Burn!

There is no question as to what to do with all the leaves. NO BAGGING them up, that is for sure!

Nightly fires from here on out, weather permitting.

Sam has told them if they will rake them up during the day, they can burn them after dark.

They are excited about that (as they love fire) and it is great exercise!

I had several visitors today. YAY! I really miss my adult company during daytime hours. One nice thing about living on base was the closeness of all your neighbors, anytime you needed anything, somebody was around. Of course that same concept also drove me crazy at times too! I love the privacy and the beauty here, but do miss being able to walk outside and go visit and talk with my friends.

As we are the only family in the church home schooling young kids , they aren't sure how that works. I need to make it clear that yes, they can call me any time of the day, and yes, with some notice I can have lunch dates and do things during the day. Yes, PLEASE COME SEE ME! The kids are having a few moments of missing friends, but on the whole, they are doing exactly what I prayed would happen. They are bonding closer to each other. Instead of running out the door as soon as school and chores were done to play with others, they are playing together, creating games, exploring the land and doing very well (I have to remind myself of that when they come in absolutely filthy every day). A little dirt versus a better attitude and more love and tolerance for each other. It shouldn't be a hard decision!  :)

Now that a week has passed since I received a certain letter, I can almost laugh about it now. But a week ago I was ready to knock some heads together, and that is putting it mildly! Yes, it has to do with the base house, and yes, I PROMISE not to bring up that house again after this. We tried to get the house condemned. Nobody really needed to be living there. It was denied, and we were told that so many families were just ready to move in. So we paid the cleaners, paid to have the carpets done, and paid Wal Mart for all the gallons of paint it took to Repaint everything. Lots of time, lots of money, and LOTS of stress. Then last week I get this letter. This letter from housing. That 5 days after we left it, they decided to condemn it. Nobody will ever be living in it again.

WHAT?!!!!!!!!!?????????????!!!!!!!!???????????

Now, my first thought SHOULD have been of thankfulness. Thankful that no other family would have to suffer the sewage backups and the gunk backups in the kitchen and the leaky faucets and walls. But, I have to honestly admit that wasn't my first thought. I wanted all that money back! I wanted all that time back! I wanted to do it all over again without all that STRESS!

But , as I am TRYING to concentrate on being thankful in ALL things this week, I am just going to be thankful that we are out of that house and even more thankful that nobody else will be in it. Thankful that I got to spend some quality time with friends who helped me to repaint. Thankful that I have learned how to clean blinds like an expert. Thankful that, well, that is all I can come up with right now, but I am only on day one of the study I mentioned yesterday.  :)

I sure would be thankful to get all that money back though!  :)

sorry. Sarcasm doesn't blend well with Thankfulness. I still have a lot to learn!