What's Going On

It seems like lately my posts have been filled with holidays and specific events... let me fill you in on what else is going on.

I have been sick for over a week now :( It started out as just a cold, but has decided to linger on as something else, although I haven't figured out what exactly. I've got a slight fever and a pain in my teeth, and my eyes burn. The nurse doesn't seem to think it's the beginning of a sinus infection, which is good news, but she doesn't know what it is either. For now she's stuffing me full of medicines, trying to get rid of it. Believe me though.... I am NOT complaining. This is only the second time I've been sick since we've been here. And I am not at a point where I can't function, so I don't consider this to be too bad. I'm just praying that my family somehow avoids whatever this is.

This weekend we went out in search of a street sign. I saw in my atlas of Jerusalem that there is a street that has our last name... and spelled the same way (which is amazing). I thought it would be really neat to have our picture taken by the sign, so we took off on our hunt. I quickly noticed however that this street just happens to be in the Mea Shearim district. This is the Ultra Orthodox Jewish part of town where they are not afraid to stone unwelcome visitors. And since this was a Saturday (Sabbath), we decided against our original plan. Smart, huh? Maybe some day before we leave here we'll find a way to reach that street. But for now, I'm satisfied seeing it written in the atlas.

My husband will be very busy for the rest of this week. Someone is coming to town, and that always means more hours for him. You know, like 60 hours a week isn't enough! Not that we're complaining about his hours here. This is the least number of hours he's ever worked. One job, several years ago, he averaged between 100-140 hours a week. We didn't see each other very much. Laura, you know what I'm talking about!

Some of you have asked me recently about why we're living in Jerusalem. If you're new here then I imagine that it would be really hard to figure it out. Even if you've read this blog for a while you might not know! Unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly. Not that we're doing anything secretive, it's just for our own safety. I can tell you that we are not missionaries, and that my husband works at the US Consulate with the State Department... (not for, just with) But, if we ever were to meet in the States, you would probably want to shake my husband's hand and thank him. ;)

I mentioned last month how I was feeling guilty for our large grocery bill. I tried really hard in the month of April to lower that amount, and I wanted to share the results with you. I saved $150 compared to an average month of shopping! Woo Hoo! While I was watching our spending more closely I did notice that not all of that money goes toward food. We also buy toiletries and cleaning supplies on that same budget, so that can really add up fast. This month might not see much of a savings for us because of the fruits that are starting to come into season. Our refrigerator is crammed full of watermelon, honeydew, apricots, etc. After having lived in Okinawa for 3 1/2 years and not getting these yummy foods, we're more willing to spend a little more for them now. And fruit is good for you, so we don't have to feel guilty.... right? Although, $10 was probably too much to pay for a watermelon!

I had a small fabric miracle yesterday. My box arrived from Fabric.com and I was so pleased to see the fabric I had ordered was exactly what I had wanted. I usually have such a hard time getting the right fabric online, but I know what the difference was this time.... my husband picked this one out for me! I've learned to trust his judgment about what looks good on me. He's usually right. And besides, he's the only one I care about liking what I look like! When I finish the skirt I'll post a picture. Oh, and I also got some more denim.... you're shocked, right?

We're getting down to the last few weeks of school...... yea!! I don't know who is more excited, the kids or me! We are all ready for a break. My son will 'graduate' Kindergarten this year; he did so well, and really enjoyed his school time each day. My daughter will be finishing 5th grade, and while she did really well, I can't say that she enjoyed her school. She's only 8, so I think I will take the next few years a little easier on her and let her slow down some. I think it will be better on both of us if she's not working so hard all the time.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!