Flu Season

We made our acquaintance with the Flu this year.  It's been several years in the making, but Little Man got hit first and went through a 3 day fever before he subsided.  Princess was next 2 weeks later.  Again with 3 days of fever and then you couldn't tell she was sick, but I took her in and they swabbed her and confirmed it was the flu.  I was last (hopefully) on the tail end of Princess.  So Dh manned the house and took care of the crew.  I was only down for one full day and the next day started back slowly into tasks.  Crazy!

A friend has some essential oils for me to check out.  I ran all the linens in the house through the wash and I want to disinfect All.The.Surfaces.  Boo on the Flu!

Thankfully all feeling better now and ready for our last Wednesday co-op of the Spring.  We get a break till September, but our Thursday co op still goes another 2 months.  I taught "Marshmallow Science" on Wednesdays and it was super fun.  We used marshmallows in all our experiments and the kids seemed to really enjoy it all except that I wouldn't let them eat the marshmallows.  Gross!  Everybody had their hands all over them.  So I made them a special s'more cookie bar for tomorrow's last class day to celebrate after our lesson.

I'm waiting to hear from leadership, but they had a need for history classes in the Fall so I might switch gears and help there....since it's my academic background and all:)

Little Man is pushing things all around the house but doesn't want to let go and take solo steps.  It is hilarious to watch.  He will be walking soon.

We unloaded our rooster onto a friend who promptly consumed him for Sunday dinner.  It is so much more peaceful now outside.  The hens don't bother the kids and they are minding me pretty well still.  The hens that is.  6 ladies and getting 3-5 eggs a day right now.  We have a full coop, and I do want to expand a bit.  So back to the planning process to design another coop.  Perhaps a permanent one now.

Good News

Back in the summer, my FIL was diagnosed with Colon Cancer.  Yesterday he went in for the results of his 6 month scans.

Nothing.

Praise God!  No new tumors or growth.  What awesome news.  Thank you for your prayers for him.

We have been busy with lots of trips and time away from home these last few months.  Trying to live very intentionally to build and renew relationships.  We are also in the midst of Pearl's 1st grade year and figuring that out.

February started it for me....doesn't February do that?  Where I analyzed how she was doing, where I think I'm falling short, how I'm not meeting my expectations....The struggle of my melancholic temperament.  But there is a lot mulling around as I discern plans for next year, plans for the rest of this term, etc.

The restore workshop is a great blessing to me as is the preparation for Marian Consecration.

So yeah.  One of the needs I have been seeing is the need for deep friendship that reaches my woman's heart.  My two best friends are both religious sisters. So we are not able to have that time we used to have to support each other.

My other deep sister of the heart lives cross country and I wish we lived next door.  She is a beautiful blessing an an amazing example of God's grace and mercy to me.

So just praying for the community my heart needs and also the grace to extend myself further to be the support others in my life need from me.

He is stretching me in this since I would rather be a homebody and stay in my "little bubble." But God has a way of challenging us to go further than we would like or think we can go.

Anyways  :)

eating rice krispie bars with hot chocolate during Epcot Fireworks

enjoying scooter rides with Pop Pop

Princess is not a night owl, definitely my early bird so staying up for the fireworks was a big deal for her.  She saw the "purple sparkles" she wanted to see and then promptly passed out in the stroller.

Little Man with Daddy during fireworks

Princess didn't last through the Magic Kingdom fireworks, but Pearl was still going hours later.

a sweet Frozen Minnie Mouse.

(from our February trip with Grandma and Pop Pop.  We all had a blast!)

Time flies

So I haven't blogged since August...wow.  Well, I am stepping back in...or hoping to.  We'll see.

Lots happened in the Fall and this Winter. So busy.  Partly that brings me back here as I reassess to see what my priorities really are and what they need to be.

So a technology fast from certain screens (ie: facebook)

Many books to be read.

A RESTORE workshop to enter into.  Hurray!

Marian consecration to renew.

Yay Lent.  We are getting ready.  A calendar to prepare tomorrow. Mardi Gras masks to make.  Pancakes on the docket for dinner tomorrow.

A couple a of trips this month and then home for March.  Really looking forward to that.

Our school room is in chaos right now but we got new bookcases and a shelving piece to set up and organize.  I should take pics. Note to self.

But here are some recent pictures:)

fishing with Daddy

playing superhero

attending the 2015 March for Life in Washington D.C.

little man fell asleep on my shoulder.  The girls never did this.  It was a surreal moment.

Returning Home

There is a lot to put in order now that we've returned home from our family visit.

My FIL is doing very well.  The mass was larger than expected but the scans and pathology report came back clean after the surgery.  That is amazing!  He still has an oncology consult but these are all good signs so far.  We continue to pray for his recovery and his comfort in the healing process.

Now at home, I am a "little" overwhelmed with what is on my shoulders to get done in the next few weeks.  Our own lesson plans along with the two co-op classes I teach.  Our pear tree is ready to be harvest for canning...only 160 more lbs. to go...

Trying to get the house in order, prepare for Pearl's 6th birthday, and manage these three little ones.  Little man is 4 months old today.  He is rolling from back to front and vice versa.  Lots of cooing and smiles now.  He seems huge, but we'll see just how big when we take him in for his check up at the end of the month.

Princess is working on potty training....sigh.  What a process with her.  Super strong willed and not wanting to do this.  But she will be 3 in October and I'd love for her to move forward and be able to stay daytime dry at least.  I must say the last week we've seen progress, but she fought me around Little Man's arrival.  A lot of changes and she wasn't ready to continue.  Hopefully we can get back on track.

Starting to plan out Fall and Winter travel plans as well....okay time to stop before I go into panic mode:)

Prayer Request

 Our summer seems to be flying by; and it seems like the plans I had in my head are definitely not want God wants of us.  He has some other ideas.

  I had hoped to get us to a family reunion in MN this July.  A big trip, driving with our littles, but it hasn't come together and I was getting frustrated.

 However, this past week my Father-in-Law was diagnosed with colon cancer.  This, shortly after my my MIL retired from her teaching career and our summer plans can be adjusted as well.  So God and his timing...

I am so grateful that we have the time now to be present and available to my in laws.

Please keep Bob and our family in your prayers as we face this together.  Thank you.

Almost 2 months later

A moment sitting down finishing lunch's leftovers. Yay:)

J man turned 8 weeks old on Tuesday.  I'm still sleep deprived, but I feel like I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel that is newborn exhaustion.

This time around I felt like I had to jump back in so fast with olders to care for and DH recovering from a month long sinus infection and a big mentally exhausting work transition for him.

Whew!

Thank goodness for holy energy and the Sacrament of Confession, and an abundance of grace.  Buckets of grace.

Also some great reads and resources I'm delving into including Auntie Leila's book--The Little Oratory.  Love it.  Love the podcasts that Elizabeth Foss and she are putting together.  I would put links to these, but ...yeah...sleepy no think-itus.

But happy news.  We are planning J's baptism for this weekend, the Feast of Pentecost.  Awesome!  So excited but also a little nervous.  Princess is quite the handful...aren't all 2 year olds?  She pretty much launches herself everywhere she goes with intense enthusiasm.  And J wants to eat.all.the.time.  So having to interupt him for the actual baptism part is going to be interesting.  I've thought about if I could just uncover his head from under the nursing cover and make that work....

Say some prayers!

meeting Sr. Giovanna for the first time

sweet smiles for Daddy

last day of kindergarten.  I think Pearl's hair has grown 3 inches this year!

building legos

A month later...

We are settling in and learning the ropes with a new addition.  This past month have seen a lot of changes, challenges, and joys for our family.  Some discipline issues with the olders and (hopefully) getting J Man to sleep better.

I haven't been online as much or reading as much...in the thick of things here.  I have some goals for the summer time as we emerge out of newborn survival mode:

-summer bucket list to-dos
-prep the school room for upcoming school year
-get curriculum ordered for Pearl's first grade year
-2 homeschool conferences to attend
-visit with family nearby
-J's baptism!!

J Man

Baby J arrived Tuesday morning at 9:05am safe and sound.

8 days late just like Princess.

He was 9lbs 15 oz, so quite a big guy for our family. The girls were both under 8 lbs.

It was a wonderful birth experience for us at the birth center; truly amazing.

Settling in together and the girls are over the moon that he is here.

Thank you for your prayers!!

Slowly upward

I think the infection is clearing. Whew!  The girls are much better. DH seems to be making slow progress and I am getting there as well.

Still using mucinex to aid drainage in my head and hopefully break up the chest congestion.  Just a little bit remaining, but it does still stall my breathing a bit.

Little man is putting lots of pressure in my hips; I feel like things are starting to get ready.  Yay!  Still praying for a fast efficient labor once things start actively progressing, but just doing lots of stretching to get comfortable and aid his positioning.  He has been flipping from posterior to anterior randomly.

Pearl was a posterior birth and Princess was an anterior birth.  Much prefer the anterior:)  So lots of stretching and such to get him to be in an ideal way to exit.

Today was nice since we got to Mass together.  First time in two weeks due to the sickies.  We also made it to Confession this week with our Parish Priest.  Hurray!!  That was awesome.  He met with both DH and I and did a special blessing for healing for the whole family since we've been sick pretty much all of March.  He also did an anointing and special prayer of blessing for me as I prepare for childbirth.

Even though we still struggle physically, I felt so much peace after Confession and Anointing.  What a gift!

Keep us in prayer!

The colds continue

This spring has done a  number on my family.  DH is on his second round of antibiotics and steroid shot; the girls are coughing and goopy; and now I am coughing...

My stomach muscles are so sore and the struggle to breathe got to be too much this close to delivery that I called the birth center and they got me some antibiotics to get started on quickly.  Hopefully this will take care of this mess so I can be rested and ready for labor when it does start.

Signs of things getting set into motion the last few days, so hoping I have a little time to recover before little man decides on a birthday.  I think everyone is ready....except me.  This coughing is wicked and I really don't want to go into labor this way.  But God is Good and His grace is sufficient and sustaining.

Please keep us all in prayer for speeding healing!!