It's been a while since i've been here and i'm almost too tired to start an update now, but i the longer i wait, the more "behind" i get.

Last weekend we went to Manitoba for Jonathan's brother's wedding. We left early Friday morning, spent the day at the Science Centre in Regina (and Imax ~ we watched "Deep Sea"), then drove another hour and a half to Whitewood where we stayed with friends for the night. We had a lovely time there (the boys had almost too much fun ~ lol), and a great breakfast (thanks Andrea!)

Saturday morning (not as early this time) we headed out for Winnipeg (area) to my brother and sister-in-law's place. It worked out well that we were there for my youngest nephew's birthday ~ we got to celebrate with him. We also got to check out a dairy farm that is installing robotic milkers. That was a highlight for Jonathan. They'd only started using the robots on Tuesday so they were still trying to get it all working smoothly (it takes a few weeks for the cows to adjust, etc.), but it was fascinating.

That night, Reagan was saying he was cold, but he didn't feel cold to me... we were all a bit sleep-deprived, so i chalked it up to that, but prayed for good health for us all anyway.

Sunday morning we got to Winkler (near Plum Coulee where the wedding was going to be), and joined Jonathan's family and some aunts & uncles for brunch at Smitty's. Reagan wasn't feeling great... he hadn't been too interested in breakfast earlier, but eventually managed a bit of yogurt. Now he wanted a waffle with whipped cream and strawberries ~ and he did manage to eat half of it. But still, he was feeling cold from time to time, and didn't look quite right.

Family pictures were at a beautiful park in a nearby town... we were told for 2:00, but apparently that was just an attempt at making sure everyone was there on time (which was actually 2:30)... so we were all early ~ lol. Reagan lay down on the grass and had a good rest.

The wedding was a 4:00 and lasted the rest of the day. It was beautiful! Jonathan & I both found ourselves fighting tears. We could feel the presence of the Lord ~ He was/is so evident in their lives and their wedding ceremony reflected a relationship build on a Godly foundation. We're excited to see how God will work in and through them. There were plenty of laughs during the reception too, and I find myself wishing we lived closer to them that we could get to know them better...

Anyway, i hear there's a chance of frost tonight, so i better cover my tomato plants...

So today i have Robbie & Andrew over... i think Robbie alone is as much work as the 5 boys we had earlier this week ~ lol. He is having his nap now, so that's nice. He actually cooperated quite well ~ i asked him to lie down, gave him a blankie, and gently rubbed his back while singing for him. After a few songs he was sleeping. WOW!

Jonathan went to talk with our local welder yesterday ~ and came home somewhat excited. He's still not sure what he wants to do ~ lol, doesn't know "what he wants to be when he grows up"~ but he'd like to use his welding skills, even it was only part-time. We talked about some of the pros and cons between dairy (even if he were to go out on his own ~ something he's been thinking/dreaming about) and welding.

I finally heard back about my hormone test results, so there's a little "information over-load" to sift through, but he'll be sending me a letter with the information too and suggestions he's making for my doctor to consider for me. He's recommending i have my thyroid tested as well. We'll see where we go from there...

But i should probably see what i can get done while Robbie is sleeping...

My sister & bil came home a day early. They felt they'd gotten in the time/activities they'd wanted, and if they were going to stay away another night they would've had to dry out their tent first (got rained on earlier), so they came home. They did give us a heads-up for the kids that would be disappointed ~ lol.

The baby was exceptionally fussy today, and when i finally thought he was down for a nice long afternoon nap, 15-20 min. later my other 2 boys showed up (an hour earlier than scheduled ~ lol) and i think maybe the dog barking woke the baby?? I dunno, but he was DONE sleeping after that. He pretty much fussed on and off through the rest of the afternoon.

So anyway, it seems really quiet now! But somehow, i think i'm ok with it. Overall though, i'd have to say it didn't go too badly! Thank you to those who were praying!

Whew! One night down, 4 to go. Lol... i was amazed this morning when I looked at the time and we were almost ready for Sunday school... it was only 9:00! Ok, i still needed to get myself & the baby dressed, and there's always more "last minute" stuff than we think of, but i was really impressed! Jonathan wasn't even helping cause he worked the night shift and only got home about 3:30am. I think the buddy system has been a great idea ~ we paired up older kids with younger ones.

It's actually not going too badly so far... my brother and sil from Manitoba were out, so my mom invited us all to their house for supper last night. That threw off the bed-times a bit ~ the 7yr. old usually goes to bed by 6:30 (long story) so i was feeling a bit "rushed" when we got home about 7:30, but it all worked out ok. The baby slept through the night (10-8), so no complaints there :-) I think someone is praying! Keep it up!

Jonathan is working this afternoon, and he gets the night shift as well. It's been a long weekend for him already (that night shift can be nasty)... so he'll appreciate a day off tomorrow (i think ~ lol).

Well, the baby will probably be awake soon, and after feeding him i'm sure i'll be hearing from the rest of the hungry kids.

Our busy week of VBS is behind us now ~ feels like quite a while ago already! It went quite well.

The following morning we got up about 5am to go fishing. (Janique didn't want to go, so we brought her over to her cousins' house on Friday night already). I bought a fishing license so that i could be "fishing" too instead of just hanging out and watching (and wishing i could be fishing). I've never caught a fish before, so i was delighted to actually real in 5 fish (not counting the one or two that got away). Two of them were too small to keep... well, three of them actually, but one was so "caught" that by the time Jonathan & Darwin had him/her free, there wasn't enough life left to swim away, so we kept that one too. We're hoping to go back to the same spot sometime. It's not too far ~ about 1 1/2 drive.

Monday I had Logan & Mason all day. They've adjusted well here, and it sounds like they're always looking forward to coming again. That's good :-) We like them too.

Today I had my nephews (Robbie & Andrew) all day. I don't think i could do it if it wasn't for my kids. They help a LOT. In fact, they'll be getting paid for baby-sitting those days. Robbie is a busy boy, and keeps us going pretty constantly.

Thanks Vicki (and anyone else) for praying for me... I'm getting over the disappointment about the deck. We still need to finish up the last of it, but it's been so busy there just hasn't been much extra time. Tomorrow might give us a bit of time, but i'm also trying to get ready for a busy weekend through Wednesday.

I've agreed to have my sister & bil's boys over from Sat. morning til Wed. night. Good thing i have praying friends! I'm trying to plan some meals in advance (even just ideas) and then i need to go shopping. Also trying to come up with something of a schedule (just for parts of the days) to keep things a bit organized. Jonathan works Saturday & Sunday (so he won't be home to help me get everyone ready for church Sunday morning).

And then i think it's almost time that Jonathan & I have a little "get-away" for just the two of us...

Summer holidays?? Huh? What's that?? Lol...

So last week Tuesday, Jonathan's parents got here at 5:00pm ~ just after Logan & Mason's dad picked them up. They stayed until Saturday after lunch... and i was ready for the break. The deck is pretty much done, but there are a few things that we plan to change/fix. The way Jonathan's dad talks, i really was expecting a good job of the deck... but he pretty much flew by the seat of his pants, and so there are quite a few things that we'll just have to "live with" because it would be way too much to fix them all. It is a deck, and there's a possibility that if they hadn't come to help us, we might not have had a deck for another 10yrs., so i'm trying to think appreciative thoughts, but still struggling to let all the "imperfections" go. Feel free to pray for me about that.

Saturday afternoon/evening I helped serve at a wedding at our church. We've had a lot of hot weather lately, so the kitchen at church (no air conditioning) got plenty warm enough. We haven't been able to cool down our house much overnight either, so the heat and humidity has been wearing on some of us.

This week is VBS at church. We're still having heat waves. On Sunday night we were decorating (or trying to) our classroom, and i was stuck with an upstairs room. It was so stuffy/hot in there i gave up pretty quick. Besides, the sticky tac wasn't holding anyway ~ think it was too warm. It turned out that there's an extra classroom on main floor, so tomorrow we'll be in there instead. Woohoo! I've got 12 juniors in my group, so i'm thankful for my helper!

Yesterday we finally went to a friend's house for a while (over supper) to cool off ~ it was deliciously cool! I was feeling a bit sick already from all the heat (i think that's what it was)... so last night we slept downstairs ~ but of course, it doesn't sleep the same, and it's not very cool downstairs by now either.

Well, i'm getting extra chances to baby-sit. I could have my nephews Robbie & Andrew over this weekend, but Jonathan & the boys have been tentatively planning a fishing trip, and i thought it'd be nice if we could make it a family thing. Still feeling bad though that Joe will probably be going without Trudy (to Winnipeg) because they can't find sitters. (Their boys are a bit of a handful).

And my sister Mary called this evening to ask if we might have their five boys (their own three plus two foster children) for 5 days in August. Hmmm, that's a loaded question ~ lol. Since i've agreed to have Robbie & Andrew one day/week (starting next week), and with my other baby-sitting job, that one day i'd have 11 kids all day (plus my other two boys from 3:30-5;00). I'm thinking about that one... lol. Might be a chance for my kids to make a little extra money too, but we'll see...

Oh, job interview update ~ Jonathan didn't get the job. Oh well...

ok, i better go... see if it's cool enough upstairs to sleep in my bed tonight

Jonathan & I were up by about 7:30 to get to the city in time for his job interview at 8:30. (So we're tired ~ Jonathan & Darwin got home after 3:30am, and I didn't sleep well before that either). So the job ~ I guess where they need a welder is on the different job sites, so things like bridges, etc. Jonathan isn't a "heights" kind of person (and there's the weather to contend with as well ~ which he'd probably tolerate "ok")... so it doesn't look/sound like this will be the one for him.

He was able to arrange the other interview for Tuesday morning (9:30), so we'll see how that one goes. They are looking for someone with more experience, but i guess we'll see.

Our meeting with the adoption worker went ok... but it sounds like the social worker for this foster girl apparently doesn't know how the adoption stuff works. So basically, we have little to no chance of actually adopting "T" ~ at least according to the adoption worker.

I'm ok with that since i'd all but put it behind me already, but Jonathan is somewhat disappointed. He's not opposed to international adoption, so we're not totally on different pages, but he's still thinking domestic is a possibility ~ and we know that if God wants "T" in our home, He can make it happen. There is a long waiting list, and so first of all we'd have to be on that waiting list. Depending on the extent of special needs we'd be willing to accept would affect how quickly we could even get onto that waiting list. So really, if we're thinking domestic, we need to think general ~ not just this one girl.

For me, it would be enough to close that door and pursue international. That's where my heart seems to be. But i want to be sensitive to Jonathan & to the Lord's leading. So I guess we keep praying.

So that's what i typed up after the meeting... Later while talking with my sister (& Jonathan), it sounds like there is still something about being an "alternate care giver" and i'm not completely following it all, but to me it sounds like we'd be like foster parents, and if we could do that, then perhaps (BIG perhaps??) if we'd had this girl living with us for a year or so, it might be "in the best interest of the child" to keep her there. (Again, providing no one wants to adopt all three children. So i'm not sure if that's even a feasible option ~ and i have a feeling we wouldn't be well liked by the adoption people if we tried to pursue that... I dunno... keep praying.

Oh, and an update on my potential investing dream ~ the 7 houses for one good price ~ not gonna happen. I called a realtor to see if he had any info on the market in that community. He didn't really know about that, but he's been to the community, and shared a few things with me. I'm content to let it go.