Trailering!...the joys....

Good Morning Company Girls! Well, it's been one doozey of a week! Here I've been at Trailerland...with four hormonal, bickering teens......it's been fabulous! :0(

Actually, I've been at our trailer, which is permanently parked at a place called FairHavens Bible Conference grounds (Fairhavens.org)......we've been coming here for 30 years...so it's very familiar. They keep your kids occupied w/programming in the morning and evening and free time the rest....but there are a kazillion things to do in their free time....unfortunately that isn't sufficient to prevent all the whining and bickering when they are together! I've heard it all people.....ALL! They're laughing at my hair, chew w/your mouth closed, it's my turn in the bathroom (one teeny, tiny trailer bathroom is just way to little for 4 teens trying to get out of the trailer for program, all at the same time!), he has all the sharing (GameBoy ) games, he has my game, she wrecked the tent, she touched me, she looked at me, she took the last of the favourite cereal, no water bottles left!!!!!, why can't I have money for the cafe for a treat, just because I pulled my sister to the floor, left scratch marks on her throat and ripped her good jacket....that's not fair!.......and on and on.....

Hubby is suppose to be coming up today...for the next two weeks....Hallelujah and Praise the Lord! I was concerned when he was talking about doing all the laundry, tidying up the house, looking after the dog, and packing everything and then driving up here after a long day.....then I thought...hey wait a minute...that's what I do everytime we have to come here! Except for loading the vehicle.....that's always his job because he's most excellent at it.....

We've had a very good pastor/speaker here this week for us adults...just a young fellow but he's very well spoken....knows the Word very well.....he's really stirred your thoughts and convicted your heart and soul at times.

I've been able to get a lot of grandaughter's quilt handstitched..everytime I get tired and want to quit, I think of the sad face she had when she asked if hers was done yet, before I left home. It's been almost a year since I started the two quilts and I'm ready for them to be done.....new projects are waiting, the smiles on grandaughters faces are waiting......my back and arm muscles are waiting...for a little rest.....

Son that was in jail (he's out now), texted me yesterday to complain about another sibling.....he was ticked off,...I tried to encourage him to focus on his getting his own life on the right track....he said...'figured you say that, she's always been your pet'......now I'm the first one to say that I don't treat my children all the same.....equally, but not the same...it's impossible when you have nine kids who are ALL very different ........to treat them all the same, plus we usually give the most attention to the child that needs it the most at that time.....I'm pretty sure we've heard that line from pretty well all of them at one time or another....it still does put you slightly on the defensive.....like saying to the one that complained yesterday that of all the kids, he's had the most time and money spent on him, , just trying to help him get his life in order.......yes, you get a little defensive because those words hurt.....and put a little despair in your heart, that even though you've tried your best that maybe it wasn't enough......

So, it's a lovely, sunny day here in the mid north of Ontario...kids have left for program and I must get ready for chapel...so, I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to being a little spoiled by my hubby....cause he always does....and after this week, quite frankly I feel I need it....

Take care!

Holidays ~....

Oh my Lord, Company Girls!...what a week it's been!

We were suppose to come up here to our trailer on Tuesday, but my van went into the shop for an extremely expensive air conditioning repair that took all day ....by the time I got it home it was 6 p.m., and I was tired from all the cleaning, laundry and packing throughout the day. Hubby convinced me to stay home one more night and he would load the van for me. That turned out to be an excellent suggestion cause hubby is the very best packer of vehicles!!! I could never have gotten everything in. We arrived up her around noon on Wednesday......my new fridge that hubby and eldest son installed looks amazing!

So the last few days have been quiet...just the sounds of swatting mosquitoes...they're really bad this year....I think I'm keeping those Off Candle lantern things in business! Hubby is suppose to be coming up today...later, cause he had to take his vehicle into the shop for a very expensive repair....the catalytic converter...whatever that does.....it better do a lot since it cost a humongous amount of money to fix it.....
I will be extremely glad to see him....it never seems the same when he's not here.

My son, the one in jail,was suppose to have his hearing today and be released with time served but I think his lawyer didn't get paid by the birth family cause when one of my daughters went to court this morning, his name wasn't on the list.....I'm actually fine with that cause when I went to visit him earlier this week, I got the distinct impression that the little stint he had had so far wasn't much of a deterrent to it happening again....I continue to pray for him, as I do all my kids. He's still my kid.

So the plan for our time at the trailer is this....hubby comes up for the weekend and then comes home for next week and I stay up here on my own with four teens......whether I'll be sane by this time next week is still to be determined. Then hubby comes up for two whole weeks!!!!!!!!!! I'm hanging on for that time period. :0)

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Long Day....very long.

Well it's been a verrrrrrrrrrrry long day and I'm pooped!

One of the things I had to do today was go to our city jail to see our son.

If there's one thing I can count on with having so many children is new experiences....some very good, very nice....some of them just freak you out ...like today. I arrived at the jail...early..I was advised to do that because they start a line up to get in about a half an hour before they let you in. When they finally let me in I had to go through a metal detector and then show my I.D....two pieces. Then we all waited some more. After awhile, they told everyone to follow this guy....we went through this doorway after the barred door rolled to the side...then we had to wait for it to close before they opened the next one. It was quite impactful when the first door closed and we were waiting for the next one. Then we all moved on after the second door opened and I watched more experienced visitors grab clean wipes from a dispenser on the wall...that was to wipe down the 'booth' you were assigned to.....the stool, the metal counter and the phone that you used to communicate. Oh my.......then we waited some more because they don't call the prisoners down until their visitors are in the visitation room, waiting.


Corey came in, dressed in an orange jump suit.....he looked fine.....he said he's been spending a lot of time playing poker with the other guys.....he was concerned that they wouldn't let him out on Friday if he didn't pay the lawyer ahead of time. I really don't know...all new world to me but I don't think that the one has to do with the other. The allotted 20 minute phone call went quickly....I tried to encourage him to stay away from drinking when he got out, he just grinned. I had my answer.....I suggested that maybe he wouldn't want to go back to the girl that he had gotten in all this trouble with but he assured me that she was sorry for calling the police, that she wanted him back.

I came out of there very discouraged because I don't think that the time he's spent in jail has made a difference. He will go right back to the same thing, and he'll probably be back in there again. He has chosen a very bleak life.

On to much, much, much better news! My oldest son called me this afternoon, he had wonderful news! The child they're expecting in November is a boy!!!!!!! That will give us 3 grandsons and 3 grandaughters! The very best part is that the baby looks good, very healthy looking....that is a huge relief! Now we just have to be patient for the next 4-1/2 months til we meet the little guy! Yea!

So, ya,....a long day...good and bad....tomorrow is packing day so that the kids and I can get up to the trailer...when the van gets back from getting it's Air Conditioning fixed...(and we take out a small loan to pay for it :0) )

A long day.

Have A Good Holiday!

Good Morning Company Girls!

Well, I've just spent part of the morning transferring my quilt fabric stash upstairs from my 'quilt room'....which is really Paul's (army guy) bedroom. I wasn't going to do anything about it...but....he neglected to tell me that he just wasn't coming home for the weekend...he was indeed coming home for a month! ....and he brought his humongous flat screen t.v. home with him...so..there wasn't room for my fabrics...sigh.....but it is nice to have him home...even if he's already teased the heck out of Emma...his favourite sibling to tease. He just loves to hear her holler...and she accommodates him....it's a love-hate relationship.

Hubby got today off for Canada day so he's on the way up for the trailer to install our new wee fridge in the trailer,...the kids and I are suppose to go up next week and pretty well stay there for the rest of the month. I guess I should start thinking about packing....I admit that over the years I've become kind of lackadaisical about packing....I used to make copious lists...checking everything off....now it's kind of a grab and run scenario.....

If any of you reading this are the praying sort....second oldest son got himself into trouble...again....he's now in jail. I'm praying that this will at least have a lasting impact on him so that he will have the desire to turn his life around. His birth mother was a drinker, he was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, thus, his poor choices in life. He's also become an alcoholic himself, and this is the basis usually for his legal problems...we would covet your prayers.

So, off to do more cutting out of quilt material....it's been so long that I've been working on the granddaughters quilts that a day and a half of cutting has resulted in extremely painful arm and chest muscles...but I have to persevere, or it wont get done.

Have a wonderful weekend and for all the Americans...Happy 4th!

Lists.....

There are seventy-odd more days before the kids go back to school.....(I'm trying to avoid getting the calendar out and actually counting every one...) and I decided, while reading other blogs this morning that I'm going to start making a list of the things I want to do when that happens! Now, you might be saying..'Marie, what about summer...the best time of the year?' Pshaw! Don't let that lovely weather and lazy days fool you.....there is an office supply store ad that starts playing, I believe it's Johnny Mathis' Christmas song near the end of August about "It's the most wonderful time of the year".....they say every parent is singing it about that time and I totally agree!

So,...my list.......

1. Take some quilting lessons....I've been quilting for a couple of years now but I know a quilter that's been quilting for about 30 years and she still takes classes so I figure I could use some extra instruction too!

2. A few years ago, I said I wanted to learn Spanish....I even purchased one of those home learning courses....I was determined....that's as far as I got......:0( .....so, I would like to give that a try....

3. Memorizing scripture...now this will be a true stretch of my brain cells cause this brain is like a sieve......it'll be good for it, right?

4. Get back to Bible Study class.....gave it up last year when it didn't work with homeschooling Megan...

5. Being able to stop, whenever I want.....for a milkshake, a Subway sandwich, a Tim Horton's.......without having to think about having to buy for two...do I have enough money in my purse...(and when the answer's no, then I don't have to continue on, disgruntled......no, no, no,....I am NOT resentful....just a little disgruntled....and if I say that 50 more times, I may believe it!

That's my list, so far...but I'm really just getting started.....ah yes....com'on September 8th!

Wading through the week......

Good Afternoon Company Girls! I'm a little late today...hubby had his day off today and we had lots of errands to go on and we still have the grocery shopping to do! They implemented a new program at his work that says that if he works 45 minutes longer each day, then every other Friday he gets the day off.....this was his first real day and it was pretty nice although I kept getting confused and thinking it was Saturday!

Well, all the kids are finished school now...so, summer has officially started in our house and I think there's about 75 days left til school comes back .....thank the Lord the summer usually goes quickly because the way my teens are already sniping at each other I feel it's going to be a very, very, very long summer!!!!! This week was filled with graduation activities for Megan, a year end potluck luncheon and class for quilt class, an orthodontic appointment for Megan, an appointment with a new social worker that will help go the the maize of getting the help we need to help a disabled young adult through the system....(it's all greek to me!)....plus I had to take our van to the shop to once again get our AC worked on but that was cut short with a phone call from my sister to tell me that my mom was having chest pains again (she had a heart attack last December), and I also had to figure out how to take Maya to her end of year school band party too......then hubby and I took Megan for her special grad dinner with just her and us,.....so, ya...it was kind of a busy week.....my mom was okay....after my sister gave her her nitro and she rested all afternoon...thank the Lord....

Anyways, I'm hoping that this week will be a little slower...so far just one appointment to go for...but then again I have to take Megan to get a new bathing suit...which is a pain in the neck since I detest clothing shopping with a passion.....

I hope you all have a wonderful week...take it easy..

30.......long years....

Today, in my heart, I celebrate my unborn baby's birthday.....we called her Leah Catherine........she would have been 30 today.....I miss her all the time....sometimes I ache to hold her....sometimes I can't wait to see her.......to see what she is really like....and not just in my day dreams.....to talk with her, to laugh with her......

Happy Birthday, Leah.