Regarding the Boys

As you know, I have been sharing about my struggles with our boys and their schooling.  Mark and I are keeping on top of them as best we can, it is a tough job.  Also, I am considering homeschooling as an option, but just to let you know my men are against it.  Nonetheless, I am going to try and hook up with a woman from our church who knows of a homeschooling group in the area.  Mark is checking into on-line classes offered through the public school system.  The on-line schooling is free, except when classes are taken over, then it costs $150 a semester for each class.  The on-line schooling can be done at home and is available 24/7.  There is a meeting about the on-line program in May and we are planning on attending.  Mark thinks the on-line schooling is the best option.

My biggest fear right now is that the boys will fail multiple classes and if that happens I am not sure what will transpire.  My youngest son has brought up some of his grades and I am very proud of him, but he has more work to do before he is out of danger.  My oldest son has slipped in yet another class even though he knows what could happen to him.  Both boys are capable of getting good grades, all their teachers past and present know it as well as we do.  My oldest son has A's in his metal and jewelry shop classes.  He has worked hard in both those classes learning how to use all the different pieces of equipment, etc. If you ask my boys, they will freely admit that they are lazy and they do not care about school.  Honestly, I do not know what to do with that attitude and I find it highly frustrating.

This & That

Outside the wind is blowing.  It has been blowing all day.  It makes the house creak when it blows hard.  I enjoy cool soft breezes, but wind is not my favorite.  Today I made red beans & rice.  Cooked those beans all day.  I also baked a buttermilk pie, which came out very tasty.

Mark stayed home from work because he has that virus I had last week.  The boys were also home today.  The juniors had a special testing day today, so the lower grades did not have to attend school.  Eric spent the day at his girlfriend's home and then brought her to our home for dinner.

I saw my family practice doctor this week.  Got my mammogram done, whew!  The tech that did the scan told me she goes to the same doctor as me.  We also got to talking about our sons and how we struggle getting them to do homework.  I really enjoyed talking with her.  Back to health issues, I am still struggling with my tummy and digestion. Sometimes it is so uncomfortable and I get down in the dumps.  I am still seeking the Lord for direction on whether I should go forward with surgery.

I am still having bouts of homesickness.  On May 3rd it will be 3 months since moving.  My in-laws think that I should go to California for a visit, they say that will help, but I am not sure that is what God wants me to do.  Two of my doctors want me to get into the new psychology stuff that is supposed to help stress, pain, sleep, etc.  I am not too keen on that idea because of my faith in Jesus.  One of the programs gets into meditation and Buddhism.  The other program is just psychology stuff.  Does anyone have any advice on this? 

We went to an orientation at an alternate high school for the boys.  That high school was pretty creepy.  Eric signed up for one of the programs they offer.  It is my hope that seeing this school will motivate both boys to appreciate what they have at the school they are going to and apply themselves more diligently to their studies.

I am leaving for the women's retreat with our church on Friday.  Hoping and praying that I have a good time.  I will tell you all about it when I get back.  I leave you with a picture of me and Kelly at the English tea.

Weekend in Review

Friday I got a call from my friend Cindy.  She had invited a friend to an English tea, but that friend could not come, could I?  Well, after a few phone calls it turned out I could go, I was thrilled.  Saturday I dressed up in a skirt, high heels and pearls and drove over to Cindy's.  Thank the Lord the weather was gorgeous!  From there we went and picked up Rosemary.  We drove quite a distance to Franz's house.  Franz lives in a very cute little cottage type house, perfect to host a tea.  Charming ladies showed up in their dresses and hats and we gathered around tables sipping tea from china tea cups, chatting and nibbling on finger sandwiches, lemon tarts, scones, etc.  Then Rosemary got up and sang a song called An English Country Garden as she strummed her guitar.  She was a delight to us all.  On the way out we enjoyed watching a bunny hop around Franz's front yard amongst the green grass and spring flowers and marveled at the snow capped mountains in the distance.

After the tea I swung by the house, picked up my men and we went and met our friends at the local pizza place here in town.  After dinner our friends came over to our house and we spent time chatting.  The next morning Mark and Eric woke up sick, so they stayed home while Brandon and I went to church.  I had a good time worshiping and fellowshiping.  The rest of the day was spent on domestic duties and I managed a short nap with my Dusty kitty sleeping on top of me.

Around the house...

My bed this morning.

My night table with my cup of tea.  I tuck myself into bed and start my morning with a cup tea.

This is downstairs in the living room. Eric placed these signs over the fireplace on the rocks that stick out.  I like it.  I did not show the fireplace because the owner has this ugly gas fireplace insert in there.  And we stuck cardboard on the sides because our kitty liked sitting in the real fireplace behind the insert.

Cozy reading nook by the fireplace.

The painting on the wall was done by my mother.

This is the kitchen.  It doesn't look too bad in the picture, but the cabinets are a little beat up.  And the stainless steel sink is shallow making it difficult to wash dishes.  I miss the custom kitchen that I had in California, but life is not about having a perfect kitchen.

The buffet in the dining room.  The flowers are from my dear husband.  I hope you enjoyed the little tour.

A weekend drive...

Even though I was sick and did not attend church, Mark took me for a drive on Sunday.  Always nice to get out and see God's creation.  These are some pictures I took on our scenic tour.

 Here we are stopped along Highway 6 where a creek flows right next to the highway.  The boys are throwing rocks at the creek below.

This is the little mountain town of Idaho Springs.  I forgot the name of this street, but it is the main street in town with quaint little shops.  I noticed a soap shop with bubbles floating out the door.  I had to stop and I bought a bar of lavender soap.  Oh, it smells so good.  Then we walked into JMR Coffee where the boys and me got an Izze soda pop and Mark got a coffee of course.

Mark wanted to drive further.  So we drove up Interstate 70 to the mountain town of Georgetown.  This town had many old victorian style houses with the gingerbread trim (not pictured here).  In this shot I was trying to get the beauty of the mountains and the sky.  It was gorgeous. 

Driving through Georgetown, I spotted this old red building.  It seemed a picture waiting to happen.  After our drive through town we headed back home.

Where we were treated to a beautiful sunset.  I am getting more used to life here in Colorado, but I still miss California sunsets.

Rattlesnake!

This weekend Mark and the boys were doing yard work when a rattlesnake jumped out and struck at Eric's hand.  Thank God my son had gloves on and that it was only a baby snake.  The guys immediately cut its head off and buried it.  They put the body on the porch for me to see.  Since we live so close to the mesa with all its open land rattlesnakes are part of the deal.

Last week was a hard week for our family.  Mark and I had a conference with one of the high school counselors.  We did not receive good news about what our boys are doing in school.  At this point, it does not look like they are going to pass.  So on April 26th Mark and I are going to an orientation meeting at a high school for kids with special needs.  We are praying.

Otherwise, I am sick with a bad cold.  People at our church have been sick and I figured it was only a matter of time before it got to me. Even so, on Saturday I cooked up a large pot of potato soup and made some banana oatmeal cookies.  Today however, it is jammies, tea and rest along with a little bit of laundry.  Oh my goodness, Mark just came home with a bunch of flowers for me!  How utterly sweet!!

Spending time in nature....

As a family we have been dealing with some really tough issues.  This week was especially hard for us, but mixed in with the hard things we are making good memories.  Take for instance our trip to Crown Hill Park today.  This park is a blessing to me.  It is my place to go when everything in the world seems wrong.  Just a little time spent in this park and I feel recharged.  It helps the boys too.  Here are some pictures from our visit.

 

 These trees are blooming with fuzzy yellow things.

  Eric skipping stones on the lake.

A Canadian goose.

A chapel with a bell tower.

These little black birds make delightful sounds.

Spring has sprung!

This crocus bloomed a while ago.  It was the first flower to bloom here at House on the Hill.

This is the second flower to bloom.  It is blooming right now.  We have started gardening at House on the Hill and we have our work cut out for us.  The yard has not been well maintained through past years of renters.

Mark took this picture of a falcon that landed in the pine tree on the property.  He flies around our neighborhood everyday.

In other news, my tummy has slowly calmed down.  I spoke with my endo doctor and we think it might have been a shift in scar tissue.  Also, have been taking the anti-estrogen med and that seems to have helped in some ways.  It is definitely hard to figure out what is going on.  Decided to wait on the surgery option.  Want to see if this latest event reaps any benefit.  So far today my tummy has been digesting well.  It is always nice to be able to eat without pain.

Today I hiked with a friend from Bible study group.  She is a very sweet girl who is soon to be married.  We hiked to the top of the mesa.  It was so windy that I almost blew away.  On the way down we heard a rattlesnake in one of the bushes.  Eek!!  After our hike Nat took me to her little house and made lunch for me.  Her roommate was there and the three of us had lunch together and a nice chat.  It was a real blessing from the Lord. 

Something Happened

Wednesday afternoon I began to have my sickening tummy pain again.  It felt worse than normal, like something was being wrenched inside.  I stood out in the fresh air for awhile because I thought maybe it would help.  I felt quite ill and it scared me.  Even so I forced myself to eat dinner and then I went to the ladies Bible study at our church.  I was glad that I went even though I was uncomfortable.  I came home and went to bed.  I could not get comfortable due to the pain, so I started massaging my tummy.  While I did that something inside popped (the only way I can describe it) and let loose. Afterward, I fell asleep.  However, in the morning I awoke to a very sore tummy and it lasted all day long.  This morning I woke to a tummy that felt better than it did yesterday, but still sore.  I am not sure what happened inside me, but I can say something significant happened and it was scary.  Since all this pain has been so bad I decided to start taking my prescription of Arimidex that I have from last summer's pill blast.  I want to see if taking it makes a difference since I could not make a decent go of it last year.  Also, I have a phone appointment with my endo doc on Monday, maybe he will have some insights.

Otherwise I am still dealing with my feelings of homesickness.  I think these lyrics from a song by Keith Green are appropriate:

So you wanna go back to Egypt
Where it's warm and secure.
Are sorry you bought the one way ticket
When you thought you were sure?
You wanted to live in the land of promise
But now it's getting so hard.
Are you sorry you're out here in the desert
Instead of your own backyard?

I was thinking of the children of Israel this morning and how they were trudging through the desert for the promise land.  I remembered that they were homesick for Egypt.  They were itching to be free and when the Lord finally freed them, they complained and grumbled in their freedom.  I can see the same weakness flowing in me.  Thankfully, the Lord is so loving, kind and patient with us.  He continues on with His great plan showing us that He is completely faithful and trustworthy.  I just hope somewhere in between my grumbling and tears I am being obedient to Him.

Grieving Period

The past few days I have been singing hymns.  Please visit my blog at Hopes & Dreams to see the songs that I have been singing.

There is a deep sorrow lurking withhin me.  Feelings are finally coming to the surface that have been buried.  Thoughts of my Little Blue Cottage and how I will never again live within its walls and work in its garden.  Those thoughts bring deep sadness to my heart and tears to my eyes.  I guess I loved that little house too much.  I think Easter has brought forth many pleasant thoughts that are painful to think of right now.  Thoughts of Easter at my home in California with my nieces looking for eggs in our backyard.  My boys would always make an Easter egg hunt for them. Grieving is hard work, so please do be patient with me.  And please do not think that I am ungrateful, I am very thankful for our new situation.  We may not own much now, but we are living debt free and I am very thankful for that.

This past Saturday I had a terrible tummy attack.  The pain has been with me for weeks, but on Saturday it flared up especially bad.  I am convinced that it is endometriosis as I have never really had any other problem with me body.  The next step is surgery since nothing else has worked.  I do not feel ready to undertake that step.  Emotionally I will need to be strong and right now I feel it is taking all I have to settle here in Colorado.  On top of that, I do not want to drain my husband and sons emotionally nor our finances.  So I seek the Lord and know that in time He will provide.

Blessed Easter to my Blog Friends!

He is Risen!

Good Friday

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

This is spoken by Jesus himself.  What beautiful words these are!  Do they bring joy to your soul?  How blessed and overwhelmingly loved we are that the Father should not even hold back His only son!  Let us praise Him and bless His holy name.

Also, what comes to my mind is how we call this Friday before Easter, "Good" Friday.  Though on this day Jesus suffered and died all of that was working for our good.  If we are to be followers of Him, we surely will encounter suffering in our lives also.  But sorrow not, for all suffering comes to "good" in the hands of our loving Lord.