I'm late, I'm late...for a very important.....

What is nursing school with 4 children? Piece of cake, as long as you do not add a single other thing on top of it!

Put in there homeschooling every morning, a teenager in college, a husband who thinks salary position means you still get more money for longer hours (huh?) and is now teaching technology classes at the community center AND is taking 2 classes of his own***then bulk that with cooking, cleaning, laundry..........oh never mind! Wear your clothes a second time and we will use paper plates and eat pizza all month!!!

Okay, sooooo I decided "hey I need a hair cut". Turns out, my last hair cut was in February. Got a reminder in the mail that the kids needed their teeth cleaned, beeecaaauuuussse it was January of 2007 the last time they had an appointment (I'm a baad mom!). I can't seem to be on time for anything. Better yet, WE can't seem to be on time for anything.

My excuse for it all is that you can only shove so much information into a 37 year old brain before other things start to fall out and get lost. So, I know anatomy, biology, ratios, APA formatting, pharmacology and how to assess, diagnose and take vital signs....but I can't for the life of me remember my own name or my comings and goings.

Let's just hope that our adorable, yet ever taking advantage of mom's forgetfulness, children of ours remember how "easy" college was for their mom; so when their turn comes they can breeze right through. Right?

Funniest thing this week? I had a come apart about how everyone seems to be able to ignore the mess (but me) and stated firmly that I was going on strike! I would not be cleaning, cooking or laundering for anyone but myself and Vern....and then I forgot I was on strike until Wednesday while I was on my 3rd load of laundry. "sigh"

And yet, we are so blessed! We have our health, we all get a long (for the most part), love each other, eat well (too well at times), have vehicles that run well, a home that shelters us and the opportunity to learn, grow and change with the support of our friends and family to bolster us along. Yes, we are blessed and humbled.

Westward Ho, Well, Southwestward

We went to Winter Quarter's Temple in Omaha, Nebraska and went through the cemetery and visitor's center while the girls did baptisms.

Here is Cyrus and Jared by a beautiful bronze pioneer statue.

Here is Jared having a fit *smile*.

This is a lovely reenactment bronze statue in front of the visitor's
center.

Here are the boys, dressed like pioneers, pulling a handcart with
400lbs inside.

Video Jones??? Not Vern

What is that husband of mine doing? Why he is playing video games! This is at the Tanner's, in their backyard after church. That is Jared T's game picked up and didn't put it down for hours (even though
tried to take it away).

Peas and Carrots

Cody and Chalane, what more can be said. They are joined at the hip even though they are miles apart!

What a wonderful blessing to have such a fabulous best friend.

Family and More

Here we are with some of our favorite Tanner little people! That is Chantel with Holland ;
Vern with Kalina and Holland';
Chantel with Kalina (and Cyrus in the back)
And Jared, Holland and Kalina looking sharp for Church!

Target Practice

Mark took a course in teaching children shooting sports, and he got a lot of practice on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile Jared spent the time honing his "pocket rocket" skills (slingshot). Cody has wonderful form and fantastic aim, while Cyrus and Victoria do very well too.

ATV Fun!

Nancy was a great sport! She took everyone on a ride, sometimes very fast...sometimes slow due to a pinch or two as a reminder. Sandi probably was the bravest, going fast and hanging on tight. Cody and Victoria went often, and even learned to drive and went on their own.

The Inbetweens

The inbetweens are the moments that we have taken to do something other than school, like camp the weekend in Iowa to visit with our friends The Bonnema's and see Vern's mom, aunt and grandmother for a few hours as they pass through to Kansas.

Or

Drive to Sioux Falls for CES and a youth activity.

Or

Spend part of our financial aid in Mankato on food storage (my favorite way to spend money!!)

As a matter of fact, since school began, I think we have been home one Saturday, and that week I had a horrible sinus infection!

But, you have to take the moments as they come, and we are blessed that they keep rolling our way.

Insanity Week Six

Thanks to Bethany, Chrystalee and all you other crazy bloggers, I have succumb...I am a fallen prey and you are the devourer. (pretty image, huh?).

So, how are the Haynes doing, with three in college, homeschooling Cody, Cyrus and Jared, Vern working 45 to (only he says) 53 hours a week and teaching classes at night here and there, with Cody in Choir daily and Cyrus in Band weekly??? How are we doing?

Can you say panic, fear, fatigue, exhaustion bring any images to your mind?

Week one of Nursing school, I can honestly say I was excited, (after the shock of picking up 15 books for the year [one of which weighs 10 lbs] wore off) and while I attended my first lab on pain killers, I hung in there and felt pretty good. Week two was a much different story, and by week three I had my first real "I can't do this melt down" when the kids were giving me a hard time and I realized I had missed an assignment.

This....this was the moment when Vern called and asked if he could use my label maker at work. I must have really given into hysterics, because his coworker told him not to worry if the label maker was that big of a deal. Of course, it wasn't the label maker, it was everything piling up. But my sweet husband figured that out, came home and gave me a big hug while I cried on his shoulder. Whew...marriage after 17 years has its perks!

We are now cruising into week six.

Victoria is doing very well in her four classes....Vern is keeping up....and I am amazed that I have made it this far and what I have learned.