Tree Fetching

Black Friday was a bit of a no-go. I did pretty much all my shopping online. I did go to Freddy's and bought some socks, though. I was back home a little after 8am and woke up the kids so we could go get our tree.  They weren't too pleased at the early wake-up, but they were all cheerful once we were in the truck on our way. We tried a new place out in Corbett, and it was great! Olcott's Family Tree Farm was picturesque with pretty trees and friendly people. We found our tree fairly quickly and were on our way! 

Greg Update

Facebook update Greg wrote on November 28th:

 I have had many friends ask about my ‘status’ over the past few weeks- many offering encouragement and prayers, which are truly appreciated.  But as a result, I realize that I have not communicated more broadly.

As of this week, I am 50% done with my chemotherapy treatments ( I have completed 4 cycles out of 8).  The side effects, while not fun, have been at least manageable this past round.  This experience has continued to heighten my compassion for others who are suffering with physical maladies.  The emotional impact it can take is no joke.  I am thankful for for strong support from family, friends, our Church, and community.  

If you would like some ‘mind work’ today, I would ask that you read through Psalm 27 and let me know what encouragements you take from it.  I was sent a devotional book that is focused on this chapter by a friend, and it has been really great.

That is it for now, thanks for taking the time to read this.

Oh, one last thing.  My Beavers are now 1-0 when I wear these socks!

Thankfulness Tree

Dismantled our thankfulness tree tonight. (Time for 🎄!) 2020 has had some good in it. Here’s our long, unedited list:

Beautiful fall days, Dirt babies, Wonderful mother that cooks for us, Warmth (not hot packs though), Our cats, Great neighbors, God’s grace, Rupert (the Roomba), Long lunch break, That we still have church, Mum & Papa, Kylee, Rain, Awesome grandparents, Music (especially Christmas), Stores with food, Time with family and friends, Sun on fall days, Wensdays not much school, Modern medicine to help save my husband’s life, Mother and Father, Kate, Cousins, Youth group, enjoying the taste of food and Halloween candy without the “bad” taste (chemo effect), Kids who enjoy being together, God who never changes and is faithful to all his promises, Not having to wake up at 6 every morning, Comfy pants, Friends that live close, The weekend, No meets on Wednesdays, Our streak, Sunday game nights, Books (especially the Bible), A bride willing to serve our family and me when I need help, Strong coffee on cold mornings, Time to play games with our family, New family photos and memories, Days off of school, Cookies—store bought and homemade, Katelin, The right to vote and religious freedom, Bible studies with friends, Good food, Hot drinks, Heating on cold days, Good close friends, Technology, Slippers and blankets, God’s love, Homemade meals, Working from home (the good parts)

Thanksgiving

Once again, I failed to take photos of our Thanksgiving day. It was just us and my parents at their house. Grandma Andy couldn't come because of COVID, and my brothers were both at their in-laws. We had a quiet, relaxing day together. My parents bought a fake tree this year, and the kids (mostly Aubrey) decorated it for them that day. We worked on a funny, furry cat puzzle, too. 

No one knocked on the door to tell us we had too many people (we were over the limit by 2). My mom had teased the kids that two of them would need to hide in her closet. They thought that sounded like fun. :)

Fall/Winter Tree

COVID had me feeling the need for a little sparkle in our home, so after Halloween, I bought a new fake "upstairs" tree (the one we had was old, ugly, and had been free--threw it away) an set it up downstairs in the front room with white lights on it. It was so cheery! My family gave me a bit of a hard time about a "Christmas" tree before Thanksgiving, but they all kind of liked it, too. We called it the Fall/Winter Tree. Greg gave it a Thanksgiving Headbands crown to be clear about its role as a non-Christmas tree. We were half fall, half Christmas for about a week, as I started getting out some of the Christmas stuff and changing out my kitchen curtains and living room throw pillow covers. Only during COVID would something like this happen around here. I'm not normally one to mix my seasons! 

Greg managed to get all the outdoor lights up the weekend before Thanksgiving. I wasn't sure he'd even feel up to doing them at all this year. I was pleasantly surprised and thankful when he decided to do it. It took two sessions, but he harnessed up and got it done.  

Fruit Snack Challenge

Ultimate Fruit Snack Taste Test 2020

The governor imposed a 4-week lockdown (again), with the official limit of 6 people from a total of 2 households. As a family of six, we're it. While we are not adhering to these "guidelines" very strictly, it really does put a damper on things, so we have been trying to think of ways to keep our spirits up. Greg had a great idea that entertained us all. He gave the kids $20 to buy as many different kinds as possible. Kari drove them to a couple different stores, and they stretched their money with a stop at Grandma’s house (she has lots of fruit snacks). They conducted a very scientific experiment to determine the best and worst fruit snacks. 

...and the winner was...Walmart brand “fruit smiles!” :-) Gushers actually are a favorite, but the kids say they are in a category all their own. The Betty Crockers took 2nd (Scooby and Star Wars) The loser? Annie’s organic “bunny” fruit snacks. :-) (Annie’s also are, by far, the most expensive. ) The photo shows the rankings, starting on the left. These kids know their fruit snacks! ~70% accuracy on brands. Our kids are fun and have a fun dad. 

Depot Bay Girls Getaway

I was able to get away for a couple days with some girlfriends (Tiffany, Jen, Leah, and Rachael), and it was just lovely! The weather was usually warm and sunny for us. We walked outside, watched the ocean, ate takeout, and enjoyed so much good conversation. I am encouraged by these ladies, and I'm thankful for their friendship and the opportunity to spend quality time with them. 

Room Switch

One Saturday while I was helping a friend move, the girls decided they wanted to switch rooms. Kari offered to switch with Aubrey, mostly because she was bored, I think, but also because she wanted a smaller space and smaller bed. Aubrey agreed to it because she's always wanted Kari's big walk-in closet. To say I was not pleased about this arrangement is an understatement. I had just spent a whole day packing, moving, and cleaning. A room switch sounded like a ton of work and something that was going to mess things up. The girls had their rooms just the way they liked them, and we had painted and arranged just for them. Greg said to let them try it, though, so we gave it a trial of a week or so. They moved their clothes and most of their things, but didn't do anything with the walls and decor. They both still wanted to make the switch after the trial week, so I dove into it with them. I was right about it being a lot of work--removing Aubrey's lights along the ceiling (and the adhesive they left behind), rearranging, taking everything off the walls, filling the nail holes, touch-up painting, replacing ribbons and colors on signs, and then rehanging everything. We made a trip to Hobby Lobby to find some new things for Aubrey's room and brought some friends along, which was fun. We finished off the trip with a stop at Chick-Fil-A on the way home. Both girls seem to be happy with their new arrangement, and while I still don't really understand why they did it, I'm happy with how it all turned out. 

Family Photos

In our last family photos from two years ago, I was taller than all our kids. Not true anymore! I am so thankful we were able to get a photo session in this fall with Hannah. I love these people and love how Hannah captured these moments of us together, silliness and all. It’s always a bit stressful trying to figure out a time and location that will work (and non-clashing outfits for 6 people), but I’m always so happy afterwards. 

The timing for this photo shoot worked out perfectly. (Thanks, Lord!) Weather postponed it a few days, and it ended up at the end of Greg’s “off week,” on the day before he had to start his next round of chemo, so he was feeling good. These photos will all have special significance for us, given our summer and Greg’s cancer diagnosis and treatments. The black and white photo is one of my favorites. A lot has happened this year, and we're still laughing together.