Been awhile but so much to share….Pt.1….

Our first biggest adventure was our End of Summer party. Beings Alex and Ron will be heading back home for the school year and I had my adventures in the Boundary Water Canoe Area and then Rachel and Abby have their family vacation we had our party a few weeks early. We went to Serpent Lake Park and beach and spent the day playing, swimming, eating and lots more playing. Mike played with the kids like a big brother and the kids had a blast.

  

 

     

 

Mike knows that sunsets are my most favorite thing. He’s always taking pictures for me. This one was just after a thunderstorm.

 

And final for this post, when Michele came to visit us she brought us Monarch caterpillars. Just as we were heading to our camping trip they were starting to emerge from their cocoons so Rachel and Abby took them home with them. I’m anxious to see what pictures they took before they headed on their family vacation.

So for now this is what’s been happening. Part two will be coming up in the next day or two, our BWCA trip and I think a combination of two blogs. More to come.

Take care my friends and have a blessed and awesome week.

See what I’m doing…and…

Our trip is in 6 days. Time to start packing. Groceries are all bought, then packaged into meals, days and into the bear pack. Took me about 3 hours from start to finish. The counter is only 1/3 of what I had to take apart and repackage but I did and it’s all in the 2 barrels and bag. The other bags are the cook kits and supplies and the little bag is paper supplies and drinks. The bear pack is 57 lbs, the medium is 44 lbs and the smallest 37 lbs. Today I packed our bedding and tent (came in at 34 lbs) and worked up our clothing list. Getting there.

 

 

     

In-between getting ready for our trip we’ve been busy as a daycare. Our neighbors are off and running to tour the USA so we are taking care of their cabin and land. To make it look like busy and active the kids and I have been having picnic’s and playing there.

 

What happens when you have “help” with the laundry? I had the whites already to go and when we got back from one of our picnic’s someone added a beautiful red table cloth to the hot soapy water and shut the lid on the washer. Even after trying to bleach the whites for 3 extra loads we still have pink socks and undies. Oh well, at least they aren’t bright pink anymore.

 

My green beans are ready to be picked so that is on the agenda tomorrow. My grandma is alone tomorrow so we’ll be spending part of the morning and then late afternoon there. It’s time to mow but think we’ll hold off another day or two so that it’s not knee high by time we get back from the BWCA. My house has exploded. We need a group meeting and I have 6 kids most day plus I am studying for my bus exam and on Friday would like to take the test so all this means another busy week in paradise. Would I change anything, nope (well maybe I could make a little more money and that worry wouldn’t be there but life’s not perfect just great).

And the best update…….

Scout and Wilbur seem to be feeling just fine. We were really worried on Friday and most of Saturday because Scout was very down and tired and not eating but by evening she was her old puppy self driving Wilbur nuts. I read about the medicine, she can have a reaction to it that makes her sick so we think that’s what it was. The bad part about it is I have one more dose to give her in 3 weeks so another sick couple of days or just maybe she’ll be fine with the third dose. However we are so happy and blessed and hope that this too will be over with and she’ll grow up to be the best protector and best friend for Mike.

Have a blessed week my friends. I will try and get back here before we head out but if not I will be back after the 13th with pictures and tales of fun in the sun and friendship and so much more. Jim will be home to take care of the animals, garden and plants and also some quietness and relaxing.

Puppy disease, Canine parvovirus…

Scout had been exposed, one of her sister has died, the other one got it but survived.

Terri and Scouts two sisters

Scared would be an understatement for Mike right now. She is his heartthrob, she is his life, he loves her so much. I know to some she’s “just a dog” but to Mike, to us, she’s a huge part of our family so would you please, in your prayers today say a prayer for her and Mike.

 

  

We took a big chunk of our BWCA trip money and got her to the vet today and got her the 2nd series of shots ( we are 25 days behind so are hoping that she was still covered ) and the vet said she looks good but this is just day 5 of the 10 day incubation period so it’s hard to tell. She, the vet, told us what to look for so we’ll be on the look out the next few days. We are not looking at the glass half empty, she will be fine but there’s still the worry. I also took Wilbur because he was exposed X2 this weekend when the puppies came to visit so just to make sure, even though it’s a puppy disease adult dogs can get it but rarely, we got him his shot too.

I think our family has had enough stress this summer. We don’t/can’t handle a whole bunch more.

I hope that your day is going grand and that life is treating you with respect, love and lots of blessings. Take care my friends and thank you for your prayers.

Wordless Wednesday….

My friend, my fishing buddy, my companion, my shadow, my protector, my walking buddy, my ….. FRIEND!!!

Have a blessed day!!

Big changes ahead…

First I’ll share a few things the kids and I have been doing.

We made record bowls. It’s such an easy and cheap and useful project and the kids love it. I do the oven part and then they press the inner bowls to shape, let cool and paint. We made 6 of them and I let the kids take theirs home and I have three for our up-coming craft show.

 

 

 

The when Michele was here she brought us some caterpillars that will be changing into Monarch butterflies. Rachel wanted to hold one while I gave them fresh milkweed. She said it tickles!

I took the kids swimming yesterday while Mike filled out employment applications. We had a blast and this was the first time I had taken Joss to the lake.

 

And Mike and I went to scout camp Wednesday evening. For all the years we’ve been in scouts I have either gone up on Wednesday (up, over, down…where ever they are) and stayed the rest of the week or at least gone up to bring treats, ice and see if anyone needs anything, help with homework and also attend church with the boys. This year beings I’m going to the BWCA for 9 days I couldn’t afford both scout camp and that so I just went up to Crosslake and spent the evening with the boys.

 

Now for my big change…or add to that is…

You all know daycare hasn’t been the most profitable this past year. Thinks have changed, people have moved on and my numbers have shrunk so in order for me to keep doing daycare, because you also know that this is my life, I love kids so much and don’t want to do something different, I have found a solution, I am hoping.

Meet Julie (that’s me), one of Aitkin County’s activity bus driver.

 

Now it’s just a very part time because I’m still doing daycare and that will limited me some on a few of the games and activities but when I talked to the bus garage they were thrilled. You see, the manager of the bus garage has known me since my early teens. He’s known me through driving truck, working at the nursing home and now daycare. I see him at least yearly when they make their first few runs of the year and I talk to him yearly because each year my numbers and kids change for the bus pickup/drop offs. All drivers in our district start off as activity drivers. It’s a  chance to get a feel of the job without the rush of a timed schedule. Now to do this I already posses a commercial’s driver license so I don’t have to do that I need though to get the endorsements for bus driving and safety and then do some practice driving with their instructor. I think there’s a drivers test too with the bus but wasn’t clear about that. I don’t think I’ll have any problems with any of the driving, now the written test…I’m not good at test, they make me sick really but I will start studying this weekend and hopefully feel able to take the written test next Friday. Oh I have to get a DOT physical too and pay for a background check, about $100.00 above and beyond what I don’t already have but we’ll figure that out in due time.

Because I’ve been scared out of my mind I wasn’t going to share this quite yet but you guys have always supported me, prayed for me and my family I’m once again asking for your support and prayers and courage to step out of my comfortable box and add something really new.

It’s the weekend, a quiet relaxing one I think. Well there’s garage saling tomorrow and then in the afternoon our friends are coming over to spend some much needed friend time. Mike is going to be hosting a shoot and I am going to go for a leisure walk with Terri and some chat time. Shopping on Sunday and maybe fishing if Jim has the time. And the most important, study time.

Take care my friends and have a blessed and awesome weekend.