Winter has been flying! It has been full of winter time projects this year.... projects like deep cleaning and organizing, painting, redoing some rooms, a few Christmas banquets were still going on in January. We start a family/marriage series by Kurt Cameron we start this at church this week, we got extra books going on, many games and we even have a puzzle out that's half way done.
The three boys are into football on PlayStation while Jenika is taking some extra time training her puppy. (although it seems I have to constantly be on her to spend time with her, feed her, bath her and take her out! Dave and I threaten to give her to someone else if the responsibility on her part won't step up a notch! Jazlyn takes to me because I care for her, give her treats and take her out more then Jen does and this was not at all the deal...:/ Her trainer comes for another appointment and I hope this will help.) Jazlyn is doing great though. She has had no house accidents for weeks now and she does sit, stay, she is leash broken now and she has taken a liking to her smaller wire create. (which the trainer said is huge for the training process)
Dave had his appointment with his ankle Doctor and he was able to put his boot away and start walking on his foot!! I'm back to folding "two" socks and he is back to wearing "two" shoes! It feels great to him although it seems to be taking time for the strength to come back into his leg. He is doing therapy a few times a week. He took a long bike ride the other evening and he handled it well. Its great to have this behind us and we are praying for complete healing so he can run with me again...:)
For now I'm going alone... Most everyday. Between 3-5 miles right now. This morning I got the Little's on the bus and quick went before my mind tries to talk me out of it! I got almost five miles this morning. After I got out on the road I realized it was only 14 degrees! Its so cold the first half mile or so but then its good after that.
The sun makes all the difference and these runs really are so very pretty!!...
I clock some of my runs and some I don't. I run harder when I hear that voice giving me that status at every mile and normally runs go real fast when I clock them but I don't always hit that "start workout" button on my app. Either way its great to be outdoors for runs even in the winter. I can't wait until Dave can join me again...:)
Justin is back to work full time. He is doing great. His shoulder might need some extra therapy but he is so dedicated with his workouts that I really don't worry that his strength won't come back 100%. He sweats it out every evening and then he tears around the house in only his workout shorts!! Even barefeet in the snow!!...:) We laugh when we see him tear around the house from the windows! His dedication really is commendable. Last night he came to me with sweat dripping from his face and said "whatever you are feeding me in my lunch is not working!!" Those leftover supper mashed potatoes and those cinnamon rolls I have been packing must stop I guess...:} It took me some time to get back into packing his lunch. I was enjoying that break...:) I don't always take the time for completely healthy options but he does appreciate it when I do. For this I can be thankful!!
Cooking class is in full swing and going well! I do this class once a week. Last week we made smoothies and cinnamon rolls. The kitchen at school was a bit cold for my rising dough but the rolls did turn out okay even if we had to rush them a bit...
I'm not sure who enjoys this the most... The students or I!! It's so my thing! The one thing I need to improve is keeping them busy longer. They all come in work real fast and then they go watch the club playing indoor soccer in the gym. (outside our kitchen doors) I'm thinking maybe different stations doing different things then a timer to rotate them? That way not one station would get stuck with all the clean up. I'm finding that the food, chopping and all the assembly is my thing but the organizing and structuring it all really isn't. This makes sense to me since I'm so like this but I have to figure out how to better structure it all so they stay more focused. We are learning as we go and loving it!
This week we got an indoor Garden Tower to add to our lifestyle!! It arrived in huge boxes last week then yesterday a very nice gentleman showed up to assemble it and teach me the drill! We will love this!!!
It goes well in the nook with the other plants. The tower has two timers. One for the water flow and one for the lights. The water flows for fifteen minutes then its off for thirty. It kind of sounds like an indoor waterfall (which I love!) The lights are on all day to flow along with the natural sunlight. I'm not sure about the brightness of the lights in the nook in the evenings yet though. The lights go off at 9 o'clock at night but from the time it gets dark until then has my nook literally glowing into the rest of the house! Maybe we will adjust the timer so we can see the beauty of the outdoor sunsets or maybe we will get used to it? I'm not sure yet.
We should be able to cut greens from this tower in a few weeks and they are supposed to continue the supply for 8-10 weeks! After that we will toss the plants and start over or rotate to always have some to cut from! I'm super excited and as far as I can tell the over all maintenance and care seems pretty simple to me as a gardener. The tower can be moved outdoor to the porch during the warm months where it will continue to bear fruit all summer! I'll let you know how it goes and maybe you will want one to!
We have been healthy this winter and for that we feel so BLESSED! Jordan has his signature winter time rumble in his chest which has him coughing more then I like but overall we have been well.
Javon got so very many colds during winter months and already in the fall he had like three colds in a real short time! Tissues everywhere! I was dreading winter with this boy because it seemed as soon as he was over one battle with his cold symptoms another one would hit him!
I asked around and did some research and decided to try Young Living "Inner Defense" pills and "Immupower oil" in his diffuser at night.
Since starting these he has not had a single sniffle!! I'm sold because he struggled every winter before this one!! I normally couldn't wait to get him and Jordan to the tropics in Belize during these winter months! This year that is not happening so I'm so thankful we found something that is working!
Javon also started taking morning baths. He had some odd pain in his leg during the first few months of school (to the point of keeping him awake at night and him limping!) and he had a hard time waking himself up in the morning!
He'd come down but then he would lounge on the couch and I'd have to wake him all over again on the couch! I started getting him bath water going with Epsom salt, and a few different oils like peppermint and eucalyptus and tea tree every school morning. The strong wake up oils...:) He started coming down wide eyed, bright and cheery with a spring in his step!! This has been HUGE for our mornings!! He now helps me clear the dishwasher and he spins around me on his hover board rather then trying to wake himself up half the morning!! It requires getting him up about ten or fifteen minutes earlier but he don't know the difference and its been super helpful!...:) His drag from the bed to the bathtub is a head hanging drag but one whiff in that bathwater has him chirpy...:)
Maybe the baths are helping him fight those colds to and now that I think about it he never ever complains about that dreadful leg pain in his left leg anymore!!
Jenika has adjusted to her braces and house brace well. She has to get four teeth pulled real soon to make room for more that are trying to come in. We dread this.
The big boys had dentist appointments this week and Justin has no wisdom teeth at all! (not even on x-ray) but Jordan has all four and they are already pushing and bothering him! Whats the deal with that!? Poor guy has to go get them all pulled sometime soon. For now we see if they will continue to push or if they might back off for a bit yet. Otherwise these guys have great teeth with no cavities at all ever! I'm so proud of them for never having a cavity! They must get this from their dad!..:)
My dad has been painting around here! He painted my laundry room a baby blue and I love it! More paint is on the way here for more weekend painting! Its gonna be the powder room and whatever else he gets done! I love having him here because he fixes all my odd stuff like broken step spindles and doors that no longer latch and all the handyman stuff that stacks up when you haven't married a handyman and believe me I have not!!...:) My man has many talents and gifts that he daily uses to the fullest and I praise the Lord for that but handyman is not one of them... So Thank God for a handyman dad!! Thanks Dad for putting up with me this winter!!...:) You are gonna send me to Belize next year if you have to push me out the door!...:) Lots of fun projects are happening instead of Belize this year.
Dave will be heading to the Ambergris Caye Belize soon. We will be kissing him goodbye this year and hope to be joining him again next year. For now we save it and work hard in school and on the winter projects here...:) It really is relaxing not having to think about packing up to go away this winter.
We are in the process of making arrangements to visit Israel this spring/summer. We plan to take all three boys and Eva. It will be interesting no doubt... I'm a bit skeptical but the closer the time comes the more "okay with it" I become...:) (Jenika will be staying back with cousins... Her drama side has decided this and she even agrees...lol!) We sure do LOVE this girl!! We would all be so board without her drama!...:)
I'm off to get Kombucha bottled (8 gallons today) and make a soup for supper. Its what we have almost every evening but I can't think of anything else that would taste better on a cold winter night then hot steamy hearty veggie loaded soup! Its great for lunches the next day to! Also the laundry is piled but the new color has me in dreamland while I fold. Jazlyn needs a haircut and bath when Jen gets home and then her training session starts.... Yup we are busy as usual but the wintertime indoor stuff just has a more laid back feel to it then the demanding summertime schedule so we SOAK it up!
Enjoy this beautiful SUNNY yet COLD day!!
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