Another week gone by...

Life keeps getting ahead of me. I am doing my best to keep up, but this pesky thyroid and Puke Bug and all the other enemies of efficiency are weighing me down. I have the best intentions of keeping up with my blog, but I just don't know how well I am going to do until school is out!

When last I wrote, we were coming upon "Homecoming" for the boys' basketball team. It has been a long and frustrating season. You will all remember when they could not go defend their state title because the whole team came down with the flu in one form or another, and the decision was made (and rightly so) to not endanger anyone's health by pushing it too hard and going.

I don't even remember when basketball officially started, but it was not long after school started in the fall that the team was selected, and they started practicing. They had at least two games a week all through the fall and winter, up to the State Tournament. After that, they had a light schedule with a game here and there, but practices have continued, since they are going to the A. C. E. convention and will be competing there for a title.

Friday night, we had our last home game, and they honored the seniors--all 3 of them. Daniel, Nicole and Joshua will comprise the graduating class of 2005 at our little school. We only have about 100 students in grades K-12. It is amazing what they have been able to accomplish with their small numbers. These three are also the heart and soul of the chorus. Nicole has a beautiful voice, and Dan and Josh are not half bad! All of them took first and second place ribbons last year in their individual singing events at convention. I heard the whole chorus the other day, and they have really worked hard for this year's events. It will be interesting to see who wins what. Daniel and Joshua are both entered in the Male Solo category. I think Daniel has 9 events this year at convention. One of them is web page design. I will keep you posted. They leave next Tuesday.

Well, back to Homecoming. Now I have to explain for those who do not know this little school that our Homecoming is not like other Homecomings. Perhaps the most significant way is that there is no dance. Though our kids are not of the same religious persuasion of those who founded the school, we are united in our belief that dancing between young, hormonal kids is not right or wise. Boys and girls are expected to keep a respectable distance between themselves, a concept that is all but dead these days.

Our seniors were all decked out in their best duds, and Nicole came out and sang the National Anthem a cappella while the color guard presented the flags. Then, the seniors came out one at a time, and a little bit was told about them. They told when each one was "saved" and what their favorite Bible verses were. I liked that. If you would like to see Daniel's website and favorite verse, click here.

Right as things were getting started, I looked up and my good friend Jennifer was coming in with her 5 kids. At the very same moment, Tim's brother John with his wife, 2 daughters, and 3 neighbor kids were arriving! They just happened to be passing through on their way back home to Minnesota from vacation in Florida, and they called Tim and he told them they should stop and see the game. So they did! They managed to find the school on their own, in the dark, pouring rain, and they stayed for 3/4 of the game. Then, sadly, they had to get back on the road to try and make it to a good stopping point that night.

So, we had quite a crowd with us! It was great to get to visit with Jennifer and John and Anne and all the 10 collective kids! At the end of the night, Micah ended up going home with his good pal, Will---the only boy out of the 10 kids! Was he outnumbered or what?

The boys won their game handily, and all three of them got to play. Sam and Micah did not get put in til right at the end, but they are always happy just to get in. All in all, it was a wonderful evening, though Tim got to sleep in the dog house for missing Daniel's presentation. He always stays at work too long--even when I call him multiple times and tell him that we have something important going! Ahhh---life with the Absent-minded Professor......:)

Saturday morning, the phone rang, and Micah asked us to come and pick him up, with the dreaded words, "I am throwing up." I felt so badly that he was sick and might yet again infect Jennifer's house, after she has had so much trouble with Puke Bug this year already. Tim went and got him, and Micah ended up sleeping for the next 3 days. Thankfully, he did not throw up much at all, but I think it was harder for him to get it out of his system than it was for some of us who just got all that bug out of us one way or the other!

Micah missed Monday and Tuesday, and then Sam got up Wednesday and did not feel well. He went back to bed and slept nearly all day. When he got up, he felt better and was able to go with the rest of us to church.

I think we are all just suffering from worn-outedness. Of course, Spring allergies don't help any. I looked at Sarah last night, and her little eyes looked so allergy-ridden. We are trying to keep her healthy so that she can be the flower girl at next week's family wedding of my brother Drew.

Speaking of family, Mom and Dad are sweating it right now with Don coming in from Germany and the impending wedding. We have two close relatives who are very sick, and we pray that our attention is not needed where they are during "wedding week." My grandmother in Florida continues to have problems related to her stroke last year. She has a feeding tube, and everything has to go through it. They have really had a time regulating her food so that her system works properly. Her sister Martha has really been an angel taking care of her at home.

Meanwhile, my uncle Fred up in Ohio seems to have had another stroke as well. He is currently hospitalized, and they are evaluating his condition. He fell, and there was some initial confusion as to what caused the fall. His speech was so slurred that my aunt could not understand him, so she had him carried to the hospital. Their oldest daughter has left college in Florida where she teaches to go and be with her parents, and I understand her younger sister will be going there Monday to take over and let Hope go back to Florida and try to finish the semester. Our prayers are with all of them right now.

Well, that is the update for now. Hope it won't be as long until the next one! Since my computer crashed, I have to wait in line for Daniel's computer or work on it when he is not home. That is hard to do and keep up with the Hannah Bee. She learned how to open the refrigerator and remove items from it yesterday. She managed to get red jello all over the entry hall, and I caught her playing with the plug covers again. She is really a mess these days!

Well, have a happy day, wherever you are! (And Alice, if you are reading---get in touch with me. I need your snail mail address!) Bye for now, all!