Nelsons: June 2008

Where do I begin? June has been crazy! Rod has found out that he is getting laid off. I think i'm finally out of shock into accecptance on this one. He's had an interview, but it's not one he would take. At the moment we really are considering him working from home doing Advertising for FCHM. Even if this doesn't become a full time job, FCHM needs the support so... either way he'll be doing their advertising!

Josiah is on the All Stars baseball team for Mt. Vernon. It started today. Here in June, it was pouring down rain... so I didn't sit on the bleachers until the end of practice to meet the coach (I sat in the car.) Garrett had bmx practice at the same park, so Mom ended up bringing Josiah home. I guess Josiah gave the coach our number, so I hope to hear from him soon, but next practice is saturday morning (when i'm supposed to be at a baby shower :?)

Jedediah has a friend, Xavier, who has played soccer for the last couple of years. His friend's mom, emailed me the other day and told me that soccer registration is happening. So I signed Jed up. I think they don't do anything until the end of august... so we'll see what goes on there. Haven't done soccer before.

Lately, my parents have had a lot of outside work that has needed to be done. So Rod and I set up a service project for our teens group to come work out at Mom & Dads. That was today! We are going to be providing the teens a service project completion letter for their college portfolios (which I guess is a big deal..). We had so many kids we finished early and the kids got to hang out.

My parents needed a ditch dug for the propane line to the house, the wood pile moved, the big outside windows washed.. rocks taken out of the front and back yards so that grass can be seeded, and last but not least, they moved the blocks for a retaining wall for the front yard and then built the wall, and filled behind it. They got a month's worth of work done in ONE afternoon! How much did it cost my parents? They bought the fixins for a bonfire BBQ. What was so cool, was that the kids earned respect.. and my parents saw Christian kids in action, showing Christ's love! Now, that was a cool way to use the influence Rod and I have in our group. Since the parents are all interested in service projects... i'm looking for another one to do later in the summer. I'd like to get the kids into the habit of doing them quarterly or something.

One of the parents of the teens had some free paintball tix. So Rod, Josiah, me and some teens are going to get to go paintballing (sp?) for the cost of the paint in a couple of weeks. Never done it before, got to try it at least once! I hear i'm supposed to wear layers!!!

One other friday school thing that is interesting... some of the parents want to do school bags & letterman jackets & rings for the older kids... Yet we hadn't decided on a mascot. Our colors have always been blue & white.. but today we talked to the teens (a parent said that the teens should decide, and we've all gone with that suggestion) and I think we've decided that we are going to be the First Class Skagit County Eagles. Skagit Valley has a history of eagles and then there is strong biblical references to eagles. It just seems to fit. So we will take that before the board and get final approval next month. (it helps that we are on the board). So, when Josiah and Jedediah are ready for a school bag or a class ring, we will have school colors and a mascot.. so all that will be ready when they are old enough to understand all of that stuff. This has been one of the things Rod & I have discussed, as homeschoolers, that our kids will miss... and now, they won't have to!!!

Me? I'm trying to hold things together, like usual. Money, time, kids, friday school stuff, FCHM stuff, friends.. It's one huge balancing act. Yet, it's rewarding. Some days I'm wondering what i'm doing, other days I've never felt so alive! Well, that's all for now.. Zindra

Leading a Verizonless Life

There's some Major changes coming to the Nelson household this summer.... About two weeks ago Rod and the entire staff of the Burlington store (including the manager) was told that they will be closing the Verizon store at the end of June. Wow, that was a shocker. They have met every sales quota they've been given and they have two salesmen that are pretty consistent at winning sales contests that involve trips! They haven't given the employees a good reason for closing the store. FIOS is coming next year.. and yet they say there isn't enough profit potential for the store. yah. Rod's customers are livid... especially the business customers that specifically come in and wait in line to see him.

So, Rod is looking for a new job! Strange. It's been eight years or so since he's been out of work. It's not that great of a feeling. We haven't told our kids yet (wanted to deal with it... and be able to talk with them about it without coming undone.). We also haven't told Mom or Garrett. Will probably wait until after Mom's birthday (tomorrow) to do that. So please keep the cat in the bag for a few more days with my personal family.

He does have the option of commuting to Everett, but with the severence package that they are offering, it seems financially irresponsible to not take it!

Frustrating things... things that will most likely change... 3 vacation weeks a year and a week of personal holidays. Trips. Being able to request days off when we want them. Having to start allll over at another company. Senority to the bottom wrung. Being comfortable.

Good things... hopefully better, normal working hours. More consistent paychecks? Not living on comission... Rod possibly having some time off. Maybe a better paying job.

Anyway, I just thought you all should know... you'll find out about it sooner or later, I guess it's best if you hear it from us... He works at Verizon in Burlington until June 28. If he hasn't found a job, he'll file for unemployment. We're really hoping that God is going to do something great through this change. My hope is that we will still be able to work with our co-op because we have put so much time an energy into it. We would like to stay near my parents, because I feel the need to support them.

So could you be praying for us? Because finding a job is more than a Rod thing it's a family thing. We are homeschoolers after all! Pray that we will make good decisions... about a job, about the ministry that we have with the teens (if we left it would evaporate), PEACE through it all and about the other myriad of things we have to take into consideration when you make life shifting changes! Thanks!

Zindra the Test Administrator & More

Hi everyone! It feels like awhile since i've blogged. Things have been crazzy around here. Friday School finally ended. I will miss everyone tremendously but I was ready for a break. Awana Graduation was tonight and the friends night that the kids have been doing while we've been doing a bible study at the Avon church, will be over in a few weeks. Boy am I looking forward to summer! I'm hoping that the weather will pan out a bit more.

One of the local firestations near here has a reader board that says something such as: "LOST.. the Sun. If found, please return." I had a big ol' laugh over that a few days ago. Really made me smile!

I've been doing the ezine for first class homeschool ministries. Which has been hard yet a treat. I enjoy being in touch with the people that write and I enjoy posting it all... but working with Constant Contact the ezine service has been a "growing" experience.

Rod's chess class had 29 students in it and he ran a round robin chess tournament. It was great at display night to give the kids awards. There were three different age groups.. and Josiah took the 'gold' for the 3rd-5th grades and Jedediah took the 'gold' for the 1st-3rd grades. Rod was funny and said that 'they didn't gold just because they are the teachers kids!'. They really did win them on their own. Jedediah didn't lose one game! It was a fun experience!

Our teens group is going every SO much better than expected. Not that we haven't had satan try to sabotage our events and time together... but I thought It would take well over a year to get to the point we are at. We love the kids, they love us. Match made in heaven! In June, we are taking teens and some of their parents River Rafting... (Eddie are you gonna be there?) with Youth Dynamics Adventures. We'll be on the Wenatchee June 12. I hope it's sunny but wet suits and all it'll be a great day either way. We have more people that want to go than they gave us spaces for! They gave us 20 spots. They told us that after May 15 that if there were any spots in the session open, they would open them up to us..

A few weeks ago a friend of mine who did the annual test administrating for a few families last year, told me that they might not be doing it this year. So I looked into doing it myself. Then someone asked if anyone locally administered the IOWA test on our Friday School google group, I said that I can... Turns out that there are quite a few families that want me to test their kids! Uh... that's not really what I intended... but none the less.. I guess I'm going to do it. It'll work out that I will probably break even for this year.. maybe make a few bucks. We'll see how it goes. I told Rod.. I didn't ever think of myself as a Test Administrator but I guess I am now! I will be administering the IOWA and the Stanford Achievement Tests. I was recently approved as a tester. So now i'm looking into the actual details of buying tests and helping others with a part of homeschooling that they really don't enjoy. One thing people seem to appreciate is that I'm willing to test year round instead of just in the spring.

Update on the kids... Josiah's baseball team isn't doing so well... but the coach has said that he will be invited to play or invited to try out for the All Star team. How ever that works. A select baseball team for 9 &10 year olds. We haven't told him yet, but we've decided that if he 'makes the team' he can play. He's also in Youth Level 6 in swimming... which means that he's only got one level to go. If we want him to continue swimming, we are going to have to make a decision in the next year or so about joining a swim team. Which is sort of a big decision...esp. if I want him in a league that is not a YMCA league.

Jedediah is very much into chess and paper airplanes. Both were classes at Friday School. He is sad that Rod's not going to teach the paper airplane science class again.. because he loves paper airplanes SO much. He's excelling at chess, and in the fall we may look into doing chess competitions again. Jed just turned seven this week. He is so good with homeschooling that I think i'm going to have to find work for him that is harder to do. He zips through everything I give him!

Jaden and his multi expression little self is doing great! Just finished cubbies... so next year if we do Awana he will be in the Sparkys. He was in Kindergarten at friday school and loved every minute of it. Jaden isn't really into school yet. He still wants to play with playdough and do mazes. He seems a little behind academically but he's still involved.

Julia is the family doll. She just recently learned how to swing on the swing in the front yard.. that's her new favorite thing. She loves her brothers and can't seem to live without Josiah. She does "school" too, which is sooo funny. She'll sit at the table and color or draw or whatever for a little bit almost every day. She's been drawing faces alot lately and it's amazing how much detail she puts in there (for a 2 year old!).

Well, I guess that's enough for now... Zindra

Happy Easter! He is Risen Indeed!

Well... thanks to EVERYONE for your prayers concerning my mom. Things are going well. We are in the process of getting her to a dentist... but all is well.

Had one of the best easter's we've had in years. Got the kids easter presents... something meaningful to each of them. Josiah-cleats. Baseball started yesterday. Jed-snowglobe. He collects them... damage is now 21. Jaden-a many times asked for lightening mcqueen book. Julia.. a girly pink purse and pink gloves. I sincerely love giving personalized gifts... not on dollar value of the item... but on whether or not the person that recieves the gift wants that particular gift. Cleats to Jed wouldn't be well recieved. A snow globe to Josiah would be okay... but not desired... maybe you 'get' what I mean.

Went to a friends church for church and breakfast. Enjoyed the sermon. They had a yummy breakfast. Came home, baked pies for dinner. A friend called.. she had a bad experience with a neighbor after church, got to pray and comfort her! Went to Jessie's for and easter egg hunt with us, Jessie & her kids, Janet & her kids and one of the neighbor girls. Our first multi family easter egg hunt worked and was successful. A few days ago we asked my parents if a couple of friends could come to their house for easter supper. They said yes. They know both of the families. One family they know well. The other, her husband is deployed for 6 weeks (NAVY). I love her very much and thought she might enjoy going. Dinner went even better than expected. Janet brought Salmon. Yummy. Good time with family, good food and good friends.

I've been frustrated with Easter gifts for a couple of years... asking myself why we bother. While talking to someone I really look up to yesterday, she said that she give her kids gifts (not from the easter bunny) but to make easter sunday stand out from all of the rest of the sundays that we show up at church. Also to help the kids look forward to it and to make it special. I really liked her thoughts on it.

This was an easter to remember.... Happy Easter to you!

Zindra's Pi Day

Hi Everyone!

Yesterday was a hard day for me. We started out with Friday School... which went fabulously. Rod's ballistics class made marshmellow shooters... a huge hit. I made coffees for 2.5 hours.... That was fine too. It gives me a great chance to meet and greet and build relationships with the other moms. It's a good spot for me. I also see a lot of the teens in our coffee corner and it's good to build relationships with them too.

Mom has been a volunteer at Friday School this entire term. She loves it. My friends love her. One of her teeth is giving her problems and her face was pretty swolen yesterday. I told her we need to get her to the doctor... she said yah, after garretts soccer game.

Rod and I left Friday School. Went home to relax before going to Garrett's soccer game. I didn't realize it, but he's on the JV Soccer Team for Sedro Woolley High School. It's been a good experience for him the last few weeks, but I didn't realize that he was ON the team. Anyway, we got there.... Mom needed to go deposit dad's check.. so she left and was going to be back asap. It would take 10 minutes to get to the bank and back.. Anyway, Garrett's team won 45 minutes after she left, and she didn't return. We finally left and went to the bank to see where she was.. couldn't find her. So we took Garrett home... Took the kids to Janet's house, because we had a Teens Youth Night at the church that we had to be to at 7pm. Left Janet's, stopped by our house and made it to the church by 7pm. Got Youth Night started not knowing where my mom was... I was pretty freaked out by this point.

And I realize that every Youth Event we do, something happens... And I'm hoping that this is just another one of those moments... My dad called Rod's cell about 8:40 (it had been about four hours) to tell me that the police had stopped my mom. She was swerving. They took her home. After Youth Night was over at 9pm, we went and picked up her car which was at a gas station in sedro-woolley. Rod went and got Mom & Dad and took her to the ER.

I went to pick up the kids from Janets. Ended up staying and eating pizza and getting loved on... which by this point I was in serious need of.... I was so thankful that Janet was so willing to help me out by watching my kids and then watching them even longer so that I could take care of my parents... such a blessing!

Mom has a pretty bad infection in her face & mouth. They put her on antibiotics & pain meds. I guess that it was affecting her bad enough that she couldn't drive coherently.... I am glad that she got home safely. She stayed the night at Skagit Valley Hospital. She's going to stay tonight too... just because Dad & I said that it would be easier than for her to get home & then have to go back over a fever or something... She's coherent and everything now.. just still swollen with a fever. I guess we'll have to get her to a dentist to see about the bad tooth on Monday...

I'm extremely thankful that she's going to be okay & that they found her before anything *bad* could happen.

Thought i'd let you all know... she needs your prayers. For her healing... And also so that she can get into a dentist this week in a timely manner. Thanks y'all.

PS: Branden, loved the Pi blog!