clickety clack.....crash boom

Ok so I didn't go "crash boom" until my head hit the pillow last night, but I did do LOTS of clickety clack last night at my first Cardio Tap class.  It's aerobics in tap shoes....kind of.  Anyway, it was fun!  it will take time for my body to relearn movements that it hasn't done in over 30 years, but I'll get there eventually.  I think my body was definitely in reject mode last night, but I am not as sore this morning as I thought I'd be.  I think maybe Kerrie will be able to help me with some of the steps since she is also taking tap on Thursdays.  Lex is starting Jazz this week...tonight in fact!  Mykhal is still taking horseback riding.  Russ hopes to eventually get back into the martial arts, but that could still be a few years away yet. 

No matter how often

.....you get the stomach bug it isn't any less YUCK!  We had the bug make it's way through the family over the last few days.  Russ hasn't had it and I hope he doesn't get it!  Thankfully this version was short lived!  Maybe tomorrow I can get things accomplished.....

OOPS!!!

Skizzo was a boy!
Now a very "fixed" boy.
Hee Hee

Skizzo!

So this is Skizzo (formerly known as Oranges).

She seems at times to have multiple personalities, thus her name.  I'm guessing she is close to 6 months old.  Skizzo is constantly making us laugh!  and I have decided that any previous thoughts of possibly having a ferret as a pet are out the window PERMANENTLY!!!  I  don't think I could handle this level of mischief multiplied and without end.  Tabby, our older cat, tolerates Skizzo as long as Skizzo isn't attacking her....that isn't very often.  Pupadoo, our silly dog, just wants to put her nose where it doesn't belong..literally..and the kitten is NOT appreciative.  Overall the animals are doing well adjusting to one another.  And we are getting plenty of tummy aerobics (laughs) and new scratches!

Healing

It has 10.5 months since our Nathan went home to be with Jesus.  From that night forward I have been amazingly blessed with Peace.  It's that all consuming, void filling, awe inspiring, blanket of warmth kind of Peace that has only one Source...The Everlasting and Loving Arms of the Almighty.  It is that Peace and the ability to continue to hold my Father's hand that has allowed me to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  The image I have of this grieving/healing process has been of a tiny one learning to walk....first we hold their bodies and help them learn to stand, then it's on to them holding our fingers as they take those first shaky steps and learn how to control those muscles, next it's only one finger since they just need a little help with balance, now we hold our arms open wide as they squeal with delight and toddle to us on their own for a hug, and finally remain close by for reassurance.  How sweet it is to know that God is always right there no matter where we are in that process!  I am certainly not fully emotionally walking without assistance yet, but I am well on my way.
We have made it through almost a whole year with all the reminders of Nathan's absence.  And I still shed tears as I miss him...I know I always will.  Our family has been talking quite a bit about him lately as we may be adopting a sibling group that includes a little boy just 13 months younger than Nathan.  I know it will be hard and healing at the same time if we are chosen as their family.  As we are preparing our home to hold more family, moving things into and out of our storage building, I see the stroller and car seat and trunk of toys.....things we kept at the time for future grandkids....a sigh escapes my lips as memories flood my mind and I decide that it would be wonderful to see all these things being enjoyed once more.  Our younger daughter who is 10 said "there may be tears, but it will ok" as we discussed having a different little brother.  There is no doubt that we will grieve harder again with memories refreshed, but there is healing in those tears.  Only time will tell if we will be bringing home a little one or if God has a different set of siblings for us.  But just the possibility of having a toddler again has brought more healing for us.  God works is so many wondrous ways!  He has provisions set before us for each step of our journey though life, and if we have drawn close to him with that personal relationship that is deeper than all others, we will see those provisions and take them to heart.  His Love is a never ending well, His grace and mercy know no boundaries.  Amen!

Thank goodness

Last week is over!  Russ was gone for the week and that always makes things more stressful. While he was gone we rearranged the living room, taking some things out to the storage building. He got home Saturday afternoon and we picked up our new couch.  Crossing time zones is always hard on the body so we opted to sleep in on Sunday.  once we were up and doing, I started reorganizing the pantry and kitchen while Russ started working on the shelves we are going to put covering one wall in the living room.  He decided he needed to remove some tacky moulding and as he did we decided to go ahead and peek behind the yucky paneling.  Turns out there is textured drywall behind it!  So we pulled all that paneling down!  Will have to fill holes and retexture a couple spots and then paint!  will be nice.  planning to start on that tomorrow I hope.  I've gotten the kitchen and pantry almost done for now.  Looking forward to painting my cabinets and redoing the hardware on them....but that's a little ways off for now.  Must get two walls painted yellow in Kerrie's old room.  Then it will be ready for someone else to use.

Some photos

Here's Kerrie with the new kitten named Oranges just before she became a house cat.

Here's Mykhal with Oranges just after she became a house cat.  She certainly tamed quickly!

And the new sink and faucet.  The red mug is a LARGE coffee cup if that gives you a frame of reference for the depth of this thing!  and the tall faucet has a pull down sprayer head!  LOVE THIS!!

And last but not least, the new couch we will be getting sometime this month.  they were out of stock when we bought it!  Oh well.  Gives us time to get other things moved around.

Happy New Year!

Goodness but it just doesn't seem like 2009 should be over yet!  Since returning home from a wonderful Christmas time with our families, we have been working on how to make our home a more functional and comfortable space.  Mykhal and Kerrie have continued cleaning and decluttering their rooms....still not done but we have HUGE improvements.  Russ and I began looking for bunk beds so we will have room for new kiddos to sleep.  Found military surplus solid oak and steel bunks for $40 a set!!  we bought three.  Now Mykhal and Kerrie have new bed frames too.  Then we set about trying to figure out how we were going to sit everyone at the dinner table and knew we needed to have a way to get our second table in the house but we are far from ready to add on to the house yet so.....
The solution we came up with was the sectional sofa I've been wanting for the past 2 years.  We looked online and found a couple possibilities on ebay, but decided to see if we could find something locally.  Didn't think we would but wanted to try.  To our surprise we did find just exactly what I had pictured in my head in the right fabric, size, and with their "special new year's sale", the right price too!  We didn't get to pick it up yet since they don't have any in stock at the moment.  Works great for us to get it a little later in the month anyway.  Now we have time to build the shelves for the living room, wall mount the TV, and get some things re worked in the storage building to accommodate the extra things we are about to move out there.  Everything seems to be falling into place right now and we are busy bees making the most of this time of waiting.  So very glad we ended up having this time!!  God certainly does provide for even the smallest of our needs.....I am thankful we were able to see this provision and thus make the most of this time we have been given!