So Long June

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June was a good month, wasn’t it?

I did not go into summer with any expectations really.

I would say this has been the most laid back summer we have had in a long, long time.

Of course I am just speaking for my trio and myself!

Blake, Grant, Addie and Chad would probably not agree with me!

They are super busy at work, as always, and also have a lot going on outside of work too.

Praise the Lord for my trio!!

I enjoy spending my days with Lane, Tate and Eliza!

We make a good crew!

The Monday after Father’s Day, Kay and her crew came over to swim and have supper with us!

It was certainly the BEST day ever!

And of course I only took these two photos because I clearly lost my mind, ha, ha.

Tuesday always means French toast for breakfast.

Have I ever told you I don’t like to think on my feet?

Hence French toast for breakfast every Tuesday.

My kiddos count on it, you know!

We also saw these two cuties on our way to Kay’s place that day.

They stood there a long time before I finally got them to move so I could drive by!!

Wednesday morning I always make baked oatmeal with fruit in it.

They count on that too!

This particular Wednesday was BEAUTIFUL!

I was outside before the kiddos even got done with their morning chores.

Then I took a special helper with me to run some quick errands in Viroqua.

It is such a joy to have them one-on-one!!

When we got home we headed out to work in our little garden.

It was the perfect temperature to weed and harvest!

I grabbed some kale and we had green smoothies for snack as our reward.

SO, so fun harvesting and eating what we’ve grown!

For lunch we ate those radishes whole – they are delicious!

Even though it was a beautiful day, there was still laundry!

Always laundry here!

Wednesday afternoon I met a girlfriend for coffee, where we talked each other’s ears off for a couple of hours.

It was THE BEST.

She is SO sweet and I left with a wonderful gift.

I came home to some kiddos enjoying that pool of ours.

Just this weekend my hubby was finally home long enough to get that water clear and it looks much better than this photo!

That evening when Blake got home Tate ran up to him saying, “DAD!! Mom let me get a scone at the Co-op this morning and I saved you some!!”

We died laughing when we saw this little bite left with bite marks on all sides.

SO funny!!

We have had some days with a lot of down time, and some days that are super busy.

It’s all been good!

Of course we are still watching cooking shows!!

And of course we bought Blake a crepe pan for Father’s day, because what guy wouldn’t want a crepe pan, ha, ha!

Don’t worry – he got other gifts too – and benefited greatly from the crepe pan!

While they ate those, I ate this!

Friday mornings are still about ALL the errands.

You can get a lot done in a few hours very early in town when not many others are out and about.

When I went to the Pilates Studio to work out that day, I found these notes from my hubby in my workout shoes, of all things!

When I get home on Fridays it is time for the big unload.

My trio is good at this job and we are fast and efficient!!

I buy them a box of gluten-free donuts every Friday for their hard work!!

After that was all done I SO badly wanted to join Ruby Jane right there on that couch.

But there was laundry to do, cleaning to do, and bills that needed paid!

Saturday of last week was slloowww and wonderful.

We were tired, especially my guys who have been working endlessly on Grant’s house!

Some of our salad box – brought to us by our very own garden!!

I bought a daikon radish when I saw it at the grocery store and made a salsa with it for tacos that night.

It wasn’t anything spectacular, but we ate it!

Tate made us a strawberry pie!!

He and I like making dessert for Saturday nights!

I started taking this three times a day for my health, along with doing several other things, and I am seeing great results!

I am not 100 percent, but SO thankful for the progress I’ve made!

I enjoy reading this book every summer – it just gets my thoughts in the right place as I pray over and plan a new school year.

Such a good book!

Speaking of books, I just got this book and it is a wealth of information.

Sunday that week was very restful as we enjoyed lunch at Kays and then time at home on a beautiful day.

I couldn’t believe another week was starting!

We enjoyed a Monday morning in the garden this past week.

Monday evening we had our monthly Women’s gathering at our church.

We watched a video on Biblical Womanhood – it was SO good!

Then we enjoyed snacks, games, and visiting and it was FANTASTIC!!

I am determined to try to get more of our mornings back to a rhythm, and Tuesday we did just that.

Tate and Eliza and their Mama especially enjoy our morning rhythm!

I love when this guy is home!

He usually arrives very dirty from a full day of work and very hungry!!

Here’s what some evenings look like around here – me taking a nap right before I go to bed.

Smile.

Grateful I can rest when I need to though.

Wednesday morning we had dentist appointments!

We took over 170 teeth to the dentist that day, and only one tooth had a very small cavity!

I would say that’s a WIN!!

I feed the kiddos lunch and then usually have something entirely different.

I was in a snack mood this day – who loves guacamole like me??

I decided on Thursday last week that we would do our morning rhythm again.

I was SO surprised at how well our Bible memory review went!

These kiddos have a ton of verses memorized perfectly!

We got our minds moving with some Math problems too.

They always love to be read to!

And even after all these years, I love to read to them!!

Eliza is writing her own story.

She writes and writes and it is just the cutest thing!!

Guess what Friday morning was again this week?

It was CRAZY in town this Friday – and I was still there very early!

I think the holiday weekend had something to do with it!

I managed to get all our grocery and errands done, workout, and be back home by 10:30.

We had a GREAT July 4th weekend – did you all?

That will be up next!!

IT’S JULY!!

Just in case you did not get that memo!

We have a lot of great things on the calendar for this month, including quite a bit of traveling.

We will see what the Lord allows!!

Excited for it ALL!

Happy July, friends!!

Have a happy Tuesday that feels like a Monday!!

Summer Time

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After our big trip to Madison, we started the rest of that week off strong with our morning rhythm!

I really enjoy our morning summer rhythm and so does our trio – Lane, Tate, and Eliza!

We worked on our memory work, a bit of table time school, and of course read aloud.

Monday had not only wore out the Mama of this crew, but also a sweet girl who needs more sleep than the boys do.

At least she picked a good, soft pillow!

Not only were we thankful for the weather on that Tuesday after so much rain, but also thankful that Chad was home Tuesday afternoon!

He borrowed Grant’s mower and mowed the land for us.

When I came out into the main room around 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning and opened the curtains, I was welcomed by the most beautiful sunrise!

I quietly opened the front door to get this first photo and then sat down in the living room to enjoy my quiet and Bible time.

The sky just kept getting better!!

By the time it was at its best, it had filled the whole sky with this pink glow.

I looked at the time stamp on these photos for your all!

The first one is 5:06 a.m., then 5:11 a.m., and then 5:15 a.m.

Gorgeous!!

That was the last of the sun that we saw that day!

The afternoon brought a lot more rain and some storms our way.

Aren’t the clouds SO majestic?!

We filled our day with quiet inside activities, like games, painting, and for me – working in the kitchen!

I had had a doctor’s appointment that morning, and I had a lot on my mind as we try to figure out how to best deal with a new diagnosis.

I am always SO thankful the Lord has given me these kiddos to keep me on my feet and enjoying life!!

How I love to cook and bake for everyone!

Did you know I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday?

It’s always leftovers for me!

Whatever we had the night before.

Fridays always have me leaving home before 6 a.m. to head to get grocery and run all the errands.

It is working well to do it at that time – especially when there is already daylight and warm temperatures!!

The rest of Fridays are for laundry, cleaning, bills, and getting ready for everyone to be home more on the weekends!

That Friday night Blake and I had a DATE NIGHT!!!

I have not been driving back to town for date night as of late – one, because of my health, but two because of gas prices.

I was thankful there were errands that needed done and then Blake and I grabbed some snack foods and sat by the river and talked as we watched the sunset!

He is a FABULOUS date!!

Last Saturday was a not just a big kitchen day, but a HUGE kitchen day.

We had our normal things to take care of for the week ahead, but then I also had food to make for a singing group coming to our church, and also for Father’s Day!

I had the best two helpers while everyone else was either at work or working down at Grant’s house!

We worked hard and then we played hard!!

Lane was back home by that time and the kiddos got to swim while I enjoyed the sunshine from the patio!

Look at our strawberries already, by the way!

The work down at Grant’s place is progressing!

Pretty much his whole house looks like this, ha, ha!

But as I type they are spraying plaster on the walls today!

After that dries for three days, they will be spraying primer, and then paint!

That’s when all the fun begins for the rest of us when we can actually help.

I can’t wait!!

Saturday evening we had our monthly hymn sing at our friend’s home.

It was wonderful!!

Father’s Day was WONDERFUL except that we were missing Kay and her crew!

But we had the best time celebrating Blake!

He loves and cherishes us SO well and we were super happy to love on him!

There was a yummy meal, gifts, and a cake I had made that got rave reviews.

I love this photo of Blake with six of his arrows so much!!

On Father’s Day evening we headed back to church and enjoyed a performance by a singing group that was visiting us.

It was a fun way to end the weekend!

Well, I put all of my signature sky photos earlier in this post!

So I will end with a hope that you all are doing well and enjoying summer too!

Happy Belated Father’s Day to all the father’s out there!!

Until next time….

Team Tate and a Great Report!

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We have quite a few appointments sprinkled throughout our summer, and last week on Monday was Tate’s turn!

This appointment with Tate’s neurosurgeon was scheduled one year ago when Tate last saw this doctor, and was just for a check-up (or check-in depending on how you look at it).

I knew Tate did not need this appointment!

We have zero concern about Tate’s stability right now!

So I had called to see if we could change this in person appointment to a video or telephone call instead.

They told me they would send a message back to the doctor and get back to me.

After several days of not hearing back from them, I called again.

And again, and again, and again.

I would sit on hold for 20 minutes or more each time and never get through to a person!

I went on Tate’s my chart account to see if I could send a scheduling message that way, and it said medical questions only, so I did not.

My trio and I ended up driving to Madison last Monday to go to this appointment!

This is only the second time in eight years that I have done a trip to UW Madison for a medical appointment for Tate or Eliza without Blake.

He had a very busy day at work that day, and we also knew the appointment would probably not be anything he would need to be at.

We arrived to Madison a bit early, so we got out to stretch our legs and do some Father’s Day shopping before our appointment time!

Next we headed to the hospital.

There was a lot of road construction near the hospital, and then they sent us to an over flow parking area down the hill and around a couple of bends.

It was a hairy handful of minutes as we tried to make it to our appointment on time!

But we made it!!

I don’t know who all was parked in the parking garage to make it too full for us, because inside the hospital looked like a ghost town.

Someone came from another area and took us back to a room, but she did not even weigh Tate or check his height.

The doctor came a bit later and talked to us.

He asked me lots of questions and then said “You don’t need me, why are you here??!!”

Sigh.

He also did not touch Tate or even have him stand up!

I told him about my efforts to not waste his time that day and he was very sorry for it all, but obviously has no control over what is going on in this world anymore than we do.

ALL that being said – we are very, very thankful that one of Tate’s most needed surgeons told us we don’t need him right now!!!

That is GREAT news, wouldn’t you say??

After Tate’s appointment we made a day of it, even though now it was pouring buckets of rain.

First up was some lunch at Chipotle – the kiddos wanted to eat in the van.

Then we headed to Costco and my trio helped me stock the pantry and freezers.

Nothing like the good feeling of being stocked back up!!

So, this mama made it to Madison and back, through road construction, to an over flow parking area, and then around the big city and all the way back home in the pouring rain.

As soon as we got home and unloaded, I joined Ruby Jane right there on that couch!!

I was so thankful that I had stuffed the instant pot before our 7:30 a.m. departure that morning and we had pork roasts, potatoes and carrots waiting for us for dinner.

Team Tate will be on the road again this summer to see Tate’s much needed orthopedic surgeon.

This is an appointment we won’t change, as Tate has imaging scheduled that day as well, which is important!

Can I just say that it has been a WHOLE YEAR since Tate has had any imaging done – and that is the longest stretch yet without any pictures of his insides!!!!

Oh how we praise the Lord for all He has done for our Tate Owen!!

STABLE, stable, stable….and we will take it!!!

Another Week and We Have a Graduate!

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Let’s start with the BEST from last week!

Chad Ryan finished his work for his senior year of school and is now A GRADUATE!!

It was SO exciting for us all – and more emotional for me than I ever thought it would be!

We are SO, so happy for Chad!!

And can’t wait to see what the Lord has for him in this next season of life!!

Here is a literal snap shot of last week…

How I love memories through photos!!!

My health hasn’t been the best as of late, and I literally spent all day Thursday on the couch or in a chair on the deck.

At least my deck view looked like this!

I had a routine eye appointment on Friday afternoon.

SO much I could say about medical places right now, you know what I mean??

Thankful that my eye prescription is the same, and all else was well with my eyes!

I took this photo on my way home that day as I drove through Coon Valley.

What a great way to capture a moment in time!

Someone FINALLY got a haircut last week.

Some certain kiddos thought she was very cold because of it, ha, ha!

Saturday we had quite a lot of rain.

As a matter of fact, I have yet needed to water our garden since the day we planted it!!

I guess it has been pretty rainy so far this June.

These two got the crazy idea to go and sit on the driveway during the downpour.

No words.

They do crack me up all the time though!!

I am happily enjoying one cup of coffee each day again after a very, very long break.

Not sure it’s completely best for me, but I am enjoying it for now!

I saw this cute mug for $2 and brought it home, but it is so big I have a hard time holding on to it, ha, ha!

Here are my signature sky photos to end this post about another week.

Thank you, Lord, for the sky.

As I type this my health is a little better than it has been the last two months.

Autoimmune disease is tricky, and it waxes and wanes so easily sometimes.

I am very grateful for my hubby who continues to poor into my health and for all of the things that the Lord has burdened us to try!!

God has blessed our efforts over the years more than words could ever convey – and it is humbling!!

Ok – enough teary eyed stuff!!!

Hope you all had a great week last week and that you are crazy enough to sit in the rain too!!!!

Happy Friday, friends!!

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