March Break - Day 5

I debated on what to write today....a lot went on. My decision is not to write about it.

Here is a scripture though....Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him.

March Break - Day 4 - Home again, things almost back to normal

Me & my family out for supper last night

Last night supper had a couple challenges, (see yesterdays BLOG http://ellistimothy.blogspot.com/2011/03/march-break-day-3-sunshine-and.html ), but it was a nice time out. My mother-in-law joined us for dinner and we had a nice meal together.

 We made it home today. A nice little get a way with the family. A few interesting moments. Some laughs, some challenges, but all in all a good time. It was actually warmer at the lake than it is at home. A couple days away is always nice. I don't really like the heat, and I like staying close to home. So this worked out fine for us. We did travel up the Bruce Peninsula for a bit and saw some of the ice on the cliffs. The one problem...everything was melting, and as we were taking pictures, the ice was crashing off the cliffs. Safety first, we didn't stay around there long.

Ice on the cliffs on the Bruce Peninsula

My stress level is back in the manageable range and my mood is much better today than it was yesterday. Oh well, if I was super happy and had no issues all the time, I think that I would be very fake. That's not me - I have good days, I have bad days. Most are pretty good, but I do have bad days. This morning I said a prayer and asked the Lord to just help me be the example that my children need to see. It's working :)
Most of the snow is disappearing a good rate now. I've yet to see a Robin, but from what I read, a lot of people in the area have seen them. Soon enough I guess. March Break - Day 4 is going pretty good.

March Break - Day 3... Sunshine and screaming kids, the saga continues :)

Gotta love it. Go away for a couple days and the kids are fighting, baby is crying and the sun is shining. At least it is nice outside. I think that is where I should have gone, outside...by myself...peace and quiet. 
We then went out for supper. At Crabby Joes the kids eat free - that's what the sign said. So we had a nice supper and I got the bill, paid for it and went back to the motel. that's when I checked the bill...they charged me for the kids meals. I was a little taken back, especially after we had asked the waitress before we ordered if the kids eat free. As long as they ordered from the kids menu, yep they are free. That's what we did. Now my wife was not happy. She took the bill, and walked back to the restaurant. 10 minutes later she was back. Kids dinners refunded, taxes refunded and tip refunded. Everything squared up. Now the kids are still wound up, not slowing down no matter how much I ask. I can't wait to get back home so they can calm down a bit ! I guess the Lord is working on my patience :)

March Break - Day 2....Car broke down...

My little Honda broke today. I washed it yesterday, checked all the fluids, and filled it up with gas. It's a good little car. Gets close to 50 miles a gallon, and we can fit our entire family in it. Well today we were getting ready to go away for a couple days. I went to put the suit cases in the trunk and noticed a green puddle under the front of the car. Tested it, yep it was sweet....anti-freeze. I replaced the radiator about a year ago. It looks like it is coming from under the rad...Off to my mechanics on Friday to get her checked out. 

Ever notice how when you make plans, they change? Fortunately I haven't sold the truck yet - Probably in the next few weeks it'll be up for sale but not yet - It's a good truck, but we don't need 2 vehicles right now. Double the insurance, maintenance, gas etc. 

So we packed the truck up and we still made it for our day away without losing much time. I told the family - this happened for a reason. No sense getting mad, upset or frustrated. As Proverbs 16:9 says "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."

March Break - Day 1

Officially today is the kids first day of March Break. It was a good day. Eden & I went to the Conservation Area. Lots of ducks flying around. Eden had her camera and ventured off to get some pictures of some Rainbow Trout. I just hung around the main pond area, trying to get that one "amazing" shot. it didn't happen, but it was a beautiful morning. One other little creature we saw was a muskrat...there are 5 in the family, but only one was out this morning.

This afternoon, my son & I headed out. Isaac wanted to see some turkeys. Well he was not disappointed. in one field alone we saw over 30 turkeys. Below are 26 of them.

 

The next item was deer....14 in one field, 10 in another and 3 in one more....all within a mile and 1/4 of each other. They were scraping the fields looking for some food. 

Yes, it was a fun day with my kids :)

3 deer on the top of a hill