It's the Weekend!

Can I just say what a fun weekend we have had?  It all began Friday morning when our neighbors, Shawnna and Kim came over for breakfast with Kim's little girl Makenna.  Because of the mud out here (which is beyond crazy!), Shawnna parks in our driveway and so I see her go by for work each morning. She works at a local school, and I realized it would be a great time to connect. We visited over blueberry muffins, egg and cheese muffins, and peaches with coffee. I had a fantastic time. It feels so wonderful to sit for breakfast with friends!  We decided to try it again this upcoming Friday. I'm hoping to make fried apples and maybe biscuits with sausage gravy.

Later that day, we drove up through Rapid City on our way to one of my student's homes. As his tutor, I needed to proof him for memory master. He passed with flying colors, which delighted him, his mother, and me.  I have had him in class the past two years and his mother has become a precious friend.  She and I chatted for a while as our kids played together before we drove home.

Saturday on my part was spent cleaning and baking. I made cinnamon scones for the kids at church, and then pizza for my kids and pull-apart buffalo pizza bread for Josh.


Josh left the house a bit before 8am and returned near 7pm.  He joined a group from Ohio at the camp who is working on the new pavilion. Previously, kids have been walking almost a quarter mile to the bathrooms from the basketball courts and the main area where the outdoor activities take place. This pavilion will not only provide shade and picnic tables, but bathrooms!  We are so excited to have this structure coming.  If you haven't been out here, its an absolutely beautiful place, but there are few trees. It does get very hot here in the summer and though the almost constant breeze is nice, it will be a relief to have a shaded area as well.  The picture below was taken near the end of the workday on Saturday.  On Monday, I believe they plan to pour concrete. By the end of the week, I know they will have a lot done.

This coming Tuesday will be our final CC meeting before the summer. It's hard to believe that May is nearing and the schoolyear will be coming to a close in a few weeks.  We have only a couple more Wednesday nights of AWANA before our awards ceremony--complete with ice cream social. Sarah Mouw and I are talking about summer program plans for the kids.

It's in the 70s today. I have the windows open to allow a breeze to flow through. The girls are outside with popsicles while Josh chops up some brush. He does have a good bit of maintenance to do around the property we are renting. I think he enjoys the outside physical labor, tho that might end as the summer heats up!  I'm really hoping we will have AC before it gets too bad.  Last summer we had so many days over 100 degrees.  When we moved in, Josh and a friend, Steve, installed some ceiling fans and I am every so glad we have those!

Have a blessed Sunday.

~Jess

Spring Break

Before I share the fun stuff, let's chat about today.  Declan got a bath and Lizzy is currently in one.  Me?  I'm still in what I wore yesterday. As in, I took a shower yesterday and threw on a t-shirt and yoga capris and I'm still wearing them. On the other hand, I have 2 piña colada cakes ready to go for tomorrow night and these little rice krispie treat nests ready to go for snack time at church tomorrow!

It's a few minutes shy of 4 in the afternoon and I'm still working on a cup of coffee from this morning. Oh, and I just ate my lunch (a bowl of Cheerios). But I also got my lesson plans done for the next two weeks of our CC (homeschool) group, so all in all, I'm feeling pretty ok about the day so far.

Now, on to Spring Break. I don't normally do much with Spring Break, or have one at all, seeing as Josh gets a 4 day weekend but not a whole week off. This year, I let Amanda, Pam, and Sarah talk me into joining them up in Rapid and the area around for some fun activities. We visited Reptile Gardens...

and went to a trampoline place.

We went hiking....

and to parks.

And to end our week, Shannan completed her Memory Master proof with her CC tutor, which means she had to remember roughly 500 pieces of information involving history, science, geography, English, and Latin, and be able to recite it without help. I'm so proud of her!

We celebrated with cake pops and having Leah spend the night on Thursday with us. I made cinnamon rolls in the morning.

And that ends our Spring Break week!  We are slowly winding down with our AWANA group on Wednesday nights, preparing for an ice cream social, awards, and a presentation to the families of what we have learned this year. That will be in May, and then we will begin our Summer Wednesday night programs that will take us through the camp season. Camp is so close. I can hardly believe it's coming again already. And I'm so, so glad that I won't be pregnant through it this year!  Hehe. Now, if we could just do something about AC. Josh and I both had major dental stuff come up and had to pay for significant work on the truck, so there went our tax return this year and our plans to buy window units for this house.  I'm hoping we can at least secure one. It is downright toasty out here in the summer!

I'm off to fish my little Lizzy out of her bath and check on preparations for tomorrow's Easter service. I'm excited for our kiddos to be singing in church and hopefully reciting a Scripture or two. 

I'll sign off with this. He brings life and makes all things new.

Blessings to you, and Happy Easter!

~Jess