Our Other Artist

Michael, our college Sophomore, has decided to change his major.

He started his college career at EMU intent on getting his degree in Psychologist.

After one semester, he decided dorm life was way too expensive and he left EMU to attend a community college a mile from home.

He also changed his major.  Now he is set on Graphic Design.  An excellent choice. While he would have made a great psychologist, I believe he will be much happier using his art talent at a job he loves.

He had a 100 level art class this semester and thrilled me (an his instructor) with his art work.

In fact, two of his pieces were selected for display in the spring art show.

I've included a link to an album of some of my favorites of his pieces.

https://goo.gl/photos/BoniBo5SgskLFFk8A


The two that aren't self explanatory are the last two.  The baby is our grandson, Max, laying on our tenacious one's lap, wearing Michael's glasses.   The last one is a tattoo design he drew for a friend.

He is loving his classes and is planning on moving to an art college within the next year.  I am anxious for more art work!  I have already claimed his self portrait (not shown) to hang on the wall.

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Adult-ing

The nest continues to get a little emptier. Two more "kids" are off to their adult lives.

Josh moved out in August to beginning his training as an Air Force pilot.

Now he can fly planes instead of siblings.

He is hard at it.  The days are long and crammed with activity.  He often flies twice a day.  The goal is that the pilots will be flying solo and doing stunts before they come home for Christmas break. It is always good to hear his voice when he is down again! 

He is doing a great job but it's lonely living by yourself when you've been in a household of 11 for so long.  When he came home for Thanksgiving, we had quite the houseful.  Everyone that was in the house was in the kitchen or dining room.  And, of course, everyone was talking!  He looked at me and said, "this is such great noise!" 

He has learned to shop and cook for himself.  The fire department only came once, when his spices for his steak got a little hot and set off the smoke alarm. He had to move out to be able to eat steak for supper!  

Amanda moved out last Friday.  She packed her little Fiesta bumper to bumper.  It was so full, she had only room in the driver's seat. 

She made the nearly 12 hour trip to her destination by herself.  She was exhausted and hungry when she arrived.  Thankfully, her roommate was there to help her unload.  And there was a Jimmy John's to help fill her belly.

Her new line is "adulting is hard."   

Her first "new place" trip to Target.

She was able to get a few groceries but not quite enough. This was her boyfriend's response when he found out she was hungry!  Did you know you can call Pizza Hut from Michigan and they will deliver a pizza, and then some,

 to someone four states away?

The house is still active but not nearly as much as I'm used to.  There is more space in the laundry room where Amanda had all her hanging clothes stored and more leftovers in the fridge until we learn how to cook smaller portions.

We are glad they are settling in and adult-ing but it is a little lonely sometimes.  The countdown until Christmas break has begun!

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Busy Girl

Our Tenacious One has been at it again!

Besides growing another almost inch since June (she is now 5' 2" at 10yrs 10 mo.!),

she became an aunt to Maximus Alexander on July 20.  Max has a line on the wall, as well, but photos of his little face are not allowed on public forums.  So here is his line and his approved photo. Take my word for it, he's a cutie!!!  

 

Recently her older sister, Amanda, turned 22.  Amanda requested a "fun" birthday since she is moving away from home in December.  Of course, our Tenacious One rose to the occasion and decorated in the requested mermaid theme.

She was thrilled when Amanda got a gift of a mermaid outfit from her cousin. 

When we went to the Renaissance Festival, she got her photo taken with a real live mermaid, who also gifted her with a gem from the bottom of the "ocean".  

Though I have no photos of the 4 course meal she and her daddy prepared for after the Festival, let me tell you, it was spectacular.  The tables were set with cloths, fancy dishes, and wine glasses (which were used for sparkling cider, a lemon-ice palate cleanse, and dessert of "snowballs"-chocolate ice cream topped with coconut shavings).  She served cream of broccoli soup (made from scratch), salad, and then venison steaks in cream of mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans sprayed with lemon juice for the main course. She served 14 people and all agreed it was a great success! 

Today, as she was having friends over to watch "Cinderella", she again got her creative juices flowing. She welcomed them with style; one color per letter to represent some of the Disney princesses' dress colors. 

She had snacks ready:

The doorway to the T.V. room was decorated, too. 

and the girls thoroughly enjoyed their time together. 

With this little one, I have no idea what's next.  But, stay tuned because her mind does not rest for long. 

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Eyebrows and Ice Cream

Son Josh was home for 48 hours between training assignments in the Air Force.  First he went to Texas to fill out paperwork for a week.  A week's worth of paperwork? Gag

He came home for a day or so and was off to Colorado for a month.  In Colorado, he earned his private pilot license.

Again, he got to come home for two days and now he is off to Oklahoma for the foreseeable future to learn how to fly the Air Force jets.

So. what do you do when you're home for two days?

Pack every stitch of clothing you own (he has a LOT of clothes), your tool box, and your golf clubs in your Mustang for a very long drive.  Much to his dismay, his snowboard did not fit!

You scramble around trying to figure out how to get your orders to download (with super slow wifi) and print so you can actually get on base when you reach your destination.

You spend time with you new nephew, to the max, because you won't see him again until Thanksgiving when he will be 4 months old.

You spend time with your family:   awake with cousin Casey.

and asleep with a bummed out sister, Amanda.  

That's okay. Amanda got her chance to spend quality time with him.  He asked her if she wanted to watch a movie and eat ice cream.  Then he told her the real reason was that he wanted her to tame his eyebrows as they were out of control! 

It was a very short two days and it will be a very long four months!  

 Seeing him leave again is hard, but we're proud of his accomplishments and we love watching him make his dream come true!

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Growing Pains

Do you remember your legs aching when you were growing?  I sure do.  All of our kids have gone through it, especially our tenacious one.

This is her growth chart for the past 10 months:

We have had to shop  for clothing twice in the past 6 months because she is growing so fast! Folks at church comment all the time on how tall she is. 

September '14

March '15

She has almost caught up to her big sister, but she has a ways to go to catch up to her big brother. 

She's not the only one with growing pains.  A few years back I was saddened when she told me she did not need help in the bathtub any more. She told me plainly, "you'll just have to accept the fact that I'm growing up, mom."  

Now, she has decided that it is no longer cool to hold my hand.  Sigh.  

However, she did come and sit on my lap and let me read a book to her today so I will cling to that! 

That seems to be the one thing none of the kids have given up completely as they all find their way to my lap at least once a year.  I knew, however, when our 6' 4" kiddo, pictured above, sat on my lap just the other day that he definitely was warming me up so he could ask for something! (He wants his own room so he can set up his drums.)

It's a really good thing that there is a grandbaby on the way.  My arms and lap will never get tired of holding a baby, toddler, small child, or grown child for that matter.  

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Ready For A Break

This has been a very busy school year.  Busier than any in recent memory although they have all had their moments.

This year our tenacious one is taking gymnastics once a week.

My Dear One and I are taking Year A of Catholic Biblical School of Michigan which meets once a week but includes homework.  LOTS of reading and writing.

Our HS Junior is on the swim team and practices 6 days a week unless there is a meet and then the meet takes over practice for that day.  Once a month they have a team Mass and now the team dinners are starting.

Once a week, for a couple of hours, I get to do ultrasounds.

Once a month I have Lay Dominican meetings.

Our 8th grader is getting ready for Confirmation and has meetings once a month (usually the same weekend as Dominicans only on Sunday.)  I am a group leader so I am invested in this a little deeper than just getting her there and back.

Throw in some homeschooling, helping with homework when the two who are in school get home, getting those two to and from school everyday and all the other things that go into running a home and we're all a little worn out.

Luckily the kids get mid-winter break this weekend. Five days off to sleep in and relax.  Five days not to have to drive to and from school (except for swimming). Five days of no homework.  Our homeschooler will have those days off as well.

Our tenacious one has a countdown chain on the wall in the dining room. She and I get to go to Florida for a little fun in the sun at the end of the month.

And, my Dear One and I have a weekend away planned soon.

These little breaks will lead into a busy spring which will include all of the above plus a wedding shower, a baby shower, two of our children graduating, a commissioning ceremony which will make Josh an officer in the Air Force and my Dear One putting in a few more new windows.

Thank God winter will soon be over and spring will come with warmth and more daylight.  That in itself feels like a huge break even if we're still very busy.

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A Short Trip to the Bank

I went to the bank today to complete a very simple transaction: deposit two checks, and a $50 bill and get $10 back.

I got a new teller.  I've had her one other time and it seems that it's taking a long time for her to learn all there is to learn.

She put in the account information, added the data about the two checks and the cash.  She proceeded to take the $10 out of the drawer and then looked back at the screen.

What?? Why is the deposit number wrong?

She then proceeded to reenter all the information and came up with the same, wrong, deposit amount.

So she waited for the next teller over to come and help her.  Turns out she needed to mentally subtract the $10 out of the cash and enter $40 instead of $50.  Okay, problem solved.

Then she had to get permission to take one of the checks.  I had not noticed that the person who wrote the check put 2014 instead of 2015.  Since it was 2 days past the year-old mark, she was unable to deposit the check.  I would need to have the check reissued with the correct date.

So I filled out a new deposit slip, minus the misdated check, and the teller inputted the information into the computer, again.  This time she got the $40 right.

I really was waiting very patiently!

As she is about to hand me my measly $10 and my deposit slip, I glanced at the very large sign behind the teller's head.  It said:

I expect my bank to: ACT LIKE THEY NEVER WANT ME TO LEAVE!!

She apparently learned that part really well!

Now I have to go pick up the reissued check and go back tomorrow to deposit it.  Hopefully the next transaction doesn't take nearly the 20 minutes this one did.


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