A Small Papa Update.

Papa is almost back to his normal self :) YAY!! Thank You for your prayers, help and sympathy. He's slowly weaning himself off his 'drugs' and is down to about a third of what he was taking at my last update. Life at the Griggs household is ALMOST back to normal.. just in time too.. for our Littlest Newest Member will be joining us in the next couple of weeks and then it'll all be craziness for a bit again :) Papa is doing most of the driving again, THANK YOU LORD!!, and we are actually managing to do our winter Prep list!! PTL. He's sleeping better then he has in months, eating like normal (though he has lost some weight and it still shows) and pretty much back to normal life. He won't be quite 'normal' for a bit yet I don't think. He still moves slower and is a bit fuzzy headed for him. *Normal for me :) Together we are making a lot of lists and reminders etc. He's still taking it easy as much as possible but I think the worst is done. Thank You all for your prayers and help :)

Ahhh Now This Is Mega Laundry!!

The long and short of it is.. when you have 5 kids, soon to be 6, on a farm and your husbands a mechanic and a farmer.. you do A LOT OF LAUNDRY!!! We've gone through a used washer roughly every two years since we've lived here!! They just don't seem to last long. The last one had been on it's 'last legs' for several months. You know you got washing machine trouble when you have to hand turn the churny thing in the middle so it'll churn the clothes down so they'll wash!! :) I told Papa, NO MORE USED WASHERS!!! And it took us a bit but we found one we liked online, paid for it over the phone and got it delivered right to our door!! SWEET!!! I LOVE it!! It easily does a full TOTE of laundry at a time, and they still come clean!!, and spins the clothes so dry you could almost wear them right out of the washer. No Joke!! The 1st week it was set up I did about a weeks worth of laundry, normally 8 loads, in 4 loads and ALL IN ONE DAY!! Because the washer spins them so dry I can use my dryer again without it taking HOURS to dry my clothes. About 50 minutes in the dryer is all it takes for a TOTES worth of laundry.. before it would take TWICE that long for HALF as much!! No wonder our dryer was costing us an arm and a leg to run!! ( We totally quit using the dryer last Feb because of this!!) The washer is 5.2 cf and sings a little song when you turn it on or off.. and when your load is done. Very cool!! lol. The lid is a no slamming lid and the kids love it because they can 'watch' though the glass window. The loudest part of washing used to be the addition spin when the washer did.. now the loudest part is the water pouring in.. and I have to admit for someone who has been filling her washer with a hose for several months, OK a year!, the water noises this thing makes has made my head thump and my heart turn over and for at least a second or two I wonder if I've, yet again, left the water running and the washer is overflowing! Then I remember that there is NO LONGER a hose in my addition and the washer is plumbed into the hot and cold like a normal washer and there will be NO MORE overflowing of the washer.. at least not that will be MY fault!! :) And that does my heart good :) 

$25

Such a small amount of money. But can make such a BIG IMPRESSION!!

Papa and I have slowly watched the destruction of the kids outside play balls.. Chip has chewed several, the cow stepped on a few, several more just never showed up after a while. Anyway we been wanting to get the kids some new balls, something the dog can't chew and the cow won't easily step on.. something that might have a chance to last for a while. While we were in the 'city' recently with the kids we took them to the ball section of our local StuffMart and let them each pick one. They were SO pleased as they each picked a large ball and put it in the cart. J3 was in the front of the cart and he was pretty pleased too.. all these COOL balls to throw on the floor.... so we ended up getting him one too. We made quite a sight Papa pushing the cart with J3 holding a ball bigger then himself in the seat. Then, 1, 2, 3, 4 BEAMING children each holding their very own large ball, various colors, and me taking up at the back. Keeping the strays in line and making sure no one got lost.. R couldn't even look over her ball!! People stopped to stare, several counted kids and balls. One little girl cheered them on. We managed to get to the check out without loosing a ball or a child which was quite amazing considering. I took the kids out and Papa paid for their balls and later when we got home they each proudly brought their new ball out of the truck and on to the front porch. I'm still kicking myself for not having my camera that night. Their smiles just about split their faces.

The Other Day E came RUNNING Into Our Bedroom.....

"MOM!!! My head fell on the floor!!!" She cried!!

*SNORT** Papa and I both managed NOT to laugh.. she was in earnest you see.

I couldn't resist..and Had to ask her. "Did you pick it up and put it back on?"

I'm not sure she ever thought it was funny but after a quick kiss she was off again and Papa and I laughed out loud!! Because it's not every day you have a head fall off you know!!