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I posted today about starting on the cleaning of the basement. For some reason it put it under the date of Monday instead of today. If you scroll down past the "Flexibility" post you will find it.

Flexibility

My plans for today have changed twice now! I'm learning (slowly!) how to be flexible with my plans. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't always do well with changes to my plans:) I had initially had plans to meet up with my sister in law and a friend for some "friend time" today. By last night it became obvious that I wasn't going to be going anywhere since Ethan's fever went up again. (He's had a fever since Friday.) So, I reorganized my thoughts and planned to start on the Big Bad Basement project today...I even had a post all ready complete with pictures to post today. Then I woke up with an eye infection. Now, normally this wouldn't be enough to stop me from tackling the basement but in this case I can't wear my contacts and my glasses prescription is 9 years old because I never wear them anymore. The 9 year old prescription isn't strong enough for what I need so I have a headache. Nothing that can't be fixed...just another thing that changed my plans!

I have never established with a primary doctor here so I searched around our insurance's web site and located a clinic that is close by that has a lot of doctors. I called for an appointment but the earliest one they have is at 3:00. This is too close to when the twins get home from school that I don't want to take the chance that I'm not here when the bus comes home so Ethan and I are heading to the Immediate Care Center that's also attached to this clinic. I keep telling myself that in light of all the other problems that are going on in the world right now this is not a big deal. "Be Flexible!" I tell myself. "At least you have insurance, and a car, and the ability to be seen today!"

So, I'm trying to remain flexible and roll with things. And, I'm trying to take advantage of a few extra days at home that I didn't think I had this week (Ethan won't be going to preschool tomorrow because he has a close to constant cough) to get a few things done. Maybe I'll be ready to tackle that basement later today....!

Basement Blues

Time to stop procrastinating and start on the basement:( Ryan's corner has a good start but the rest of it...sigh. I'm heading down there with two bags - one for toys that are broken and need to be thrown away and one for the toys to donate/garage sale off this spring. To help give you an idea of what I'm up against here's a few pictures....

Ryan's corner which actually isn't too bad.

There's a bunch of 1/2 empty paint cans in the corner that I need to figure out how to dispose of. They all came with the house.

Then there are all the kids toys. I don't think that I blogged this but back in October I sent the kids to my moms for a few days while I cleaned out the rest of the house top to bottom. I decided that other than a few things most of the toys would be kept in the basement. This keeps the mess down there which works for me:) Now I just need to get them organized!

All my scrapbooking stuff ended up on the hutch - I'm hoping to commandeer one of Ryan's tables to get it all set up there so I can actually go down and work on things from time to time!

Eventually my plan is to find remnant carper squares to lay down so that it feels "warm" down there so that the kids will actually go down and play. I also want to get a few more fluorescent lights to brighten things up. I will post pictures when it's all done but it may take awhile!

Well, here goes! If you don't hear from me in a couple of days please send in a search party!!

Big Bad Basement - here I come!

Raining babies...

I just got home from two nights down at Andy and Val's helping out with their newest addition: RaeLynn Elizabeth born this past Monday. It's the beginning of a storm of babies that will end in May between my sisters and Ryan's sister. Val is supposed to e-mail me some pictures sometime so I can post them - I didn't even think about taking my camera down there :{

Katie is next - due in a week and a half - so I'll be back down their way to pick up Lauren and Brett for a few days. After watching Brett in action yesterday I'm even more motivated then before to get the basement done! He is one short, busy, little guy who gets into EVERYTHING that's at his level!!!

"stickers"

A few minutes ago I came across Ethan stomping on "stickers, mom" that he had put on the floor. His stickers turned out to be about $9 worth of stamps. He asked why I was taking a picture - I told him so that Daddy could see when he gets home what Ethan had done. He told me, "Well, I'll just hide from Daddy so he won't spank me." >:(

For an update on our church's mission down in Haiti click here.

We had a fun weekend relaxing with Ryan's family both Saturday night and Sunday night playing games together. Saturday was also a day to get caught up on all the housework and laundry that had been piling up since middle December since we have been on the run since then! The kids are home today (Martin Luther King Day) so we are headed to the basement in a bit to get started on the mess down there. I warned them last night that today would end up another work day going through toys and getting rid of ones that they don't play with anymore. Kaitlyn and Kenton both told me, "Maybe we should donate some of our toys to the kids down in Haiti since they lost theirs."

Speaking of Haiti Saturday night as I was laying in bed I tried envisioning what it would be like to be completely trapped and pinned by concrete. It took about 30 seconds before I had to throw the blankets off in complete panic and sit up gasping for air. I'm so claustrophobic and I cannot imagine the horror that so many people have been going through. CNN was reporting that there most likely were quite a few people who didn't die from the earthquake itself but from being trapped without water. I can only hope and pray that I could have the attitude and faith of the lady mentioned in the story in the above link!!

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised!"

Trying today to be more thankful and not complain!

I found a blog a few days ago written by a couple who have been doing mission work down in Haiti for the past 4 years.

http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com

It's worth looking at as they write from a Godly perspective unlike what you will find at different media outlets.

I'm not sure why it's not posting as a link - you may have to copy and paste the address.