(Picture removed, because it was too big.)

This is what we came home to on Sunday after church.  We missed the storm by 15 minutes. 

As we were driving we could see a beautiful dark blue stormy sky in front of us. 

About 5 miles from town we felt a little wind, but we missed the pouring rain

and big winds that brought this site in our backyard.

  Next week I might post more pictures if I remember. 

 We have spent the week cleaning up the mess and taking down the tree.  :( 

Now I'm off to get ready for a camping trip in Michigan.

Blessings,

Mish

We had a wonderful camping trip this weekend.  We slept in a tent Friday night which our boys set up all by themselves.  Quite a fit since our tent is a huge 4 room tent.  We ate outside and the kids did some fishing.  All the fish they caught were too small, but they had fun. 

Now I'm busy getting ready for our Michigan trip in two weeks.  Also trying to catchup with laundry and keep everything else caught up around here.  Busy..Busy.  But it is good busy.

Mish

This weekend is our first.  Then august we have three.  We are very excited.  I'll blog about them after each.  My scouts and their parents :)  like sleeping outside.  :)

Mish

Despite the fact that I was minus a husband child last week went well.  It was family night at boy scout camp on Thursday night.  Friday we went to a parade and then a picnic with friends.  The kids had lots of fun and came home with a pink motor car to play with. 

I do have a lot of friends with health issues right now.  I know the Lord is in control, but it is hard to see so many friends suffering.  Especially the two I know with cancer.

The paper route went well today.  It was nice have my oldest ds back to help.  Especially since it is his route.

Hope you all are well.

Mish

It seems that every time I blog I'm feeling down and out and stressed.  I do have good happy days, I just don't blog on those days.

My dh and oldest ds are at scout camp this week.  So that leaves me home alone.  But we'll be okay.  Bed time wasn't too bad tonight.

I've just been feeling sad tonight.  Missing my baby and my dad.  Sad that my vacation is over, it was so good to see like minded folk and talk with the ladies there.  It just went so fast.  I'm feeling anxious to be closer to my church or one of the churches in our denomination anyway, but dh is happy where we are so I need to be content.

Good night all.  I'm sure things will look brighter in the morning. 

Blessings.

Mish

We had a wonderful vacation last week.  We arrived home this monday evening.  I'm still tired and have mountains of laundry to do.  It was very good to see my dh's parents and friends.  I will try to write more about it later.  I need to get back to work.

Mish

Well, sort of.  We have only done 116days of school, but it has been a rough year and I'm out of steam.  (Iowa requires 148).  My oldest two are going to finish the lessons they are on in Math and LA and we are going to pick up where we left off in August.  My third son I'm going to keep doing 100 EZ lessons with him because I told my hubby he would be reading by the end of summer when he turns 8.  I also will keep the older two reading all summer.  I'd like to do a science unit in July and August, but we will see how we are doing after our vacation in the middle of june and scout camp in early july.

I feel good now after making this decision.  My husband will be happy too.  He has been frustrated because our house is falling apart again.  Now I have the summer to get us back on track with chores and get fired up for a new school year.  Another advantage is I don't need to buy any new school books until next January because we haven't finished anything this year.  My health and my father's death just got in the way.  But I'm okay about it.  It will all be okay in the end.

Mish

My oldest and youngest were up last night throwing up.  I pray this stomach flu or whatever they have isn't going to make its rounds here. 

We've been very busy keeping up with school and with soccer and scouts.  Our last soccer game is tomorrow night and our big cross over pack meeting for scouts.  I thought life was going to slow down after my brother's wedding, now I wonder if it will ever slow down.  Well, I'll just take a deep breathe, pray, and enjoy this time with my children.  I know they will grow up too fast.

Emotionally, I'm up and down.  I miss my dad and baby a lot.  I ache for my baby almost every day.  But, my 3 year old has been really cuddlely lately, (maybe because she was coming down with this flu), and so that has helped.  Well, I'd better get to work.  I'm without a car right now, so that has been good, to keep me home.  We have a new van, new to us anyway.  It's purple.  :)  But my hubby's car is back in the shop and we aren't sure when it will be done.

Sorry, It has been so long.  Just a very busy time for us.

Mish

I just reread my post for dec. 6.  Wow, so much has happened since then.  I thought I was busy when life was somewhat normal.  Well, I thought I'd add this at the top of my post.  I'm sorry if my posts have been boring lately.  :(

Please pray for us.  We are just too busy right now.  My husband and I have spent most evening this week trying to fix my mom's computer.  Last night when my husband was on the phone with my brother and I think almost had it fixed, the my mom's house had a brown out.  Which means the lights dimmed and the computer went to low power.  So we turned everything off except the computer when was finishing a download and then turned it off when that was done.  But we had to go home because it was late and there wasn't anything we could do anyway.  We said we would be back tonight.  But this morning we realized my husband has to get ready for a archery event for the homeschool group which is tomorrow.  On top of that he is in charge of scouting for food tomorrow morning and our kids have soccer games. 

Next week is my brother's wedding so we were supposed to get my mom's bookkeeping caught up so we don't have to mess with it next week.  But we are at our wits end and my husband is frustrated because he is working so much and feeling not much appreciation from my mom and brother.  Mom doesn't understand computers and doesn't understand why this is taking so long.  On top of that the computer problems showed up after she was using the computer so she is blaming her self for us losing a whole week of work.  Work which we can usually do in one evening when the computer is working.

Well, I'm rambling.  Please pray for our family.  It has been a tough winter.  And now that life is back to "normal"  we have extra things on our plate that were not expected and we all are very stressed.  But on a good note, school is going well and I'm keeping up with the housework, except for laundry.  I think I'm just going to have to make a trip to the laundry mat so I can get caught up there too.

Mish

I went to to a relay for life dinner (fundraiser for cancer cures) with my mom tonight.  I shed many tears for my dad.  I couldn't look at my mom so she doesn't know I cried.  My 6 yodd also was in the same building for a princess party.  She looked beautiful.  My mom did her hair kind of like she used to do mine.  :)

Tomorrow is the day which was my due date for my baby I lost.  It will be a sad day, but I get to spend it with a dear friend of mine who is visiting from Canada.  Some of you know her.  :)

I have so much to do this month and so many activities for the kids I'm getting overwhelmed.  But it is good life is back to normal and hopefully true spring will be here soon.  (It was really cold and rainy today.)

Mish

Yesterday was my birthday and it was a wonderful day.  I relaxed during the day and let the kids play.  Last night my husband took me out for dinner and we had a wonderful evening.  I did think of my baby some and that was sobbering.  Yesterday was the day we were going to ask to have a c-section so her and I could share a birthday.  Now there will be a special reminder in my heart always of my little girl I never met. 

Last night I was up 'til 3am thinking about my dad and my children.  I need to make some changes with our schedule.  Please pray that I will be able to implement them.  Life is getting a little more back to normal now and I just need to make the most use of all our time.

I was reminded on a friend's blog of my our need to please God as Enoch did.  It reminded me of my chief end - To Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever.  I pray that I can better succeed in this area and teach it to my children.

I love you all, dear friends.

Mish

Monday the older boys finished their basic skills tests.  My next two started lessons in Learning to read with 100 easy lessons.  It is easy for my 7 year old but that is okay.  We need something easy right now.  I will go slowly through it with my 5 year old.  She isn't really ready for much right now.

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a very busy day.  I'm tired today after all the running I had to do.  In the morning the boys did their paper route.  Then M had band.  While he was at band we ran to McDonalds and picked up lunch.  Then we picked up M and I dropped them all except my 3 year old at choir.  Then I drove to a friend's house to drop off my last child.  Then off to my heart doctor apt.  I was 30 minutes late, but I called so they weren't upset.  I had an echo test and then only had to sit for 30 minutes before my apt.  They got me in early.  So being late didn't turn out so bad after all.  :)  My heart is almost completely back to normal.  He took me off my heart medicine.  Good thing because I wasn't doing a very good job of taking it.  :(

After my apt. I picked up my kids and then home to make supper.  After supper my hubby stopped in for a minute and then he was off to a soccer meeting.  After that hubby and I rushed to scout leaders meeting.  This monthly meeting is becoming our night out together.  It isn't the ideal date, but better then nothing.  :) 

It was a busy day, but good to get out.  The weather is mild so that was helpful.  Maybe we will make a trip to the zoo soon if this weather keeps up.

Today, I have to get caught up with laundry and housekeeping.  Hopefully we will get some school done this afternoon.  I did get a second lesson done with my 7 year old yesterday.   The great thing about 100 EZ Lessons is they can be done quickly on a busy day.  :)

Mish

I went on a scrapbook retreat this Friday night and all day Saturday.  I worked on my brother's wedding album.  All  I have to do is add pictures in May after the wedding.  :)  I was there with an old college friend and we had a blast!

Today has been very relaxing and a good day with our church family, of course.  The Lord planned this wonderful weekend for me, knowing I would need it after all that has happened during the last 2 1/2 months.  Back to business tomorrow.  :(  Hopefully we will even get some school work done.  But most importantly I have to get my house cleaned up.

I pray that no more tragedy will hit our family for a long time.  Thanks for all your prayers and support during this difficult time.

Mish

I feel like all I have posted in 2008 is negative.  I'm sorry.  A friend mentioned to me the other day how rough this year has been for me and I'm starting to want to skip this year.

My dad is probably going into Hospice care tomorrow.  He has been in the hospital for a week.  My husband and I have to take over the bookkeeping for his business and it is becoming a bigger job that we thought.

My husband has been very sick and off work for three days.  Now the rest of us are coming down with.  Some sort of respitory flu.  So we haven't been able to visit my dad much because we don't want to give him what we have.

Please pray for us.  I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Mish

We had a couples wedding shower today for my brother and his fiance.  It was so much fun.  It was a neat idea to have men there too.  )  My mom's friends planned it.  I saw some people I hadn't seen since high school (friend's of my parents).  It was an open house so no silly games.  :)  The food was great and the fellowship was wonderful.  I also was able to get to know my future sister in law a little bit. 

I'm making a scrapbook for them.  With pictures of them now, their engagement and wedding.  It is going well.  Lots of happy things amongst all the sad things that have happened lately.

My dad is in the hospital and not doing well.  Please pray for him.

Mish

I've been having some minor chest pain for about a week off and on.  It got a little worse friday night even though it was still mild.  My friends I was scrapbooking with suggest I call first nurse.  So this morning (Saturday) we called and because of my cardiac hystery she suggested I go in and get it checked.  After chest x-ray and cat scan that ruled out any heart problems and said it was probably some type of muscular pain.  So now we are home again.  It was very depressing being in the hospital again, they had to give me an i.v. which was very destressing to my dh.  He made him feel like this was going to turn into an over night stay.  But, we praise God that it was not serious and they sent us home.

I'm feeling tired, but happy to be home.  I had a dear friend watching my girls and another dear friend took my boys sledding, so at least the day was not too bad for my kids.

Mish

Now that I am feeling better my kids have come down with the stomach flu.  In the last week they each have throwm up at least once.  They have no appetites and they sit and complain a lot.  :(  My 3 year old was so miserable but she is better now.  My 10 year old is sleeping right now which is very unusual for him.  I told my husband at least this waited until I'm better.  Two weeks ago would have been aweful.

Mish

Things are getting back to normal.  Except my energy level.  It doesn't take much to wipe me out.  But my kids are big help.  They are making bacon and eggs right now, because we are out of milk and so they couldn't have cereal for breakfast.  They do laundry fill the dishwasher, etc.  I can't take a bath because of my c-section and even taking a shower wears me out.  It seems I had more energy a few days ago then I have today.

Wednesday was not a good day.  My husband thought I was able to drive, so I left the kids with a babysitter and head for a dr. apt.  But I can't blame my husband.  I was tired of depending others.  Well, I hit an ice patch on a bridge, spun around and hit the bridge.  I was able to drive away, but I was shook up and my neck hurts today.

Mish

It has been a difficult month.  I had a heart attack and septic shock caused by a kidney stone and an infection.   I lost my baby through it all.  But God is good and spared my life.  My husband was with me the whole time and most of the bad stuff happened when I was drugged and I don't remember it.   There were so many blessings through it all.  My kitchen has been remodeled all my closets cleaned and my house is really nice now.  Many people pulled together to help us through this difficult time.  My children spent three weeks at friends houses.  We spent two weeks after I got out of the hospital at friends houses so they could finish our house.  We got home Saturday.  I know this sounds overwhelming.

I just realized a friend posted about my experience so some of you already know.  Thanks for your prayers.  Here is her blog for the details. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/OurLittleSchoolRoom/.  Just scroll down to updates on mishinia.

Mish