Company...and happenings...

We have been enjoying having company at our house...  Ivan and I with the 3 youngest boys left right after school Mon a week ago to go to Atlanta to pick up some very special people!!  We were privileged to have Ivan's parents come to visit us for a whole week!!  I didn't get my camera out like I should have while they were here...but Andrea snapped this one of them.  Love the expressions on their faces!! :-)

And then toward the end of the week, we also got more company!!  Ryan and Kendra arrived.  One of his main goals is to finish a few touches that he didn't get done before he left, so they are actually staying over at the house with Geneva.  So unfortunately, we don't get to see as much of them as we would like!!

Sat night we had a reception for them at the school gym.  We tried to use some of the same decor ideas that she had at the wedding, but did change the menu.  We had rolls, rice, grilled chicken thighs, green beans and tossed salad with cake and ice cream for dessert.  We did have the seasoned pretzels like they had at the wedding sitting on the tables.  And like I said before, I didn't think about toting my camera along, so I borrowed these pictures from Andrea also!!  :-)

This was the table displaying pictures from the wedding, their Bible to highlight a verse with your name beside it, and a place to sign saying you were here!!  :-)  

...the food table...

...and more of the food...

The dessert table....

...and I couldn't resist this one...!!  :-)

One day at a time...

Been thinking lately about the different seasons that we face in life...there is the young married season, where in my memories I was a very selfish person!!  Oh, no, I wouldn't have thought so at the time...but looking back...I could sit and read if I liked...spend time just sitting and watching Ivan work, or what ever!!
Then comes the next stage of life where we started adding little ones to the nest!  And even then, somehow I had extra time on my hands, even tho' when Geneva was a baby I had to start getting ready for church on Wed night by 4:30, or I would get balled up in the end...so maybe thats what my problem is now...I don't start early enough!  :-)
And then comes school time where we encountered a more 'rigid' schedule.  No more time to let the children play till they got hungry for breakfast...you needed to get breakfast over to get them off to school!  This was also the time in life when I would do the housework/garden work at home in the mornings, then take lunch and projects to the shop and spend the afternoon at the shop in town with Ivan!  Usually home by 5 to get supper, sometimes taking supper back up to the shop...or sometimes we just stayed and got supper there!
Then came the season where we moved the shop home to the house.  I wasn't sure of this 'season' of life...knowing how shops at home can be.  Ivan has been insistent with his customers about an open and closing time...so this hasn't been a problem, but that doesn't mean that he isn't out there longer... :-)  We are glad that its just a couple steps to the shop rather than the 6 mile jaunt!
Believe it or not, then came the season of life that included youth activities, and getting out of school, farm jobs, teaching, etc.  Along with all of the above...I know people tell me that I have so.o.o...much more help now, but somehow there is so much less time!!  Can't understand that one!!   The last couple of years since Andrea graduated from school, I have been a bit more 'spoiled' as she took over the bulk of the 'office' work.  I still had to go out when she went to milk and catch up the loose ends that she never got around to learning!!  :-)
And then this summer arrived...with a new season entire!  I knew Andrea was going to be gone all summer to Nicaragua, and so my life changed.  I once again found myself being the 'shop secretary'.  Thankfully Maurita was available when there were pressing duties at the house that she couldn't, or should I say didn't want to handle, she would trade places with me.  Well, then Andrea came home from the 'south', and went right into her newly acquired job of being a school teacher.  At the same time, Ryan got married to Kendra, and Geneva moved out the house that Ryan had remodeled...so we are launched into a  'new' season of life entirely!! :-)
Thankfully as I reminisce thru the years, I 'think' I have learned to take one day at a time.  Geneva has agreed to 'office sit' for me several days a week, which she will never know what a big help that is in my new season of life!!  She brings her painting or what ever along to work on in between phone calls and making up bills.  This has been a big help to me at trying to slug away at the 'most' pressing need of the hour!  After 1 1/2 weeks, I finally got my kitchen cupboards, and even the pantry all housecleaned!!  Next on the list is the windows, and then the utility room, and the garden needs cleaned out and got ready for new strawberry plants, if I could get the 'empty bedroom' in the basement organized, the girls could have a bit more room in their room upstairs...but before all that, tomorrow I get to grill the first 40 lb of boneless leg quarters to put in the freezer in anticipation of a drop in reception for Ryan and Kendra in 2 weeks.  And before that happens we are looking forward very much to Ivan's Mom and Dad arriving next Mon evening for a week with us...after all its been 5 years!!
Ivan and I even did manage to squeeze in an impromptu and left here about 8 Fri night.  We went to Savannah, and its kinda sad,  but all we got accomplished was shopping!!  The closest we got to seeing the 'ocean' was along rt 17, we could observe from the water level in the 'marshes', that the tide wasn't quite full, but neither was it low!!  Sams Club was one of the items on the list, so that one has been able to be checked off!!!
So...I have learned not to look and worry at the 'larger' picture...but try to be content ticking off  'one day at a time'!! :-)

Roaches...in the south!!

Ok, yes, I live in the south, and have been here long enough to know that roaches are inevitable critters!  But I thought I had come to terms with them, that even tho' they are inevitable that they don't have to be the 'norm'...when I would see a roach, I knew it was time to replace the roach traps around the house, and then we wouldn't see them again.

Well, that was until the last 2 month!!  I bought new roach traps, and still we saw the roaches running...so I bought more new roach traps, a different kind this time...and still they ran!  In between I had an arasol can of Raid 'Ant and Roach' killer near at hand, and where ever I saw a roach run, I would spray liberally all around that area...and still they ran!

Then I got more desperate, and inquired at the local feed and seed store, the gentlemen there, at least act like they know what they are talking about...and he sold me some concentrate to mix up in a pump sprayer, so I mixed up the solution twice as strong as recommended like he advised, and went to the crawl space, and sprayed in all the cracks and crannies that I could crawl into, then came up and sprayed around the baseboard in the house...and still they ran!!  By now I was getting beyond desperate and reaching the despair state!  :-)  Figuring that I guess we will always have roaches....yet, inwardly crawling at the thought!

Several years ago for one of my birthdays Ivan had got me an under the cabinet cd player which he mounted conveniently there by the sink and it has gotten many hours of usage.  It also has a light on it, which I don't know why we never used, because it would have been most convenient!  But yesterday for some reason when we were getting lunch Mauita chose to turn on the light...and oh gross, there were roaches in the light...on top of the player...in the 1/4 inch of space that you can't see, and went running...and war was declared!  I wasn't in the kitchen at the time, and till I arrived there were rivers of raid running all over!! LOL!!  The cd player was removed and taken out of the house...don't know if we will feel like trying to clean it up or not!!  Anyway, surprisingly when we turned on the kitchen light this morning, no roaches ran...don't know if the fight is over that easy or not, but time will tell!

Like Andrea said, I can tolerate spiders, (and my addition, I can squash potato bugs and tomato worms) but something about roaches and mice...just makes my skin crawl!!!

Now...if only we can find the source of their breeding grounds in the boys cabin!!  That is another story!

We are right now in the mts of NC following behind a vehicle…much too close…in the rain.  Oh good…that vehicle got over!  Coming home from a weekend in IN where Ryan got married to Kendra Horst.  They had a lovely day for a wedding, sunshine, not too hot or too cold!  We stayed again with Lester and Evelyn Martin, Kendras gr aunt and uncle, who are a wonderful host and hostess, fraid we acted like teenagers coming in about 10:30 every night!!  They are an older couple with 4 empty bedrooms upstairs of which we used 3 of them with Geneva and Andrea staying at friends, and Gwynndon camped out at Ryans house.  Ryans house was kinda nice…I was able to use the fridge and freezer, and left some ‘leftovers’ in their freezer for them to finish!!  J 

We were blessed to have some of our families from both sides there, plus friends.  Thanks to all who made the journey!  We were able to spend a bit of time over lunch with the ‘Hege’ reletives who were there, sorry to miss out on the Skrivseth gathering Sat evening, we ended up being at the reception hall till 9:30 helping to clean up!!!  But were able to go to the cabin Sun afternoon and spend some time with Norvans family!  Then Sun evening we spent with Doug and Sally Wengerd family.  Its amazing how even tho’ you may not see each other for so.o.o…long you can pick right back up!!  The evening was too short!!

So now back to the real world…school starts at 8:30 in the morning…guess we miss out one parent teachers meeting tonight!! 

And some pictures from the weekend...

The happy couple

The bridal party

Andrea and Maurita were at the guest picture and handed out programs.  Then they were to make sure that everyone highlighted a verse in their Bible and got a song sheet for at the reception...

The 4 younger boys got to stack the gifts on this 'cool' wagon!

...and I find it amusing to observe in recent weddings that couples are resurrecting the age old tradition of feeding each other cake, which the couples my age discarded years ago!!  :-)

Well, well, where has time gone?!?!  Guess we've been caught up in home life...everyday life with a bit of company sprinkled in, a 'trip' to the ocean in the rain, garden work starting...and then there is church life, the regular, Sun, Wed night services, with a few extras sprinkled in! We at Edisto have a regular service the 2nd Sun evening, and it seems the last while we have had special guests, so then we add a finger food afterwards!  Which we enjoy, but you gotta pick your brain to figure out what to have!  :-)  and on top of that there is chorus practice, with an occasional service at other churches...  And then there is school life...the normal, plus all the end of the year activities, field trips, summer birthday parties, end of the year parties, with the list culminating in the school picnic yesterday...so now we can get on to summer!!  and then there is the normal work load...trying to juggle the house responsibilities with all the other activity, and filling in at the shop when Andrea goes to milk, which is supposed to be Mon, Wed and Fri...unless Leon decides to call and have her fill in additional time.  So last week one evening she came rushing in at 4:15 on her way to milk...she usually leaves at 3:30, so I need to drop what I am doing then and go out to the shop!  Such is life.  And on top of all that...my sister Jean came to SC the beginning of May, first for 3 wks (she had broke her shoulder from a fall)...then for longer, till she can care for herself again...at least put up her hair...and now it seems to be extending at least till mid June!  But that is ok, as she regains use of her arm, her care is diminishing, and she has been helping some with the workload here!...and we have been shuffling her between the 3 of us here in the south!  So if we have something going, then she goes mainly to Danny's, but Gary's have taken turns also!

So...in the midst of all this...Ryan announced his engagement planning a wedding in Aug.  I have been asked different times if I was eagerly getting ready for a wedding...well, so far my answer has been, that I need to take care of today, then I will get tomorrow, Randy, the guy who sells Napa parts seems to be puzzled by my reply!!!  And one of these days, we will start to do a bit of sewing, etc...  :-)

my journeying...

Lately I've been journeying thru the book 'Vera's Journey'. I say journeying, because it was due Jan 30...and that was 3 weeks after I checked it out! :-) It takes me awhile to get thru a book, especially one that is this thick! I've been impressed, that her basic journey is much the same as mine, even though hers started over 100 yrs ago! No, I don't have rats in my house, nor have I learned to cook on a cookstove, and carry water to heat for use. I do have the same struggles being weary at the end of a busy day, feeling pulled in many directions, and the desire to see our children grow up to be good Christian men and women! No, I didn't have mumps at 38 that left me deaf with a roaring in my head, but my problems can mount up, and it feels good to be able to 'escape' a bit with my husband to get back on track and be able to handle the stress of the days! No, I am not first a deacons wife, then a ministers wife, but I still have the concern in my heart when I see practices creeping into our midst that look too much like the world around us! And that my grandchildren will still follow Biblical principles and they will have a love for God and not for the 'things of the world'! Some thoughts that I read from the book the other day, and am still pondering...over the time that they were seeing practices creep into their midst that they weren't comfortable with. "We can be a good influence on others if we are careful to do it in God's way. As long as people recognize the world as their enemy, and excess of guidelines is not necessary. I'm afraid that is where the problem lies...that the world is no longer seen as an enemy, but as a friend and something to pattern ourselves after." Now, my ponderings...do we really view 'the world' as our enemy...How do we do that yet be a witness to them? How do we keep ourselves unspotted for Christ, yet live in the world. Who do I really Love...is it really God and the principles that He spelled out in His Word, or am I more prone to choose the 'easy' road, the things that may be simpler, and I can hide behind. Am I ashamed to really LIVE for Him? Maybe I 'think' too much, but have seen too many of my parents friends, who's children have taken the easier road...and its sad where they are today...and not only my parents friends, but see the same route being explored by some of our peers and friends... Do we REALLY see the world as our enemy?!?!

What do others think...?

The other day I put as my facebook update a saying that Geneva was asked to make into a sign...'Cultivate your character, and your reputation will take care of itself'. This is something I had to learn over the years and I think that it is something that every human needs to learn also. We are all human, we care about what others think of us...we don't want to be thought strange, or uncareing, or you fill in the blanks. So unconsciously we are doing and saying things trying to impress others, and end up feeling empty and unaccomplished. Over the years my husband has been very good in helping me to see...that it doesn't REALLY matter what others think. And you know what hes right. I still am not good at laying out a really fine china meal, or the best at keeping my house clean and under control. My flower beds and garden would never pass inspection for the pages of 'Farm and Ranch'. But I have learned that God made me as he wanted me too, and for me to sit and wish I could have a garden like __________ (you fill in the blank), or keep my house with out clutter, like ____________, it isn't going to improve my outlook any!! I said my husband helped me to see this truth about life, and in all honesty others have helped me along the way also. Imagine with me my 'surprise' about 4 years after we were married when I was visiting another Sunday school, and someone that I thought growing up was one that had her 'act' very much together, confessed to feeling very inferior, and needing to grow in that area! Wow, really, so this also started my thoughts to stirring. And then an older lady (who thru the years my mother would have made comments about being such a good housekeeper, making good meals, and has a beautiful flower garden, with florist quality roses) shared with me that she always felt a bit inferior around my Mother, cause she could always accomplish things so much faster and better than she could! So, there you have it...why do we spend so much time frittering away our time worrying about what others think of us and how we aren't getting things done like they do...when we need to be living our lives doing the things that God gave us to do, cultivating our character, and our reputation will take care of itself!!! That doesn't allow us to sluff off and say who cares...because if we are truly being cultivated, we still want to do our best, but the end results are not because of what 'so and so' might think, but because God really does care!! Maybe the rest of you already have this all figured out, and I am the one who is the slow learner!!