Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. I am grateful for such a wonderful family. We all missed Dad this year...but we know he is in a better place now. The food as usual, was delicious...and I ate too much.
After gorging on turkey, dressing, yams, corn casserole...etc., we hung out. The teens and young people played a game. The traditional jigsaw puzzle was worked on. It was good just to be together.
Like this picture? Allen took it this summer. Thought I'd use it...because I like pictures on my posts and I have nothing in my pics that have anything to do with today's entry.
(Again...nothing to do with today's post. A picture of us on Mount Cardigan in New Hampshire)
It's just another Saturday in our amazing household. Audra practiced tickling the ivories. They giggled quite nicely.
Allen went to swim practice at the high school and then came home and proceeded to make plans with friends. I was a very mean mother and made him do some homework before he took off.
Alicia and I baked peanut butter fingers. Tonight...I will be home alone. Alicia is staying over night at a friend's house. Jamie is working on our car over at Roy's house. Audra went to Abby's. Allen is hanging with Sam and Jacob. Maybe Sherman and I will take in a movie or....read, what else?
I am really anxious now to get back to my grad work. I'm almost done...only two more courses and then my school internship. As many of you readers know (all 2 of you), I had to stop my studies because of my father's illness. None of us expected him to go so fast. I spent the day with Mom. I really miss Dad. I had a dream about him last night. I don't remember any of the details of my dream, just that he was in it. At Mom's, I just had to check to see if his coat was still hanging on the hook in the laundry room. It was. Along with his hat and sweater vest. Somehow that makes me feel good. I like seeing them there.
I just hope there are no more unexpected bends in the road for a while. There is good news! I can do my secondary level practicum with the same librarian that I was originally going to do it with. I wasn't sure if I could because she talked about retiring some day on her blog and that worried me a little.
We had a rough week, but God is good. Allen came down with the flu on Sunday morning, which explained why he was feeling so rotten at his cross country sectionals last Saturday. He missed most of school this week. I was able to communicate with his teachers and get some school work so he didn't fall terribly far behind. The varsity swim team season also started. I sent emails to the coach explaining Allen's situation so that the coach knew Allen was still interested. The coach also said that he would help Allen get into swimming slowly since he was recovering from illness. 
On Friday he went back to school and went to swim practice.
I think the boys all had fun and it was a good way to kick off the season. Family members of the team were able to join in with the sharing of a meal.
I know this picture is pretty lousy...but it's what I have! Today was a gorgeous day! Warm, sunny...a good day for a race. It was Sectionals for the X Country Teams in the area. Allen did not run his best. He got a bad cramp in the middle of the race. Right behind him is Dominik from Arcadia. Dominik is the son of a close childhood friend of mine...so I was pleased to see him in the same photo. In the end, Dominik came in ahead of Allen...but I think it was only because of the cramp. Next year, Dominik! Next year!
And here is a little team building exercise after the racing was done!
I'm finally getting around to telling you that the swine flu has come to our house. The school called me on Friday to come and get Alicia because she had a fever of 100.5. That evening the coughing started.
All in all, she had a fairly mild case of it. Between doses of acetaminophen, she happily read or played with her dolls. By yesterday she was bored and I went to the school to get some work for her. Today I "home schooled" her. She is itching to get back to school. She no longer has a fever....but the cough is lingering. I talked to the school nurse today and she agreed that as long as Alicia has not had a fever for a few days she can come back to school in spite of the cough. No one else has caught it besides her. At this point, I think the rest of us will be spared.
Get Ready! Get set!
Go! And they're off!
I have not been very good about blogging lately. Sorry. I've been a bit distracted by everything in my life for the past year. School. The death of my father. I'm going to get back on track hopefully. I'll start with a very belated post about my son on our high school's Cross Country team. He had such a great season and it is almost over. Only this week to go. Next week he starts swimming with the varsity swim team.
Go Allen Go!!!!
Today is perfect! I am listening to Michael Card on CD, a pot of chicken soup is simmering on the stove...and I am working on some art work! Love it!
I am glad there is still beauty in the world. These are mums that Audra, Alicia and I received at Lindsay's bridal shower. She is my nephew Scott's fiance. The bright fall colors bring me cheer on such a cold dreary day. There was snow on the ground here when we woke up. Too early in the season for snow!
I've been considering taking on a new painting project. Painting on china. I've never tried it before but I've seen it done. I have a very plain white teapot in my cupboard that looks so boring. I just love Blue Delft that is manufactured in Holland. Here is a picture that I borrowed from the internet. Isn't it just gorgeous? I'd love to have a whole collection of it. I've borrowed several such images so that I can get a feel for how to paint blue delft patterns onto my china teapot. I know it will be a far cry from the real stuff...but it could prove to be fun and satisfying in the end. So do you think it can be done?
I went to my parents' house today. I'm not sure if I can ever get used to saying my mother's. I find myself walking around checking to see if the little pieces of my father are still there. His glasses on the dresser. His boots. His wallet...with some cash still in it. His banjos and guitar still hanging on the wall. I found a birthday card laying on the end table in the living room. It was for my mother who's birthday was on August 26...his signature on it with the little xxx's and ooo's he always put on.
I woke up to thick clouds and gray sky. One of those days where you know it is just going to be drizzly rain all day long. Rachel called me and told me that I had better come right away. She said, "It's different today. He's not waking up and his fingers look gray." I left immediately. It's a 45 minute drive from my house to my parent's home. I got to Dad's bedside and held his hand and the tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew he was very close to death. I prayed that the Lord would come and take him. About fifteen minutes after I arrived, he slipped away from us. At that moment, the clouds parted and the sun shone down through the window and onto the bed where he lay. I honestly believe that it was a gift from God for us.
I have not blogged much about my feelings or posted status updates regarding my father. I just don't even know what to say. Yesterday I really lost it. I was at CBS (Community Bible Study)...I really lost it and the women around me were wonderful. I'm just so thankful for my family that God gave me here on earth. I'm talking about my parents and siblings. My husband and children. My nieces and nephews. And I am also thankful for my sisters and brothers in Christ.
