Homemaking Homesteader

Saturday on the Homestead

06:17, 2008-Jun-21 .. 5 comments .. Link

Well this last week has been crazy busy. We were working on all the last minute details to get Leanne ready to leave for Orlando (Teen Missions), CAT testing for the kids and Tobin was working like crazy around the property.

However.. yesterday Leanne left for her 2 month missions trip to Egypt! She will spend 2 weeks in FL at Boot Camp then 4 weeks in Egypt at the Lillian Thrasher Orphanage and then 2 weeks in Switzerland for debrief. She was nervous, scared, excited.. all in one! Her plane left last night at 10:00 and Tobin took her to the airport to see her off (and then he had to head to work which is one reason we did not all go.. and the fact that everyone else would only be able to go as far as security with her anyway.. Tobin could go all the way to the gate with her since he works for the airline). They saw 3 other Teen Mission kids there (you can spot them by their boots.. they arrive in work boots and jeans ). She called me this morning to let me know she had made it safe and sound and was currently with Teen Missions at the airport waiting for the baggage. There ended up being 6 other kids on her flight. I am sure this will be an awesome and amazing experience for her! BUT we are already missing her terribly! Especially Emily.. Emily and Leanne are VERY close sisters and that separation may be a harder part of this trip (for both of them) than anything else Emily took a picture of me, Leanne and Tobin before she left for the airport…

Today has seemed like a relief from all the planning, paperwork, fund raising, packing, shopping, etc… that has gone into this trip. I had a totally new focus today.. I made nearly 100 bottles of lotion (some new scents that I will get up on the site tomorrow along with a couple new soap scents for summer), directed the kids to clean up the basement and house and Jacob and Isaac worked on outdoor projects. It felt almost normal again! LOL..

I feel like I can now focus on summer, menus, housekeeping, summer routines and maybe a garden.. not sure if that will happen. We have had so much rain that it made it almost impossible to get a garden in and then when the weather was cooperating I was so busy I could not get to it. I may see if I can still buy any plants and go from there. If I can’t then I guess I will be visiting the farmers market this year for fresh veggies.

Emily also took another CLEP test last week (History II) and passed with flying colors again!! She now has some time off and has been spending all her time today studying (and plans to spend the next several days doing the same thing) for the next test (American Government) which she hopes to take sometime next week. She is on track and doing great.

Well I need to go and put my feet up….among everything else that has gone on I sprained my ankle last week.. just what I needed.. LOL.. luckily it is not a bad sprain and is healing well.. except in the evening it starts aching.. I need go and elevate it right now.

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday on your homesteads!