Hello January! (Oh wait…it’s almost over already!)
This month has been a whirlwind of activity as we came back to school on the 6th of January, and we’ve been busy with basketball, school, upcoming art competitions, a trip for Roger and I, Chandler’s 18th birthday, and a whole host of a bunch of other activities that I’ve already forgotten!
I was greatly encouraged by multiple texts to one of my dear friends from Maine this month. I am so thankful for Sharon’s investment in my life, her prayers for our children, and her encouragement to me to “keep the faith”, and press on in Jesus’s name. January is often a month of feeling overwhelmed with many things happening at once, and being over stimulated is a real struggle for me. Sometimes the noise feels very loud at our house, and it is, but I have to ask myself, “are my children deliberately trying to get on my last nerve? Or are they just being boys?” Truthfully, sometimes, I’m just a grouch and need to get over myself! Anyways, I was encouraged to know that Sharon prays specifically for our children, and I need women in my life to mentor and encourage me. It was an unexpected blessing this month.
Also this month, we had “spirit” week at school and “Homecoming” night. It’s a fun week of activities for the students, and I think most of the teachers willingly join in on the fun. I had the opportunity to help with the “pep” rally, and while it always takes me a minutes to get over myself and get hyped up for the event, I typically have a good time with it. It’s fun to interact with the elementary kids, and I try hard with the Middle school/High school students! It was a fun and tiring week, and I don’t think I remembered to take a single picture of our kids that week, but oh well!
Roger and I got away for a few days to celebrate our 20th anniversary …which was in September, but now was when we had the time to get away. It was such a wonderful and relaxing week with just Roger and I. We talked about everything under the sun as we soaked up the sunshine. I read four or five books on the trip, and it was a wonderful week! The weather started out a bit on the cool side as our first day in the Bahamas was about 69 degrees and overcast, but it was 84 degrees the next day. Roger and I took our first cruise with the MSC cruise line, and it was a great experience. MSC is owned by an Italian company so there are some different things that they do from other cruise lines, but overall the experience exceeded our expectations. It’s hard to know what to expect when the cruise only cost about $720 for both Roger and I for six days, but we were pleasantly surprised by our experience. I am very thankful for the time away with Roger, and it was a reminder of how hard we need to continue to work on our marriage and relationship. After all the kids are out of the house and we face an empty nest, I want to still be in love with Roger. I want to still desire to spend time with him, value his opinion, cherish our time together and that doesn’t happen without intentionality. God is so good, and I am so abundantly blessed. I often fail to realize how God has blessed and orchestrated so many things in His perfect timing, and it was a blessing to have some extra time (in the sunshine) to think about many things regarding our future, children, etc.
We arrived home from our cruise on Saturday, and we arrived home just before the ice storm hit North Carolina. We are thankful for God’s protection on the trip home. We had church online on Sunday, and it was nice to spend the day catching up with the kids on all their experiences from the week. Emma stayed with Aunt Jen, and all the boys stayed at home. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the boys kept the house. We didn’t have a lot of food left in the fridge, but they survived quite well together! The boys were on time to school every day, and the dog survived the week too. We had a snow day on today (Monday), and it was an unexpected day to prepare for the rest of the week. My middle school and high school students are in the beginning stages of preparing for an art competition in a few weeks, so we have a lot to do! It’s probably the most stressful time of the year for me, so I am thankful that Roger and I got away for a few days before the craziness begins.
Today is also Chandler’s birthday! Where did time even go?! This little bundle of boy has grown into a young man with an entrepreneur spirit, inquisitive mind, and a hard work ethic. He doesn’t always speak his mind in a group of people, but he always has an opinion. He sees the world in “black and white”, and he is a deeply loyal friend. He exasperates me to no end at times, but I pray often and fervently that he will continue to grow in his relationship with Jesus and desire to serve Jesus all of his life. I am so very thankful for this second son of ours, and please pray with us that he will love Jesus and that Chan will have wisdom about college. He is planning to visit Pensacola Christian College next month, and we are praying for God’s clear direction for him. I’m thankful that God loves my children more than I ever could imagine, and that He has a perfect plan for each one.
God has been teaching Roger and I a lot this past month. We’ve had some new and different experiences, and I feel like God is challenging us to trust Him in new ways these days. Parenting adult and teen children is the most difficult thing I have ever done, and each day brings new challenges. I am thankful that God walks before us and beside us, and that I can constantly lean on Him. We serve an amazing God!
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