7 Quick Takes -- Continued Life in Our New Home

1) Peter loves to be outside.

His first words often in the morning are, "I go outside?" And after I tell him yes, he happily clamors out the door.

2) I mowed a path.

Apparently we can mow some of our land, even though it is in CRP. So I have. We now have a bit of a walking trail. The kids ride it on bikes (some -- it's tough!) or I walk it. It's not amazing, as there is no shade, but it makes me happy. I hope to make it longer, all the way to the creek, but it is slow going with our elderly mower.

3) We started putting up a fence.

A friend gifted us with some left-over fence so we decided to put it to good use. Unfortunately it was not quite enough to cover the area we planned. We picked up a bit more to finish, but ran out of time. Still, it's looking good, I think.

4) The storage container/storm shelter is almost ready.

The storage container is now solidly anchored and Gordie has begun welding the door frame for the metal door (seen below, resting against the shipping container). Hopefully he can find some time to finish it up soon.

5) Our pallet porches were giving us splinters.

After some wear and tear, our pallet porches were turning a bit rough. And since we are a barefoot family most of the time, that was causing a problem. But I found some left-over primer and now we have bright, cheery white boards that no longer leave remnants in our poor tootsies.

6) We had a good time at the museum on Tuesday.

I'm not sure if it will amount to anything, but some people filmed my children enjoying various parts of the museum last Tuesday. It was loads of fun for the kids. Then Thea showed us her "friends." I had never seen a vinegaroon before and she even let us hold it!

The vinegaroon, held by Zipporah.

Rebekah is helping Peter hold a baby mouse.

7) In case you missed the announcement on Facebook, we are expecting another in late January 2019. Hooray! 😀

Here Comes the School Work!

Classes for Lawrence Virtual School Middle School students begin next week, so I guess that's when school technically "starts." But I received an e-mail on Wednesday of this week saying it was the first day of school! I promptly e-mailed Rebekah's teacher back, apologizing that Rebekah was volunteering at the museum all day, so she would not be online at all. Her teacher promptly replied that "nothing is happening today." -- Well, why call it the first day of school then?!?! Some things are silly.

Thursday and Friday Rebekah and Samuel had orientation stuff. Lots of presentations on different aspects of virtual school -- everything from how the online platforms work to what the classes would cover. Fortunately Rebekah is a veteran of two years to this, so she has it covered. Samuel was more interested in starting his coursework (which he did) than all the talk. But they both spent much time both days doing schooly things.

As for Jacob and Paul, other than Science, their books have yet to arrive. But they don't seem to mind at all. I told them if they finish their Science by Halloween I will buy them a new board game. -- I know, I'm a great teacher. 😁

Miriam's books are here. She is doing the traditional curriculum from K12 (Jacob ad Paul are doing an optional curriculum called iReady). Miriam's work will be more computer heavy. But I think it will fit her well. We've done a few things and she's enjoyed things thus far.

So without further ado, here's our traditional start of the school year photos.

Summer Birthdays

This happens every year. The end of summer rolls around and I've missed blogging about our summer birthdays, so here they are.

Zipporah - June - 4 yrs

* Zipporah is figuring things out. She loves to comment on EVERYTHING. I can almost see the wheels in her brain spinning.

* She has a sensitive side. She can be shy when we go places she has not been or meets new people. And she absolutely despises strange restrooms and automatic flush toilets.

* Zipporah is very "girly." She likes to wear skirts and dresses. She pays a lot of attention to clothing and shoes.

* She is probably one of my least picky eaters. She still asks for peppers, onions, and tomatoes from my plate (a taste her older siblings seem to have outgrown).

* Zipporah can be incredibly strong willed. And in a battle of stubbornness, you will not beat her. But she can also be kind and compassionate. I never quite know when she will switch from defiant to sweet, but it can happen.

* She loves to color and draw. Her writing skills (pencil grasp and such) are phenomenal.

Dear God, thank you for our spunky Zipporah. Please keep her heart on fire for your will to be done in all things. I ask this in Jesus' name. -Amen.

Rebekah - July - 13 yrs

* Rebekah likes to craft and sew. She is always up for making creative gifts from scratch.

* She is a bookworm and reads books faster than some people breathe. Her favorite series right now is Ranger's Apprentice. And she'd like to travel to Australia and meet the author. But she better hurry, I believe he's in his 70's now!

* Rebekah told she is interested in learning how to fix cars and write code (just like her daddy).

* She loves to collect things, like shells or pretty rocks -- really almost anything. She is currently building a small shed to keep her "pretties" in.

* Rebekah is dependable, loyal, and trustworthy. She always gets the job done. And she is an amazing blessing to our family. 

May God continue to bless you, dear Rebekah, as you grow into a young lady of wisdom and grace. -- Amen.

Jacob - August - 10 yrs

* Jacob is a gentle giant. He does not like conflict, though he does like to be playful. Unfortunately with his size, play often turns rough. But he has a heart of gold.

* He is almost taller than his almost two year older brother (Samuel) and his feet have been bigger than Samuel's for a couple years now.

* Jacob also loves to read. He is content to sit with his books for hours. Which is most entertaining because back when he was learning to read, he told us he didn't want to learn. We told him he would love it once he knew how. He said, fine, he would learn, just to prove us wrong. He actually took back his words about proving us wrong and thanked us for teaching him to read! (Yes, we love to tell this story, you've probably heard it before.)

* He is smart, but not motivated. Mom often has to bribe, bargain, threaten, or take away toys/privileges to get him to complete his schoolwork in a timely manner.

* Jacob still has a thing for turtles. Not sure where that started, but they are an animal he loves, be it stuffed, real, or artwork. Turtles are his jam.

Dear God, thank you for Jacob and his gentle but immense presence in our lives. Please keep him ever close to your heart. -- Amen

7 Quick Takes -- Picture style

1) Samuel is growing up.

Samuel cut this giant pallet apart. Actually, there were two this size, I believe left-over from when we received the parts of the Versatube shed (ahem, "house") we now live in. These were monster pallets and incredibly solid. Samuel proudly chopped them into pieces that fit in the truck and helped me haul and load them up.

2) Brotherly Love

With the big kids (Rebekah and Samuel) gone to archery camp, Peter had to find other playmates. (Rebekah and Samuel often are his secondary care-givers when I'm busy. He even calls Rebekah, "Rebekah Mommy" sometimes. 😊) I was not expecting this partnership. But he and Jacob enjoyed the outdoors this evening.

3) Pallet Porch

As I've said before, we are hoping this little shed house is temporary and we are able to build something larger, at a different location on our land. So it's hard to make it home without going crazy right now. But in any case, we have been sorely in need of a deck over this dirt. It's been raining like crazy and muddy several days in a row. Well, thanks to Mommy and Samuel cutting and transporting service, we now have "pallet porches" at both doors. This way we can exit safely to the grass when it is muddy. And bonus, the kids love to play on them.

4) I have some of the best friends.

This could alternately be -- I look psycho in this picture. But in any case, I thank God for all these great Catholic mothers who are sharing this journey of life with me. I am so incredibly blessed.

5) Gordie said to buy chairs.

So we had some folding camp chairs in the garage. But when I was going through the garage with Gordie, deciding what to keep and what to toss, the chairs didn't make the keep list. So being the obedient wife, I disposed of them, the next day, actually -- all the way to the dump.

The day after that, Gordie asks me, "those chairs I told you to throw away. Did you really throw them away?" Haha. Well, guess who needed some seating while helping with a Cub Scout event that day? So being the good wife that I am, I went to buy more chairs. But you can't just buy any old chair. We had to test them out. (Yes, we have a "people of Wal-mart" side to us. 😊)

6) Toys

We don't have a lot of space for toys in our little house. So the ones we have accessible (not currently stored in tubs in the shipping container) have been chosen wisely. And as much as I dislike having toys out and about, it did make me happy to see this set-up today. I like that we have space here for the kids to spread out like this and make crazy games and creations.

And earlier, during "quiet time" Jacob and Paul had made up a game (with many of the pieces you see here) and they kept asking me when quiet time would be over so they could wake up Miriam to play it with them!

7) It's the little things.

The children wanted to make "nests" to play in. I love it when they play together.

Journal # 37 -- First one at the new house.

Out My Window

I'm outside right now. It's beautiful. Maybe 80 degrees, breezy, setting sun shining barely through the clouds.

Clothing Myself In

Tank top and shorts. I might live kind of like a pioneer, but I dress for comfort these days because there is no one around but my family here.

Around the House

I hooked up the "good" microwave. We were using a cheap one I had picked up because it fit, but the door was kind of stuck for some reason. So I got the one from the old house out and figured out how to put it on the shelf (on a board so it would fit -- it's complicated -- I'm actually very proud of myself).

The kids put up a tent this afternoon. That kept them busy for a while. We would have let them sleep in it, but I could only find the pole for one and they were not going to all fit in a four-man tent.

We have a gas dryer, but in order to get it to fit in our house we will have to stack it on our washer. But it is an old-school dryer, not meant to be stacked, so Gordie is going to have to work up some special something or other to get it to sit on. In any case, it's sitting in the shed now, waiting. But he did get my clothes line up and it is glorious.

The water is still kind of a terrible color, but it doesn't bother me so much. Eventually we plan to try another type of whole-house filter (probably in addition to the current) but other financial concerns are more pressing at the moment. I am kind of sad, though, that the dishwasher cannot get the dishes clean (I assume because of the water -- even with a generous helping of Lemme Shine). But the kids are improving their dishwashing skills every evening. And it makes me feel good to have them contributing in that way. (As I feel like teaching them life skills and making them follow through is my weakness -- I just want to do it myself and have it done and done right! But they will never learn that way, I get it.)

The Baby

Peter is the little parrot these days. He says everything back. It's adorable. -- Tonight he was a little butt, though. He was grumpy at bedtime. I walked him some and he seemed to settle, but every time I went to lay him down he flopped right over and cried. I tried three times, then Gordie came home, so I passed him off. Gordie got him settled, though. He's sleeping peacefully now.

The Children

Zipporah posing in the tutu her grandma got her.

Zipporah just had a birthday in June (post coming, I promise 😊). She is really showing her personality. She is stubborn and curious. She can be incredibly helpful and when she doesn't want to, can be the biggest stick in the mud. She cut her hair tonight. . . It's not too bad.



Miriam turned 6 in May. She is growing a little attitude. She can pick on her two closest older brothers (Jacob & Paul) like nobody's business. She is a spitfire when she wants to be. But she can also be sweet. She loves to play with Zipporah and Jacob, too, but not both at once.

Paul turned 8 in May and he is really growing into his attitude. My sweet innocent little boy is being replaced by a somewhat moody, test-the-rules-all-the-time ball of struggle. But I still love him and hope my charming and endearing Paul emerges again soon.

Jacob is definitely starting to mature finally. He LOVES to read so much. He is eternally with a book in his hand. He finally finished his school work (for last year) at the end of June and commented, "maybe I should work faster next year so I have more summer to enjoy." Gee, ya think? Nothing really riles him -- I had to take away his library books to get him to finish his school work. It felt wrong, but it got the job done.

Samuel just got back from a week at boy scout camp in Colorado. Apparently half the troop had a stomach bug while there. Bummer. But he was in good spirits when he got home. He is really becoming more mature and his helpfulness level is increasing every day. He also has quite a sense of humor. Unfortunately he cannot seem to not argue about things and has a terrible time stopping a conversation if he feels he has more to say (even if he's really already said enough).

Rebekah is now 13. Crazy. I keep waiting for her to "turn terrible" but she is still pretty sweet. She is helpful with her siblings and incredibly smart. She is incredibly crafty and rocking out projects right and left this summer. I always say she is proof that God is merciful and loving. We could not ask for a better oldest daughter.

In the Kitchen

Since our fancy-pants monster stove is a gas giant -- so hot and smelly, we have been turning the gas off to it when not in use. But I've gotten super quick at turning the gas on and lighting it up when I need to make dinner.

I made fried chicken and mashed potatoes a few days ago. Everyone enjoyed that night. Roast is on the menu for tomorrow and I plan to marinate some chicken for later in the week.

Watching/Reading

I'm reading this book called, "Why I'm Catholic and You Should Be, Too." I'm only about a chapter in, but I'm liking it a lot.

I'm also reading "The New Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children." It is not earth-shattering, but affirming. Most of it is stuff I would intuitively do, but possibly feel guilty about. It is reassuring to hear this guy say most of that stuff is okay.

And I picked up this Pope Francis Morsel book by Chris West. But I am only about four pages into it. It is kind of a devotional book, meant to be read slowly and digested, so I am trying to do just that.

Thinking About

Politics, ugh. Abortion, immigration, etc. It makes me sad. But I know running a government is no joke. I don't want to be making the decisions!

*Also we need to find a "daily Mass" that works for us. I like to attend daily Mass at least once a week (so added to Sunday Mass that makes two Masses per week). It is about 20 minutes to Russell. Gorham is 10 minutes, but no daily Mass there. Victoria is about 25 minutes. Hays 30. And the Mass times are all over the board -- nothing jumps out and says, this would fit right in!! But that's okay. Sacrifice can be meaningful, so I'm just starting to plan what might work for us and when.

**And today as I was going on my daily walk, I took some pictures to remind myself our future plan. We built our "temporary house" near the well and road. But we hope to put our permanent home by the creek. We are thinking of doing a burm home -- built into the side of the hill by the creek. We will need to make a road to it, though, from the main road. And we will probably hook it up to rural water. But we hope to use our solar panels (and buy more and more batteries) for power. But we need to get our Hays house fixed up and sold first off. Then we will see where we stand and what our next move should be.

Some of the creek.

Some more of the creek.

  

This is where we want the house. Built into this little hill. The creek is right behind me in this picture (and down a bit).

Bringing Me Joy

*Getting in a rhythm of life right now. We have finally gone from scrambling chaos to relaxing a little and enjoying what we have out here. -- Especially the nature walks, the peaceful mornings and evenings, the coziness of our little shed. It is quaint (when I'm not hiding from the kids, or wishing they could be a little quieter).

*Aikido. It is always good to connect with my friends and learn new skills. I only wish I could find time to attend more classes. Also, the kids enjoy it, as well.

Here is Rebekah, getting use the real Katana to do Bokken Kata 1.

Pictures to Share:

Zipporah, in the play dress Rebekah made for her out of a t-shirt and some left-over material.

Peter and Miriam