Rhodes Report 2017

If you haven't gotten our annual letter in the mail - don't read the below!  I'm trying to get the year wrapped up within the actual calendar year.  The letters will go out next week!

We hope that you have had some time over the holidays to sit back and reflect on your year.  As we have reminisced, our family's motto continues to be: "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  His faithful love endures forever!"

Ah, 2017…… What a year.  It seemed like non-stop busy-ness from one end to the other!

In February, my mom and sister Lurenda went overseas.  They got to do some sightseeing in London during a layover, and see all the sights of the Zimbabwe region while visiting my younger sister Carlsie and her husband Jono and his family.  My dad ended up having emergency surgery while they were gone, to repair a twisted intestine.  The doctor said that the blood supply had been cut off, and he was possibly within an hour of life-threatening damage.  We were so grateful that Dad happened to be with a friend who drove him straight to the hospital, and not working outside on the farm alone.  I moved to the farm with the kids to play nurse until the travelers returned, while my brother JC and neighbors took care of the animals.  Dad had a few "fun" months after that, with multiple trips to the emergency room (the first due to a stomach bug our kids were so kind to share), a kidney stone, and gall bladder surgery.  But now, six months later, he's going strong!  (Thanks to Mom's good care, I'm sure!)

We celebrated 13 years of marriage on March 20.  Lucky 13!  It's been the best one yet!
Carlsie and Jono moved home from Africa in March.  Later that month, Zadie, Elsa, and I took a road trip with Carlsie to northeast Arkansas (about 8 hours) for a job interview for Carlsie.  It was a relaxing time for me, not having to worry about teaching, enjoying beautiful drives, and good conversations with Carlsie.  The little girls and I browsed the small town during her interview, and enjoyed the hotel's pool and hot tub.  The ride home was a bit long with a baby who was DONE with being in the car, and a small girl who couldn't decide about going to the bathroom.  Even though Carlsie decided against taking the job, I still count it as a good trip.

Over the spring, Paul and I designed and built a patio to connect our two decks.  We used pea gravel, native rock, and lumber, and we are thrilled with how it turned out!  Paul designed and built custom patio furniture.  We bought colorful cushions for the couches, and now have a perfect outdoor oasis to enjoy.

We went on our first "real" family vacation in May (“real” in that it didn't include staying with family).  When we asked the kids what they wanted to do for a vacation, they said, "Go to a hotel with a pool!"  We went to Omaha to visit their zoo, and stayed in a 3-room hotel suite (2 bedrooms and a living/kitchen) with an indoor pool and breakfast buffet.  Everyone was happy!  Our luggage consisted of 1 duffel bag (for all 7 of us!), a diaper bag, and a stroller.  After this experience with packing light, I plan to travel that way from now on!

Two days after we returned home, we got a "hail" of a storm.  Golf-ball sized hail pounded our home for a half hour.  It totaled both cars, destroyed our brand-new roof (6 months old), and all the siding and trim on two sides of the house.  (No broken windows!)  It completely broke out the skylight panels on the barn roof, and decimated the trees, garden, and flowerbeds.  When it was over, it looked like mid-January outside - the ground was white, the trees were bare.  (And it was cold!)  It took over 24 hours for the piles of hailstones from our roof to melt.  Thankfully, no one - and no pets - were hurt.  Insurance payout wasn't as great as we'd hoped for the house, but the payout for totalling our cars will cover all the home repairs plus some upgrades.

June was busy with teaching at a Vacation Bible School in Homewood, and an outdoor Bible club in Pomona.

In July, the elders of our church asked me if I would head up our Awana ministry.  (Awana is a Bible-based children’s ministry that is held in churches worldwide.)  I head up the planning and administration, but the volunteer leaders are the ones who really carry the club, and they are doing a fantastic job!  I feel like there are some things I personally could do better, but there is the un-ending "not enough time" factor that seems to plague everyone.  But our club is operating smoothly (for the most part) and has grown, and I can only give that glory to God. I love the ministry of Awana (www.awana.org).  It had an impact on both Paul & I in our childhood and teen years.  Now our own children are growing to know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus through the ministry of Awana.  

This fall, Paul and I attended a church leadership retreat, and an Awana LEAD conference, and were challenged regarding our personal spiritual lives, and leadership methods and abilities.  We also both separately attended Encounters, and were again challenged regarding different areas of our lives.  It is so wonderful to draw closer together as we draw closer to God.  

In September, we started our home school year with 4 children.  (Yes, 4.)  What an adventure!  Gideon was only 3, but so stinking smart (and in need of something to distract him from destruction during school hours!) that we decided to put him in Kindergarten with Zadie.  We figured I could teach them both letters and numbers at the same time.  After about 2 months, I realized this was not the best situation - Zadie was learning quickly, and whereas Gideon was learning all his letters and sounds also, his motor and attention skills were far behind Zadie.  So, creating more work - by schooling them separately - has actually made my life easier.  Home-schooling has its days of absolutely maddening frustration (this year, many of them!), but it also has times of deep satisfaction, like listening to your child read or explain fractions and realizing you taught them every single thing they know.

We bought a handgun in the spring, and I surprised Paul with a shot gun for his birthday in July.  He has enjoyed practicing shooting with both guns.  (He has ridiculously good natural ability.)  In November, he went pheasant hunting with the brothers-in-law (JC, Keith, and Jono) and my dad.  We enjoyed smoked pheasant for our Thanksgiving meal. :)

At Paul's work, teams were challenged to come up with a production problem at work, and use a specific set of steps (the "Kaizan Spiral") to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve the issue.  His team won their plant-wide competition, so they went to Atlanta in November to present it at the U.S. Corporate meeting.  Paul’s team won second there, and will be going to Brussels, Belgium, in February to present it at the AGC worldwide competition!

Our family participated in the 15th annual Bethlehem outreach that our church puts on.  This year, I was "lead angel" in charge of 7 angels ages 10 and under (including 3 of our own) - oh my!  Paul was given a new part, portraying a rabbi at the synagogue, reading prophecies of the coming Messiah.  Grandma Janice kept the two littlest ones at home and out of trouble.  We really appreciate all the ways Paul's parents help us out with the kids and with projects. 

With a family this large, you knew a letter couldn’t be short!  But I won’t bore you with more details, and instead will wish you the happiest of New Years!  We invite you to stop by any time you are near, and we will catch up in person – we don’t take this circus on the road that often, so chances are you’ll catch us at home.  

Much love,

Paul & Rachel
Nathan, Jacob, Zadie, Gideon, and Elsa

Updates on the kids individually:

Nathan turned 10 in September.  It's hard to believe that we have been doing this parent thing for 10 years!  Nathan is very much a leader, taking charge during play time and even leading his brothers in Bible reading times in their room.  (He also attempts to be the teacher during school, which does not go over well.)  He excels at memorization, and does well at memorizing verses for Awana and complete poems for school.  He does very well in Math and Handwriting (hallelujah!) but struggles in Spelling.  (Details are not his strong point.)  He is an excellent help on anything we need, and loves working alongside Paul in the shop.  He and Jacob almost completely took over the yard work, and they kept it looking excellent all summer long.  Nathan says his favorite things are Legos, cats, army/military, Star Wars, and nachos.

Jacob turned 8 in October.  He is definitely a follower, which makes for peaceful interaction between the two big boys.  He does well in school, but we struggle with how to motivate him.  (He's a lot like his mother!)  He and another boy lead their Sparks (K-2^nd) group in Awana memorization, which is solely of his own, other than me adding it to his school list as a reminder to spend time on it.  Jacob wants to mow the yard constantly, which would work if he was heavy enough to hold the seat down!  So instead he push-mows and rakes.  He loves helping out, but also doesn’t want to leave the familiar (mom).  He says he wants to be a farmer when he grows up.  Jacob says his favorite things are Legos, playing outside, riding his bike, tractors, dinosaurs, camouflage, and mac & cheese.

In April, Zadie turned 5!   Zadie is definitely a princess.  She is obsessed with clothes and shoes (which we don't encourage), and has mastered issuing orders.  Yet despite this, she will often put on her hand-me-down camo and join the boys on their expeditions in the pasture.  She is a sass, but has a very tender and sensitive heart, as well.  Zadie asked Jesus to be her Savior early this year - there is no greater joy as parents.  She is in her first year of Sparks in Awana and is absolutely loving it.  Zadie started Kindergarten this year.  She eventually figured out all the sounds and names of the letters, but the more she’s learned, the more she wants to learn!  (Hooray!  Finally!)  She loves drawing pictures, writing her letters, her "girl" Legos, Beauty and the Beast, riding her bike, peanut butter sandwiches, and pizza.

Gideon turned 4 in December.  People constantly comment on how good his vocabulary is, and how quick he is to figure things out.  He drags Paul’s tools out and “builds” things most times he is outside.  He figured out his letters and sounds fairly well in school, but has no interest in numbers.  (Everything is “3!!!” – his age until this month.) But this cleverness coupled with being the 4th child (that the older 3 don't listen to) often leads to frustration and temper tantrums when he feels he is not being heard.  He is in his first year of Cubbies in Awana, and loves it!  He is a charmer, and knows exactly who will fall for his big, blinking eyes.  (Not his parents! ……usually.)  His favorite things include sugar (in any form), milk, Curious George, toy tractors, and building with "big Legos.” 

In March, Elsa turned 1!  She is a happy girl, full of cheesy grins.  She's a smart little thing, and is just as curious as her littlest big brother.  (I foresee trouble in the future when those two get together!)  She is very much a mama's girl, and wants to be near me at all times – yet when we’re home she is Miss Independence, fetching and carrying and dressing up all over the house!  She's not talking yet (sometimes I wonder if that's deliberate), except for one word – “GO!” which comes in handy, because she is potty trained!  (Her decision.)  We all love having this little golden redhead as part of our family.  Her favorite things include shoes, "cheesing" for the camera, "baby sauce" (apple sauce pouches), and watching Shaun the Sheep on YouTube. 

A Pea Gravel Patio!

When we tore off the decks to add the basement, I told Paul that rather than build the huge wraparound deck that we had previously, I wanted to replace the deck outside each door, but build a patio between them.
I'm not sure he quite agreed with me, but he designed and built two beautiful decks.

We laid gravel with plans to pour concrete within a year.
Well..... 3 years later.....  It still looked the same.  Part was due to finances - concrete is a lot more expensive than it was 10 years ago when we installed our sidewalk!  But a lot was due to indecisiveness.....  Neither of us wanted a square chunk of gray concrete.  But flagstones, staining, texturing - all added to the cost!
And then I read an article online that said you can use pea gravel as an affordable alternative to concrete.  Just that; no pictures, links, or anything.
So I tore the internet apart trying to find inspiration.  I did find a couple of blogs that made very basic, very tiny patios using pea gravel.  But I couldn't find any ideas that we could use on our space.  So I imagined, talked to Paul, did some price checking, and then.... We started work.

We leveled the area and used 5x5 timbers to frame it, secured to the ground with re-bar pounded through drilled holes.

We laid down landscape fabric (on the windiest week in April, I think!) to keep the weeds from sprouting through the gravel.

Slave labor.  11 tons moved in 3 hours.

View from the corner by the house and back deck.  I'm standing in the flowerbed we designed to edge it on 2 sides (against the house).

I decided I wanted a solid transition from the stairs to the patio (not to mention it was a giant step down!)  I had slightly under-estimated the amount of gravel needed, also, so we laid rocks at the base of both sets of stairs that served both purposes - solid landing, plus several square yards worth of filler!

 

I love how the "transition area" turned out.

Paul used leftover rock to outline our tiny bit of grass in the front, making it look very nice an tidy.

I priced patio furniture, and decided we couldn't afford it - at least not the style I wanted.  Paul took some measurements and built us some!  Here we have the first couch he built and the 2 cushions that actually did arrive with the "free 2 day shipping."

And this is the finished project!  We had to wait to stain it because the lumber was still very wet. 
(And it's a good thing we did, or the hail would have destroyed it!)

Add some flowers for perfection!

The purple cow is an ongoing family joke.  We confused the heck out of one of my dad's milk route drivers when we were young, by leaving a note for him on the fuel tank (just for randomness sake):
I never saw a purple cow.
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you, anyhow:
I'd rather see than be one!

I don't have a completed completion photo of all the deck furniture Paul built, with the flowers growing in the beds (actually, cabbage and kale, as the flowers were destroyed by hail).  Paul built us two full-length couches, a loveseat, chair, and footrest table for our outdoor oasis - all matching, and sized for standard "deep seating" patio cushions.
Despite not having a photo inspiration, the whole area turned out exactly how I had imagined.  It is the perfect place to relax in the evening, and has plenty of seating for all of our large family, plus guests.

The only drawback is that we got cats about the same time as we made the patio.  And they like to dig and....you know.  So there is that consideration if you are interested in tackling a gravel patio as your own project.

One "Hail" of a Storm!

Back in May, we got the hail storm of a lifetime.  We heard weather reports of hail - which never amount to anything.  We did move our vehicles under the trees, just in case, but I didn't move any of my potted plants.  I'd moved them 3 or 4 times already that month, and nothing ever materialized.

And then we got this:

Remember - this was taken May 31, not in January!

This was average size.  The smallest were about nickel-size.

It got very foggy as the cold rose from the hail (ice!) covering the ground.  And those puddles were COLD!

I had just commented on how wonderful our garden looked.  Corn was in the foreground, tomatoes in the back, peas, beans, and hill crops between.

Our roof was only 6 months old!  The insurance adjuster said this damage was the worst he'd seen in our area, and our roofer said it was the worst he'd ever seen.

It took a crew of 8 all day to rake up the mess.

Both of our vehicles were totaled.  The roof was a complete mess - obvious dents, broken shingles and debris all over the decks and yard.  The skylights in our barn were completely broken out.  Nearly every piece of siding on two sides of the house had at least one hole in it.  The screens and trim of all the windows of the north and west side were ruined - but surprisingly no broken glass!  My garden and all of our shade was obliterated.  Thankfully, though, no pets or people were injured!  (Although we did have to rescue a kitten from 6 inches of standing water in our barn!)
We have family, and friends like family, that volunteered to help with the cleanup.  They spent most of the day raking, and got it all done.  We were even able to go help our new neighbors clean up their yard as well.
Insurance paid very well on the vehicles (which we kept - what was a few more dents?), but didn't pay nearly what we'd hoped on the house.  Thankfully, the two payouts combined will cover all the repairs, plus upgrading the siding on the other two sides of the house.

Hip - Hippie - Hooray: Essential Oils (My New Love)

Two years ago, when I was early in my pregnancy with Elsa, I caught a horrible cold that would not go away.  Even after I felt better, the hacking cough lingered.  I was having multiple coughing attacks a day which I coughed so hard tears would stream down my face, I would pee my pants, and would end up with a splitting headache because I could not catch my breath.
Desperate for relief (you are advised to take nothing over the counter during the first trimester), I asked my friend Sabrina if she had wisdom for me to shake the persistent cough.  I knew she had been researching and trying many remedies to help her asthma and allergies.  She suggested some breathing exercises and gave me 2 small bottles - peppermint and lavender essential oils.  They were nearly empty, but she said to try them and see if they helped.
And they did!  I could feel the peppermint open my airways with a cool sensation.  I had a coughing fit at an Awana conference - I was embarraseed, so I was trying to stifle my coughs, which led to more coughing....  I put lavender on my temples, and could feel myself relaxing even though I was still coughing.  It was the weirdest thing.
It was enough to convince me there might be something to this hippie essential oil fad.
I also had horrible varicose veins, which pregnancy definitely made much worse.  The throbbing pain was so bad when I didn't wear compression tights that I would almost be limping.  I researched what oils might help, and kept coming up with one called "helichrysum."  It was expensive, but finally I bit the bullet and ordered some.
The relief was unbelieveable.  Even for me, still somewhat of a skeptic.  I put a couple drops on my hand, added about a teaspoon of sunflower oil and rubbed it on my aching leg, and by the time I put my leg down to the ground, the pain was gone.  (That is not an exaggeration - it was the weirdest thing!  And it still works like that on days I have vein pain!)
And that... Has led to this:

Paul built me this beautiful cabinet when my collection outgrew the drawer.

We may have a problem.....

Paul is still skeptical on all of it, but did give me one concession - the blend I have that claims to help with digestion definitely worked on him when he caught a stomach bug.  It was one and done, which has NEVER happened when he starts throwing up!
However, Paul has gotten into diffusing oils.  Not for therapeutic purposes, but just because they smell good!  He can blend a bit of this and that, and if it doesn't smell good, the commitment is only a few hours (unlike a candle).  And if it smells horrible, you can dump it out and start over!  (Lime and cinnamon being one of the few that I vetoed.)  For Christmas, he even got me a pretty diffuser for our bedroom!
I have also switched most of my skin care to oils.  I even use oil to wash my face - for real!  And my skin is much healthier than it was 18 months ago when I started.  I use essential oils with coconut oil instead of body lotion or perfume.  (Since having children, I have developed allergies to scents in some perfumes, soaps, and household cleaners and air fresheners.)  I make beeswax lip balm (just like the stuff you can buy!) for both Paul and I, and make a dry skin salve that really works!  (Maybe I will post the recipes another time.)
I don't sell oils, and I never will - I refuse to buy from or be a part of multi-level marketing.  But I will talk about them - a lot!  My research has slowed down (no time!), but I am always interested to read about new uses.  Who knew that just breathing in certain scents can help with sleep, concentration, and motivation?  If you're dubious that a smell can effect our brain like that, the best explanation I've read compared it to the smell of vomit making you want to vomit, the smell of fresh-baked bread making your mouth water - there's a smell/brain/body connection, even if I can't explain it!
So to wrap it up - here are a couple of our favorite diffuser "recipes" that make our house smell yummy:

Chocolate Mint Diffuser Blend
2 drops peppermint
1 drop vanilla
Smells just like chocolate mint candy!

Holiday Cookie Diffuser Blend (courtesy Edens Garden)
3 drops wild orange
2 drops cinnamon bark
2 drops vanilla
Zadie walked in when I had this going and exclaimed, "It smells like Christmas!"

Gems of Homeschooling

Homeschooling has it's ups and downs.  Lately, there's been quite a few downs, leaving me ready to call it quits.

But every once in a while, there is a gem that makes me laugh.  A lot.

How to Potty Train an 18-Month-Old

So do you want to know the quickest, fastest way to potty train a one-year-old from diapers to underpants in just one weekend?

Yeah, so do I.
But apparently, it's happened!

Yeah, sometimes she wears clothes.  (But not often!)

We stumbled into potty training completely by accident one evening back in October.  Elsa stood watching the tub fill for a bath, and something about the look on her face made me think she had to pee.  I swooped her onto the potty (we have one with a child's seat attatched to the lid - it's amazing!).  And she went!

Several hours later at bedtime, she was still dry, so I set her on the toilet again.  And she went again!
And that was really all it took for her.  I don't know how or why it was so easy, but it was.  After a month of disbelief with only maybe one accident a week, we started putting her in underpants for church and short trips to town.  Now two months in, I feel fairly confident that she will stay dry, even when we're gone all day.  The only accidents we've had are when I've forgotten the fold up potty seat (she won't go on a regular seat, even if I hold her) or when a certain aunt takes her to Sonic and loads her up on Sprite.
All the kids have started potty training young, but she definitely gets the award for 0 to 100 in the shortest amount of time.  I don't think it has anything to do with my parenting skills (you'd think I'd have learned something by #5!), but more so just that I happened to catch them when they were curious and when I had the time to work with them.
Potty training one so young has it's disadvantages - she doesn't talk much yet, but she's figured out "GO!" will get an immediate response.  I'll be sitting on the couch and she comes and gets me with a "GO!"..........and then leads me to the snack cupboard.  A couple times I've just taken her to to the bathroom, and she will start yelling at me from another room.  I ignore her, because I know she's just went - only to find out that pee wasn't all she had to do....  Also, since she's so little, there's no way she can take herself to the bathroom.  She can't climb up onto and turn around without falling in, so it's 100% parent-assisted.
But still - a small trade for not having to change poopy diapers any more!!!

Quote to Consider:

Success is not helping our kids be what they want to be. Success is helping our kids be what God wants them to be.


-Rob Rienow
God's Grand Vision for the Home