Changes

Lots of changes.

I'm making this quick. I have lots to do.

We're moving.

After 10 years in this house the landlord has raised the rent tremendously.

June 1 marks a new beginning for us in a {much} smaller but beautiful place - the townhouses the church has been renovating. I am looking forward to a fresh start.

Not looking forward to having to give up our family pet of ten years. Yes, we are needing to find a home for Jewel. {this is where I beg any of you to take her or to convince your neighbor or someone else you know} to take her. I know you want to.
She comes with all the stuff you {or your friend} needs to care for her - except maybe food, depending on when she is picked up. We are running low on food and we will only be picking it up on a can by can basis now.

I don't want to have to take her to the SPCA. This is hard enough.


{Yes, I realize that I have been a terrible blogger the past few months. Yes, I realize some of you may have given up on me...}

Whole Lotta Shakin' Adjusting Goin' On

Wow, I have been quiet! I think this is probably the quietest I have been, well, ever.

Sorry about that.

There's just been a lot of adjusting going on in our home, in our lives.

Adjusting to BigB being gone for days at a time, in communities where we can't reach him.

Adjusting to Rush being gone.

Adjusting to the fragile emotional state of Jellybean and Bug right now, as they adjust.

Adjusting to the new school year (for the kids and for BigB).

Adjusting to adding music lessons, for both children, into our schedule.

Adjusting to my needing a new job. (I have a couple of places I would like to apply but I need to be able to find someone to "pawn" my kids off on for a bit - can't be applying for work with 2 kids in tow.)

Adjusting to the busyness of the last week and the upcoming week.

Adjusting to remembering to care for the two lizards we have inherited.

Did I mention adjusting to Rush being gone?
We may know where she is and we may know that she is being taken care of but, that only eases the worry and doesn't aid much at all in the "dealing" with the fact that she is gone.

It's has simply been a time of stretching and adjusting and trusting in God that He is in control and all will be as it is supposed to be.

Meet our little friends...

Their new home...



Meet Fredrico and Rodriguez, the newest members of our family.

I haven't learned to like them yet but, I am getting a bit more adjusted to having them in my house, locked in Rush's room, under lock and key...

We, meaning Rush, bought their home on her birthday and they became official family members on Aug 9. (Rush has yet to really enjoy them as she left Monday to work at the group home - until Saturday. I have bravely been feeding them their crickets and spraying their home and, I have to admit I am getting used to them being around...as long as they are in their terrarium. Still not too hot on the idea of touching them or having them loose (held by children) in my house but it will come.)


She sure is excited to have them; it has been a long wait for Rush. She has talked about having little guys like these for a few years now. Thanks for being so patient, baby.


Bug enjoying just watching the critters...


I am not sure if I really am going to enjoy the fact the Fredrico and Rodriguez are here as it has caused quite a ripple effect. Jellybean wants a corn snake, Bug a tarantula and BigB his own terrarium of reptiles, including one he needs a collar and leash for; yes, a bearded dragon or iguana of some sort. Not for this girl. Give me a dog, a horse, a cow, a buffalo...a rhinocerous even but please, for all that will leave me sane leave the reptiles, amphibions and arachnids out of THAT much of my home (she said somewhat jokingly).

Please welcome Fredrico and Rodriguez to our home and to our family. They will, from now on, be referred to as The Boys or The Critters.

Dear Blog

I have ignored you the past little while. It hasn't been you; it's been me. No, really. I mean it.

You see, I was able to enjoy my daughter's Sweet 16 spa day and birthday supper, went with her to buy a home for her two new friends (you will meet them), walked my kids to get their hair cut (Jellybean looks VERY different), went to "The City" with a friend a couple times to help with wedding planning, went to my almost-sister's wedding shower (yay), heard that my brother wore a dress for his party, needed therapy after that and needed my brain cleaned - mental images and all (just kidding) and have been enjoying some incredible, life changing services at our church (Canadian Revival Center).

There has been a lot to take in with those sermons...a lot. Did I mention 'a lot'? They have changed our thinking and our perspective and our lives! It has been amazing!

Rush has been working just out of town since last Wednesday as well so, there has been a lot of driving back and forth and a lot of texting her; I miss her! She's a great kid! You would miss her too! She will be there until Friday and so, this week, is a week of driving out to get Jellybean and Bug each night (as well as taking them out there each morning before work). I am in charge of her new friends (you WILL meet them) and, this morning, I was perfectly at ease opening the door to their new home and taking care of all their needs, and for that, I am kind of proud of myself...

♫The Cat Kids Came Back the Very Next Day♫

♫She thought that they were gonners♫

♫But the kids came back; they just couldn't stay away...♫

Yes, they came back yesterday to their depressed and distraught kitty. I think she was under the assumption they would never return. Well, you know what happens when you assume. You don't? Well, it makes an a....ah, never mind.

Anyway, back to my story. The kids got home at 11:30 last night looking no worse for wear than when they left. It's always nice and mind-easing when your children come back with all their molecules in tact.

It seems as though they spent 90% of their time at the farm playing in the pool; it shows. (I am hoping to get some pictures of them tonight to show you - last night we were all too tired to do any posing.) Rush came home looking like she had just spent a good month on a tropical island; Bug looked like he is an exchange student from Australia, and Jellybean, poor, poor Jellybean... She has her Norwegian ancestory's pale skin (as do I) and she came home with a nice red triangle formed on her nose and 3/4 of her cheeks, like a danger sign or something. It just screams DANGE! DANGER! DANGER!

They did all come home with big smiles on their tired faces; I like that kind of tired, the tired that comes from 2 days worth of good, hard play, relaxing in the cool water under the hot sun, and, occassionally burying your face into the necks of good ol' dogs and horses.

How miserable does she look?

Jewel is not a happy kitty! In fact, she spent most of last night not being a happy kitty. Her kids are gone! Can you believe it?! We actually took her kids away from her!





Yessiree, these kids were gone last night, overnight, and poor Jewel was beside herself without them. She aimlessly wandered the halls of the house last night going from one empty bed to another - missing her kids. Poor, pitiful thing she is.

Oh, what a night...

Without going into details (because I don't want to give glory to someone who doesn't need it), it has been quite the night. I got a bit of news regarding the statement above about something that someone is doing to my family and it is all lies. This person knows that what they have said and claimed are 100% lies and they will soon find out that their lies will be exposed and they will be exposed for what is truly in their heart. I just pray that they face the truth sooner than later because they are running 100 miles an hour in the wrong direction and they will soon hit a brick wall at full speed. I love this person and I don't want them to have to deal with the consequences but they will...

That being said though blood is thicker than water especially when "water" is lying through their teeth.

I had just calmed down, somewhat, over this when I found out that there was a car accident in our family as well. She is ok now but I hate that waiting (and I know it was worse for them).

Let's add what iced the cake and here is the silly part...I don't know why this would be the breaking point but it was. Bug's fish died tonight. His fish D.O.G. is no m.o.r.e. (And how did he respond? He was sad but not tearful. When it came time to flush D.O.G. Bug said, "I get to flush him?! Heh!? Where's his head?". I think he is handling it quite well.)

The old me woke up for a brief moment tonight...just long enough for me to remember what I was like and then it shifted. The feeling became more like defiance...yeah, defiance that I am not letting these attacks beat me or bring me down. In fact they are making me fight harder, stronger and longer for my family!!!

The ferverent prayers of a righteous man avails much! If they didn't, I probably would have reverted to my old ways of dealing with these kinds of things but I didn't in fact, I prayed for that person.

The birthing saga continues

Moments ago I thought I would check in on Sally, our mama ghost shrimp, and saw that we have babies. She's still got a few left to go but I can see 4-7 baby shrimp. The number is a bit vague as they are very tiny, transparent and boy, do those little suckers move FAST!!!

The kids are excited about their baby pets; I am thinking it's pretty neat too but the entire experience has caused me to realize that I am going to be a terrible mom when my kids are expecting and especially when they are in labour. I was probably quite a nuisance to that poor mama shrimp. I have a while to work on that though; I'm just not sure how long of a while it will be.