Family Update

I have a few minutes today and decided to check in and couldn't believe how long it had been since I had blogged. Sorry, time has really been getting away from me lately.

Our family has been healthy finally for the past few weeks and we have been enjoying the warm days and the hopes of spring in the air.

I love that the kids have been able to get out to play outside. Seems to be good for everyone's soul. They have taken to playing everyday in the "Big Red Bus". Chris says for as little as we paid for it let them play in it all summer and build memories in their bus that will last a life time. Glad he feels that way because they have so much fun in it. Even Brianna played out there with them one day for hours.

Chris has started spring tree cutting. He cuts trees down in spring so they have enough time to dry out and season to burn all winter. We have quite a few trees that are growning into other trees and trees that are already dead, that will be a good start. God always provides the source. This year we only had to buy two cords of wood. So we were able to heat our house all winter for two hundred dollars plus the electric to run the blower. Wow! I bought green bean, spinach, and cucumber seeds on sale at K-Mart yesterday. So excited and ready to plant my garden. I love to garden and the thought and planning of it has gotten me through many a dreary day this winter. I'm going to try planting Lavender this year too. It is a perennial and is supposed to smell so good. A friend of mine and I try to think of things we can make for Christmas gifts and I thought Lavender dried and put in sachets sounds like fun or maybe lavender soap, who knows.

School is going well for all of the kids. Brianna has been hard at work bringing up a few grades that had fallen over the holidays. I call in to talk to the teachers and meet with them when she is not on target. They say to her "tell your Mom this and tell your Mom that" perhaps to let me know what is going on before it gets to a call, not sure if they like the calls or not. I have learned that if you are in charge of your child and you are kindly interested, things that are not right will change. Not sure if it is because of the feedback or preventative maitenance, I don't really care what the reason as long as it turns out to benefit my kid. I'm sure that sounds selfish but I'm postitive that nobody there has her personal interest at heart as much as I do.
Joseph is reading pretty well now and his writing is improving. He is a wiz with Math, praise the Lord for I am not. He got his first library card last week, he was so excited. He has a different air about him when he is there, picking books to read to me, then books for me to read to him. Makes my heart sing watching him. Natalie's teacher tells me she is so good everyday and that she just loves her. I know she does, she loves on her every morning. We will sure miss Mrs. Hollinger when Natalie moves on to Kindergarten, but that is still a year or so away. Natalie know most of her alphabet and can write her name. She has also been working on counting to
twenty.

Our business is great. We have been very busy, so far God brings it in a way that between Chris and I we have been able to handle it. We will have to hire some help for a job Chris is doing this weekend, then I will help him next weekend while the kids get to go for a vist to my Mom's. Chris brought in a job that is every weekend in Col. until the first weekend in April so once we get through that then we can take a breath and evaluate everything. For now we are in major work mode getting to all the jobs that need done. To be honest I do not know how full-time working moms do it. I am in envy of their organization skills. I am trying to get caught up on house cleaning and laundry today and feel quite overwhelmed.

Well better get to it.
I hope you are all well and miss all of you.
Love-Chelle