Congradulations

This month I've been tackling the backyard I've neglected for five years and have spent more time outside than inside, so am woefully behind on blogging. I wanted to share about a big deal event in our family last month.

We had THREE daughters graduate from Technical school.

It was fun to have them graduate at the same time. Christina is seven years older than Erica so a few things happened to make this possible. Christina already has a four year degree from Iowa State. She worked for a couple years and then went back to school for a nursing degree. 

Kiah started and stopped going to school a few times. We were glad Kiah and Christina could do the nursing program together, although there were times, we feared they would kill each other. 

Erica took three years to finish a two year program, so all those things added up to a three-for-one graduation weekend.   

Erica (left) with a Occupational Therapy Assistant degree

Christina (middle) and Kiah (right) with nursing degrees

Our house was grand central station for five days. Andrew and Rachel drove up from Northeast Iowa, Christina's best friend Ruth drove up from Ames, Iowa, and Aunt Karen and Uncle Bob and Kiah's best friend Cassaundra drove up from Northwest Iowa. (got all that - there may be a quiz.)

First we had a party for Erica - but wasn't smart

 enough to take a group picture before she went to bed. 

Kiah, Anna, Andrew, Nathan, Amy, and Lani

 The next night, Christina and Kiah's nursing class had a joint graduation party/candle lighting/pinning ceremony at our church

Christina and Kiah with the ten girls in their nursing graduating class. The traditional lighting the candle ceremony is a tradition with roots in Florence Nightingale's nursing efforts during the Crimean War.

Christina and Kiah with their Aunt Karen and new uncle Bob

Andrew and Rachel with Karen and Bob

Kiah with Cassaundra, her best friend since fifth grade

Fun to celebrate with friends and family

Raising six daughters can do this to a person.

Yummy!

Me gusta

Proud parents

Great way to handle a photobomber

Oh, Amy!

The girls and two friends from church

Parties are done and now they have to take their 
licensing tests and find jobs. One step at a time. 

We're very proud of them. Good job girls!

Delayed Reaction

A friend asked the other day what emotions I have about Erica graduating.

At the time I was one quarter ways down the first page of a two page to-do list.

I said, none at the moment. My emotions are usually delayed because I focus on what needs done at the time so don't have time to deal with them. Usually two weeks later it all hits me.

But the question stayed with me. After chewing on it a bit, I feel:

1. Relief I'm no longer responsible for her education. She was not a good student. She's a smart kid but didn't like school.

2. Thankful for her good qualities - she's sensitive, friendly, open, witty, affectionate, has a fun sense of humor, is good with kids, words, and photography.

3. Not Thankful for her bad qualities.

4. Sentimental - I look back over her life and remember her as a sweet little girl. It's fun to see her grow up and watch her personality develop. Lots of good memories.

5. Regret - Wishing I had done or not done certain things. Wishing I had loved her better and been a better Mom. Hoping I haven't put any stumbling blocks in her path. Wanting to do the right thing, but not sure I did.

6. Proud - On her good days, she's a great kid. I mean, who else would take a graduation picture on top of her family's 1993 eight seater Ford passenger van?

7. Frustrated that the end product is out of my control. No matter how good a job I did or didn't do, she has a part in the outcome. Even if I always said or did the right thing, she has a choice. I can lead her to spiritual and educational water but I can't make her drink.

When I do a scrapbook page, or write something, or work on a slide show or paint a room and if I take my time and do it right, it should turn out. But kids aren't like that. It's not a given that with the right ingredients the recipe always works.

8. Worry/Fear - As Cat Stevens used to sing, "It's a wild world." There's a lot of bad things in the world and I wish I could keep her from all of it. I don't want her to fall into any holes. I don't want her to fall away.

9. Hope - I hope she'll be okay and that she's prepared for the future. That she'll choose a life of faith, want good things, and be a stable, steady, responsible law-abiding adult. That she'll walk in the truth and value the things of God. That she'll stay connected to family. That she'll stay pure and marry a Christian man, have good friends, be a good mother, bless others, and have a good life.

10. Trust - I know God loves her more than I do. He understands her and has a plan for her life. He knows the beginning from the end. He knows her name and has promised to give her a hope and a future. He is her shelter, hope, deliverer, helper, counselor, teacher, comforter, light, and guide. I can trust God with my daughter's life.

So while it's nice seeing my children grow up, it's happy/sad/scary/thrilling/enjoyable/not much fun all at the time.

Someone else asked how I feel about my son getting married, but that's a post for another day.

~Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.~ --I Samuel 12:24--

Today was Erica's graduation party. Mixed emotions, fatigue, and way too many meatballs.

Leaving tomorrow to drive our messy car seven hours south with four girls and one dog to Homeschool Horse Camp. Yes, you read that right - a dog. Andrew wants our Golden Retriever, Jessie, to be in the wedding. Thankfully, she's a good traveler.

Kiah arrives at camp Thursday, Keith and Christina arrive Friday. One week from today my son will have tied the knot and Rachel will have shortened her last name by 10 letters.

Thankful for a six weeks supply of leftover frozen meatballs and hoping for a good night's sleep,
Hasta luego. (Until later)

Ask Erica

Erica graduates this weekend so I thought it would be fun to put her on the spot and pick her brain a bit. For the most part she good-naturedly complied.

favorite season and why?

summer, because everything fun and exciting happens in the summer, well that ain't true but its about 3/4ths of the way true and that's good enough for me. plus the grass is greener.

favorite sound?

my favorite sound in the world is the sound of a 147 fifth and sixth grade campers singing hymns in a small-ish chapel...gave me goosebumps. i also like the sound of a huge audience clapping or rain on a tin roof..they actually sound a lot alike.

most hated household chore?

unloading the dishwasher, the chore is never ending and time consuming

you wouldn't be caught dead where?

a miley cyrus fan club, and swimming in the deep waters of a big lake (the fish will EAT YOU)

if your house was on fire and you could only grab three things what would they be?

my itouch, my camera and my dresser (full of clothes of course!)

what do you like about living where you do?

beautiful lake superior, friendly people, nice weather (well, mostly), an awesome bike trail.

who is the person you respect the most and why?

well I'm going to cop out because I can't pick just one person. I respect my parents for raising me unconventionally and I realize I've been a bit difficult to raise :)

I respect my brother a lot. he's an odd child, but he set a great example of gentleman-like behavior and has given me great advice.

And I admire C.S. Lewis's writing, I might not understand it all, but i've learned a lot through his books

would you bungee jump?

most definitely, someone might have to push me off but I would love to try!

what would be your dream job?

i would love to be a therapist with my own clinic, and do some writing and photography on the side

name one thing you miss about being a kid?

I miss the lack of understanding consequences. When you're a kid you don't really care about what will happen or why things happen, which gives you freedom to do things without the baggage that can come - guilt, doubt, regret blah blah blah. nowadays, it seems like all i ever do is worry about something, small or not

red or pink?

pink :)

if you could go on a road trip with only one person (dead or alive) who would you choose and where would you go?

Jeez, what an elaborate question. would you like to know what interstate we take and what fast food place we would stop at? All jokes aside, I would like to take someone I already know and love and have not seen for a long time. Namely Augusta Wiese and we would road trip to somewhere warm, probably Florida.

Panic Attack

This child...

will celebrate her 18th birthday with 20 of her closest friends with a party at our house on April 23rd. Then have a graduation party three weeks later on May 15th.

This child...

...is still playing volleyball. Just when we thought volleyball season was done, one of the other Moms organized a traveling volleyball team. So a good number of Saturdays in the next six weeks will be spent at volleyball tournaments in towns two or three hours away. Sigh!

This child...

flies home from Spain on May 20 and needs to be picked up in Minneapolis which is four hours away. She graduates from college this Spring.

The child on the right...

came home for a visit two weeks ago. We registered her for college in the fall. She flew out of Minneapolis March 22 to visit her big sister in Spain and will be there for seven weeks. She arrives back in Minneapolis on May 10.

These four...

leave for a week of Horse Camp where Andrew works on May 16th. They'll be there until...

These two...

get married on May 22.

Plus I need to chair a committee to plan a Ladies' spring event at church, and plan a trip to Oregon to see my parents after the wedding.

Please pray for our family. We have a lot on our plate the next few months, and you may find this hard to believe, but I have a history of being crabby when stressed.

So here's to low stress graduations and weddings. One could always hope.

My Little Girl is Growing Up

So if you were hiking in a state park in Northern Wisconsin today and wondered why anyone would hike in a pretty white dress, we were taking senior pictures.

If you wonder why the photographer and subject were arguing, it's because they're sisters.

These are our favorites so far. Please tell us what you think.