And with a hop, skip and a jump, we are in the month of December! I love this season, but I do not like how quickly the month flies by! We have an activity on almost every weekend, and the kids and I will be leaving for Michigan on December 22. We have 12.5 days of school left, and excitement is certainly in the air! The teachers are trying to pour in knowledge, and it often feels like pouring water in a strainer! We are all looking forward to Christmas break.
It’s been a busy week and one-half since I wrote on the blog. Roger flew back to Michigan last Saturday night. While Roger was here, we managed to haul a boat, a piano and a basketball hoop in the mini van- not all at the same time! On Thursday, we moved the piano to the church/school. Wyatt and Travis’s teacher has been wanting a piano, and we could supply that need. It needs to be tuned, and it was very, very heavy, but we got the job done. The boys have been extremely helpful in moving/hauling things, but for the piano, boat, and basketball hoop, we were thankful for some extra muscles!
On Friday, we signed on the papers on our house. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling, but also a bit of relief to know that we were that much closer to being done with a very large project! We certainly enjoyed the moments with him, and we are looking forward to being together again in just a few short weeks. I filled in on the piano at a local church on Sunday, so that always kinda makes Sunday feel a little different. I’m definitely not among the world’s great pianists, so I’m thankful that they put up with me! Travis and Emma went with me in the morning to practice at West Rockport Baptist Church, and Emma stayed for Sunday School. Travis and I made one last and final trip to our home to drop off a small gift for the new owners and to make sure that everything was good to go. That was a tad bit emotional for me, but also a relief to know that it’s done!
Tuesday marked the official closing day on our house. The buyers had their final walk-through on Monday afternoon, and it was a relief to hear “the house looks great!” I would’ve enjoyed meeting our buyers, but it is what it is, and we are now ready to look for a property in Michigan. Please pray with us that God will provide the perfect place for us.
This past week of school felt long and short at the same time! The students are excited, and the teachers are tired. But God’s grace is sufficient for every moment- praise the Lord for that! Friday night found us on a parade float for a local town representing our Christian school. It was a frigid night, and we were all very cold by the time the parade was over. It was a fun opportunity for the kids to be in the parade and the older boys did a good job helping prepare and then dismantle the float. It was an opportunity to let the community know that we are a Christian school in the area. But it was cold!
On Saturday, our two oldest boys had the opportunity to spend some time with a friend and his family. That meant I had an afternoon with my younger three. We decided to go Christmas shopping. In our family, the kids pick names for each other. Then they are responsible for picking out a gift for that person. Sometimes I have to do some “steering in the right direction”, but as the kids all get older, they are getting a lot better about really putting some thought into gift giving. I had asked one of the kids earlier in the week what we should get their teacher. After thinking about it for a moment, he replied, “I’d like to get my teacher a new lunch cooler. His lunch cooler is old.” I was kinda surprised that this child even noticed, but it blessed my heart to know that he put some thought into what he’d like to get his teacher. Anyways, the three youngest and I went to Augusta to go Christmas shopping. The boys and Emma had a good time, and it was a good opportunity to spend some time with just a few kids. We saw several teachers from our school also in Augusta, so apparently we are all thinking the same thing- “Christmas is coming and we aren’t ready!” Wyatt is having a struggle to find something for the person whose name he has picked. We will come up with something, we hope!
On Sunday morning, I woke up to a big surprise and unexpected blessing. Some dear friends of ours in Florida sent us a gift of money for Christmas! God’s timing is always so perfect, and sometimes He gives us blessings that we haven’t even asked for- we serve an amazing God! These Florida friends have blessed us in the past, and Roger and I have been so blessed by their prayers and generosity.
Today was the start of a new school week. I generally use my Mondays to prepare for my week ahead as I have kindergarten on full days Tuesday through Thursday. So Monday is used for laundry, grading, grocery shopping etc. However, today I was supposed to spend some time with my friend, Allison. We were going to have coffee together and go to a consignment shop. But God had different plans. I woke up to a text on my phone asking if I would be willing to sub in a different classroom today. Thankfully, my friend, Allison, is flexible and understanding as we rescheduled. Today I subbed in the 5/6th grades classroom. Long division is a far cry from counting 1-50! When I looked at the sub plans, I noticed that the first thing on the list was devotions. I had randomly stuck my Advent Devotional book in my bag, which was totally of the Lord. I opened the devotional book to December 6th, and the devotional thought was on how Jesus was the Perfect Substitute! The devotional book gave an example of the authors experience with substitute teachers, etc. and I just could not get over how appropriate the devotional thought was for today. It was definitely a God thing! I’m not sure that the students learned a whole lot today, but I did try. I hope that above all else they know that Jesus loves them. I had the opportunity to play the YouTube video of one of my favorite songs “It’s about the Cross.”
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