Life in Nebraska ....

    We've been sick this past week.  And today started to feel rather yucky too. So after a morning out working in the aggressive Nebraska wind, I felt I needed to create some spots of joy inside the house.  All the while my hard working man kept fighting the wind and dirt till well past dark.  He created a lot more order out there but I didn't get pictures of it all.  It turned out to be a beautiful Saturday at home.         I am really aware of how nice we have things and trying to put each thing into my memory and thank God for them....really treasure them.  When the news isn't so nice and there are so many unknowns around, it makes me stop and really get a perspective on what really matters.  So here are my little spots of joy for today that God gave us.  Thank you God.   We plan to remodel the living room soon. And this wall is coming out. But today I could not bare to look at it blank ...

So many things roll through my head.  The thoughts this week are about babies with stomach flu.  And my baby with a chipped tooth and two other bad teeth.  And thoughts on this home schooling endeavor.  And relationships.  And other complexities of life.       Today, has been a cold grey day.  A day where I hugged the big baby boy and read a toy book to the kids and dreamt with them on how to build a rocket nerf gun for art class.  It's been a day where we saw unusual cars going by our house because of a funeral at the little church at the end of our little mud road. I've spent too many hours on the computer trying to figure out what forms I needed printed out.  In between that I looked up how to build a bench out of weathered wood.        Don't you like it?  I want one like this along the edge of my laundry room.   And then I want a long weathered board with hooks above it.     ...

This feels rather nice. I haven't sat down here to blab on my blog on a Sunday afternoon for a long time.  All summer long it was all about moving and the house.  So now we're moved.  Internet back up.  Which is okay.  But I liked not having it too for a couple weeks.  We still have lots and lots and lots more to do but we are all moved from the old place now and I can work on these things for the next 39 years....or however many years God gives me.     It's very cleansing to move.  I'm going to try to live as if I'm moving all the time.  At least when it comes to cleaning and organizing.  I've discovered cleaning is done it layers.  I think I knew it before but it's amazing how fast those layers of dirt build up. So I have big fantastic plans not to let so many layers build up.  I've been buying hampers that fit our needs.  Baskets and Hooks to help us put away and hang up.  Everything I put away I'm trying to ...

These pictures are all out of order.  But they show you a little of what we did in the last month. Mathias played and handled the big moving day like a pro. Matt's parents and Uncle and Aunt took care of the whole putting the freezers back together thing.   The swarm of kids were here for a bit.... First Morning here....cereal as ususal.  Shilah came and spent 5 days.  We just got back from taking her to the airport.  It is a  sad night here.  We're loving the bar area.  Shilah and I went out to the shop and found some bar stools on Sunday.... One area I am pretty happy about....a small bit of order. Dear Aunt Shilah and my Mathisas. a curtain I found on clearance... The worst of the freezer business.... One small precious who helped moving day.... Add caption Paper bag fun we had one evening Our last chance to walk the woods where we lived before...It was a beaut...

We went to the zoo the other week.   The safari Jeep in the hands on building.... One of the finer moments in a baking Friday.  I came upstairs to find this going on.  Mathias' gift for number 2 day.  Destroying as always!   Staying "waream"....translated warm.   We are on the count down to moving!  A week from now we will be gearing up to be out of here!  My sister Shilah is flying in the 24th to help us for 4 days and we hope to make  much progress in getting settled over there.      Our lives are very busy.  Last week was full of adventure.  Some not so nice.  Some really nice.  The roof Matt had going last week turned out to be much messier and bigger than he thought and it was 2 hours from home.  We saw him in tiny little bits  at bedtime.  And on Thursday we actually ate supper together!  After supper he left to work on the house...

I don't know how it happened but my baby boy turns two today.  He's been our little healer and joy.  He's our gift from God.   Last Sunday we went to the park for a little cousin's birthday.  He was forever hurting himself.... At the Skrivseth family reunion...with Grandma Foof....as he so lovingly calls her!  When he sees this picture he talks about himself dying.....he means he's crying.... He's my happy boy.  He thinks he's as old as his brothers and he truly believes everybody loves him...and it's their loss if they don't.  He's been trying to tell me all sorts of things lately....most of which has to be said with gasps of breath and much thinking till he gets the whole sentence out.  When I finally understand what he's saying he'll nod his head and say  uh-huuuuu.  Which means yes.  or Day means yes too.  either way he communicates quite well.

This is the closest in color on a pic as I can get Dear Precious was telling me something...I wasn't getting it....he was frustrated. Pantry closet And a crooked picture for April.    The new windows for the kitchen just came in so when we get those in and all fixed up I will be ready to scrub that kitchen HARD.  Because some mice got in there and scared me silly.  Matt had a nice big grin on his face because I screamed.  But you  would scream too if you saw a scurry of grey and a fat gross tail go scuttling out of a drawer!  I have traps set everywhere....And I'm hoping they all get caught...and suffer as they die. So anyhow, go to my last post to see the before pics.  And when we're all done with the whole mess I'll post some final pics too of the whole house.