It's another beautiful spring day in central Saskatchewan, where the wind blows strong, the birds start singing at four in the morning when the sun comes up and the tractors and seeders are on the fields almost around the clock. It's a gorgeous time of year. The apples, chokecherries and lilacs are blooming, casting their pungent perfumes to the winds. The rhubarb plants are hearty mounds of huge leaves with hidden fruit and the gardens have little onion tips peeking through the sandy soil.
I have a small metal tub with rope-covered handles sitting on my deck. It has a dark pink tea rose in full bloom, small white flowers around the bottom and a solar light that glows softly in the gathering dusk. It's from my heart sister, bless her. It has brought me such joy already.
This morning Pat and I sat with cups of strong brewed coffee and mouths full of cracked black pepper and olive oil Triscuits, cheese and baby dills, watching the sun play across the finished entrance, enjoying the beauty of a lovely spring morning. Just to pause in the rush-rush the season brings is gratifying, blessed. We have so much to be grateful for!
I have moments of panic over balls thrown in the house, overwhelmed feelings about busing on time and food for public occasions and no answers about finishing homework, talking back and getting up on time. As a mom, I'm pulled taut, I'm fulfilled, I'm complete. The only saving grace in my life is God's and possibly never so clear cut. It's amazing.
I had a moment of clarity on Tuesday. Pat's mom and I went to the Berry Barn for lunch, just the two of us, for Mother's Day. We were sitting there at a little table overlooking the river, eating our mushroom soup in bread bowls and drinking coffee. The breezes lifted the heat every once in a while and the voices and clinks of dishes around us made it feel surreal. In the blink of an eye it's going to be me and my daughter-in-law.
The passing of time always brings a bitter-sweet feeling. I stand with heart and hands out in the breeze, like Abbie in A Lantern In Her Hand, thinking Oh, stop time! Stop! And I know that today is the only day to live.Today is my gift. Today is the best thing that has ever happened because it brings us one step closer to Him. I feel everything so deeply, unfortunately the bad as well as good, and I cry for little babies grown up, for children missing their Grandpa's presence, for the pain the world around. (I cry about silly things like white hair and mice in the house too.)
Yesterday my mom-in-law came and helped me wash all my windows on main floor, no small feat whatsoever! She's amazing! She can run circles around me! I told her I'd sew for her in exchange, in hopes of paying back, at least in part, this debt. Clean windows and clean floors? Nothing beats it, my friends! And working together with someone you love makes it better than ever.
Now I'm off to finish a dress for Bren, clean up my kitchen and dress Wyatt. I think I'll finish my coffee too. It's cooling off but that's okay. Today is here for me to live.
Friday, May 22, 2015
It's a girl!!
Announcing...
Sadie Willow Koehn
born to
Abram & Ashley Koehn
on
May 20, 2015
at
3:10am
weighing
7lbs 4oz
measuring
20"
Sadie Willow Koehn
born to
Abram & Ashley Koehn
on
May 20, 2015
at
3:10am
weighing
7lbs 4oz
measuring
20"
Friday, May 15, 2015
Wyatt Thoughts
- No, eat porridge by myself, k? Not a chance!
- Mom, daddy says oops-daisy.
- Call, Grandma, now, k?
- Mom, who's that? (About every noise he hears. It's a busy life.)
- Fishy-copter (every helicopter he sees)
- Goodness sakes! (about cousin Ralph's braided hair)
- Mom, daddy says Pete's sake, k?
- Do it self!
- Mommy, I'm tired too. (when he needs a nap)
- Fishy-beak (Pat's RC helicopter front)
- Wade, Rennie, cowboys...
- Missy (Misty) nice, Wade nice, Quinton nice...
- Candy crush, self!!
- My ear hurts terrible much!
- (Praying for dinner) Thank you for... daddy...(I whisper good) mommy... (I whisper good) Colby... (I whisper good) Zach... (I whisper good) (long pause) (I whisper Wyatt?) Good (says Wyatt) Amen
- (Wyatt was sitting in the laundry basket after his shower, naked with his blanket around him. He all sudden jumps out) Forever more!! Pee here!!
- Hokey Dinah sakes!!
- Whoo-hoo canoe!
- Thank you much!
- Sucker! Dummy! (about people he doesn't like)
- You stop it right now, k? (to Colby and Zach)
- Be nice, boys!!
- Beep! Beep! (when he wants someone to move)
- (every time we turn the corner at Co-op in Delisle) GRANDPA's place!!!
- Can we? Can we? Can we?
- (Every time we turn in at Wendel's) Josh place!
- Josh, our place? Should we? Should we? Should we?
- (puts his hands around my face when I put him to sleep) Friends!
- No stinks, just puff.
- cane (for train. and we hear a LOT about canes. He can say truck and track but train, no way.)
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Very Important Information (ha)
1. My phone has died an untimely death. If I don't reply to texts, etc. there's a reason. :(
2. My beloved new-ish sewing machine has died a very untimely death. It's in at the the sewing machine surgeon and I have no idea how long it'll be under anaesthetics or how costly this adventure will prove to be. I'm trying not to think about it.
3. My oldy-goldy stand-by sewing machine has died a rather unfortunate and untimely death. The one I can take to sew at other places, you know? She is also at the sewing machine doctor....
4. My sewing room drawings? They absolutely will not upload here onto the ol' blog. I will write about the room sometime. But no one know when...
5. My sis and I have spent the last two days together. We cut ten dresses, partially sewed three and went grocery shopping together too.
6. We had an awesome time in Crooked Creek last weekend. Thanks to all my dear family! We sewed and packed and ate and talked. And it was way way too short. I didn't get to see nearly everyone I wanted to. And I brought home seven pieces of fabric. Gulp.
7. I have two finished baby quilts in my sewing room; one for Ash and one for Arnie. (Ash's baby is any day now and I'm hoping to make a big announcement here when the time comes!) One is my button quilt and one is stripes with an appliqued T on it and trucks and cars on the back. The latter one screams Arnie, in my humble opinion. :)
K, later...
2. My beloved new-ish sewing machine has died a very untimely death. It's in at the the sewing machine surgeon and I have no idea how long it'll be under anaesthetics or how costly this adventure will prove to be. I'm trying not to think about it.
3. My oldy-goldy stand-by sewing machine has died a rather unfortunate and untimely death. The one I can take to sew at other places, you know? She is also at the sewing machine doctor....
4. My sewing room drawings? They absolutely will not upload here onto the ol' blog. I will write about the room sometime. But no one know when...
5. My sis and I have spent the last two days together. We cut ten dresses, partially sewed three and went grocery shopping together too.
6. We had an awesome time in Crooked Creek last weekend. Thanks to all my dear family! We sewed and packed and ate and talked. And it was way way too short. I didn't get to see nearly everyone I wanted to. And I brought home seven pieces of fabric. Gulp.
7. I have two finished baby quilts in my sewing room; one for Ash and one for Arnie. (Ash's baby is any day now and I'm hoping to make a big announcement here when the time comes!) One is my button quilt and one is stripes with an appliqued T on it and trucks and cars on the back. The latter one screams Arnie, in my humble opinion. :)
K, later...
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Just Some Blither
I've quit the word of the week, aka {WW}. I'm hoping to do it again in September but my life now is sorta crazy. But isn't it always? And don't we all just choose to do what is most important? And we all have to have a little hobby or pleasurable thing to do amidst the chaos so I'm not going to feel guilty that I like to write.
But you know the people that like to write and read? Well, they don't generally have clean houses... And it sorta scares me. I mean, I like a clean house and I'm almost obsessive about a tidy house. I'd like to hire someone to clean. Whew, it's all about honesty here.
So, just random information here.
Last Saturday Zach just boom got a sore neck, couldn't turn his head or look up and just felt plum miserable. He told me a couple times that he felt just like he did at Christmas. We were in town and (of course when we got home) he asked me to feel his neck and sure enough he had a big lymph node same place as last time.
After talking with Aunty Cheri and Zach telling us how important it was for him to be at convert meeting the next morning we decided that we'd wait to go in to emergency until after church. Long story short; he saw the same doctor he had at Christmas (which proves to be a huge blessing). She said she thought this was Reactive Lymph Nodes and could be from the Cervical Adenitus earlier and we'll wait it out. If he gets worse, in we go lickety split and if not he's good to go. His lymph nodes are still puffy but he's not worse. Praise the Lord!
Bren told me at church that I was so worried partly because of dads huge lymph nodes in his neck before he died and she is absolutely right! I hadn't connected it but this freaks me so bad. Plus, I have too big an imagination....
Anyway.
This morning the plumbers came and hooked up my sink in my laundry room! There's just a little change on the roof line that needs to be done yet and we are done. Done. DONE. I want to yell!!! We are so so so so thankful.
I kinda like me house. :):)
And Wyatt climbed the bookshelf in the living room today and broke it. At least he's not harmed but that dear child! Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry! I have a big ol' list of stuff he's saying and I'm thinking of posting it but you all have to promise not to judge because I do not know where he gets everything from! Honestly!
And we're planning on going to Crooked Creek for the weekend. What with Mother's Day and Jerry's pulling outta there soon we decided it was a good time. I'm hoping to help Karen with her sewing and the men will help Jer in his shop. I talked to Di and mom this morning and we planned some food stuff. I'm so excited to see Crooked at this time of year. So often we go at Christmas and I've been craving a summer visit. Or spring, whatever.
Which reminds me, we've had a gorgeous spring here. It's been unnaturally warm, plus twenty-four today and I've been dreaming garden and flowers and trees. I let myself buy a couple trees every spring and so... I went to Costco and did the deed. I'm the proud owner of a September Ruby Apple, a Harcourt Apple, a Sem Ash Leaf False Spirea and then of course some others; Morden Fireglow Rose, Pink Thrift and Dianthus Border Pinks. Oh and another hosta for my shade bed behind the house.
The boys tilled the garden for me and scooped poop (crazy dog). They love to mow and trim and such so yard work is a good place to spend energy. Energy??? The more boys I have the more energy they have. I think I'll be young forever looking after them. Or maybe it's because I'm not so young that it feels like that. Hmm.
K, talk again soon.
P.S. Do you want to see the drawings for my sewing room? It'd give you an idea what it looks like. :)
But you know the people that like to write and read? Well, they don't generally have clean houses... And it sorta scares me. I mean, I like a clean house and I'm almost obsessive about a tidy house. I'd like to hire someone to clean. Whew, it's all about honesty here.
So, just random information here.
Last Saturday Zach just boom got a sore neck, couldn't turn his head or look up and just felt plum miserable. He told me a couple times that he felt just like he did at Christmas. We were in town and (of course when we got home) he asked me to feel his neck and sure enough he had a big lymph node same place as last time.
After talking with Aunty Cheri and Zach telling us how important it was for him to be at convert meeting the next morning we decided that we'd wait to go in to emergency until after church. Long story short; he saw the same doctor he had at Christmas (which proves to be a huge blessing). She said she thought this was Reactive Lymph Nodes and could be from the Cervical Adenitus earlier and we'll wait it out. If he gets worse, in we go lickety split and if not he's good to go. His lymph nodes are still puffy but he's not worse. Praise the Lord!
Bren told me at church that I was so worried partly because of dads huge lymph nodes in his neck before he died and she is absolutely right! I hadn't connected it but this freaks me so bad. Plus, I have too big an imagination....
Anyway.
This morning the plumbers came and hooked up my sink in my laundry room! There's just a little change on the roof line that needs to be done yet and we are done. Done. DONE. I want to yell!!! We are so so so so thankful.
I kinda like me house. :):)
And Wyatt climbed the bookshelf in the living room today and broke it. At least he's not harmed but that dear child! Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I cry! I have a big ol' list of stuff he's saying and I'm thinking of posting it but you all have to promise not to judge because I do not know where he gets everything from! Honestly!
And we're planning on going to Crooked Creek for the weekend. What with Mother's Day and Jerry's pulling outta there soon we decided it was a good time. I'm hoping to help Karen with her sewing and the men will help Jer in his shop. I talked to Di and mom this morning and we planned some food stuff. I'm so excited to see Crooked at this time of year. So often we go at Christmas and I've been craving a summer visit. Or spring, whatever.
Which reminds me, we've had a gorgeous spring here. It's been unnaturally warm, plus twenty-four today and I've been dreaming garden and flowers and trees. I let myself buy a couple trees every spring and so... I went to Costco and did the deed. I'm the proud owner of a September Ruby Apple, a Harcourt Apple, a Sem Ash Leaf False Spirea and then of course some others; Morden Fireglow Rose, Pink Thrift and Dianthus Border Pinks. Oh and another hosta for my shade bed behind the house.
The boys tilled the garden for me and scooped poop (crazy dog). They love to mow and trim and such so yard work is a good place to spend energy. Energy??? The more boys I have the more energy they have. I think I'll be young forever looking after them. Or maybe it's because I'm not so young that it feels like that. Hmm.
K, talk again soon.
P.S. Do you want to see the drawings for my sewing room? It'd give you an idea what it looks like. :)
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