It's been too long!

Wow - time flies when you are seriously busy! We've been working close to 11 hours a day at Flint Truck and Bus since May/June... It's a tough plant to work at - the jobs are much harder and more loaded than Orion was but also only runs 31 trucks and hour vs 70 cars an hour! So, we are exhausted most of the time. Our shift starts 5pm and we get out a few minutes before 4am... We have been working Fridays as well so 50-55 hours per week. We get home and into bed by 5am. I wake up at 7am to help kids with getting ready for school, if needed, then back to bed until Lyndsay wakes me up at 9:30 or so. I will lay on the couch while she watches Dora and doze off and on til 10:30 OR 11am... Then we only have a few hours until we have to get ready, pack lunches for work. The kids get home at 3:40pm and we hear all about their day before leaving at 4pm for work. This has been even more difficult since they started school, not seeing them is very very hard! I decided not to homeschool again this year because we were put on this shift (as a temp employee, we cannot bump to first), and I wouldn't have enough time during the day to spend on schooling... The kids are enjoying being back in school, anyway and doing well! Orion Assembly will hopefully be calling us back to work come Jan/Feb and we will be back on first shift then which will be wonderful!

Our time in the mobile home is coming to a close. I will miss living here on the property, but won't miss the mobile home very much:) Made some nice memories here, though! We could've stayed here longer if we were building, but with all that has happened this past year with our job stability, etc., we decided we will wait until we are able to build with funds out of our pockets so our motto now is save, save, save! We just bought (closed Oct 1st) on an old farmhouse 1 1/2 miles down the road from our property with 4 1/2 more acres. It was a foreclosure so you guessed it, there is lots of work to be done before we can move in... It is a 5 bedroom house with 1546 square feet which will be the biggest house I've ever lived in! We are making it into 4 bedroom house for now! The upstairs was mostly gutted and we've been working on gutting the rest. Then, hubby will check the electrical, have duct work installed, the insulate and drywall the rooms. Carpet will be last! Downstairs, we will make the main living area into a master bedroom, the extra bedroom downstairs will be a study/computer room for now - we may make a second bathroom out of it eventually. The kitchen will be getting new cupboards and new flooring downstairs as well - my mother in law (who used to work as a kitchen designer) has come up with some beautiful kitchen plans for us! Jeremy had to replace 2 old, outdated and broken windows in the basement - had dirt washed in, etc. that had to be cleaned out as well. Poured the rest of the cement and remortar'd the stone around the new frames today. The house has vinyl siding and newer vinyl windows as well. I can't wait for all of the space!!! There is a family room that was added on with sliding doors going out to a huge deck out back that we will use as our living room! The rail trail runs right at the back of the 4.5 acres - we went for walk down it today - just beautiful with the colors in full swing! We will be able to keep our animal (horse, goat, chickens and dogs) there as well - few outbuildings that aren't the prettiest, but will make due for now - might build a small barn next year to replace them... The horse will still go out back here in the summer for pasture. We bought a goat a month ago - her name is Chip and she is soooo cute! She things she is a dog - wants to come in the house and will put her front legs on the storm door looking in, calling for us "maaaaaaaa"... she loves loves loves the kids - especially Brooke! She gets into the vehicles when we are trying to leave so we'll have to put her in her stall so she won't get run over or follow us! The kids get a big kick out of her! I'd like to get one more... So, we plan on staying in the farmhouse until we build here. It will be so convenient just being down the road (already is), instead of 35 minutes away! Jeremy can come down here and work on building the new house when we decide the time is right!

Amber has been back at college since the third weekend in August. She is getting homesick lately! She has been working to pay towards her tuition and keeping busy with studying, classes, and friends (of course!). Brooke is a senior this year - having fun, I hope! She is such a help to us while we are working this shift - she gets everyone fed and ready for bed at night during the week. Some mornings, I don't get awakened by anyone - she gets all ready for school as well to let mom sleep... What a great young lady, I appreciate her more than she knows:) Lyndsay loves her so much - she even sleeps with her at night. Brooke puts her in her own bed and Lyndsay "sneaks" into Brooke's bed during the night cuz mamma isn't home! Curt is growing taller everyday! He's been a big help around here - takes care of the chickens, moved a lot of dirt at the farmhouse to help Jeremy with the basement windows, fixed the landscaping when he was done... He's liking being back in school even though it took a few weeks! Isaac is enjoying school as well - has stories to tell me everyday! He's waiting patiently to carve some pumpkins this Friday coming up! He helped with the fire today, burning lathe board we tore out of the house and kept busy removing nails up there, toO! Erin is still my drama queen! Curt turned 14 in September and Erin turned 5 Oct 4th. She is learning (I hope) to control her emotions more and more. She melts down very easily, but the next minute will melt my heart:) She just came in to my room saying she feels sick, so she is laying on the couch, closer to our room! Lyndsay is a stinker! Still a sweetheart, but if she's quiet, watch out! Draws on herself, cuts her hair, you name it, she will try and do it! Not a good combo when I'm trying to get a few more Z's in on the couch in the morning! She loves Dora and we are working on potty training - she wore big girl panties all day today and no accidents, Praise the Lord! She is so stinking cute - we are enjoying every minute as we have with all the kids - especially at this age!

Anyway, that is a fast update - didn't check to see the last time I posted. We are still working as temps (was summer help to begin with). They laid off 20 of us last week, but Jeremy and I missed that layoff, praise the Lord! Rumor has it we might be there until the end of the year with hunting season upon us! That is great for us - gives us savings and money to work on the house and help Amber with college as well! God is so good - he takes care of things in the neatest ways! Example - when we put an offer on this farmhouse, my husband told the realtor what he wanted to offer (30K) - asking price was 35,350K. Realtor says, make full price, place is hot and could end up in a bidding war. Looked online, price was just lowered to 32,500 - hubby said go ahead and do full price then. The realtor called us the next morning and said - you won't believe this - the bank just lowered the price to $30,000!!!! See - the Master is in control! I could name so many more things that have happened - we are just so thankful and blessed! I will try and post pictures in the near future!

Christine

July already?

Wow - time flies when you are having fun! Jeremy started work 2 weeks ago now and is loving being employed again - especially when the first paycheck came today:) It's fun working with him again - especially cuz he drives and I can catch a catnap on the way to and from work at times:) The nights are looonnng! I get no sleep again which is normal when I am working - especially second/third shift! Rumors are flying that we won't get laid off until after hunting season which would be great! It is a double edged sword for me - I love being home and job stability so we can keep the home is great, too. Lyndsay is talking more and more clearly everyday - growing up way too fast! We were working on colors this morning! The garden is growing, just picked some green beans, cucumbers, and zuchinni today - yummy! We've been working on fencing in the horse pasture as well. It's been so hot this week! We gave up on the fence posts Wednesday after 8 of them and took the kids to the beach before we went to work, instead! Amber, Brooke and Curt went to a Loons game tonight with the youth group from church. We are relaxing, watching a movie and may work on fencing in a few more hours - cooler then! I need a nap anyway! The next 2 weeks we are working fridays (OT day) so it's going to be long! I will try and post some pics later - have a great weekend! Erin just had me knock on her head and informed me she doesn't have any brains in there and neither does Isaac! Funny - they have me wondering at times...

Another week gone...

Time sure flies by:) I worked Friday - supposed to be 10 hours, but got sent home after 8 due to parts problems or something. So, I got a little more sleep! Friday morning, around 10am, I was laying in bed with a pillow over my head, seeing if I could get a little more sleep when my husband came in and lifted the pillow up, put a piece of paper/letter in front of my face - a temporary job offer for Truck and Bus in Flint!!! He is to start this Monday:) YIPPEE and Praise the Lord! I told him I can't wait for him to be as miserable as I am! Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to be working, but oh, so TIRED! This shift is hard for me to get used to. But, this week was better! I believe they'll be laying the group I came in with off the second week in August. Just in time to get ready for school again!

The summer is flying by! In the mornings, the girls go outside with Daddy so mom can get some sleep and it's so sweet to see them out there with him! Lyndsay will go out there in her PJ's and mud boots! This morning, she went out there in her sundress and princess shoes. I went to check on her and 4 of the hens were following her - too cure! Daddy gets a lot more attention now that mom's been working!

Wednesday we had the broiler chickens butchered. We started with 107 and ended up with 66:( That was in part thanks to the dog! Oh well, the experience is invaluable - right? Jeremy, Brooke and Curt ended up bagging them all and weighing each one. They ranged from 5lbs to 10lbs! Nice birds!

Hubby's been busy mowing (he also mowed the pasture) after putting new spindles, blades, etc. on the mowing deck - the rocks are torture on our lawn mower out here. No matter how many times we go over the area, rocks keep popping up! He is always doing something in the garden - tilling, weeding, fertilizing, watering! Definitely the biggest garden we've had to date! He fertilized and put roundup on the corn out back as well. Next, the hay fields need fertilizer! Looking into a moisture tester for the hay to insure the dryness before baling. We hope to make some money from this venture! Half of the time, he's not in from working outside when I call on my lunch at 10pm!

Today, we had an open house to go to. I hung a few loads of laundry on the line today, cleaned house a bit more, watched the kids playing with some friends who came to get some chickens, then supper, and too tired to go see the fireworks at some dear friends' house tonight - really missed the fellowship, but knew the kids would fall asleep on the way there after getting a lot of fresh air today! Saturday nights, it's easier to get the kids bathed and in bed early to make sunday mornings go easier! Tomorrow is church, then a birthday bash for an 80 year old Great Uncle! Then, Monday monday again! So, have a great Lord's Day!

Hay is done... just in time:)

Well, we baled 219 bales today. Brooke and I handled the trailer and stacking at first while Jeremy made sure the tractor and baler were all working properly and didn't need any more adjustments! Then, I got to drive the tractor (but I think it was hotter in there than outside), while Jeremy and Brooke loaded the first trailer. Halfway through, we hit a bump (wasn't even going that fast) and off went a bunch of hay and Brooke. She's fine - just hit her leg on the corner of the hay wagon on the way down. But, she got right back up and helped restack everything! While trying to help, Lyndsay says "potty". I checked her and she didn't even have a pull up on - when did she take that off??? So, we had to trudge all the way back to Dad's house and get her a pullup, take off the wet shorts, make sure the insides of her rubber boots weren't wet and leave her in Curt's care in the shade, playing with toys at the picnic table! We had already taken a break for lunch, so when we loaded the first wagon with 109 bales, we took it home, put it in the barn, got the neighbor's wagon, left Curt and Brooke at home cuz they went to their Dad's this weekend, and headed back with me driving and Jeremy loading the trailer. We took a much faster pace and finished around 7:45pm with 219 bales total. Not too bad for 4 acres! Our 15 here at the property that we planted this spring should be ready to bale for the third cutting this year. They say you can get 100 bales per acre per year so that should be interesting! Hard work, but rewarding! We have fun working together, bruises and all! Builds character, I hope:) We came home, took clothes off the line, put another load up, got cleaned up and went to dinner! Lyndsay fell asleep on the way there and slept all through dinner and is now sleeping in her bed! Hope she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night starving! So, now I am off to put a boy to bed that doesn't like to sleep alone when Curt is gone... poor Isaac! I let him sleep with Erin and Missy when Brooke and Curt are gone! So, off to 3 open houses tomorrow and hopefully the rain will be gone before I leave the house! Have a great Saturday!

Hay time...

Wow - got to work yesterday and they sent us right back home - bad engine sensors so it may take a few days to straighten it out. They cancelled today's overtime so I have a 4 day weekend and have to call Sunday to find out if we even report on Monday! WOW!! So, today I have already hung a load of clothes on the line, chased Lyndsay around outside and just finished listening to an Abeka Webinar for homeschooling either streamline or DVD this next schoolyear - still trying to decide what to do! Decisions, decisions... Now off to bale hay! Here we go!!!

Been awhile...

Sorry, with facebook, I tend to neglect my blog somewhat! A lot has happened in the last 2 months. We've been working hard, cleaning up the outside somewhat, cleaning out the barn, getting ready for the horse to come home, raising chickens, etc. We had a campout here Memorial weekend - relatives came and camped out here with us - spent 2 days at the Otter Lake beach, got a tan, had lots of good food and fun! Brought Gent home from the boarding stable that thursday night - he's doing great! I thought he'd be nervous and upset he didn't have any horses here, but he loves it! We are now turning him out in his temporary pasture for most of the day - had to do it gradually so his belly would adjust to the rich clover out there! His real pasture is still growing - coming in great and we will probably start fencing that in soon! The broiler chicks are ready to butcher - will be doing that next week. We will do some of our own as well as get some done at the butcher's. We hav 70+ left! The neighbor watched our puppy one day - she'd go up to the chicken barn, come out with a chicken and it ended up half eaten and buried behind the trailer in the septic field. Then, she'd go up and get another... BAD DOG! I followed her out with a belt one morning... Now she can't just run around outside to her heart's content - we have to watch her! Once the chickens are in the freezer, we'll see if she'll behave and leave the laying chickens alone! She's been a real good dog other than that and chewing up a few things in the house she shouldn't... I have been called to work at the truck and bus plant in Flint for the summer as a temporary worker for vacation fill-in... It's not fun, but I am thankful for the work. My sub-pay will last longer now which is a blessing! I miss being at home, though and the kids miss me! I am working second/third shift. 5pm - 3am, so I don't get home til 3:45am and am having a hard time getting enough sleep. Not easy for a morning person to adjust to being a night person. Some nights I feel as if I am sleep walking through work:( Hopefully it will get better! We are really enjoying living on the property now instead of just camping out here on the weekends! All of the comforts of home, at home:) Just got my clothesline up a few weeks ago - thanks hubby! I love hanging clothes out to dry and seeing them blowing in the breeze!

Isaac just had his 8th birthday! Hard to believe -where has the time gone? Lyndsay is talking a lot now! She tries to repeat everything we say and I really need to potty train this girl! She may just do it herself if I wait long enough! She'll take the #2 diapers off right away herself if I don't get to her fast enough and tonight she threw the whole diaper into the toilet instead of just emptying it in there:( Atleast I caught it before she flushed it! Erin loves to wear the same clothes over and over everyday. Somedays I'll catch her hiding them in the linen closet in the bathroom at bathtime... some nights she'll put her pj's on over her clothes! What a nut! Brooke is still working at the horse barn even though our horse is at home. She's getting paid to feed and let horses out every morning and some cleaning a few days a week. Curt is busy - we are almost done with school! He's sitting in the rocking chair right now with Lyndsay on his lap watching Toy Story:) Amber is home for the summer, staying in our camper so she has her own space. Seems strange to me not having her in here with us, but my baby is growing up! She is madly looking for a job - put in over 30 applications so far. Praying for a job for her! Jeremy is keeping busy upkeeping everything and taking care of the garden, fixing things, projects... A few weeks ago, he disappeared to help the neighbor and when I walked outside later, he was rinsing off with the hose and said he'd just help birth his first calf:) He had to get right in there and put a chain around the legs and guide the baby out while the neighbor pulled... yuck! Attaboy!

We are currently figuring out options for our housing arrangements. We are allowed to keep the mobile home here for one year (up in Oct) and could keep it here 1 more yr if we were making progress building... But, we can't build when we aren't working... so, maybe a double wide or something that could be considered permanent and they wouldn't kick us out. Seems wierd that they could make us move off our own property, eh? Rules... Another option would be getting a foreclosure close by that we could live in until we build, then rent out after... Praying for God's will to be done. I DO NOT look forward to moving off of the property but if that's what we have to do, so be it!

Well, I need to go to bed and get other into bed so we can get up for church in the morning:) Went to our favorite store tonight - TSC! Had dairy queen and home to rest... Got a lot of mowing done today and hubby weeded the sweet corn til the rain forced him out of the garden! I reclaimed our house - it's clean again - well it was, the kids were playing earlier and there are toys everywhere, but atleast the floors are clean, scrubbed, vacuumed, etc.! Have a great weekend!! God Bless

Erin was NOT happy - she wanted to hold the chicks

Now she's happy!

They guys (Curt helped Jeremy nurse some wet chicks and build the brooders) checking out their handiwork:)

There are 107 broiler chicks in there!

A double, sorry:)

100 broiler chicks in their new brooder

Isaac, Erin and the pup playing after one of the rains...

Lyndsay "I wet, Momma"

Isaac and the pup

Brooke - hard to believe she's 17 today, helping the kids search for eggs... the pup was helping, too. She brings me the eggs the hens lay almost daily and she doesn't break them:) So, the kids had some competition with the easter eggs:)

here are more....

Lyndsay looking for eggs

Isaaac and Erin searching for eggs

Curt and Missy

Love to swing, push Momma!

Enjoying outside! Isaac, Erin, Lyndsay and a buddy

pictures

I will post more pictures tomorrow - it's evening and game time for everyone and the internet connection is dragging:( We had a busy day of school, taking care of the chicks, haircuts for the guys, menards for more supplies, taco bell and now home to play after finishing a few school things... Now I am off to fold laundry for awhile and watch some TV:) Have a great night! Hopefully it isn't too cold in the morning to go for my walk before cleaning the barn!

Gathering sticks to take back to "Bookie"

Daddy and Erin plowing the back field - see her sitting behind/side him???!!

Lyndsay and Missy (and me) following Daddy out back to start plowing!

The boys playing outside!!!

Starting the new chicken barn!

playing outside

the temporary home of the chickens - horse stall

erin playing in the barn

Thunder and Missy

deer outside our bedroom window!

deer outside our bedroom window

Lyndsay got into the frosting on Amber's cake

Erin

Grandma Coe blowing bubbles with the kids.

April is here!

Spring has sprung and so has the rain:( Very very wet here from the past few days of rain! But, the kids have fun no matter what the weather is like - Lyndsay begs to go outside constantly! But, we have to get school done first(usually)... We have 117 chicks we are brooding and 5 turkeys. Jeremy and his brother and a friend built a chicken barn and Jeremy built the brooder inside last night to house the chicks. Had a close call this morning - the air compressor came on during the night and blew the fuse and the brooder lights went out. Thankfully, the chicks kept each other warm enough til we got the lights back on this morning! Amber turned 20 a few weeks ago and tomorrow, Brooke is 17! Where has the time gone! We have had some nice weather - nice enough to get 3 fields plowed! We are planning on planting hay this year and we've been having some fun outside time. Here are some pictures to enjoy! I am trying to do school with the kids in between...

Two posts in two days:)

Boy is it windy out there! I did barn chores this morning and Erin went with me again! She even woke up on her own this morning! She helped quite a bit again! Isaac wanted to go, too but when I tried to wake him up this morning, he rolled over and said he'd stay home with dad... Last night, before going to bed, he says to me "Mom, if you think the rooster is scared of the whip, you are wrong!" and he showed me 2 puncture holes in his knee from the rooster's spurs. Brave boy - he never complained, so momma doctored it up for him and that was that! I came home this morning and went for my walk - the wind helped give me a better workout and helped push me to get home faster:) Now it is raining as well. We were hoping to work on building a chicken coop today for the chickens - their shelter kind of went kerplack in the wind last night! The wind is helping to dry it up out there - rain rain go away! So, no school for us today! Just chilling and thinking what to make for a freezer meal for a couple at church that just had a baby and for our lunch and dinner today! I slept wrong last night and have a kink in my neck today, Lyndsay is hugging me right now, trying to stretch it out for me, I guess:) I wish it would work! I guess I'd better go and let the pup in before she gets too wet and muddy out there!

Spring,spring, beautiful wonderful SPRING!

Oh the joys of warmer weather! I am loving every minute of it and I can honestly say I am honestly enjoying the mud! We celebrate the breeze drying it up as well! Thanks to mud boots, it is manageable and makes for great entertainment for the kids outside! They have been begging to go outside the last few days and I happily oblige! Isaac had fun adventures today following the little brook from the frog pond over to the real teepee on the property next door with the puppy following him. He carries a horse whip with him in case the rooster decides to attack! Erin and Lyndsay are super afraid of the rooster and stay close to momma when outside! I've been walking outside again and hubby goes with me sometimes... unfortunately I am a morning person and he is not. I love the sounds, smells of spring out there! Today was not so rush rush. Had to go into town quite a bit this week - Brooke had stateline practice and left for that yesterday. They did pretty good, I hear... She is going to the horse expo in Lansing tomorrow with a friend from church and then to her dad's. So, this morning, I went and did barn chores without her, but took Erin with me - she did help muck out a few stalls - so cute! The cats were all glad she was there! Then, home to start breakfast and school. Isaac got through fast so he could go outside and Curt and I worked til 4:30pm on his and then I finally went for my walk! I came home and took Erin on another walk around the front field. She wanted to exercise with me! Jeremy and I have been using the Nordictracks in the room in the barn on bad weather days and Erin will go out there with us and run in place the whole time! She is a motivator, for sure! Isaac also pulled out another tooth tonight! Erin is begging me to go out to the freezer in the barn and get the ice cream! Our freezer in the house doesn't freeze it hard for some reason - that and bread dough, everything else is frozen in there! Lyndsay fell asleep early - I have a feeling she'll wake up around 10pm and be ready and raring to go, though:( The guys had haircuts yesterday - Jeremy hadn't had one since Christmas and Curt finally decided with going short again! Yay, I love the nice short cuts!!! He has sooo much hair and it's so thick that if he doesn't get a clipper cut, it just goes POOF after a week! I am so enjoying living here now! I don't have to worry about packing a suitcase every weekend, food, etc! I have all of the comforts of home here now! THIS IS HOME! I love that as I was doing dishes this morning, I could watch the ducks playing in the water puddles out back, there was also a pair of pheasants in the lane out back, strutting around! So cool! Praise the Lord! Puppy, kids, rain, dirt = lots of mud, though:) But, I just keep vacuuming, sweeping and scrubbing away! It will dry up soon enough! We just wear our mud boots to the van and carry our "good" shoes with us! We are looking forward to cleaning up outside now that the weather's getting better and getting the place for the horse scoped out and ready to plow for pasture and corral and barn. We will keep him where he's at for another month or two until we are completely ready for him! This time is going by extremely fast, it seems! Warmer weather and it will go by even faster! Hard to believe time change is tomorrow night already! Brooke keeps busy going to the barn 3 times a week atleast to ride Gent and a few other horses there as well. Tuesday, us "girls" go for haircuts while hubby is at the dentist and then Wednesday we will venture up to my Dad and Teresa's to do some deck fixing for him! Can't wait! Amber is going to be home next weekend for spring break and her birthday! You can tell your kids are turning into young adults when they start asking for practical gifts for their birthday.... appliances, etc:) Hard to believe she is going to be 20 years old - where has the time gone?! I bought a potty chair for Lyndsay and she's used it quite often, I am not pressuring her, just hoping she will "get it" on her own... right now she also has this thing with bugs and there are tons of those red beetles coming from who knows where - everywhere and mostly in our bathroom! So, we have to get them all out of there before she'll go potty! After she's potty trained, no more diapers! Wow... sigh.... Curt is in a size 10 shoe now and I had to buy clothes for him in the men's department cuz he's so tall! The boy is growing like crazy!!! My camera is on the fritz so I haven't been able to take any pictures:( I think we might need a new battery. Gotta get it fixed soon - too much new stuff going on with playing outside, adventures, etc! Gotta go and get the ice cream!!! Have a great weekend everyone!

We are still here!

Finally - I was having problems signing into my own blog for some reason:) We have just been busy with life... A week and a half ago, my dad was scheduled for another heart cath, was all doped up, IV inserted and the doctor had an emergency surgery and they unhooked my dad and sent him home and rescheduled him for this past Monday. Everything went without a hitch - they put in 3 more stents into 2 different arteries off the third main artery. They were 70 and 80 percent blocked so now he has a total of 6 stents and is feeling much better! His shoulder pain has gone and the chest pain. Praise the Lord! We had fun visiting in the hospital with his pastor, my aunt Tara and Teresa. Got to go out for lunch a few times, too:) Took my Dad-in law for his carpal tunnel surgery yesterday. So, I've had enough of hospitals for awhile, ok??? Everyone stay healthy for awhile:) We spent the day today in Birch Run at the horse expo, then lunch and then dropped Brooke and Jean off at the church for a youth activity. I cleaned house yesterday and this morning so it feels good to have everything done! School is going ok - trying to get on a schedule still... I am struggling with getting everyone to everything they should be, but we will get through! i don't think we have any appointments next week so far, so we should be able to hunker down and do better next week! We get it all done, just seems to take alllll day sometimes! The snow storm was fun - I had gotten groceries the day before so I wouldn't need to go out at all. The neighbor plowed us out again! I took Isaac and Erin outside for a bit and we played in the snow and did some sledding!

I am so ready for spring - not the mud that is going to come with it:( But, warm days, being outside much more just seems so inviting!!! We haven't heard from work at all - rumors fly about the start up date. A few people we know who put in to transfer permanently to Lansing have gotten called and start Monday. Someone said Flint Truck and Bus is adding a shift in July and Ft. Wayne Indiana is adding a shift in August so life could get very interesting! I am praying for Flint - it is closer to home and we put in for it as a permanent transfer! God knows what we need and is still in charge and on the throne! The time has really gone by fast - I am always busy and don't know how I ever got it all done when I was working! I cook a lot more now and find myself running out of ideas now that I'm doing breakfast, lunch and dinner! We do simple things like cereal/oatmeal most mornings, but try a few "big" breakfasts a week to change it up! Jeremy and I went out last week and enjoyed Applebees 2 for 20! That is a great and filling deal!

Speaking of Jeremy... he has had quite the adventure this week and I can't wait to see him tonight:) Just in time for Valentine's day!!! The kids are so excited! Erin fell asleep sitting here with me just now. I woke her up and said you can't go to sleep this early, we have to go and get daddy! "Can we go and get him right now???" she says... Hard to believe Lyndsay is going to turn 2 years old next week! There are new babies being born at church once a month it seems now for a few months - gotta hold one one of these days!!! I need to start potty training...

Okay, gotta go and get some messes the mighty mess makers have made cleaned up and get their jammies on! Have a great Lord's day everyone!

Chris

February!!!

February - that means we are closer to spring, right??? Although, during the 40 degree weather we had a week or so ago, I know spring will bring lots of mud and I am NOT looking forward to that part of it! We will have to trade our snow boots for our mud boots! We have been productive around here lately. Jeremy bought all of the sheeting to do the skirting for the mobile home and worked on that this weekend and it is done except for the roll of vinyl that he's going to get to cover up the wood and keep the moisture away from it. I went out and helped by moving dirt around the bottom of the skirting to close up any gaps between the skirting and the ground to keep out any drafts! The mobile home is considerably warmer floor wise and we haven't had any frozen pipes since (YIPPEE!) and I don't have to be as careful about the cats getting out! Erin loves being outside - she is the only kids in our house that asks to go outside, will completely get herself ready and go out and play. She helped Jeremy and I all day Saturday out there, would say she was tired after a few shovel fulls of dirt, and lay on the snowmobile for a few minutes, then get up and start all over! Yesterday she went out with Daddy, but came in devastated because the rooster had gotten after her. She has a bruise on her arm, poor thing. But, today she got all dressed up again and went out there with daddy and the puppy for awhile! I told her to carry a rake or stick around to scare the rooster away! Our bathroom tub is next - can't wait to have my own shower back!


The past few weeks, Lyndsay has had the yucky nose and goopy eye thing going on. She's been sleeping with us only because it means more sleep for me - very inconvenient that her room is on the opposite end of the house - too cold for me to go back and forth in the night! If she does start out in her bed, she wakes up in the night and toddles quietly into our room so I just pull her into bed. Jeremy says that's why we are sick - from bringing sick little one into our bed:) Oh well, it's worth the snuggle time - she's my baby and I enjoy it! But, I do not enjoy being sick. Started feeling yucky on Saturday - worse yesterday and even worse today! Not good! I need to be better by Wednesday to be able to go and see my dad in the hospital. He has to have another catherization done on his heart - there is another blockage(s) and they won't know the extent til they get in there and look around. Last week, on Tuesday, Heather, Carly and I went up to Grayling to see my mom in the hospital after her surgery. It is so hard seeing your parents go through all this stuff:( Praying for a quick recovery for both of them! I need to call them - been feeling too yucky and just keeping up with my household the past few days is all I have been able to handle! I love listening to the kids and some of the things they say! Erin says the word also like this - alslee... In the hospital seeing Grandma Coe last week, she and Maggie were walking toward the elevator and Maggie says we have to go to the alligator. Erin looked devastated and said, it's not an alligator, it's an elevator and 2 seconds later she says alslee:) I don't have the heart to correct her cuz it's too doggone cute!

The past few days of not feeling well and everyone is into causing trouble, misbehaving, etc. I am going to have to kick them all outside tomorrow:) Yesterday, they had piled a bunch of pillows, blankets, etc. at the bottom of the couch and were doing all sorts of things, jumping, rolling into the pile... giving me a heartattack. Tonight I got back from taking Brooke to the barn and they had done the same thing with the pile, only at the bottom of Curt and Isaac's bunkbeds and were jumping off the bunk into the pile:( No, NO. NOOOO! I am a party pooper! Reminds me of the day when Rick Roenicke babysat us and used to pile all of the couch cushions at one end of the living room and push us off his feet into the air and hopefully onto the pile across the room:) Oh well.... sigh...

Puppy Missy is getting bigger and BIGGER! She weighs about 24 pounds now and is twice as big. She has her good days and her bad days - potty training wise! She is a good little dog - goes outside and doesn't wander off - she enjoys playing with our beagle - they both fit in his doghouse and will play, taking turns going in and out (won't be able to do that for long, though). It helps to wear her out so she doesn't cause as much trouble inside. Don't know who is worse - the pup or Lyndsay!

Well, the nyquil is kicking in, better hit the hay - looking forward to a nice warm bed and good night's sleep! Lyndsay fell asleep at 9 - if she doesn't take her nap by 2, I make her stay awake the rest of the day. She's in her own bed PTL, so off I go to sleep in the middle of my bed instead of on the edge:) Have a good Tuesday everyone!!

Saturday and tired!

Boy, it's only 4:45pm and it feels like 10pm!! I've started my morning walk/jogs again this week and have been trying to stay on track diet wise but have been failing miserably at that! I love to bake and have a lot of time to do so in between helping kids with school, etc. I do hate doing dishes by hand so you'd think that would slow me down in the baking department, but NOT! Wednesday took the kids in to school to practice for stateline, then to ortho appt. for Brooke - the tooth she had exposed had really moved down in 9 days time (they didn't want to see her for 4 weeks - usually go 8 wks inbetween, but doctor said he didn't want to lose the tooth). Well, it looked like if we were to wait 4 weeks we might lose the tooth, so we went in for them to look at it. They readjusted wires and went to the next step. Makes up for the lost time while waiting for the exposure surgery to happen:) Then to the mall to pick up shades for the living/dining room windows - I got tired of the kung fu panda blanket covering the one window! Then to church and home again! Thursday we spent the day at home, then the barn. Friday at 4 we dropped Brooke off at the church for a teen activity - going to Grace Baptist in Gaylord for a college tour then today they played laser tag somewhere up there... We went on into town to look at tub surrounds for our bathroom then McD's for supper, then stopped at Heather and Brian's and ended up playing Domino's with them. That is so much FUN!! I WON:) I even beat my husband! We had left the puppy at home in her kennel not thinking we'd be gone late and when we arrived home after midnight, she was one happy puppy! Needless to say, she was not ready to go to sleep! 2am we finally went to bed and Curt slept with her in Brooke's bed. I woke her up at 7:30am this morning and took her for a hike around our property. We saw a deer in the corn, heard turkey and owls. When I took her out last night, you could really hear the owls - eery sound in the middle of the night!! I went to Clio for grocieries, then a baby shower at the barn where our horse is, then home! Delicious meal of lasagna at the shower - I feel like going to bed! Puppy is snoring at my feet, Lyndsay is still sleeping from a late nap... I bought her some pull ups today. Everytime she goes potty she wants and takes the diapers off. I will find her naked all of a sudden out of the blue and she looks at me and says POOPY... (poopy means everything wet/dirty, etc.) So, we are going to see if she wants to potty train at 19months! I am not really looking forward to doing it this early, but if she's ready! I will be running to the restrooms at stores, gas stations, etc. again!! She's a smart little girl and I think it will come to her quickly! She loves to sit on the potty and doesn't even waiver or get scared when I put her on it!

Hubby pulled our tub out of our bathroom yesterday and is sealing all of the cracks in it out in the barn before he brings it back in and sets it in concrete. I can't wait to have my shower back again!!! The kids' bathroom is all done and looks pretty nice! After that, we will have the final plumbing inspection and overall inspection and be done. Then, we will hopefully hook up the woodstove to help with heating costs! Propane bill was 440.00 and we heat our hot water with electricity and haven't got that bill yet:( Woodstove makes a HUGE difference in the budget! Praise the Lord we have it! Not to mention the good exercise we get from cutting and collecting wood for it! I think that's why I am so tired out by this time - my walks are giving me fresh air every morning!

The boys have been playing games all day with Dad, off and on. Erin is at Grandpa Steve's for a bit and I need to go and pick up Brooke in a bit! So, off I go to think about dinner, I guess. Have a great weekend everyone!

January 19th!

Wow, the time seems to be flying by! Trying to get into a better routine for school, etc. I need to make a visual chart for the kids to go by or something! Fighting off a migraine the past 3 days, but feeling better today - actually got up and went out for a jog/speedwalk this morning - beautiful outside! I need to do that everyday - gets me motivated for the day and good for my mind and body! Last week, ended up bringing home a lab/shepherd mix puppy for our "farm". So far, doing pretty good. A few accidents here and there... Brooke and Curt were gone for the weekend and Saturday morning, she wouldn't eat, then started getting sick from both ends and finally I saw something disgusting come out (outside, thankfully) and took her to the vet where he promptly wormed her and gave her her shots. She weighed 17.1 pounds at 8 weeks old! Big girl! I took her for a walk out back this morning after I came back from my walk - didn't know if she'd make it with me that far! She always has to carry something in her mouth - so cute! She's playing with the kids right now - everyone perches on a couch or chair to avoid her teeth. A few pieces of clothing have holes in them.... sigh... I hope she will turn into a good dog. Maybe we will do obedience classes in the future to help that along! The cats avoid the floor as much as possible as well! Watch out:)

Jeremy is now working on our bathroom tub. We don't know if it's fixable so we'll see! Bummer... very big cracks in this one. He's been enjoying helping the neighbor with the calves and other things. They harvested some of our corn 2 days ago and will finish that this week more than likely. Jeremy and Erin hand picked a 5 gallon bucket and have been grinding it fresh every morning to feed our chickens with! The chickens have started laying 2-3 eggs a day again finally! They seem much happier - letting them out during the day to free range and roam about! Erin hung out with daddy outside all day Saturday. Days like that and I don't even have to tell her to go to bed! I am going to get everyone outside for awhile today after lunch! We'll go for a walk out back or something, we all need fresh air!

Went to church Sunday both services. Got groceries at Meijer's after morning service. Sunday night, something told me it wasn't going to be a good night. I was right. Sitting in church with Isaac, Erin and Brooke, Isaac to the right, Erin and Brooke to the left. All of a sudden, I heard a "t00t" from Isaac. He started giggling, I tried real hard NOT to giggle, Brooke also tried, but didn't succeed - had to hang her head low, covering her face with her hair! Erin didn't hear, thank goodness! Gave him the evil eye... not even 10 minutes later, another "toot" and giggle. Go get a drink of water and get a hold of yourself. Comes back in giggling!!! Ok, get a hold of myself... another one! By this time, Erin had fallen asleep while drawing. When I got up to take Isaac out, Erin woke up complaining she wanted to draw, still (LOUDLY)... I felt like EVERYONE was looking at me and my out of control kids!!! :0) How come I had a hard time not losing it laughing wise! I needed to be serious! Sorry pastor and congregation and the Badours who were sitting behind us! I need the back back row from now on!

Ok, had another good laugh (sorry!)... off to lunch.. Have a great day!

So, off to do lunch and other things. Have a great day!

Winter is fun when you are all dressed for it!

I went for a walk out back so took a picture of our home from the back!

Erin got to go one last time!

Isaac even lasted out there in the cold after he lost his scarf!

Try snowboarding on a sled (Jeremy and Curt) with Isaac in front.

last bunch of pics

Erin loving the snow!

Curt giving Jeremy a push.

Curt, Erin and Isaac

We got to see the neighbors newest calf - one week old there were 2 as of yesterday, another one was born! So cute!

Curt, Isaac, Daddy and Erin! Erin loved it so much, she had to go one more time before we went in - she didn't want to quit but we were all hungry and cold!

Grandpa Coe

Grandma Coe and Brooke after her gift of monkey butt powder:)

Brooke and Aunt Heather - Heather is wearing the vest Grandma got Brooke

Amber and Francisco

Grandpa playing for all of us!

winter pics

Dad playing guitar and harmonica!

Opening gifts!

my brother, Phil

Amber and Lyndsay - she was doing peek-a-boo

winter fun!

Christmas at Dad and Teresa's Brooke and her peacoat with Carly and Heather

Chelsea opening her gift

Isaac's face says it all!

Erin and horses....

Curt and some shoes he's wanted for atleast a month!