked Ben and Ashley yet, but I'm sure they won't mind.



This is Benjamin with Kathryn. Benjamin just had a birthday, on Veteran's Day. He turned 26. I love Benjy. He has grown up into such a nice responsible daddy. A good and caring husband. He transitioned from Army life to an apprenticeship in HVAC (heating/air conditioning ect). He signed out of the Army a few weeks back with no fanfare, no ceremony, just voila, you are now a regular citizen again. He is still on reserve for a year, but other than that, he is done with the Army.

Too bad he is staying in Washington state, it is too far away. But they like it there, and he got a good job there.

Anyway, I am excited about the prospect of another trip, and oh to see that little Anya again....:)

3 comments:

Tereza said...

I have "only nine" so I had to smile at that:):)
Anyway I can relate oh the sameness!! But so thankful at the same time…its a weird mix!
Sounds reeeeeaaaalllyyy cold! How do you survive it! Does your home stay warm? I used to live in Ontario and it was so cold.

16 blessings'mom said...

Our home used to stay warmer. We have an oil/wood combination furnace, and with wood fires, it really gets warm. But with Paul traveling so much, and our wood supplier leaving the business, we simply burn the oil, and keep the thermostat down. We use space heaters in the rooms we are in, so it isn't too bad. And, electric blankets for the older kids.

mommeeof10 said...

My parents have a woodstove insert for their fireplace. My sister and BIL own almost 40 acres, and most of it is wooded. My BIL cuts down the trees that are dying and dead, then my dad tales them home to split.

We have a pot bellied stove, but are using the oil boiler, as the stove only heats the new section of the house. It gets to cold otherwise for my wimpy self.