April 5 - 11

March 29-April 4

Maybe the only good thing about the girls being sick is that they are both sleeping right now and that gives me time to post some pictures.

Life is busy--especially around here these days. The four grandkids have been sick off and on for the last couple of weeks with fever and coughs. Thankfully our three have not gotten it. They are doing better now with antibiodics which have made a big difference.

Richard and Janelle have been here in Wyoming for a week now, and we are happy to be all together again. We have been working on getting our house ready to move in to. The upstairs needed cleaning, new carpet, some plumbing repairs and in the near future, the bathroom completely redone. Hopefully it will be done soon. The previous owners remodeled the bathroom, but we don't like what they did to it, and we will now have to put it back how it was. They put in a HUGE bathtub, but no shower, so that will have to change. Once we are moved in then Richard will start remodeling the basement as he can. That will be a pretty big job, but will sure be nice when it is done.

No new news on Rose lately. Please keep praying that she will respond to treatment and be back to normal soon.

Hope you enjoy the pics.....

Well....maybe you can enjoy the pics tomorrow. They won't load up for me tonight, and it's getting late and I'm tired. I'll try again in the morning.

April 1st....

I didn't realize that I was so behind here. Every night I think I'll post again, but run out of energy before I get everything done that needs to be done after 6 kids are asleep.

Thanks so much for praying, and for calling. It has been GREAT to hear from so many of my Oregon friends through phone calls. It is an encouragement to me here.

To update: Richard and Janelle are still in Bernal. The work team left on Monday, and they(R & J) are tired out. Actually, Richard said that Janelle stayed in bed this morning with a sore throat and cough. Richard has a lot to do this week. There is a sound in the motor of our car that is being checked out today. He doesn't have a good feeling about it, and is hoping for the best. He has a lot to do this week in order for some major changes next week. I plan to fly back to Mexico on Monday so that I can help them pack up things in our house. I will only have four days, then we will need to drive back up on Saturday and Sunday. In the meantime here in Wyoming, Crystal will take care of the kids, and I am arranging lots of help with ladies in the church to come help everyday, and food to be brought in. I am also planning to leave Taylor and LiAnne, rather than taking them back and then having them in car seats for two 18 hour days coming back.

Because of family needs here, we will start furlough a couple of months early. Thankfully, Walter and Dula will be able to move right into our house and pastor the church. It will be a huge change for them and for the church, but we have never considered ourselves indespensible, and know that God will provide people to take up the slack. Please be praying for all of them in this big change. It is strange thinking about not being in Bernal, but we are confident that we need to be here now.

It is snowing hard as I type this today....a bit of a change from the 80's they are having in Bernal. Just one of the many changes ahead for us. Actually, I haven't minded the cold here, since there is indoor heat, and one doesn't suffer from the cold. When it is cold in Bernal, it is usually colder inside than out, since outside there is at least sun shine, and the rock and block hold the cold in.

So, please continue to pray for us and the changes ahead. Pray for all of the kids here as I am gone next week. It has been good for them to have the stability of having grandma here and now I will be gone again. Also pray for Taylor and LiAnne. I seldom have to leave them, and it will be hard for them, except that they will know that I am going to get Dad and Janelle. They really miss them.

Tuesday Snow Play

We had 14 inches of snow on Monday. Amazing, since it had been about 70 for a week. The kids were so excited to put on their new snow pants, boots and jackets and go outside and play with Crystal in the snow.

Amanda in Germany

Amanda is in Germany this week. She left Missouri on Wednesday to participate in an honors music week at Black Forest Academy, as the violin section lead and concertmaster. I've no doubt that she is having a great time. One special time was meeting our good friends from Prairie days, Tim and Sandee. Tim is the director of Black Forest Academy.

A bit of a weather change.....

We have had beautiful weather for the last week....many days hitting 70. We've enjoyed a day at the park and playing in the backyard. According to Accuweather, that is about to end. My kids are really looking forward to the snow. I have been hitting the end of the clearance sales, buying winter wear for next winter, but it seems that we will be able to use it sooner.

According to Accuweather:
A blizzard will grip the heart of a major snowstorm tracking out of the central Rocky Mountains to the northern Great Plains on Sunday night and Monday. The storm will lay down between 1 and 2 feet of snow over eastern Wyoming to western South Dakota and southwestern North Dakota.

We had a nice day at church and at home. We attended the same church we visited in December when we were here. This kids told me yesterday that they wanted to attend "our" church. They had only been there twice before.

Tomorrow the team from Oregon arrives in Bernal. Richard and Janelle will be leaving at 11:00 to get to the airport. Please pray for them this week....they will be busy.

Friday at the Park

We had a good day yesterday at a local park. We had a picnic and the kids played for four hours without stopping. They want to know when we can go back. The day was beautiful and sunny. We hear that it is supposed to snow tomorrow, so I'm glad that we got out yesterday.

Thursday

I've felt much better the last two days--not much sore throat left, and not so tired. The kids are doing pretty well. They will all play good for awhile, then someone wants something that someone else has, and that's that. Yesterday we actually got through the whole day without a movie break. I took them to Awana at the church we plan to attend here, and they had a good time. Today movie hour came early. That's the hour that mom/grandma needs a quiet break. They watched "Big Bird Goes to China" today. The grandkids had never seen it, and it has probably been a year since my kids watched it, so they all enjoyed that.

The two grandsons went over to their granparents house for the afternoon, and Abby, the daughter of a friend, came over to stay with the other four while Crystal and I
ran out to look for carpet for the new house. We enjoyed the afternoon break. We even stopped by the library to get library cards, and I checked out some "Little House on the Prairie" DVD's for the rest of the week. It has been some 28 years since I have lived near a library, and walking through today was a delight. I know we will be going there often!

Please keep praying that my DIL will take her medicine in order to get stable and be able to come home.

Is it Tuesday?

Running after 4 kids when I was 30 didn't seem to be a big deal at the time--but running after 6 some 20 years later is hard work. Add to that I have a very sore throat and a bit of a fever doesn't help. A friend of mine dropped over today with her 2 girls, and we had a good visit. After that I sent the kids downstairs for a nap, and I stretched out in the sunshine on the living room floor---and slept almost 2 hours. Thankfully, the kids slept almost the same time. I heard them come up and they played Word World on the computer for a bit while I tried to wake up.

Matt and Crystal stayed with the kids last night for a bit while Caleb and I ran up to the hospital to visit Rose, then off to do some shopping. Sears had their little girls Christmas and party dresses on clearance, and I got some for LiAnne for $4.19 each. She is thrilled, as she is my fancy dress girl. She has pretty dresses for now, plus two or three for Christmas in December. I got Taylor some long sleeved t-shirts for next fall, snow pants for all three kids, and winter jackets. I was very happy with my shopping trip.

Please keep praying for all of us, and that God would work things out here according to His will. Not easy to understand the what and why's of it all.

People said that if I voted for McCain-Palin the country would go down the tubes.

Well, I voted for McCain-Palin

and they were right,

the country is going down the tubes.

Chasing kiddos....

What does one do all day with 6 kids to watch?

Wake up toooo early, because Taylor is sleeping in the same room, and he is an EARLY riser (he got that from grandpa!)

Make coffee.

Get breakfast for 6 kids.

Make a bottle for Audrey.

Change diapers.

Clean up after breakfast.

Send kids down to get dressed, make beds.

Drink coffee.

Throw in a load of laundry.

Change diapers.

Put Audrey down for a nap.

Have the kids clean up some toys.

Drink cold coffee.

Run down to make the bed.

Pour more coffee.

Referree playing between 5 of the kids.

Throw the laundry in the dryer.

Drink more cold coffee.

Give the kids a snack.

Realize that I never ate breakfast.

Start thinking about what to fix for lunch.

Finish my cold coffee.

Realize that it is only noon, and I am already exhausted!

And it has only been 3 days.

Actually, the kids are all doing really well, and Audrey is easy to take care of.

Also, my daughter in law, Crystal, is here doing lots of the work and running after, so that is a huge help. She has been here for over a week, so she has already done her share. She is trying to run out to paint at the other house and get it ready to move in to.

Hmmmmm....it's awfully quiet around here, better go see what's up.....

Thanks for praying for all of us.