Simple beauty

I received the pottery berry bowl colander for my birthday. For years I have toyed with putting a handmade pottery mug on my Christmas list. 

Whenever I go in a thrift store, I always check the mugs, but this is the first time I saw a handmade pottery mug! ($2) This one is by a local artist. 

LM spent time with Grandma one day. It must have been a Wednesday, because that is Farmers' Market day.  They browsed the Farmers' Market, and Grandma let her pick out something. I'm the only in our family who eats jam, so I guess it's for me. :) And I love raspberry jam! Thank you, LM, and thank you, Grandma!

Isn't God good?

Happy Birthday, Jim. ... Isn't God good to keep giving us more time to serve Him? Our days at {your home church} are the "stand-out days" of serving the Lord - like "home." I'm sure you are serving the Lord as you have always done. God bless you, your family, and your continued service.

So read a message on Facebook at the time of Jim's birthday. 

I love his former pastor's wife's attitude, as she is in her 90s! Her mission on earth is to keep serving her Lord! 

And I love her confidence that that would be Jim's mission as well. 

May it be true of all of us!

Day of Rest?

Maycember doesn't stop even on Sundays! 

I thought Saturday was a doozy, but Sunday took the cake!

Jim teaches 3rd grade Sunday School every other month, and May is his month, so we had to leave 15 minutes early.  We arrived at church before 8.45, and left around noon. 

After lunch, Jim & BK left to check the Gideon Bibles in a hotel and replace any that were missing or damaged.  

Shortly after that, LM accompanied me to Baccalaureate.  I was planning to go alone, but she certainly couldn't stay home by herself! She did great, belting out the songs, sitting next to my friend's high school daughter, and going through all the items in her church bag. 

This was the first Baccalaureate I had ever attended in my life!  (Although it's nothing like the Baccalaureate of years ago.  Only 13 seniors -out of 100 or more- attended.) Our ministerial alliance sponsors it, and had enthusiastically invited Moms in Prayer to be a part of the service. Two of us praying moms were able to attend.  

We are overjoyed for the publicity, and hope that more moms will join us! The host pastor described Moms in Prayer and also let the moms know that, even though their child is graduating, they can join a zoom prayer group for their child's college or they can join a young adults' group.  Brochures with a QR code were also available by the refreshment table.

Home in time to make a fruit salad, and find & sign three cards. 

Then off to a family dinner from 5.30-8.  

What will the rest of Maycember be like?! 

Fruit

Years ago, my mom painted this bowl of fruit.  At some point she entered it in the County Fair and won a blue ribbon! 

Over time, she collected & displayed in her kitchen and back porch many additional paintings, prints, postcards, and hand-colored bowls of fruit.  Some were from coloring books, lovingly colored by her grandchildren. Some were pages torn out of magazines. Some were thrift store finds.  One particular thrift store find was vintage embroidery.  

When going through my parents' house, I found these four antique postcards, never sent or written on. I think one was from Belgium, and the others from France. I saved them for Mom. A quick trip to Hobby Lobby led me to these delightful frames, and voila! Our birthday gift for Mom the next year was ready! (After one of my brothers-in-law hung them in her room.) 

Recently, the activity director at assisted living had the residents paint with watercolors.  Two of my sisters, upon seeing Mom's work in her room, thought someone had brought her a gift. Aren't these amazing?! 

I hope when I'm 91 1/2, I'm starting new hobbies. :) 

Valentine's Day

How was your Valentine's Day?   

Valentine's Day in our house came & went without much notice.  (And we're okay with that.) :) 

I put out a few heart-shaped decorations. My mom sent the children each a card, and one of their aunts did also. LM wore clothes with hearts on them throughout the week, and was excited about exchanging cards in her class. :) 

On Wednesday, I included a mixed bouquet in my Walmart pickup order, and I added some pink heart-shaped macarons to my cart at Aldi. :) 

On the actual day, I mostly had a day alone to be quiet and rest. (After my infusion the previous day, my body needed that.  Well, and after some stressful events lately, my body needed it.) 

The children spent February 14 skiing!! Their uncle and a few adult cousins took them for their birthday present.  Very exciting! 

I went out for breakfast with a friend.  Jim had pig chores and a farm errand. I was home most of the day by myself, and spent a lot of time under the blankets with my weighted eye mask on, listening to music or a Mitford audio book from the library Libby app. 

I ended the day with a heart-healthy smoothie! :) 

 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #80

771.  a fun family birthday party last weekend for two adults!

772.  the Olympics!

773.  Moms in Prayer & a new veteran mom (& veteran MIP-er) joining us

774.  a day to rest after a high-stress day

775.  IVIG scheduled ... 3 weeks late

776.  plans to go out for breakfast with a friend and out to lunch with another in the next few weeks (this happens every 12-18 months, so two in a few weeks - wow!)

777.  LM successfully completing her first year of fall/winter swim!

778.  reading 8 books already in 2026! (4 missionary biographies, 3 in the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, and one Bible re-telling - The Outsider)

779.  a few different (unexpected) hours of respite this week

780.  blessing others with things we do not use or need to keep storing in our home!

Our Week

We woke up Sunday in Terre Haute, IN, after spending most of Friday in Indianapolis and most of Saturday at a swim meet in Terre Haute. 

We worshiped at a Southern Baptist church. The Lord met us in the singing time, the solid sermon (intro to Revelation), and Lord's Supper.  

January started with us in Tennessee, and also held a day trip to Chicago for my doctor, two long weekends (one in Chicago & one in Indiana), two e-learning days, one snow day, and I. Am. Tired. 

It doesn't help that I haven't had my (every-4-weeks) infusion since December 26. (Thank you, American Healthcare System or lack thereof.) Without it, my body cannot fight the common cold.  Thank you, Jesus, that I haven't had a cold, although by Wednesday night this week, my body hit the proverbial wall, and I spent 18 of the next 24 hours in bed. 

Plus it has been a F*R*I*G*I*D winter.

And there are other things going on that take a lot out of me. Jim and I are both losing weight from stress.

Monday afternoon was speech at the university clinic + an eyeglass repair + swim practice. 

Tuesday afternoon was LM's annual physical + a visitation. 

Wednesday afternoon LM had tutoring & BK had a friend over (whom I fed). [I did not go to church. I went to bed.]

Thursday Walmart delivered groceries. (God bless whomever invented that!) Thursday evening Jim took BK to an appointment. I was going to take LM to swim practice until I realized Jim had the van, and had left me ... the farm truck hauling a grain wagon. Um, no! Thankfully a friend took LM.

Friday neither my prayer date friend nor the housecleaner came.  And I did not go to the pharmacy; I had our prescriptions delivered. While I missed them both, that meant more time for me to rest.

Friday evening we watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies! 

Saturday evening we have a family birthday party!

And Sunday evening we are all excited about the snacks I will make for our "Super Bowl party," aka appetizer fest. :) (Cowboy Caviar with tortilla chips, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip with peppers, carrots, & celery, chicken nuggets, cheese + crackers, air fryer zucchini, and sparkling grape juice.

I finished reading An Open Door: A True Story of Courage in Congo, didn't make any progress in Sunday Evenings with Joni, started At the Foot of the Snows, and continued listening to The Outsider: Ruth - A Retelling (on Dwell), and was delighted to discover Call the Nurse in my Kindle library (Amazon says I purchased it in 2014).

I was thrilled to learn that Walmart+ comes with Peacock, so Happy Olympic Watching to us! 

And an item we had been looking for at the thrift store for months popped up this week! 

A! Full! Week!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #78

761.  family memories on a long weekend in Indiana - sightseeing, swim meet, church

762.  having time in our schedule (mine, Jim's, and the grandparents' - it takes a village) for me to represent our family at a visitation

763.  how convenient it is that BK can ride the bus after school to his grandparents'

764.  wireless car play adapter

765.  small group that prays

766.  four ribbons from a swim meet

767.  another huge pot of hamburger vegetable soup

768.  one pediatric dental appointment & one pediatric physical complete!

769.  The joy of the Lord shall be our strength!

770.  things to look forward to - Olympics, a birthday party, and our family Super Bowl party (all we care about are the snacks!)

A week

Monday I got 16,000 steps cleaning LM's room. [It was a major job, involving multiple bags of trash, multiple loads of laundry, bags of books to be donated, etc.]

Tuesday Jim and I went to Chicago to see my rheumatologist, who was visibly happy to see my reduced symptoms! (Weaning from all the meds will likely be a multi-year process.) I also had blood drawn there for a specialized lab that isn't available here in the hinterland. Thankfully the results show that I am negative for TB. Thank you, Lord!

Wednesday I made a big pot of vegetable beef soup. Yum! And my new loose leaf teas arrived! 

Thursday I learned that my brilliant and hilarious second cousin who had been on dialysis since the mid-to-late 80s (?) has his new body & heard, "Well done, my good & faithful servant." 

I also spent a lot of time on the phone, had a hair appointment, dropped off a trunk load of donations to my favorite thrift store, went to ALDI for a huge grocery haul, took one child to an appointment in town, etc.!  (And was thankful swim practice was canceled and that I had canceled the housecleaner!)

Friday I did dishes and laundry and more dishes and more laundry and made a bunch of phone calls to people to make sure they're doing their jobs (!). I made one of the two birthday cakes for the family party Saturday evening and gathered all the birthday party supplies. 

My week included interactions with the following professionals: nurse, immunologist's office, insurance company, pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, investor, tax guy, school principal, social worker, and probably more I am forgetting. 

Is it any wonder I am sleeping 8 hours or more most nights?!

Summer Vacation ~ Day 38

Sunday, June 29 

A short visit with Mom at the rehab hospital before going to my childhood church.  Oh, the memories that come flooding back in that sanctuary! Bonus! My childhood pastor was preaching. :)

Jim and I stood in the aisle of the sanctuary after the service talking with the husband of the family who bought my childhood home. We felt like we were talking with an old friend, and could have talked all day.  It's so good to hear how they are making the house their own and pouring life into it!

Lunch at my sister's with all the family (except Mom) and our childhood pastor and his wife.  

We drove by the farm and house to see what changes were visible. 

A short rest, and then we all gathered at the rehab hospital for a family celebration of Mom's 91st birthday a few weeks early. :) 

Happy 95th!!

We celebrated Jim's dad's 95th recently!  What a momentous & joyous occasion!! 

Jim's dad is one of six children, and only their sister (the oldest) has gone to heaven.  One brother lives out West, but the other three were there.  The youngest drove from 4 1/2 hours away.  One brother's daughter brought him from the nursing home.  And the one who lives a few miles away (& whose eyes and words are fixed on heaven) was there with his wife.  

At this age, it's such a joyous occasion whenever they get together, and I choke up when I see them greeting each other, but it's also more like a preview of heaven.  

Twenty of us ate a delicious dinner at his home ... at three tables!  Not being a sibling or child of his, I was part of those who were relegated to another table two rooms away.  :)  After dessert, we played a trivia game.  How many years between his oldest & youngest grandchild? (24)  What was his first tractor? Job in the army? Areas he served in church?  Price per acre of the first land he purchased? Yield when he won the soybean prize? How many countries has he visited? (130) 

And then he stood to lead the singing for a hymn sing to rival any. (We need more of those! ~ says the one who sings off key.) Having led the singing for years (decades?), it was natural for him to say, "First, second, & fourth verses," or to jokingly say, "Number 317 in your hymnbook." :)  I wonder if he will get to lead singing in heaven some times. :) 

To God Be the Glory, Holy, Holy, Holy, Marvelous Grace of our Loving Lord, There Shall Be Showers of Blessing, Take My Life and Let It Be, and concluding with standing for Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine. 

[Side note on Blessed Assurance ~ For Jim's parents' 60th anniversary, we all went on a 2-3 day pilgrimage of sorts to Chicago. We visited the neighborhood where his mom grew up, took photos in front of her childhood home, visited the cemetery where her parents & grandparents are buried, toured the church where they were married, stayed in the hotel where they stayed the first night of their honeymoon, and then did touristy things.  At the cemetery someone suggested singing a hymn, and so we sang, "Blessed Assurance." As we all stood at the altar of the church where they were married, we sang it again.  And at Jim's mom's graveside service, the pastor [of a church they had not been attending long] said, "I don't know if this is a singing family, but let's sing Blessed Assurance." Special memories!]

We also had a special trio sing, "Fairest Lord Jesus." And then the slide show began.  First a parody by our children, "A Day in the Life of Grandpa," and "We Love You, Grandpa," and then a 2-hour overview of his life in pictures.  

It's overwhelming to think of all he has experienced and how faithful the Lord has been to him.  What an AMAZING 95 years he has been given! 

But, as his grandfather used to say, "It's better further on." Amen! 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #40

391.  BK & LM's first time skiing!

392.  an uncle & cousins who took them :) 

393.  BK's last swim meet of the season!

394.  a Sunday School teacher (who is also his Awana leader) driving an hour to watch him, cheer him on, and encourage him!

395.  a week packed full of friends, family, athletic events, tutoring, a birthday party, play date with friends, ET CETERA!

396.  a Saturday morning to sleep in, a Monday holiday, and potentially a Tuesday remote learning day (due to dangerously low wind chills)

397.  friends to help give rides

398.  grandparents to visit & hang out with

399.  books to read!

400.  encouraging sermons & pastors who preach the Word faithfully & pastorally

Do you know a young girl?

Do you know a young girl (toddler through grade school)? Odds are that they love Squishmallows!! (Boys love them, too!)

When BK was 3 1/2 (I think), I was scouring the internet for ideas for sensory items for young children, and Squishmallows came up.  My parents bought him a LARGE (16") brown bear as their Christmas gift.  I remember on our trip to Tennessee for Christmas that year, I pulled a new item out of my bag of tricks every 30 minutes to help the l-o-n-g roadtrip go more quickly.  But on our trip home, BK just hugged his squishmallow! 

A few months before Jim's dad remarried, we were at a family event, and "new" Grandma brought BK & LM each a (smaller) squishmallow! And, over time, their collections have grown. 

This Christmas, LM's absolute favorite gift was a set of Squishmallows (Squish-a-longs Clip & Go Mini-Squish). 

Since then, my sister & I text each other Squishmallow items we see out and about. She saw Squishmallow cereal (of course), and one guess as to what type of Valentines I put in my Walmart order for LM's class Valentine exchange?! :) 

The product line is endless, and I'm not sure they even have to do any marketing. The young girls clamor for anything and everything Squishmallow! 

Have you hugged a Squishmallow recently?! 

Summer Vacation, Day 43

Tuesday, July 2nd

I slept from 8 PM - 5.45 AM.  Thank you, Jim!

After I made a 7-layer salad, the children and I left at 8 AM for BK's 8.30-9.30 swim practice (during which LM played mermaid in the shallow end with other siblings) and LM's 9.30-10.30 swim practice (during which BK swam in the shallow end with friends). That's two hours in the pool each, and usually on our way home, they ask if we can go to the pool. :) 

Dropped LM off at daycare and drove to the city with BK.  Walmart for a new bike, candy to throw out in the parade, and health & beauty items because I have been doing my grocery shopping at ALDI.  Next stop: the kids' consignment store for dress shoes + sneakers for a 10 year old whose feet are growing!! Then an appointment.  And a Kohl's return. 

Home via the post office (& a stuffed P.O. box) for 30 minutes of rest.  Dropped the salad off at Grandpa's and went to a swim meet.  (Swim meets should be their own post!)

BK dropped almost 2 seconds off his PR in both the 50 yard freestyle and the 100 yard freestyle, and also swam the 100 yard individual medley for the first time, and swam breaststroke in a 200 yard medley relay.

It was a great meet! And his events were over surprisingly early, so we left and still made it to Grandpa's for the second half of a family get-together. :)

I spent snatches of my day dictating emails, registering one child online (using my phone) for the upcoming school year [not my favorite activity; one more to go!], replying to texts from "my Amazon driver" regarding a birthday gift we had ordered for a friend (so then I was texting the friend's mom to put away their dog...), feverishly remembering my password so I could sign in to the Northwestern app and claim the cancelled appointment within 30 minutes of receiving a text about it (& before any of the other 19 people claimed it), canceling a free Audible trial before I would be automatically charged, and trying to make a Costco order.

I felt like I was always on the go and rarely present all day. Some days are like that.

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #3

The listing of gifts continues to strengthen my "giving thanks" muscle.  I saw people in real life this weekend whom I don't see that frequently.  Our reality doesn't match what they have seen me post online, so I'll add a disclaimer.  Real life is a lot harder than what is written in public (& for all posterity).  But, I'm sure yours is, also.  Believe you me, we spend a lot of time focusing on the not-publicized issues.  

Here I practice focusing on God's goodness and the gifts that might otherwise go unnoticed by me.  I'm hopeful you might also be encouraged to see ways God is at work in the so-called ordinary things of life.  He is good and we experience His goodness in many ways!

21.  the joyous wedding ceremony & celebration of one of our nieces!

22.  visiting with people we don't see frequently (wedding & funeral friends)

23.  fun touches - gourmet popcorn at the reception, a send-off with confetti streamers

24.  time with extended family on Sunday

25.  the nap I got in on Sunday :) 

26.  telehealth saving me a 140-mile drive today

27.  sunshine & the hope of warmer weather

28.  fun time celebrating Jim's birthday

29.  the wi-fi frames which both of our parents enjoy

30.  calm music, earbuds, and eye masks to promote sleep 

Calendar Audit - January

It's January 14, which means the month is almost half-over.  Or, I suppose I could say, we have lived almost half of the month so far! 

We have enjoyed a less cluttered house, I have tried lots of air-fryer cooking (& other creative meals without an oven), we have been healthy (Praise God!), the children have had 7 days of school (including thrice-yearly standardized of sorts testing), Jim covered for his brother on the farm for 6 or 7 days, Awana, Trail Life, and swim lessons have resumed, Jim & I have taught Sunday School twice (we teach every other month), the children & I went to open swim at the high school one evening, I have had a hair appointment and three visits with friends, and we have celebrated two birthdays and had one party!  

Lord willing, the rest of the month holds two well-visits at the pediatrician, two pediatric eye exams, my monthly infusion, my annual mammogram, a bureaucratic visit to my PCP, annual speech-language testing at the pediatric hearing clinic, speech therapy at the university clinic, a specialist visit, and Jim's dental appointment.  Eleven appointments in twelve weekdays!  Whew! 

Maybe January won't be the month our Christmas cards get sent. ;) 

Birthdays

So far, we celebrate birthdays with a special meal & cake & ice cream with the extended family. End of story.  

But both children have been to friends' birthday parties at a destination (bowling alley, ninja park, zoo, gymnastics place, etc.). And so they are asking ... 

My mom gave us a friend party for our 10th & 16th birthdays.  The other years, we had a formal dinner with family friends & 80-90 year old relatives.  A friend with three girls let one of them have a friend party each year.  

What do you do? What did your parents do? 

Both of our children have winter birthdays, and since we can't order snow storms, it would have to be an indoor party ... or a half-birthday party in the summer.  I'm not a fan of a destination party, but I am a fan of saving my energy!  

How to limit the number? LG has been to parties where all the boys in his class were invited.  LM went to a party where both kindergarten classes were invited + a few other friends. It was massive! "All the boys in his class" is a lot more manageable, and easier than saying, "Pick 3 friends." 

And gifts.  Wow!  Do we really need more gifts? I keep trying to plant seeds of gifts for donating (e.g., everyone brings warm socks to donate to the city mission or one of the party activities is making "blessing bags" to give to homeless people).  We went to one party where the child was inundated with 20-30 gifts (each $20 or so).  One of our children was invited to a party that said "no gifts please," which we obeyed, but apparently others brought gifts such as candy.  

I remember the year that I received a box of kleenex and a tube of lip gloss for my birthday.  (There may have been other gifts, but those are the ones I remember.)

Which destination? Small-town bowling alley with pizza brought in? Ninja park in big city? Swim party (assumes they all can swim)? Gymnastics place? We saw a birthday party at the pumpkin patch!  That would be perfect for an autumn birthday. :)  Neither of our children are into crafts yet, but apparently Michael's does parties.  

I'm really more of a home birthday party, but there would have to be a really clear plan, and winter makes it harder.  

And then there is the cake. Sigh! I have made a Lego cake, Olaf pull-apart cupcake cake, unicorn cake, digger cake, a Buzz Lightyear cake, & our nieces made an elaborate combine cake.  I've also made a 9x13 cake with sprinkles and a number candle.  Woo-hoo!  2022's birthday cake decorating caused a pretty big flare of my autoimmune disease, so I'm looking for simple ... or purchased!  Or ... LG & LM might learn to decorate their own cakes. :) 

Stay tuned to find out how we answer the birthday party question! :)

This is 5 1/2

LM is 5 1/2!  Wow! Where has the time gone?

LM is tall and fast and strong.  

She is very in tune to others' emotions.  

She is excited to start kindergarten in August!! She would also like to start year-round swim lessons, gymnastics, and American Heritage Girls, plus soccer, softball, and cheer.  :)  She also has aspirations of speaking Spanish.

She loves to cook and is always eager to make something, wondering aloud if we have the ingredients.  

LM is affectionate and thankful, quick to apologize, and rejoicing over forgiveness granted.   

She loves mom and has been having a harder time the past few months being away from mom.

Her favorite foods are anything crunchy ... croutons, steak, etc. She really isn't picky, just as long as it's not soft food (e.g., applesauce, yogurt, ice cream or pudding).  She only drinks water. Period.

She loves all the toddler learning & dance songs, and goes to bed every night listening to mom sing Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, Holy, Holy, Holy, and the Doxology.  If she can remember those, she'll be in good stead!

Sleep is her forte! During the school year, she slept 6.30-6.30.  Summer schedule is skewed a few hours, but still some solid sleep going on!

LM is independent, always trying to be like her big brother.  This summer she has learned how to buckle her car seat (yay!!!) and is learning how to unbuckle it. 

Her favorite things to do are to sit on the floor and read books, to teach school to her stuffed animals, or to watch "learning," aka ABC Mouse.   

We are so thankful for LM, for her 5 1/2 years (!), for her personality, her sweet nature, and her exuberance about life.  We can't wait to see how she learns and grows in Kindergarten, and mostly how she learns more of the Lord and His love for her.  

This is 8 1/2

LM is 8 1/2!  

He is tall and strong, fast and opinionated, and very verbal with an amazing vocabulary.  

He loves to read ... while eating, riding, going to bed, etc.  Graphic novels are his favorite.  He also loves audiobooks ... especially ones he has listened to over and over, such as The Sugar Creek Gang, Toy Story Collection, Charlotte's Web, the Paddington books, and Anne of Green Gables.  He likes podcasts, especially Base Camp Adventures & The Official Average Boy Podcast.  But his all-time favorite listening activity is Your Story Hour and the weekly free dramatized stories!

Baseball, bicycling, swimming, running. He loves them all!

This summer he has mastered the art of sleeping in!

He loves to work on the farm and he comes home each time with increased confidence ...  and smelly clothes!

His favorite song (thanks to camp) is Great God Almighty. 

His favorite foods are pizza and Bosco sticks.  His favorite restaurant is Blaze Pizza.  But he also loves a good meat, potatoes, and vegetables with salad (& Thousand Island dressing) dinner.  He is not a fan of casseroles or meatloaf, eggs, or milk.  Breakfast is usually dry cereal or a granola bar with bacon or sausage if we have it.  Chocolate milk used to be his thing, but now he asks daily for Gatorade (um, no) or Dr. Pepper (same answer). :)

He loves imaginative play. Any object can become anything else he wants it to be!  Sometimes he ropes LM in (hopefully figuratively) and they act out elaborate scenes for what seems like hours. 

He remembers jokes and brightens our van rides with humor.

2nd grade was the year he started loving art & creating.  For his birthday he received an Inventor's Box and it has given him hours of fun!

We are so thankful for LG's life, his 8 1/2 years (!), his creativity & ideas, the things he is learning about God & His world, and his tenderness towards his mom. ;)  Less than 6 months until we reach the halfway point to 18 ...

April calendar

So far, our April calendar holds the following.  The plan is that everything with an * will happen during morning preschool, which is great for efficiency, although not necessarily restful for me. (19 school days; 13 with appointments)

 

* two Zooms with my health coach

* monthly lab work

* a hair appointment

* dermatologist follow-up from summer

* my monthly infusion (need to find childcare after LM's 10.45 bus)

* monthly rheumatologist appointment via telehealth (scheduled during infusion - ha!)

* an injection at the infusion center (and an hour+ wait afterward)

* weekly speech therapy for Little Miss at nearby university clinic

one day of annual speech and language testing for Little Guy 70 miles away (three sitters unavailable - LM may miss school that day & go along for the ride)

Kindergarten Roundup

weekly Awana

weekly swim lessons

two TrailLife meetings + first Saturday morning outing

* townwide garage sales - Woo-hoo!!!

one (& possibly two) family get-togethers

* IEP meeting at school

two days of no school (Easter weekend - yay!)

Early Release day (that deserves it's own blog post!) 

a birthday 

a friend's birthday party

Easter!!