My birthday events

It's my birthday!! (29 if anyone doesn't want to do the math - I am officially cancelling the day next year)

I had plans of getting the kids to swim lessons, do some fun work around the house, and then packing the kids off to the church for the teens to watch while I went to get my hair done. After which I would have picked up the kids & baby-sitter so Mark and I could go out (the ONLY guaranteed day of the YEAR that we go out.)

Not to be. My plans had an unfortunate and sad change.

Monday night my mother called to let me know that my oldest brother (from my father's first marriage) had died of a heart attack. Rick was 20+ years older than me and I hardly knew him. I had not seen him in 8ish years, since my father's funeral. He had moved to Arkansas 12 years ago. But it was still a shock. The grief I feel is more for the pain my other siblings and nieces/nephews and my sister-in-law and the two boys are feeling.
The decision was to bring him back home so he could be buried in the cemetery where my father, grandmother/grandfather, and other family is. The services were today. So my plans were rearranged.
We did not go to swim lessons (late night last night at the church Christmas party). Instead I bundled the girls up and let them play in the snow, while I cleaned up the house. Then we rushed around to get everyone out of the house and off to my Mom's. (She entertained the kids while Mark and I went to the funeral.) After the service we headed back to pick up the kids. :) They had baked me some birthday cupcakes and sang to me when we got there. (My Mother bought me a wonderful cardigan sweater) Spent a few minutes enjoying the time with Mom and my sister Sue (always a good combination for a laugh), then headed home.
Mark and I did get to go out for the evening. What does a couple, who likes canoeing/kayaking/camping/hiking/etc. do on a date in the winter months? (who do not like going to a movie at a theater)we walk the mall of course! What a zoo!!! We went to Trade Secret and I got about 2 inches off my hair, and the girl put some nice curls in. We went to the game store and found 'Encore' - Mark's favorite game (it's a singing game - you get a word and have to sing a line from any song that contains that word - if you know Mark you will know that he does that when NOT playing the game LOL) We headed to the kitchen store and got my birthday present - a nice food processor - YAY!!!! AND a quick stop at the Gertrude Hawk store :) What next? Hmm...Wal-Mart of course! Picked up an oil filter for the van (very romantic huh?) and off to Friendly's. A plate of cheesy waffle fries and then the mammoth 'Hunka Chunka' PB fudge Iceream - OVER warm lave cake, with yummy PB oozing out of the middle.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!


All in all it was a bitter sweet day. But it is still officially cancelled next year - last year the whole family was 'sick' and then this year my brother. I don't want to know what might happen next year. So cancelled! :)

Thanks to all my wonderful FB 'family' for the birthday greetings! They truly are appreciated!

New Venture?

5 1/2 yrs ago I was doing the 'leg work' to start up a fluid milk processing business. At that time I did not have much enthusiasm from the rest of those involved in the farm.

2 nights ago, Mark came in for supper telling of how he, his Dad, and uncle had been talking of doing fluid milk processing here on the farm.


*long pause*

HELLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

*sigh*
When will they all get on the same page I am on?

So, once again, I am get excited about the possibility of having our own processing center and delivery route. And this time I have some backing.

Would you be willing to pay $3.25 / gal ??

Vacation - part 3

Where oh where did I leave off? Oh yes, the grumpy old geezer. sigh. Tuesday morning we decided to head off to Gettysburg. Shawn and Teressa and the 3 boys stayed behind and spent the day out with the boats and at the beach, while the rest of us spent the day at Gettysburg. Hot and humid. Really made it come to life for us all there.

Just imagine: July 3. Wool uniforms. Being away from your family. Barely 18 years old and the single thought through your mind "will I be alive tonight". Charging across the hills, knowing the odds are that you are going to be shot down. The fields running red with the blood of your fellow soldiers. All for the dream of an ideal country where everyone is free - no one is slave to another. Incredible. And yet so many forget the lives that were given.

After which we set off to find the Mason Dixon farm. This is a LARGE farm right on the Maryland border (hence the name Mason Dixon) that has robot milkers. We had an idea that they would be found on the Mason Dixon Rd (brilliant of us, huh?). Down the road, up the hill, around the corner and then "WOW". Huge. Awesome.
We stopped in (they have a visitor's center) and met the patriarch of the family (yes, this is still a family run farm) and were able to schedule a tour of the place for the following afternoon.

We headed back to the campground - after a stop for a new bottle for Rusty. As we got to our campsite, Shawn was just getting back with the truck & boats, so we pulled across the road into the vacant site. Barely 2 minutes later the park ranger comes along and stops and gets out, heading for the car. I was right there in the back of the truck so I called over to him, let him know that it was our car and why it was over there, blah blah blah. So now he heads over to our sites and sees the boats - 'are they registered' he asks. 'no' I say 'we didn't realize that kayaks had to be. we've never had to up in NY'. So that leads to the discussion that in the morning we have to go to the office and get a 7 day pass for the boats. *sigh* (when we asked what the purpose of registering them was, his basic reply was more money for the gov't. at least he was truthful!)
Then supper. Then another night at the beach. So nice.
Then. It rained. Our tent leaks around the windows. Mark and I were up for the whole of the storm, doing what we could to keep the kids dry.

So Wednesday morning we head to the office to register the boats and then down to the closest laundr-o-mat (which you can only find if you are coming the opposite direction) then back to the campsite. YEA!!! VAL AND JIM ARE THERE!!! Then hurry hurry hurry to get back down to Mason Dixon for the tour. Yes, even on vacation we can not get away from cows. But the place is so awesome. So awesome.

On the way back we decided to stop for icecream at a Dairy Queen. Oh how I love those places. I would open a franchise in a heart beat if I could. As we are getting out of the car I was questioning whether we were all going in, or leaving the kids in the cars and bringing icecream out (this is important to the story - I was distracted as we were getting everyone out - remember this!!!) We took everyone in. Now also remember that this whole week, there are 15 of us. My kids were generally with someone else. We ordered our icecream. The kids were already sitting in the 'dining' area. Mark, Mom, Hillary and I got our stuff and sat down. Enjoying our icecream. Something was said about the kids, and Evan started counting everyone. And then he said the words that would be the joke of the family and a source of great amusment for, well, who knows how long it will last............


"where's Rusty?"

At this point Mark and I just look at each other. He gets up. Goes to the car. And sits there. Yes. We left our dear sweet baby in the car. *sigh* It had to happen at some point.

From here we head back, go to the beach, and then as the storm seems to be moving in head out for really GREAT pizza. Our last night.

(It did rain again, but we were prepared with a tarp over one side and two rubber maid bins pushed against the other window with a pot to catch the water!)

Thursday morning we pack up, wondering what would happen this day. Any more run ins with the ranger or host? And it did happen. The garbage was put out at the end of the other campsite so that Mark could stop with the trailer and throw it in the back to off load it at the dumping station. And yes the host came by. And yes, he made sure it got to the right place. :)

We headed home and oh what a long trip back it was. But we got home. No mishaps - just a couple near misses.

A week filled with memories. Glad to be home, but ready to go again. Till next year.
(I don't think we are going to head back into PA. At least in NY all we ever had trouble with was raccoons and car alarms at 2 am, raccoons stealing an unopened can of peanuts and leaving the empty can in the woods, dumping the canoe on the never ending trip that finally ended after dark.....but no grumpy old geezer campground hosts.) Ahhh....the memories.

Vacation Part 2

I realized I forgot to give vacation dates on the first post, so - we left on Sunday Aug. 9 and returned Thursday Aug 13.

Monday morning - Rusty woke up around 6. Not unusual. I did not get much sleep the first night, also not unusual, as the first night of camping you hear every little noise. So Rusty wakes up. I had realized that I forgot to bring his 'good' bottle the night before, but figured, oh well, I have the juice bottle (that he doesn't like AT ALL in the morning I soon found out.) . So up we get to start breakfast and get him something to eat so he doesn't wake up everyone. Went to the car and found a notice from the park ranger about needing to get a second car permit for the camp site. No big deal. Knew we needed one but we got in after the office closed the night before so didn't worry about it. After everyone was up and going, we decided that we were just going to hang around the campground for the day - take the boats out on the lake, spend time at the beach, and finish settling in. Mark and I take the truck up to the office to get the second permits, get gas, and go explore possible canoe routes.

A. In NY second car permits are free....in PA second car permits are $4 per night. Car gets parked in free parking at entrance of campground for the rest of the stay.
B. PA roads are NOT labeled on our map - just rte numbers.
C. PA roads are NOT labeled at intersections...just take a guess and see where you end up!
D. The light at the 4 way just down the road takes about 3 minutes to change, and there is not much traffic.

So off we go to check out creeks. The outlet from the lake is a joke...I think there is more water running down our driveway on a dry day. The creek we were hoping for is a possibility with some portaging. As we try to follow it on the road we encounter the whole no road labeling issue :(and my wonderful, thoughtful, understanding husband once again laughs at the fact that I have to turn the map as the roads turn or I have trouble knowing if we should turn left or right. ) We also realize that there are many roads with the same name in the same area that do not connect to each other at any point.
Back to the campground we go. (what went on while we were gone, no idea.)
Packed everyone off to the beach - Katie, kelly, and Rusty in the car with mom - everyone else to the boat dock to take the boats around the penninsula to the beach. We dropped the kids of at the beach with Grandma. Shawn, Teressa, and Troy took the canoe, Mark and I took the kayaks and off we went across the lake and up the inlet as far as we could go. Beautiful. I didn't have my camera due to not expecting to do all we did. The inlet comes down into a marshy area before coming under the bridge into the lake. There are roosts for bald eagles (which we saw one of gliding overhead) mini docks built for turtles. All sorts of waterlilies and fish swimming around. Up the creek we went. Just a peaceful out of the way place. Teressa and I decided that we had better head back as Mom had been with the kids for quite awhile and it was getting to be a hot day. Mark got in the canoe and Teressa got in his kayak and back we headed as THE MEN continued on. Got back and relieved Mom. Swam all afternoon with the kids, and let the boys take the kayaks for a spin around the area.
The swim area was so nice. The drop off into the lake was really gradual, so it went from wading deep to 5 foot at deepest. Great for Kate and Kelly as they got to play in quite a large area and get confindent in the water.
The awesome thing was : Mark
A. wore shorts (never happens)
B. WENT SWIMMING!!!!!! (REALLY NEVER HAPPENS!)
But the day was hot, and the water was warm and we were on vacation.

All was going well. We headed back to the sites for supper and it was so hot and humid, we decided to pile the kids in the back of the truck for a swim before bed. Timing bad. Mark had just pulled out and headed around the loop when the campground grumpy host came down our way. This guy was an old geezer set out to destroy everyone's fun. Did you know that
A. it is illegal for anyone under 18 to ride in back of truck in PA (last we knew it was still legal)
B. 'these roads are just like being out on state roads. you follow the same laws. seatbelts and all'
so. Anyway, our (Mom's and my) word was not good enough for him. He had to follow Mark all the way to the beach and yell at him there. And not only that, but he had to stay there and make sure we didn't let them ride in the back on the way back to the site (after 1/2 hr he got tired and went to his site, but made sure he was out there when we went by).
Now, not only all this, but there are all sorts of one way roads around. I drove down to the beach and found out that you had better not go the wrong way to the beach. Grrrr. Grumpy old geezer to the front. I'm not exagerating. I'm pretty good at dealing with people like this, but this guy. Never.
Now as all this was going on, our new neighbors were moving in. Loud truck. Starter going bad. Gets up at 4 am to go to work. Yeah.
Stay tuned. :)

(check out picture via facebook - under: day 2 vacation)

Vacation

It happens every year. You plan a trip and something goes not according to plan. 2 yrs ago, the altenator on my brother's truck went on his way up here and the morning was spent hunting down parts and fixing it. Last year, Mark's grandpa took a big down turn in the hospital making us rethink if we were even going to go or not. This year: Saturday - Shawn was to bring the trailer used to haul canoe/kayaks up so we could load them. His plans didn't work and he was unable to get up here. That night Mark and Dad went up to the lake and picked up the boats in the back of the truck. Sunday morn: packed everything in the car and around the boats in the back of the truck. Cooler precariously perched in the canoe, me following behind in the car watching it tip with every turn, praying against rain (and police patrols). Get to church, and find out that I should have checked my email earlier in the week as they needed me in the preschool class during church! Get on the road again, still praying, get to Shawn's and get things re-loaded. Stop at McDonald's in Wysox for lunch and finally get on the road for real. Lost Shawn and Teressa at light right at the plaza. Soooo...they are grown ups and can find their own way. So off we go: Me in the car in the lead (knowing where we are going to a point, but without a knowledgeable map reader or the gps guide), Mom behind, following wherever I go, and Mark bringing up the rear in the truck w/ trailer w/ the gps and a knowledgeable map reader but no map. All is well. Heading down 220 to 405. All is fine until we get to 180 where we want to go east, but I head us west. We get over to Williamsport and are trying to find 322/22. Yeah. Not happening because I took us the wrong way!!! Oh. Well. Get on 15/11 south and I'm back to knowing where I am going. We had to take a potty break. Get back on the road quickly and there is a nasty looking storm heading our way. UNDERSTATEMENT. We went through a TORNADO!!! What an experience. Mark and Troy saw the swirl beside us at one point. We just kept on driving. All of a sudden we come upon a tree in the road. Swerve. and then the TREE IN THE ROAD!!! A tree had fallen across Rte 15. All 4 lanes of traffic. South bound (us) going over on north bound shoulder to get around it. Mark is a bit behind Mom and I (somehow), so we get around the tree and pull off at a safe place to wait. He gets to watch them pull it out of the way (after he offered to drop the trailer and hook up the winch on the front of the truck) He gets through, we get going again and now he is in the lead. Brady has to go to the bathroom. Mom and I stop. Mark keeps going. I don't have a map (gave it to Mark at the last bathroom stop) and he is now way ahead of us. My cell phone dies. Walkie-talkie already dead. Thankfully Kennadi has a phone. So now we are relying on Mark giving us directions through Harrisburg via cell phone. Shawn calls (since he and Teressa got way behind us to begin with, they went the right way and are already at the camp ground!!) Anyways, the spots we have reserved are not good. No place to put the tents. All paved. Not happy. So at 10 min to the office closing, they work it out with the registration girl to get us a couple new spots. Turn out they are much better all around. We finally make it to the camp ground and set up for the night. Dark comes way to fast and my promise of going to the beach not happening (although it was not a promise to begin with just wishfull thinking on all our parts.) Kids don't want to go to sleep - not tired, too hot, too close to each other. Not a great night of sleep, but we are here and tomorrow is a new day (and a new blog!)

What can I say?!

The haircuts. Yes. It was 4:30 Wednesday night. Supper was on the counter (as the dining rm table is loaded down with stuff) I looked at Kelly and went "oh no". I look at Katie and gasped. My lovely daughters - both of whose hair were growing out, Kelly's bangs had just gotton long enough to stay back out of her face - had decided to chop their hair. Kelly's was cry worthy. Katie's wasn't soooo bad. I just didn't know what to do. Do I just try to fix it? Do I take them to the mall? Do I just let it be since we have an hour to finish supper and get ready for VBS? I decided to do what I could and let it be for the night. Well, @ 5:15 I'm in the bathroom cutting hair because there really is no easy fix. Kelly now has "steps" going up the sides, REALLY short bangs, and a buzz spot at the top of her head (right where her hair swirls so it's not really noticiable - until it starts growing back!), and a shorter section in the back kinda blends in. Katie's is cropped up to the base of her skull, w/ spiky bangs. She does look cute with short hair but I really wanted it to grow back out! As long as they have headbands on, it just looks like their hair is pushed back and they look acceptable again...going to have to find some nice wide headbands.

Oh. And yes we were late(r) than usual for VBS. If I could get anywhere on time I would probably faint from shock!

Today. I was going to have my yardsal:today, tomorrow and Saturday. Was completely not ready for today. Couldn't even get on Star Gazette to post the ad yesterday. So, no one has showed up today and I'm still only 90% ready...but the ad is now posted and more signs are going up tonight and I've got cardboard to put a sign at the bottom of the hill. I know we are in a terrible rummage sale location, but now at least things are better sorted and I will be able to do the Horseheads sales on the 25th at the aunt's house.

Came inside for a coffee break and to do some dishes and clothes and make some bread. Got the dishes going, got the bread makings in the machine(yes, a machine. Not by hand), and went downstairs to take the clothes from last night of the line (my clothes line is in the basement due to: rain, rain, rain, dust, dust, dust, and stinky pigs!). Hung up the next batch and decided to throw the pants in the dryer. Brought them upstairs, put the in the dryer and started the dryer. It ran for all of 3 seconds....hmmm....tried it again, and again, and again. Checked the door, the outlet, even tripped the ground-break. Nothing. Sigh. My dryer broke. Called mom and laughed about it all as I laid clothes all over the counter to dry.

So now, pants are on the counter, stuff is on the table and supper will be served....wherever a spot can be found.

Just laugh. All you can do on days like this.

My head hurts and tonight is day 4 of wrangling the 3 & 4 yr olds at VBS. LOL. I do love them though...even the ones I want to put over my knee! :)

Spaghetti for supper w/ fresh bread. My standard fall back meal.

Now if only the girls will take a nap so they are not grumpy tonight. One can dream.

Just laugh. :)

Homeschool Update

So I'm sure you are all sitting on the edge of your seats wondering "how has homeschool been going for the Morse family?" Well, no longer shall I keep you in suspense! :)

Day1: Weeping and gnashing of teeth
Day2:Confusion and crying and tempers
Day 3: I think we found a level ground.....

On day 3 our schedule was going to be completely messed up, so I said, let's just get math and Bible done.
I had been trying to: get myself up and do my devotions before everyone else was up and then get the girls up (Rusty usually is awake by then) get them breakfast, and teeth brushed, and dressed and then down to Bible and the rest of the day. On this day that would be messed up: I got up and got myself ready, then Katrina was up and ready but Kate and Kell were still sleeping...I took Trina down and got Math out of the way, got the other two up and ready and then did Bible with all of them. I worked much better, even on Rusty's part as the time I really needed to be spending with Katrina was not interrupted because he had the other 2 to play with and it was first in the day.
The rest of the subjects are basically reading materials so we are going to put them aside till winter months and concentrate on getting the math done - as by the time 30 min are done we seem to be at the end of the line! Katrina does not struggle in school work, but she just does not like math so she makes it a struggle.

There it is. Our schooling experience so far. More, much more to come!

Ramblings

So I'm in a rambling mind-set...which generally is the case when I actually log on to blog - not that many read this, but hey, maybe someone will gain some insight into my life sometime!

So, I'm trying to get everything put together for the new home school year - we start up July 14 and will be done May 14, 2010. Interesting how the dates fell. We go for the longest deration (is that spelling right? I don't know - never was my strong subject - doesn't look right.....oh look, spell check! Yep, it hi-lights it as being wrong, but it doesn't give me the correct spelling - hmmm...maybe two 'r's?? let's try it.....derration - yeah, that works! no actually it doesn't hmmmm......oh! right click, yep, there's the correct spelling!!!!) okay so anyways the longest dUration, is 5 wks. and we have full weeks off...none of this day here day there. But our weeks off we are going to fill with fun educational field trips. Excited.

Rain rain all the time. My garden is turn into a pond. Serioiusly. Standing water in areas. Blah. I did get out tonight to week around the tomato plants, and then was able to put down hay around them to hopefully to keep the weeds down - now I just need to go trim them a bit. Looks like slugs are eating my bean leaves. Not happy about that. Has anyone else noticed the abundance of slugs this year??!! They're are driving me crazy - although not as much as the rain. I think I have a bit of an understanding of what it would be like to live in London, or Seatle. I saw a blurb on London one time and the person was saying how they just have to go out and live despite the rain - begining to understand that.
Did find out that my garden shoes are going to have to be replaced....ducktape won't fix the problems anymore. Does anyone have a pair of size 8 tennis shoe type of slip ons that have seen better days and are just sitting in the back of the closet ?? I really don't want to go buy a new pair just to make them into garden shoes - have that same problem with barn clothes.

All out of icecream - the Schwan man comes tomorrow - but have some yummy black caps in the fridge, and some oh so yummy peaches and strawberries - maybe just mix them all w/ some whipped cream - ORRRRR - I have some French Van. yogurt. hmmmm.....YUM!

So, now that I have rambled on and on (use to LOVE doing that on the Carmichael's answering machine) I will leave this and go to the kitchen.

Learning to hear God's voice

Yesterday started a new series for the ladies' Bible study at Marnatha. We are learning to position ourselves to hear God's voice.

Day 1: o-b-e-d-i-e-n-c-e (are you singing with me?!)

So the question is: what is God asking of you that you are reluctant to do? The more you resist, the less God will speak to you.

hmmm....whatcha gonna do about it?

God's Will

I often wonder about God's will for my life...is it just to be a mom and raise my children to know and love God? While very much worth it, at times there seems like there must be something more, because in a few years, I'll have done all I can do and must sit back and just be an advisor (well a little more than a few years, but not many in the timeline of life!) Then what? Recently I've felt a calling on my life, and have gotton a sliver of a glimps of what may lie ahead. It's exciting, yet at the same time I must wait for the pieces to come together, which is frustrating!
This morning I was thinking - we ponder God's will for our lives as it is something big and out there and bit by bit it will come together, but it tends to be a "down the road" type of thinking. But what about today? Do you have a to-do list for today? Well, God has a to-do list for you for today! Not for something down the road, but a will for today. Are you ready to do His will? Maybe it is encouraging someone with a letter. Maybe it is mowing the neighbor's grass, or picking up a few things at the store, since you are going there anyway. Or maybe it is cleaning up that corner of the basement! Make your to-do list. But at the top put "accomplish God's will for today" and be open to His calling on your heart!

My prayer list today

Here's my prayer list (also my to-do list!) for today:

1. To accomplish all GOD has for us to finish in homeschooling today

2. To finish the ceiling in the girls room

3. To get one of the piles of clothes in our bedroom taken care of

4. To keep an attitude of a child of God in circumstances that will surely arise!

So today ends one chapter in our lives....school. Katrina starts homeschooling on Monday. I know it's almost the end of the year why start now? Because. (Hey! I'm a mom, it's the standard answer!) Today I found a great website for math fact.... www.mathfactcafe.com You can put in some guidelines and then you get randomly generated fact sheet. What I really like - the basics can be emailed to you when you want them. Plus it's all free! How much better can you get? Katrina also brought home 3 workbooks from school today, so we can finish out what she's been doing in Bible, Spelling and Science. Nice.

Plugging in

So I just plugged in the computer. The other night I was sitting here, chatting with someone on facebook when the computer just went "phltt". Right then I learned that when the battery goes dead, it gives you no warning. So there. That's the whole deal with the title of this post. :)

I'm happy to be able to blabber on in another post. I was optimistically hoping to be a regular blogger, but alas I haven't been able to. Life. I guess I'd rather be living it than writing about it!

As I'm typing Rusty is 'airplaning' to me. Such a cutie.

Things have been hectic around here. I've been getting projects started on the remodel of the house. For so long I had my dreams set on the old farm house. It needed much work. I had already gutted it out and had talked to a contractor about tearing off the back side and rebuilding it up to 2 stories. I had such plans. It was really going to be my dream house. But it was going to take so work and money. When grandpa died this past summer, after much discussion we decided to just take and make do with the house we are currently in. It's slowy taking shape in my mind, not quite what I had always planned and wanted, but so many times things turn out that way...and if you look back over all the failed plans you can start to see God's hand. I'm just waiting to see what God has planned in this event!

I guess when it all comes down to it, the title of this post is appropriate. We need to plug into God's power or all our plans with go "phltt"!!

A Starting Point

Today starts a new chapter in the life of me. I'm hoping to be a faithful blogger but alas, I'm great at starting things but never finishing them .

Katrina is home from school today. Everyone's been sick this past weekend and so instead of fighting to get her ready this morning when she said she didn't feel good, I just let her stay home. I don't enjoy sending her off to school, hence my desire to homeschool her this next year. That plus the fact that we just are not going to be able to afford tuition next year, or this year for that matter. I'm in the middle of a decision of whether or not to pull her out now and just finish off this year at home also.

*this picture was taken last fall (10/08) on our excursion to Buttermilk Falls outside of Ithaca, NY.*