First of all, thank you to my blogger friend Sheila, who always encourages me to get back on here. Yes, Sheila, I am alive and well. :-)

So, what things have been slurping up all my time lately? Well, first there was my venture into writing for profit. For an example of this, you can click here. I haven't given up on this, but the website that I was writing for seems to have gotten more difficult to navigate as a writer. I need to get back on it, though, because I did make some money. (Yay)

Then, there was my month long attempt at being OCD about housework. I'm not OCD, and I don't seem to be able to keep up the energy/desire to go around behind my family of 7 and pick up, put away, wipe up, etc. enough to make it look spotless 24/7. Who really likes (or has time) to vacuum and mop every day?? I've decided I'm gonna have to be happy with 2-3 times per week. The kids are great about doing all the household chores...WHEN I'm directing their efforts. When I try to leave them to do the things I've taught them without my supervision, it usually ends in disaster. Most recently, this was a glass mixing bowl shattered all across the kitchen while I was away briefly with just the younger two. My husband seemed to think I should let them clean it up while I was still gone. Personally, I believed it was a better idea to tell them to hide out downstairs at grandma and granddad's until I got home. I would much rather they learn to be "responsible for their messes" when I am available in case someone gets hurt. As it was, Rachael still managed to get a sliver of glass stuck in her foot which crumbled as I was trying to remove it.

Which brings me to the other adventures related to feet: I've decided to give you the shortened story rather than all the fun/interesting details. My mom ripped off her toenail. My dad doesn't really do gross very well, so I was the caretaker/bandage changer/dr's office transport. During one of these Dr. visits, I received a phone call from my husband asking me to come get Rachael and take her to the hospital. She had stepped on a nail. Really, that's an understatement. It was an enormous nail (about half the diameter of a pencil) that she drove nearly all the way through her foot. My little baby girl was such a trooper with all the horrible things they had to do to her at the hospital, and I took her out for an ice cream treat afterwards (with a cookie bowl--yumm!). Needless to say, I spent a lot of time soaking feet in Epsom salts and changing bandages over the next few weeks.

There was also Joshua's trampoline accident which led to a hospital visit several days later. There were no broken bones, but he was definitely subluxated--which the chiropractor kindly took care of for us. :-)

Oh, and the bank transfer. Our bank was closed by the feds, taken over by another bank, and overhauled. To add to the excitement, our account number was the same as another account holder with the new bank. This took several hours over the phone and at our local bank branch to straighten out. This sweet lady took good care of us, though.

Then there was my dad's visit in the hospital. Actually, he spent several weeks there because the insurance would not approve the medicine he needed in order to go home. Funny that they were willing to pay three times as much for him to be in the hospital.


My mom was also in the hospital for a couple of days. She had to have some procedures done on her heart. I guess our family has spent a lot of time at the hospital over the last couple of months.

And last of all, we went to Waxhaw, NC to visit some friends. Jenny and her husband Isaac just had their first baby. Her name is Olivia, and she is a doll.



We also got to see Jenny's sister and her family. They live in Ireland (Tammy married an Irish fellow). Her children are beautiful, and she still looks just like she did when she was fourteen!

And I got to spend a few minutes trying to act like a kid again. It was tough to get my nerve up (I really wasn't sure I was strong enough to hold on). :-)