Our family

Our family
Robertson Family

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Spring Sports, Missions trips, and “Christian Education”

 The month of February felt like a year long, but March is steaming full speed ahead! We’ve begun spring sports, had revival services at church, survived with about half of the school being sick, began spring yard work, and are enjoying some warmer temperatures this week! 




Wyatt and Chandler are both on the golf team, and they are enjoying that immensely. The boys had their first match yesterday and while it wasn’t their best game for either of them, their team placed fourth out of seven. So it wasn’t terrible! Both boys are relatively new to the game of golf, and I know about nil! I didn’t know what a “boogie” was or if it was a good or bad thing- I still don’t completely know! I’ve decided that I need to learn to play golf as all the boys seem to enjoy it, but I’m a fair weather golfer. It can’t be too hot, too cold, too buggy, too muggy, basically I guess I’ll learn when I feel like it! Haha! I’ll learn eventually! My friend, Laura, and her daughter, Ava, went to watch the boys play their golf game yesterday, so I’m glad that she was able to go and take some pictures. With both boys playing, I think I’d need a golf cart to get around the course. I gather that it’s a shot gun start with different players at different holes on the course. The teams are all split amongst each other and keep track of another players score. Since Wyatt and Chandler can’t keep track of each other’s score as their on the same team, they were at different holes on the course yesterday. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot about golf over the next six weeks! 

Garett is playing baseball this spring. He likes golf too, but he decided to play baseball this year. He likes baseball, but his mama doesn’t like the long practices! Wyatt and Chandler are generally done with golf practice around 5:00pm, and Garett isn’t done til about 6:30pm, so it makes getting everyone home a wee bit interesting! We are working on figuring it all out, and hopefully Garett will be getting his license in the next couple of weeks. Garett’s first game will be on Friday, and the weather looks like it will be beautiful, I also like watching baseball when it’s warm and sunny! I guess I’m a fair weather fan! :) 

Travis is anxiously waiting his turn to play spring sports, and that should start happening at the end of the month. He will be playing youth soccer, and he is very excited about that. Emma is happy to have warmer weather, and more time outside. Spring is a fun time of year!

We’ve survived a week of feeling like everyone was either getting sick or getting over being sick! Last week, I took Wyatt to the walk-in clinic as he was running a fever and his throat was hurting really badly. I’m not one to run off to the doctors, but there have been several cases of strep throat going around! He had the flu, but not strep. He missed a few days of school, and Emma was sick for a day or two, but so far the rest of us have remained relatively healthy! We praise the Lord for that! I’ve felt very tired, but daylight savings time also has that effect on me. 

Two weeks ago, we had grandparents day at school. This event is for the elementary students, and they sing or say a poem for the grandparents that attend. We host a book fair where the grandparents can buy a book for the library. They purchase the book in honor of their grandchild, and the library gets a few new books! My friend, Jennifer, and I host the book fair for the library. This year we set out 59 books to sell, and at the end of two hours we had five books left over! It creates a lot of work to get the new books barcoded and labeled into the library, but it also helps bring in new books for the library. We live in an era where kids are not reading nearly enough, so we try to incorporate ways for the students to enjoy reading. I enjoy reading, but I find it hard to engage a lot of students in books these days. If you have any suggestions about great books for young readers, we are always open to ideas! 

We are still waiting to hear back about the opportunity scholarship for our children. Originally we were supposed to receive word in March about whether or not we would get any scholarship help, but now that date has been moved into April. Please continue to pray with us about this scholarship. It would be a huge blessing to our family. God has always provided, and we are so very thankful for that!

Garett and Chandler have the unique opportunity to go on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic in just a little over a week! We are so excited about this opportunity for them. Garett has been to Haiti a few times on missions trip, but that is a very unsafe country currently. God opened the doors for the boys to go with my sister, Jen, as well as my Dad on this trip to the Dominican Republic. We are praying fervently that God will work in their hearts. The boys are praying that they’ll be able to host a little soccer clinic down in the D.R., and our athletic director from school gave the boys some old uniforms to take with them. It would be an exciting opportunity to incorporate sports and the Good News of the Gospel, so we are praying that God will make a way for this to happen. They will also be helping with work on various projects, helping with Vacation Bible school, and whatever else needs doing. If you feel led to help them financially, I am including a link in this post. This link is for Chandler, but the money will go towards both boys. We appreciate your prayers for our sons as they travel, serve, and bless others during this week in the D.R. The link below is the donation link for the boys trip. 

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/0a8c5c8a-10ea-418a-8f8e-ed635f6b3e3a


We are also looking forward to spring break! We have about two and half weeks til break, and I am very much looking forward to having a break from school. I always have a lengthy list of things I think I’m going to accomplish over break, and I never complete the list! However, it’s good to dream big! 

In art classes, we are doing lots of spring art! Since tulips are one of my favorite flowers, we are doing a lot of “tulip” art. I have a great art assistant, Kaycee, who willingly helps me with whatever messes we are creating in art. I’ve been blessed to work with her this year, and God knew it would be good for both of us.  We are also trying to drive home to our students the importance of loving God with all our hearts, glorifying Him with our lives, and being intentional. It’s a big job to teach young hearts and minds, and I don’t take the opportunity lightly. 

Recently, I needed to write out my philosophy of “Christian Education” for something I’m working on. I reflected back on what I had written in college, and while I’ve taken some of that through the years, I was very young. :) I  believe that the importance of Christian Education is to glorify God. If we were created for His glory, shouldn’t that reflect in our teachings to our students? As a Christian educator, my calling is to point my students to Jesus as well as to educate them to the best of my ability in their academics. This should be done whether I’m teaching art, library or anything else. Because we live in this world, I also need to prepare my students to reach certain academic standards, but Christlikeness  should be seen in both my educational teaching and my interactions of with my students. Both should reflect a desire to glorify God as that is why I was created and so were my students! There are certainly a lot of educators doing “Christian education” in our public school systems, and we need that. We need teachers to pray for their students in those classrooms, point them to Jesus through their actions, and disciple them. I’m thankful that I can pray out loud with each of my classes, correct them with what the Bible says, point them to the Scriptures, and pour into their lives. I don’t know how long God has for me in Christian education, but if ever I lose that passion and desire, it’s time to be done. For now, I’ll do my best to teach intentionally and glorify God. Obviously, my Christian education philosophy is much longer than those few sentences mentioned, but the gist is there. I learned so much about “Christian Education” from being mentored by a fabulous older and wiser teacher. Garett and Chandler both had the privilege of being taught by Mrs. Becky Martz in their junior high years. She taught them academics, but she taught them so, so much more than that. Through her example, I learned so much about how I wanted to have my approach to my students when the opportunity presented itself. Oh, teaching kindergarten is different than junior high, but loving Jesus and pointing kids to Jesus is the same. I’m so thankful for her investment in the lives of all our children, but especially Chandler and Garett. 

As Resurrection Sunday approaches, I hope and pray that you take some time to reflect on what Jesus has done for you. God loved you so much that He sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sin and mine. But- praise the Lord- Jesus rose again! The invitation to accept Him into your heart is open for all of us, and I hope that you’ve taken the time to accept the free gift of salvation. We certainly cannot get into Heaven on our own, and our only hope is in Jesus. Praise the Lord for salvation! 







Tuesday, February 27, 2024

February Victories, Memories, and More!

 Another month is almost over, and I always think that February is the longest short month ever! February seems to stretch out for a very long time, but we are getting closer to wrapping up this month. 

Early in the month, Roger and I had the opportunity to attend a marriage retreat. It was good to get away for a few days, and we’ve had to do some serious soul searching lately regarding some decisions that will have to be made regarding our children, the future, finances, and so much more. 




This month also brought about the completion of JV Basketball, JV cheerleading, Varisty Basketball, and Varsity cheerleading.  Two weekends ago,  Wyatt participated in the JV tournament for basketball, and the JV cheerleaders also participated in the tournament. We had eight JV girls on the cheerleading squad, and it was a season to remember. Some of them were completely new to cheering, so they had a lot to learn as far as stunts, routines, cheers, and chants. They worked hard, and we are proud of them. Laura came down for the tournament on Friday, so that was a huge help to me. It’s always a relief when she’s at the games as she brings a depth of experience to coaching that I don’t have. The JV boys basketball team made it to the championship game, which was played on Saturday afternoon. 

It was an exciting JV game to watch as it was pushed into overtime twice! Wyatt made a few mistakes in the final quarter of the game, which resulted in his coach pulling him (as he should’ve!). Wyatt can tend to be defined by his mistakes, and we’ve been working on overcoming that tendency. His coach spoke with Wyatt, encouraged him to do better, and a few minutes later Wyatt went back in the game. He was able to overcome those earlier mistakes to shoot a three pointer that helped the team tie the game to go into overtime! Roger and I are thankful for Wyatt’s coaches who helped him, encouraged him, and put him back in the game. It was a close game, but after double overtime, the JV Boys basketball team pulled off a victory! That was an exciting way to wrap up the season, and this mama was glad to have another sport behind us! (Basketball and cheer are loooong seasons!) 

Many of you may already be aware, but the state of North Carolina recently changed the Opportunity Scholarship guidelines for private education. Previously, you could only apply if you were military, a child in k-2nd grade, or your children were coming from public schooling. There was also an income limit, but that was never our concern. Only one of our children has the opportunity scholarship and that’s Emma. Emma was able to get the scholarship because she was moved back to 2nd grade last year. This provided some financial relief for at least one child, and we’ve been so thankful for that! However, when the guidelines were updated to include all students regardless of grade entry, we knew that we wanted to apply. The application process opened on February 1st, and I was definitely all about applying on February 1st! I don’t mind working, and I like working, but this year has been A LOT! It would be hard to keep up this projectory rate and be as present as I need to be for our children. We have no idea how long the funds will last for the scholarship money, but anything would be helpful. However, when I went to apply for our other four kids, I was smacked in the face with something unexpected. Since I have worked so much this past year, we will not qualify for the first round of funding for schooling. We are 4K over the limit of how much can be made for our household size, so we will be in award tier 2 of funding. (It can be kinda confusing, but there are four different tiers for the school choice funding. We’ve always been in the first tier, so Emma has gotten 90% school tuition coverage.) I know this sounds crazy, but I cried. We’ve worked our tails off, and to realize that because I have worked so hard to help provide Christian education that resulted in being pushed out of the first round of funding, was hard to take.  We fall into the second tier of funding, which will be disbursed if there are any remaining funds by a lottery to those that have applied. God has ALWAYS, always, always provided for our children’s education, but I really wanted to try to be more present for our younger kids next year, and we can’t seem to find balance. I know that God has a plan in and through it all, and this is another opportunity to trust Him. God is molding and shaping us to be a vessel for His glory. So we continue to press on, move forward, and trust in Him. (And I continue to pray that perhaps, by some miracle, we will get some some funding assistance for the kids education.) 

Two  weekends ago, during the JV Basketball tournament, the Everett’s came down to spend the weekend due to the tournament and Justin had off of work due to President’s day. Roger and the boys went golfing with Justin, Brody and Ava, while I was able to do some house cleaning, make supper, and enjoy time with Laura. There’s been a lot of changes in both of our lives in the past six months and more seem to be coming. Sometimes we just need a friend to talk it through with and someone to cry and pray with. Raising teens is not for the faint-hearted! I’m thankful that God gives us new mercies, wisdom, and lots of grace! And so often we feel like salmon swimming upstream! I get that we are a bit “odd” in our parenting in that only one kid has a cell-phone, none of them have their own vehicles, none of them have social media accounts, etc. I know it’s all “weird” to some, but it not weird to us. We’ve never done parenting before, and it’s not something that we get a “re-do” on! We’re not doing it perfectly, and sometimes it feels like more failures than good, but we really do want to pour into our kids and point them to Jesus. I want them to be men and a woman of valor and character that love Jesus passionately and fervently!

This past week we wrapped up the Varsity Basketball and Cheerleading season! Praise Jesus! It’s been a long 16 weeks, and while we’ve had some really great and fun experiences, but regardless, it’s still very long. We left Thursday morning around 9:00am for the tournament. The boys team played at 11:30am, and the girls played a game at 2:00pm. Since we hadn’t been sure of whether or not the teams would win or lose, obviously, hotel rooms had been booked for Thursday night. Roger was originally planning on coming to Chandler’s game on Thursday, but with fire season starting up, it was impossible for him to get away. Laura and her girls ended up coming to the tournament, which was a huge blessing to me, and Laura and the girls stayed in my hotel room on Thursday night. A lot of the girls ended up driving home with their parents, so I was only responsible for about five girls at the hotel, which makes it all around easier! The tournament went through Saturday afternoon, so it was a long three days. The boys varsity team ended up in fourth place and the girls varsity team ended up with second place- so that was exciting! 

It’s hard to believe that it’s all over and done. There were moments in the cheerleading season that I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and over stimulated! However, by the grace of God, we made it through! Laura’s help was invaluable to me as she planned most of the stunt routines, and she continued to do that even after they moved to Virginia. I don’t have the experience that she can bring to the team, so I am so thankful that she stuck with it to the end even with the many hours of driving back and forth. We worked through a lot of new experiences together, and while not every experience was pleasant, I hope the girls know that we really did love them. We wanted to pour in and point them to Jesus. Roger also encouraged me numerous times throughout the season, and he made a lot of meals! My sister, Jen, took kids home with her so they didn’t have to hang out a school all evening. She helped with homework, meals, and even had the kids overnight several times during the season. I am so thankful for Roger, Jen and Laura! 

I’m excited about eating supper at a more reasonable hour every night, spending more time with our kids, and getting back into running as spring is coming! I have a lot to be thankful for as I reflect back over the season. And I feel tired enough to sleep for a week! 

Garett is planning on playing baseball this spring. Chandler and Wyatt are hoping to be on teh golf team. Travis didn’t want to play any spring sports, but he’s been asking to play soccer through the city recreation team. We decided to sign him up to play. He’s one of the youngest players on the school team, so hopefully this will provide a little more playing time for him this spring. We’ve been in dire need of a different vehicle. Garett is ready to get his license as is Chandler, but we just haven’t had a vehicle for them. Roger’s truck has been on its last leg for the past several months, and it has over 300,000 miles on it. We’ve been looking for a while, and last night we purchased a new vehicle! New to us, I meant to say! We found a Toyota corolla with 113, 000 miles on it. It’s a 2008, so it’s not fancy or updated, but we are praying that it will run for many, many, many miles!! We are thankful!

Some of you have been praying about the boy’s upcoming missions trip to the Dominican Republic. Guess what?! We got the passports for the boys this past week! Praise the Lord! The passports arrived 3 1/2 weeks after our appointment, and we are so very thankful for that huge answer to prayer! The tickets have been bought, and now we have the passports in hand. The boys have been given $250 each towards their missions trip, and we are grateful for every penny. They are still looking for some weekend jobs to earn a bit more money for their trip, so we’d appreciate your prayers that God will provide those opportunities. 

We are preparing for Grandparent’s Day this Friday, so Kaycee and I have been busy in the art room creating Patriotic art with the students. It’s been a hot mess at moments, but I’m happy to try to instill a sense of patriotic pride in these students. 



In closing, Roger and I are earnestly seeking God’s direction for some upcoming decisions for our children. I never knew how hard parenting teens would be, but here we are, and I wonder what I am doing! We need your prayers for patience, mercy and grace as we pour in and point them to Jesus. We aren’t always doing it well, that’s for sure! 

It’s been a long month, and I’ve struggled through some depression, feeling overwhelmed, and feeling like I’m failing. But, through it all, I’m thankful that God continues to love me, protect and provide for me. He’s not surprised when I feel all knotted up inside or distressed, and He patiently waits for me to rest in Him. I hope I never lose sight of all the Christ has done for me. He is worthy to praised! He’s already won! This song has brought me peace and compassion, even when Laura and I seriously thought we were going to drown trying to get through the cheer season! God is still good!






Sunday, January 28, 2024

January- a long month!

 Update: January IS over, and I didn’t manage to write a post all month. (It’s been a few years since that happened!) 






(1-29-24) January is almost over, and I haven’t even posted once in this entire month! It’s not because I didn’t want to or that nothing exciting has been happening, but it has been a busy (and very, very long month)! This month I just want to praise the Lord for how He orchestrates things for our good. At the time, the situations may not seem good, but God is always, always good. 

We started off the new year by taking a family trip. It’s been a while since we’ve gone on a trip as a family, and about 336 days ago we booked a cruise! Roger and I have been on several cruises, and we’ve enjoyed each one. Some we’ve done on our own as a couple, and some we’ve done with friends. This was the first cruise for our children, and it was truly a wonderful experience. We went on a cruise to the Bahamas with our dear friends, the Everett’s. The kids went to school for three days after Christmas break, and then we headed down to Miami on Friday, January 5th. We boarded the cruise ship on Saturday, and we had an amazing time away for five nights. When we booked the cruise, 336 days prior to going on the cruise, we didn’t know that Laura and I would be coaching cheer. It literally seemed like the worse timing to go on a cruise as we’re knee-deep in cheer season, Homecoming was the week we returned as well as school spirit week and two pep rallies. However, as I look back over the course of the month, I think God had us book that cruise for that week so that we could re-group, relax, and prepare for one of the hardest weeks of the year upon our return. God was/is good. We choose that particular week because it was cheapest, but God directed us to that week because He knew it was best. 

On our cruise, we went to Falmouth, Jamaica and Nassau, Bahamas. The weather was beautiful the entire time we were away, and we didn’t know that back in North Carolina the weather had been quite rough with lots of rain and wind! We had no phone or internet service for almost a week, and it was glorious. The kids enjoyed the formal dinning experiences on the cruise and the opportunity to taste so many food options. Our kids and the Everett’s kids spent hours at the pool, eating ice cream, rock climbing, playing mini-golf, and all kinds of other fun events. For the most part, they got along fabulously, and everyone slept great at night as we were tuckered out from so much fun. We didn’t do any excursions through the cruise line, but instead just got off at the ports to see what we could find. In Jamaica we found a local guide who took us on a tour of the city, showed us the authentic spots for the locals, and entertained us for several hours as we walked around! We tromped right through the local school grounds, and he told us all about the school and the routines of the students. He led us to a local fisherman’s beach, and told us that it was a fine place to go swimming. Laura (my friend) pointed out that the sign said “no swimming- sharks”, to which he replied, “we just put that there so that kids wouldn’t go swimming here.” Hmm… well a few of the kids and Roger and Justin did get in the water for a bit, but it was colder than they thought it was going to be in the ocean. It was a quick swim, and then back on our tour of the town. The memories of Jamaica will bring back lots of smiles and laughter as we look back on the memories some day!

We also went to Nassau, Bahamas. At Nassau, we spent most of the day at the beach. The weather was gorgeous, and we took a lot of pictures that day. We created a pyramid with all twelve of us, which also created a lot of laughter and smiles. Travis and Emma got plenty of sun on the cruise, as did Garett! You’d have thought we would’ve remembered to bring sunscreen for our blond children, but we forgot! Thankfully, we did get some on the cruise ship, but Travis and Garett both did get a sunburn. However, they bounced back quickly, and back to more sunshine activities they went (with sunscreen this time!). 

We arrived back in the port of Miami on Thursday morning, and then we spent the day driving home. We arrived home around 10pm, and back to school we went on Friday or rather some of us did. Since Roger had off work on Friday, he stayed at home with a few of our kids while Wyatt, Chandler and I went to school. I needed to go back to school as there was a basketball game that night and the cheerleaders would be at that game. It made for a crazy day back, but we made it. We came back with full hearts, lots of memories, and the desire to save money so that we can go again someday! 

Laura and I had a crazy busy week the third week in Januray (15-19). The kids had off of school on Monday, January 15th, but it was a teacher workshop day. I spent the day preparing for art classes, library classes, spirit week, and Homecoming. Homecoming is an annual event in which the cheer team prepares a special routine for the audience. Also there are two representatives chosen from each class to represent their class and the school. Travis was chosen for the 7th grade class, and I’m thankful that he is a boy! The girls had to find formal dresses, worry about hair and makeup, while Travis just had to figure out a suit. The cheer team hosts the spirit day events, so that meant a lot of work for Laura and I (read -way too much),  but we made it through. The cheer team had decided that we would host a coin challenge for spirit week, which was based of the weight of coins brought in and not the amount of the coins. We gave each class a small bucket, and every day the cheerleaders would go to the classrooms to weigh the coins and collect the coins. The girls also were responsible for choosing the “best dressed” student in each classroom. We did an “American” day, “Anything but a backpack day”, “Any decade day”, and School color day. It was a wild week with the grand finale resulting in two pep rallies on Friday, the girls cheer routine, and the Homecoming event. We also had cheer leading practices from 6-8pm during the week to help us be ready for Friday. Honestly, I tell Roger often that it was the grace of God that brought us through that week! Garett was also supposed to bring a dessert for the junior class fundraiser, but I knew I couldn’t possibly do one more thing that week. Laura made his dessert for him, and another cheer mom also sent me a text offering to make a dessert on Garett’s behalf. I was so thankful for their acts of service to help us get everything done. It was almost midnight when we got home on Friday night, and we were all very thankful to fall into our beds. 

Last Saturday we went to Virginia. Virginia is where the Everett’s have been moved to via the Air Force.  We went up to help them unpack, spend some time unwinding from the busy week, and to prepare for our lives to change as they wouldn’t be so close anymore. Thankfully, Virginia is only about three hours away, and we’ve made the trip twice already. Last Sunday we visited a church with them, and this past Sunday we did the same. It’s always interesting visiting other churches, and now that all the kids are older, we have plenty of opinions! Last Sunday was an emotional afternoon as we said good by. Although they’ll be close enough to visit, it’s still not the same as seeing them everyday. Laura has still helped me with cheer routines, ideas, support, and all the other things that a great coach does to help the team, but we sure do miss their family! 

Chandler’s 16th birthday was on Friday, so the Everett’s came down for his birthday as well as for the basketball games that day. I can’t believe that boy is 16 years old! It seems like just yesterday he was born, and now he’s maturing and changing every day! Chandler is a sweet boy (most of the time). He’s an entrepreneur, and he’s good with young kids. He’s not particularly fond of school, but he’s mostly independent. He doesn’t yet know what God wants him to do with his life, but I have a few ideas and lots of prayer invested! Laura and her kids took Chandler out for his birthday lunch, and he enjoyed that. I’m thankful for friends, family and coaches that have invested in his life. We need people to be involved in our children’s lives and to point them to Jesus. We try to provide our children with opportunities for the Holy Spirit to work in their lives, so for that reason, we are looking to send Garett and Chandler on a missions trip!

Garett and Chandler have appointments at the passport agency this Wednesday! Please pray that this appointment will go smoothly, as there is a lot of paperwork invovled!  A few years ago, we tried to send Chandler to Haiti on the missions trip that Garett and I were going on, but due to Covid, it was near impossible to get him a passport. The situation in Haiti has grown increasingly more dangerous, and at this point in time, there’s not a missions trip planned for Haiti. However, Jen, (my sister) is taking some students from her former school in South Dakota to the Dominican Republic. Garett and Chandler have been interested in going on a missions trip, and God seems to be opening the doors for them. They’d both like to find some work to do to help pay for this trip, so please pray that God will provide them with some extra jobs in the next couple of months. Please pray that the passports will come quickly and the process will be smooth! We could’ve gotten Chandler’s passport earlier, but I wanted to wait until he was 16. Garett’s needs renewing and now both boys will have passports that will be good for ten years…whew! Lots of prayer is needed for this trip to the D.R. We are asking God to work in the hearts of our boys. We are praying for a great trip for them and that the Gospel will be presented with great boldness. We are praying for God’s protection and mercies, as well as His blessings to be evident in the lives of each member of the team. (UPDATE: we did get to the passport office, and $360 later the passports are in the processing stages!) I am thankful that we were able to get this step done, but please, please pray that God will provide work for both of these boys to help them offset the cost of their trip. God is so good! 

This is a brief overview of the month of January. There are so many more things that happened, but I can’t possibly touch on them all. We’ve had some really big trials and testing that happened this month, and some that are too personal to share. We’ve had some quality family time together, but there’s been an overshadowing of some hard experiences. I’ve had to lean into what I know to be true this past month, and really rely on Jesus for my strength. I certainly have not done it all perfectly, and I’ve sure cried an awful lot this past month, but God is my strength and my song. We will praise him through it all. 







Friday, December 29, 2023

Christmas Memories!

 Updated: This blog post has been in the writing for several days now, but I’m going to leave it as it is- Merry Christmas! 

Merry Christmas Eve! I was very much hoping that I would find the time to write an updated Christmasy letter, but at the rate I’m going, it looks like Easter is a much better possibility! We’ve managed to wrap up this part of the school year and slid into Christmas break. It’s been a few years since I’ve felt this tired and overwhelmed at the Christmas season, but there’s a lot happening in our lives right now. I feel like I’m struggling to find “balance” in it all with Holiday gatherings, friends, Church events, school events, basketball, cheer, children, spouse, food to prepare as well as finding moments to prepare my own heart for the reason for the season. (If it was completely honest, I feel like I’m struggling a bit with some depression, but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to find a few moments to re-group and re-focus over this Christmas break). We went to the Christmas Eve service this morning, and that is always one of my favorite church services as it’s typically full of more music and an opportunity to cherish a quiet moment of reflection.



The last few weeks have been busy as we’ve prepared for Christmas break. We were able to take in a singing event with our friends, the Harrison’s and the Everett’s. It was a truly wonderful experience to soak up the sounds of the season and listen to college kids sing about the reason we can celebrate- Jesus. It’s a tradition that I hope we will be able to continue with for years to come as it really was a great service and the kids all enjoyed it too. We’ve also hosted a cheerleading Christmas party, made 100s of treats to give out for Christmas gifts, gathered food and gifts for the kids school events, and even managed to get the art room free of Christmas ornaments! Whew! 

Those would be the highlights. The low lights would be helping our freinds, the Everett’s, clean their military base house as they prepare to move. I can’t even hardly type that without my eyes filling with tears. Laura has helped me coach cheerleading, loved our children, hosted us for more meals than I can count, and their family is very special to us. We will miss them more than we can express. Another lowlight would be last Sunday night. It was raining and Laura and I had taken Emma, Chandler and Ava out to get some items for our cheerleading party. On the way back home, some of the roads were becoming flooded. We turned on the road towards home, and about halfway through a very large puddle…we were stuck. I immediately hopped out of the car and the water was over my knees. We tried to push the vehicle out of the water, but that didn’t work either. We called our husbands, and they came to rescue us. I ended up taking Laura, Ava, Chandler and Emma back home in Roger’s truck with Garett, Roger and Justin tried to figure out the car situation. It involved calling a tow truck, a long night, and lots of water before the vehicle was finally out of the water. That adventure definitely put a damper on the night! I’m thankful that God protected all of us. We learned a lot, and God is still in control. I don’t understand why God thought we needed one more situation in our lives, but God is still good. It’s been a week!

Also this week the alternator on the van went out, so Roger spent the day after Christmas fixing that! Garett’s car bit the dust, and the repairs were going to be way too costly, so that vehicle went to the junk yard. Garett was pretty happy to get $400 for his car, and he’s beginning the process of looking for a different vehicle. He doesn’t have his license yet, which is partially on him, but mostly on us as parents. We aren’t quite ready for the hike in insurance prices, and currently he’s still going wherever one of us are going so it’s worked out. Yes, he’s missed out on a few things, but nothing that he’s seemed too bothered about. He’ll get his license…eventually! 

We took Jen to the airport on Thursday morning as she’s flying to Maine to see Hannah and Josh and their kids. Roger hasn’t felt well for the past few days, so he’s been home a bit more this week and I’ve appreciated that. Jen opened up her home to the Everett’s as their between homes right now without base housing or a house in the area that they are moving to yet. We celebrated Christmas with them on Saturday night with lots of yummy food, gingerbread creations, and a Christmas movie. The Everett’s are leaving to see family in Tennessee, and Roger’s parents are coming into town tonight. We are thankful for family. 



Continued (12/29/23) It’s now Friday morning. The presents are unwrapped and strewn all about. The cookies are eaten. Grandpa and Grandma have come and gone, and now we are trying to recover from too much sugar and junk food! We enjoyed our visit with Roger’s parents, and the weather was beautiful on Christmas Day. Roger, his dad and the kids went to the baseball park for a while, and I was able to get in a short walk. We visited on the phone with my parents for a bit too. We had a relatively quiet Christmas as far as gifts for our kids. Since we are going on a family vacation in January, we told the kids that they would just pick names for each other and they’d each get a gift that way. We all picked names for each other and the kids do the shopping for the name that they picked (with some help from mom and dad!). It’s interesting to me to see what they pick out for each other. As they’ve grown and matured, we progressed from picking things out at the Dollar Tree (nothing wrong with that!) to picking out shoes, a hockey stick, a doll, etc. I do enjoy spending time with the kids as we Christmas shop, and I hope that Roger and I have impressed on them the importance of the real reason for Christmas! Gifts, lights, cookies, treats, special events are all fun and exciting, but without Jesus we’d have no hope for eternity! I’m so thankful that Jesus came to be the “Light of the World”. 

It’s hard to believe that our Christmas break is wrapping up in just a few days. I wish I had had a bit more time to savor the moments, take longer walks, and do a few more things, but I’m thankful for the break from school. It was beginning to feel overwhelming and over stimulating those last few days of school, and I can recognize in myself when the tentacles of depression start to creep in. Roger and I have had some long conversations over break about the future and what that might look like for our children. With Garett approaching his last year in school soon, we are quickly recognizing that our time is running out to spend these amounts of time with him. I feel like there is so much more that I want to teach him or that I want him to be prepared for or informed about in life. But above all, I want each of our children to recognize their need for Jesus in their lives in a real and personal way. The burdens sometimes seem really heavy these days, but we can lean on Jesus. 

I do have plans to write an updated newsy letter for our family and send out a picture, but it’ll probably happen around Easter! I like to write the letter every year because I like to re-read them over the years. 

We hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas! 



Wednesday, December 6, 2023

A Hundred Thoughts and Memories

 Merry Christmas! (I feel like I don’t have enough hours in the day right now, so I better say Merry Christmas first!) It’s hard to believe that it is already December, and it’s been so warm around here! Today (Sunday, 12/3) it was about 76 degrees! This Northern girl has a hard time remembering that it’s December when it’s so warm outside!

The boys (and Roger) had a wonderful time hunting up in Wisconsin over Thanksgiving break. They are already making plans for next year, and they’d like to make it a yearly tradition! I don’t know about that, but I’m glad that they had a great time. Travis got two doe and Chandler also shot a doe. That was exciting for Travis as I figured he was the least likely to get a deer as sitting still isn’t his favorite! Roger said that he’s never seen two deer act so dumb as those two doe that Travis shot, but I think God was showing His love and grace to Travis. They arrived in Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon, ate lunch, and went hunting. Travis sat in the deer stand with Roger, and eventually the first doe came into sight. Travis got his gun all lined up for the shot, and then leaned over to Roger and whispered, “Is this gun gonna kick hard?” Roger said he had a hard time not chuckling, but Travis shot the doe right through the lung. Since there was still some daylight left, and the deer dropped right down, they waited a little longer. About twenty minutes later, another deer walked into sight. The doe stopped about ten feet from the first dropped deer, so Travis shot that one! We were excited for him, and the next morning Travis slept in while the other boys got up to go hunting. He was pretty excited to have something to smugly remind his brothers that not only had he shot the first deer, he shot two deer! The next morning, Monday, Travis sent me a text from my mom’s phone. He said, “I’m smiling and you’re crying. I’m not at school, but you are. Love, Travis” Ahh! That boy! It was really, really good for him to have a few days off of school and be away from the stresses that he’s been facing. It was a good week for all of the boys, and they had a great time with my parents. My mom said that she had forgotten how much the boys could eat on a regular basis, and I just laughed. Our grocery bill was much lower that week with it just being Emma and I! We are so thankful that the boys had this opportunity to spend time hunting and with my parents. Education is important, and I absolutely believe that. But I also believe that life experiences, family, and relationships are also important. God is so good to allow the boys to have this privilege to travel to Wisconsin, and they’ll forever treasure the memories. 




Emma and I also enjoyed Thanksgiving break. It was nice to have a little bit slower pace and to savor a few special moments with just one child. It was a weird week as our friends, the Everett’s were gone, the boys were gone, Roger was gone and Jen left on Wednesday for South Dakota. I wasn’t sure what we were going to do for Thanksgiving dinner, but I figured that even if we had just cereal, it was gonna be fine with me! However, my friend, Laura Guelfi, invited us over to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. That was a nice change for me as usually it’s my house that’s a bustling place on Thanksgiving day! It was nice to go over to their house, enjoy dinner and fellowship, and help clean up, and then go home. I’m thankful that they extended hospitality to Emma and I, and we are so very blessed to have friends to give thanks with and for. 

Emma and I did go do some Black Friday shopping! We went to Michael’s art/craft store as I needed some supplies for the 500+ ornaments that the kids are making for gifts for their parents. Such is the life of a teacher- buy it when it’s on sale! But Emma and I ran into some freinds during our lunch at Chick-fil-a and Emma was thrilled to have lunch with another little girl from school. That was the highlight of her day, and I’m glad that God orchestrated that detail for Emma. 




The boys got home on Sunday afternoon, and we whipped right into a busy and full week of school! We are on the countdown to Christmas break, but these are some long and full days with cheer practices, basketball practices for three of the boys, and the endless job of trying to keep up with all the school work and projects that are due. We’ve been very busy in the art room, and while my regular art assistant is filling in for another teacher, we’ve been busy! I am thankful for the TA’s that help on Monday and Tuesday with art as we’ve been in the middle of a million pieces of popsicle sticks, hot glue, pictures and ribbon! I’m thankful for help that is willing to pitch in and do whatever is necessary! 

It was a mentally exhausting week for me. It felt like a dogfight to get up and go to work towards the end of the week, and I don’t like that feeling. We’ve faced some pretty serious attacks from Satan head-on this past week, and I’m still waiting for God to work out the details of what His perfect plan looks like. To be completely honest, Friday was a terrible, horrible no-good very bad day. Laura and I were both in tears on the bus ride back to school, and an older, much wiser coach looked at us and said, “You gotta let it roll like water off a duck’s back. Just remember Jesus loves you and press on.” It’s not that easy for me, but after going home and talking through a lot of it with Roger, I was able to get back up on Saturday morning and head to the basketball tournament. Chandler was playing in the tournament this past weekend, and they had a 9:00am game, which meant an early morning departing from the school! Roger and Garett came along to the tournament, but Emma and Travis stayed with Aunt Jen. Wyatt was at Brody’s house. We got home around 2:00pm, and it was good to catch up on some household chores that badly needed attention! 

On Saturday evening, we had the opportunity to attend a “Night in Bethlehem” put on by a local church. We’ve been to something similar in Maine, but yet completely different! We met Jen and the Everett’s at the event at about 6:30pm. The church had set up  “Bethlehem” in a field complete with many shops that would’ve been in Bethlehem, camels, sheep, the Inn, the stable, etc. It was really a cool interactive experience for Emma especially but we all enjoyed it. The weather was beautiful, and it was a fun, free activity. The kids all enjoyed it, and it was a good reminder of why we celebrate the season. It’s not just about the Baby, but about the cross! I am so very thanfkul that Jesus was willing to come as a baby in a manger, but He didn’t stay a helpless baby. He is indeed the Risen King of Kings and Lord of my life. 



We had several families over for supper on Sunday night as well as to bake, cook, and create Christmas treats! Whew! It was the most chocolaty mess ever, but it was fun! The kids ran around outside, ate food, ran around some more, ate treats, and played hide-n-seek in the yard. About the time that the parents were ready to go, the kids had all disappeared! We spent some time looking for them, and then realized that they had walked down to the pond and around on the gravel road by our house. It was a flurry of activities with parents yelling for kids, car horns honking, and lots of excitement! Two of the neighbors checked in with us, but I was happy to tell them that the excitement was over. We had just temporarily lost 13 kids! Oh well! It was a fun memory and lots of baking, cooking, creating, and chocolate dipping! I am thankful for good friends to enjoy fellowship, laughter, and baking together. 



The Middle School Basketball team had a game on Tuesday evening, and with some scheduling arrangements with Laura and the cheer schedule, I did make it to his game. Roger was able to get off early enough to watch the game too, and it’s fun to watch that age play basketball. None of them are very good, but for the most part they work hard and have good attitudes. Travis has been able to have quite a bit of playing time the last two games, and he works hard at it. We are thankful for the coaches for his team, and that Travis has this opportunity to play. Chandler has had a few games also, but not quite a much playing time. He tends to get nervous in the game, but I think part of that is just lack of experience. He is learning a lot, and we are thankful for his coach also. 



This week Garett’s junior class is putting on a Christmas play, and wow- Garett has been stressed! He’s been in Christmas programs before and involved in lots of things on a stage, but this is a major responsibility for him, and he wants it to be well done. After many long conversations with him, helping him learn lines, and listening to him, we just told him that he is responsible for himself. He doesn’t like to be embarrassed and if he’s involved in something he wants it to be done well. So, he would appreciate your prayers for his class tomorrow night! 

We are coming down the homestretch to Christmas break, and this mama is looking forward to break. For the first time in many years, I don’t have a Christmas card to send out or a letter. That was hard for me to accept as I like to stay connected with people, and I like to get and receive mail. However, at the end of the day, it’s not a priority this year. But I do need to make cards at some point because we had our family pictures done! I think most of the 500+ art ornaments are done, and other than picking up two more pictures from Walmart, we are wrapping that project up too. Literally on Monday, we will be wrapping and packaging the ornaments during our art class time for the kids to take home. Most of the kids have been really excited about having a present to give to their parents, and it’s a way to help the students understand that Christmas is definitely not all about getting something! 

The cheer team is prepping for a pep rally on Friday, and whew! Laura and I have been working hard on a lot of details behind the scenes to help prepare for this, and we’d definitely appreciate your prayers! We want to glorify our Heavenly Father, encourage school spirit, have fun games, not have any injuries, and show a little Christmas spirit. (I think I’m tired already!) 

December is such an exciting month, but it can also be an exhausting month. I’m learning that I can’t do it all, and that sometimes, I just have to let things go. It’s okay that Emma’s clothes don’t always match - she picked them out herself. It’s okay that we won’t send out a Christmas card- listening to Garett’s concerns was more important. It’s okay that I didn’t get up all the Christmas decorations- we have a tree and the real reason for Christmas is Jesus anyways! I’m thankful that God is always faithful. I am thankful that regardless of my “feelings”, God never stops loving me. 


A favorite song of mine this Christmas season! Emmanuel, God with us!



 

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

November- So Blessed!

 




November! Here and gone would be the title of this month’s book. We’ve survived our first basketball games, a tournament, a trip to see family on the other side of the state, a kids cooking competition, making Christmas ornaments, and lots of things that  I don’t even remember doing!

Our family photos were taken the first weekend in November, and they turned out so well! The kids were happy that it didn’t take too long, and we’re happy that we have an updated family photo. As everyone gets older and busier, it gets harder and harder to squeeze in time for family photos. I don’t know when we will have the next one taken, so I’ll rejoice in the fact that we got it done this year. 

We enjoyed having the day off for Veteran’s Day, and we set up a little cooking competition for our children. We divided them into teams with the Everett’s kids and gave them a budget. They had to come up with their own menu and cook for Roger, myself, Justin, Laura and Jen. It was so fun to watch them come up with their menus, shop for ingredients, and cook and prepare! We told them that they could use any ingredients that we already had on hand at our houses, so that helped them out with their budget a lot! Ava, Chandler and Travis were on a team together, and Savannah, Garett and Brody were on a team. Wyatt helped on both teams with a variety of things. One team had their menu planned early on and made minor changes. Another team made so many changes, we weren’t sure that they knew what they were going to make! Savannah and Garett were going to make a cheesecake for dessert, but then realized that they were not going to be able to get that done in four hours! So they made a cake instead. Laura and I had a hard time not commenting when we saw that self-rising flour was being used instead of all-purpose flour, but that’s part of the fun! (And the cake actually wasn’t too bad, but there was enough sugar in there to make your teeth chatter!) It was a fun evening, but whew! The cleanup! Every counter in Laura’s kitchen was covered with ingredients, pots, pans, and mess! But with everyone working together it didn’t take forever. Chandler and Ava and Travis won the event for the evening, but Garett and Savannah did pick much harder dishes to make. Next time I think we will give them the same menu and see what they do with making the meal. It was a good experience for all of us. We also realized that our kids need some additional instructions in the fine dining department. The table was not set correctly, they forgot to give us napkins and neither team served the dishes to the adults with utensils! They just picked up the biscuits, potatoes, etc. with their hands! Haha! Oh well. We love all those kids dearly, and we were thankful for the memory. 




I’ve been busy in art classes with trying to help the students create Christmas ornaments for their parents. Since many children are coming from split homes these days, I felt it was important that we create at least two ornaments. Oh wow! Do you have any idea the amount of materials needed to create any ornament for 225 students!? And since I don’t want every grade to create the same ornament, it’s been a hot mess! I’ve been so thankful for my Art assistant, Kaycee, as she’s helped wash several 100 paintbrushes, hot glued together 100+ wooden popsicle sled ornaments, scrubbed tables, and endured all my crazy ideas! (But, I’m also excited for the kids to have these ornaments to give for Christmas presents) I am so thankful that God brought her to art this year, and I’m going to miss her as she fills in for Emma’s teacher who is leaving for maternity leave. 



We’re into our third week of the sports season, and wow are we tired! This past week, we had our first basketball games. The cheer teams are responsible to cheer for the JV Girls, JV Boys, Varsity Girls and Varsity Boys teams, so it’s a full afternoon! The JV Cheer team cheers for the JV teams, and the Varsity cheer team cheers for the varsity teams, but since Laura and I coach both teams, we get to stay all evening! Twice last week, we had meals from the crock pot at school. I brought a crockpot of Taco Soup on Monday, and Jenn made potato soup for the kids on Tuesday, which was game day. Since we spend a lot of time at school, and going out is expensive so it’s better to just bring along the crock pot of food. 

Wyatt got to start in the JV boys basketball game, so that was exciting for him! Chandler didn’t start, but he did get some playing time. He spends a lot of time trying to improve his game, but he does seem to get nervous when he plays. I’m guessing he probably just needs to get more comfortable with being in the game. The boys are enjoying playing basketball, but whew- it was about 9:30pm when we got home! Then there was a tournament this weekend, so the varsity boys had an 8:00pm game on Thursday! I didn’t know if the cheer coaches would be able to stay awake through it all! We made it. Thankfully, Jen took home the four kids that weren’t involved in the basketball game, so it was just Chandler and I with a super late night. Roger was happy to come get the kids, but they were all eager to stay the night at Aunt Jen’s so that’s what they did. 

Friday was a crazy busy day with teaching library, a doctor’s appointment for Travis, and then heading to the basketball tournament to coach cheer with Laura. Laura and I have learned a lot about cheer, our team, different personalities, coaching these past few weeks. We’ve prayed (a lot), cried (quite a bit of that too), and have also laughed and created memories too. I’ve watched more cheer videos and read more articles on stunts and cheers in the past few weeks than I have at any other point in my life! Laura is an amazing cheer coach- I’m just kinda along to support, encourage, pray and and assist however I can. I try not to think about what’s going to happen when they need to move, and instead we just take it one day at a time. We’d appreciate your prayers as we continue to try to invest, pour into, and point our cheer girls to Jesus. 



The boys and Roger left for Wisconsin on Saturday morning. The original plan was to leave on Friday, but Chandler had a basketball tournament, and it was a long week without a moment to get anything ready for the trip. I left at 6:15am to be at the basketball tournament with the cheer team, so I missed seeing them leave. (However, it was like the rapture had occurred when I came home as there were definitely signs that they had packed up and left! Haha!) Emma and Jen picked me up from the basketball tournament as we were headed to my Aunt Lisa’s house to celebrate and early Thanksgiving with them. We ate dinner with them, enjoyed some time outside soaking up the sun’s rays, and then decorated their house for Christmas. It was fun to decorate the Christmas tree, and we enjoyed the time together. (Emma wasn’t feeling well last week, so I had spent the afternoon decorating our house when I was home with her. I don’t usually decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but the season is so short and my time is very limited!) We’ve enjoyed having the Christmas lights shining on the tree as we prepare to celebrate the real reason for the season- Jesus. 

My friend, Allison, told me that one of the older folks at our home church in Maine passed away this past week. Clayton Dorr was one of those “heroes of the faith” in my eyes. He was easy to talk to, had a ready smile, loved Jesus and really did seem interested in pouring into the next generation. Both of my older boys have fond memories of working with him at cleaning up his yard in the spring time or work days at church. Sometimes I fear that we aren’t being diligent enough to raise up the next generation to be “men and women of the faith”. We entrust the care of our children to perhaps good people, but are they vibrant and invested in pointing our children to Jesus? I want to be that person, whether it’s in teaching art, library, cheer or anything else, I want to be the person that is genuinely interested in others and points them to Jesus. Really there is nothing more important than preparing people for eternity because it’s going to happen…either eternity in heaven or eternity in hell, but those are the only options. 

Also in news from Maine, the company that Roger worked with for the years we were in Maine is selling out to another person. So much changed in such a short amount of time, and I look back at our early years in Maine with some of the most precious memories. God brought along a job for Roger at Penobscot Island Air and working for Kevin Waters was a blessing. This is a quick video of a snapshot of what Roger did in Maine. God brought us to Maine for a reason, and I am just as sure that he has a purpose and a plan in bringing us to North Carolina. 



The boys and Roger left for Wisconsin on Saturday morning. Oh boy! The boys were so excited about going to visit Nana and Papa and go deer hunting. I’m not sure if Travis went along because he wanted to see Nana and Papa and hunt deer or because he wanted to get out of school! However, he did finish his hunter’s safety course, and he was going deer hunting! They arrived in Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon, and went out hunting on Sunday night before church. Guess who shot the first deer? Actually the first 2 deer? Well, it was Travis! He was in a hunting stand with Roger and they spotted a doe. Roger said that the doe meandered up close enough to shoot, and Travis got ready to aim. He was all set up and ready to shoot the deer when he leaned over to Roger and asked, “How badly is this gun going to kick?” Haha! He did just fine with one shot right through the lungs. The deer went right down, and there was still plenty of light, so they just sat and waited. Within the hour another doe walked right up and Travis dropped that one about 20 feet from the first deer! It was an exciting event for Travis! The other boys haven’t seen anything yet, but they are waiting and praying for more deer. Travis texted me on Monday morning from my mom’s phone. He said “Lights are up (referring to Christmas) and I’m smiling and you are crying because you’re working and I’m not at school.” It wasn’t the clearest sentence ever, but you get the idea. We are thankful for this opportunity for them, and I’m positive it will be a memory for the rest of their lives. Please pray that they will get a few more deer this week as all the boys would like to shoot one. 

It’s a quiet week for Emma and I, and that is okay! I’ve made such a mess in the art room this week that I can’t imagine having left today’s activities for a substitute teacher. Emma’s not really in a good position to miss school, and I also work to provide for the school bill. There were a lot of reasons why Emma and I didn’t go to Wisconsin, but we are going to enjoy these moments at home together. Since our friends, the Everett’s, are also away for the week, Emma is watching their dog. Emma would love to get a dog- it’s the rest of us that don’t know if it’s a good idea! However, this is good for Emma as it shows her that having a pet is not all fun and games! 

God is good. As we approach Thanksgiving Day, I hope you take a few moments to take some time to reflect on some of the many blessings that God has bestowed upon you. I’m thankful for salvation. My future is sure, and for that I am so very thankful.  I’m thankful for Roger- not many men could put up with some of my crazy ideas and still be sane! I’m thankful for the five children that God has entrusted to our care, and I pray that they will grow in grace and knowledge of their Lord Jesus Christ. I’m thankful for meaningful friendships. I have a lot of acquaintances, but I’m thankful for the friends that pray for me, invest in me, and also encourage my walk with Jesus. I’m thankful for Roger’s job. It’s not been perfect, and there’s a few more challenges than we would’ve hope for, but God is good. I’m thankful for my sister, Jen, who helps out with feeding my kids, driving them where they need to be, and investing in their lives. 
I am blessed. 

Sunday, November 5, 2023

October Wrap-ups and November Beginnings

 Four weeks have flown by since the last time I wrote on the blog! We’ve finished up the fall sports seasons for both soccer and cross-country. We’ve also enjoyed some beautiful fall days here in eastern North Carolina, and the boys are prepping for the winter sports season. 

The boys soccer team made it through the first round of the soccer play-offs, so that was exciting! That hasn’t happened in a few years, so it was especially exciting. Unfortunately, we lost our first game in the play-offs, so we played in the consolation game the next day, Saturday. It was probably the worst game of the season, and we lost- by a lot! This was especially hard on our older boys, and Chandler actually ended up benching himself in that game because he knew that he was going to start yelling at his teammates. It was not a fun way to end the season, but it was definitely a memory! One thing that I am constantly reminded of is how short our time with our children really is in the grand scheme of life. As we listened to the boys expression their frustration on the way home with lots of tears mixed in, it became a teachable moment. We talked about not quitting when things get rough. We talked about praying for change, but also being diligent while asking for change. We talked about leadership and why it matters. I’m not sure that anything we said will stick with them, but we tried to point them to Jesus through it all. 

Two weeks ago on Monday, Wyatt and Chandler had their final race of the cross-country season. I think they were both happy to be wrapping up the season, as they’re ready to move on to basketball (we’re not, but they are!). Wyatt ran his middle school race exceptionally well, and he won the race…by .07 of a second! We were excited for him as he’s placed about 2nd or 3rd for all the races this season. It was an exciting day for him. Chandler placed third in the Varsity men’s race. He ran a good race, and he was narrowly beaten on the final stretch. However, he also did run his race well. I’m thankful for all the miles that we made them run over the summer as that helped them run well throughout the season. We praise the Lord for bringing us through the season for both soccer and cross-country. God is good. 

Two weeks ago,  both Wyatt and Chandler tried out for the basketball teams. Wyatt tried out for the JV basketball team, and Chandler for the varsity team. Garett was not going to be convinced to play basketball this year no matter how hard anyone tried to convince him! Actually, I’m kinda proud of him. He tried something new last year, and he stuck with it. And he decided that basketball was not something he wanted to do this winter. Wyatt did not make the JV team last year, but this year he succeeded in snagging a spot on the team! He was very excited about that, and we are hoping that he will have a teachable, moldable spirit, and learn a lot this year. Chandler found out last year that he actually does enjoy playing basketball, and he has been working hard on improving his basketball skills these past few months. He did make the team, and we are mostly excited about that. (I say mostly excited because practices aren’t done til 7:30pm!) As for cheerleading, well, we started that too! 




Last Monday was the first day of practices for everyone, and it’s going to be very interesting getting everyone where they need to be and picked up on time. We have Varsity cheer practice right after school and that is followed by JV cheer practice. We get done with cheer practice around 6:00pm, but Chandler isn’t done until 7:30pm. Wyatt has practice directly after school and he is done at 4:15pm. Thankfully, Jen is able to help kids get where they need to be, and she also feeds them! I’m so thankful for her!

I’ve also been busy with art, library, meals, laundry, groceries, church, family, and the rest of life! A few weeks ago, I didn’t have one of my finest parenting moments, but it’s definitely a memory. One of our children struggles with knowing when to just be quiet in a conversation. He had gotten in the car in a bad mood, and he was taking it out on the rest of us. I told this person to stop talking, and I had had enough. This child continued to keep talking, so I put on the brakes and told him to get out. To be fair, we weren’t on a busy road. We were about a mile from home, and I knew that he could either walk home or call his father. After this child realized that I was very serious, he got out of the car and started walking home. I called Roger to tell him that one of HIS sons was beside the road, and I proceeded to head to school. That particular son learned a valuable lesson that day, and while we can look back now and laugh, it surely wasn’t funny a few weeks ago! I struggle with knowing how to parent teenagers, and I mess it up often. The only thing that I know to do, it to ask for forgiveness and move on. I’m not doing it perfectly and I don’t even think I’m doing it well, but as I stand before God, I am surely trying to point our kids to Jesus! I’m thankful that God’s mercies are new every morning. 

November is here, and I feel like this month will fly by! We have our first basketball game the second week in November. The boys are headed to Wisconsin for deer hunting over Thanksgiving break, and they are very excited about that. I’m thankful that they will have the opportunity to go hunting, and we are praying for a successful and safe hunting experience for them. My parents are looking forward to having the boys for a few days, and I’m very thankful that this opportunity is available for the boys. 

We made it through our first week of cheer practice, and Laura and I are both super tired! Laura has done a ton of work in preparing for cheers, chants, stunts, etc. as well as making up cheer notebooks for each of the varsity girls. We’ve implemented a devotional schedule for our varsity team, and I’m excited to hear what the girls choose to share. On Monday, Laura shared her personal salvation testimony, and on Tuesday, I shared mine. It was good to take the opportunity to write it all down again and to share what God has done in my own life. On Thursday, we asked each girl to write down a prayer request on a note card. We are going to pray for those prayer requests, and then revisit those prayer requests in a few weeks to see what prayers God has answered. I think it’s important to teach the girls about the power of prayer and also to take the time to reflect back on all that God has done. We are excited about the season, but we sure are tired this week! I’m thankful for Jen taking care of the kids that aren’t in sports and for feeding us many times!

Travis has a praise! The school started a middle school basketball team, and Travis made the team! He is very excited about the season, so we are praying that it will be a good experience for him. He struggles so much in school, so I am very, very thankful for this outlet for him. 

We are in the beginning of the second quarter of school, and it’s hard to believe that the first quarter is a wrap! The boys passed each of their classes as well as Emma. I had a meeting with Emma’s teachers last week as we are a little concerned about her progress. She is still struggling more than we would like to see her struggle in school in spite of lots of efforts at home and with Aunt Jen. She can memorize the spelling list (most of the time), but struggles in math and on tests. We are going to try a few different ideas to see if we can help her succeed a bit more. She’s got a wonderful teacher, and we are very thankful for Autumn. We just wish that school wasn’t quite so hard for her. We are praying for wisdom, yet again, as we strive to help yet another child with learning struggles. (I really want to go back to school to pursue that Master’s in Special Education!) We know that God has a perfect plan for her, and we covet your prayers as we try to help her. We want her to succeed but more important than school is her relationship with her Heavenly Father. Please pray that she will grow in grace, be sweet, be kind, and love Jesus. 

We had our family photos done yesterday as it’s been several years since that happened! The boys were not particularly excited, but I told them that it was part of my Christmas present so be happy! Michelle did a great job, and we were done in about 40 minutes! The boys and Emma were thrilled about that part, and I’m happy to have Christmas presents to give my parents. These years are flying by, and next year Garett will be taking senior photos- I’m so not ready for that!

I have a special prayer request as our friends, the Everett’s will be moving soon. Please pray that I’ll be able to learn a lot about cheer really quickly. Also, please pray for the hearts of all our children. We’ve been best friends for almost a year now, and it’s going to affect all of our children. We pray for strong, solid relationships for them, and that they will see God through it all. Please pray for this winter sports season- it’s hard to not feel overwhelmed!

God is faithful! As I wrote out my salvation testimony this past week, I was again reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of God. He loves you. I hope that you feel wrapped in God’s love this week. 

Photo credit: Michelle Dawson (I took only the one in the bottom right corner)