I was going to write a post on why we, as a family, feel that simply living is the way to go for us. I wrote about a paragraph and realized that it was pooey. I guess I just have a hard time putting into words why it makes sense to us. When I write it down it sounds hokey and preachy.
I know that the choices we make seem strange to others. They just don't get why we choose to walk to work most days. They REALLY don't get why we don't spend our money on television. They think we are mean that we don't often buy our kids soda, especially at restaurants. They find it odd that we buy 98% of our family clothing at thrift stores. They look at me with bug-eyes when I tell them we only work two days per week by choice. They shake their heads when I tell them what my kids get for Christmas.
I think it really comes down to the fact that I want my kids to know that they are important. I choose them over "NEW" anything. I want them to know that to show someone love they should spend time with them, not money on them. I want them to know that experiences don't ever break or fade. They stay with you forever. You can have all the gadgets in the world but without the time to make relationships they are worthless.
I think people these days really have lost site of those ideas. They think that the children/people will know how much they love them if they give them the latest & greatest thing. They don't see that they have to work, away from the family, to be able to afford these things. It becomes a vicious cycle. Work to buy things to make up for not being there or to entertain while you work to buy things. If people just slowed down and spent time together we would all be so much better off.
Now, please don't think that I have this mastered. It is a total work in progress. We have made drastic changes in our lives over the past two years and we can tell a difference. I know that people still won't get it and that is OK. It works for us and we'll continue to see what changes we can make to get even more simplified. If anyone has any questions about what we have done or why we've chosen certain things PLEASE ask us. We'd love to be able to share more with you.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
Year In Review: 2010 Edition
Since I didn't manage to get out a Christmas letter this year, I thought I'd at least blog about the year's activities. I'm going to try and keep this missive coherent but I make no promises.
During the early part of the year, we were busy schooling. We completed our first year of homeschool and started our second. We had great plans to school year-round. We quickly found out, during the summer, that it is hard to accomplish when your friends are on a traditional school calendar. School just doesn't work when kids want to spend the night or hang out during the day. So, we changed our plan and went to a relaxed approach to summer school. On days that we didn't have plans we did school. This allowed us to be about six weeks ahead of the public school. We've been using those days for some extended holiday time off. It's been really nice to have that luxury.
We have stayed active in our homeschool co-op, Great Plains Christian Home Educators. What a blessing this group has been to us. Drake was able to learn to run a sound/light board for the high school play production. This is something that he really enjoyed and has continued to learn more about. Jilly learned how to crochet, cake decorate, and embroider. She, also, has participated in the co-op elementary musical and has started piano lessons. Steve has officially become the gym teacher at co-op. He loves it and the kids LOVE "Mr. Teeve"! I help Steve with the gym class. You guys know me well enough to know that I'm just there to make sure the kids stay in line and pay attention. Gym is not my forte. LOL!
In April we were able to take Steve's folks to Disney World for their first time. It was so much fun to be able to take this trip with them. Talk about building memories! We dragged them around the World for four days and made them do all the things that all Disney nerds must. We are already planning on where to take them next.
In the early summer we had a wonderful surprise. Steve's parents moved back to Hammon, OK. This is just 30 minutes away from us. I'm sure it was the trip to Disney that convinced them that it was OK to move that close. We really like having them near, so that we can drag them to every event in which the kids participate.
In August, my inner pioneer came out and we got some chickens. We built a chicken ark and bought four hens from a friend. The chickens are all named (Henrietta, Hermione, Helen, & Hester) and are great pets. I had no idea how much fun they were going to be. As Steve says, they are pets that actually give you something a back for feeding them. They don't take any more effort to care for than a cat does. It's great. They did end up costing us a bit more than expected. They looked so pitiful penned up in their coop that I asked Steve to fence in our backyard. So now we have a privacy fence and free-range chickens. LOL!
Now we've come to the part of the review that I get to brag on the children:
Drake has been drumming for about a year now. He seems to have a natural talent for it. Needless to say, the drums have been moved outside into the "man cave." He was able to play with the church youth group during the Christmas program. He did a great job!
He has also started working up at Thomas Drug this year. He works two afternoons a week and every other Saturday. He is really good at his job, and we've received a lot of compliments on what a great young man he has become. Let me tell you, sometimes those compliments save my sanity when dealing with my dear teen!
We'll be starting divers-ed this year and it makes me weak in the knees to think about it. Thus, that is all I'll type on the subject.
Drake was able to attend the Oklahomans Without Limits (O.W.L.) summer camp this year. He went as a sighted partner. The camp is for blind/visually impaired children. His partner had cerebral palsy. Drake really enjoyed his time at camp, and he sure learned a lot from the kids that attended the camp.
His studies are moving along really well, and he has done great on his standardized tests. I can't wait to see what he is able to accomplish in the next few years.
Jillian turned eleven this year. She is just as sweet as pie.
She still takes art lessons from Ms. Lynn and loves it! The art work she brings home is amazing. If you have facebook, look at my photos and you'll see some of her stuff. She has won several ribbons in the county fairs around the area and even placed third in the State Fair of Oklahoma. She was super excited about that.
She went to the O.W.L. camp this year, too. It is her second year attending, and she just loved it. She met some great kids and had a blast learning theater type arts. During the camp, she was interviewed by the local TV station. What a shock it was to get phone calls, at home, telling me they saw my baby girl on television. You should have seen me scramble around the Internet trying to find a video. Since then, we've found out that Jillian is featured on NewView Oklahoma's, formerly the League for the Blind, website. Can you tell that we are proud of her?
As for Steve and I, we are continuing our semi-retired saga. We are privileged to work with all the stores and people of Thomas Drug Inc. We work two days per week and whenever they need some additional help. I am so grateful that we've been able to follow this road. It really has been a "meant to be" kind of thing. I won't get too preachy here, but it is clear that God has wanted us to follow this path at this point in our lives. We aren't sure what the future is going to hold for us but we are willing to ride the wave wherever it takes us.
We've also started to help out with our church's A.W.A.N.A. program. This is a bible study type program. It has been a lot of fun for us. We've made some good friends at church, and the kids are fun, too. We are stretching our (read MY) comfort zone.
We did take a summer vacation this year. We drove up to Michigan for a Chapdelaine family reunion/graduation party. Of course, we took the long way there. We first drove to Anna's house in Ohio and stayed the night. Then we went on up to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It was a lot of fun. We did find that we've warped our children into knowing all the "old" rockers. After Cleveland, we continued on to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. We wanted to get our passports stamped but I was sad to find that they didn't stamp them. Oh well, the falls were astounding! After spending a couple of days at Niagara, we weren't sure where to go next. For some strange reason, we completed the circle around Lake Erie and went to Cedar Pointe amusement park. This park was NOT Disney World. It was roller coaster heaven!! If you like that sort of thing, then it's a must see place. We ended the trip by going back up into Michigan to visit family. We had a wonderful visit and we can't wait until we get to see them again this coming summer.
After our summer vacation, we took a fall vacation, too. Yes, we are spoiled! We met my sister Anna and her family down at Disney World at the end of September. We've done this several times now, and we always have a blast with them! I just wish we could go with them every time.
Well, that is about all that I can think of to type about this year. It sure seems like a ton of stuff. It is obvious that we have been blessed beyond measure this past year. I know if we keep following the path, we'll continue to prosper. Thank you to all of my friends out there who have made these blessings possible. You know who you are!
During the early part of the year, we were busy schooling. We completed our first year of homeschool and started our second. We had great plans to school year-round. We quickly found out, during the summer, that it is hard to accomplish when your friends are on a traditional school calendar. School just doesn't work when kids want to spend the night or hang out during the day. So, we changed our plan and went to a relaxed approach to summer school. On days that we didn't have plans we did school. This allowed us to be about six weeks ahead of the public school. We've been using those days for some extended holiday time off. It's been really nice to have that luxury.
We have stayed active in our homeschool co-op, Great Plains Christian Home Educators. What a blessing this group has been to us. Drake was able to learn to run a sound/light board for the high school play production. This is something that he really enjoyed and has continued to learn more about. Jilly learned how to crochet, cake decorate, and embroider. She, also, has participated in the co-op elementary musical and has started piano lessons. Steve has officially become the gym teacher at co-op. He loves it and the kids LOVE "Mr. Teeve"! I help Steve with the gym class. You guys know me well enough to know that I'm just there to make sure the kids stay in line and pay attention. Gym is not my forte. LOL!
In April we were able to take Steve's folks to Disney World for their first time. It was so much fun to be able to take this trip with them. Talk about building memories! We dragged them around the World for four days and made them do all the things that all Disney nerds must. We are already planning on where to take them next.
In the early summer we had a wonderful surprise. Steve's parents moved back to Hammon, OK. This is just 30 minutes away from us. I'm sure it was the trip to Disney that convinced them that it was OK to move that close. We really like having them near, so that we can drag them to every event in which the kids participate.
In August, my inner pioneer came out and we got some chickens. We built a chicken ark and bought four hens from a friend. The chickens are all named (Henrietta, Hermione, Helen, & Hester) and are great pets. I had no idea how much fun they were going to be. As Steve says, they are pets that actually give you something a back for feeding them. They don't take any more effort to care for than a cat does. It's great. They did end up costing us a bit more than expected. They looked so pitiful penned up in their coop that I asked Steve to fence in our backyard. So now we have a privacy fence and free-range chickens. LOL!
Now we've come to the part of the review that I get to brag on the children:
Drake has been drumming for about a year now. He seems to have a natural talent for it. Needless to say, the drums have been moved outside into the "man cave." He was able to play with the church youth group during the Christmas program. He did a great job!
He has also started working up at Thomas Drug this year. He works two afternoons a week and every other Saturday. He is really good at his job, and we've received a lot of compliments on what a great young man he has become. Let me tell you, sometimes those compliments save my sanity when dealing with my dear teen!
We'll be starting divers-ed this year and it makes me weak in the knees to think about it. Thus, that is all I'll type on the subject.
Drake was able to attend the Oklahomans Without Limits (O.W.L.) summer camp this year. He went as a sighted partner. The camp is for blind/visually impaired children. His partner had cerebral palsy. Drake really enjoyed his time at camp, and he sure learned a lot from the kids that attended the camp.
His studies are moving along really well, and he has done great on his standardized tests. I can't wait to see what he is able to accomplish in the next few years.
Jillian turned eleven this year. She is just as sweet as pie.
She still takes art lessons from Ms. Lynn and loves it! The art work she brings home is amazing. If you have facebook, look at my photos and you'll see some of her stuff. She has won several ribbons in the county fairs around the area and even placed third in the State Fair of Oklahoma. She was super excited about that.
She went to the O.W.L. camp this year, too. It is her second year attending, and she just loved it. She met some great kids and had a blast learning theater type arts. During the camp, she was interviewed by the local TV station. What a shock it was to get phone calls, at home, telling me they saw my baby girl on television. You should have seen me scramble around the Internet trying to find a video. Since then, we've found out that Jillian is featured on NewView Oklahoma's, formerly the League for the Blind, website. Can you tell that we are proud of her?
As for Steve and I, we are continuing our semi-retired saga. We are privileged to work with all the stores and people of Thomas Drug Inc. We work two days per week and whenever they need some additional help. I am so grateful that we've been able to follow this road. It really has been a "meant to be" kind of thing. I won't get too preachy here, but it is clear that God has wanted us to follow this path at this point in our lives. We aren't sure what the future is going to hold for us but we are willing to ride the wave wherever it takes us.
We've also started to help out with our church's A.W.A.N.A. program. This is a bible study type program. It has been a lot of fun for us. We've made some good friends at church, and the kids are fun, too. We are stretching our (read MY) comfort zone.
We did take a summer vacation this year. We drove up to Michigan for a Chapdelaine family reunion/graduation party. Of course, we took the long way there. We first drove to Anna's house in Ohio and stayed the night. Then we went on up to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It was a lot of fun. We did find that we've warped our children into knowing all the "old" rockers. After Cleveland, we continued on to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. We wanted to get our passports stamped but I was sad to find that they didn't stamp them. Oh well, the falls were astounding! After spending a couple of days at Niagara, we weren't sure where to go next. For some strange reason, we completed the circle around Lake Erie and went to Cedar Pointe amusement park. This park was NOT Disney World. It was roller coaster heaven!! If you like that sort of thing, then it's a must see place. We ended the trip by going back up into Michigan to visit family. We had a wonderful visit and we can't wait until we get to see them again this coming summer.
After our summer vacation, we took a fall vacation, too. Yes, we are spoiled! We met my sister Anna and her family down at Disney World at the end of September. We've done this several times now, and we always have a blast with them! I just wish we could go with them every time.
Well, that is about all that I can think of to type about this year. It sure seems like a ton of stuff. It is obvious that we have been blessed beyond measure this past year. I know if we keep following the path, we'll continue to prosper. Thank you to all of my friends out there who have made these blessings possible. You know who you are!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Addiction
I think I may becoming addicted to facebook.com. Not really but still...
It has been a very neat way to reconnect with family and friends. I know that I have talked more to some of my cousins since being on facebook than I have in all the previous years. I know that is a sad statement but still true. All the info I've had on them before was filtered through my dad. I never really understood the personal side of each of them as grown-ups. Now, through this service, I have been able to look at their kids pictures, read about their hobbies, and catch up on how they live on a daily basis. It's pretty neat.
I also have reconnected with a lot of my old high school classmates. Some I would consider former (and future) friends, while others were just aquaintences. Some of the people that I wasn't friends with during school, I've found that I have a lot in common with them now. I just goes to prove that during school we are so caught up in our own little dramas that we don't take the time to really get to know people. Maybe it shows just how little we know of ourselves during that time. It takes years of living to finally settle into who you really are as a human.
I, at first, thought that facebook was only for college kids. I'm glad that I got over that misguided thought and dived into the techno age.
It has been a very neat way to reconnect with family and friends. I know that I have talked more to some of my cousins since being on facebook than I have in all the previous years. I know that is a sad statement but still true. All the info I've had on them before was filtered through my dad. I never really understood the personal side of each of them as grown-ups. Now, through this service, I have been able to look at their kids pictures, read about their hobbies, and catch up on how they live on a daily basis. It's pretty neat.
I also have reconnected with a lot of my old high school classmates. Some I would consider former (and future) friends, while others were just aquaintences. Some of the people that I wasn't friends with during school, I've found that I have a lot in common with them now. I just goes to prove that during school we are so caught up in our own little dramas that we don't take the time to really get to know people. Maybe it shows just how little we know of ourselves during that time. It takes years of living to finally settle into who you really are as a human.
I, at first, thought that facebook was only for college kids. I'm glad that I got over that misguided thought and dived into the techno age.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
First Post
Welcome to my first blog! I thought this might be a fun way to share the daily adventures of the Drinnon family. I know that most days are pretty dull but I think it will be a nice way to keep up to date.
I guess, just in case, I should post a bit about myself and my family. I am a full time pharmacist as is my husband, Steve. Steve and I have been married almost 15 years. We are best freinds and enjoy hanging out together. I have two children, Drake (12) and Jillian (8). We live in a VERY small town in western Oklahoma. Drake is very independent and is involved in karate, skateboarding, & technology. I say technology because he does stuff with gadets that I don't understand at all. Over all I'd say he is extremly smart. Jilly is a bright ray of sunshine. She has albinism and has low vision. She is involved in karate, art, and Disney.
We just finished having my dad and sister for a visit. It was really great getting the whole family together for awhile. I'm always shocked how much the kids change in the time between visits. Matt and Trey are becoming fine young men. Chase is quite the charmer. He knows how to get what he wants with his winning smile.
Trey stikes me as a very thoughful person. He seems to want to think everything through before he takes the first step. Jilly is a lot like this but doesn't always want to take the time to think it through. She is more the type to worry about it afterwards.
Matt is just happy go lucky. His smile just cracks me up! He always looks like he is either planning something or getting away with something. I think he will be the type that has tons of friends and is a trend setter. You know, the kid that when everyone else is picking on someone's clothes, comes along and says "I think its kinda neat". Then the next thing you know EVERYONE thinks its the latest and greatest.
I'll try to post some pictures from the visit later.
Well, I guess that will be the first of many blogs to come. Wish me luck!!
I guess, just in case, I should post a bit about myself and my family. I am a full time pharmacist as is my husband, Steve. Steve and I have been married almost 15 years. We are best freinds and enjoy hanging out together. I have two children, Drake (12) and Jillian (8). We live in a VERY small town in western Oklahoma. Drake is very independent and is involved in karate, skateboarding, & technology. I say technology because he does stuff with gadets that I don't understand at all. Over all I'd say he is extremly smart. Jilly is a bright ray of sunshine. She has albinism and has low vision. She is involved in karate, art, and Disney.
We just finished having my dad and sister for a visit. It was really great getting the whole family together for awhile. I'm always shocked how much the kids change in the time between visits. Matt and Trey are becoming fine young men. Chase is quite the charmer. He knows how to get what he wants with his winning smile.
Trey stikes me as a very thoughful person. He seems to want to think everything through before he takes the first step. Jilly is a lot like this but doesn't always want to take the time to think it through. She is more the type to worry about it afterwards.
Matt is just happy go lucky. His smile just cracks me up! He always looks like he is either planning something or getting away with something. I think he will be the type that has tons of friends and is a trend setter. You know, the kid that when everyone else is picking on someone's clothes, comes along and says "I think its kinda neat". Then the next thing you know EVERYONE thinks its the latest and greatest.
I'll try to post some pictures from the visit later.
Well, I guess that will be the first of many blogs to come. Wish me luck!!
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