Family Update

We met up with my sister, Julie and her son Caleb at the airport... we took a quick trip to REI and Taco Bell and then we put Christina and Caleb on the plane to Colorado where they were met by my mom. (Yes, after the escort service lady we paid for, threatened to call the police and have the kids picked up and taken to the police station at 11:30 at night because mom was looking for the kids in the wrong part of the airport and it was taking a bit long to connect.)

Christina at 13 years old is on her way to Africa with Mom and Caleb. We won't see them until August.

Vanessa had a hard time getting into the classes she wanted at the college this quarter. She reluctantly started a Spanish class. She had no previous knowledge of Spanish and everybody else in the class had taken Spanish in high school or they were Hispanic.... She was totally lost. Anna-Marie took some time to help her figure out what was going on. As the first test approached she was all panicky.... but she made 100%. She's been getting between 100 and 95% ever since and is now talking about the next Spanish classes, along with Latin.   Her history class is another story. The guy is all over the place and not very clear in his expectations and then he whammed them with 1/2 inch thick test. Everybody failed it. He said there was only one person in the class who actually got one whole section right. Yup, that was Vanessa. She went and talked to him... he assured her that the worst is over that she'll do great. LOL! She's yet to be convinced, but she takes advantage of every extra point she can earn. He's trying to give them ways to make it up.

Brianna is at the college taking the compass test (college entrance exam). I am not sure I'm ready to let her start college :-) She's younger than Vanessa and her strengths and interests are widely different than Vanessa, also. As her mom and homeschool teacher I'm a bit worried that she's not ready for this test. I told her that she if she doesn't pass it's all good. The Lord has another plan for next year. She was determined to try.

The big news on Brianna is that she is getting some help for her neck. She had X-rays done and the specialized chiropractor told her her spine looks like she's been in a bad car wreck!  He subscribed icing treatments and told her NO ibuprofen, etc... and a very intense 4 days a week treatment for the next 8 weeks. His treatments are like nothing I've never I've ever seen before. Lots of decompression stretches etc... He told her she'll feel worse before she feels better and that it will be kind of like having braces on her teeth. Same analogy for the cost... *sigh*

James is doing super duper well. He's in 7th heaven watching the neighbor plow our new market garden patch with a tractor as I write.   He's been pretty pleased that his twin has finally decided that bike riding is fun and they ride their bikes up and down the drive at break-neck speed. They crash, they burn and they howl and then get right back on.

Missy is doing okay. She gets insecure and starts grasping at control at the slightest change, but I'm staying home, home and home as much as possible and trying to keep her from all superficial excitement. She loves to help me with the greenhouse.

Steve is trying his best to keep up with all the jobs I give him. I am gardening, and so, I'm happy ;-) Actually, this is the first spring I have an inhaler. Has made a huge difference already. No chronic cough for me this year. I even wear that dumb mask Steve gave me when I'm mowing and weed whacking.  The Lord has blessed the plants in the greenhouse and I have 12 to 15 inch tomatoes all in bud ready to plant in the market garden.  Today we plant the barn garden with seeds.