My Planner is Missing! I'm in so much trouble!

From the title, you can tell that I'm totally panicing right now. I saw it last time on Thursday. I am planning on tearing Dustin's truck apart when he gets home. I was sure that once I finished cleaning the house that it was sure to turn up, but no such luck.
I am completely paralyzed. I have no idea what I have been missing. Today I know I am safe. I do write most stuff down on our big calendar in the kitchen so D and I can keep track of each other, but I have some important stuff in that planner.
I think I saw in Saturday to bring to a meeting, but I was sure that I forgot it at home. I can't tear about the house anymore, I've done it.
So, if everyone could put out some prayers, good thoughts, whatever, I would be totally appreciative.
Dustin was supposed to be home awhile ago, but he had to stay at work for awhile longer. I really hope he gets here so I can rip his truck apart.
I will take pics of the fountain and post them later. I have quite a few of the progress, so will share them later.
i better go feed the fish. Maybe they have seen my planner.

Monday! I love Monday!

Monday is my day off for those of you who don't know. I wish I felt better to enjoy it. I have had terrible heartburn since last night and today I am nauseated.
Dustin went to the ambulance this morning to get caught up on some of his paperwork. He'lll be home later this afternoon adn my guess is this evening he will spray some crop.
I got up when he did and took advantage of the cool morning and went and weeded garden for a couple hours. Hopefully I can get more done this evening.
In fun news. We put a pond in behind our garage in this pretty shaded area under some trees. It is starting to look great. I planted some more impatients around it last night. The waterfall sounds beautiful, the water is starting to clear up adn the fish seem very happy. We bought some cheap goldfish for now, they are a little tiny, so not the easiest to see, but actual koi are pretty expensive for each fish. We thought we should start where the money investment wasn't going to kill us if they died.
I cleaned our living room last night and today I am going to do the scary job of sweeping under our bed which is occupied by dustbunnies that I know must be carnivorous because they sure look they want to eat me.
so, back to work I go.
I better find something for lunch, then back to work.

A Shower and Laundry!

I went to a bridal shower today for a cousin of Dustin's. We rent land from her parents too, so I went with the women of the family because none of us can make the wedding. Befoer we went to the shower this morning I went to town to meet with a couple who's wedding I'm doing and we needed to go through the ceremony.
My MIL and I went to lunch with my SIL first and then the shower. I got home at about 4:30 and came home to find that Dustin made banana bread from the blackening bananas on the counter, YUM.
Now...Laundry...Laundry...More Laundry...

I Passed! I Passed! I'm an EMT!

I took my test at 10:00 this morning. It shut down some time during the 70's as far as questions. The last time I had looked I was at 68 questions and I know I didn't have more than ten more questions. It was a computer adaptive test, so you know what you are doing bad at because you get more questions in the area you don't get questions correct in. I seemed to get a lot of pediatric, so that tells me that I screwed up on my first pediatric question so I kept getting them. I had looked a lot at my adult stuff, but I got my infant and children things backwards, but it's done and I passed. I'm very excited!
I was hoping to celebrate tonight, but I forgot that Dustin had an regional emergency management meeting. I'm hoping he'll be home before the storms come up, we are in a thunderstorm warning and it is really dark to the west.
So, instead of a celebration, I'm drinking a beer and folding the laundry, hmmm, not so great a celebration. So...I am definitely owed a celebration.
So, I passed! YAY!

My EMTB exam

I am off to take my EMT exam. If all goes well by the end of the day I should be a nationally registered EMT. If not, I have to take the stupid test again. I'm a bit nervous. I feel like I know nothing.
Wish me luck and a few prayers would be appreciated.

I thought I'd be sleeping right now? Hmmm

So, I am on my own for the next couple nights. Dustin is working at the ambulance. He called forever ago to say goodnight. I had intentions to go to bed shortly after that...it didn't happen. I was in the middle of folding some laundry and an episode of "Law & Order." (I know, I am still that predictable and watch L&O like the show is brand new.)
Anyway, I kept getting involved in one project after another and now I can't sleep. I did get some of the laundry caught up and some great time to myself.
Being away at con. ed. last week threw me off a bit. I usually need a day or two to regroup and I didn't get that, it was a mad run until tonight.
So, maybe now it is time to sleep.

Saturday night! Sermon Writing! What a Week!

First of all! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL AIMEE. I hope you have a wonderful day and that you are having wonderful last days of being a mother of two and I hope you are ready to be a mother of three. I know you are great and I can't wait to see you in July!

Tonight I am sitting in my livingroom finishing up my thoughts for my sermon tomorrow. I am not a fan of the Saturday night special, but some weeks it happens. I was at a continuing education class on "Leading from within." It was about knowing our spirituality as pastors and how it effects our leadership and how we interact with people. I am a 1 on the enneagram. We did some work with our persona and our shadow sides and then were lead on a guided meditation to "encounter" our shadow. I was a bit overwhelmed, but it was an incredible exercise. I learned a lot about myself, especially how I deal with failure and betrayal and what I do with things that bother me. I also learned some things about myself that I find a bit too personal to share here, but it was valuable to unearth some things that I hadn't known about myself.

I also had some fun throughout the week. I stayed with my friends D and J on Tuesday night and it was fun to see their kids and see how grown up they have become. On Wednesday, I stayed with my friend R. She and I have have been friends since we were about 3. That's at least from when the first pictures are available, our parents knew each other a long time, to say the least. We went out for a fabulous dinner, talked until late, drank two bottles of wine. It was such a fun time. I didn't know I needed to get away until I did, it was fun. I also got some great new clothes on sale. A couple summer shirts. Two pairs of crop pants, one denim another cotton. I also found two pairs of pants that were on clearance and will be perfect for summer and year round. One pair is black, the other pair is narrow striped with black, tan and white. I have to hem those by about an inch, but that is easy.

Now, I'm home and that's good too. Dustin is busy spraying crops. I have helped move water tanks with my day off. I kept up on most of the church duties while gone, so, except for an unfinished sermon, I have done well.
Tonight was two weddings to attend. We went to one wedding, stopped at the reception of the other. We came home early so Dustin could still go spray and I had the church stuff. So, that was good.

Tomorrow is a day of rest, but it won't be much of one. I get to lead worship in the morning. I don't like the summer 8:30 a.m. schedule, but less than three months to go now. Tomorrow night is a going away party for a colleague who is taking a call in Chicago. I am happy for her, she is from there originally and has been in ND for close to 20 years.

I am off for now. I am living on too much caffeine and not enough sleep, so I think I will try to reverse the pattern tonight.

A Few Days Away!

I am in a hotel tonight. I am at continuing education. After my class ended at 5:00, I went with some of my fellow educationers (yes, I know that is not a word) out for dinner. We went to an absolutely fabulous Thai restaurant in Moorhead. I had straight up Pad Thai noodle. There were other things on the menu, but pad thai is one of my favorites and I have a feeling we might end up going back, I'll get adventurous then. The four of us then ordered two deserts. Sticky rice with Mango and fried bananas with coconut ice cream.
Now, I realize that writing about my dinner is not very exciting, but you must understand how exciting this was for me. For actually all of us.
The four of us who went out this evening serve rural congregations. We live in small towns. We don't get ethnic food, unless you count knephla or lefse. So, I think the four of us will be trying to fit everything we possibly can in on the evenings we are out.
Another thing, my husband is not always adventuresome in his cuisine choices. I believe he would have tried Thai food with me, but I also believe he would be completely content to not try it. When we come to Fargo, for instance, there are plenty of restaurants that we both like and that are different than what we get at home, so we go there. That's fair. So this week, I am taking advantage of a culinary adventure and I will cherish it.
I am at the hotel right now, it's early and I could got out, but it's kind of nice to be in. I have been so tired lately that I feel like just vegging. I'm staying with a friend Wednesday night, so tonight and tomorrow at the hotel. It's kind of relaxing.
Good night. I'm going to enjoy my night. I feel like I'm on vacation, but really. IT'S WORK!

I walked 12 miles!

Today was the walk for Abby's team. She is a young woman originally from the town I serve. She is 34 and this year was diagnosed with breast cancer. The walk was to help raise money and we walked from Litchville to Marion, which is about 12 miles...It's also 17 activity points on WW.
My legs hurt, my feet hurt, my back hurts...I'm not sure how I will get out of bed tomorrow, but I am going to bed.
I feel very proud of my accomplishment of walking that far...I also know that it was for something great. There were 81 walkers and I can't wait to find out how much money. I know that it must be a minimum of 12000. Based on matching funds and the minimum amount that each person was asked to raise.
I also realize that I would have had an easier time if I was lighter. It was a wake up call. There are so many things that I could do better or not struggle with if I could become a healthier weight. Currently at my physicals I am testing healthy. I want to keep it that way.

Oatmeal cookies!

I have just finished up my last sheet of oatmeal cookies. they taste fine, but they don't look great...They kinda fell apart, but that is okay. I don't bake a lot any more because I don't want us to have the sugar, but I was in the mood to bake and Dustin wanted cookies. I want them to cool so I can put them in the cookie jar and then I think I'll go out and mow the lawn. I want to get the kitchen cleaned up too.
We got 4 inches of rain yesterday and my lawn was in desperate need of a mowing already, if I don't do it today, I may have to hay the yard. I just mowed and then the rains started coming, so it has been too wet to mow, but great for the grass...Today we finally have sunshine, so grass...get ready to be cut...

Run! Run! Run! Run! Run! After you hit the deer!

Last night I hit a deer with my wonderful 4Runner. I love my vehicle...I did not love the deer that I killed. It ruined my grill and front bumper and headlight. It was still drivable, so that was good. I am now driving the canary (that's our 75 Ford pickup in pastel yellow).
Today has been nonstop running. I have other stuff I should do tonight, but I don't feel like running around any more today. I went to the nursing home today with the VBS kids so they could perform part of their program for the residents. That went well.
Dustin called right after I left and said R was going to seed our CRP this afternoon, could I go check it out when he called. Dustin called again on my way home, he has a jug of chemical spill in the back of his pickup. After I get back from the vbs program, I drive the canary to town to meet Dustin for lunch. Lunch was pretty good, except they forgot the avacado on my salad. Dustin thinks I am the only person who would notice that, but since avacado was one of the key ingredients in the salad, of course I noticed it and missed it. R called after lunch, I went home, changed clothes and went and checked on R. I then went to my MIL's and we went and got spray and also brought the maps for the custom spraying we are having done.
I went back and checked on R again. Then I came home and cleaned the chemical out of the back of Dustin's pickup, which was sticky, gross, and took to long. That's now done too.
I really should go outside and either mow the lawn, plant tomatoes or finish my tomato juice that I am in the process of making from frozen tomatos from last summer, but I haven't gotten that far and I'm exhausted.
Oh well, maybe motivation will hit soon. I doubt it.

One Day Left!

We have just finished the 4th day of VBS and we have one day left...oh and then the program at the nursing home on Saturday and we're leading church Sunday. (Did I mention I don't have to write a sermon for Sunday? I believe I did...Many times.)
It's pouring rain...I think I'm going to wait a few minutes and go home.

It's Vacation Bible School Time!

I have yet to see the movie I have dreamed of seeing for months because evenings this week are dedicated to Vacation Bible School. But, I guess that is o.k. because the kids are having a great time, the adults are exhausted, but glad the kids are having a great time and because the sun is actually out today and it is not raining which means we can have games outside and run them for 20 minutes to get rid of some of their energy.
You see, I serve in a small church, no gym, no official classrooms, no space...So, the powerpoint display is in front of the altar, which is pushed against the wall of the sanctuary, the candles are put away, the pews are pushed around to give the kids space to do the actions...and yesterday I had the joy of watching one of the leaders help the preschoolers make mudpies in the kitchen while not getting the kitchen dirty because it was raining outside and the kids couldn't go out in it...
Two days of rain so far have made VBS a bit of a logistical nightmare, but it has still gone fairly well. YAY for us...
I am also thrilled that I will not have to write a sermon this week because the VBS kids are leading worship and we're having a joint service...So while I have to wear a t-shirt with a beaker ironed on it, while I have to sing loud and dance like an idiot, and while I have to probably explain to our altar guild that we will not be sentenced to eternal damnation for moving the altar, candles and communion rails. I do not have to write a sermon...That's a fun vacation...Whooohooo.
And as the beautiful carol aimee reminds me...I can officially say that I get to see Carol next month! That's even better.