Family Times

     This fall we got to take a little trip up the Mississipp to visit Bemidji and see family. Always a good thing!
     One evening we hung out at the Cobb's home right on the Mississippi. Eating and fellow-shipping. Ephriam learned he really liked fried purple onions when Uncle Luke feeds them to him. And Travis shared some Red green episode he thought was funny to some of the guys. I guess they thought it was fun as well.

     It was deer hunting season while we were up there so when anyone was out beyond the yard they needed to wear hunter orange. We aren't too supplied on hunter orange clothes so I brought along the home depot aprons. I thought I was pretty clever. Mostly we just stayed out of the woods and worked around the house and garage. No one was supposed to be hunting in the pasture but it is better to be safe than sorry.

 Eph thought Bea's pink hair was a little overwhelming
;)

 Grandma's love to hold sleeping babies.
Sleeping babies love to be held by Grandmas.

     Several trees were cut down. This one was particularly close to the house so we all came outside and watched from a safe distance. Travis did good and the tree fell just where it was supposed too. Dad was on the skid loader giving it a pull in the right direction as well.

      The night we came home was the super moon. It was so pretty. When we got home we got out the telescope and gave it a viewing that was a little more up close and personal. You could really see the details of it through the telescope's lenses.

          That morning in his sermon Mathew used James 3:17 & 18.

      But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

Those words really struck me as who I want to be. Can I be less greedy, more pure in my intentions? More peaceful than grumpy, gentle in my response rather than critical? reasonable rather than jumping to conclusions? Merciful rather than impatient, leaving a trail of good memories rather than angst? Steadfast rather than giving up? all of that without being hypocritical?

 I think I can but I have to try. I want to try. I will try.

     Then, my Uncle Leland died and we took a trip to Wisconsin to celebrate his life.
Uncle Lee was a great guy with a lot of great traits but what we will most miss and we remember about him is his music. Him sitting at the piano, beaming with joy as he played and sang songs of praise to Jesus. Family reunions are not going to be the same with out his presence. He didn't have to be the one making the music he was quite happy listening to others and clapping along. Music was his peace.

 At the Johnson's house with cousins.

Until next time,

~Anna

And They Keep on Growing up!

I have been a mother for 18 years and 10 days now. It has been so much fun. I'll always be a mom now but some of my roles are going to change. This year I am realizing just how soon that will be. I truly am excited for these changes and so very pleased with the people my children are becoming. 

 Goofy,

 Helpful,

 Loving,

Patient,

 Grateful,

  Musical,                     ,

                                     

 Friendly,

 Joyful,

They are mine and I wouldn't have them any other way!

Ephesians 1:4

Long before he [God] laid down earth's foundations, he had [my babies] in mind, had settled [on them] as the focus of His love.

What a promise! All the love I have for them is magnified way more by God's love and plans for them. We are entering years of moving on and growing up and stepping out on their own. I won't be every where with them but God is and he knows exactly what they need. We just have to follow him, listen to him, trust him, obey.

I am blessed, we are blessed,

~Anna

Grilling

I wrote this post back in August or July and didn't finish it but today I decided to add pictures and post as is :)

This month we have had some truly summery days. Hot and sunny. Great for making things grow. I am thankful for those days and I don't want to warm up the house to much so we use the grill more. That is fun. Trying not to use the stove in the kitchen helps us be more creative.

Besides the classic grilling of steaks, brats and burgers we also roasted our vegies on the grill. Baked an apple pie. Created a delectable tilapia and carrots with garlic meal as well. Cooked the rice and corn bread all on the grill. It worked great for every one of those things. The thing to remember though is that rice and potatoes takes longer on the grill than steaks or brats. Just start them first.

 Margaret became a master of flat bread this summer. While I prefer it when she grills it on the George foreman grill it is also very tasty when she makes it on the outside grill along with her "shwarma" chicken that she grills. It is so nice having confident cooks around here.

Peace and Joy,

~Anna

Testing

This past week was the week of tests around our house. I didn't plan it but they all ended up landing right now. On Saturday Harrison started the week of testing by taking his ACT with writing, Monday Beatrice and Gregory got started on their standardized tests that they have to take each year, by MN law. Then on Wednesday Margaret took the accu placer to see if she can take courses at Century College for her Junior year of High school. She can. I knew she could. Wednesday Gregory and Beatrice finished their tests and that rounded out our week of testing for academic astuteness. Now the waiting for scores on Bea, Gregory and Harrison has started. It will be awhile before we hear and by the time we get the results we will have forgotten that we even took them, it takes so long.
We also started a new stage in our life as a foster family. Another form of testing. It is fun to have a little one crawling around the house. Arranging my life around nap times and Dr appointments, packing a bag for any trip outside the house, that is the new norm for us. Hopefully soon his family will be ready to have him and care for him again but until then we will love on him and cherish his days here. Taking tests the first full week our little new friend was here was nice since they are quite a lot easier and less time consuming then regular schoolwork. We could adjust to having a small one around here and not be all consumed with studies in the morning. It has been back to the grind this week though and he has been really good while Gregory, Beatrice and I work on stuff he plays beside us in the living room or in my lap.

Best wishes for a Happy Day,
~Anna

Ferrets

This winter we added two more creatures to our household. For some reason unknown to me, Gregory decided he really needed to have ferrets. Why I don't know at all, but he really did, So after much research on his part and careful thought and planning we randomly went to the pet store to scope them out. My downfall was Travis was home when we went and insisted on going along. The store used the art of a "good deal that might not be here long" and the ferrets used their cute personality and home we came with two ferrets! Gregory much the poorer, because these are his and not ours, but so super excited. The older three children were gone for the weekend so he was blessed by having Deborah along to help get excited and DJ came home with us as well and helped with the setting up of the kennel and all. February thirteenth is marked as Mocha and Bandits gotcha day on my calendar.

We have decided that ferrets are among the messiest of creatures but also very fun and entertaining. They can be so bouncy and very inquisitive, if it is a small opening they are sure it is meant as a challenge for them. Their flexibility and supple muscles are really quite amazing to watch. I hope this video plays of their messing around the kitchen one day. It wasn't done by a professional and there is a good bit of household background noise but just keep the volume down. 

By the way, it does play now :)

Grace and Peace,
~Anna

No, this isn't a picture from today. Not even this year. I have been feeling sad recently about this winter. We hardly did anything outside. You would think since it was so warm we would have been out more, but I guess it doesn't work that way. We have walked to the grocery store or the library. Things like that, practical walks and that is good but without cold and snow we just aren't tempted to go on adventures. I miss those adventures. We haven't been skiing, hiking, or even sledding since December! We live in MN. That just seems so bizarre. Next winter we are going to have to be more intentional with getting out to play even if it doesn't seem like playing weather. This picture is at Battle Creek Regional Park. We haven't been there since summer! That is a really long time for us to not have explored there, at least a little. So Friday we may be getting some snow, we hope, but we may not. Either way God is good and all is well. The weather isn't what makes a day good but the choices we make to spend the day in joy or sadness. With God or apart from Him.
So make good choices!
In Him,
~Anna

Crazy how much time can pass without one even knowing where it has gone! So many fun little things happen and are gone in a blink of an eye and without some form of journaling they are forgotten. I guess journaling isn't a word but it makes sense to me "the act of writing in a journal". Something I haven't been good at keeping at consistently. I had an "on this day" memory the other day on facebook that reminded me how much I want to be able to look back and see the fun we have had. The memory was when the 6 year olds in my house were wanting to have a tea party, but I was needing to set up for other company coming to visit so I wouldn't let them set up on the main floor, so they went to the basement and needed more chairs for their table so guess where the party was held? In the bathroom! The toilet was the 3rd chair. That was in 2010. So now I am going to try to jot down those little things once more. We'll see how it goes.
After I took MaMa, BeBe and GeGe to Co-op this morning I returned some clothes to Value Village Arc. I am becoming their Thursday morning regular. This was my third week in a row going there. I don't think I will be back next week because everything I bought today fits. Last week I got HaHa a pair of jean shorts that I think would have fit him great but he refused to try them on! He has such strict rules (these were a bit dated I suppose, but he is so tall it is hard to find them as long as he likes and these might have been :). I found a few good deals today, I think. Then I went to the library for a quick switch of the books that were due and the books I had requested that were in. I am their Thursday morning regular all school year. From the library I ran home, switched laundry loads, hung up the clean clothes and did emails for an hour before I had to be back to correct papers at co-op at 11 am. I had intended to get the bread baked during that time as well, but ran out of time so I punched it down and told it to do some more rising and ran out the door. I am enjoying the ladies at co-op a lot this year. We have such good visits. There are a few new families and then some I have just gotten to know better.
HaHa had another Algebra II test. That teacher doesn't seem to be getting her point across to the students well at all. She misses an awful lot of classes and I guess a lot of the first class of students wasn't able to finish the test and then Haha's class mostly didn't either. They finally, this week, a month after the test, got their first test results back which weren't too great. He is a PSEO student so it is pretty important that he get good grades. Oh well, there are two more months of classes hopefully things balance out there and they figure out her problem.
Haha had band this afternoon and while he was gone Travis woke up (he worked nights) and shortly after that we went to clean the church building. When we got home from cleaning HaHa had our supper ready of spaghetti. DeDe came over for awhile this evening.
I am trying to figure out what to get rid of and what to rearrange to make room for one little foster boy. I need to make some phone calls regarding that in the am.
Good night.

A Picture Perfect Day

           Today I was able to steal my Mom's camera. And so I took these pictures and many more.

A non lake version of a cattail

           This is some plant that I saw at the top of our hill that I thought looked somewhat like a cattail. (Also known as Mullein or Pioneers Toilet Paper.) And so seeing as it seemed to be posing for the camera I decided to give in.

My shadow is following Me!

           There was very nice lighting and since the sun was going down I found a shadow of Me waiting at  the bottom of the hill for the real Me.

the Moon and A Meteorite, can't get much better.

           Then I saw the Moon with a jet passing and I got separate shots of both but, this one put them together so nicely.

             There was an airplane following the jet about half an hour later and I took a picture of it at Harrison's request.

I'm a Star!!!!

            Then I got all my siblings (We all had been banished from the house by our evil ahem, nice Mother.) To pose for me as I took their picture.

Chocolate! Chocolate! Mustache!

             When we had, had hot chocolate earlier today Gregory had been messy and Mom didn't notice it and so there he went with a mustache throughout the day.

pretty picture

              I was actually able to get them all around smiling (I really don't know what Harrison is up to but, it may be he just hasn't had enough practice smiling with his teeth.) And as I said the lighting was perfect.

I'm a little Egyptian

            Beatrice wanted to pose again so they tried the Egyptian walk but couldn't quite get it right so they look more like little teapots. I have another picture of them doing this but Gregory was in the middle of falling and alone Bea looked like she was trying to model something.

A bad self-portrait

            I had decided that there needed to be a picture of me on this day so I tried to do it by myself and it didn't turn out so well. Oh well.

Natasha's house

            I liked the way the sun was on her window so I took the picture for that reason and only that reason.

  Adios,
Margaret

Changes

And not brought to you by Obama. These are good changes.

School has been in session for a couple months now. We have managed to take a week or so off each month but I think even with our breaks we have truly become smarter.

We have grown older,

eating her birthday breakfast of biscuits and gravy

Margaret is now 12,

 Beatrice in now 9,

Singing Happy Birthday and getting ready to receive her  birthday "spankings".

 And Harrison is 14.

For Harrison's birthday we went to Fogo De Choa for lunch with a couple of his friends..

and to Kade's, a special little friend of Harrison's with whom he almost shares a birthday, birthday supper.

My hair was craving a change so I finally gave in to it and got it cut. Here are some before pictures for posterity.

An immediately after the cutting picture.

Lest you worry my hair was wasted I did donate it to Locks of Love so I guess it will  be worn by someone else some day. 

We are now among the people who can say they have cured, cooked and eaten corned beef tongue. It truly is tasty but some of us are having a hard time eating it. It is just a bit different in texture and in looks than what we are accustomed to.

Peeling the beef tongue.

Travis lost his schedule at work that I was so loving. He is now working the road which he actually likes a lot better so it was a good and bad change.

We thought about changing our washing machine but turns out we don't need to change that. Now I have a spare machine in my laundry area. Anyone want to buy a overhauled and cleaned top loading washer? I like the storage I get on top of the front loading washer better. Besides I guess front loaders are more energy efficient and definitely they are much quieter.

More later,
~Anna

Today

 It has been a perfect summer day today. I just wish it was actually summer. It worries me that it is so warm and dry right now. I sound like my Grandma, never happy with the weather. But seriously I am choosing to worry about the weather this year. This mild of a winter seems to me that we are going to have a ridiculously hot summer, and this many bugs in March doesn't make me happy either, unless they all die out by the time summer actually arrives. 
Well anyways, we did have a good day today. We did a little of this and a little of that, We got the house relatively cleaned, worked in the yard a little bit, took a bike ride with friends, I banned nerf wars for the day. Life is much more peaceful that way.

When we returned from our ride we washed the van. We aren't perfectionist, but it is much better than it started out. I thought maybe we would also vacuum it, but I forgot to mention it or do it myself. Now we have something to do on an other day. We also watered the apples trees. It seems so dry. 

In between activities a lot of board games were played, I like it when they play them.

Monday we wandered over to the zoo. It was such a pretty day in the conservatory. 
:)
~Anna

My Grandma

February 24, 2012 my Grandma Cleone went home to be with Jesus. She was tired and so ready to have a break, so I am happy for her. But I miss her.Miss her insight into teaching my children, planting a garden, sewing, cooking, all the different things that Grandma had done and was interested in hearing about me doing. Miss that connection to a  place in my history. Hearing her voice. Miss all of her little idiosyncrasies that made her my Grandma.

When I was little I always wanted to sit next to Grandma in the evenings or at church so she could rub her fingers on my hands and arms. She had very soft, warm, round fingers that she would slowly swirl and  curve around on my skin, it was so relaxing.

Growing up Grandma always sent a box at our birthdays and at Christmas time. They were very anticipated events and a lot of fun to open. We could count on a box of whoppers, usually something to wear, something fun and on our birthdays there was always a cake mix with a fun flavor to bake and frosting. For our family who always did things from scratch it was fun to have the crumbling box cakes.

Grandma had a unique way of saying hello when she answered the telephone that was more of a 'yallow', she had a lovely alto voice when she sang. I enjoyed hearing her play the piano for church, it was a heavy chording style that was hers. Listening to her read stories was always fun. At the bottom of this post of my sister's there is a video clip of Grandma reading in 2008 if you would care to hear her read.

Saturday mornings was Grandma's day to call us. When we were little we each took a turn talking to her, gradually that faded away. Then in her older years I tried to call her regularly. Each conversation she would make sure I was still home schooling my children and let me know just how important that was, check on Travis and if he still liked driving trains and she always wanted to hear how church was going. If we had  had a VBS that summer, how that went or other seasonal items. Almost any time of the year she also checked on my garden in some way. How it had produced, had I started planting it, did it grow well, if I was able to can anything from it.

Grandma usually made it up a couple times a summer to visit us in northern MN from southern Iowa. She didn't ever want to get caught in bad weather. But she often timed her visits it seems when there was butchering to be done. A part of life that I may have tried to avoid but she knew how to be a help and wanted to help. 

Grandma really liked to craft; sewing, crocheting, ceramics and lots of other enterprises she liked to try them all. When she would come for a visit she often brought a project for us to do with her. We painted lots of lovely figurines, hers always turned out so much nicer looking than mine. She tried to teach each of us how to crochet. It worked well with Peter and Abbi, me not so much, I never developed an even stitch. 

One time when my mom gave Grandma a perm to give her the wave she liked to have, it washed out her hair dye that she had in to give her a salt and pepper gray look that she had all of my younger days. I couldn't believe she would cover up a most beautiful head of snow white hair with dye. It shook Grandma up a bit to have us all see her white hair since she was a very private person. The gray promptly returned for a few more years but gradually she let it go to white. I didn't understand then just how hard change is. Our comfort zone is a very comfortable place indeed.

Some smells make me think of places or people. Cutting open a grapefruit often makes me think of breakfast at grandma's. She set the halved grapefruit into individual bowls and then she had special grapefruit spoons to dig out the flesh.

When I was in college in Ottumwa, Iowa I was near enough to spend the Saturdays I didn't work visiting or shopping with Grandma. We liked to go down to an outlet mall and browse the stores, we rarely stayed together, but we were together and we always ate lunch at Arby's. A few times we went to the Amanna colonies to a sweater factory store where she liked to get her button-up sweaters. She almost always had a sweater with her to ward off cool breezes.

Most all of the Sundays I was at college the afternoons were spent at her house, she made Peter and I and usually a few friends dinner every week after church.

Grandma wasn't a very cuddly person, we didn't get too many hugs and kisses from her, but yet she showed us love in so many ways. I am very grateful to have had her, and to have all the memories I do. So many more than I can tell. It has been emotional thinking about her this evening, but also rather fun. I do hope you have a Grandma you can reminisce about as well.  

Blessings,

~Anna

We have had quite the week here at the Edwards home. I didn't plan for it, it just came swiftly in the night Sunday. It started just before bedtime my littlest two had tummy aches, not bad, but they did complain to me of this. We had had a very snack-y supper so I thought they may have eaten to much of something. Gregory blamed the orange slices, I don't. All that to say the first two hours of my sleep that night were the longest I got. I started doing laundry at 1:39 am. The poor washer got very few breaks for the next 16 hours and got right back at it Tuesday morning for the last few loads, I thought. Poor Margaret got the bug about 7 am and I wasn't once needed to help her. She hit the toilet every time! I am so very proud of her! and pleased and thankful for her. Monday was a tough day for them but fortunately Daddy was home and had a good book he was reading to them. So for hours they all laid around the living room listening. I ran to L'ttoille Du Norde french immersion at midday to pick up MyKayla. It wasn't just our house that was attacked, I was the sixth adult to sign out a sick child that morning there. She got right into the book and joined the others on the floor with their blankets. Truly a sweet sight if it hadn't been under these circumstances, it would have been lovely. 

It isn't uncommon for Travis to read to his babies for long periods of time but more precious to me this time because Sunday night we watched the movie Courageous. I was way more touched by this movie than I ever expected to be. It drives home the point how very important a Father is in a child's life. Even with good mothers we need our dad's to be present! I strongly recommend that you watch Courageous if you haven't. The best price I found was at cbd
You will be blessed by Courageous. It may be a little corny at times but really it is pretty much just good.
Monday night I introduced my kids to my Uncle Tim via a foggy video. The video was taken just weeks before his life was brought to an end -way to early, in August 1990. He traveled around doing gospel concerts in churches all over the USA and this was a recording of him in Brainerd, MN. I think of Uncle Tim when I hear certain songs still. Two that he sang at that concert keep going through my head since then. The God On the Mountain talks about God being with us wherever we are in good times and bad times He is always with us. When things go wrong, he'll make it right. It is encouraging. The other song I always think of Uncle Tim when I hear is God Bless The USA. Patriotic songs are one of my favorites and this is one of the favorites.Watching the video made me all sentimental, so we got out a few photo albums from that time. Memories are so sweet, and sharing them with my children is even sweeter.
Tuesday we were all healthy, wealthy and wise. We thought we had kicked the flu monster and we were back in the game. Travis and I got our taxes done. Travis went to work. I caucused. The kids kept busy playing, helping, studying, being thankful they were well again.
Wednesday morning at 12:37 we heard a mighty hacking from the bathroom. Harrison was hit by the flu bug in a mighty way. Poor guy has had it the worst of all the children. I hope Thursday is much better for him. We laid low all day today, hoping to strengthen and heal.

In our reading we read The Wonderful Way Babies Are Made. This book covers exactly what the title states, the wonderful way babies are made. It covers details that are maybe uncomfortable to visit about with our children but very important for them to know and understand, before peers misinform them. The Wonderful Way Babies are Made is written from a biblical world view and gives you opportunity to have an important discussion with your children, our most important asset. It is written in layers so you can read it with varying age levels.


This week may not have been what I expected, so far, no music lesson, no swimming, no Wed. night church... but we have been very blessed by extra time just us hanging out, with our buckets handy, as a family. 
I received a letter from an elderly friend today and in closing she reminded me to enjoy the years of my family being with me. Because they go so fast. She double underlined it. It is so true. It is true of any season you are in though, I think. When you look back it will be over so very quickly.


Enjoy the present,
~Anna