From Will:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY ALL YEAR!
Seriously, I mean that. Merry Christmas and Happy ALL YEAR! All Year? Yes, ALL year! Because our last post was in February and here it is December; with consistency like that odds are it could be ALL year before we post again. Here is the really silly thing: WE LOOK AT THIS BLOG EVERY DAY! Several times a day! You would think we would make more of an effort to change this more often but that really is a testament to how busy our lives have been.

Update School: Problematic. Having the Same issues I had the last three times I tried to go to school...only worse; much worse.  The last three times were 30 years ago.  I got good grades but even with working full time I couldn't afford to pay for it.  Fast forward thirty years and it's the same thing all over again.  Only now I have to pay for school, plus support a family of four.  My wife has an awesome job and that helps a lot but just like most families it becomes difficult to make the money last until the next paycheck.  When I was a young single guy, it wasn't a big deal if I wound up sleeping in my car but the thought of any member of my family having less is a much more painful reality.  Don't get me wrong here, we're not "hurting" financially, but our budget is stretched a lot tighter than we realized back in February and now we have TWO kids with health issues we're not sure the doctors have diagnosed correctly...Well, finances for school have taken a back seat.

The worse part, isn't the money though.  The worse part is that thirty years ago it was a lot easier to remember the formulas.  Did you ever have the "I'll never use this!" conversation about certain subjects in school?  Well, for 30 years I haven't needed those math formulas and I have completely forgotten them!  What is really irritating is back then I actually LIKED learning them.  Now I remember squat and worse, My ability to memorize is NOT what it was back then.  Can we say "Rude awakening"?

So now I'm using the internet and a few other resources to study and take CLEP tests.  School has become sort of a hobby now.  Something I can do when I have the extra time and money.  The CLEP tests cost about a hundred bucks and require an 80 mile round trip.  Not too big a deal; but when the truck has a brake line that leaks fluid....spending the 100 bucks on a test doesn't seem as important as being able to literally stop a truck...

As I mentioned earlier, both kids have illnesses.  I won't embarrass them or bore you to tears with all the details but it may be another year before Jessalyn is healthy.  Sadly, she may be dealing with these issues for the rest of her life.  We're NOT confessing that and we're certainly praying and hoping against that but the Boy Scout in me has to consider all the possibilities.  Jacob (whose 21st birthday is today! whoop!) has been out of work for a month and it may be much longer before he is well.  The doctors are pretty sure of what his condition is but...don't understand why he has it and why his body is resisting treatment.  It's one of those "...he should be better by now..." things.  More doctor visits coming!  (Thank You Dear Lord and Savior for my wife's awesome medical coverage!)

Deanna continues to make me proud with everything she does.  President of Cranfest, Organizer for the Warrens Community meals, United States Postal Worker, Mother, wife; the list goes on and on.  That list is pared down from what it used to be and finally she admitted she just might have too many irons in the fire.  I worry about her doing too much but worrying about her is my job; it doesn't necessarily mean my worry is justified...  She's pretty awesome and quite capable.  So yeah, I'm proud and thankful for her.  (by the way if you don't know what Cranfest is, here is a link: http://www.cranfest.com/   )

So our days are full and we're surrounded by loved ones.  We can look at our adversities and despair or we can see the opportunity to watch God work; guess which one I choose.  It is in that vein I repeat: Merry Christmas and Happy ALL YEAR!

School again...

Things have been even crazier around here lately. With me working for the Post Office, Christmas time is a busy mess. We are still finding little stuff from Christmas to put away. My tree actually was taken apart last week and made it out of the dining room although it's not entirely put away yet. Because.... Will has decided to go back to school. I think it's amazing. He has decided to get his Bachelor's in Business Management, a second degree in Business Marketing and hopefully a third in Business Communications (time allowing). They are all close enough to each other that with an addition of 3 or 4 classes you can get the other one added. I am all for it. I just wish that I had pushed him a little harder to take at least one class a semester for the last 10 years like I had wanted him to. He would be almost done by now. No going back though.....we are just looking forward. With the knowledge that he will need to devote all of his spare time to school...I have started a major overhaul of our house. I am dumping, pitching and sending to Goodwill. I am also starting a small side business with my daughter. She's 16 now and can be learning some life skills. We are start a small selling business on ebay, selling some of my antiques, cook books, odds and ends and my Mom's hand painted china. We will work it together from the beginning to end, create a plan, a business account, inventory, computer program, the whole nine yards. This will teach her things that will help her in the future, get rid of stuff here, help Mom out financially and in general be a good thing. I'm looking forward to it, but it only starts after the house is mucked out. We are creating a classroom/desk area for Will...devoted entirely to his schooling. He will have everything he needs to study. No working around the rest of us. His own devoted computer, printer, desk, chair, files, book shelves, lighting etc. I'm even lining his shelves with snacks to that when he gets the munchies....they are right there at hand. Prayerfully, this will enable him to finish class after class quicker each time. This first one is going well, but it's a refresher course and the first one he's taken in 30 years. I think he'll go even faster after he gets back into the groove and gets into the communication stuff that he loves. I'm praying God's blessing on my husband and our family during this busy time. I'm also praying for lots and lots of energy for me!