Hey all!

I apologize for my neglect of the blog lately. Between family and friends needing us, dh’s schedule and keeping up with paperwork and our home school requirements…it’s been all I can do lately to fall into bed before one A.M.!

For those of you keeping my in-law’s in your prayers–thank you! They are embarking on their new normal after losing everything in the fire. God is really bringing grace to their situation, even as the reality of this loss becomes more apparent.

Spring is beckoning and we’re milking it for all its worth! These warmer mornings have found us walking and biking now that our country roads have dried out from winter snow and rain. I’ve spent extra time helping my 7 year old master her bicycling skills…we have such a hard time with this, as our property is all bumps and hills. So we headed down to the straight flat of the road that runs past our mailbox and a half hour later she’d figured it out! Such exhilaration on all of our parts! (Translated: many happy dances in the middle of the roadway!)

I’ve been cooking and baking twice the normal amount of food here lately. Some for us, and some for others. On Monday, we went through household items and toys and baked cinnamon rolls to take along to the “moving party”. Brother and sister-in-law are now cozily ensconced in their rental home, where they’ll reside until they rebuild or move a home onto their rural property. Tuesday we had errands and appointments in town all morning and home school co-op classes all afternoon. Wednesday I must have been feeling thankful because I roasted a turkey with all the trimmings and ran half of it to town to share the abundance.

Yesterday we had a most enjoyable time here with a homeschooling friend and her son who came bearing gifts for my sister-in-law’s family and ended up staying the day with us. Fun! I even made my pumpkin turkey soup and friend’s 12 year old son had seconds! Then during supper we watched an amazing DVD called, “Mountain of Fire. The Search for the True Mount Sinai”. Our whole family highly recommends it!

Today was Bible study day and lunch with my parents…we had turkey-veggie lasagna, salad and asparagus with brownies for dessert!

Is it any wonder that I have no idea what I’m fixing for supper tonight? Something with turkey? I still have lunch dishes to do, believe it or not!

Hubby is in the midst of pasture burning…something we mid-west folk do each spring to burn off the old growth, making way for green grass. So the hillsides will be black for a couple of weeks now, as everyone is getting this done while the weather holds. He won’t be home till after dark tonight.

I’m planning a couple of showers for sis-in-law…one a Pampered Chef catalog party to replace the things she lost, and the other a family shower to re-gift them with items they might have received for wedding gifts, etc.

Things are busy as we gear up for the end of the school year and plan for the end of Awana, summer vacation, and VBS.

What’s keeping you busy?

Happy Spring! (and Fall to my New Zealand friends!)