Randomness

Corporal Emily Shupe reported to class today wearing her uniform for the last time.  She is elated at the thought of no more uniforms in her future.  The year of ROTC has been good for her.  I will remind her of her distaste of the uniform next January when her friends are preparing to attend the military ball...not that it will help the situation at the time of course.

John and Emily performed in the spring concert at school last night.  The music was great.  I am glad both kids decided to continue with band next year.  I am doubly glad they will not join marching band.  Their director is a bit of a fanatic.  Heck, who am I kidding.  She IS a fanatic when it comes to marching band.  Those kids get about two weeks off in the summer before camps and practices begin.  Then it doesn't slow down until the end of November.  The Shupe family has a black mark by our name because our kids don't march.  I don't much care.  Neither do john or Emily.

Grace begins testing this week at school.  She is excited because that means no homework for the next couple weeks.  What a tough time of year to do testing though.  Have you tried to convince a nine year old that it is time to park the bike and get ready for bed at the regular bedtime when there is still more than an hour of daylight left?  Not an easy task.  I might or might not be sending my child to school sleep deprived on test day.  Hey, it's third grade, not college exams.  Right?!

Grant had his second baseball game last night.  David and I had to use the divide and conquer strategy since we had kids in multiple places at once.  We drew straws and he got baseball.  I got the band concert.  That was probably a good thing.  I would have been pretty useless as third base coach....a job david quite enjoyed.  Though he is a very competitive guy, I think he tried to moderate his enthusiasm to a level more appropriate for six and seven year olds instead of the major leagues.  Grant's team won for the first time.  Their record is 1-1.  If it dries out in time, they play again Thursday.

I do have pictures to post.  Sorry for the lack of visual aids.  I'll fix that later today if time.

Give Me Just A Little More Time!!

 

Grant worked on a lesson at school that compared wants and needs.

The students were to make columns of things they want to have and things they need.

 

Grant decided if he had money, he would spend it on the things that he needs.

 

I noticed he had included TIME as one of the things he would buy with his money.

 

 

Am I missing something, or is Grant going to be a very rich man someday when he grows up and sells TIME to people all over the world?

Thoughtful and Creative

 

When playing in the creek, there is an abundance of flowers to pick.

Grace and Emily wanted to pick some last weekend to bring to me when I was still resting and recovering.

 

The problem?

 

Nothing to put the flowers in.

 

 

 

Not to fear.  Daddy always has the best solutions to life's little problems.

 

 

 

 

Use Grace's boots

 

 

 

 

Best floral arrangement a mother could ever get!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The kids each made me a card for Mother's Day.

I have enjoyed them greatly.

 

Most cards exchanged between kids in this house are homemade. 

Here's Grant making one for Grace's birthday a couple months ago.

 

The kids can make whatever they want for each other.

They get pretty interesting at times.

 

Emily even made this poster for Grace's birthday.

It is a quote from the Lilo and Stitch movie.

The girls finally got the poster hung in Grace's room this past weekend.

 

 

 

My favorite loving gesture lately though has to be the boot full of flowers.

Back On The Hamster Wheel

Happy Mother's Day to the mothers in our life. 

 We love you and honor you on this special day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I am back on the big hamster wheel of life....

 

the lack of blogging has not been for dramatic reasons.  I just can't find time to sit down and blog amidst the busyness of life....

 

that and I might be moving a tad bit slower than normal right now.

 

 

David and I worked at the farm Wednesday afternoon.  He tilled the garden while I got the orchard trees sprayed.  We also checked on our bees.  There will definitely be honey to share this year.  Yeah!

The momma duck is patiently sitting her nest.  With luck, there will be ducklings in another week. 

 

 

 

We also checked on the progress at the new house.  Painters have been busy this past week tearing out paneling, peeling wallpaper and painting walls and trim.  It looks amazingly different than before.  Ronnie is looking forward to moving into his newer bigger farm house when it is finished.

 

Baby goats are all doing well too. 

 

 

Six of them frolicking around are a sight to behold. 

 

 

They have a lot of fun playing in the pasture and climbing rock piles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We enjoyed John and Emily's ROTC awards program Thursday afternoon.  They were each recognized with two different awards.  I did not get any pictures of them in uniform as I had hoped.  I will correct that problem before the end of the school year.

It was back to the farm Thursday evening with the entire family for a garden planting party.  Most of the party goers were in less than festive moods.  We DID get the garden planted.  We even got a few smiles from the laborers before getting home very late that night. 

 

 

Grant and Grace went to a friend's house Saturday to help celebrate Braeden's birthday.  John spent the day with a friend nearby.  Emily and I enjoyed a little girl time and retail therapy...mostly hers, not mine.  Teenage girls have a lot of things they consider necessities that I might have to move to the luxuries column of the ledger.  We navigated the issue of wants and needs and came home with less than she wanted and more than I wanted.  That's probably a pretty good day of shopping.

 

 

 

Today after church we enjoyed an early lunch in honor of Mother's Day. 

An afternoon nap has left plenty of daylight for things like blogging and playing with kids.

 

 

Life is good.

 

Happy Mother's Day!!