Carrie's Country Cottage

Two Saturdays This Week

I have been trying to post the rest of our Memorial Day Weekend, but have had a dickens of a time using my Photobucket account.  I did have a few other things that I could share with you while Manly, our older fellas, and I try to figure out how to use Photobucket, and then, hopefully, I will stop loosing previous photos each time I post new ones.  (Any suggestions are welcomed!!!)

June has started out wonderfully.  We are still doing lessons 3-4 days a week, and will most likely continue to do so throughout the summer.  (A number of little set-backs have added up.) 

Monday:  We started week #30 in CORE (there are 36 weeks in the planner ~ almost done with that!)  Then, I did review and lessons with the oldest two fellas.  We are now revisiting those areas that proved the most difficult throughout the school year.  So, it was a long process trying to clearify these problem areas.  After lunch I made a batch of yogart and 4 loaves of banana bread.  The other children were not ready for review and I had a call from a friend who NEEDED a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.  So, I talked and baked.  So, no one else had one-on-one time with me today.   Manly was able to be home by 3 in the afternoon ~ He had gone up to the high country to oversee / wrap up the final installation of kitchen appliances and fixtures.  Since there was a LOT of daylight left after getting home, he took the biggest fellas over to a local skate park (a reward for having their responsibilities completed although they "did not know the time or hour" that their dad would return.)  Before leaving for the park he asked me NOT to make dinner.  He wanted to treat us to dinner out.  (A local Italian Buffet has a "Children Eat Free" special on Mondays and Tueaday.)   Then at 9 the guys did the bread run for me.  I was feeling rather spoiled ~ I liked it!   

Tuesday:  WARNING:  Graphic Pet Details!!!  One of the puppies had an accident in her crate overnight and then when she went out to go potty for the morning, she was pooping blood.  My first thought was that she was in heat. (She is after all 10 mo. old)  But it was coming from her bottom and only when she squated to go potty.  This was VERY concerning.  I called the vet and was told that she had no openings today due to surgeries, but could be seen tomorrow at 1:30 in the afternoon.  We kept an eye on the puppy and she seemed to be a little off kilter, but still wanted to play and was eating, drinking and pottying.  So, we waited for the Wed. appt.  Manly headed out to his folks place today to work on the shop some more and then out to his brother's farm to clean up some construction trash in preparation to finish the spreading of gravel on the lower level of the garage.  Again he was home mid/late afternoon.  It is rather nice to see so much of him lately.  Started another batch of yogart before going to bed.  We are swimming in milk and I do not want to thow it away.  Since yogart lasts longer . . . I am making yogart.   

Wednesday:   We are done with Dog Class.  Just knowing that helped today to go better.  Dog class is still going on, but we (Manly and I) have decided that the children have fulfilled the requirement we put on them for Obedience Training their puppies.  We feel that due to the puppies being just that, puppies, that it would be best to wait another year before trying to compete in 4-H shows with them.  That will give the puppies another year to settle down and for both the boys and their dogs to practice Showmanship and Obedience techniques.  So, dog class is over for this year (~deep sigh of relief~)  That said . . . We did CORE (from 8 until 10) and then I sat down with the oldest fellas to review.  Neither of them had completed their math assignments.  They are not understanding it.  So, we started with English and Science.  That took the rest of the morning.  Hug Bug took the first piano lesson time slot (our neighbor 2 houses down teaches them) so that he would be home to take his dog to the vet.  After having lunch, he and I headed out with puppy to the vet.  Puppy has "colitus" (sp?), basicly all the compost that she has been eating (we do not know how she is getting into it) has irritated her colon and given her a nausty infection.  Easy to care for ~ 10 days of antibiotic should get her back on track.  (Now to keep her out of the compost.)  It was now 3 in the afternoon and I needed to review with the rest of the guys (Only the top two have had any attention this week) and start thinking about dinner.  Manly called to let me know he was on the road and what time to expect him home.  He is the best!  When I told him that I was overwhelmed withwhat was NOT getting done this week he asked me to tell him 3 things he could do for me when he got home . . . and he did them!

Thursday:  Today my mom stopped by after CORE to spend some time with us.  She only lives 1 mile away, but still we do not see her enough.  She stayed until shortly before lunch.  After lunch I was able to review with the younger guys.  It was a better "school" day.

Saturday #1 (aka: Friday):  Manly took the 5 oldest boys up the hill to help clean the house.  There is an Open House this coming Wednesday and the house is covered in construction dust and debris.  So, he took up our labor force and cleaned the place up.  I took Lady and Busy Bugs and did our once a month shopping**.  Typically when all the guys go off to work it is on a Saturday.  So, all day I was thinking it was Saturday and was gearing up for church tomorrow.  I was delighted each time I remembered that is was in fact Friday and I still had a "real" Saturday tomorrow.  Shopping took from 8 am. until noon.  We went to Sam's Club and FILLED 2 carts (with no big helpers to assist).  After all the cold things were packed into coolers we headed off to Wild Oats to get the fixins for granola and then to the Wal-Mart next door to W.O. (they have the type of sippy cup Busy uses and that the puppies keep chewing up.) Then off to Sears to buy my new vacuum ~jumping up and down with excitement.  Our old one has been struggling for a while and then the other week one of the fellas knocked it into the wall and broke an essential piece off.  So, I looked on Consumer Reports and found a GREAT vacuum at a reasoble price.  It is so fun to have new toys.  And this on the fellas cannot touch.  (Manly fixed the other one "well enough" and the boys can use it to touch up their rooms mid week.)

** Once a Month Shopping is going . . . okay.  The more organized I am the better it goes.  I made a master list of what we tend to go through in a month and then took inventory as to what we had and how many.  Each month I learn something more about how to be more effeiciant and tweek the system to better meet our needs.  Hopefully by the time we move out to the "Farm" I will have the system down and can limit my trips into town.  (I tend to be a home body.  So, this is a double benifit to me.)

Saturday #2:  Manly headed off with 4 of the 5 oldest once again.  (Stink Bug stayed to help me around the house)  This time out to his folks place to unload everything that they brought down the hill and then off to Buddy's to finish the dirt work in the garage.  I had a rather laid back day and was able to have a nice walk even.  Another batch of yogart is going,  Last one for a while I hope.  We now have 21 pints of it.

Sunday:  We headed out to church on time, but needed to get fuel.  So, we knew we would be a bit late.  Half way there we realized that we forgot the milk (2 families at church buy milk from Manly's mom and we are the go-between).  We turned around, went home, got the milk, headed to the fuel station and then to church.  We got there only 3 minutes late.  WOW!  After church we talked with a family we had not ween in a number of weeks for 35 minutes; needed to pick up milk jars at the home one of the families we suppy milk to (they live just 2 blks. from church), stayed there and talked for 20 minutes and then had to stop by our friends' church (they had stayed late for a luncheon) to give them some outgrown clothes and some books; we needed to pick up from them some maternity clothes (not for me) and her carpet cleaner.  By the time we got home it was . . . 2 o'clock?!?!?!  Manly took the oler 4 boys to see the movie "Prince Caspian" and I set to work getting out a terrible stain on our stairs while Busy Bug slept and Lady and Flutter Bugs watched a movie here at home.    

I pray you week was full to the brim and overflowing with blessings;     Carrie  

P.S.:  Most recent batch of yogart did not turn out right.  Maybe the milk is too old.  I am straining it to see if I can make it into cream cheese.  I have never made cream cheese.  I hope it turns out.  That would be fun.

Your Fortitude, Diligence and Endurance

{ 08:00, Monday, June 16, 2008 } { Posted by Anonymous }

Carrie, I have wanted to sit down with you for a while but seeing as how yesterday was Father's Day and I was in Sunday school again I missed you. I can't remember where I was but I saw a glimpse of you and it delighted my heart! Directly after class clean up and release of kiddos Patrick requested we leave. He had something up his sleeve. We went home and had lunch and the rest of the day was Papa's. I stand in awe of you when I think of how busy you are in honoring your husband, children and the Lord! Blessings be upon you dear friend! Stacy