Family Time

Big Plans or Day of Rest? What Would Dave Ramsey Say?

Posted on November 2, 2014 by theowenscrew

We haven’t done nearly as much traveling and touristy things this assignment. We have still done a lot but have had to put the reins on a bit. As many of you know we like to follow (but could do a lot better) the “Dave Ramsey Plan” because of this we need to save up for things that we want or need and we work to keep a healthy emergency fund since we have no credit card to fall back on. We dug into our Emergency fund a bit (a lot more than I want to admit) in New Mexico, so we are trying to find a more realistic balance. Also there are signs besides the number on the odometer read out in our car that starting to save up for out next vehicle would be prudent. As we are down to only three weeks left here in Wisconsin there are a few things left that I would love to do. This makes the choice so hard, but it is going to cost a lot to drive back to Salem, be off for a week, and then drive on to our next assignment and get set up there. For that reason we will probably playing things pretty tight for the rest of the time here if we do go on another adventure it will be one of the many locations that have been recommended by patients that the main cost is the gas to get there and back or a nearby museum in Green Bay that is reasonably priced and highly recommended. I had initially thought it would be a good day to do one of those things, but honestly we were all tired and slept in and then Chad and Hannah needed to go grocery shopping while Caleb, Eve and I cleaned the house and by then it was noon. Caleb was dragging himself around at the thought of doing any work and so we decided that we didn’t need to go do anything fun today. We would just enjoy it as a day of rest. We had left overs for lunch, the kids finished the dishes and by then the house was looking pretty good. We made caramel apples, which was pretty fun.

We had a few movies we had checked out from the church library so the kids settled down first to watch Hermie and then two on the biblical account of the origin of man and the Big Bang theory not directly by Ken Ham but they are connected in some way to his ministry. To my amazement the two older kids were pretty fixated and interested in the topics verbalizing their thoughts on the topic. I fell asleep in the living room at the end of the movies. Chad woke me up for dinner. I was feeling a little rough, so Chad encouraged me to head to bed after dinner as he read Arabian Nights to the kids. I guess we needed a day of rest more than we thought. All in all I’m not sad we didn’t make it to the museum or national lake shores that are on our list. It was a good day and just what we needed. Goodnight.

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Family Movie Night

Posted on November 1, 2014 by theowenscrew

Yay! Family movie night is finally here.
This years feature film was “Planet of the Apes”.
Chad ordered take out Chinese food as a special treat.

We made some yummy caramel pop corn to enjoy during the movie.

Hannah showed us her new balloon blower upper invention.

Then we all sat around the computer and enjoyed the show.

We opted for a second movie since we were having so much fun and the kids were being so enjoyable, so “Monsters University” won out over “Ice Age.”
Then the kids went to bed and Chad and I watched, “The Shop Around The Corner.”

Categories: Family Time, Fun, holiday | 1 Comment

Just chilaxin

Posted on October 27, 2014 by theowenscrew

Church was good, the orchestra and choir both were present for praise and worship and the beauty of the music sank in deep. I can feel God’s hand in our lives and some kind of metamorphosis occurring in my heart. I feel so blessed and want my life to be a praise offering. In my head and heart I have been mulling over the difference between knowing what is right and doing it. As we continue on this path which we have been called how can we honor God in our daily lives, and serve those around us.

On the way out of service we stopped by the library and picked out some more videos. We had watched all of the missionary videos available so we picked out some Ken Ham ones and Hermie and friends, we are going to miss the church library.

We ate a later lunch and then took turns playing songs on the tin whistle, the kids pulled out the felt and did some sewing, trying to make a case for Hannah’s new harmonica that she bought with tracker tickets from the church store. Eve and Caleb did some sword fighting out side. We all went on a family walk and then Chad read to the kids. After bed time we watched Already Gone, A message by Ken Ham, based off of his book with the same title about why he believes record numbers of children from Christian homes are leaving the church. There are so many thoughts in my head and on my heart….

In a completely different direction, I have an aunt who has fought a long fight with cancer and will be meeting her maker soon. We would appreciate prayers for her grown kids and grandkids as well as her parents. May they find peace and be comforted in the arms of their Father God.

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Ice Age National Trail

Posted on October 25, 2014 by theowenscrew

A 1200 mile trail that zig zags around the state tracing what is believed to be the edge of a large glacier in a time when the climate was much colder (The Ice Age) all with in the state of Wisconsin. I think that we may have hiked small sections of this trail in Door County but this section was south and east of Neenah to a distance of one hours travel. Today we got to go to the visitors center, attend a presentation, and take a pretty long hike, for us at least, 3-5 mile. (All the distances were marked from different starting points and we walked a loop made up of parts of five different trails.) the sun was out, a slight breeze made the leaves trickle down on us and the tops of the trees swayed peacefully. The birds were out in full chorus, and we were kind of wishing we had put a tin whistle in our pack. It was fall weather perfection and we drank it in with all of our senses: the beautiful colors and rays of sunlight, the feel of the breeze and warmth of the direct sun with no clouds to intercept, the crunch of the ankle deep leaves with every step, the smell of earth and sweet wet leaves that laced the fresh air, and if you are Eve the taste of the leaves and acorns that she kept putting in her mouth pretending that they were pickles and catsup.

Caleb and his grappling hook

The kids did such a good job and we all had a lot of fun. Now I’m sitting. At the kitchen table listening to Chad read to the kids up stairs, and Dave Ramsey’s saying comes to mind, we are definitely better than we deserve and so thankful for the many ways God has blessed us today.

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Hannah’s Civil War Paper

Posted on October 23, 2014 by theowenscrew

These are girls jobs: spying on Civil War and taking letters to different areas, doctors-there was a big line of doctors. The men said that is not a job for girls. Before the Civil War there were a lot of slaves. The Americas were fighting about slaves. The End.

Notice the girl spies in the tree and the slave and his owner in the lower left corner. I both love it and find it interesting that she did not use color to indicate the person who was a slave in this picture.

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Music

Posted on October 22, 2014 by theowenscrew

About a week ago we ordered some music books for CC. As part of the program the kids learn to play the tin whistle. At first glance it appears to be nothing more than a kids toy. We are very quickly learning that this is not the case. After looking through the books and the complexity of some of the songs, we decided that this is going to be fun to learn more than what our CC manual has to offer. We read about the history of the tin whistle and that the Clark company, started in 1843, has been making tin whistles continuously this whole time. It is a instrument that can drive me nuts at times but also has something catching to it. Also learned that it is not solely an Irish instrument but that Americans used it for music while marching and to announce various times in the day for the army. We are very much looking forward to learning some Christmas songs to play for the family this holiday season.

~Chad

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PALS

Posted on October 21, 2014 by theowenscrew

PALS (pediatric advanced life support) Getting up at 5:00 AM was a treat, with an extra hour of sleep I did feel more rested. I hopped in the shower, dressed, then snuck out of the house. The plan was to go to Starbucks and cram, having to work nearly everyday since getting my book there had been very little quiet time to study. I climbed in the car and double checked to make sure I had the printed off copy of the pretest. I flipped through the book where I had safely tucked it in preparation and it wasn’t there, I flipped through it again, nope. Where did I tuck it? I know I tucked it in the book, but it isn’t there now. Shoot, I turned the flashlight on on the phone and searched the car, then I got out and made my way back in the house where a little one was now up and in the bathroom…I was trying not to wake everyone and searching for a paper all around the house was not helping. At this point I had looked everywhere it could possibly be besides work, it must have fallen out at work. I have to have that paper or they won’t let me in the class, it’s not like I can just print another one. We don’t even have a printer. I felt like crying, the only three hours I had to read and study were being spent looking for a paper I had so carefully tucked in a spot it could not be forgotten accidentally. I woke up Chad to help me then searched the car a second and third time. Then the kids started coming down stairs. I gave up on Starbucks and started warming up some cold oatmeal. We grabbed the laptop and checked Office Depot’s hours (or Office Max I can’t remember) they opened at 8:00AM and my class started at 9:00AM. We resubmitted the pretest to be printed and put on a pot of coffee. I crammed while Chad made a special breakfast for the kids who were now all up an hour early. Then took the laptop as precautionary incase the paper was not printed and they couldn’t find it. I crammed some more in the parking lot while waiting for the clock to strike 8:00AM. They quickly printed the paper for me and I thanked them profusely. The operator at AMC directed me to the correct room for the class and I checked in a whole 30 min. early. I kept my cramming until class started and inside I prepared myself for a day filled with potential most embarrassing moments. I feel so out of my league in these situations. I’m rusty with my rhythm strips and unfamiliar completely with all the recessitation meds other than epi. It is a good thing that that is almost always the first med given in these code situations. Luckily there were no most embarrassing moments and I wasn’t the only rusty one. You gotta just roll up both sleeves and jump in in these situations and not worry what other people think. I love learning and wish it was practical to take many more classes and tests, and it ended up being a nice breather since I’m looking at tomorrow and Wednesday being both super busy shifts. The test was good, although maybe not a true picture of my PALS knowledge since the whole class is taught to the test so if you listened you had been given all the test answers throughout the day. Now what do you think the chances are that I will remember it for two years, maybe three months for ACLS in January? Probably not. Not with out a chance to practice, and I hope to shout we have none of that in OB.
The kids greeted me at the door Eve had no accidents today and her head is looking better.

Hannah had drawn a picture of a Unicorn giving birth to Pegasus’ baby.

this mama could nurse a whole litter of little ones. And We got the new tin whistle books in the mail.

Eve proceeded to have an accident on our bed just before bedtime, it’s a good thing the dryer is quick. Good night all.

Categories: Family Time, Fun, Travel Nursing | 1 Comment

TIA or Seizure?

Posted on October 15, 2014 by theowenscrew

I am ok with never ever again seeing expressive emphasia in a childbearing age women especially coupled with her indicating that there is something majorly wrong with her right arm. A few scary moments today resulted in a healthy mom and baby after a visit from the Rapid Response team, CT, and a C/S.

Other news, the kids dug into math before breakfast and were completely done with their school work by lunch. Potty training with Eve was only so so (this is all second hand), and Eve fell off the stairs onto the concrete floor of the basement and has a goose egg that I haven’t yet seen. As the kids were all in bed already by the time I made it home from work.

Now with full rolling headache I’m going to crash. Good night all.

Categories: Family Time, Fun, Homeschool, new mexico | 2 Comments

Tin Whistle

Posted on October 14, 2014 by theowenscrew

We started tin Whistles today, oh joy! It was actually quite fun, and Chad ordered a few extra tin whistle books. It should be fun.

Chad has the video of all of us playing Tin Whistle “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”

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Sunday, Sunday…I love that day!

Posted on October 13, 2014 by theowenscrew

We are going to the 11o’clock service here in Neenah and so Sunday mornings are slower paced and relaxing. We got up late, everyone got a shower, we girls had time to get all pretty, and even put on some perfume left over from my trip to Europe in 2000. It’s amazing that it still smells good, but it does.

The sermon was on Ecclesiastes and was an amazing message that had me re reading it after dinner, so I could take better notes and really understand the whole thing. After church we went out to Indian food. Mmmmm so yummy.

After lunch we headed home and changed our clothes then talked to the land lord and his wife as they were cleaning the neighboring apartment to get it ready for the next tenants. They are tearing out the cabinets and linoleum, and the wife said that the demolition is the best part. She was elbow deep in her project, and all smiles, and she kind of reminded me of my mother. We then headed to the library to get our books for this next week of school, and the Walmart for groceries. When we got home and everything was put away, Caleb washed all of the dishes, Hannah and I folded the clothes and straitened the Living room, and Chad and Eve cleaned the kid’s room and straitened the upstairs. When we were all done with our job the kids fended for themselves for dinner, which looked like tacos and grapes. We watched a missionary movie about Papua New Guinea that was pretty interesting, and took us until 7:01pm, bed time. Chad watched J. A. G. while I did my reading and took Myra for a walk. Then we crashed at 9:00pm. Pretty restful day in a nutshell.