I have a confession...

We started back into high school homeschooling Sept. 2011.  I had the bare bones framework set up, based on Barb Shelton's book Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+U+La, but that was it.  I had just enough set up that Bekah could start, but the recording system still needed some work.  This was where we were when on October 11th Josh was hospitalized for what turned into a 6 month stay, 4 of which were in a hospital nearly 2 hours from home.  ALL semblance of order went down the drain.  The girls attempted to do school work on their own, but to be honest - survival was at the top of the priority list.

April 2012, we were all home together, but Joshy's health was so precariously balanced that it was hard to do more than attempt to tread water.  By summer break, I was still buried.  I was looking at a years worth of school work waiting on me.  I found an online tracking system over summer break, but I still was not able to get everything sorted, recorded, & filed.  We set things up as best as we could and just kept going, and the papers kept piling up.

Spring of 2013, I switched our school year over to the Japanese system, an April to March school year.  We continued to struggle to stay afloat, but over the last year things did start to settled down into a better routine.  Not perfect by any means, but we are finally taking some strokes forward

Today finds me at the end of our spring break, with a new school year looming.  For the past couple of weeks I have been working on setting up our new year.  We are making some curriculum changes, especially with Kei, but some of the changes will also effect Bekah.  However... I still was not caught up with sorting, recording, & filing :/

However

Today, after a quick trip out to make some copies, I dove into the paperwork mountain.  I am not sure I did the greatest of jobs...

BUT...

Bekah's  records are caught up

I think we might just be going into this year, with some actual direction!!  She will not be graduating in June of 2015 as we had envisioned back in 2011, but that's OK.  In the Japanese system she wouldn't have graduated until March of 2016 anyway, so we are shooting for that.  We are also hoping to do some online college courses as a part of this final leg of high school, which will put her a little ahead in the college game.

So, my confession... I am NOT as organized as many think!  I think my organizational skills got lost in a hospital somewhere along the line!

When I was walking recently, I saw a man walking his dog.  They had one of those leashes that can be extended or made shorter with the push of a button.  When he saw me coming he shortened the leash.  This image bombarded me when I was walking today.  See, when you are living with an autoimmune disease, like Aplastic Anemia, you tend to be on a short leash.  Sometimes we get lax and the leash lengthens out until something comes up and you have to pull it back in.  The last couple of weeks things have come up that make me jerk the leash up short.

A fellow Aplastic Anemia warrior, a sweet 17yo, came down with Epstein-Barr Virus (Mono).  Where as this is a common virus for most, EBV in an immune suppressed person is not pretty.  Now this sweet girl is fighting cancer that the EBV triggered.

Aplastic Anemia claimed yet another victim a few days ago, a sweet 6yo.

These 2 cases have reminded me of what a short leash we live on.

It is nice to see our money hard at work

Our dentist just built a new clinic.  I was there on Monday for a checkup, then again today with the girls for their checkups, so I can safely say I have now seen the set up.  They kept the adults on one side / kids on the other side arrangement  However, the 2 area feel more separate, a good move.  Also, the children's side is much more open, and feels bigger, which is very nice for a mama with 2 kids in 2 different chairs being worked on at the same time!  I love the wall, which has fun play things on it for children or siblings who are waiting.

The waiting area, while somewhat smaller, is very nice.  I especially like how they set up the play area.   I think I might enjoy playing there, if it wouldn't seed my oldest teen into a meltdown... hmmm.. that could be fun, too

However, I think I might be most impressed by the toilet facilities  The doors open up W-I-D-E, as in wide enough to get a wheelchair in!!  The old toilet area was so tight that I sometimes had to open the door to the entrance in order to open the door to the toilet.  There simply was not enough room to stand & open the door, especially if you were helping a child, and there was no place to change a special needs child.   This is likely something only a special needs mama would get excited about, but, well, yeah

OK - I know this is a weird post, but then again, I spend a lot of time and money at the dentist.

Once a year we head to CAJ in Tokyo for achievement testing.  We could do the testing at home, but I really feel like it is good to have the group testing experience.  Bekah is now past the achievement testing phase of life, her next test will be the SAT.  Today was testing day so Kei & I made a road trip.  It was a Gorgeous day for a drive!!

To make the long drive more worthwhile, we did some multitasking.  We made arrangements to meet up with the Wheels of Hope representative.  Two of Joshy's old wheelchairs, his very 1st buggy and his 1st real wheelchair, will be reconditioned and shipped off to a children's hospital in Thailand in the next couple of months.  It feels wonderful to know that they chairs will go on to help other children

CAJ Thrift Shop is coming up later this month.  I was able to get 2 boxes of donations packed up and dropped off with a missionary friend who will make sure they get to the school at the appropriate time.

I had a box of homeschool materials we no longer use, so those were dropped off at the SSS, School Support Services, office where they can be used by other homeschooling families.

I also stopped by the flour mill and picked up flour & powdered sugar.   I can order it on line, but it saves the shipping fee to pick it up.  Every penny saved makes the trip that much less costly, right?

Kei & I enjoyed a sack lunch in the lovely spring weather, underneath the cherry blossoms

I enjoyed a lovely afternoon chatting over coffee with a couple other missionary ladies, while Kei was testing along with 20 or 30 other kids.

One the way home we made a quick detour to Costco.  Again, a 5 minute detour and a little bit of extra highway fee is a whole lot better that 5 hours & a whole lot of highway fee + gas.  We didn't have a lot to get, but we still found a few things we needed.  It also made a nice break in the trip home

It was a long, but productive day.

Today the temps made it all the way into the low 70's!!  Totally beautiful spring day!!  Tomorrow's forecast is calling for rain and a high in the low 50's

We took advantage of today's loveliness by strolling to the park.  It is amazing how much spring has sprung in the last day or two!

I am also reminded of how thankful we splurged and got the WIKE for Joshy a few years ago.  It was an investment, but on days like today, it was so worth it

This winter was rough.

In October, Jerry got a cold.  Joshy quickly picked it up and ended up in the hospital for about a week.  By the time he was headed home, I had picked it up.  I ended up coughing for 6+ weeks.  Joshy was having health issues, including another hospital stay or 2... I lost track :/  I was coughing.  It was cold.  I stopped walking.  My cough would start to settle down and then came back.  In the end, I coughed my way through January and February and into March.  I finally broke down and went to a different doctor who specializes in allergies.  He diagnosed asthma and started me on medicine for it.  Fast forward 2 weeks... I feel better than I have in MONTHS!

This week the weather has finally taken a turn toward spring.  Being that I am feeling better & the weather is cooperating, I have also started walking again.  BOY oh BOY, I slipped a long way over the winter!  A 3-4km walk was my norm last summer fall.  This week I am doing good to get 2-3 and even so I am finding that I often need to stop to catch my breath part way through.  OH well, I WILL get adjusted!  I will get back into the swing of things.  I W-I-L-L also get the pounds that found me over the winter lost and lost of good!

This morning I attempted to do my park trail.  It is an uphill climb from the house.  I made it up the 1st part and then took a side street that isn't as steep.  I then attempted the trail I love up to the plateau of the park...

Did this trail get steeper over the winter????   I am very glad there was a flower peeking out that just shouted at me to stop and take its picture

Here are some other shots of the park which I took on another walk this week.  (I have either walked or biked every day this week )

I even dusted off the gait trainer and took Joshy out for a short walk.  He is out of practice as well, but he did enjoy throwing rocks into the "river"!!

I also walked along the river one day.

SO thankful that the LORD promises spring time & harvest.  There is nothing like the first signs of spring to refresh the soul!

Every month is awareness month in our house.  But for the rest of the world March has some big awareness campaigns.  Did you know...

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness month!

March 1~7 was Aplastic Anemia Awareness Week!

March 26th is Epilepsy Awareness day!

I am not sure how many others might be aware of ALL THREE of these, especially not in the same child, but we are very aware of the effects of these diseases.

How aware are you?

I cannot say the day was without glitches, like forgotten shirts and flat tires (the groom), or without frustrations, like people arriving later than expected, but all in all it went quite smoothly

Church members gathered at the church at 10am, divided into teams, and went to work.  I was primarily in the kitchen working on reception goodies...

I did manage to get a few picture of the sanctuary...

A group of ladies worked hard at making a light lunch for everyone...

Before we knew it it was T-I-M-E to get these 2 married off!

Right after the ceremony the pews were moved to make room for group pictures.

Brides Family...

Groom's friends...

Church family...

The bride & groom slipped away for some outdoor pictures at the park where he proposed while we transformed the sanctuary into a reception hall.   For many of us, well me at least, the more nerve wracking point was moving the cake from the kitchen!

Reception set up was done in short order.

White tux + mud from rain/snow/sleet which had been falling up until that morning was not a good combo (I'm just happy the tux was the only casualty!)  

Once the bride & groom were back it was time to start the party!!  The Sunday School children sang a couple of original songs, the ladies group sang, there were some speeches, etc...

Cutting the cake.

The happy couple.

A quick family picture (minus Joshy who was in short stay)...

It was a beautiful day!

One I am glad I was able to be involved in.  One I am glad to have behind me, too.

The last couple of days have been filled with activity.

Aki, the bride, & I have decorated cookies.

Finished result...

I have baked & decorated cakes.

Finished result...

In less than 24 hours the wedding will be in full swing.  I think we are finally at a point where I feel like I can breath

Three years ago, I started volunteering at a local Yochien (preschool) twice a month.  Last year besides the twice a month English play time, I started teaching 2 after school classes each week.  The Yochien is always trying to get me involved in other extra curricular activities, but more often than not the timing doesn't work for me.  Today, however, was an exception.  Even though this is a crazy week, I was able to squeeze in the graduation celebration.

There was the typical pomp & circumstance...

Then while the teacher relaxed in the staff room the parents set up lunch...

Afterward, the mothers did a dance...

There were a couple of games...

There was a slide show/song, which was precious!  The moms sang a song that incorporated all the teachers & students by name while pictures from preschool life were shown.

Then the teachers did a special skit/program...

To finish off the event the students presented all the teachers with flowers.

I am so glad I was able to go!!