Our Kitchen--Updated!

We are beginning to think about our kitchen. Since we bought the house, we knew that we were going to do something with it. We felt the basement had to be done first, so we would have a guest room for our company. So now we are beginning the planning stages on our next project. The bottom picture is the current kitchen with the oval table. We are going to replace all the cabinets and remove the soffit so the new cabinets can go up to the ceiling. The main goal is increased cabinet space and counter top, but I am also hoping to get more natural light into our space too! Bret went to a lot of effort to make up these images so we can consider our kitchen options. We are also going to open up the wall on the west end (far end) of the kitchen which is the entrance to the library/music room. We'll keep you updated as things progress.

Native Landscaping

This weekend Bret and I participated in a workshop on Native Landscaping in the Mossville Bluffs (where we live). They are worried about erosion and other damage to the environment because the area is becoming more populated. We were encouraged to grow indigenous grasses and shrubs in our yards and reduce the amount of yard which is covered in sod. There is a subsidy available and I am thinking about growing a section of wildflowers and grasses in the back of our yard. Since we have so many trees back there, we have difficulty growing grass anyway. They suggested that even a small change, like raising the blades on your lawn mower an inch or two can have a huge impact on the root system of your grass (much deeper roots) and this can also result in better resiliency during the dry summer when deep roots can access moisture in the soil.

Katie's Birthday!

Today we celebrate Katie's 6th birthday----again! I say again because we celebrated yesterday (at Grandma and Grandpa's, with Aunt Letha, Uncle Rich, and Matt) and on Thursday last week, and will be celebrating again on April 5th (party with friends from church and school), and finally with Oma and Opa when they come in mid-April, however...TODAY...IS THE BIG DAY! Katie seems nonplussed. She hid when August and I sang "Happy Birthday" to her this morning. I think we embarrassed her a little, but I'm okay with that! She did not seem to mind hearing the story of when she was born, even with interruptions from August. Later today we will bake a birthday cake for supper. She's looking forward to that!

We (Katie and I) have spent the last several days, since Thursday, sick with the flu. It is the most sick I have been since Katie's birth, I think. We have both been coughing frequently, run temperatures over 101, had sinus pressure and headaches and generally feel terrible. We've bonded by cuddling under warm blankets, coughing, napping, drinking warm tea, and breathing in the delightful smells of Vick's Vaporub and Katie's nebulizer treatments together. It's better than suffering alone! :-) I think we'd both rather be well, but recovery is slow. Meanwhile we are trying to keep our germs to ourselves, Bret and August have remained impervious thus far!

What do leprechauns, Magic Theatre, an auction and maple syrup have in common? ---US!

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. Katie is now convinced of the existence of leprechauns! After school, whenever she couldn't find something she'd say, "It must be the leprechauns playing tricks on me!" She made up a song about leprechauns and sang it to me over and over and over. You get the picture.

August is participating in a children's theatre production of "Magic Theatre" which is a collection of silly and funny skits. He is supposed to dress up in colorful clothes (Punky Brewster-esque) and has a few more rehearsals before the April 8th performance.

We enjoyed attending the Mennonite Relief Sale (proceeds to Mennonite Central Committee) on the weekend with Bret's parents. It was the 50th anniversary of the Illinois sale. The auction of quilts, furniture, and a 1958 Chevy Truck was fun to watch. We bid on a few things but didn't end up buying anything substantial. Bret went early (5:30 am) to volunteer his time serving the pancake breakfast. The rest of us joined him at 9:30. We ate the pancake breakfast and bought a fresh strawberry pie. Later we met with Bret's cousin and his family (Dane and Lindy Sorenson, and Zoe and Moses). Together we went to a nearby Maple Farm and Nature Center. The kids learned about animals and plants, and played in a hands-on children's area. We saw first hand how maple sap is taken from the trees and becomes syrup. We also got to taste the syrup! Dane and Lindy had us over for supper in the evening. It was a great day!

blessing upon blessing...

Last week I enjoyed a new experience. I taught a young mom how to knit! She mentioned to me that she'd been trying to teach herself how to knit using "Knitting for Dummies." I guess some things are better learned from another person. It made me think of the lady who taught a group of girls (myself included) to knit in Elkhart.

This morning I spent several hours at church decorating one of the Sunday School classrooms for spring. Tulips and butterflies everywhere! Hopefully in a month or so, we'll have them outside too! I worked alongside a friend--good conversation (and a good friend) is such a blessing!

Well...today is laundry day, and I have a pile of it! Wishing you all joy (even while you work)!

Spring is coming!

There's no stopping it! There's nothing you can do to hold back the warmer weather...AND it's ABOUT TIME!!! It's cold today, but interspersed between colder days we're enjoying surprising warmth. Of course, the sudden changes between warm and cold also will be signalling the arrival of more storms, but I'm willing to take my chances! ;-)
August is taking his first round of ISATs this week. These are Illinois Student Achievement Tests, which supposedly determine how well students are learning. I'm very interested to see how August performs. He is very bright, but easily distracted. I did my job and made sure he slept well, ate a good breakfast and received encouragement this morning. (The school actually sent home a letter asking parents to do this!)
We are enjoying the calm between the storms of extra-curricular activity. Swim lessons are over, and soccer doesn't start for a couple of weeks yet. August joined a theatre class through the park district and will be performing in April at the Illinois Valley Central high school auditorium. The class includes grades 3 to 5, about 20 kids.
Katie is still enjoying kindergarten. She loves her teacher and loves to see her friends. The few times she gets in trouble, it's for talking too much! She really enjoyed swimming lessons and has asked to join a swim team when she is older. We'll discuss that later. Katie will take the spring and summer off dance. She will be busy enough without it, and "real" ballet doesn't begin until age 7.
We are trying not to have more than two evenings a week with activities. (Not easy, but possible) August has nightly homework now and I like them to have some time every day to play at home and just relax. Katie and August are both avid artists, but Katie is more particular about it. August draws to tell a story, only the minimal amount required to communicate his message. Katie takes time to add flourishes and detail, particularly bows and eyelashes on all the "girls" and tends toward more realism.
Bret continues to work hard and receive recognition at work. He seems to love his job while also experiencing some frustration there. Often cultural differences impact communication and cause mis-communication. Generally, though he seems happy and content, although lately somewhat overworked. :-)
I am content too. I am busy with kids and home, yard and garden (soon) and with keeping the lines of communication open. I spend about an hour a day on the computer, checking and sending email. This is fun for me! I also still volunteer at the kids' school weekly and enjoy occasional lunches with them at the school. (The school is open to parents to join their children for lunch. The child is able to invite some friends from their class to join them.) I've been baking bread again (haven't done this much since Labrador), making my own granola, shopping, and cleaning (with minimal enthusiasm). I'm looking forward to spending some time travelling this year. We are also hoping to do some camping this summer. Some friends have done some winter camping--I prefer the summer kind, especially if there are warm showers! ;-)