Around Here March 2019

Here we go...

Clint is now provided work clothes for free, and they are Carhartt. This wasn't expected, but it is a blessing. The company washes them for us too! Clint was sad to learn a good friend he has worked with for years is retiring. Much to our amazement, we learned Clint is related to friends I went to school and church with during childhood. The family discovery adventure continues! He and I slipped away for a fun, luxurious, romantic weekend in Feb. 

Brandon is loving his Mustang. His baby sisters enjoy riding in it, so he obliges them often. He still has not decided what to do about his Jeep. He also has the truck he drives sometimes. He plans to put a new roof on his house this year. Our whole gang plans to be there to make short work of it. He is gearing up for his garden, and his lemon and lime trees are going crazy producing fruit. He very thoughtfully went through his pictures and found some of Meg, the cat, and gave them to me. He is a very considerate young man. 

The gash on my baby girl's chin is deep and will leave a small scar.

Amanda helped yet another friend fix their car, so they could get to a new job. She was so excited to find an old canister of film from 2005 that I had never developed. She asked me if she could get it sent off. She and I thought it was neat how the pictures were of one of her birthdays! Amanda bought me a fancy black, bug-eyed goldfish I named Goldberg. I wrote outlandish stories about Goldberg by text to entertain her at work...until he floated. Amanda would appreciate some prayers for discernment and direction in one area of life. Last but not least of note, Amanda's foot became entangled in her seat belt as she exited her SUV, and she fell face first on rocks in her driveway. She thought she was OK until a hand to check her face came back covered in blood. As you can see she is healing. A friend told her she was better off the way she landed. The friend broke both wrists, one hand, and damaged her shoulder to the point it required surgery in a very similar fall. 

Joshua is not having to go to work as early as often as he was. He purchased himself a new to him SUV and is really enjoying his peppy ride. He's been meeting with a local Christian group and playing board games. Sometimes Brandon and Bethany tag along. Joshua has been offered a management position again, but he is concerned it will require too many hours. We counseled him to pray, consider all of the pros and cons, and trust God to lead him. Joshua is taller and his shoulders are wider! He is studying Business Law right now. He and Caleb are both 4.0 students in their college courses. 

Caleb is outgrowing the shed we gave him to do his woodworking. Not only does he need more space, but he needs more power. He wants to make a music box that plays "How Great Thou Art." He's been making his excellent home fries for the family again. I don't think I mentioned this, but in December, he sang karaoke at a Christmas party. He was talked into it, didn't want to do it, but followed through because he wants to be known as having integrity. We are proud of him for honoring his word. He just ordered purple heart lumber (an exotic) to work with in his shop. He's taller and wider in the shoulders too! His second job is buying him tools he gets to keep which has really made him happy. One of his bosses has also passed down tools and equipment to him because she wants to encourage him in his field.

Bethany is studying Bible Doctrines so she will have a "ready answer for the reason of hope that is within" her. We have each done that course individually and as a family too. She is flying through her driver's ed course. She asked to wait on enrolling in college which came as a surprise. She is now feeling uncertain about Criminal Justice and is praying and researching about how to use her art as a career. She asked that others pray for her to have discernment to know what God wants her to do. She wants to move forward with her education, but she knows it is more important to wait on the Lord's leading. She informed us she has been studying our genealogy and may draw some genealogy trees and subgroup word pictures. Clint told her if he likes the family tree she designs, he may get her to draw it on a wall.

Emily has been learning electrical wiring skills from Clint. We also bought our three youngest daughters this engine model to help them gain knowledge there. Emily loves drawing and is showing some artistic talent. She has gone through a growth spurt and will surpass Bethany in height soon. Emily emphatically prefers we stick to "plain old camping." When Clint talked to her about it, Emily was HILARIOUS in her response! I wish we had recorded it! Hannah readily agreed and added her own two cents. So, we gave up there and will plan another sort of outing when we meet with the new cousins. Emily's quick wit and sense of humor keep us all laughing. She's a riot!

another baby girl with a boo boo

Hannah stepped on a nail at a construction site recently. She visited with a doctor, was prescribed an antibiotic, and had a booster tetanus shot. She handled it all like a champ! She even watched the needle go into her muscle. #NoTears #AsbellTough  Big brothers came in handy for helping her get around while she could not bear weight on it. Lately, she and Emily have spent a lot of time chatting happily in their little boat. She is the family expert at the Hasbro game Simon having beat it only the second time she played it. #NoShameinHerGame When the new Operation game came, the girls and I sat down and played it together. #MemoryMaking If you want to laugh your stress away, watch our two littlest girls play on their walkie talkies. #GigglesDontStop

Emily and Hannah announced to the family that when they buy a house, it will be one they live in together "because we can never be apart." They were so precious as they explained how much they loved each other. I love their hearts for each other.

I used my suburban to pull down two sheds for someone. They came down perfectly so the building materials could be reused by the owner. It saved them hours of demolition time, so they were happy! My only regret was that there wasn't more to pull down! Hannah rode shotgun and loved it too! Late January and February found me super busy canning meals for the family to have during my long cooking hiatus in summer. I am also canning pork because I desperately need the room in the freezer which is a nice "problem" to have. I am planning the garden and getting the stuff ready to treat our orchard. Spring cleaning is underway, and I've been doing the sewing repairs. I am still cleaning out buildings and downsizing possessions. I have also been painting inside on the warmer days. This is also the time of year I fine tune the homeschooling schedule and curriculum to better suit our ever changing needs. I successfully trapped and am working to rehab an older kitten someone abandoned. She's terrified of hands and feet for some reason which has made it more interesting for both of us. Depending on what is needed where, I am still away from home 1-5 days a week. The suitcase is always packed and ready.

That's us! Catch us up on you! Love to all from all of us!