Dad's Retirement--Round 1

Over this summer, a magical, long-anticipated event happened in our family:
My Dad retired.

Now, this has been particularly anticipated in the last couple of years, since Dad had to go all the way to Canada to finish out his time with his employer when they moved out of our area.  If you haven't read about the adventures of my family while the parents were away, read any of my posts filed under "brother" or "homecomings," and you will be up to date.

So--retirement.  We had a surprise party for Dad.  The surprise was that we were able to keep straight faces while lying through our teeth for weeks in order to get the party together.  And the bonus was that, for once in our lives, Mom told us to lie to Dad.  Fun.

The cake.

Memorabilia from his working years.

My personal favorite:  his lunch box. 

My dad took this small cooler to work every day for many years.  The contents would vary, except for two things:  Tums and ibuprofen.  Tough job.

Shop talk.

 Women folk.  Oh, if you could listen to this particular group of ladies. 

They are too funny.

Brother--remembered his side kick, forgot his shoes.

Priorities, people.

The guest of honor, best father in the world, hardest working man I know.

So, in his retirement, Dad has done the following, so far:

~ Got a dog and developed the most severe case of puppy-love I have ever witnessed.

~ Torn down a shed and built a new one out of the scraps.  Isn't that how we all do it?

~ Repaired vehicles for everyone in a fifteen mile radius.

~ Planted a massive garden, including a crazy amount of corn and pumpkins, which he sees as a perfect background to take more photos of his dog. 

~ Went back to work.  Seriously. 

So, Dad is now semi-retired, semi-OK with that, and completely enamored with his dog, Bruiser. 

But that love is for another post :)



Truckin'

Brother (aka, Mr. Responsible) got himself an new truck. 
*insert hillbilly accent, because I know you will*

Yes, he's a grown-up now. 

Complete with truck payment and laundry duties.

With Mom and Dad in Canada, brother was on his own to test drive, haggle the salesperson, and sign the agreement to pay, on time, for this beauty.

In the interest of proving to Dad that he got a good deal, Brother would like me to include the following picture:

Some people want to please Daddy with monetary success or fancy degrees.

Our Dad is far more impressed by getting a good deal on a truck with a low odometer reading.

We all define success a different way.

He is proud.

I am proud of him.

Dad will be very proud.

His son is growing up, taking responsibility for his future.

But, inside, he is still the little boy who wanted to wear his boots to school every day, even when they were way too small.

See?

Congratulations, Brother!

Setting In

We are settled into our house again, and regular life has commenced.  I still wake up every morning grateful for the home I have been given, feeling more at peace, knowing that my God will not test me beyond what I am able...as He has shown Himself to me time and time again.  But, there is a sadness that is new.  A pain that was dull, covered over by the joy of home.  Now as the newness wears off, the pain is more pronounced. 

I miss Brother.

He is part of the fabric of our family in a different way than he was before. 

You know how you define the eras of your marriage by events?

The years before kids.

When we had Curlyjo.

When we lived on Charles street.

When we had Tiny Love.

During Tiny Love's surgery.

When we moved to our house.

When we lived with Brother.

He is part of our story. 

And right now, I miss his quirky ways, seeing him every day, sharing life with him, watching him grow and mature into a man. 

He comes to see us here, at our home, to have dinner. 

But it is different. 

The landscape has changed.

Brother, I love you so much.  I think you are a fine young man, that you will be a wonderful husband and father someday.  I see through your struggles, your faults, your terrifyingly messy bedroom, and I see a man I can respect.  I see a man who loves his parents and sisters. 

I am blessed to have you as part of my story.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY:  August 17, 2010


Outside my window...birds are singing.  My windows are open, and I can smell a hint of fall on the breeze. 

I am thinking...about how strange it will be to wake up in my own home again.

I am thankful for...the hardest two years of my life...2009 and 2010.  God has taught me some difficult and amazing lessons that will remind me to be more like Jesus.  It wasn't fun, but praise God for it.

From the learning rooms...I am excited to begin school in earnest the first week in September.  We are going to be starting American history!

From the kitchen...tonight there will be steaks on the grill for the "menfolk."  The Husband and Brother will not have to ask THE question:  "Is there meat in this?"

I am wearing...the usual. 

I am creating...a home.  I went to my house yesterday, and while I cleaned my bathroom I prayed that God would keep me this grateful for a home to clean.  I just have an overwhelming sense of joy when I walk into my house, though just months ago I could not go there for the sadness that filled my heart.

I am going...to miss Brother.

I am reading...the Bible.  And other, less important things.

I am hoping...that the next two months pass quickly for Mom and Dad (and Brother), so that we can all be together again.  And I hope that Brother doesn't burn the house down.

I am hearing...silence.  I am NOT hearing the school bus driving by, though today is the first day of school in our area.  That sound is another thing I miss about living in my house.  I miss the little, insignificant predictabilities of town life.

Around the house...boxes.  Laundry.  Broken air conditioning.  No Kitty Friend :(

One of my favorite things...coffee!  It has fueled my early mornings, soothed my soul, and been enjoyed around the table with family and friends.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Packing, cleaning, visiting with a dear friend that I haven't seen all summer, praying, and getting up crazy early to workout with DVDs filled with perky instructors with strange colloquialisms ("Burn butter?"  Seriously?  So, what do vegans burn?)

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...Brother, who I see every morning doing exactly this at the kitchen table.  How I will miss your profound thoughts, overuse of condiments, and propensity to calling me a homosexual.  I hope you will come to town and have coffee with me. 

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Changes...

My sisters, my brother-in-law, and my niece are currently in El Salvador on a mission trip.  They travel with an organization that digs wells in impoverished communities, teach health and hygiene information, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people.  It is such a wonderful project!  For more information, see here.
So, with my younger sister out of town, I have been enjoying this face for two days:

Oh, Roo, how I love you.

I have also been in charge of harvesting tomatoes from the Amazon garden.

That just says "summer," no?

All while collecting free stuff from Walgreens.

I don't know how Nivea makes money...I get stuff free from that company all the time!

In my free time, (as if...) I have been packing. 

My family and I will be moving back to our own home at the end of the month.  Brother will be here by himself for about two months until Mom and Dad come home for good!  I will be coming over to clean for him and generally make sure he doesn't die/mold/starve/cry.  This arrangement should make for some interesting blog material.  Please watch for future blog posts titled "Brother, why..."

Meanwhile, I will be happily making a home out of our house again, eagerly anticipating my parents' move back to the good old United States. 

Happy days are yet to come :)

"We Are Having Our Time..."

They have "their time" every day, just to catch up and reconnect after a long day at work.

He is single. 

A Little Thrifty Love

The men in my house--The Husband and Brother--have had quite a successful week.  In the last two days, they both had very exciting work-related news.  I am so proud of both of them. 

Neither of them really read my blog, so I can be super mushy without them even knowing it :)

Dear Husband, 

You have always been the one for me, so how blessed am I that you turned out to be one of the most wonderful men in the world?  I couldn't have known when we were young who you would become as a man, but God did.  And He blessed me richly in bringing us together.  Thank you for all your hard work, for your integrity, for your sacrifice for our family and beyond.  You are the most treasured thing in my life.  I hope to have many more years full of opportunities to show you how happy I am to be your wife.  So, in honor of your success, I am making you a special dinner, including two of your favorite things...beef and homemade salsa. 

That is love, babe.

Love Always, The Wife

 Dear Brother,

How awesome is your new venture in life?  I am really proud of you, "Gaylord."  I know you can be successful at whatever you do...remember the time you totally put your heart and soul into doing your laundry?  Wait, scratch that.  What about the time you totally dominated the weeds in the ditch with that mini lawn mower?  Yeah, this is going to be just like that.  You are going to dominate it.  Just make sure you get up in time :)  Thanks for letting me hang out with you and share in your life.  Lots of times God gave me just enough encouragement, just in time, and many times He used you to do it.  You are a pretty good friend.  In honor of your exciting news, I made you Chocolate Chip Cookie bars--with real butter. 

Love, Your Secretary

Who says celebrating has to be expensive? 

I guarantee that they know how important they are to me, and I didn't have to go out and buy anything. 

Vacation Organization

Poetry, right?

I have been using an incredible guide for my vacation packing!  You MUST check out this site if you are:

1.  OCD (check).

2.  Terrified of forgetting something (check).

3.  Not sure what to take on vacation, because you have never been on one with kids (check).

4.  In charge of packing for everyone (check).

5.  Leaving a teenage boy at your house to take care of things for a week (check).

Go here:  http://www.flylady.net/

I have made list for everyone, including Brother.  His list includes items such as:

~ Miss sister terribly.

~ Flush the toilet.

~ Mow the grass sometime before it qualifies for the "Prairie Restoration" program.

~ Call your mother daily, hourly if necessary.

~ Unless it is for Tupperware, you can't have a party.

~ Do not neglect the care of the Kitty Friend's litter box, or fear retaliation in the form of urination.

Yes, I am thorough. 

Yes, he will be annoyed.

These are not new concepts.

Without a list of things to focus on, he might do this:

or this:

or this:

When he should be doing this:

All things aside, I am grateful that he will be here to keep up with things while we are gone.   I really do like him very much, even though he does things like this when I leave my camera out on my desk:

And really, he isn't too far off...I am incredibly:

1 a : happily excited : merry b : keenly alive and exuberant : having or inducing high spirits

2 a : bright, lively b : brilliant in color

(source)

So?  What is his point?

Life Work

After a weekend of family fun and strict observation of a Sabbath "day of rest" (aka--not doing dishes after every meal and not walking around picking up stuff and putting it away), Monday morning dawned on a very messy house.  I knew I needed to stay home and get things shaped up for the week.  But, I was struggling with "homeschooling mother guilt," which is of another species than the usual forms of mother guilt. 

If I am good at home management today, I will be bad at homeschooling. 

I can only be good at one thing a day. 

I don't know how to overcome this phenomenon. 

Except that my kids will homeschool themselves. 

Science happened in the form of Curlyjo and Tiny Love finding no less than six snails in the back yard and creating a habitat for them:

In between vacuuming, laundry, and cleaning out kitchen cabinets, we looked up some information in our trusty nature guide:

We identified the snails and found out what they need to survive in the habitat.

Later, Tiny Love ran into the house to begin another science lesson with her latest find:

We discussed it's beauty, the amazing precision with which it was crafted, and the mighty God who could created creatures who just knew how to do such intricate and wonderful things.

And then we talked about bird lice.

So, science, health, and theology.  Done.

After they cleaned the garage and their room (life skills), they went outside to play have PE:

At lunch, we had a little reading time:

I didn't want Brother to miss out on all the fun, so I made him a little to do list, you know, to help him focus. 

It has nothing to do with the fact that he doesn't seem to hear me when I talk.

Yes, he wrote, "Can't do it!" on the bottom of the page.  But you know what?  He did do it.  All of it!

What a productive day. 

Maybe homeschooling really is a lifestyle. 

Maybe it really doesn't need to be a source of guilt, but one of joy and wonder. 

Maybe, but I think I will err on the side of seat work tomorrow. 

Menu Plan Monday

You want to participate in Menu Plan Monday?  Go to here.

We had such a great weekend!  We did some swimming with family, had a little campfire time, saw my Mom on the webcam, and attended a wonderful church service.  I feel ready for the week!

The plan:

Monday:  Kale and White Bean soup, bread

Tuesday:  Beef Stroganoff, egg noodles, frozen veggie

Wednesday:  Grilled chicken (I will invent a marinade), healthy risotto, veggie

Thursday:  Taco Pizza, salad

Friday:  Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggie

Saturday:  Spicy Shrimp, brown rice, salad

Sunday:  Leftovers!

Confession:  Sometimes I don't make what is on the list, or I switch the days around. 

I still like having a plan.

I leave you with a couple of weekend pictures that put me in a great mood this Monday morning:

The most beautiful place in the world, my family's farm, also known as "The Compound."

My sweet little family, just being together.

The Roo, who is always doing something funny...like looking deep into the eyes of Curlyjo's doll.

My lovely sister and her family.  And the most glaring portion of the picture...her husband's farmer's tan. 

*giggle*

Brother and The Husband, having a chat. 

I think. 

Gratitude.  For all the precious memories we created this weekend.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...May 14, 2010

Outside my window...it is cloudy again.  On the back deck there are eight cats waiting for me to feed them their breakfast. 

I am thinking...about my Bible study that I read this morning.  I saw Abraham and Isaac a new way, and it was wonderful. 

I am thankful for...Jesus Christ, and His love for me.  And the Husband, who used his over-time money to buy me a new bike.  He is the most self-less guy. 

From the learning rooms...Today I fully intend, if I get nothing else done, to read the Bible with my kids and practice our memory verses.  If raising my children in the fear and admonition of the Lord is the most important reason that I homeschool, why do these things come AFTER Math, reading and writing? 

From the kitchen...Norman made himself an omelet for breakfast, of which he was so proud that he made me look at it before he ate it.  I plan to bake bread today, though it may be a bust as it is so humid.

I am wearing...the husband's boxer shorts and my Walk for Water tee.  Bare feet.  I am not moving very fast today.  LOL

I am creating...a giant mess on my desk, a serious stockpile of body wash in the bathroom cabinet, and a recipe that uses coconut oil.

I am going...well, I am not going to the gym.  My legs are too sore and tired to even walk normally.  I need a rest day.  And a ride on my new bike.

I am reading...Walden with my book club.  I am also reading The Peacemaker by Ken Sande, which is so awesome that I wish I would have read it about a year and a half ago.  It would have helped immensely.  Last, I am reading Home Education by Charlotte Mason. 

I am hoping...that it will not rain today.  I need some sunshine.  I am also hoping that July comes really fast, because I get to see my parents and go to Florida!

I am hearing...the ceiling fan humming, the clock ticking, the birds singing, and chores calling.

Around the house...there are signs that little girls live here:  baby dolls, strollers, little flip-flops.  There are also signs that a teenage boy lives here:  opened bags of potato chips, socks on the couch, toothpaste splattered on every bathroom surface.

One of my favorite things...coffee.  I think I love it too much.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Well, it is the weekend.  So I hope to have dinner with my cousin and her husband, get some cleaning done, and have a nice Sunday dinner with my family.  I also hope to see my mom on the webcam soon.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

How many cats do you see?

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Disaster Site

I had the unfortunate experience of needing to deposit some stray items to my brother's room yesterday.  I should have been prepared for what lurked behind the door, as this was the scene in the basement before I got to his door:

It is always nice to provide a warning. 

I opened the door, took a step back as an odd scent wafted into my face, and turned on the light:

"Oh..."

There were a few options that came to mind as to why his room looked this way. 

1. He was the victim of a natural disaster.
2. He has been the victim of a violent crime. 
3. He is a natural disaster.
4. He was the victim of a bombing.
5. He has been robbed.

After going through the possibilities, I decided to leave the room, slowly, and without turning my back (of course).  Perhaps there may be clues to the crime in other areas of the basement?

Ahhh.  Mystery solved. 

A classic case of :

refined carb binge+electronic entertainment=serious health hazard. 

In more ways than one, people. 

Take note:  lay off the Cheez-Its, or this could happen to you.

Chasing Zs

I can't understand why I slept just fine as a child, even when I did nothing all day but read (who does that sound like?), but as an adult who is busy all day with many things, I can't sleep!  Last night I tossed and turned, finally waking up for good at 5:00 AM.  I don't like this.  I was lonely.  So, I go ask if anyone wants to have some early quiet time with Mommy:

Hmmm...

Curlyjo, do you want to get up and keep Mommy company?  I couldn't sleep and I don't have anyone to talk to.

Humph. 

I see how it is. 

The kids can wake me up when they can't sleep and get lonely, but this behavior is not to be reciprocated. 

I guess I will just go see what Brother is up to.