Cougar Attack

I hardly ever remember my dreams.

Perhaps I don’t dream.

Some people have vivid or reoccuring dreams or nightmares. I’m not one of them. Generally. 

But last night I woke up at 3:30am after a dream/ nightmare. I was standing with someone, protecting them (probably one of my kids), and shielding them from an animal. We were backing away when I heard a snarl and then saw a cougar attack and bite my arm. Then I woke up.

I went to bed last night with a tired aching arm from all the cleaning I’ve been doing. That same arm was throbbing when I woke from my nightmare. My muscles in my arms, shoulders and back are tired and I have some tendinitis in my wrist. My elbow also is achy. 

I will admit that I was a tiny bit scared from the nightmare, but the longer I lay quietly in bed trying to slow my heart, the better I was. I contemplated getting up for Tylenol, but our bedroom was freezing so I didn’t want to crawl out from under my warm covers. Instead I just lay still, breathing deeply and working to relax tired muscles. Before too long I fell back asleep. I struggled to get out of bed when the alarm went off.

Thursday morning at work was so slow. We had one family show up. I’m so sad that the programs at the Parent Link are underutilized. They are so awesome.

My weary body was grateful for only two children. I got to do a lot of relaxing.

After lunch Rebekka, Aleya and I headed back to the Parent Link for our afternoon class. Playing with Aunt Heather, Alden and Liesel is so wonderful. Today in outside play, we were using muffin tins. Aleya and Rebekka made little snow cakes. I saw how the snow was holding it’s shape so I started a snowball. We the help of children, we made a big snow ball and then everyone took turns trying to stand on it without wrecking it.

Rebekka!!

Aleya!

Mom and Rebekka, Aunt Heather, Alden and Liesel. 

A couple of weeks ago mom phoned from Calgary. A friend from her ward was moving to Raymond. She wanted me to take her a meal when she arrived. Before supper, Mom Hardy (the ward Relief Society President) and I went over to meet her. I was grateful to be able to serve. 

I had a mini breakdown last night by myself. I lamented out loud to the walls that it was too hard and I couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t want to be taking care of this house. In my tears, I took courage from a prompting to message the YW president and see if the young women could come Tuesday to help. I hated asking. I’m hoping the work our family does on Monday will be able to get most of it clean.

This morning, the mom attending the class volunteered to help me cleaning tonight. She spent 2 hours with me at the house. I am grateful for the help. That is 2 hours less I need to spend there.

I have so many ripe tomatoes, onions, beets, and apples to do. They aren’t going to do themselves. I would rather be baking cinnamon buns, cookies or pies. Sigh.

I’m so grateful to Jeff who worked all day juicing apples. Tysyn has been coughing and with the cases of Whooping cough in the south area, I didn’t send him to school. So he stayed home and worked on the apples with Jeff. They accomplished a lot! We have been loving the abundance of apple juice!

Wednesday art class

One of the first things I do after getting up in the morning is the dishwasher. I empty the load from the day before then fill it up and start another.

After the kids went to school, I started cooking. And before I knew it, it was time to go see Grandma. 

My time with grandma is always so special. I don’t know if she realizes who I am and that I’m there but I know. I’m grateful I live close to this special lady.

Rebekka and I went to a library program through the Chinook Arch Library System this afternoon. We ended up being the only ones there. So basically we got our own private 1 hour art class. We painted with 6 different techniques. I loved the idea of using pizza boxes as an easel. I think my favourite activity was blowing wet paint drips and making monsters with them after they dried.

This program was Fantastic!!

Rebekka and I had such a good time together being immersed in paint and art.

We are so looking forward to the next intergenerational program. Hopefully more people will come to these awesome programs.

Charlene Fletcher was the facilitator. It was fun to have a family catchup.

Rebekka is dot painting.  

I have a completely tired right arm from cleaning at the rental tonight. Tomorrow I’m going to wax on/ wax off and use my left arm.

Thank you to Cassandra who saw a need and took care of the dishes tonight. It was noticed and appreciated!

Weary in well doing

Each day has been filled with things that need doing and I’m getting tired.

Today was another busy one. When my alarm goes off, I struggle out of bed and head to each of the children’s rooms to wake them. Rebekka Tysyn Savanna first. Then Maren and Cassandra and downstairs to wake Evan and Aaren.

Today Rebekka didn’t go to school. Late last night she couldn’t get to sleep because of a right ear ache. It was still bothering her today so we kept her home from school. She got up when the kids were getting ready. But she laid on the couch the whole time. Then she threw up. I sent her to my bed while I took kids to school. Jeff took care of her bucket. She was asleep when I got back. She slept almost ALL morning.

I started dough for bread so it could rise while I showered and started a load of dishes in the dishwasher so it could also be running while I showered.

This morning before lunch I ran 3 loads of dishes before noon. Sheesh. I don’t love dishwashing. I’m grateful for the invention of a dishwasher and grateful we have one.

The bread was finished baking just before noon and an hour before the lunch, I made another batch of bread dough for FRIED BREAD! Yup, we had it for lunch. Yum! As I sat down to eat, it tasted like having glazed donuts for lunch.

The bread kinda filled the whole oven!

After lunch, Jeff and I sorted ripe, rotten and green tomatoes so we could begin canning them. Once we had several boxes full, I began the process of slipping their skins while Jeff continued to sort the remainder. We have a lot of tomatoes and lots that are ripe!

In the time available, I was able to get two huge containers full of whole tomatoes. After supper I filled 15 quarts and oven canned them. This was a new process which I can’t say I will do again. I’m going to stick to boiling water bathing tomatoes. Many of the jars oozed out and so we had stinky burning tomatoe juice puddles in the bottom of the oven. I loved the ease of oven canning but this was not successful. Too much mess. All jars sealed which pleases me.

The youth had a ward temple trip tonight. I’m so grateful Maren’s volleyball practice was cancelled and she could go to Cardston. It’s been awhile since the kids have done baptisms. Cassandra had her recommend renewed today. 

Just before the grocery store closed, Jeff had me pick up supplies for his 11 year old scout activity. Smores fixings and hot chocolate. Evan and Jeff came home from their activity stinking of campfire smoke. It smelled great but was pretty overpowering.

Shortly after 9pm, I headed over to our rental to clean. But first had a rental showing. I wasn’t excited to show it in its raw, dirty state. Despite its condition, the family expressed interest in renting. We aren’t sure yet who we will rent it to. So much to do to get it ready.

After they left, I vacuumed for a bit. Then Aaren came over. He wanted to see the old house. MEMORIES.

After he left I continued to work until 11:30pm.

It’s now right around midnight. Time for bed!!

Regular Routine

Back to the regular routine today. I drove the kids to school because there are still tons of sidewalks not cleared and the roads aren’t really safe for the kids to be riding on. Many places are only 2 skinny lanes of traffic and when you add bikes, it’s not very safe. So I drove and then picked up and then drove some more.

Evans eyes were bothering him today. He threw up a couple times this morning. Then the Advil he took finally kicked in and he started to feel better.

He spent a good part of the morning working with me doing apples. Jeff was a big help too.

Evan filled a load of apples on the dryer and then he helped sauce 4 loads of juiced apples. We ended up with 4 big margarine containers full of applesauce (12 kg) and 14 quarts of juice. There are still more apples to do.

I picked up Rebekka from school and then the older kids at their lunch hours. Rebekka also helped with the applesauce.

Apple juice cooling. I love hearing those lids ping. 

The youth picked up the target hunger bags they delivered last week within our ward boundaries. This is the one donation I have a hard time with. Giving away the food that we ourselves are going to eat. I tried hard to be generous knowing that we have far more than the people that the food will be going to. I’m trying to express gratitude for what I have.

Just before 7pm, Savanna, Tysyn, Rebekka and I went to Lethbridge for groceries. The kids had fun in the back of the van. I could hear them laughing, giggling and being silly the whole way into the city. When we stopped I reminded them that I expected appropriate behaviour inside. They complied.

Once we were done, we headed to Costco and the kids were so excited for samples. Except there are no samples in store at 8:15pm. Major disappointment.

The kids begged for ice cream frostys from Wendy’s. I hardly ever give in. But today I bought three small frostys. I’m grateful I can do simple math in my head because the initial total was way too high. I questioned it at the window, then had to wait for the total to be corrected on the cash register. The littles were delighted with their freezy cold treat. 

We loaded the van and head home on Highway 4. We got a short way out of the city when Aaren called. He was hoping I was still in Lethbridge. I told him I was on the way home. He asked if I could go back and pick up some gloves he wanted to buy on Kijiji. Way over in West Lethbridge. 

I said yes, despite knowing it was going to make it a super late bedtime for the three youngest kiddos, but it would save him a trip in tomorrow. (I also like knowing I can be the hero.) I travelled a little further East to the Broxburn Road turnoff and turned around, heading West. Back to the city we went. I had to go to the ATB bank machine for cash. Then the kids said they needed the bathroom. So we stopped at 7-11 which did not have public restrooms. Ugh. Heading towards our destination, we drove until I found a gas station. It also had a sign saying no public restrooms but the young man was kind enough to open them up anyway.

The gloves were over in West Lethbridge. In the dark under a streetlight we saw a herd of deer right across from the house I stopped at. I purchased the gloves and thought I was going to get stuck. But I made it through the deep crusty snow. Then it was time to heard home. I enjoyed a quiet ride while the littles were sleeping in the back. At home it was straight to bed.

We saw deer at three different locations tonight. Raymond. East Lethbridge. West Lethbridge. Hunting season is definitely approaching. This is the time we see deer everywhere.

It was quiet at home too when I was putting the groceries away. I am grateful for food to eat.

Early Season Snow Day

No school. IT’S A SNOW DAY!

YUP. That early winter blizzard brought so much heavy, wet snow that it was just safer to stay indoors and stay put. So nearly everything was cancelled.

Stores and businesses here in town, Schools including the college and University in Lethbridge. The bank in town opened hours later than usual and even highways in Southern Alberta were closed. It was a doozy. 

Jeff was up early this morning to do snow removal with the tractor. His first job was Aunt Karen so she could get to work. She ended up getting a ride and he worked around her car.

While Jeff was at Karen's, a young girl across the street was shovelling her sidewalk. She summoned him over and asked if he could her shovel her sidewalk. He obliged and she got out of the way. When Jeff finished she handed him some money. She told him it was all the money from her piggy bank. Later, when Jeff was telling me the story, he handed over $1.55. She said it was all the money in her piggy bank. So sweet!

Throughout the morning I had a lot of people calling to ask for his services. He came home about 10:30am not feeling well so he laid down. Aaren ended up doing some of the rest of the jobs for Jeff so people could get unstuck.

The kids had fun sledding in the dirt hills and playing outside in the snow. By the afternoon, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day to be outside. The snow was even melting.

Look at the big snow overhang on the back side of the house. The left side is especially huge. That will be nasty to be under once it melts.

The overhang right over the deck is providing some good icicles though. The kids have been enjoying them.

Aunt Heather still had piano lessons so Cassandra still had babysitting.

Because our driveway was hard to get out of and the neighbourhood was a mess for travel, I didn’t deliver meals until near suppertime.

In the late afternoon Jeff braved travelling to Lethbridge with his truck and trailer to get some supplies for Hardy Feeds and the shop they are trying to set up on Dallin’s property. The highways are getting better but the side streets are still a mess. 

Devin called tonight about 10 o’clock. It was so fun to be able to talk with him and see him through FaceTime. The little kids will be sad that they missed him. Brandon wasn’t with Devin so we only visited with one of the boys. 

Devin and Brandon are doing good up in Vanderhoof BC. It’s been good for them to be away from home and family. That always stretches and makes one appreciate what they have. Back at home, Maren is doing her best to keep Devin’s fish alive. He has 1 Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta) named Santiago and 5 tetras. I think they may have names too..

We’ve enjoyed this snow day. It’s been nice to just stay in.