September Moments and Memories

 The first day of fall has officially come and gone, and today we are experiencing temps in the high 80s! I’m not sure we’re ready for flannels, boots and pumpkin spice, but all those things are out in full force! 

September has been a busy month for our family as the boys have played on the school soccer team, Emma has been playing a little volleyball on Saturdays, plus all the other activities of the school year and season of life.  

The boys have been working hard a school and playing soccer. Roger has sacrificed a lot to be able to coach the boys soccer team, and while I don’t think the boys recognize that to the full extent, it has been a mostly good experience. We are not happy when we lose, and with four boys and a soccer coach all in the same house, sometimes we have to walk away from each other after a lost match! We have one son that is fiercely competitive and wants everyone else to be equally competitive and play the game with the same tenacity that he does. We have one son that is also competitive, and he works hard to become a better player in whatever sport he’s competing in. We have one son that really enjoys the sport, and probably thinks he’s better than he actually is at it, but he enjoys the game. We have one son that is fairly decent at soccer (actually quite good for his age and size), and he shows up and works hard at games and practices, but is often run over by larger players. And we have one soccer coach that wants all his players to do their very best, encourage each other and play the game. Whew! Yup, it’s a lot! We’ve learned a lot this season, and I’m reminded at every game that this is Garett’s final season playing for the team. 

We had several games that have been canceled due to rain, and this past week we had two games back to back. We don’t typically play on Mondays due to the cross country players, but it was necessary this week. The team played terrible on Monday, and no one was happy. However, the team showed up to play the game on Tuesday, and it was a great game to watch. I feel like the soccer refs have been so inconsistent all season, and we never quite know what will or won’t be called. Roger tells his players all the time, “to play til the whistle blows”, and they did just that. There was a lot of whistle blowing at Tuesday’s game, and we ended up with a yellow card for the first time in a long time. A yellow card in soccer is just a warning, but it’s not something you want to get either. I think the ref gave out two yellow cards in the first half so that was a little unusual in itself. In the second half, Garett ended up with a yellow card! I think I was more surprised than he was as that is not Garett’s personality at all. He and another player had been going for the ball, and the ref said that Garett was too rough. Garett got a yellow card for “retaliation”. Now, if this was against his brothers- absolutely! But anyone who knows Garett knows that is not his personality at all. He’s like the gentlest teenager I know, except when riled up by his brothers! But oh well, he got one. Later in the evening, while the team was having supper, our Athletic Director came over to talk to Garett. All yellow or red cards have to be recorded, so he asked Garett about the yellow card. Stephen then told Garett that there was a $75.00 fee per yellow card, and Garett would need to bring the money to school on Monday. Garett looked so crestfallen, but he nodded his head and said, “Yes, sir. Okay.” Stephen pulled it off with a straight face and Garett swallowed it- hook, line and sinker! It was a funny moment, and I’m thankful for laughter and smiles! 

This month I’ve been working hard at preparing art for the regional agricultural fair. I’m teaching Middle School art this year, and whew- that’s a lot of prep, PowerPoints, and trial and error! I wanted the middle school to submit some art to the fair, but we found out that all the art for Middle School and High School had to be submitted two weeks prior to the fair! I was able to round up a few art projects for the fair so at least the school will be represented, but next year we will be better prepared. Our elementary students also submitted art for the fair, and all that had to be dropped off this past week. I breathed a huge sigh of relief to have it all dropped off at the fair! Kaycee (my art assistant) and I matted 24 pieces of art for the elementary art exhibit, and it’s hard to pick out four from each grade when there are 40 kids in some of the grades! But we are excited to see how the art places at the fair this week. 

Any other elementary/middle school art teachers on here? How do you get it all done?! I have a curriculum, but the PowerPoints for each lesson need to be created so that I can use them for future years. Then there’s the prep time for the lesson, the cleanup time, capitalizing on the lesson, while also teaching them about one of the names of God. Throw in preparing for library classes on top of that, and sometimes I think all I dream about it is school! Thankfully, I have a great assistant in both areas, but the amount of time to prepare and plan is sometimes overwhelming. My goal is to get to the place where each class does their own art projects each year and there is no crossing over of lessons from grade to grade, but we aren’t there yet! And I love curriculum and following a lesson, but it doesn’t take too long to figure out that not all the lessons will work for either the supplies on hand or the students. Life is an adventure and teaching can be a wild ride! I never, ever envisioned myself teaching art classes (and I’m sure my family didn’t either) but I’ve actually really enjoyed the challenge for the most part. I know that even my first graders can tell you the three names of God that we’ve learned about this year and that there are 7 elements of art! (We are a work in progress!) I love it when my kindergarten class can tell me that “Elohim” means “mighty Creator”, and my upper grades can give a Bible verse to go with that. I know that education is important and learning art it’s important, but the most important thing that I can teach them is about Jesus. I want each of my students to have a deeper relationship with Jesus when school ends in May than they do right now. And so while it’s a lot of hard work, I am thankful for the opportunity to invest in the lives of these students right here and right now. (But, I’d also appreciate your prayers for wisdom and direction.) 

Per usual, we’ve been busy! I worked a Saturday at the farmer’s market earlier this month, and Chandler worked at a pumpkin stand last Saturday. This week we have three days off of school due to fall break, and we are all working at various places the next couple of days. Wyatt, Chandler, myself and Travis are going to be working at an event and then the fair grounds. Garett will probably be able to get a few days working on gutters, and Emma is coming along with someone! Garett is a senior this year, and we are working hard to pay for a senior trip for our family over spring break. All the kids are pitching in a certain percentage of the cost, and we want to pay cash for this pretty big trip…so we work! It’s really been nice that work has been available for our children, and because they’ve worked hard this past summer, they’ve been able to “get their foot in the door” so to speak on jobs for the future. The jobs we are working this week are a direct result of working this past summer. We’ve already picked out Garett’s senior trip, and we’re looking forward to spring break! 

Lest anyone think that all we do is work, we don’t! Roger’s brother, Nate, came for a weekend with two of his kids earlier in the month. While Nate was here, all the boys and Roger and Nate played in a golf tournament for church. Each of our boys was on a different team, but they all seemed to have a really good time. Roger and Nate were on the same team, and it seems like a good time was had by all. Emma and Karis spent the day grocery shopping with me, playing with Sam, and making mud pies in the yard. 

Another weekend this past month, the kids and Roger went to Virginia to visit the Everett’s. I stayed home as I had already committed to work at the farmers market, but it was really nice to have a quiet evening at home. While I missed the opportunity to visit with the Everetts, I was very thankful for the time spent at home by myself. 

After fall break, we have the wrapping up of the soccer season in October, and then then next sport right around the corner! We are planning on going to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving, and all the boys are dreaming of deer hunting and time spent with Nana and Papa. 

We’ve had some very warm days in September, but it looks like cooler weather is coming soon. We had a lot of rain this fall, and that was a blessing for Roger. It’s easier for him to take off of work to coach the soccer team if fires are not blazing. And since we’ve had a wet fall, it’s been quiet at Roger’s work. 

We have three names of God that we’ve been working on learning in Art classes. Elohim, Jehovah, Adonai. 

“Elohim” - Mighty Creator. Genesis 1:1

“Jehovah” - I am Who I am (God’s personal name and a reminder that He is enough) 

“Adonai” - The Lord is my master (Even the mountains will melt like wax at the name of Adonai) Psalm 97:5 

Celebrating a Birthday, an Anniversary and an Adoption! God is Good!

 Good by August and hello September! Summer is fading and fall is coming. (We’ve had a few cooler days, which has given us a taste of fall days to come.) We’ve had four soccer games, and we’ve won one, tied two and lost one. The three oldest boys are at the annual High school retreat, so we are soaking up some time with just two at home. 

Garett turned 18 last Friday, and I’m still trying to wrap my mind the fact that he is 18 years old. We were supposed to have a soccer game on his birthday, but it ended up cancelled due to thunderstorms. It was a bit of a mixed blessing as then we were able to go out to dinner for Garett’s birthday, but it was a bummer that the game was cancelled. 

Last Thursday, Jen and the three youngest kids had planned to fly out to Maine for the adoption of Hannah and Josh’s kids. We ended up leaving right from Thursday’s game (before it had even ended), so Wyatt and Travis were hot and smelly, but they had a plane to catch. I took them to the airport, while Roger finished coaching the team (we ended that game in a tie). I dropped them off at the airport in plenty of time and headed home. The airport is just over an hour from our house, and I was almost home when Jen called me. The flight leaving Raleigh was delayed, and flights were grounded in Washington D.C., due to storms. Jen said that the flight delay might cause them to miss their connection in D.C., unless that plane was also delayed. She said that the gate agent said that they would make an update at 8:30pm. (The flight was originally supposed to leave at 8:03pm). I said that we would pray that the flight would take off, and I was going to continue home. At 8:30pm, Jen called me to tell me that the flights were still delayed, but it was unlikely that they would make the connection in D.C. She had asked the agent when the next flight to Maine would be, and the agent said that the next flight in would be on Saturday morning! Um- the adoption was Friday at 3:00pm! Jen asked the agent where the closest flight to Maine would be…Boston, Portland, ME, etc. The agent said, “we can get you to Philadelphia by about 5:00am on Friday morning.” That’s the closest?! Apparently due to the holiday weekend, and overbooked flights, there were not any options. The agent said that at 10:30pm, they would make one more update to see if the flight would leave that night. Jen called me around ten pm,  and told me that nothing was looking promising. She said that I should probably think about heading back to the airport to pick them up. Roger offered to go with me to the airport, so we told the oldest two to go to bed, and we headed back to the airport. We arrived to pick up four very disappointed people at about 11:30pm, but there was nothing that could be done. Maine is too far to drive on a whim, and it would be about impossible to get there by the adoption at 3:00pm. Jen said that she was not planning on going into school on Friday since she had already made sub plans for the day. Emma quickly asked if she could stay home with Aunt Jen! Wyatt and Travis asked if they could come into school later, early enough that they could still play in the soccer game, but late enough that they could sleep in. It was 1:30am by the time we had dropped Jen off at her house as well as the three youngest kids. It was a short night on sleep as Garett, Chandler and I were back out the door to school by 7:00am! I’m not sure why God didn’t allow them to get to Maine for the adoption, but I know there’s a Master plan in there somewhere. We were all disappointed as well as Hannah and Josh’s kids, but it is what it is. We had already planned to spend some of Christmas break in Maine, so we are all looking forward to that.  We are thankful that the adoption went off without a hitch, and that now we officially  have two nieces and a nephew! Praise the Lord! 

Chandler had the opportunity to attend a Duke football game on Saturday evening with a few other boys from school. Nicholas had invited Chandler to come with them to the game after the soccer game. Well, the game ended up being cancelled, so that worked out well for the football game. I’m thankful that Chandler has a few good friends in his class that he can spend time with at events like these. I’m thankful for Nicholas’s parents investing in Chandler’s life as well. The older I get, the more I appreciate those the mentor and invest in the lives of our children. 

On Saturday morning Roger and the two oldest boys went to play golf with the Everett’s. Travis, Wyatt and Emma stayed home (since they originally thought they would be in Maine). Emma and I went grocery shopping, and spent some time cleaning the house. We made plans to go to the beach on Sunday afternoon with the Hardison’s, so we gathered up all the beach stuff for that as well. 

Sunday afternoon found us looking for a parking spot on the beach! I had no idea that half of the state of North Carolina would also be at the beach on Sunday afternoon before Labor Day! Roger and Stephen ended up dropping us off by the beach, and then parking the vehicles a ways away. We found our spot and got all set up around three pm., and by 4:00pm, there was a shift as people started to leave the beach. We enjoyed the afternoon fellowshipping, relaxing, eating, and playing in the ocean. Another family also joined us at the beach, and there were nine boys…and Emma! We stayed until around 7:00pm when everyone was water logged and filled with sand. It was a beautiful day to be at the beach, and I’m thankful that we took the time to go. Since everyone was working so much this summer, we really didn’t get to the beach at all. Even though it was crowded when we arrived, a good time was had by all. 

Monday was our 19th wedding anniversary. Whew! And where did time go!? It was nice to have the day off of school for our anniversary since it was Labor Day. When we got married 19 years ago, I definitely wasn’t thinking about a school calendar to work around down the road! It was not the most exciting anniversary in the world, but ya know…it’s okay. We have plans to celebrate our anniversary by getting away for a few days in October (after soccer season is over), so it is okay to have a very low key day. Roger had to get some goalie glove glue for one of his soccer players, so we made a trip to get that. We brought along the “tribe”, but I’m recognizing more and more that these moments of all of us together are quickly fleeting! 

We had a soccer game on Tuesday night, and it was rough! Last week the team had three games and no practices. They went right into the game on Tuesday without a practice, and it was rough. Lots of miscommunication,  frustration, and aggravation amongst the team. We don’t like to lose in this household,  and with having four players and the coach in the same house…well! We had a lot of big emotions and feelings last night! Some hurtful things were said to each other, and apologies had to be made, and sometimes the best thing to do is to send everyone to bed!! The four boys share a room, so sometimes we have to say, “You can’t talk to each other until tomorrow.” Usually the boys will stay up for a while talking, but its typically about the day or an event, and I don’t mind as their usually in bed plenty of time to have a little conversation with each other. However, last night was not that night. Last night was the night where we say “just stop talking. Stop talking. Not another word. Brush your teeth and go to bed.” Just happens in our family or yours too?!  

I had a special moment on Sunday morning when another mom came up to me. She mentioned that she has a son in 7th grade, and Garett had gone out of his way to include him during teen evangelism. (Teen evangelism happens on Wednesday afternoons, and Garett hasn’t gone in a while. But the youth pastor asked him to go last week, so Garett went.) She told me that she was just so thankful that Garett had been kind to her son and included him and didn’t seem annoyed. It was just so kind for another mom to take the time to speak kindness to me. We are so, so far from “having it together”, and I’m on the struggle bus every single day. But it encourages me so much when someone else speaks words of kindness and encouragement to me about our children. It made me tear up, but it was a special way to start the day. It was also a reminder to me to speak kindness to other moms around me. We all need encouragement and uplifting from time to time, and I want to “speak love and light” to others. 

This week found us in full swing at school as middle school art started this week. I have 37 middle school students that are in Middle school art. This is a whole new ball game from teaching elementary art, and I want to do it well. I’m taking the same principles of introducing the names of God to these students as well, and we are working through elements and principles of art. Travis is in one of my middle school art classes, and he’s sure to keep me humble on the job I’m doing. :) I never have to worry about what Travis is thinking as his face will show it or he will just say it. But it’s good to have feedback, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to invest in my own child as well as in the lives of 200 plus other ones! 

Through it all, God is good. Life is full of uncertainties and disappointments, and we faced some of those this past week. But we also celebrated Garett’s 18th birthday and our 19th wedding anniversary. God is good. 

Names of God: Week #1 

August - School, Soccer & Lots of Birthdays!

 Somehow I thought I’d manage to squeeze two blog posts into August, but since there’s only about three days left in August, don’t hold your breath! Life has been busy, but when is it not!? I’m trying to live with intentionality as this is Garett’s last year of high school, and we are facing 4 graduations in the next five years!! I tell Garett often that I’ve never done this before, and he should expect me to cry a lot this year. He said, “okay, mom. But you sometimes cry a lot on years that I’m not graduating.” Um- true that! 

Earlier this month we celebrated Emma’s 11th birthday, then Travis’s 14th birthday and in a few days, Garett’s 18th birthday! Emma had a few friends over on a Sunday afternoon for her birthday, and she was excited about the Barbie dream house a friend had passed on to her. Emma picked salad for her birthday meal, so we had salad with all the toppings and of course, Ice cream cake! Emma is entering fourth grade this fall, and sometimes I struggle with the fact that she is much older than the rest of her class. However, so far that hasn’t seemed to bother her too much, and I pray that will continue to be the case. I remind myself often that she’s exactly where God wants her to be. Our prayer for Emma this year is that she will understand school, love others, be honest, and live for Jesus. She loves to play with younger children, and can often be found playing ‘teacher’ at home. We are so thankful to have her in our lives. 

We started school on August 15th, and I’m not sure that any of us were entirely ready to go back to school, but off we went! As we pulled out of the driveway on the very first day of school, Travis announced, “Well, we only have to do this 175 more times until the school year is done.” One of his brothers promptly told him “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t talk!” Haha! School is not Travis’s favorite thing, but we are praying him to have a great school year and to lean into Jesus. 

I’m teaching elementary art classes to kindergarten through 5th grade as well as a middle school art class and teaching library to elementary students. I’ll be honest, it’s a lot, maybe even too much, and it stresses me out, but I’m going to do my very best at it all. I have a great art assistant as well as a wonderful library assistant, and they’ll help me however they can. But at the end of the day, it’s still a lot of lesson plans, prep, and thinking. I sometimes dream about art classes and books, but I know that God will give strength and energy for every day. I started out the school year with a few days of prep, and that has helped me settle my mind immensely. This week I started teaching students, and we are already starting to work on art projects to enter in at the county fair in just a few short weeks. I tell my students often that I am passionate about God, family and country. Therefore, the art for the fair will be patriotic in nature. I’m excited to see how the projects turn out! I love teaching, but my prayer is that I will pour into my students and point them to Jesus. I start my lessons with prayer and a Bible verse, and this year I plan to focus on the names of God. I remember learning about the names of God during my school/college years, and it impacted me. I am praying that my students will leave the school year knowing Jesus better than when we started the school year. I’d appreciate your prayers!

We had our first soccer game on Friday, August 23rd, at the end of our first full week of school. There is nothing quite like “first week of school tired”, but the boys soccer team started their season with a win! Roger is coaching the soccer team this year, and he has poured a lot of time and energy into the team. It has pros and cons to be coaching the four boys, but for the most part, I think they all enjoy having Roger as their coach. After the soccer game, we hosted the team for a spaghetti supper. Jen had the idea to have supper with the team at school after the game, and we had several parents offer to bring desserts or tea. Most of the team stayed for the supper, and it was a positive way to start the season. There’s been some rough moments, to be sure, but I’m excited for Roger and the team. Garett would especially like to have a winning season as it’s his last sports season, but we will work hard, play hard and give God the glory. 

Travis celebrated his 14th birthday on Sunday, August 25th. He had asked to have over a few families for supper, and he picked out tamales, beans, rice, and chips and dip for his birthday supper. We had about 21 people over for dinner, and it was a lot of boys! I think we had eleven boys here, and they played outside most of the afternoon and evening. Travis seemed to have a good time, and we are thankful for friends to share a meal with at our house. And now for about a week, the boys are 17, 16, 15, and 14…and Emma is 11. Garett will turn 18 in a just a few days, and that’s another thing I’m just not ready for in my life, but here we are! 

The boys had a soccer game last night, and while they didn’t win, they did tie the game. It’s been unusually hot here the past few days (even for N.C.), and they have another game tomorrow evening. Tomorrow Jen is leaving with our three youngest kids to head to Maine. They are flying out tomorrow evening for a very special occasion. (More about that in another post). I had also wanted to go, but with Garett’s birthday, senior pictures for him, a soccer game, and it being such a quick trip, we decided that just the younger kids would go with Jen. We are all planning to take a trip to Maine over Christmas break, so that gives us something to look forward to in December. 

In other news, I’m looking for some advice. I’m in my 40’s now, and I’m getting older every day. I exercise regularly (very regularly), and I eat fairly well. But…yikes! Why is the scale going so fast in the wrong direction?! I know hormones, age and all that, but has anyone found an actually solution?! I’d prefer to not gain any more weight, and I’d love to lose a few pounds (at this point, I’d settle for even losing ounces!). It’s the most ridiculous and frustrating thing I’ve ever encountered! I’m open to any and all suggestions…and I’ve tried some crazy ones! 

We’d appreciate extra prayers as we try to parent older teenagers and point them to Jesus. I realize that so many decisions that they will make in the next few years will have to be their own personal choices and not something I can make for them. They’ll be deciding for themselves to love and serve Jesus.  Statistics  show that 7 out of every 10 church kids born in “generation z” (1997-2012) are walking away from Jesus and the faith. That’s not okay! I’m praying hard and passionately for our children, and please, please pray for our children. Please pray that they will be steadfast, unmovable and abound in Jesus. Please pray that they will understand how to love people and point them to Jesus without being pressured into making bad decisions. Yes, I know that they will make mistakes along the way in their lives (I still do and often), but that they will guard their hearts and love Jesus. 

Thank you for your prayers. 

 

                                                The first name of God that I’m introducing this year. (Genesis 1:1) 

July- Work, More Work, Liberty University, Appomattox Court House, Parenting

 July has come and gone, and teacher in-service begins in less than a week. I am so not ready to go back to school, but I know that when the time comes, I will be ready…Lord willing. I’ve put a lot of energy and effort into thinking and preparing for the school year, and my biggest prayer request is that I will point my students to Jesus. 

We worked a lot this summer, and I mean a whole lot! Everyone has been working except Emma, and shes’s enjoyed lots of time at the pool and time spent with Aunt Jen. (I am very thankful for Jen and her willingness to help out with our kids) 

On July 4th, we spent the day as a family. We attempted to go to the beach, but that was an epic fail as the beach was so crowded! We did enjoy lunch together, and we had a good time. Roger had a full month in June on fire patrol, so it was nice for everyone in our family to have the day off together. We had talked about inviting some families over to our house, but I wasn’t up for hosting, prepping, and cooking. It was a good day, but a very uneventful Fourth of July! But, oh how thankful I am for our country! I know that we are all concerned about the future of America, but I know I sometimes forget how much I have to be thankful for in this great land. However, that being said, please go vote in November! We are not professing our love for a candidate, but rather voting for the future of our children. Please vote wisely! 

Garett has been working hard at the gutter company, and his favorite part is lunchtime! He enjoys food greatly, and his boss pays for lunch everyday. Garett has also been trying to finish up a math course that he needs for this school year, so he’s had a busy summer. Chandler works five days a week out at a farm/produce stand near Roger’s work. On one of my days off, we took a field trip out to his place of work. It was fun to see where he worked, and he is well loved by his employers. Emma came to work with me one day, and she had a good day helping at the farmers market. Travis has come to the farmers market several times, and he typically keeps the produce bins full and helps wherever needed. He also helps sell stuff from time to time, and this past week a lady asked him about okra. Now why you would ask a teenage boy about how to cook okra is beyond me! But Travis said he had overheard one of the employees say that she had breaded the okra and then fried it. Now, she had breaded it in cornmeal and seasonings and then fried it. Travis couldn’t quite remember what the breading was so he told the lady that the breading was oatmeal!! Um- no! Haha! Then Wyatt was like, “Travis! It wasn’t oatmeal!” So a few weeks later when someone asked about cooking okra, Travis said his mom had a secret recipe and that he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone the recipe! However, he did sell okra! It’s been fun working with the boys this summer, and while the trip is a bit of a drive, we’ve had lots of time to talk and spend time together. I am thankful for these moments. 

 A famous preacher once said, “Preach the Gospel always, if necessary, use words.” I’ve told my kids this phrase often as I tell them that their actions and what they do matters. This summer at the farmer’s market, I’ve worked hard to always wear a t-shirt that has a verse, a worship song, or a phrase that will point someone to Jesus. I’m amazed at how many people will comment on what I’m wearing and either ask about what it means, or whole-heartedly agree with the statement. It’s a opportunity to point people to Jesus, and as believers we must be diligent to “redeem the time”, and point people to Jesus. On the other hand, I’m sure that I’ve offended some people with my t-shirts, but all the people that have spoken to me have been so pleasant and kind. One lady told me that she even choose to bring her business to our farm stand because she liked my t-shirt that said, “Waymaker, promise keeper, Light of the world, that’s my God”. I wish I could say that I take advantage of every opportunity to point people to Jesus, but the truth is that I often fail at it. But, God is merciful and kind and He provides more opportunities to talk to people about Him. 

In the month of July, we also coordinated a week of craziness with our friends, the Hardisons. Chandler and Eli had a few days of a Remote Control Robotic class at a local community college. Stephen was gone to a retreat for school, and Tamela and I switched around a bunch of kids that week as we navigated a crazy week of work as Wyatt and Kaeden came with me, and Chandler stayed a lot of the week with Eli. Surprisingly we did forget any of the kids anywhere, and we made it through the week! I am thankful for cell phones and the ability to coordinate schedules with friends. 

A friend of ours went up to Maine, and he brought us back some lobsters. Roger made some delicious lobsters rolls, and we met up with our friends, the Everett’s at a park halfway between both of our homes. It was a fun evening for their family to try something new, and having lobster rolls certainly brought back a lot of great memories from our time in Maine. 

This past weekend found much of our family in Lynchburg, Virginia. A while back Chandler was looking for soccer camps near us. He found a soccer clinic/camp happening at Liberty University, and he asked Roger and I if he could attend the camp. It’s basically a soccer camp for rising juniors and seniors that are interested in playing soccer in college. We got a phone call from a recruiting person on Sunday evening, and we had to listen to the whole jabber about how to best get Chandler into soccer in college. Well, let’s just say that we don’t have the kind of money that we would need to put Chandler in the “best spot” to play soccer in college. I’m thankful that God is not concerned about that, but that He already has a “best” plan for Chandler’s life! I found an airbnb for Friday and Saturday, and Jen and I headed to Lynchburg, Virginia on Friday afternoon. Wyatt, Travis and Emma came along with Chandler, and while we wish that Garett and Roger could be with us, we did enjoy our time there. I dropped off Chandler at the soccer camp, and he told me that he was nervous. He had paid for this camp out of his own work earnings, but he was worried that he would be the worst player at the clinic. We pulled into the college, and the intimidation factor was real! These kids had the backpacks, the shoes, the jerseys, and everything that screamed “I play soccer”! Meanwhile, Chandler had on shorts with paint on them and shoes that had a lot of wear and tear. But I reminded Chandler that clothes don’t set a person up for success, and that God already has a plan for Chandler. By the time I picked him up at 8:00pm, he was beaming. He told me that he had really enjoyed the first afternoon of soccer camp, and that he was glad that he had spent his money to come to the camp. I was thankful that the coaches and soccer players from Liberty University had taken the time to pray both before and after the session, as well as gave their personal testimonies of how they had come to play soccer and how God had brought them to where they are now. It was encouraging to Chandler to play with players on his own playing level as well as be challenged by many that were better than he was. I have no idea what God has for Chandler or his future of college or soccer, but I know that God already has a plan. I told Roger that Chandler wasn’t the only one that felt “out of their league”. I was speaking with a few parents and a mom mentioned that this is her sons’ 3rd ID soccer camp of the summer, and they had driven up from Georgia for this clinic. Another parent mentioned that they had come from Florida, and I was over here like “oh, um, this is our first soccer ID clinic, and we have no idea what we are doing, but whatever it is, we’re having fun while we’re doing it!” Haha! We’ve got five kids to try to help through college or further their education, and we are praying them through whatever God has for them, but we are not on the level of most of those parents. And know what? That’s totally okay for them and for us. It was a great experience for Chandler, and he said he would 100% spend his money again to come to the soccer camp. I’m thankful that God worked out the details for him to be able to go, and it was fun to get away for a few days from the normal routines of life. 

On the way back from Lynchburg, we stopped off at the Appomattox  Courthouse in Virginia. It was a free stop on the way back home, and it was educational to boot! It was interesting to read about the surrender of the Confederates that day on April 9th, 1865. We got to step into history as we walked through the area, went in the buildings, and toured the grounds. There were a lot of artifacts from the Civil War era, obviously, and Travis told Aunt Jen, “I think it’s really neat how they had a hot dog cooker back in those days.” Jen was obviously surprised and she asked Travis to show her the “hot dog cooker”…it was a curry comb!! Haha! That kid keeps us on our toes, and he’s very matter of fact about life! I’m glad we made the effort to stop, but we were all glad to get home that afternoon! 

“Hot dog Cooker” 

Garett successfully finished his math course while we were away, and Roger and Garett were able to spend some quality time together. We are thankful for these moments!  

It’s been a busy and full summer, but we’ve made some memories. The boys have played golf whenever they can squeeze it in around working, and Emma has spent many hours at the pool. We visited a few other churches this summer as well, but either we didn’t feel like the fit was great or we didn’t feel like the doctrine was sound. We’ve been in North Carolina for over two years, and I still feel like I’m struggling sometimes to find “our groove” in church and in friendships. The church we were a part of in Maine had a much higher median age, but there was also a connection that came through a small school and church. We’ve made a few friends here in NC, but I know that Roger and I often feel like we don’t know how to connect…and we wonder is it us? Our tribe of five kids? The fact that we didn’t grow up here and don’t have family around her?  Because we don’t live like the “Joneses”? What makes it harder for us to connect and feel included here? Truly, I don’t know. We’ve had many, many families over in our home in the years we’ve been here, and I do it because I really do enjoy opening our home, hosting and cooking as it’s a part of who God created me to be. (I also grew up watching my mom cook a big Sunday dinner every week, and we had someone over for dinner almost every Sunday.) We found deep connections with the Everett family, but God chose to move them to Virginia. We’ve been very thankful for the Hardison family and their boys, and I absolutely know that God had His hand in bringing along their family into our lives even though Emma wishes that they had a girl and not so many boys! So what do you do when you feel like everyone around you has enough friends already? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure, but I know that God still calls us to love those around us, worship Him completely and rejoice in Him. We will continue to have people in our home, prepare food for others, love our neighbors, and love Jesus. Maybe God is creating our sons to create really great and meaningful friendships with each other- provided that they can stop arguing with each other long enough to decide that they love each other! No, they don’t fight all the time, but there is a lot of testosterone in our house with four teenage boys! I thought that diapers were expensive, but I am not prepared for how much food these boys can eat or how expensive car insurance is for teenage drivers! Whew! Parenting is not for the faint- hearted! I am so thankful for God’s grace,  and that He calls us to rest in Him! (Parenting is also exhausting!) 

As we prepare to return to school, we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and direction. Garett will be a senior, and he’s unsure about what God would have him to do after he graduates from high school. We need a lot of wisdom and prayers as we help him prepare for the future. 

I have really been enjoying this song. I pray that you will be blessed tonight. 

 

Greenville, SC & A Trip to the Mountains & lots of Work!

 Summer break is flying by, and with the majority of our family working this summer, we are working hard to cling to the moments we have together! The early years of raising children is hard work, and it can be monotonous and overwhelming. Then they become teenagers! Life is no longer monotonous, but we need a family calendar to keep track of everyone!! 

Earlier this summer, we were praying that Chandler would find a job. He was able to work with me at the Farmers Market for a few days, but he was still looking for more of a full-time summer job. Well, he now has a job with more hours, and he still gets to be outside a lot. Thank you for praying that he would find a job!  Chandler is working for a farmer/produce stand near Roger’s work. Chandler has been working 7:30am- 6:00pm, and he is shucking a lot of corn, selling fruit, working in the fields, and getting an introduction to welding. He’s been busy, but God is so good. God provided this job for Chandler, and it’s about twelve minutes from Roger’s job. Roger has also been working long hours due to the lack of rain, so he drops Chandler off at work and then picks him up. 

Garett continues to work with the gutter company, and he likes it. I’m pretty sure that his favorite thing is going to lunch everyday, but he does like his job. He’s been getting up and going to work around 5:30am due to the heat this week. 

Wyatt and I are working at the farmer’s market. I try to work about three days a week, but it all depends on what’s happening with the other kids, Roger’s job, and other activities. Most of the time, Wyatt comes with me to work, so he’s been able to get some employment this summer also. 

Travis and Emma stay busy with helping take care of Aunt Jen’s chickens, cutting grass, and going swimming. We are thankful that Aunt Jen is willing to have two sidekicks this summer. Currently, Travis and Emma are in Wisconsin with Aunt Jen visiting with my parents. I’m thrilled that they have the opportunity to do that, and I know that my parents were excited to have them come visit. 

In the past two weeks, we’ve worked and played. Last week, Chandler and Wyatt attended basketball camp at Bob Jones University, while Jen and the two younger kids spent a few days in Greenville, SC. Roger and Garett stayed behind and worked, but then met up with us in the mountains for a few days of fun later in the week. 

Last Monday (6/17), we left for basketball camp with two of our boys that were attending as well as two of the Hardison boys. They were all excited about attending basketball camp, and I’m glad that they were able to work on some skills and drills that should help them in the future. While Bob Jones camp was okay, I think the boys will be returning to PCC next summer to try one of their sports camps. I know that I can be OCD about communication and spending time wisely, but to be honest, BJU should’ve done better. Camp should be looked at as a potential student visiting the college (in my opinion). These are 9th-12th grade boys coming to visit the college campus and a little bit more of a “best foot forward” approach would’ve been greatly appreciated by this mama. I also would’ve appreciated a more serious and dedicated approach to spiritual lessons and growth. I know that I’m in a minority and that’s okay, but I really want Jesus to be first and foremost in any activities. I personally feel that sometimes we get so worried about “kids having fun” that we fail to prepare them for eternity! (I did personally call the college to express some of my concerns as well.) So what did BJU do well? Like I said, I appreciated the emphasis on improving skills in basketball. Both of the boys said that they felt like they learned a lot, and they were thankful for that. I’m thankful that this opportunity was given to them, and now they’ve had an introduction to BJU. It’s really too bad that it wasn’t a better experience because I know that Bob Jones does present some top quality events for educators, and I’ve been a recipient at those events.  

While the two boys were at basketball camp, Travis, Emma, Jen and I spent a few days in Greenville. Greenville has a beautiful downtown area, and we walked down there several times. The hotel we stayed at offered breakfast, snacks and drinks and supper- all included in the price of the hotel! That was an amazing blessing as we were able to spend time just watching the kids swim in the pool, eat, read, and soak up some sunshine and relaxation. It was good to get away for a few days, and if I ever go to Greenville again, I’m going to be looking for the Drury Inn and Suites hotel again! A highlight of the trip for Emma and Travis would be going to Smoothie King and trying the Dude Perfect smoothie! 

Basketball camp ended on Thursday at noon, so I picked up our two boys and headed for the mountains. Jen headed back to her home to check on the chickens, and get ready for her trip to Wisconsin. 

We met up with the Everett’s in the mountains on Thursday afternoon. Roger and Garett met us there and everyone went golfing in the afternoon except Emma, Laura and I. Thursday was Laura’s birthday, so we were happy to celebrate her birthday. I had purchased discounted tickets for Anakeesta and the Titantic museum for the few days that we were in the mountains. We went to Anakeesta on Friday, and it was a hot day! The chair lift up to the top of the mountain was a lot of fun, and Anakeesta offers some nice views of the mountains, beautiful gardens, tree walk ropes course, and lot of playground space. We did enjoy it, and I’m glad that we did it. However, I felt like it was more suited towards kids Emma’s age as there was a lot of playground space, slides, and ropes courses. For teenagers, Anakeesta offers two mountain coasters and zip lining (all of which cost extra $$), so for that reason, I don’t think we’d do it again. The boys didn’t complain about not doing the coaster or zip lining, but the playgrounds and slides were a little below their level of interest. However, it was a fun day spent with family and friends, so it was a day well spent. 

Saturday morning was set aside to visit the Titanic museum, and everyone really seemed to enjoy that. There was lot of information to take in, but they did offer headphones that would read the highlights to you as well as a kids version of the highlights. I think I can say that everyone did learn something, and that was a good experience. It was money well spent in my opinion, and I’m glad we took the opportunity to do that museum. 

We also played some game that Justin came up with. It was the adults versus the kids, and the adults did win. We didn’t win by a lot, but we did win! It was a lot of laughter and fun, and then we decided to take a trip to the Smokey Mountains park and get in the creek. We ended up finding a spot with a waterfall, and while we only planned to go wading, everyone was pretty wet by the time we were done! 

A few other notes to remember from our trip: we really enjoyed “Steak n Shake”. It was a restaurant that reminded me of Culver’s hamburgers, and it was fairly cheap. We tried to go to Cades Cove to see some wildlife, but we didn’t realize quite how low we were on gas, so that ended up being a bit of a flop. I guess we will save that for another trip! We had coffee at the Black Rifle Coffee Company, and that was a fun time. We enjoyed s’mores around the fire pit, and the mosquitos weren’t too bad! The cabin was practically straight up a mountain, but it was a memory for sure! We treasured our time with our friends, the Everett’s, and it was a fun few days in the mountains!

We left the mountains on Sunday morning, and I met up with Jen in Newport, Tennessee. She was headed to Wisconsin and rather than come all the way back to Eastern North Carolina, we met up with her in Tennessee. Emma and Travis hopped out of our van, and into Jen’s vehicle. Emma was a little sad about going on Saturday night, but by Sunday morning, she was happy to be going to visit Nana and Papa. Travis kept asking if Wyatt could come with him to Wisconsin, and originally we had planned on that. But when Chandler got his job, then Wyatt could work with me, so Wyatt decided to stay back and work. I think Wyatt would’ve liked to have gone along also, but he was also happy to be going home. Our friends, the Harrison’s, kept Sam from Thursday thru Sunday, so we picked him up on Sunday night. I think Sam was happy to see us, but he really doesn’t seem to mind hanging out with the Hardisons’ dog Marley. We were all happy to be home on Sunday night, and when we sat down for family prayer on Sunday evening, I was like “okay, who’s going where this week and working where?!” I’m thankful that the sun sets later these days, as we are frequently gathering around the table around 7:30/8:00pm for supper! (Everyone still likes to eat!) I’m thankful for employment, memories, family, God’s grace, sleep and clean clothes! (I’m thankful for a lot more, but those are the ones that are on my mind!) 

Travis and Emma will be coming home with Jen tomorrow, and I am very much looking forward to seeing them! Roger has been crazy busy with work also. Typically the standard fire season is over by early June as the humidity rises and we get more rain showers. However, this summer has been very hot and very dry, so Roger has been working quite a bit. The district that he flies for has only received about .5 inch of rain in the past 31 days. Most of the crops are gone, and only the farmers that have some type of irrigation will get anything off their fields. The cucumber harvest is about 90% dried up, and peas will be in short supply as we just haven’t gotten enough rain. Please pray that God will provide some rain for much of the eastern side of North Carolina. We are thankful that Roger is able to gain some extra hours as this will help him be able to take off in the fall when he is coaching the soccer season, but we also really, really need a nice soaking shower of rain. 

Amidst the business of all the working schedules and summer activities, I’m also constantly reminded that Garett will be a senior this fall. I’m not ready! We’re trying to soak up the memories, moments, and pour into each of our children their need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Garett has talked with us a little about his plans for after high school, but he needs a lot of direction and prayers at this point in time. We are capable of hard things, and God provides what we need every step of the way. I know that this also holds true for our children. I’m thankful that while the world erupts in chaos and disorder, we serve a God who has never relinquished His control. He holds us in His hands- and I’m thankful for His presence. 

Summer Break!!

 It’s been a busy two weeks, as we’ve jumped full swing into summer break! We are enjoying a bit of a more relaxed schedule, but we find it’s still really full with kids working, balancing screen time and work, projects that we’d like to finish, and planning a few activities over summer break. 

I’ve still been working at the school some as it’s near impossible to get everything cleaned and packed up before school ends much less when I’m working in both art and library. I enlisted the help of my kids to help take down bulletin boards, move books, haul stuff to the dumpsters, and other cleaning jobs. Working for mom would not fall on their list of favorite things, but welcome to life! I’ve been doing some research regarding an art curriculum for elementary students, and there is so much out there! It’s so easy to be overwhelmed with it all. We’ve also looked for a library curriculum, but that’s a really hard one to come by because I’m picky about what we read and generally we don’t have the books on the list in our small library anyways. I’ve written our own lessons plans for the past two years, but it would be nice to be able to have the book, a game, and an activity all ready to go without searching all over creation for what I want…maybe I’m just too picky or my expectations are too high!? 

On Memorial Day, we went to Aunt Lisa and Uncle Ryan’s house out towards the western side of the state. It makes for a long day, but it was a fun day. All the kids got in the pool (multiple times) and Emma and Travis ended up with a sunburn! We took Sam (the dog) with us, and he did very well on the car ride so that was a blessing. The boys walked down to the pond to go fishing, and they caught a few fish. We enjoyed lots of delicious food, good fellowship and time outside. It was a good way to start summer break. 

Chandler had the opportunity to spend a few days at a lake with one of his friends from school and a few other boys as well. He left on Wednesday to go to the lake, and we came down on Saturday to pick him up. He had a great time fishing, kayaking, playing with air soft guns, and doing all kinds of activities. We came to pick him up on Saturday, and we enjoyed time at the lake as well. It was good to get to know Nicholas’s parents a little better, and we surely did appreciate the laughter and fellowship. It was a beautiful day to spend at the lake, and we were thankful for the invite. 

Garett is working full time with the gutter company this summer, and last week he got his drivers license! Yes, he is almost 18 (in August), but we were not in an anxious place for him to get his license and insurance is expensive! However, the timing was right and God arranged for all the details to fall into place. Roger took him to Jacksonville last Thursday for a 8:00 am appointment. They arrived in time, but there was an accident on the route that they normally take the drivers road test on. The DMV told Roger and Garett that they weren’t sure how long it would be before the route opened, but they would be given a “floating” appointment meaning that once the route opened back up, Garett could take his test as soon as they could squeeze him in. Well that was a bit of a bummer as Roger was missing work to take Garett to do his drivers test, and we weren’t sure if we should wait it out, reschedule or if I should come and wait with Garett. Roger and Garett went back into the DMV to talk to someone, and they said that they would allow Garett to take his road test on an old route that they didn’t use anymore. Praise the Lord! Within ten minutes, Garett was walking back into the DMV to get his drivers license permit! We are thankful that one of the boys now has his drivers license as this means that Garett can now help with getting other kids where they need to be! I didn’t think I’d be this excited about one of our kids having their drivers license, but it’s been so nice! 

I started working at a farmer’s market a few days a week, and it looks like Chandler will be able to earn a little money on the days that I work as he can come with me. The days are long at the farmer’s market, but it’s not hard work as it’s just being friendly and selling people produce. I think it’ll work out nicely for a few days a week and help provide a little extra money for a summer trip or the school bill. Chandler would still like to find a bit more work as he’d like to work closer to four or five days a week, but we are thankful for something! 

Travis finished up the soccer season with the rec team this past week. It’s been fun to watch him play, and he’s enjoyed it-mostly. I thought that Travis would be excited about being on a team without his brothers and getting a lot of playing time. He told my sister, Jen, that he enjoyed playing soccer but it would’ve been better if Wyatt could’ve been on his team. The Lord was good to Travis as Travis was placed on a team with Christian coaches, and it was a good experience. One of the coaches is also a coach for a soccer league team in the area. The coach sent us an email about Travis playing on a travel ball team, and then he came and talked to us. While the experience would be good, the cost is way too high, and we are already busy as a family. We don’t need one more event to haul kids to or cause us to split up our very valuable family time. We asked Travis what his opinion was about the travel ball team, and told him that it was nice of his coach to notice Travis’s skill level and offer him a position on the travel soccer team without Travis even going to tryouts. And all of that was and is true! It’s nice to be recognized for hard work and effort, but thankfully this was an easy decision to make. Travis was non-committal about it (he’s not one to talk a lot), but he said, “yeah, it’s nice to be asked to join the team. But I don’t want to. I wouldn’t really want to do it without one of my brothers, and I’ll get to play on the school team in the fall.” So that was that, and it was a good decision. The coaches held a little awards ceremony after the last game last week, and it was so refreshing and encouraging to hear these coaches talk about the “Christian character” award, and how that was being like Jesus. This is a non-Christian school team, and these kids are from all walks of life, but these coaches made a point to bring Jesus into the conversation and to pray over the players after the last game of the season. I doubt Travis thought much about it, but as his mama, I sure did appreciate the prayer and reference to Jesus Christ! 

This past week we’ve been dog siting for some friends of ours. I’ve decided that we are definitely a one dog family, and while we’ve not minded Marley being here, we are thankful for just one dog! We also have the three Hardison boys here, so that’s eight boys and Emma! It’s not been very quiet here, but it’s been fun. They eat a lot, but they also have played hours of basketball and golf. We are thankful for these moments and days. Life truly is a vapor, and if I accomplish nothing else with my life, I want my kids to know and serve Jesus. 

We’ve also had VBS (Vacation Bible School) this past week, so I took Jace and Emma in to VBS with me, while the boys spent time with Roger. They even got to go golfing a few times with the Hardison boys, so that was fun for all. 

Chandler has already gotten a pay raise at the farmer’s market, so that was exciting for him. He worked two days and got a pay raise on the third day. The disadvantage to the farmer’s market job is that it is a bit of a hike to the job, so he really can only work on days that I work, and I don’t want to work every day! This past week, Wyatt also worked at the farmers market for a day. Chandler, Wyatt and I all worked on Saturday, and it was a busy day. I prefer the busier days, as I’m not one for sitting around! The boys worked hard at keeping everything stocked and shucking corn. We always come home tired, but it’s been good to have a little employment this summer. 

This week is basketball camp for Chandler and Wyatt, and they’re looking forward to going to Bob Jones University with two of the Hardison boys for basketball camp. I’m excited that they have this opportunity, and Travis and Emma are looking forward to it as well. I’m going to take the two youngest, along with my sister, and we’re going to spend a few days in the Greenville area while the other two boys are at camp. It should be a good week, and I’m looking forward to spending some time with the youngest two kids. 

Today was Father’s Day, and we barely saw Roger! He spent the day at work flying patrol for the fires. We really, really need rain. The forecast for the next ten days is hot and without rain. Please pray that God will provide some rain. Many farmers are on the verge of losing their crops as the soil is so dry. We really need several days of a nice soaking rain. We missed having Roger around, but we are so thankful for him. He’s not the life of the party, and he doesn’t like to be the center of attention, but Roger is faithful, loyal, kind and a good friend. He loves his family, and he works hard to be present in our lives. I’m thankful for him, and I love him so very much. 

Life can also be heavy and hard, and sometimes it’s hard to know what God is doing. The pastor said something this morning that really resonated with me after this past week. He said, “What you believe in not only matters for eternity, but it also shapes your perspective on life.” And sometimes we just have to walk by faith. This past Tuesday, my friend, Beka, from Wisconsin called me. She told me that there had been an accident and the daughter of someone I knew had been killed in a tragic ATV accident. I was completely taken off guard. Emma is almost the same age as this little girl that passed away, and I was pregnant with Emma the same summer that my friend was pregnant with her daughter. I don’t know what God’s plan was in allowing this tragedy to happen, but I do know that God is in control. He is the God of all comfort, and His mercy never fails. I’ve cried several times this past week as we grieve the loss of life, and for the family left behind. Please do pray for my friend, Jen, and her family, as they grieve the loss of their daughter. 

News Article

As parents, we naturally expect our children to outlive us, and sometimes we are caught off guard by what happens in our lives. I look forward to the day when “He will wipe away all tears from our eyes.” Heaven is going to be an amazing place, and if you’re not sure about where you will spend eternity, please reach out to me. I’d love to show you how you can know for sure that you are on your way to Heaven. Jesus died for you, so that you can have eternal life in Heaven. We need to recognize that we cannot get to Heaven on our own, and we are all sinners. We have no hope of Heaven without Jesus. But..Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Believe that Jesus died for you. Recognize that you are a sinner. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your life. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that “for by grace are ye saved, through faith, and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” Salvation- that’s the best gift ever! 

  

Last week of school & “Missing Person?!”

 And that’s a wrap on the 2023-2024 school year!! It’s hard to believe, but now we have a senior, a junior, a freshman, an 8th grader, and a fourth grader! (And I think I’m getting old!) We are excited for summer break to begin, and we need to think about some summer plans before the summer flies by! Garett will start his job with the gutter company on Tuesday. Chandler is still looking for a job, so please pray that he will be able to find one. Chandler went to talk to the neighbor, whom they’ve worked for before, but our neighbor didn’t have work as he didn’t plant vegetables to sell at the roadside stand this year. Chandler and Wyatt are both planning on attending basketball camp at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC in the middle of June. Wyatt would also like to find a little work this summer, so that’s also a matter of prayer. I am also trying to find some work this summer, but it’s hard when you need the work to be flexible so that everyone can get where they need to go, grocery shopping still gets done, Travis and Emma are supervised, and the other little details that need attention. But, ya know, God knows what we need, so just pray that all our needs will be meet, and we will continue to pray and work hard at the next right thing. 

We had the sports banquet last week, and I forgot to take any pictures! However, the boys did come away with some plaques and certificates for their endeavors in sports this year. Travis won the award for “most-improved” in middle school basketball. Wyatt was awarded the “Christian Character” award for the golf team. Chandler won “Most Valuable” player for the golf team, and Garett received “Christian Character” for the baseball team. It was a bit of a long day as Roger and I had a meeting after school, then the coaches meal (which was delicious) and then the awards. Thankfully, Jen had taken Emma home so that Emma didn’t have to spend a long evening at the school. 

Last Friday was my birthday (each birthday grows more exciting! JK!). I was thankful for all the birthday wishes, and for the gift of coffee from my friends, Tamela and Laura. (Apparently they know that I like coffee!) Travis had a soccer game in the evening, so the day was a full day, but I’m thankful for another year to serve Jesus. 

This past weekend we went to Virginia to visit our friends. The boys and Roger played golf, so that was fun for them. Laura and I spent time just visiting together, and catching up on conversations that we’ve started over the past several weeks. Laura had a special cake for my birthday, and everyone sang the worst rendition of “happy birthday” that you can imagine! Travis enjoys singing loudly off-key, and it was definitely funny to hear 10 people sing at their worst- pretty bad! 

On the way home from Virginia, my Aunt Lisa called to say that my Aunt Janice had passed away. Aunt Lisa asked if we would be able to come for the funeral, but I wasn’t sure if we would be able to with all the school events of this week. Originally the funeral was to be on Thursday, but Garett and Chandler were singing in the choir for graduation. Then the funeral was moved to Wednesday, and since the kids had a half day (except Emma), we were able to go to the funeral. I spoke with the boys teachers and they were all happy to accommodate the kids exams. We left school around 10:00 am on Wednesday morning, but we had decided that not all of us would go to the funeral as it was four hours there and then back in the same day. Garett and Roger were asked to be pall bearers, and Emma was singing with us, so we decided to take the oldest and the youngest and leave the middle three at home to watch Sam. We made good time out towards Hickory, and arrived in time to even practice our song for a minute. Garett, Emma, Jen and I sang “Jesus, strong and kind” for the service. This was the same funeral home where Papaw’s visitation had been held almost eleven years ago. That funeral place is like stepping in a time capsule as everything is exactly as it was 11 years ago! The carpet is still the same, the decorations are the same, it still smells a little funny, it all looked exactly the same (and I’m pretty sure that they didn’t tune the piano in the last eleven years either!) Garett was a little nervous about singing, but he and Emma did great. I played the piano and along with Jen, Garett and Emma. Jen and I haven’t probably sung together in over 10 years, but I don’t remember how young we were when we sang at our first funeral…pretty young. Emma had lots of questions about the funeral, as this is one of the first ones that she’s attended and remembered. She asked about the makeup on the body, if people in caskets have on underwear, what happens to the blood in people’s bodies and a whole slew of other questions! After the funeral, we all traveled to the cemetery for the burial. I suggested to Jen that she might want to park in front of the church in case we needed to leave earlier, but Emma shrieked out, “I really want to go through the drive-thru”. Jen and I were both momentarily confused, but then realized that she meant that she wanted to follow the funeral procession into the cemetery! It was a funny moment!

After the burial service, the church had some sandwiches and light snacks for us. We ate a quick bite before getting back on the road to drive back across the state the other way! We left about 6:30pm, and the gps was showing that we would probably be home around 10:30pm, so not too bad for a long day. However, God had other plans, and He puts us exactly where He wants us to be. 

MISSING PERSON?! God wrote a page in the story of our lives on Wednesday night, and I’m sure that none of us will ever forget it. On our way home from the funeral, we stopped in Greensboro (about two hours from home). We stopped at Sheetz (one of our favorite gas stations) for a snack and to put gas in the car. As we were checking out, I overheard the cashiers talking to an older gentleman. The gentleman was adamant that he needed to get back to Goldsboro, and the cashiers couldn’t understand why he didn’t have a phone with a GPS (the cashiers were in the generation that wouldn’t remember that we used to drive everywhere without using our phones for location services). Roger went over to see if he could help the gentleman with directions, as there seemed to be a little confusion. Roger offered to let “Grandpa” (as we affectionately named him) follow us back towards Goldsboro as we were headed in that direction. Grandpa was very appreciative, and then promptly walked off and left his drivers license on the cashiers counter. Roger reminded him to pick it up, and then we walked out to the parking lot. Grandpa poked his head in a vehicle and muttered, “oh yes, this is mine.” And we were off on our way back to Goldsboro. Roger and Garett were first in line with the little four door honda car, then Grandpa in his Kia, and then Jen, Emma and I. As we waited for the light to turn green to merge onto the interstate, Grandpa nearly rear ended Garett and Roger! Once on the interstate, I called Roger to ask if his life insurance policy was up to date! Grandpa was tail-gating Roger so closely that Garett said that he couldn’t even see the headlights of Grandpas car! Jen and I eventually passed Roger and Garett and Grandpa as we could see it was going to be a long ride back to Goldsboro at fifty miles per hour! As Jen and I were driving down interstate 40, we passed under one of those highway banners that was flashing something about a “Silver alert”. Jen looked over at me and said, “Do you think that might be Grandpa?” I was like, “Um, I don’t think so. Grandpa said that he was driving back from Delaware,” However, I tried to look it up online without any success. And then Roger called me and asked, “Do you think Grandpa is the silver alert?” Originally, Roger had planned to get Grandpa to the right exit for Goldsboro, and then leave him on his own. Roger said that Jen and I should head home, and he and Garett would figure out how to help Grandpa. None of us caught the full license plate number on the silver alert, and I wasn’t able to pull anything up online. Roger pulled off at the exit for Goldsboro, and he instructed Garett to take a picture of Grandpa’s license plate while Roger talked to Grandpa. Grandpa was so thankful for Roger’s help, but still seemed to be confused about how to get back to Goldsboro. Roger said that he was pretty sure that Grandpa was going to follow him home if he left him on his own, and Roger planned to call 911 to see about the silver alert after he talked with Grandpa. Once Roger and Garett were back in the car and headed towards Goldsboro with Grandpa still behind him, Roger called 911. When he spoke to the operator, he was patched through to the sheriffs department. The Sheriff’s department asked a bunch a questions and asked for the license plate number. Sure enough- Grandpa was the missing Silver alert!!!  Roger told the sheriff’s department that he was headed towards Goldsboro, and because he was going through several counties at one point in time Roger was on the phone with three different sheriff’s departments. The police department pulled Grandpas car over inside the city limits of Goldsboro. We had no idea that God would use Roger and Garett in a special way that night, but God had a plan! We didn’t know who the man was, but we hoped that his family was relieved and happy that he was back. I figured that was the end of the story, but it’s not. While at the graduation last night, I was talking to my friend, and she said, “I think that’s the man whose family posted on Facebook that he was missing and asking for help.”  Laura said that the family had posted late on Wednesday night that Grandpa was home again. I was happy to hear that Grandpa’s family was happy that he was home again. God is good. 

Today was awards day! Chandler, Wyatt and Travis decided to stay home, and we decided to let them. Typically the awards ceremony can be a bit long, but today it moved along. Emma got a reading trophy award, and she was excited about that. Garett got “most -improved” in his class, and the program was wrapped up by ten o’clock. I helped with some preparations  for summer camp, but we were all home by 1:30pm. It’s hard to believe that the year is wrapped up, but welcome to summer!!!!