Category Archives: DITL

Missing In Action

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I just checked and the last blog was dated October 4.  That is over three full weeks ago.  I did not realize it had been so long. Work has been hard and busy so far this year. I feel like I am just doing the minimum and that is all. I can’t seem to find my groove.  I took a quick trip to Disney on October 9th with Andrea and Nancy. We flew out on Thursday evening.  Attended the Halloween party on Friday and then flew home on Sunday.
Haley flew in for Braxton’s birthday party on the 17th.  I am going to try and put in some pictures from his party on Wednesday.
On the 19th, I went to Urgent care with a stye starting on my eye. I was given an antibiotic. That did not seem to help this time so on Tuesday, I was back at the doctor’s.  They think it may actually be shingles.  I was given an antiviral medication which started to make improvements within 24 hours.   They did not do a blood test to confirm shingles as medication needed to be started within 72 hours and I was pushing the limit as it was.
All the sudden we are in the last week of October, the weather is cold and rainy. The only good news/thing I can share right this moment is that we have finally finished redoing the building to the point where I can start moving things into it in preparation for Christmas decorating!
Lots of things are changing during the next two weeks and my goal is to get my self back on track and get ready for fun!

Replacing a Building

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The second thing we decided to accomplish on our vacation was converting the metal building from the fabric and metal tubs to a wooden structure.  We knew it would be a process but I did not realize it would take over a month.  We started with this

We removed the metal to expose the fabric

The fabric was easy to remove but the pole took a little bit more effort.

By the end of the first weekend of at least 15 or more hours of work we were down to the floor.

We used the leftovers/remnant from the kitchen floor to make it harder to lose screws and easier to clean.

We were able to get up most of the walls on that same day but it was another long long day!

Weekend 3 complete and not on to the fourth in the next update!

 

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  1. We have been extremely busy the last several weeks. We are in the process of converting the fabric metal pole structure that covered the beetle (Matt’s Volkswagen) to a  wooden structure covered in metal.  I knew it would be a process but did not think it would take over a month.  We really focused on getting it under roof.  Last Saturday we spent close to 8 hours solid on it and I made the decision that it was not a worth to try and continue at that pace to get it under roof. The current plan is to get a door on tomorrow. A tarp is currently over the roof and  it will likely be a month before we work on the roof.  My current plan is to start sharing pictures tomorrow.
  2. Zach’s truck broke down in the school parking lot on Monday. We had it towed home and then after some working and investigation, it appears that the fuel pump is part or all of the problem. The goal is to get that replaced tomorrow however the part was delayed so it may take a little bit on Sunday as well.
  3. Working has been a bit much. I am struggling to get in a routine. But I am hopeful that things will start to improve.
  4. Next week Braxton’s baseball starts which means that we have at least 3 evening of games.
  5. I am planning to do some big meal preparation over the weekend. The current plan is to make a double batch of taco soup with half or more canned for convivence. The second big preparation is meatball. The Costco meatball are all gone and we have lots of ground beef that can be used.

5 Things Friday

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1. Lily purchased a new car. I was emotional support only!

2. I am trying to start and keep a routine of spending time first thing in the morning, out in the garden. Yesterday, I spent and our harvesting and tying up the tomatoes. This morning I spent another hour, trying to get our volunteer tomato and watermelon bed organized and productive.

3. Our pool is finally open. That means that Kendall and Zach are both working. They both are eager to make money this summer, so they picking up extra shifts. Zach worked every day but Wednesday this week and Kendall worked every day but Thursday. Kendall is also picking up extra shifts at the YMCA as well.

4. My end of school gift to myself was to have the house cleaned on Wednesday. I am so excited and will be trying to keep things clean as we go now.

5. In July we have vacation plans for 2 of the weeks. So I am working to get things prepared ahead for the school year. The garden is also very time consuming at this point as well. I am not going to make official goals for the summer but do plan to try and get meal both frozen and canned every week when we are home.

5 Things Friday

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  1. I have 2 days left before summer vacation! Unfortunately, we are still in limbo with the pool opening. Zach and Kendall have been able to pick up a couple of shifts at other pools but it is stressful trying to get everything arranged. I can’t wait for summer break to start!
  2. I am super excited about the garden this year! We are already getting a harvest and I am planning to continue to plant so that we can continue to get more of what we want. We have gotten peppers, green beans, a couple of cucumbers, dill and a bit of basil, squash and zucchini so far. We will definitely have tomatoes very soon as well!
  3. Matt and I are currently spending around 30 minutes a day in the garden. This is going to increase this weekend for sure.  I am planning to do some replanting and changing this week. First I am going to cut down all the cosmos from this bed.   It is large and pretty but I want to plant another round of squash plants as the squash bugs are winning in the back gardens. When they finally win or when this planting starts to produce, I am going to pull out the squash plants and plant a “row” of cucumbers in the middle of the bed. I really want to harvest and can an abundance of cucumbers this year. On July 1st, I am planning to pull up the spinach and plant pumpkins in the bed in front of the office.  I am also planning on adding a couple of green beans in the empty slots on the greenstalk planters and one additional zucchini in a bed in the back that has not successfully grown anything so far.
  4. I have already started to work on filling up the freezer. This week I was able to get 3 chicken enchilada meals in the freezer. I am also planning to start restocking our breakfast burritos as well. My goal will be to can one item and make ahead at least one item a week. Next week I am hopefully to get chicken, broccoli and rice casseroles made up and frozen for future use.

5. We leave for our “adult cruise in 3 weeks!

5 Things Friday

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  1. I have disappeared for a week. We headed to Disney World for a quick 4 day trip last weekend. I am going to share some pictures of course. but we had an awesome time and it was much needed and enjoyed by all!
  2. The weather continues to be so bizarre. We left Florida on Tuesday morning with a temperature of 83 at 9am.  We arrived home at 7pm and the temperature here was 55*  We have had at least 6.5 inches of rain in the month of May.  I am hoping to return to 80 very soon so I can enjoy sitting at the pool.
  3. Before we left for Florida, we decide to try something. We have 2 rain barrels that are filled by rain water. One from the house gutters and the second from a single gutter on the side of a building. Matt had saw and I did some research on adding goldfish to these. We decided that it was worth a try. We headed to Pet Smart and purchased 20 “large” goldfish. My thought was that I wanted the larger fish so they would not accidentally come out a spout.  I am so excited to report that we can see a visible difference in the amount of algae on the sides of both barrels. So for $10 we have a renewable algae control. We have only saw the fish one time but we can see the evidence they are working.
  4. Due to the wet weather we have needed to add both pine shavings and lime to the chicken coop.  Another “upgrade” is that we are planting mint inside of cement blocks around the sides of the coop. The idea is that the mint can be food for the chickens as well as odor control.
  5. The most disappointing thing that happened this week is that our pool has a motor problem so not only can we not enjoy the pool but both the kids were planning on working this summer as lifeguards. We are all hoping it can open soon!

5 Things Friday

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1. We are entering a different season of life, one that i often dreamed about but never realized how quickly it would come. And to be honest, I am not entirely sure how I feel about it.  All the kids have current jobs and are at home less than me. Lily just graduated from college and is working a full time job and also many side hustles, Kendall is a junior, who works during the school year one day a week at the YMCA as a lifeguard. Zach started taking classes for his lifeguard training and is already employed as a lifeguard for the summer.
2. Lily graduated from Liberty University some time last Friday. This is a campus that none of us have seen.  She did not choose to walk across the stage because of the cost involved. I actually encouraged her in this decision. The only tough part is now she is unsure at 19 what she really wants to do in life or even a course to head to get there. This summer is going to be tough and likely life changing for her. I am praying for peace and wisdom.
3. I am finishing up my final weeks of treatment for the school year. I will have a couple of weeks of paperwork, meetings and office cleaning but the end is in sight.
4. The weather this year is the strangest ever in my book, after running the air conditioner for most of the month of April, we did not need it for the first two plus weeks of May. However, on Wednesday the humidity and heat forced the air back on.  I assumed it would be for the remainder of the summer but it now appears we may get another week in the 70s.  Strange and strange. The other issue is that we have been receiving a bunch of rain, the 5th wettest on record.
5. Kendall is rank 5th in her junior class. This was one thing that she was focused on achieving as this allows her to be a junior marshal.  We are extremely  proud of her!

5 Things Friday

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  1. The weather has absolute beautiful with highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s.  I have decided to turn off the heating and air unit in order to save money. In the past I can typically turn this off the first of April but even if I need to turn it back on then we are still saving money!
  2. Zach has been having baseball games or practice 5 days a week which means that our evening are even more pushed and busy.  I am learning that for away games we need to have a food option with us and home games we can typically eat at home if something is ready.  Unfortunately, this was an expensive lesson as we ended up spending $65 on a game day for food and entry.
  3. I am hoping that we are able to complete some outside upgrades and maintenace this weekend as we have 5 weeks till our typical last frost date.  I am planning on continuing with my weekly garden updates on Sunday.
  4. Zach’s truck sold this week.  I have decided that we will not be on the lookout for another vehicle until the end of May.
  5. The pantry challenge is starting to work. I heard from kids yesterday that “there is nothing to eat at home”   In reality we have plenty of food but things have to be prepared and made ahead. I have plans to also do some of this prep work this weekend.

5 Things Friday

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  1. The weather has remained extremely cold. Today is the first time in a week the temperature has been above 45 degrees.  We are actually expecting even colder weather next week with the temperature to remain below freezing from Sunday night until Thursday. There is also a chance for snow as well.
  2. Zach and Kendall have attended school 4 days in 2024 and if they are able to continue with the schedule they plan. Then they will go 2 out of 5 days next week which will put them at 5 full days in the month of January.
  3. On Wednesday this week, I picked up a foster dog who may become a permanent part of our family. He appears to have some hound dog in him and some pit bull.  We decided to go the foster route just to make sure that he will be a good fit for us. So far, he appears to be very sweet but is having trouble remembering to pee outside.
  4. I am continuing to work on some budget items and plans.  I want to make a significant dent in our overall debt but I also realize that we can’t cut back to a bean and rice budget due to the kids and I want my kids to enjoy their high school years not think about what they can’t do.  Look for a post in the next week or so with some more specific details.
  5. I am staring to look ahead to our junk food Sunday!  I plan to purchase at least the chicken wings we need this weekend along with some bacon and sausage that we are currently out of.   The pantry challenge may be a bit more of a challenge as we look and plan ahead.

5 Things Friday

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  1. This blog is to help me recall all things. Unfortunately, I did not need to recall how 2024 started. I spent the afternoon of January 1, 2024, sitting on a beach. The water was too cold, but the view was worth the chill.  I also was very sick with an eye infection and sinus infection.  My goal and prayer were that 2025 did not start out the same way.  Well, here is how things went this week. Coming home from Disney on Sunday January 5th, Matt had a cold that started on Tuesday and was not getting better, in fact he was getting worse and starting to cough a lot.  Zach had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday morning to get a sport’s physical so that he could swim in a meet on Wednesday.  Lily was convinced she had a sinus infection but was not sick enough for a doctor’s visit.  We were also no sure how much exhaustion played into her being sick as well. Kendall was still limping from a sprain that happened the first of December, but she was able to walk, and I thought it was appearing less swollen.  I knew that this week would involve some doctor’s appointments but not that many.
  2. Matt took Kendall to the pediatrician on Monday afternoon where she was given a referral for an orthopedic visit. We decide this was easier that juggling multiple appointments on Tuesday.  I came home on Monday and was exhausted, and not feeling well at all. I ended up in bed around 6:30 and actually woke up a bit better on Tuesday.  Zach did have his scheduled sport’s physical on Tuesday.  The surprise of the day was Matt got progressively worse on Tuesday afternoon and ended up at Urgent Care. All testing and swabs were negative however because of his significantly increased blood pressure led to a prescription for high blood pressure that has been the biggest blessing of the week.
  3. Wednesday morning Kendall had an orthopedic appointment where the diagnosis was either a sprain or a tear.  This led to a referral for an MRI to get a final diagnosis.  I had forgotten that Matt had an appointment to have 2 areas of potential skin cancer removed.  He ended up taking off the day and was in bed from noon on.  Lily and I drove to Greensboro to watch a swim meet. Kendall spent the day on crutches.
  4. Thursday morning- Matt now has a stomach bug so I ended up driving Kendall to her MRI which ended up a good thing as I was able to view the results by lunchtime. It was a sprain, and she needed to keep stretching and working it out.
  5. Friday- the second official snow day of the year. Everyone ended up having a remote day as the weather was unpredictable and ended up starting around 1pm and by 2 the road was covered.  Lily is significantly worse and ended up at Urgent Care as well. She has a sinus infection. Both Zach and Kendall feel like crap but based on Matt’s early diagnosis we decided to treat with symptom relief medication.  Honestly it was a blessing as everyone did what they needed to do but was also able to sleep most of the crud off. Matt and I both ended up working full days but were able to keep an eye on the kids and make sure everyone eat and took medicine.

The good news is that by Saturday, everyone is feeling human and hopefully this sickness is gone for good!