Star Wars Holiday Special

I'm an original trilogy Star Wars enthusiast.  In fact, I love it so much that for a long season I didn't engage in the Star Wars fandom because God pointed out I loved it too much.  But a few years ago, He gave me the green light to go back to being a reasonable Star Wars fan.

So yeah, I love Star Wars. Original trilogy. The prequels are Ok. The latest are dreadful.

Kevin had a treat for me a few days ago. He brought me downstairs and found the 1979 Star Wars Holiday Special on youtube and we watched it.

Ok, so I loathe the Last Jedi, the last Star Wars film, for myriad reasons. But after watching the SW Holiday Special, I have to admit that the Last Jedi looks slightly (very very slightly) better.

The Holiday Special is awful beyond words.  Wow. I mean, wow.  I mean, who came up with this ridiculous show?  Well, partly the answer is the writers of the Carol Burnett show, actually.

The first 10 minutes of the show involve three Wookiees interacting and roaring to each other without subtitles. It doesn't get any better after that.

It is hideous, so hideous that it is glorious.

So thank you, Kevin, for expanding my universe to include the dreadfulness that is the Star Wars Holiday Special.

Intimidating Week

I am intimidated. This week is full of appointments.  Last week I nobly went in to have some medical scan to to check for artery blockages.  Mostly the results were great.  The technician doing the test said I would probably win "lowest blood pressure" for the day. The higher number (systolic?  diastolic? ) was 90.

I have low blood pressure.

BUT they did find nodules in my thyroid.  That's not uncommon but my family has a history of thyroid issues so this morning I am going in for a more detailed ultrasound of my thyroid.

I also have well child appointments for two kids who just had birthdays.  Naomi has a bunch of dental stuff on Thursday also, but that's her deal. She can drive herself and it is glorious.

She has been working full time at Goodwill. It is nice they are giving her so many hours.  She is walking a ton -- lots of exercise!

I'm working a few hours today and Friday morning. 

So yes, busy week.  But busy is a blessing. 

Last Wednesday, we had all 4 vehicles busy at once.  We rarely use our giant diesel truck (which can haul the 5th wheel) but Naomi drove it work so Lydia and I could run off and do our own things.  I drove it back from work as I needed to drop the kids off at Goodwill and then Naomi ran them and herself to youth group on Wednesday evening.

Woof!

This may not sound impressive to many families.  I know a lot of parents that are running around all the time.  It doesn't work well for me. I'm sure by the end of this week I will be slightly bug eyed with stress. I like being home, and the family rhythm tends to deteriorate somewhat when I'm gone a lot.  BUT it is just a week.

In other news, it was a year ago that we lost our last baby to miscarriage and I discovered I needed an urgent hysterectomy.  It was a hard time and I'm very thankful that I had the surgery and recovered well.

And its my blog so I can say this; I am thankful I can pee normally.  I had a bladder injury and a catheter for 10 days post surgery and then picked up a urinary tract infection (not a huge surprise with a catheter) and the whole thing was really rough.  I still appreciate that my bladder works well now. Thank you, Lord!

Thankful for Socks

I've been meaning to write a short blog post on being thankful for material possessions like socks.

Socks are quite boring unless one is truly excited about socks. I am not.  I like them comfy and without holes, but I'm no fashionista.

But because we live in the United States and because Kevin has a good job and because we live in the days of internet...

I can buy socks on Amazon any old time I want.  And we can afford it.

This. Is. A. Blessing.

I spent 3 years in a third world country as a child. I have seen true poverty. There are people in THIS country who struggle to buy socks.

So yes, I am thankful for Amazon, and money, and socks.

First Week of School

It went fine, I guess.

It went fine.

Getting the little ones organized to do school is not easy.  Sarah and Daniel would both far rather play.  They will do a lot of playing this year, but I do intend to do more school with them. So that's a process.

Things have gone missing in the last 2 weeks. Where is my expensive 3 hole punch?  Someone walked off with it. I will blame Lydia because she's asleep right now so can't defend herself.  I'll search her room later.

Mostly a good week.  We went to Young's Dairy and we went to a splash park. We swam a lot.  We started school.

I sent off my Notification of Intent to homeschool.

We ordered a bunch of books for Lydia's upcoming semester of classes.

Naomi worked a full 40 hours at the local Goodwill.

I got another chigger bite :-(.

Mostly a good week.

Selky

This charming guy came out of nowhere and totally and completely adopted us. He is on our porch ALL the time now. He is officially our cat. He is very friendly and we like him.

The name 'Selky" has something to do with some mythological creature which can change from seal to human and back again.  Lydia says he looks like a seal with his gray fur.

He is nice.

Young's Dairy Trip

We went on a short field trip to Young's Dairy, a local working farm that makes their own ice cream and has animals.

Lots of Kendigs eating ice cream.

The goats like eating.

They like eating a LOT!

Tractors are fun, especially when they don't move and are therefore safe so no one falls off and gets squished. Seriously, moving tractors and small children, not a good idea. But this one ain't moving.

Big tires.

Silos and kids!

It Begins (Soon)

Next week we are starting up school for the year.

I will have 6 students this year since Naomi has graduated and Lydia, while technically homeschooling, will be full time at Clark State.

Isaac will take a 1 credit class this fall and a 3 credit English class in the spring.

Other than that, it is all happening here!

I always feel like I'm not ready but I also know from experience that the best thing to do is leap in and get started.  We will begin very slowly, with just 2 or 3 subjects the first week.

I pray the Lord will bless this upcoming year.  Last year started with my unexpected hysterectomy. I've lived through many an interruption so I'm mellow about the reality that life won't go smoothly all the time.  Or even most of the time.

Let the academics begin!

Caterpillars and Bugs and Flowers, Oh My!

Kevin has a new hobby of photographing small objects.  And sometimes bigger objects.

We are blessed with five acres and the back 3 acres are mostly left wild. We don't spray chemicals on the lawns so there are lots of 'weeds' which make the caterpillars and bugs happy.

Here are some neat pics.

This is a monarch caterpillar on some milk weed.

Two bunnies terrifyingly near our garden :-).