Heirs of the Magi News Flash!

***Heirs of the Magi News Flash!*** Winter has, for the most part, been mild so far - or awesome for the month that Cassie and Michael spent in summertime-Australia! They are home now and will be working from home for most of the time until Easter. The hometown work will include getting ready for their next trip, but there will be a lot of fun to get in on and share with their favorite people - including their March Break trip to Florida adventure. All of your favorite Magi Masters will continue to work and play while their future plans unfold; so... ...Visit Witch Falls often to keep up with all of their latest stories; and Happy Reading!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Cassie's Journal - April 29, 2012

Wedding talk and action has been in the air this week; mostly with Mom and Aunt Leanne helping Aunt Deborah with her wedding plans. Aunt Deborah and Aunt Leanne were in Crystal Springs yesterday too; meeting the other girls in the bridal party to be fitted for their gowns.

All of that has reminded me that there seems to be a lot of weddings going on this summer. Grandpa Grant and Eleanor Byrd are first up on the last weekend of June, followed by Jared Spencer and Amy White the following weekend. Aunt Deborah and Nick have their big day two weeks after that; with Rob and Trish’s wedding on August eleventh. I’m only officially invited to Aunt Deborah and Nick’s wedding, but Rowen and I plan on going to the ceremonies for Grandpa Grant and Eleanor’s, and Amy and Jared’s weddings. Having Amy as my very first teacher in Witch Falls is only one of the reasons why she’s still my very favorite.

I wasn’t really involved at all with those wedding plans, and have been spending extra time working on the family business and my studies; mostly because I’m already getting set up so I’ll be ready for more fun time during summer vacation. Yes, it is just the end of April, but we have just under seven weeks left until school’s out, and a holiday weekend between now and then. Add to that the start of baseball season, with our first practice on Tuesday, and I’m going to be busier than ever!

That really does have me feeling like summer is just around the corner, even though the weather this week has ranged from summer-like to near-winter – a very strange end to April, and not particularly good for May flowers either.

Mom keeps up with the journal for Ethan and Ehlana’s education, just as she does for me, but since I’m thinking about things like summer and the end of this school year, I should mention that my precocious little brother and sister have just wrapped up their Grade Six education, and are shooting for finishing Grade Eight by their first birthday. It’s weird thinking about them being that far along in their education already, but they’re only a bit ahead of where I was at their age, and they’ll be playing regular student eventually too. The price we have to pay for our secret Magi Master identities!

This pretty much puts a wrap on things for April, and we are really going to be having some fun in May – especially with our future plans. Mother’s Day and the Memorial Day long weekend will be great too, and it looks like everyone from our family and Uncle Adam’s will be home for the holiday weekend this year. I should probably rest up a bit extra for that, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Cassie's Journal - April 22, 2012

Dillon’s seventeenth birthday was on Monday, and while I’m sure he loved the gift that Violet had me hand-deliver to him, and the gift that Ethan, Ehlana, and I got him; my hug and kiss wasn’t much compared to the hug and kiss he wished he could be getting from his girlfriend instead. His parents and friends took care of the rest of his birthday entertainment, and while they were having fun; I got started on a busy week of work and studying.

With Dad away in Crystal Springs; Mom and I tag-teamed taking care of Ethan and Ehlana with some help from Aunt Leanne and some of our friends. That meant that a lot of our work and studying didn’t get started until after the twins went to bed each night, and I’ve been up until at least one o’clock every night this week. We took breaks for game night at the Inn on Thursday, and dinner and a movie on Friday night; but we had a long, all-day yard work session on Saturday. Dad had to spend most of Sunday working in the office, so Ethan, Ehlana, and I spent some of that time with Rowen, and the rest working on our future plans.

I haven’t written much about that lately, but what we’re working on now is fairly boring, even as it’s exciting to see everything coming together too. Aunt Leanne is going to have the land purchases we need done over the next couple or three months, and we’re all getting presentations ready that Mom, Dad, Uncle Adam, and Aunt Leanne will be taking to both the Magi and town councils after Grandma and Grandpa get home from their winter getaway. By the Memorial Day weekend, we’ll be ready to really start having some fun with all of it!

Anyway, that’s all for this week, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Cassie's Journal - April 15, 2012

We’re back to the usual daily routine now that Easter is past, and the next holiday weekend is nearly two months away.

In local news, Patrick had his ninth birthday last Monday, and I helped him celebrate by having Rowen stay at my house for a sleepover while he had his buddies at their house. We didn’t escape the birthday party and dinner, and managed to get through the experience without using our Magi powers on any of the boys. Talking about what we could have done to them did provide some bedtime entertainment, and by morning, we were ready to wade back into the boy-zone and help Rowen’s parents with getting Patrick and his friends fed and off to school.

We had another birthday boy in our class this week too, but twelfth birthdays haven’t started to be co-ed yet, so Gil’s party on Thursday didn’t affect the social schedule for Rowen and me. We did get him a card and small gift, like we did for all of our friends and classmates, and he got razzed about it just like the rest of the guys did on their birthdays. I’m not sure whether to be glad that this phase will be over for the boys soon or afraid of what comes next!

Moving on from that thought, I’ve been keeping busy all week; juggling school, the family business, Magi lessons, archive and language studies, and the rest of my usual work and play. Dad’s been busy all weekend getting ready for his week in the city; though we managed to fit in a couple of hours of yard work between raindrops on Saturday. Rowen’s parents were busy with the height of tax season all weekend, so she helped them out as much as she could, and we didn’t get to spend much time together.

That doesn’t sound like a very exciting week, but I got a lot done, and did have fun. I’ve also had late nights nearly every day, and am ready to get some extra sleep tonight, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Cassie's Journal - April 8, 2012

Time for a condensed, Easter weekend, update.

With the family away, Mom and Dad kept me busy with yard work play yesterday morning. Violet helped Mom with the twins, and they did another lesson, before she left to spend time with Dillon before he went to work at the Inn. The work wasn’t all that exciting, but we made up for that with an afternoon trail ride at the Ridge River Ranch that Aunt Leanne, Uncle Adam, and Rowen joined us for while Ethan and Ehlana spent a couple of hours with Aunt Deborah, Nick, and Naomi.

We had a quiet dinner and night at home after that, and it’s been nearly non-stop action all day today; starting with Ethan and Ehlana’s first visit from the Easter Bunny. Note to the parental units – use extreme caution when feeding chocolate to twin Magi Masters! Easter basket fun was followed by the sunrise service at church; the pancake breakfast; and the regular church service an hour later than normal. After that, we had a short lunch break, and then it was time to take the show on the road to Aunt Leanne and Uncle Adam’s house. They were hosting the Easter dinner, and while Violet was going to be spending most of the afternoon with Dillon and his family; Uncle Adam’s parents and grandparents came over for the afternoon, and Aunt Deborah and Nick were splitting their time between his family and hers. Two Easter dinners in one day may sound great in theory, but I’m sure they were both on food overload by the time they ‘rolled’ on home after the cleanup from meal number two wrapped up shortly after eight.

I didn’t need to be rolled home, but it has been a long day, and I’m ready to drop, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, passing out and signing off!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Cassie's Journal - April 6, 2012

Being a Magi Master and an eleven-year old kid colors my perspective for everything, but I notice it more on days like today. Good Friday is a very solemn time for many, if not most, Christians. Pastors Lewis and Martha led us through a very subdued and emotional service, but after going home and getting changed; Rowen and I met up again with the rest of a beautiful spring day ahead of us to enjoy. While it’s not quite the same thing, I feel the same way about Good Friday as I now do about Memorial Day – thanks to my family and friends in Witch Falls. Remembering and honoring Jesus’ sacrifice is important, but so is celebrating the lives we have today because of that ultimate gift of Grace.

Rowen and I spent a lot of time at the park, including taking Ethan and Ehlana there for an hour or so while Mom and Violet worked on a lesson. Dillon was coming for dinner with us, and we were having Uncle Adam, Aunt Leanne, and the Emersons over for a barbeque too. Aunt Deborah and Nick were busy with his family, and it seemed very quiet without having the usual big family long-weekend meals, but we did all enjoy having a few hours to just hang out together. Rowen stayed for a sleepover even though she was working at the store in the morning, and we’ve been in the lounge watching a movie, surfing the web, and talking with Mandy since helping to put Ethan and Ehlana to bed.

That’s pretty much all the news from here for today, and Rowen and I are ready to get some sleep, so I’ll wrap this up too.

Live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Cassie's Journal - April 5, 2012

I love a short school week as much as the next kid, but this long weekend seems a bit strange compared to the Easter weekend last year. Violet is the only member of our family spending the weekend with us, and Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne don’t have anyone from his family coming home this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa won’t be back from their winter vacation for another five or six weeks, so it seems very quiet compared to the crazy rush during those last couple of weeks before Uncle Adam and Aunt Leanne’s wedding.

That isn’t all bad, since Rowen and I will have more time to spend together, and we won’t have to rush around all weekend. After Mrs. Warren set us free, we had snack time with Mom, Ethan, and Ehlana; and then we biked over to the park to play until dinnertime. There wasn’t a game night at the Inn tonight, but since Violet got home in time to have dinner with us, and Dillon was working; that just gave us time to visit with her and for Mom to do a Magi lesson that Ethan, Ehlana, and I got to do with Violet.

Dillon joined us for the bedtime snack and story, and then I was politely sent off to my room after the twins were tucked into their cribs. I got the hint right away, and though Mom and Dad did stay up and talk with Violet and Dillon for a while, it wasn’t long before there was only one couple left cuddling together in the living room.

I’ve been reading in the archives since getting into bed and cuddling with Mandy; including reading some of the Magi journals that Mom used to put together the Magi Easter story she gave to the Magi Council last year. With everything the Magi back then had to deal with, I think that doing nothing during the events surrounding Jesus’ crucifixion might have been the hardest to handle. I don’t know if I could have been strong enough to endure watching that happen while knowing it was something I had the power to stop. Since He had the same power – and much more – and that’s the point of His choice and sacrifice. Everything Mom and I have been through certainly pales by comparison, but one thing I am thinking about tonight is that Jesus had many times of joy and happiness, and this Easter, I’m very grateful for everything Mom and I now have since coming to Witch Falls.

Okay, that’s enough of deep thoughts for tonight. It’s time to get some sleep, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Cassie's Journal - April 4, 2012

I’ve been doing a lot of work this week, but the good news is that the worst of it is over, and we’re ready for the long weekend break. Violet sent me an email to let me know that she’s already packed and ready to come here right from school tomorrow. She’s going to miss Easter dinner with Aunt Melissa’s family, and a Rice family barbeque on Saturday; but those plans couldn’t compete with another few days hanging out with Dillon and her Witch Falls friends.

After school, I was helping Mom with the housework, so I had to wait until after Ethan and Ehlana went to bed to start on my family business work. I haven’t had much to do with Easter-related business for a while now, but gearing up for summer, and even (gasp) back-to-school planning is keeping me busy. I’m putting in extra time tonight so that I can take the weekend off, and Rowen worked at the store today so she’ll only have to work there on Saturday morning for a while.

I took the night off from studying German or Japanese, but did a bit of extra work the last two nights. My archive work has been a bit slow too, but that’s more because the sections I’m going through are fairly technical – and tedious. Falling asleep while working through the material has been a problem, though I did manage to get through a thousand pages tonight without nodding off. It’s after two, though, and time to call it a night, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Cassie's Journal - April 1, 2012

I was going to leave this journal entry blank as an April Fool’s Day joke; but after a few pranks before and after church, and a couple more at the park while Ethan, Ehlana, and I were there; I’ve had enough of that kind of fun for at least another year.

The only news from around town to report today is an update on Heather and Brandon Green. Uncle Adam and Aunt Deborah have been taking turns staying at the clinic with them, along with some extra help from Heather’s and Adam’s friends and families. Uncle Adam is sure that they’ll be home, at the very latest, in time for Easter. Rowen and I have volunteered to join the crew that is going to be helping Heather, but we probably won’t have much to do until after they get home.

When we weren’t being pranked at the park, Ethan, Ehlana, and I had a fun afternoon while the parents were busy working in the office. We walked the paths around the park; played on the swings and slides; and had our afternoon snack on the dock. We spent an hour in the lounge before dinner working on our future plans, and then we spent the evening with Mom and Dad after that. I’ve been on my own since coming upstairs to spend a bit of quality time with my Jacuzzi, and have been splitting my computer time between a bit of family business work and the usual entertainment and email checks while having a couple of chats – one in German, and the other in Japanese.

I promised myself an early (before midnight) bedtime, and it’s getting there fast now, so...

...live from Witch Falls; this is Cassie Proctor, signing off!