Living the glamorous life!

This Jan. 1st I shared on Facebook that I was going to start walking, outside, every day! I asked if anyone would like to join me. Some did, hopefully more still will!

So far we’ve walked outside for 30 mins every day.

First day we walked the field, next day to the lake down the road and hubby joined us.

Yesterday we started down the road towards the lake and soon turned around to the shelter of our treed yard. It was WINDY!

Today however, we opted out of a walk in favour of something more glamorous.

We scooped ‘poopsicles’ instead. I think the hour and a half of poopsicle scooping we did was probably the equivalent to a few hours of walking! Phew!

Farm kids work hard, and no, it’s actually not glamorous, but it comes with benefits of extra fun!

Lots of extra fun!

And when we were all done, the horses were thankful.

And we went in for some well deserved hot chocolate!

Ice Balloons? Ever tried it?

Last spring or summer I had seen this idea shared on Facebook and couldn’t wait to have cold weather so we could try it!

It’s simply balloons filled with water, and food coloring. We put them outside to freeze and hopefully before tonight’s birthday party we can peel the balloons off. They should look something like pretty ice marbles!

I’ll share ‘after’ photos later! Hopefully it works!

Elsa & Serafina

As I shared on facebook this morning, we had a death on the homestead overnight. Serafina, Elsa’s cat, had passed away through the night. My husband had checked on her at 2:30 (she was sick, the vet could not help her, they offered to euthanize but honestly, Elsa could not handle having her cat put down at the vets office) and when I went to check on her very early this am, she was gone, she had died.

We feel it was much better that Serafina was able to die at home, even though it was very difficult trying to care for her the best we could, and keep her as comfortable as possible, while we knew most likely the inevitable was going to happen. But it was good for Elsa too. She was able to help care for her cat. She wanted this, rather then simply leaving her at the vet’s office for them to deal with her. We felt this was very important for Elsa, to be a part of her care. And of course we hoped above all else, that maybe, just maybe, Sarafina could pull through.

Having Serafina here at home though, I was scared I’d be the one to find her after she passed away, and sure enough, I did. While everyone slept, but then I ended up being grateful as I was able to make sure Elsa did not find her, and I was able to have Sarafina safely put away before Elsa even woke up. This is one of those things that as a parent, as a homesteader, and a multiple pet owner, that just makes you wonder why you’d ever want another pet again. Yet, it is a real part of life, especially the life we’ve chosen. We’ve been through many deaths with animals like chickens, guinea pigs, and even rabbits, but this was only the second time we’d ever lost a long time pet and the last time we went through this was 13 years ago. It doesn’t get easier.

I want to thank those of you who have asked how Elsa is doing, and especially those special friends who even took the time to email and offer your sympathy to her. Elsa has aspergers, so this has been really hard on her in more ways then one. Her way is to pretend stuff like this just didn’t happen (which is why I said on facebook that I know it’d be easier if “I” just acted like “It’s only a cat” because then she’d be more ‘comfortable’ with the situation) but I just really feel like this time, she really needed to feel these emotions, even though it is really difficult for her  With Elsa, it’s always SO difficult to know how she was respond, react, to new situations, especially stressful ones. Elsa doesn’t often feel deep emotions, that she shares, and surely doesn’t ever show her emotions if at all possible except when she can’t really control what she’s feeling, and that’s what I feared. Although this has been very difficult, she’s done really well, and she is learning about death. Something we all learn sooner or later, and having others come along side and share their sympathy is a wonderful thing. I will be showing her the emails once she’s ready. Right now, she doesn’t want to be reminded in any way so I’m going to give her a little space at the moment.

I went into her room this morning while she was just waking, and gave her a big hug. She knew right away by my tears (which I don’t often show either) that Serafina had died. She’s doing ok, she doesn’t want to talk about it, and if she’s reminded in some way, she goes to her room for a cry. Otherwise she’s being pampered by her family today, she’s not pestering anyone, and no one is pestering her (you’d have to know her to ‘get’ that part). It’s a good lesson for her siblings too, in being sympathetic to their sister and learning how to come alongside.

Elsa & Serafina back in 2006.

Life is lessons, one after another, some good, some bad. We take each one as it comes, the best way we know how.

Great list on homeschooling, by a public school educator.

You most likely know that our family home-schools.  Seventeen years now, so I’m pretty passionate about it and like to share that passion.

I don’t share as much as I would like to sometimes, because I simply don’t care to ‘debate’ a topic that’s near and dear to my heart. I know homeschooling is not everyone`s thing. My husband and I already know what`s right for our family, so there`s no need to debate from that point of view. I also don’t feel I need to push my own beliefs on another, so I do not feel a need to shout it from the rooftops and try and make others feel like how they are raising THEIR kids is wrong, or not as good as how WE choose to raise our kids. That`s just not for me to say, or decide! As parents, we all try to do our very best, and make the best decisions for OUR family.

I enjoy sharing information, articles, etc. here and there so that those who may be on the fence, or those who may be in need of encouragement in their own homeschooling endeavors, can feel supported. So I’d like to share this article below, not to debate, but for those who would benefit from reading it. If homeschooling is not for you, feel free to ignore the rest of my post!

If you`d like to read more, carry on!

The article linked below is one of the best lists regarding homeschooling that I’ve seen, and not surprisingly, written by one who works in the public school system!

http://www.calgaryschild.com/education/1203-would-home-schooling-be-a-better-fit-for-your-child-12-reasons-to-home-school-your-children

Some time ago, when we had just two, and then three children, I worked from home and provided child care for several years for two teachers (I had a home day care with more children then those two), and both teachers said pretty much everything the linked article says. They always fully supported our decision to homeschool our kids and and often commented that they wished they could do the same.

I sometimes wonder if people who know us best, think they know why we homeschool. The reality is, there’s just too many reasons for us to even begin to list, and no one could possibly ever truly understand all the real reasons why unless they decided to travel in the same shoes, or traveled alongside our family for the ride, in support of our decision.

Now that our eldest is 21 years old, our second eldest is 19, and the next three are 14 and soon to be 13 (twins), I can look back and realize something.

I am not a perfect teacher. In fact, some times I am a horrible teacher. I loose my patience, I HATED teaching reading (I hate to use the word hate, but I really did not enjoy the countless hours spent listening to the same words, the same sentences, being read over and over, and over and over again. I could have almost fallen asleep through every beginning reading lesson, really, I did NOT enjoy it!)

I have promised my children that if they choose to homeschool THEIR children, and live within driving distance of our home when it`s time to teach them reading, I WILL BE THERE to give them a break because teaching a child to read is one of the very most boring, tedious tasks one can get through as a homeschooler, at least it was for THIS homeschooler! If they live too far away to drive, I guess I`ll have to fly out for a few weeks to help them get through that hump of learning to read! That`s how tedious I found teaching to read to be, especially with a couple of our kids who were very slow to catch on (one has aspergers… if you know what that means, you know I don`t need to explain further…)

However, when a child masters reading, when they really get it, THAT is one of the most wonderful experiences as a homeschooler that I have been a part of! Now that we`re FINALLY past that with ALL the kids, I rejoice almost daily that we made it through!

I may regret not being a perfect teacher, I may regret not always having the utmost of patience as my children`s teacher, but I will not regret homeschooling! For every bad day we`ve had, there`s been more good. For every day we fought at the table over book work, we had many more days in which we relished in the glory of God`s creation through nature walks, science experiments, and many, many, MANY day trips that we may never have done if our children were away all day.

I will never regret the memories!
The memories we have!
Photo after photo after photo of all the places we`ve been and the all the wonders we have seen!

Life is overwhelming!
There`s SO much to do, and SO little time! Our choice was to keep them home so we could do more of the things we truly cherished in life. Things besides sit-down book work and teaching to pass standardized tests!

Such a mixed blessing it is, the good, and the bad, but that pretty much sums up homeschooling! That also pretty much sums up parenting! It`s the hardest thing we can do, yet the most rewarding as well!

Twenty Two Years!

Twenty Two Years!

That’s how many wedded years my husband and I will be celebrating on Saturday, on our wedding anniversary! September 22, 1990 marks the day that changed our lives forever. When two, became one, in this journey of life and a new little family of two persons began. Twenty Two years spent side by side my best friend.

It feels so special, that I feel like we should be celebrating for an entire week! I can’t stop thinking about it, can’t stop being in awe of it! Twenty two years isn’t any ‘special’ milestone like 10 years, 25 years, 40 years, or even 50 years but EVERY year is a special milestone because every year that we celebrate another year of our marriage, is another year we speak volumes with our lives.

Our twenty two years speak loudly, that although, like any best friends we’ve had many ups and downs, we have chosen to tough it out, work through it, remain together, and find solutions to keep this marriage alive. But we’ve not been satisfied with just keeping it alive, we continue to aim for better, and better, until we can claim our best!

Any married person, any person who’s ever had a close friendship, has family, children, or a spouse, knows that it’s no easy task, to hang on, and KEEP hanging on, through the tough times.

To keep striving for better, together, and most of all, within yourself first and foremost. We take our vows seriously, through good times, AND bad. For better, AND worse. There’s been better, and there’s been worse. There’s been good times, and there’s been bad. Mix it all together and you have, what I like to call, life.

Live lived, becomes life worth living! Fully!

We’re passionate people, this husband of mine, and myself. I don’t mean just THAT kind of passion (although hey, that helps too!) I mean we’re passionate about EVERYTHING we believe in.

We believe in us. We believe in marriage, and we believe in showing our children, through our own marriage, through our own lives, that marriage is worth clinging too, even through those hard times.

And that is why we’re still together, and why we’ll be celebrating 22 years this weekend. Through a stubbornness which won’t allow us to give up! Because of a passion for one another, a passion for marriage, and a passion for raising our children by our own example, and most of all, through grace which has been given to us, and which we try our very best to freely give one another.

Being married 22 years IS a reason to celebrate! And although it’s been a very rough last couple of years on our family, on our marriage, and our lives, mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially, we ARE going to celebrate!! Because our marriage is worth it!

I can’t wait!

I can’t wait to spend some special time with this best friend of mine!

Shaylah & I skipped church this morning.

I have a sty in my eye, it’s an ‘internal’ sty, not the typical ‘external’ kind. I guess that’s because I’m special. :p
It’s painful, and it makes me look like I’ve got a wicked case of pink eye.

Nice.

NOT!

Anywho, it was a great excuse reason to skip church this morning. I don’t usually look for reasons to stay home from church. Today was different.

I let Shaylah stay home with me too. Neither of us are in good mental condition to be facing people today. Especially NOT people asking how it went with Alesia leaving this morning.

Alesia, my constant companion for the past TWENTY & a HALF years.

And now she’s off to Ontario. I refuse to call it a ‘move’. I’m calling it a temporary change of address.

Shaylah is equally as distraught this morning.

She’s Alesia’s sidekick and I think she’s feeling a little ‘lost’ as to what her place in this world is now that her big sister is gone.

Not sure when my little girl grew up, but today, it feels like it happened overnight.

One day I was baking a cake for her 2nd birthday.

Then she grew up and became a little girl.

Then she got old enough to be responsible for pets and even make candy, on her own.

A constant ‘big’ sister.

And then suddenly…

She grew up and a woman replaced the little girl.

Now she’s off to visit with family in Ontario, thousands of miles away. Visiting for two weeks, then working as a Nanny for a while. How long? We don’t know.

I’m kind of ok about all this, I knew it was coming, and it was even mainly my idea, with God’s FIRM nudging on my heart (I argued with Him about this for a few weeks…) but even though I know this is how things are supposed to be right now, it still doesn’t make it any easier.

We’ve been planning and preparing for this big move our family is making in just one week, for many many years now. Throughout ALL these years I have been praying one thing.

“Please God, let us move BEFORE my children are old enough to move out on their own.”

Why? Because I ALWAYS felt a need to have our final home, the place hubby and I grow old in, the family farm we end up with, to be the place our CHILDREN would all call home too.

The plan had always been to buy land, enough land for the kids to build too if they so pleased! Enough land for Alesia’s horses to run around on, for her to train horses, and maybe give riding lessons.

The plan was never to move separate from any of our children. The plan was never to move so much later then we are.

We’re a homeschooling family. We’re ALWAYS together.

Yet, here we are, years later, FINALLY moving and Alesia has moved onto Ontario a week ahead of us, while we’ll be going to Saskatchewan without her.

I know it’ll be alright, but today…

well…today is hard.

Remember that job interview Joshua flew to Saskatchewan for?

Well he FINALLY heard back today!

And…

First let me back track.

Joshua, our 18 year old son, has ALWAYS loved cars, trucks, tractors, and pretty much anything else with wheels and an engine.

He’s been tinkering ever since he could walk. First with wood, then metals, and then onto vehicles.
Especially after we gave him our former family vehicle.

We called it the “suburban”.

Then it became Joshua’s, and he turned it into “The Beast”.

He even hand made the front & rear bumpers of  ”The Beast”!

Impressive!

But, back to the story.

While Graydon (dear hubby) was first living in Saskatchewan back at the beginning of Aug. 2011, you may recall that he had been staying in a 5th wheel trailer. Once things froze up and he no longer had any plumbing, he had to find some place “indoors” to live. He could not find ANY rentals, and so he ended up staying in a ‘rented’ room in someone’s home.

While staying there, he got to know the husband and wife and learned the husband worked for non other then… John Deere.

You’d have to know my husband and son to know how delightful this is! They both collect John Deere stuffs! They’ve both LOVED John Deere all their lives. Heck, even our youngest three girls love John Deere and have John Deere farm sets, barns, and more!

In the course of conversations over the next few months, it was suggested that Joshua, our son, apply to John Deere where this gentleman works.

Hmmm… something to definitely think about! Joshua working for John Deere? This was something little boy’s dreams are made of!

John Deere has an apprenticeship program, and it was suggested that Joshua think seriously about applying at this particular John Deere for this program.

So we began to make plans. Joshua saved up for a plane ticket and hoped like heck he wasn’t wasting his money! He got on that plane and spent 5 days with hubby sight seeing, and also going for the interview.

That was back at the end of February.

One thing after another delayed him from hearing a response about whether or not he got the job.
Joshua is a barn manager here in BC, and when his boss heard he was moving to Saskatchewan, she offered him a substantial raise and a place to live if he’d consider staying on as barn manager.

I cringed.

Yet, I knew Joshua was starting to get very worried about whether or not he got the position with John Deere! He wanted the job, but if he didn’t HAVE the job, he wanted to make sure he had “A” job! He did NOT want to be without work!

It costs a lot of money to run, and care for, “The Beast”.

I worried that he’d take the offer from his current boss, and all our hopes and dreams for our future TOGETHER as a family on the prairies were slowly falling apart.

Already we were moving without Alesia (our eldest dd), since she’s moving on Sunday to Ontario, to be a nanny. I just felt like I could be “ok” with letting ONE child go, but TWO?!!?!? All within ONE WEEK!?!?!

Well… today I got a call from the manager asking for Joshua. He’s off at work of course, so I texted Josh and told him to call John Deere RIGHT NOW! The manager wanted to speak with him!

And of course… as though “I” ever had any doubt, Joshua GOT THE JOB!

Starting shortly after we move, he will begin his apprenticeship as a John Deere Mechanic!!

This mother couldn’t be more thrilled!!!

And all you homeschooling mothers out there, worrying and fretting about whether or not you’re doing a ‘good enough’ job schooling your children at home. Just remember what’s MOST important. It’s not schedules, organization, or using the very best curriculum. It’s about teaching your children to LOVE learning, and being sure to offer them any opportunity to learn MORE about what they love. That’s it! Keep focused on THAT goal, and your kids will do just fine. In fact, they may do even better then that!

About ready to burst I think!

Lately, I have moments where I have to stop myself and wonder how it is that I haven’t burst yet!

There’s been SO much happening in the lives of our family lately. I wasn’t able to share any of it for quite a while but now I can begin to share a little. One thing at a time.

I am heading to the airport with our son early tomorrow morning. We have to get up in just 6 hours and 9 minutes actually, but who’s counting right?

He’s heading out to the prairies. He’ll be meeting my husband and spending a very long weekend with him. This will be Joshua’s first time to the prairies, other then the times we’ve driven through, or flown over, back and forth between Ontario and British Columbia.

On Monday Joshua is being interviewed for an apprenticeship program.

To say I am excited for my son would be to put it VERY mildly.

I can’t share a whole lot of details about what the program is exactly, but it’s in the mechanics field for a large company. He hasn’t actually gotten the ‘job’ yet, so I’m trying not to get TOO excited, but they were very impressed with his resume.

Let me just say to homeschooling mom’s everywhere, if you’re ever in doubt of what you’re doing with your children, stop, because if you truly care about your children’s education at all,  you have no reason to fear.

I don’t often brag about my kids, I probably should brag about them a whole lot more, but I guess I figure their lives speak loudly enough. However, I have to say that my son’s resume even impressed me.

He has done so much living, and learning, in his short 18 years! Anything he wants to know, because he’s been homeschooled, he’s had the time to figure it out. If he couldn’t figure it out, either he, his father, or myself found someone he could work alongside with so he COULD figure it out.

So often homeschool moms struggle with fears of doubt that weigh so very heavy on them daily. It’s a big responsibility to be in ‘charge’ of your children’s education!

But… I wouldn’t trade the responsibility of home education for anything.

So, tomorrow Joshua heads out. My husband is picking him up in the afternoon and they’ll have a few days of ‘fun’ before Monday. On their way ‘home’ from the airport they are going to do some sight seeing. On Saturday, I’m not sure what they’ll do but I’m sure my husband will want to show our son around town.

Graydon (dh) has said more then once that he’s sure all the ‘town folk’ must think he’s some crazy person with an imaginary family that he constantly talks about, yet they’ve never seen hide nor hair of in the seven months he’s lived there. Now he’ll have some proof that this family really does exist and he’s not some crazy person after all!

I had better stop here. I have to leave the house in less then 6 hours now.

Sleep… what’s that?

Parenting teens, it’s gone viral!

As I’m sure most of the internet world has already been made aware of, there’s this dad, who decided to punish his teenage daughter, publicly on facebook in response to a letter she wrote on facebook, and now it’s gone viral.

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*(please excuse the random .’s (periods) in my post. my wordpress doesn’t seem to like leaving spaces where I want them, so I use .’s instead.) 

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Dad uses Facebook to teach daughter a lesson

www.litefm.com

A 15-year-old puts up a Facebook post bashing her parents for making her work too hard, dad reacts by posting a video response to her grievances on her Facebook page.

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When I watched this video, I’m almost embarrassed to say it now, but I actually laughed. Then I called my 18 year old son over, and showed him, and we chuckled.

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Then I found out that lots of other people watched this video and were OUTRAGED!

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So I wondered, “Am I some sort of sick and twisted individual because I actually found this video to be kind of funny, yet others think this dad must be some kind of abusive,  hurtful, daughter hating, child damaging, poor excuse of a human being?”

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The part that was immediately funny to me is that this father did exactly what so many parents of teens would probably LIKE to do, but never could, or would. It was also funny because I figure the fact that this father actually took the TIME to do all this, (time, a four letter word for many parents, something I see MANY MANY parents withhold from their children) shows me that this father CARES about his daughter. You don’t bother wasting your time for someone you don’t care about.

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There’s a lot of people giving this father a hard time. But they are either forgetting some facts, OR they are not even reading the WHOLE story.

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Some facts that I’ve learned by reading the full story.

First, he didn’t snoop (even if he had, I wouldn’t have faulted him for it, sorry! I’m simply not one who believes a 15 year old has a “right” to live their own life “their” way) he found the letter she wrote purely by accident, via their DOG’s facebook page. If you didn’t know their family dog has a facebook page, you don’t know the full story.

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Another fact, in many parts of the US, and Canada, guns are not that big a deal.

I COMPLETELY understand how that’s very difficult for others to comprehend but in some areas, guns are a way of life, a sport like any other, and even a way for some to feed their family. I shot my first gun at the age of 7. I love shooting. I’ve never shot a single living thing, but I sure love shooting a target! And I’m good at it too!

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The last fact I want to point out, and the main one as far as I’m concerned is…

He shot a LAPTOP!

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Oh.My.Goodness! The amount of outrage, hatred, anger, and every other negative emotion you could possibly think of that some are feeling towards this father because he shot his daughters LAPTOP simply amazes me! It is a THING! He did NOT shoot the family dog, or a boyfriend, or anything else of great importance. Yes, to a 15 year old girl, laptops are important, they connect a teen to their peers, their IMPORTANT lives, BUT, that’s really actually a very large part of the whole point here.

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Shouldn’t her love for her family be more important?

Shouldn’t she love others, more then she loves herself?
Shouldn’t she show love and care to those who love and care for her?

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Those who feel such anger, I really want to ask. Do you have a teen? Have they ever been selfish and hateful to you? Have you felt the sting of pain pierce your heart when that child that you would give your very LIFE for, hurts you with their lack of care, their carelessness, or lack of concern for YOU?

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If you DO have a child, has your child ever made you so upset, because you love them SO much that you would do ANYTHING for them, yet because of their young age, because of their immaturity, and their own childish selfcenteredness, they just can’t seem to SEE your love because they can’t even see past their own nose?

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If you do have a child, and if you are a parent, are you always perfect?!
Do you NEVER make mistakes?! Do you never get angry? Upset? Have you NEVER behaved in a way that you later regreted?

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Never?

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If you can answer, “never”, then I’d really like to meet you!
I want to know what it’s like to be the PERFECT parent!! You can teach me!

Because I’m not perfect. I’m VERY far from it.

I’ve been a parent for almost 21 years now. I’ve got five pretty amazing kids, that are growing up to become pretty amazing adults, but I’ve made plenty of mistakes. PLENTY!

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And thank goodness I can realize that, because if I expect ME to be perfect, I’d expect the very same from THEM. Just as I will never be perfect, neither will my kids.

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That dad was hurt. You could hear it in his shaky voice. You could sense it in his broken speech.

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His daughter was being unappreciative of her life, her parents, and her family. She was being whiny and publicly threw a hissy fit for her friends on facebook. She wanted her pity party, and she wanted her party to be BIG! She wanted to invite ALL her friends, but only EVERYONE that would pat her ego.

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She didn’t want her family to join her pity party. Why? Because she wanted privacy?

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No, because she didn’t want anyone but select friends added to this pity party, adding family would risk her party coming to an end.

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Yes, I totally agree, her father should not have publicly retaliated. I’m quite sure even HE agrees 100% with that. However, he did, and if you take the time to read his update about it all, from what I see and read, he’s a caring father.

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A father, who was angry, and made a mistake.

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Who has a daughter, who was angry, and made a mistake.

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From what I can tell, it is as simple as that.

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Nothing TRULY suffered, but a laptop. A thing.

In the meantime, this family has gone on, has continued to communicate with one another about what happened, what was right, what was wrong, how it could have been done differently.

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And really, isn’t that all we can ask for? Isn’t that what life, with kids, is really all about? Each one of us doing the best we know how, and when we make mistakes, making sure we don’t shirk our responsibility for those mistakes, but to take them, and learn from them, and grow. Grow together.

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So let’s take joy in this family to learning and growing, and let’s look harder at ourselves then we do at others! Rather then be angry, give your kids an extra hug, remind yourself that you’re not perfect, that you’ll make mistakes too…

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And then, just be happy that YOUR mistakes aren’t viral for everyone to see on the internet!

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*Add on that I shared on my facebook page:I should share what led me to even be bothered to blog about it in the first place.

Last night, I read some pretty horrible things people were saying about this father, and the daughter too actually. The people I saw who were saying these things the most, were a lot of people who consider themselves to be ‘gentle parents’ (that’s my definition, not going to name the definitions they all give themselves). 

I HAVE to say, someone who feels they are a ‘gentle parent’, but speaks SO horribly hatefully towards another human being, another parent, I just can NOT consider to be a truly ‘gentle’ person. I’m sorry. If we want HATE to stop, it MUST START WITH US ADULTS. That means when we don’t agree with something, we MUST bite our tongues and be as gentle with ONE ANOTHER as we want our children to grow up to be.

Elsa is 14!

I can’t believe it, but Elsa is FOURTEEN years old today. Fourteen years ago today, I gave birth to my curly haired, truth speaking, never boring, little girl.

Life, with Elsa, is always, anything, but boring!

Elsa is my least photographed child.

But when I can get her to co-operate, we get some of the very best photos!

She could care less what you think of her big “poofy” hair…

and won’t do anything with it (brush/comb) it unless you tell her to. Even at this age.

Yet if I try to snap a photo, she’ll yell, “My hair isn’t done!” just to get out of having her photo taken!

She’s as unique in personality, as she is in looks!

She wants to be a great baker, like “Buddy” from Cake Boss one day.
Says she’ll open up her own shop too.

Time will tell what all Elsa will do, but I have no doubt that with her determination, and her family’s support, she will succeed.

Happy  Birthday Elsa! 

*If you’re new to the blog and you’d like to read about the ‘adventure’ of Elsa’s birth and the great Ice Storm, you can find those previous posts here:

Part 1: http://homesteademporium.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/the-waiting-game-in-pregnancy-and-in-life/

Part 2: http://homesteademporium.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/the-waiting-game-in-pregnancy-and-in-life-continued/