A Little Catching Up

I realize my last post left a lot unsaid.  But, hey, it's been a busy month.  Month?!  OMG, how it has gone by!  We've really enjoyed the journey, though.  Been able to plant seeds, flowers, tomatoes.  "It's good growing weather."  Yep.  Good for growing kids, too.  :)  They've been able to see their dad, attend our homeschool co-op, and generally enjoy the change of seasons.  It's been so good to get outside!

To expound on the previous post, my uncle (Dad's brother, who is number 7 of 8 Ozarks Originals that my grandparents "grew") has remained at home all these years.  Even after the "moving on" of Grandma & Grandpa, he's just never left.  The way I heard it, he'd been out doing chores Easter morning when he heard something, looked back toward the house, and saw smoke.  Fortunately he had his cel on him, called my brother-in-law (who is on volunteer fire department but mostly because that was the first number that came up) his wife gets me to keep their three kids so they can go, I send my oldest next door to tell my dad, "There's a fire at Randy's!"  This was around 10 a.m.

Everyone hits the road.  Except me.  I'm here.  With six children.  11.  9.  5.  4.  2.  3 months.  Not years.  Months.  And I hold him the whole time.  And pray.  And watch people come and go.  Smell smoke.  See smoke.  Pray.  And by the end of the day, the house is gone.  And why is losing a thing like losing them all over again?  Because now we can't even go back to their house.  Where, at least my sister and I, spent so much time. 

Here is where you may see what we saw that day, if you'd like.  Dad and bro-in-law are in some of them; Dad burned his hand, other uncles are busy inside.  I live, obviously if you've been here before, on the top of the hill.  My grandparents' place is down the road, around the corner, down again, in the holler.  Closer if you short-cut through the fields.  Just down.  So as the smoke rose, we could see it not just over the roof of my parents' place, who are on the other side of this hill, but drifting across the holler. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to snap pics with babe-in-arms.  We all went through the myriad of emotions that day, and those that followed.  But we've all come to conclude, this is a good thing.  Time to move on.  Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to those who love God."  What if the flip works too?  All things work together for good to those whom God loves?  John 3:16.  I John 5.  My uncle may not love God now, but he might some day realize love has been there all along.  Religion has been hurtful to many in my family.  But God is good.  It's the goodness of God that brings repentance. Romans 2:4.

On a lighter note, we welcomed kittens this week!  Four of 'em.  And we get to go camping this weekend.

Oh, I forgot to tell you about the fishing trip!  Well, let me catch you up...  April 6 Missouri Department of Conservation provided a fishing clinic for the kids of our co-op.  They are big on 'catch and release,' which is a good  thing to learn.  We bait, cast, reel 'em in (which is the most fun!), remove the hook, then send them back again.  Each group, one morning and one afternoon, had two hours allotted for this.  It was really nice.  Also there are trails to walk, and a welcome center with displays and gift shop.  I actually learned a lot this time:  replacing fishhooks.  At least 3.  And I touched a fish, to release it All By Myself!  I won't tell you how we did it when we were kids fishing in Dad's pond!  I'm sure someone would frown  :( 

The water was muddy; it had recently rained.  We were the first to fish this season.  Everyone caught something!  Either sun fish (which to me looks like perch), or channel catfish.  My son caught one of each!  He was really proud.  There's a picture somewhere, I'll have to find it.  Er-bear says she caught 5, and little sister had her first fish ever!  Way to go kiddos!