Swimming and Such

Well, it has been a wild and crazy week. Mike was on nights so we decided to hit the pool a couple times. Tracy, Jason, and Emily had swim team practice, and we stayed in town over the supper hour then went to open swimming. Wednesday Tracy and Aaron played floor hockey. Melissa and Laura gave the lifeguards a job on Tuesday, and David gave the lifeguards a job on Wednesday. Melissa had taken Laura and bounced her out too deep, similar to what Emily did to Melissa a couple years ago, and David decided to walk off where there weren't any steps. I have figured that the lifeguards have come to the rescue for all the kids but Tracy and Aaron (at least I cannot think of a time right off.) Tracy and I ordered new swimming suits, which should be coming today by UPS.

I have been full of aches and pains and woes. My throat has been hurting the "strep" type of hurt so I ran in for a culture. The rapid test showed negative, but I can find out after noon today what the culture shows. I cannot imagine what it would be if it is not strep. My hand is also out of place, causing pain when I do even simple things. I keep saying I should just go to the chiropractor but don't. The last time I went in and got it fixed, I put it out the very next day slamming it against the wall trying to keep my rocking chair from falling backwards on me. :)

We have had yummy (and fattening) breakfast foods this week because I have sets of coupons for free eggs along with cheap sausages, hashbrowns, and biscuits. One of our stores ran a series of eight week's worth of coupons for mostly good deals so I took advantage of them.

David turned 15 months on Thursday, and Laura will be 4 years old tomorrow. She got two cards in today's mail plus a package by FedEx.

No School/No Work

There is no school up here tomorrow in honor of President's Day. Mike does not have to work either. On the down side, Tracy is not happy about there being no swim team practice. Oh well. We do have an offer of stacking wood we will have to fulfill, but that should not take long with a few of us.

We had a day full of sunshine today. I made meatloaf and Swedish meatballs for meals then had "cardboard" pizzas for a bedtime snack. Now I am just about ready to head to my bed.

Carrots, eggs, or coffee?

I found this in my folder when cleaning files off of my computer. I pulled it off a friend's blog a couple years ago, I believe.



You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

*****************

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.

Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

It's easier to build a child than repair an adult. !!!!!!! This is so true.

May we all be COFFEE!

The Cupcakes

Valentine's Lunch

I know it looks like a breakfast meal, but this was our lunch. :) Pancakes, eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns (not pictured)


Tracy worked on heart-shaped sugar cookies with the younger kids yesterday, and I have some cupcakes I am hoping to get frosted with swirled red/pink coloring.

I am hoping to get some fajita-style supper made, but we will see. I guess I will not get much done sitting here. :)

I am sure some of the kids will be swimming today, and I have to drop off the recycling stuff and get a few groceries at the store.

Have a great day.

Home Again

Tracy, Emily, David, and I made a quick trip down south. Tracy went to Snow Feast in Kimball, and the rest of us barged in on my brother and his family for the night. I got to see my friend and my grandma too. I wanted to see my aunt, but it turned out to be out of the way this trip. We stopped in Bemidji and Brainerd also for very short visits.

Laura got a bed from my brother so is very excited about that. I think Tracy will be too, once Laura sleeps in it. :)

Mike leaves for work in five hours; I should probably try to head to bed.

Potatoes

I never will understand my family's eating habits. Lately they have not been eating much so I prepared that way for supper, telling a friend I would save him a plate because I had thrown in a few extra potatoes plus a yam. Well, I had to hide a plate of food for him! :) That is good though; it means people are starting to feel much better.

Tonight at Awana was a busy night; the secretary and I did not get everything done we needed to do, and next week is the end of the quarter, meaning that will be busy too. We have to count who did the most sections in each grade and get jewels figured out for those who get them along with our regular work. I'm rooting for Melissa's getting the most sections in her grade! She did a good job learning the books of the Bible this quarter. :)

I should go to bed so I can get up in a few hours to take Mike to work. We were to pick up the car today, but it wasn't quite ready for us. The man will bring it to work tomorrow for Mike so I don't have to make a second trip to town.

Tracy leaves Friday. She is going to a youth conference in Kimball.

Friday

I think some of us are starting to "come out" of this sickness that has plagued our house for the past week. We have not gotten much done except sit around. Nobody is even interested in food, which is an ordeal in itself here. :)

Riding the Blanket

One of David's newest activities is riding on the blanket while someone pulls him around the house.

The Day's Happenings

Today was one of those wild yet calm days. I did not feel stressed out even though we were busy. Around 10:45 I got the call that my glasses were in so bundled up and went to Baudette after the vehicle was done complaining about the cold. :)

I got my glasses, we went sledding for a few runs (I think Melissa lasted the most at four treks down the hill,) and even stopped at McDonald's for lunch/a treat. I also dropped off our electric bill.

When we got home I did not have much time before Mike got home from work so we quickly did our "2:00 clean-up." Less than an hour after Mike got home, I left with the older three kids, and we stacked wood for a friend for 15 minutes before heading the rest of the way to town where Tracy and Jason went to the pool for swimming. Aaron kept the car warm while I did some errands.

When we got home, I made some chicken nuggets from part of the breasts I got for 99 cents a pound, and just a bit ago I finished pulling the rest of the meat off of the bones (after they had boiled.) I will probably try to make a pizza or some sandwiches with that meat and soup or gravy with the broth.

Now most people are in bed so I should get my teeth brushed after doing a bit of clean up. Have a great day tomorrow!