Have you ever had a monkey on your back? Try a husband. Sorry, this is coming so late after the last post, with 9 children, college, Treasurer of a charter school and volunteering at the Nature Center in Faribault, time just seems to slip away sometimes. I hope with this post coming out, that it will please my readers and also make my main man Ed very happy that I am finally catching up on my list of things to accomplish.
Since my graduation I have had so many things going on that I am not sure where to start, I am sure that my husband would say that I should have posted more often and then that wouldn’t be a problem right now. For starters I enrolled back in college to get my bachelors degree in Accounting. So far it is great! I am at the end of my second quarter and carrying about an A average. My next quarter will be the one I am most interested in because I am actually taking an auditing course. I eventually want to get my CFE licensing. For those of you who do not know what that is, it is a Certified Fraud Investigator. They audit companies for fraud.
I am also updating you on my involvement with my board membership at the Discovery School here in Faribault, Minnesota. Here my role as a board member I am the Treasurer and also on the finance committee. I did some research and found that most charter schools were not involved with the Adopt-A-Highway Program. So I took it upon myself and had this program implemented into the Discovery School. The Discover School adopted Hwy 246 just outside of the city of Nerstrand, Minnesota. We pick up about 2 times a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. I had a good turn out with 11 school kids, four staff members and myself and Ed of course, who came and took pictures and for support.
My son Brandon who is 15 years old and I, decided also this year to give back to the community by helping out the River Bend Nature Center here in Faribault as well. We are doing this by being Rangers for the Nature Center. We had to sign up and take a training course to learn how to drive the gator vehicle and certain machinery and how to care for some of the equipment. We go on specified Saturdays, because there was such a turn out of people who wanted to help preserve this area. They use to have paid Rangers, but due to budgetary cut backs, they had to lay off all the regular rangers, so Brandon and I decided this was a great way to help the community and we also love being outdoors. It also will look good on a resume!
I also added another family member to our family, no it is not another kid! I talked Ed into letting me get a dog. We went to our local animal shelter and I fell in love with a beautiful year and a half , boxer/retriever mix. Her name is Brandy. To be truthful, I fell in lover with her online a few days before we even got to the shelter, Ed didn’t even have a chance! Brandy knew the moment when I got there that I wanted her and that she was going to come home with me. She is a great dog and gets along well with the kids and mostly with Joyce’s cat. One thing is, she is always starving for attention and love! Brandy is also my shadow. She follows me everywhere I go and when I am doing my homework, sleeps underneath my desk, or is sleeping on our couch in our den. Since we have had her, I have fallen deeply in love with her and have even given her a middle name. Her full name is Brandy Lynn Karn, now isn’t that funny?
Brandy Lynn Karn
Ed is also going to build a small boat with some of the older boys so that they can go boating this summer. They are all really excited about this project. We have all the wood and tools that we need, due to Ed being a blacksmith, that it will be a grand boat when it is done. The boys sure will learn a great deal over the summer with math being used, how to use tools and also spending quality time with their dad! I will enjoy watching them, because I always love watching Ed making things with his hands out of nothing. He is quite good at what he does and it is fascinating to see the end results. I see all the materials Ed uses to start off with and wonder how the finished product can come from such materials, but when he is done, I am amazed! I know he doesn’t feel the same, but I treasure everything he makes, because they are one of a kind and a great deal of work, detail, time and care went into each of his projects. Ed is very creative and a very good blacksmith!
Ed and I also have been working in our gardens more this spring. Ed is making a Japanese flower garden in the back with a water fountain. We did find some amazing plants that will make his garden look amazing. I just got more rose plants, some perennials and add wood chips to brighten up the front gardens.
My front garden
This May was not a good month for my side of the family. I had two deaths in the family. My favorite aunt died on May 20th and then on the 23rd, my grandmother died. They both lived in Calumet, Michigan. Then on top of all that , my stepmother was lost for about a day and nobody could find her. She also lives in Michigan, but in Lake Linden. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. My family is feeling like they have been plagued with a black spot all of a sudden. Hopefully soon, my family will recover and be able to come together and become whole again. It has been a hard road this month for us and we just need to remember that we need to rely on each other for support.
The funniest thing happened a few days ago, Ed bought our youngest a skateboard and helmet. Mason loves the helmet, but will not put the strap underneath his chin. He says it will choke him. He even does the choking noise when it is place underneath his chin! So he wears in on his chin! He is the funniest child ever! He will even go outside during the rain and try to kung fu the raindrops! It seems that no matter how bad life seems to be, you can always find something in life to sit back and watch that will make you feel that everything is worthwhile!
An angel
All in all, everything has been good, but busy. It should be with the household that I have, but I feel that I am blessed. I could not ask for anything more, why would I, I have the best of all men in my life. I am married to Ed Karn.
My Love of my life
