Thursday, June 1, 2006

It's June!


Hello Everyone! We are back from our vacation and had a good time. We saw many sights and learned much on our vacation. The house we rented was fabulous. It was 3600 sq. ft. and very roomy. I had a great time cleaning the place and cooking in the big kitchen. I don't think I have ever been in a house so big before. There were just too many stairs though. The main level was on the third floor---- way too much climbing for my hips and back. The temps stayed cooler until the last day there and it started to heat up. That was just in time for what the locals consider "in season" and just in time for us to leave before the crowds come. I hope to have pictures sometime in the near future of our stay there.

We are done with the 2005/2006 school year! All I need to do is fill out progress reports, sign and mail final papers for this year. I am so glad and really do feel a sense of accomplishment with our work. The first day for this coming year is June 26th, subject to change.

What's that? You ask what I will do with ALL that time on my hands? Right now I am making out a summer cleaning schedule. You know how many do spring cleaning? Well, my "spring" cleaning is now as we were too deep into learning to stop for spring cleaning in the spring time. I have only a few more days left for this week so I am going to work on the kitchen. I might even get serious and clean the oven. It's sort of ironic to try to do deep cleaning in the kitchen during canning season but it's a task called for right now.

Next week, June 5-10 my plan is to detail clean the living room. James said he will help me clean off the high shelves and hopefully he will help take the curtains down for me to wash. Wow, it's overwhelming really... taking all the school stuff off the shelves along with knick-knacks, shampooing the rugs and furniture, washing walls, etc. So I think I will make up a schedule to use..... I really dislike schedule making but it does seem pertinent to get things done.

Then the week of June 12-17 I will need to work on the master bedroom and bath. This will be the biggest task of all! It always is here in the Watson household. This will help in getting baby things ready too. I need to take out the recieving blankets, gowns, and such. Since we won't know what gender the baby is until he/she gets here then we can't really gather much until then. That's alright... there's always adrenaline zooming and while being tired from delivery I can't really even stay stationary for long.

In the midst of this spring cleaning I will be working on Vacation Bible School things to get ready for that. This will be the week of June 19-23. I am REALLY excited to get together with the wee ones and learn more about our Lord. Their minds do seem more open at a younger age. I hope we have full classrooms with many to learn. So for this I am setting aside some time to prepare.
Along with all to do above, I am now full fledged into canning. I put up 13 quarts of green beans yesterday. It was the first batch to can. On Saturday I will have another batch to can along with putting up some squash. I am so excited for the harvest but, oh the work! My goal is to have 100 qts. total at least. I'd like 45 quarts of green beans alone. I suppose I'll be canning the corn this year as well. James prefers canned versus frozen.

In baby news, I had an OB appointment yesterday and everything is moving along well. I had and ultrasound and I no longer have placenta previa. YES! Doctor says I am out of the woods in need of a cesarean. Baby is still upside down but there's much time for he/she to turn around. So, I will talk and coax the baby to move around. LOL Well, that is if I EVER get my voice back. I have had a cold that took my voice away. It's been 3 1/2 days now with no voice. What a mess!!!!!!!!!!

I think that's all that's happening around here now. The children are enjoying the free time to read and relax. Of course, there's the usual chores but other than that they are having a break from academics. Well.... as soon as my voice returns I plan on reading some read alouds to them. One being the book Kidnapped.

Also, the children will enjoy the pool once James gets the water clear. I think it's just too hot to be outside---water or no water.

As for cooking, tonight I am going to fix a Navy Bean soup recipe that a friend and sister in Christ gave me. It is really good and the first time I fixed it there just wasn't enough. I bought two bags of beans for it this time so there will be. YUMM!----Just checked and cannot find the slip of paper that I copied the recipe on. I hadn't had time to properly transfer it on a card yet. I do hope I can find it anyway for later but for tonight I think it'll be italian chicken, stewed squash, butter beans and homemade rolls.

Also, I got some good cookbooks from a thrift shop last week on vacation. I got a set of the McCall's cooking school books and can't wait to try some new recipes during all this work. A friend was saying that coupon users really don't save much money because they always use the money "saved" as rewards for a job well done. I'd say that my rewards is usually books...cookbooks. Learning can sustain as long as we're alive...or as long as our minds will allow it.

Did I mention the dresses that I still have to finish. This must be put in here somewhere. Summer will be over before we know it anyway. So, I must schedule this in. And with that you know what I will be doing during all that free time then next three weeks. Once we do begin school I think it will be four day weeks for a while. This will allow that extra day in for "rest".... and more canning. Then we will break to enjoy the baby for about a month. YES! I can't wait for that. Holding a baby in my arms has been a long time acomin' . I have been pregnant the last 10 1/2 mths. of the last 12 with a delivery in between and I'm tuckered. So, when the baby comes I will be so thankful to the Lord for His abundant blessings!!!

No comments: