hot fun in the summertime

Well......where do I even begin? Summer, here on the farm, is always a crapshot (meaning, you never know what you're gonna get). Our summers are spent having fun with our family, biking, swimming, playing with friends, having campfires in the backyard, camping, staying up late, watching movies, mowing lawn, etc., and watching (& hoping) the crops around us are growing at the speed and intensity that we would wish. This year was no different, only with a few minor glitches in the mix. I'll explain.

We started summer off by finishing Daria's baseball season. After a year off (last year) from baseball, Dare came back to the team as one of the pitchers. We were so proud of her as she tore up the mound and was often asked to come in to pitch when they needed some batters struck out. She's not the big, strong athlete-type, so her pitches aren't fast......but slow & steady often wins the race, right?!? The team ended up second in the league and ended up going to Provincials in early July.

We then moved into two weeks of swimming lessons for all 3 of our kids. We ended up camping right at the pool during the second week b/c it's a pretty long drive from the farm everyday. Daria took her Bronze Medallion and was swimming for 2 hours (8:30-10:30) every day. It's intense (I remember from my years as a swimmer) and watching your child go through that intensity is a test for parents. She's an amazing swimmer -- she's built for it (like her mother / hahahahaha) and I love watching her glide through the water. We are still waiting for the results from her exam in the mail. Wish her luck.

Carter took his level 6 and passed it. He had so much fun swimming with his buddies and mastering (once again) his dive.
Asha started in Level 2 during the first week and was promptly moved into Level 3, excelling at everything asked of her. Into the second week she started to complain about her nose hurting when she went under the water. She had a pretty nasty cough at the time during the nights in the camper and we were giving her medication. Unfortunately, it wasn't working and we noticed that her cough had changed. We decided to take her to the doctor and make an appointment for myself as well, as I had an awful cold & a slight temperature.

That same afternoon (Wednesday), Asha was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. I listened behind closed doors outside her hospital room as nurses tried to find a vein to put in an I.V. and take blood from her. She screamed and called for me, testing my skills as her mother once again. Afterwards, she was happy sitting in her hospital bed, waiting for her daddy to get there with movies and snacks. She stayed for one night, with I.V. fluids for 24 hrs, and medication to take home afterwards for 10 days. She went home with her I.V. still in her arm so she could come back for the next 3 days to get medication injected into her body.

Two days later, I was admitted to the same hospital with pneumonia as well. I had been given antibiotic pills earlier that same day to take at home and ended up throwing them up all afternoon. By the time Ron got me to the hospital around suppertime, the nurses could hardly find a vein to get an I.V. into me. They had to poke me about 9 different times to find a vein. Ouch!!! I was hooked to an I.V. for 24 hours where fluids were injected into me. I ended up staying until the next evening when Ron picked me up and took me home. I also went home with my I.V. still in my wrist and returned to the hospital twice a day (morning & evening) for 3 days for antibiotics. I took medication at home for the next 10 days to treat my pneumonia.

A week later (after my I.V. came out, a camping trip with my family and some fun on the farm), I started feeling awful again. Ron brought me to the hospital for multiple testing and was, in the end, diagnosed to have something called C. Difficile, a "bug" you get when large levels of antibiotics are given to you during a hospital stay. I had, in the meantime, lost all energy, was very tired & sore in my legs and shoulders, and went to the bathroom anytime I ate something. I, unfortunately, have the type of C. diff. that cannot be treated with antibiotics to cure (now THAT'S ironic).......so I am left to get my body better on my own. So........I am adjusting and trying to build the good flora back up in my body. I'm eating yogurt (which I HATE) and taking Probiotic vitamins to help my body. I've lost weight (nice little side-effect) and everyday I am trying new foods to see if my body can handle it. It's a crap-shoot, like I said earlier. Everyday, I'm getting stronger though and getting healthier. I believe God doesn't give us anything we can't handle, so.........I'm gonna handle this one just fine!!

So........let's continue on with the F.U.N. in summer now.

The kids have been having fun playing in the canola fields by our house. Carter & Asha like to take long, bamboo sticks out to the field and play Ninjas.
The girls take the opportunity on really hot days to "shower" on the trampoline. The water is super cold, so the rinsing of the shampoo is a little more difficult. Daria usually has to catch Asha first with the hose.

We have witnessed this Glory many evenings. We can sit on our deck or walk down our lane and see a gorgeous sunset almost every night. How many of you can say that? Another benefit of living on the Prairies.

We just came back from a 4 day camping trip with Ron's side of the family. There are eleven grandchildren (most of them teenagers) and ten adults, so the camping is getting easier (but louder) every year. It was so much fun and the weather was unbelieveable!!!

Here, Asha & her cousin Lila are standing in front of the tent they slept in together. If you want to hear something cute, go here to watch a youtube video of Asha and Lila. They spent hours composing a song in their tent and they performed it for each one of us. Pretty sure they would love it if you left them a comment.

So.....that's pretty much our summer (minus a few things) in a nutshell. I'll share more tomorrow.....I'm sure I've missed a few things (we're always busy here).

I want to end by sharing a Design Team Call for a fabulous company. I've been fortunate enough to be on this DT for 3 terms and it's a HOOT!!!!!! I cannot encourage you enough to try out for this DT and join the team.

Click here to see my post on the mSB blog for this layout.

ATTENTION all stampers and myStamp BOX fans!

We are looking for new Designers to join our team. If you are enthusiastic about our stamps, love to stamp, are a good team player, and know a thing or two about blogging, you are the right match for us! We are interested in designers with a variety of styles who can creatively showcase myStamp BOX designs in their layouts, cards, altered art and other projects. No previous design team experience is necessary. International applicants are welcome to apply.

Our Term is 6 months from October 1st, 2011 to March 31th, 2012.

Team requirements:
* 4 projects per month
* 1 blog entry per month including good quality photos of a project and instructions/tutorial
* Upload all projects to the myStamp BOX website gallery and other online galleries
* Submit at least 2 projects per term for submission to print magazines of your choice
* Occasionally help with additional design opportunities – new stamp sets, classes, etc.
* make myStamp BOX the only stamping company you design for during this term

Team benefits:
*bio and picture on the website, with links to your blog
*a starter kit of stamp sets and additional stamp sets throughout your term
*other free scrapbooking supplies from product partners as they become available
*30% discount on purchased myStampBox stamps during your term

Please include in your application:
*personal information (your name, address)
*a short paragraph about yourself and why you think you’d be a good fit for myStamp BOX.
*link to your blog and gallery
*3-5 examples of your work showcasing your stamping ability and style

This call ends Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Send your application to bettina@mystampbox.com
myStampBOX website: http://mystampbox.com/

We can’t wait to hear from you!

until tomorrow (from the farm),

j.

sorry I am having difficulty with the spacing in this post. I'll try to fix it for tomorrow.