July 15 update

It is hard to update anything when the most exciting news to report is the cars AC is working again. And as of tonight - the fuel pump is dead ... so Tim and Daddy and planning when they can work in fixing it.

I did have an appointment with our midwife on Tuesday afternoon (loved how cold the AC was on the car) and everything checked out fine. My blood pressure was higher 13?/?? but still acceptable - everything is looking good. I need to walk more. The heat in the trailer is amazing though and zaps all energy from noon to 10pm. 10PM is when it finally cools enough to sleep - finally cooling down to 81. So far the record high for indoors has been 87.2 and 64% humidity. I do manage 3 or 4 days a week to get outside for an hour watching the kids play.

Kendra and Vannan are down to the wire on their research papers. One week to finish them and they have barely started! They did finally get their letters of intent mailed, and I hope they buckle down and get it done. Vannan is the most lost since she struggles with English and reading to begin with and this is pretty deep reading.

Not much else going on around here. We've got a field trip planned to see a family's goat dairy opperation with idea that someday we can do that too - not with the goats we have on hand though. Maybe in 2 to 4 years when some of these boys are big enough to help out with the outdoor chores around here. The girls do get very tired at times being the only two "field hands" or "maids" on the property.

Now, if I could just find somebody to take the clutter I've got ready to go. Useful still, but not to us. Our Goodwill has a reputation for tossing half of what they get. I really hate for good stuff to end up in landfills. I did try Freecycle, but the rules and standards were so complicated that I rarely got anything through - and of course that made me feel very stupid. And we've got quite a bit waiting to be sorted and gotten rid of too - frustrating to a huge degree. Back in the Springs, I just called either the DAV or Salvation Army and they sent a truck round and picked up the stuff. Very nice. But nobody much picks up here - especially not into the country. I'ld go hide in the closet - but it's full of stuff we've been collecting for LaRue. It's a good thing we do co-sleeping, because there is not a single place in the house to set up the pack n play, or the swing, or even put a set of plastic drawers for her clothes and diapers.

Well, enough of that.

Other than Joel and Marriana having mild colds, everyone is healthy and doing well. Vannan helped them make drums from oatmeal boxes today and they were very happy with them. I'll try to take their picture tomorrow and post it.