Feeling better

I am feeling better and better. 

Each day I feel like I am recovering more. 

Praise the Lord.

Day by day.

Knitting Club

Hannah has been in a knitting club at co-op. She’s turned into a really good knitter and taught her sister now too. Grama’s sister, Betsy, is in town for a short visit. She LOVES to knit and is taking the girls to the next level. 

Tons of fun!  

It’s especially a nice distraction because JB is working a ton right now. The ER is busier than it had ever been; and he had to go in on his one day off today. We had planned a family day that was scrubbed :(

Happy Thanksgiving from the Farm

Let's flashback to previous Thanksgiving's here in our life!

2019: On the farm! Ray and kiddos along with Anni, Jacob, and the grandparents here on the farm. 

2018: On the farm! Grace, Nate, and Ray (along with Jacob) were here for the holiday with the grandparents and our family of six. 

2017: Charleston, SC Went to Shane and Linda's house for the holiday.

2016: On the farm! John and Becky Connors and their kids joined us for Thanksgiving.

2014: Spring Hill, TN

2013: Porto Martins, Azores, Portugal: For the fourth year in a row, our friends Shane and Linda joined us for Thanksgiving! We are also joined by JB's family and friends from our Bible Study. Four kiddos in our family this year!

2012: Porto Martins, Azores, Portugal: Our friends Shane and Linda flew over from Germany to spend our third Thanksgiving in a row together. Our good friends and neighbors, Nick and Kristy were also there. Three kiddos in our family for this one too.

2011: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey: Large gathering of people for an outside Thanksgiving meal. Three kids present for this celebration.

2010: Incirlik Air Base, Turkey: Small group of friends over to our house where my just-learned of pregnancy with Abigail was the order of the day.

2009: Eglin Air Force Base: Almost all of JB's family drove up and we celebrated the holiday together on the Base with our two boys.

2008: Eglin Air Force Base: A small group of friends joined us for our first Thanksgiving as parents.

2007: Eglin Air Force Base: My side of the family made the ten hour drive north to celebrate the holiday with us.

2006: Rochester, Minnesota: We went over to our great friends house: Ron and Ebby Ray for a low-key holiday after another failed IVF.

2005: Rochester, Minnesota: While living in Rochester, we make the drive six hours east to spend Thanksgiving with my extended Huisman family.

BFF

I hope these two are always close and best friends. What a gift a cousin is that is your age!

Preserving Children

When John took the girls to get their yarn the other day, a grandmother remarked how exciting it was to see kids knitting. “I can’t teach my grandkids anything. They won’t get off their screens.” 

Ugh!

Knitting and the softie

The girls have been asking me nearly daily to take them to Hobby Lobby to buy yarn. I kept putting them off so that we could get them yarn for Christmas. 

Yesterday, they asked Mr. Softie John ONE time if he would get them yarn, and he did. Just like that. Off to the store they go. 

Azores, 2012

Visiting the pups

Our friends Angie and her daughter Katy and husband Jessie came over to love on some puppies yesterday!

Accompaniment

Here is a link to Isaac playing piano as Our friend Jorja sings. Man her voice is awesome! 

STILL recovering

It's been a whirlwind of life here ... being sick is not fun. My energy-level is still very touch-and-go. Some days I feel like I am coming back to myself. And then the next day, I have trouble getting up and doing much of anything. This is disappointing to me. I am trying to understand that it may take quite awhile before I can do the things I used to do. I have been doing some reading, and it appears that I won't hurt myself to push a little. But holy cow, the exhaustion on the other side is something HUGE. Really big. 

In the midst of that, I have managed to keep schooling my kiddos. We have done things a bit more remote from the Kotysnki family as my energy-level just doesn't want to deal with a "lot" of people at once. Our family and the Kotysnki's have helped a lot with transporting kids. Trying to make it easier on me as I need extra rest. 

In the midst of that though, we have puppies. Oh do puppies provide a breath of fresh air. Here's a video of "Holly" who will be going to my friends, The Smiths from Eglin AFB. Jodi and her husband Cliff were fairly newly married at Eglin when we knew them. Cliff was a resident who worked with JB. They helped take care of Scrubby a lot. She's had an Aussie in her past and is so excited to be Holly's new family. 

The second puppy is going to one of John's nurses. Her mom actually. They haven't confirmed which one they are going to get so I'll let you know when they decide.

The holidays will keep us here on the farm which makes me very happy. I really like just being home and not traveling. It's funny. I always considered myself someone who LOVED to travel. But I now sort of feel on the other side. I really don't want to travel much. I just want to be home. I love my farm.

Life is really wonderful. It's so short. It's so fleeting. We are not promised tomorrow. And everyday should be left to the fullest with Jesus Christ to guide the way.

Unbusy

Cooler weather & Knitting

Hannah has learned how to knit in “Knitting Club” at her homeschool co-op this semester. She has taught Abigail too. I love seeing her doing this by the fire as the weather gets colder.

Ritter (The Daddy)

Raven (Mama #2)