I didn't forget to post yesterday, I simply forgot yesterday was Thursday!
We've made a tough decision this week. I've been dreaming of my big house on the hill for so long, but it looks like that just isn't going to happen-not anytime soon anyway. :o( So, we've decided to go for a manufactured home next to the garage that is already on the property. It would save us not only on the house itself, but there's already a well, electricity, gas, and of course, the garage. We're also not going to put a basement on this one, so that will save us some money as well. We're trying to do this based off Mike's retirement pay alone so no matter what the economy and his job situation is, we should be OK on the bills. I think we've all got mixed feelings about the idea. We were all looking forward to the house on the hill, but the idea of being in our own place soon is REALLY exciting. We'd also be able to fix up the apartment that's on the back of the garage which would be a great place to teach cake decorating and craft classes and if company comes, they can have their own little apartment to stay in. Mike and I will go and talk with the banker on Thursday and we'll see where we go from there.
Nick is doing pretty good in his classes right now. He's started thinking about getting a job back in Iwakuni and moving there, but I don't think it's likely that he'll be able to find one that will support him-not without a college degree and some experience under his belt. We've also discussed the military. It's not an option he likes, but there just doesn't seem to be anything else available.
Angel worked with Grandma a couple of days this week, but she needed to catch up on some of her school work, so I took her place for a couple of the days. It was fun, but I'm so not used to getting up early and now, I'm exhausted!
Mike seemed to enjoy his first full week at work. He's only working 3 days, but they keep him pretty busy the whole time. He says for such a small company (4 employees) they sure get a lot of business. He said today as soon as he finished up the 3 computers he was working on, someone else showed up with 2 more. He's enjoying it and learning some new tricks as well.
Well, this lady is about to fall asleep at the keyboard, so I better close this for now and get to bed. Till next week,
God's love and blessings!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
What a Week!
It's been a roller-coaster, up-and-down kind of week for us. We still haven't heard from one of the schools Mike interviewed for last week, but the Academy College seemed very interested in Mike teaching an Air Traffic Control class for them next semester. However, we still haven't heard back from them as to whether or not he has the job and the hours, pay, etc. He did get a call last Friday from a local computer fix-it shop here that he had visited and asked about a job. We were so excited to find out that they were wanting to hire him part-time, unfortunately, we found out yesterday that the hours are even more "part time" than we were expecting, and the pay's not very good. Oh well, it's a start. Mike's substitute teacher license is on its way so he can also substitute at the schools around here.
Today we decided to go look at some houses that are up for sale. We already have 17 acres, but with this market, it seems that it might be cheaper to buy a house than build one. It's becoming a very difficult decision. I've had my heart so set on our house for so long, that giving up the dream of it is difficult. It's so hard to know whether the desire for this house has been from the Lord, and He's trying to teach us (mainly me) patience to wait for His timing, or whether I'm being selfish and He wants us to settle for something less. So far, none of the houses seem to be "just right". Most of the ones we looked at would take a LOT of work and money to fix, or they were located way too far away. We know we can't make any decisions till about April anyway, so we'll just keep looking and see what happens. In the meantime, I'm also looking at smaller houseplans to see if that's a route we should take.
Angel has been quite busy this week. Carole has been asked to fill in all week at meals on wheels, and Angel has been helping her. Next week though, I think I'm going to have to limit her to only 2 or 3 days so she doesn't get behind in her school work.
Nick is enjoying his college classes so far. They seem pretty easy right now, and he and Mike are working on one of the classes together because it's computer stuff that Mike is interested in learning as well. My only prayer right now is that we get his bank statement soon so we can get him a driver's license. Michelle and I take him to school and then we hang out at the library until he's done. We enjoy the library, but I think it's going to get boring pretty soon, and there isn't anything else there for us to do.
Last Sunday, we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland so I grabbed my camera as we headed out to church. On the way home, I had Mike drop me off at the corner, about a mile from our house. Nick joined me, and the two of us walked home and took pictures along the way. The sun was out most of the time, and there was no wind blowing, so it was a nice walk home. It even started to snow quite a bit for part of the walk and the sun was out at the same time. Really neat. Here's a couple of the pictures we took.
And here's a picture I had Nick take of Mike and I before we headed off to church that morning. It's not often that I'm in front of the camera so I better hang on to this one!
Well, Angel and I have a busy day tomorrow catching up on some of her school work, so I better close for now. Till next week...
God's love and blessings!
Today we decided to go look at some houses that are up for sale. We already have 17 acres, but with this market, it seems that it might be cheaper to buy a house than build one. It's becoming a very difficult decision. I've had my heart so set on our house for so long, that giving up the dream of it is difficult. It's so hard to know whether the desire for this house has been from the Lord, and He's trying to teach us (mainly me) patience to wait for His timing, or whether I'm being selfish and He wants us to settle for something less. So far, none of the houses seem to be "just right". Most of the ones we looked at would take a LOT of work and money to fix, or they were located way too far away. We know we can't make any decisions till about April anyway, so we'll just keep looking and see what happens. In the meantime, I'm also looking at smaller houseplans to see if that's a route we should take.
Angel has been quite busy this week. Carole has been asked to fill in all week at meals on wheels, and Angel has been helping her. Next week though, I think I'm going to have to limit her to only 2 or 3 days so she doesn't get behind in her school work.
Nick is enjoying his college classes so far. They seem pretty easy right now, and he and Mike are working on one of the classes together because it's computer stuff that Mike is interested in learning as well. My only prayer right now is that we get his bank statement soon so we can get him a driver's license. Michelle and I take him to school and then we hang out at the library until he's done. We enjoy the library, but I think it's going to get boring pretty soon, and there isn't anything else there for us to do.
Last Sunday, we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland so I grabbed my camera as we headed out to church. On the way home, I had Mike drop me off at the corner, about a mile from our house. Nick joined me, and the two of us walked home and took pictures along the way. The sun was out most of the time, and there was no wind blowing, so it was a nice walk home. It even started to snow quite a bit for part of the walk and the sun was out at the same time. Really neat. Here's a couple of the pictures we took.
And here's a picture I had Nick take of Mike and I before we headed off to church that morning. It's not often that I'm in front of the camera so I better hang on to this one!
Well, Angel and I have a busy day tomorrow catching up on some of her school work, so I better close for now. Till next week...
God's love and blessings!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
It's Been a Busy Week.
I almost didn't get a chance to sit down here today and post this update, but I am determined to keep this resolution as long as I can. :o)
Last Friday, the Rasmussens invited us to lunch at their house so Mike and Nick could help her with her computer. We had a wonderful visit and a wonderful meal. This is the same lady who invited the girls and I to pick apples and can applesauce. I'm looking forward to learning many gardening and canning tips from this wonderful couple. He makes the most awesome pickles! Mike was able to get her computer up and running, and found her emails for her. :o)
Monday Mike had an interview with the school district here for an IT position, but so far, we haven't heard from them as to whether or not they are going to hire him. :o(
Tuesday night, Angel was invited to a sleepover for one of the girls at church who is leaving for college this week. I think the girls had a pretty good time. Besides the usual sleepover fun stuff, they made some goodies for a couple of the men in our church who are having some health issues.
Tuesday was also orientation for Nick so he and Mike drove down and spent most of the day there, while Wednesday was Nick's official first day of school. So, we now have a first year elementary student, a first year High School student, and a first year college student! How did we manage to time it that way? Anyway, Michelle and I drove Nick on Wednesday, and we spent his class time at the library and shopping at Wal-Mart. There's not much else to do there. I'm looking forward to Nick getting his license and being able to drive down there himself. :o)
Mike had an interview at a college in Minneapolis today that happened to be a mile from the Mall of America, so the kids, Grandma, and I tagged along and shopped around while he had his interview (mostly window shopping). It sounds like they are going to hire him part time. We'll know all the details later, but it does look quite promising. It is a distance to drive, but right now, we don't know how many classes he would be teaching or how many days he'd have to drive down there. It's also something he can probably do while he substitute teaches and works on his teacher's certificate. I'll update you next week on this one.
Lastly, I'll leave with a little something from my Bible studies this week. In the book of Matthew, Peter sees Christ walking on the water and asks to go out and meet Him. He gets out of the boat and begins walking toward Christ, but upon seeing the wind and waves, he begins to sink. I love this account because it reminds me that as long as my eyes are focused on the Lord, rather than the trouble around me, He will sustain me.
"But seek first His kindgom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34
Till next week,
God's love and blessings to you!
Last Friday, the Rasmussens invited us to lunch at their house so Mike and Nick could help her with her computer. We had a wonderful visit and a wonderful meal. This is the same lady who invited the girls and I to pick apples and can applesauce. I'm looking forward to learning many gardening and canning tips from this wonderful couple. He makes the most awesome pickles! Mike was able to get her computer up and running, and found her emails for her. :o)
Monday Mike had an interview with the school district here for an IT position, but so far, we haven't heard from them as to whether or not they are going to hire him. :o(
Tuesday night, Angel was invited to a sleepover for one of the girls at church who is leaving for college this week. I think the girls had a pretty good time. Besides the usual sleepover fun stuff, they made some goodies for a couple of the men in our church who are having some health issues.
Tuesday was also orientation for Nick so he and Mike drove down and spent most of the day there, while Wednesday was Nick's official first day of school. So, we now have a first year elementary student, a first year High School student, and a first year college student! How did we manage to time it that way? Anyway, Michelle and I drove Nick on Wednesday, and we spent his class time at the library and shopping at Wal-Mart. There's not much else to do there. I'm looking forward to Nick getting his license and being able to drive down there himself. :o)
Mike had an interview at a college in Minneapolis today that happened to be a mile from the Mall of America, so the kids, Grandma, and I tagged along and shopped around while he had his interview (mostly window shopping). It sounds like they are going to hire him part time. We'll know all the details later, but it does look quite promising. It is a distance to drive, but right now, we don't know how many classes he would be teaching or how many days he'd have to drive down there. It's also something he can probably do while he substitute teaches and works on his teacher's certificate. I'll update you next week on this one.
Lastly, I'll leave with a little something from my Bible studies this week. In the book of Matthew, Peter sees Christ walking on the water and asks to go out and meet Him. He gets out of the boat and begins walking toward Christ, but upon seeing the wind and waves, he begins to sink. I love this account because it reminds me that as long as my eyes are focused on the Lord, rather than the trouble around me, He will sustain me.
"But seek first His kindgom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34
Till next week,
God's love and blessings to you!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Keeping my Resolutions!
Well, here I am keeping my resolution to post here every Thursday. So far, so good! :o) So, what have the Hendersons been up to this past week? Not a whole lot. With Mike not working, church and school are the main activities around here. Speaking of work, Mike has an interview on Monday, and he received an email last night from another company about scheduling an interview. WOO HOO! He's also been busy making sure the military is getting all his paperwork finalized. Some of the jobs he wants to apply for he could get VA benefits for if he had his "retired" paperwork in hand.
We're also waiting for Nick to get in a bank statement so he can go get a driver's license. I know that sounds silly, but he needs 2 different things to prove that he's a WI resident and so far, none of the things we've tried have worked, to include the notarized copy of the bank statement (he was getting an electronic copy). It's all very frustrating, especially since the DMV is a bit of a drive for us. Anyway, as soon as that comes in, he can go get a permit, and hopefully, since he's been driving for several years, he will only need the permit for a little while before they'll let him take the test. In the meantime, Mike or I will need to drive him to college (about an hour or so from here) and hang out till he's done. That's a LONG time to wait around. Maybe I'll find out what the library is like there and spend some time reading.
Right now, Angel has gone to help her Grandma at Meals on Wheels. Grandma fills in in the kitchen when someone else can't so Angel went in today to give her a hand. I pray that this will be a growing experience for her.
We're also waiting for Nick to get in a bank statement so he can go get a driver's license. I know that sounds silly, but he needs 2 different things to prove that he's a WI resident and so far, none of the things we've tried have worked, to include the notarized copy of the bank statement (he was getting an electronic copy). It's all very frustrating, especially since the DMV is a bit of a drive for us. Anyway, as soon as that comes in, he can go get a permit, and hopefully, since he's been driving for several years, he will only need the permit for a little while before they'll let him take the test. In the meantime, Mike or I will need to drive him to college (about an hour or so from here) and hang out till he's done. That's a LONG time to wait around. Maybe I'll find out what the library is like there and spend some time reading.
Right now, Angel has gone to help her Grandma at Meals on Wheels. Grandma fills in in the kitchen when someone else can't so Angel went in today to give her a hand. I pray that this will be a growing experience for her.
Here's a couple of pictures of the girls (and Mike) ice skating in the corral. There's a low spot that collects water that has now frozen pretty well. These pictures are actually a few weeks old, but I just got them on my computer. :o)
Michelle did pretty good considering she didn't have the bar that she's used to using, and even though he didn't put his ice skates on, Mike still found a way to play on the ice.
As for my other resolution to read a chapter of the Bible each day, I am also keeping that. I've read the first 8 chapters of Matthew, and one thing that keeps coming up is the thought of repenting of your sins and how it really means so much more than simply saying "I'm sorry". It means to radically and deliberately turn from your sin which would result in moral and ethical changes in your life. In other words, if you are truly sorry, and repent of what you've done wrong, there will be change in your behavior as well. What kind of "fruit" am I producing? That has been my question for the week.
Well, Angel and Grandma just pulled in the drive, so I'm going to go see how the day went. Till next week...
God's love and blessings
Michelle did pretty good considering she didn't have the bar that she's used to using, and even though he didn't put his ice skates on, Mike still found a way to play on the ice.
As for my other resolution to read a chapter of the Bible each day, I am also keeping that. I've read the first 8 chapters of Matthew, and one thing that keeps coming up is the thought of repenting of your sins and how it really means so much more than simply saying "I'm sorry". It means to radically and deliberately turn from your sin which would result in moral and ethical changes in your life. In other words, if you are truly sorry, and repent of what you've done wrong, there will be change in your behavior as well. What kind of "fruit" am I producing? That has been my question for the week.
Well, Angel and Grandma just pulled in the drive, so I'm going to go see how the day went. Till next week...
God's love and blessings
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!
I can't believe how fast 2008 has gone by. It was full of changes for us, many of which we were not expecting, but all-in-all, God was very good to us. As of today, Mike is officially retired. I think, right now, it's bittersweet for him. He served his 25 years well, but with each job denial, I think he feels like maybe it wasn't good enough. We've talked about it, and we know God has a plan, we just have to be patient to see what it is, and , as I've mentioned to Mike many times, patience is not one of my stronger virtues! :o)
I am quite glad that I was able to keep one of my resolutions for 2008. Yesterday morning I finished the last chapter of Revelation and finished my goal of reading through the Bible in a year. It was definitely a growing experience for me. This year, my goal is to read 1 chapter every day. This will not allow me to finish the Bible in the year, but it will give me more time to really explore and study the Word.
I've also resolved to update this blog once a week, and since I'm starting today, Thursday will be my blog day. So, look for a weekly update from me on the happenings on the Henderson Farm. (I use the term "farm" loosely as this is really a few acres with a lot of pets.)
This week was pretty mellow for us. A few days ago we had a pretty good snow storm, and we had fun trying to sled in the yard. Mind you, we really don't have a hill to sled on, but we had fun pushing each other down our mini slope. Then, Michelle decided to bury me in the snow much like you do with sand at the beach. The only problem with that, is that with each handful of snow she threw on my belly or arms, half of it blew into the only unprotected part of me--my face. Then of course, she had to help brush it off with her snow covered gloves. Brrrrr! :o) We did have fun last night at our church Watch Night service. We watched a really neat video on the star of Bethlehem and then played games and snacked until midnight when we prayed in the New Year. We also have Jacob, a family friend visiting for the week while he's out of school. I think he and Nick have only ventured out of the room to eat and when told to go help out in the barn. I think they've killed every bad guy on every video system out there by now!
Well, I don't have any pictures to post this week. Maybe next time Michelle buries me I'll make sure Nick gets out there with the camera. :o)
I'll leave you with something to think about. The Pastor mentioned something on Sunday that has stuck with me..."Whatever we weave now, we will wear in eternity." Hmmm.
Till next week-God's love & blessings
I am quite glad that I was able to keep one of my resolutions for 2008. Yesterday morning I finished the last chapter of Revelation and finished my goal of reading through the Bible in a year. It was definitely a growing experience for me. This year, my goal is to read 1 chapter every day. This will not allow me to finish the Bible in the year, but it will give me more time to really explore and study the Word.
I've also resolved to update this blog once a week, and since I'm starting today, Thursday will be my blog day. So, look for a weekly update from me on the happenings on the Henderson Farm. (I use the term "farm" loosely as this is really a few acres with a lot of pets.)
This week was pretty mellow for us. A few days ago we had a pretty good snow storm, and we had fun trying to sled in the yard. Mind you, we really don't have a hill to sled on, but we had fun pushing each other down our mini slope. Then, Michelle decided to bury me in the snow much like you do with sand at the beach. The only problem with that, is that with each handful of snow she threw on my belly or arms, half of it blew into the only unprotected part of me--my face. Then of course, she had to help brush it off with her snow covered gloves. Brrrrr! :o) We did have fun last night at our church Watch Night service. We watched a really neat video on the star of Bethlehem and then played games and snacked until midnight when we prayed in the New Year. We also have Jacob, a family friend visiting for the week while he's out of school. I think he and Nick have only ventured out of the room to eat and when told to go help out in the barn. I think they've killed every bad guy on every video system out there by now!
Well, I don't have any pictures to post this week. Maybe next time Michelle buries me I'll make sure Nick gets out there with the camera. :o)
I'll leave you with something to think about. The Pastor mentioned something on Sunday that has stuck with me..."Whatever we weave now, we will wear in eternity." Hmmm.
Till next week-God's love & blessings
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