Still just busy

I know I am still not doing my best to keep everyone up to date and I'm really truly sorry ...... but ya see, we have a life that is trying to run away with me and lately it seems that I'm running around breathlessly hoping and praying that I can just keep up until things slow down a bit. I have officially given up on trying to plan and arrange every little aspect of life right now and have opted for a much less stressful "roll with it" kind of attitude. So far it works alot better for me than trying so hard to make my routines and schedules match what some other people say "works". Gone for now are the days of the "housekeeping routines" and we are in full swing with throwing a load of laundry in the washer on the way out the door and into the dryer before we fall down exhausted at night ..... back home this kind of life was only seen during haymaking, planting or havesting season when every hand in the home had to be in the fields working but it seems to happen to us during the spring here. I guess you could say that things are pleasantly hectic since none of all this busy-ness is bad at all .... it's just busy.

We did finally finish the beekeeping classes and all of us took the test to be certified. I have no idea yet if we passed but we all have our doubts. Regardless of the test results we have bees on the way! By this time next week we will have at least one hive working and hopes to catch at least one swarm this year. Caleb has become so facinated with beekeeping that he may just end up with his own hive before the summer. I'm so thankful in so many ways for the new interest and all of the possibilities that have opened up for our family because of it.

Fred is starting high school this year so we have spent a big portion of the past week or two trying to roughly outline the next four years. Troy and I are trying to avoid going into total denial that our baby girl is going into high school and I have to tell ya IT'S HARD! It's hard to believe that my sweet little carrot top is now this long and lean almost womanly person who is (shhhh, taller than me) nearly grown up. It's hard to believe that despite me and my failures as a parent she is growing into a sweet and intelligent person who truly loves and wants to serve the Lord. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed us by and that it seems to only pass by faster every day. Our Fred has been such a blessing to us that it's really really hard to even consider that one day we may just have to choke back the tears and let her go ......(sob) away ...... to somewhere (snuffles, sob) ..... to live her own life (bwaaaaa!).
The boys will still be here though!! Maybe I will force Fred to be an old spinster woman and stay with us to take care of me and the boys and her daddy forever!! Nah, it would never work. She would persuade the boys to take her side and stage a mutiny or something so I guess I just have to let her start high school this year.

Actually we have kind of enjoyed going over all the options for schooling now that the kids are older and we don't have the elementary school thing going on. I gotta say, I'm completely excited that I don't have to make sure to have plenty of paste and construction paper around the house anymore!

Our garden is going really good so far this year..... and will be much better once I get rid of the rabbit varmint that keeps eating my plants. Soon my kitchen won't resemble a greenhouse anymore and all of those tiny little seedlings will be producing food for my family. I always plant too many and then have to pawn them off on anyone I can share them with friends who may want to garden. Can you believe that after giving away over a hundred tomato plants last year because I overplanted that already I have over a hundred tomato plants in my kitchen! And the squash, and the cucumbers and the watermelons and cantelope .... not to mention the peppers and herbs. I have to make jelly and syrup too so I can start cleaning out the freezers for this years stuff!!

So anyway, theres as much of an update as anyone is getting from me right now. I'll post some pictures sometime in the next few days but for now I have to run because the garden and the chickens and the dirty house and all that stuff is calling my name. See ya!