Getting Better

Last week we continued to slowly get better. Mike and I still have something hanging on that is making us feel exhausted. At least there has been improvement over last week though! Anika stayed home from school on Wednesday with a fever, but got better quick. Here we were playing a game…then we both took a nap on our bean bags.

Let’s see, what happened last week? Well, the big thing was that Tegan rolled her ankle on the playground on Thursday at lunch. She couldn’t put her weight on it at all, so I took her to the doctor. He looked at it and thinks she tore a tendon in there. The x-ray showed there may even be a little piece of bone that was torn off with the tendon. They gave her crutches and she has been hobbling along on those since then. She still can’t walk on it. Apparently these things can sometimes require surgery, but I guess we can wait and see if things improve on their own.

Anika and Kelby got awards at school on Friday. Anika got it for Responsibility and Kelby for Courage. They give out different awards all year.

On Friday night we had a Just Dance 2 party planned. I got two free Wii games just for throwing the party through houseparty.com! It was a lot of fun. I had the girls’ friends and their moms come. I made a ton of food and we danced the night away. I love having people over and the game is pretty fun too. It is a workout!

 

On Saturday, the girls and I went to a Girl Scout training conference. It was an all day event in Mt. Vernon. Kelby took a babysitting course, Tegan took science classes, and Anika just got a day of fun for Daisies. I took some classes to help me with my troops. It was a long day, but we got a lot out of it.

After that we went directly to the Fall Festival at school. There they had bouncy houses and games, but Tegan couldn’t play, so she didn’t have that great of a time.

 

 

On Sunday we went to church in the morning and at 4:30 pm we went back over there for their Thanksgiving Dinner and Silent Auction. They use the event each year to get their balances back in the black for the year. That church runs on a pretty tight budget. I am really excited about what I got there! Here’s one of the sets I won (basket of balls with words on them, stool that says “Live Simply, Live Well”, and pillows that say “Faith, Family, & Friends”. So cute! …We also won a garden arch like this…only we won’t get it until the spring. Mike got me a nice set of hat/gloves/and scarf too!

The scarf and gloves have come in handy as the weather is hitting record lows here. We got a little bit of snow on Monday and since it didn’t melt the roads were pretty sketchy. The girls had two hours late arrival at school today, so we had cocoa and watched a Hallmark Christmas movie together this morning.

This here is the collection of Operation Christmas Child boxes that were collected at our church this Sunday. Mike got everyone excited and arranged for us to collect them. We were so surprised and excited that our little church brought in 40 boxes! We’ve done these for years though His Place, so we had to continue the tradition! They go to kids all around the world.

Hope that everyone is geared up to have a super terrific Thanksgiving. I’m sure looking forward to it!

Love to you all,

Shawna

Home Sick…

Well, after our busy, fun weekend last, everyone crashed. Anika continued to get better. Kelby did fine, but
Tegan stayed home Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with a high fever. Then, Mike got it and stayed home Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. My cold moved from my throat to my sinuses. Mike and Tegan are still fighting it though they were better enough with no fever to go to work and school.

In the meantime, Anika lost another tooth. Now she really can sing “All I Want for Christmas”! She’s so cute.

We had a busy day on Saturday. I was speaking at the Proverbs 31 University ladies brunch in LaConner in the morning. I spoke on our Little House trip and the perspective it gave me on all that we now have. It was a lot about thanksgiving. I am fascinated with some of the other resources I’ve gathered on Laura Ingalls Wilder. Did you know she wrote articles for a newspaper for years before she wrote her books? I’ll have to share with you some of her keen points someday.

The hall was beautifully decorated in a Little House theme. They had a cardboard covered wagon and an amazing campfire scene. Then on the stage they had these cute vignettes. They also made pulled molasses candy for everyone that was very tasty!

After that we had Grampa Lohman’s wedding to attend. He and Mildred got married in a sweet little ceremony at 1:00. They don’t look too thrilled in this first picture, but I think it was just the nerves. They were delighted. Mike and Tegan couldn’t go because they didn’t want to spread their germs. Mike was so very bummed. Anika got to be one of many little flower girls.

 

 

 

After a quick trip to my favorite craft show of the season, we finally made it home and relaxed! I read almost a whole book on Saturday and Sunday. I did a little jig for having that retreat and the talk off my to do list!

Now, I need to get the laundry done and the house cleaned from top to bottom. It has been neglected a bit and is getting pretty shabby…so off I go to get the work done. Love to you all!

Halloween to Hectic to Haven

We are home now from our mother/daughter retreat this weekend. I’m in bed and going to sleep soon so I can beat this bug that caught me. I got sick on Thursday, then it settled on my vocal chords so that I could barely talk all weekend. That was quite the challenge for being the event coordinator!

But, lets begin a couple weeks ago because I missed posting last week. On Sunday after our day of pumpkin hunting and games, the girls got right to carving their pumpkins. They did most of the work this year. The big girls even cut out their own faces.

 

Then at our Girl Scout meeting that week the big Girls threw a party for the littler troop. We hung the decorations they made and played the games they decided to play. Then we gave out the favors they made too. It was a great little party. They loved wearing their costumes early.

I only had to make Anika’s costume this year because Andrea sent the ones for the big girls. What a great aunt and sister! They looked so cute as a senorita, geisha, and super Anika!

Anika had a party in her class that week, but the big girls didn’t get to celebrate in their classes.

 

They had a half day and two full days off from school last week for conferences. Everyone is doing really great in their classes!

On Halloween we played it cool until after a Seahawks football game. Then we went over to visit Grampa Lohman and his fiancé. Even Michael and I wore our super hero gear! Then we stopped by Debbie and George’s where we trick-or-treated for chili!

Then we went to a church in town that hosted a “Trunk or Treat”. Here was the most creative, though disgusting car…

It was filled with some sort of hard jello and then the kids had to get the candy with their mouths! Ewww!

After that they did a little Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood. There seemed to be way more kids than we usually have this year.

My baby made a big step last week. On Wednesday, she pulled out a front tooth. I’m really sad about it this time because  I know that means her sweet baby face is going to change for good and she’ll start really seeming grown up.

So, here’s where we get to the grand finale. All week…well really all month and before I’ve been working on this Girl Scout Mother/Daughter retreat…then on the Thursday before I got sick! I couldn’t believe it. Then I had to hobble through those last preparations and somehow, someway find our way down to the Girl Scout camp near Carnation. I couldn’t bail…I had the whole thing packed in my car and no one else knew the full plan.

On Friday I actually felt pretty good, so it was just fine. The weather was rainy so that was a bit of a disappointment. I didn’t realize all the dynamics of checking people into a camp in the dark that was 1 1/2 hours from home that very few had ever attended before. It was tricky. I sat in the rain for 1 1/2 hours on Friday evening to do it.

On Saturday morning, I had no voice. Oops. It didn’t matter. I felt good, so we just trucked along. We had crafts and play time. We even ventured out into the rain to explore the camp. I took some moms and girls geocaching around camp too. It was a lot of fun.

Here’s Anika in the bunk room.

Going for a hike in the rain.

Kelby and I made a modeling clay in the kitchen.

Out seeking a geocache.
 

Found it!

This is the main room for eating and activities.

Sing-a-long time with the other cabin.

Spa time!

 

Did their nails.

On the last morning we did a great little ceremony. Each mom and daughter lit a candle for each other and then they told something they loved or respected about one another. It was special and even a tear jerker. I don’t have a picture of me and the girls doing it, but I know a friend got one. This is Tegan’s friend Zoe and her mom.

Then we had to get packed up and cleaned up to go. We got in one more short hike on Sunday. I LOVE this picture!

We are home and now Tegan is sick too. We’ll mend this week. The girls have another half day Wednesday and two full days off on Thursday and Friday again…lucky ducks! Love to you all!