One year ago this month...
Grape Harvest...











So I did a photo shoot today. It frustrates me when I don't do as good as I think I can. I can really tell I am rusty, I need to practice more...either that or there is something wrong with the camera. In fact I wonder if there is...the photos are off and soft and the color is going to need a lot of work...

The kids are good. Not much going on here...It is supposed to rain, it can rain here but not in Vera! They need to harvest the grapes this weekend...the photo I have included today was from last years harvest...they did it all by hand. This year they are going to have equipment come and get the grapes...should be a site to see. I am planning on the kids and I going.

Well I better feed the babies...Stephen is flying so maybe we will have cereal or pannie cakes!!

Love, E

Well I didn't have to mop today...I did it last night after Dale spilled the container of lemonade...and no it was not sugar free!

Today we read, played, sewed, and listened to Paws and Tales. Love us some Paw Paw Chuck, Merideth kept rewinding the CD so it wouldn't end. My parents got us the set that has a lesson after we listen and it was really great, we called that school! Then we took a nap. A LONG one. It was great!

Love,
E

Well today has not been a great day around here.

I have gotten a lot done. My nieces surgery was successful. I got home school plans made, I even put books on hold at the library. We had a good supper, with a salad and dessert!

...But my back is hurting again, I twisted just wrong when I picked up something of the floor. And the electric company employs smarty pant, unreasonable people. Here is the story. So while we were gone for 15 days of last billing cycle somehow we used 302 more KWH. PLEASE explain that too me. We turned off our stuff. Anyway the guy, Yaris, said that with the price of oil; electric rates were higher. I told him I was no idiot I read the news and actually the price of oil had dropped. Then he told me other things and I decided that it would be better if Stephen talked to him. (Daddy I began to growl!) Anyway our electric bill is almost $700. I am so frustrated because they will not even work with us to figure out what happened. For some reason we used or it shows we used more electricity...so since it shows that on their meter then it must be right. Anyway to further exasperate me; last summer they were billing us low I called and called, and finally they fixed the meter and then....drum roll... they sent us a bill for over $1000 for us to pay the difference for THEIR mistake. So now when we are in the lurch, being over billed we think, they won't help...

Okay so that feels better to get that off my chest.

It is hot. Humid. And I need to change sheets and mop.

On another note...
I have made some major home schooling changes. With lots of prayer and lists making I have sent back our phonics and reading program. It was not working for Dale or me. I will expand on it later. It will be with lists of WHY we home school in the first place...which brought me to the other need to change curriculum.

Well I am grouchy so I will go and try to get ungrouchy..
E

We are home!

This is one of my favorite photos of the trip. Dale and Merideth truly do love each a-nother...that is how they say it! It was fun watching them play together because no one else was around. (Well with the exception of 3 really cool little boys in Shipshewana...we heard about those three the entire trip..still do!) I will update more later...still playing catch up around here.

Prayer requests...My parents vineyard...please pray for peace, and that the harvest will go so well there will only be one way to explain it! My niece is having eye surgery on Tuesday. Also she leaves for college in a week or so...I cannot imagine how hard that will be for her parents! A friend on a trip with family she has not seen in years..pray HE shines through! (I know He will)

Love to all, E