We have about a inch of snow on the ground.  And its rained the last two hours.  The temperature is *about* 35.  The roads have been glare ice all day.

You know the roads are bad when you watch the water guy and the ups guy fishtale out of your flat PAVED driveway.  My whole driveway isn't paved, but the entrance/exit is.  And they both swirled all over the place. 

I called my friends in Joyce (remember its 45 minutes away)  the roads are slightly better there, but they said its getting cold fast, and theirs a lot of slush still on the roads.  NOT a good combo.

As well as the mystery as to the fact that its rained fairly hard for the last two hours and the snow feels like ice rather then slush.

Weird and NASTY!

So we are not going.  It was going to me my kids first day back since before Christmas so they are a LOT bumbed.    But alas this is safer.  I kept watching the weather and waiting, but watching the water guy just fishtale made me change my mind.  When professional drivers are making faces at the roads its time to call it quits!

I've been told if I want I can get a new photo editing program.  So I downloaded the most recent version of Corel Draw PSP 12 which I have psp 8 of.  I wasn't that much impressed with the changes.  It works a wee bit faster, but they didn't improve it *that* much in my opinion.  Although I am gonna play with it a bit more and see if I missed something.   So yesterday I looked around for its competitor and uploaded Adobe Photo Shop Elements.  I had a bit of fun with it.  I need to play with it more before I decide wether its worth the money or not....

By the time I got it loaded and working I was too tired to play much.  But I did like the above picture when it was edited.    

I couldn't figure out how to two-tone fonts which I tend to use quite a lot.  I'm sure its there, but it was 9:45 at night and I chose to go play Nintendo rather then stretch my brain.  ROFL 

I have a free-trial of both of them for 30 days, so prepared to see a few more experiments.    I wish I lived a bit closer to our Junior College.  I think I would be tempted to take a college course in one of them.  Everything I've learned is self-taught.  I see something I like and ask questions.  I surf for tutorials.  And a LOT of trial-and error.

I was WAY happier with the way Adobe's font gets on the paper.  My psp8 is soooooo slow.  But then I forgot to play with that on psp 12, so I need to try that later.

So spoiled decisions for me to make. 

I figured everyone needed a Monday evening smile.

Or a Tuesday morning giggle.

So I had to share this.

Kaylin, Jeremiah, and Rainee "helped" me make bread yesterday afternoon.  Kaylin is actually getting quite effecient in the kitchen.  And yesterday I let her help with the kneeding even.  Rainee did fetch and carry, and early stirring.  Kneeding was a bit too tricky still for her. 

Jeremiah was given the job of getting me cups of flour.....

It was a very very fun job. 

Yup we got snow.  A little over inch.  Enough to sled on which made the kids ecstatic.  We had to relocate our sleds as we never got to do it last year. And well their kind of dilapatated.  *snicker*

And the first sled down the hill one broke in half.

My kids weren't daunted... It just meant they had 3 sleds now!

Our sledding hill.  Otherwise known as our driveway.  *Snicker*

The starting gate.  Samuel was inside doing his dishes.  Well that's what he was supposed to be doing.  Eventually they got done.   LOL 

Zeria and Kaylin sharing a sled.  They went faster this way.

Jamari on his 3/4's of a sled.  He was really flying despite the obvious flaw in the sled. 

And Jeremiah who was flying so fast down the hill I absolutely couldn't get a picture of him.  Which is why I included this one.  It showed the speed and cracked me up somehow.

But I really wanted you to see what he was sledding in.  His baby sled.  I.e. the broken quarter.  He was the fastest sled out there.  Even if the sucker didn't look like it should sled.

And the view down at the river.  Rainee and I quaded over here and snagged this.  It was fun to quad in the snow.    Its still cold outside, I haven't read/heard a forecast, so not sure if we'll get more or not.  A wee bit melted off enough for sledding not to be completely viable by late afternoon, my kids would be thrilled with a bit more.  And I have no place to go tomorrow....but as you know God's in charge.

I was teasing a friend whom I've known for a long time about organizing.  And started a message to her that due to the xanga gods winked out of existence.  And then I thought instead maybe I could just share it here.  I have some lessons I've learned about organizing that when I put them truely in practice have caused me to never need to organize something again.  Yeah I said never.

You will still need to file.  And sometimes sort.  But the blackhole in that area will be gone.

So the first step.

Pick a space.  Not a room.   No too ambitious and overwhelming.  A space.  Your video box.  Your coffee table.  Your bookshelf.  Whichever space is the one driving you most batty.  Pray about which space it should be.  God cares about the little things.

Stop look at that space.   Evaluate what "needs" to be in that space.  Evaluate what ends up in that space.  Evaluate why.  Don't do this all at once.  Do this while your driving down the road, doing dishes, or trying to get to sleep at night.  This process can take three months.  It can take six months.   LOL  It depends on how much its bugging you.    But keep eyeing the space and asking yourself questions. 

And then ask yourself.  "What does this space need so it stays decluttered."  And no answers like selling husband and children cheap on ebay.    This will not help.  Although it is highly tempting from day to day. 

Does it need a jar to hold pens.   Does it need a extra shelf.  Does it need a basket to put certain papers.  Does it need a drawer to hide certain things.

One of the first things I tackled this way was my desk.   When I got done I realized what I really needed was a different desk.  Mine was too big, and had no shelves and only two drawers.  Yeah I said too big.  It had all this lovely flat space to pile stuff, but no shelves to put it where it belonged.  TOO big.

But money was VERY VERY tight when I began the quest for a desk.  We were putting out $400 a month to keep Rainee breathing.  That wasn't a bill from her birth, that was every month oxygen/monitor/equipment bill.  It was TIGHT.

So I began telling God what I wanted.  And began watching Goodwill.  I'm not proud.  LOL  And one day I walked into the store and there for a price I could afford was a beautiful desk.  It had everything I wanted and dreamed about.  It even had a couple things I'd joked about having Rob build because I would "never" find a desk so perfect.  One of these things was a lazy susan.  It has three shelves on one side, a wee bulletin board for pinning up phone numbers you need, and pictures you get in the mail.  And on the third side two file drawers that I could use to file my kids school stuff.  This is ongoing school stuff, not permanently filed stuff.    On the other side it had vertical shelving.  Two seperate verticle, and below that 2 horizontal shelves.  And it was about half the size of the other desk.  LOL

But it was well thought out. 

Now because I'd spent months thinking about where I wanted things to go organizing it was a breeze.  I brought the kitchen garbage can to the desk, called my kids to deliver things that weren't where they belonged.  Ya know the inevitable dishes from eating ice cream while reading xanga....wait is that only me?  *snicker* 

It took about an hour to move my old desk from my new desk.  And I was actually amazed when I was done how many empty spaces I had.  In the long run I ended up storing my kids board games in the right hand lower shelves.  I didnt need it for "me" and that way I can supervise them so they don't get trashed.

Does the organization work perfect?  Well their is *never* a paper pile on my desk.  I have a place for mail.  I have a place for kids artwork they give me.  I have a place for stationary.  I have a place for cds.  I have a place for computer paper.  I have a place forschoolwork.  I have a place for the odds and ends like tacks, pens, pencils,and varying computer cords for cameras etc. 

This being said.  Everyday when I get up there *is* a little pile of stuff on my desk.  Dishes, medicines I distributed, maybe a shirt I took off because I wear layers and got too hot.  It typically takes about 30 seconds to get this stuff back to its rightful home.  Usually by making whichever kid is heading in the right direction to fill their empty hands.  I believe in saving steps.  LOL

And my desk?  It works.  Once and awhile a certain shelf will get full.  My kids artwork shelf will not fit anything.  So I pull the stuff out of it.  Carefully make sure my kids aren't looking and throw a good half of it away.  *snicker*  I rarely keep their pictures, only somethings that's particularly good, or was a major turning step for them in development.  Like the sun that Jeremiah drew me thats actually circular.  ITs gonna survive.  Because I was quite impressed a 2 year old could make a circular sun.  LOL  

And even if its two or three days before the clothes and dishes get moved.  It still takes about five minutes.  Its so much easier then a monumental all day organization-a-thon that doesn't look you did anything in two days because half way you got exhausted and just started stuffing.  I know I've btdt.

These principals work for kitchens, coffee tables, tv stands.  Wherever stuff piles.   And yeah every once and awhile I walk past a place I've organized and realize it needs a bit of garbaging.

I recently did my bookshelves over.  It took me about an hour to get rid of excess books.  YOu know the ones you buy read half way through and say this is garbage----and then forget to throw away.  Or is that just me?   And the ones you read...finish, but KNOW you will never ever ever read it again.  Goodwill they go.  Or dumpster depending on how poor they were.  ROFL 

So in review.  Pick a small space.  Stop.  Think.  Evaluate.  Pray.  Give yourself time.  Maybe make a purchase.  Maybe not. My desk is the most expensive purchase I've made in the pursuit of organization.  Quite often the organization involves a empty quart jar to drop money or pens in.  Or several baskets from Goodwill to keep something in its place.  Most of the time it just involves rethinking the space and moving something from one place to another, or taking the lid off of something.  If you have a box with a lid.  And you always put stuff on top of it, but never take the time to put it in it.  Take the lid OFF!  Simple solution.  LOL    If your praying about it God will show you what is needed in the space so its not such a horror.  And slowly over the course of time you will find yourself with less and less black holes.  And you will be utterly shocked! 

Well the top of my world anyhow.  When we were first surfing Clallam Bay we found this beautiful view picture taken of "top of the world."   After asking around for months Rob finally got a description as to where it was.

Bad news...up a rough logging road.  He jogged to it, and decided it was too rough to take the van on.   So we schemed after we got the quad that we could drive the quad up it, and play leap frog to get the kids up it by taking them one at a time.  This scheme would have worked but his "one mile" hike was really about 4 straight up. 

My dad was with us, and he said oh I can get this van up it really easily.  And he did. 

It was an awesome view.    And once again a spot my dad had never been to.  (score)  Isn't that a fabulous picture of my dad.    Its about a 300 foot drop behind him.  LOL 

To the left of the view we got to see....

The prison.  *snicker*  Yup there's my hubbys place of employment. 

And one last picy of my dad with two of the girls.  He was making us very nervous when he was posing for these cause it was a lllllllong way down!

Anyhow was a nice treat, and the road was fine.  It was STEEEEEP, but fine otherwise. 

Plague is still here.

Jamari has a fever of 102.5  as does Zeria.  Zeria threw up last night.  She's been sick for a week now--I think she switched bugs and got what the kids got.

And Jeremiah is healthy.

And emptying the dishwasher on his own.  I just gotta say adios to my dishes cause I suspect I'll never find some of them again, but hey he's having fun.  And it will be empty when he's done.

The baton team had a big spread done on them in our local newspaper.  FULL page.  Zeria and Samuel's squad has several pictures of them.  It turned out really well.  Except of course they spelled my last name wrong.  LOL  Can't have everything.   When I get up the energy I'm gonna go snag my picture and take a picture of the article and put it up.

In a household of eight people.

At 11:30 in the morning.

There are exactly three of us awake.

THREE.

We never sleep in.

But we are definitely sick, and tired.  And tired of being sick and tired.

Rainee is finally on the mend.  And has spent her morning crafting.

Samuel has not succombed yet, and in his room destroying something.  Yeah destroying.  I just heard him yell search and destroy ya see.

I'm glad my kids know how to entertain themselves.

Jamari yelled in his sleep at one point that Samuel hit him...of course Samuels in another room.  Me thinks the fever might be getting to him just a teensy bit.  LOL  Jamari and Zeria are sacked out on the couch.  Kaylin's sacked out in her bed.  Rob is napping as he has night shift tonight.  And Jeremiah is napping.  I kinda thought he was on the mend.  But after two hours of napping in the morning I'm suspecting not.

I could almost enjoy this quiet.

If I wasn't so worried about all of them.

Oh and barely keeping my eyes open due to the fact that I was awaked 7x last night by sick kids.  At least 7.  Ya kinda start loosing count after awhile....

Kaylin spent the night in bed with us with a fever.

Jamari is throwing up and has a fever of 103.

I guess its Samuel's turn next.

Its so beautiful tonight.  Moon is shining.   And FRIGGIN cold.  Though not the minus temperatures my sister got today.  LOL  But cold enough.  I actually went outside and got an arm load of wood.  Usually if the woodbox is empty, and the kids are in bed, I don't care and will just go to electric.  Tonight I care. 

Kids won both of their games.  Samuel was a star, as well as choosing to pass the ball to someone else when he could have made a basket.  He made many baskets.   Zeria made several baskets.  Kaylin played her best.  She even screwed up her courage and tried to shoot the ball at the hoop twice.    They don't lower the hoops, so they are very high, and she didn't make it, but she tried.    And Jamari...he forgot it was basketball and not baton.   At one point during the game he was skipping down the court.  Yes skipping.  With what Rob and I refer to as his fem hands.  He does this thing that is just girly.  Is that terrible to describe?  Or biased or something.  Probably.   But its the only way to explain it.  Anyhow yeah skipping away from the ball.  Ball was in other direction.  He was just having fun.  I guess its a good thing he's really good at baton...cause I'm thinking basketball won't be his thing. 

I don't have any basketball pictures.  I took a couple, but have no clue how well they turned out, and my camera is out freezing in the van tonight.  LOL

A side note that was fascinating.  Our friends caseworker was there tonight.  She is a fantastic lady who was my parents caseworker for their kids, and ours as well.  She's been a family friend since I was 17 or so. 

Anyhow we recommended her to our friends at church, and they are working through her in process of adopting their son C.   She was beaming from ear to ear when I talked to her.  Cause 6 of the kids on Samuels team had been placed by her.  Yes SIX.  All of which had directly been influenced by my parents or us adopting, and had recommended her.  

Ya know as terrible as what my dad did last summer...his example gave 6 children homes good homes.  I guess I remind myself of my "fight" with Rob about King David.  Rob hated David when we were first married because of the terrible thing he did to Bathsheba.  And I pointed out on many occasions, that yes it was a terrible thing.  But in the end God called David a man after God's own heart.  Because in the end he repented with his whole heart.   I don't know its things that make you think.

People saw my parents raising 6 beautiful kids and made a choice to raise there own.  The kids coach has two beautiful girls he adopted when his last child was 18.   They are so amazing, sweet, and wonderful.  And needed a safe place to be loved.  And C, and my three.   As my decision to adopt was directly because of my parents.  Its just things that make you think.

Adoption is hard work.  There are terrible things you have to deal with.   Issues that are just...shattering.  But in the end the work is worth it.  We are giving these kids a chance.   And a stronger likelihood of growing up to be adults acceptable to society.