Family update

It's been awhile since we've posted anything lately. Daily activities, schooling, and life leave other things neglected sometimes.
The many feet of snow has finally melted except for one small patch of snow in the backyard. The skating rink is finally melted and the boards are being put away until next year. It was our longest skating season yet - from the beginning of December until the beginning of March, but with much shoveling and snow blowing this year. At one point there were six foot walls of snow on the sides.
We've made maple syrup again this year...about 3 1/2 gallons.

Recently James decided he didn't need his appendix anymore, so it came out! He wasn't feeling great on a Saturday while we were making maple syrup, saying his belly hurt, but then he'd get up and play so we just thought maybe he was coming down with the stomach bug that was going around. He ate a little supper and went to bed, but ending up vomiting once later that evening. After sleeping through the night, he still didn't feel great in the morning so he stayed home from church with daddy. By the time the rest of the family got home from church he was crying that his belly hurt. At this point we knew something was seriously wrong. A phone call to the pediatrician sent us directly to the ER. We arrived at the hospital around 230 where they ran tests, kept pressing his stomach, and ran a CT scan. That was very revealing...showing the abnormal thickness of the wall of his appendix. He had surgery that evening around 9pm. Although they found that the appendix had ruptured, it was a successful surgery! He ended up spending the entire week in the hospital to recover. It was a very long week for him and our family, but we were fortunate that Charlie was able to take the week off from work and at least one of us was with him at all times, including during the night. We were even able to get a bit of school done while in the hospital. We're so thankful that God protected him and healed him and that he is running around and back to his normal self! Thank you to all who prayed, visited, called, sent cards, and helped out!!!

For now, we're trying to finish up school for the year while I'm looking already at school work for next year. The kids are happy to be outside riding bike, playing in the stream, and doing a little fishing. They are looking forward to camping trips, more fishing, and playing tennis this summer.