Ear infections, oil changes, and fun memories!

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Well, it was not a typical Sunday, but I was blessed anyways. God provided encouragement and people to bless me today. 

Emma woke up later than usual this morning, so by the time she woke up the boys were dressed, fed, and ready for church. She was super cranky when she woke up, and she was warm to the touch. I decided to take her  temperature, and sure enough, she was spiking a fever of 100.7. While I was wiping Emma down with a cool cloth, I sent Garett down to the basement to empty the dehumidifier. He came back up declaring that there was water in the basement as big as the world! Well, I knew it couldn't be that bad, obviously! So, I went to check it out, and there was a patch of water in the basement about the size of a 4x4 square. I asked Garett what he had meant by his statement to which he replied, "It is the big as the world, you know, that map that Nana has at school?" At this point I realized that Garett was referring to the map of the world that Nana has at the school house! So it wasn't a huge mess, and I was able to get it cleaned up with the towels, wet vac, and the fans.

Emma was screaming while I was doing that, and I knew that she wouldn't be going to church. 

However, the boys were dressed for church, so I decided to call my dad about seeing about the boys going to church there. My dad answered the phone, and I didn't tell him it was me. Instead I asked my dad if his church offered a bus ministry. He replied, "no, mam, we don't have a bus ministry right now." I said, "oh, so you won't come pick up my kids for church?" My dad replied, "I'm sorry, we just aren't in a position to do that right now." By then was holding in my laughter, so I told my dad it was I. After hearing about Emma, and the puddles in the basement, he graciously came and picked up the boys for church. 

My parents were such a blessing to me today, as they took the boys to church, fed them lunch, and took them all afternoon. My mom had made a big pot of soup, and had invited another family from church over for lunch, so the boys even had playmates for the majority of the afternoon. My dad said that Travis didn't even make it through the singing part of the church service before he was sleeping in his chair! The boys came home excited to talk about their day, and I was ready to see them. I'm very glad that I had some time away from them, as it made me delighted to see them last night. Praise The Lord for parents! 

Since the boys were taken care of, the water was cleaned up, it was just Emma and I for a quiet morning at home. We cuddled for a good part of the morning, but I actually had a very profitable morning. I caught up on most of the laundry, I finished the nursery schedule for November, caught up on my Bible reading, and took a short nap.

My friend, Autumn, texted me about 10:30 to say that she was bringing me lunch. Her husband was taking her little boy, so it would just be her. Since she knows where I live, I didn't bother to tell her that it was a long ways to drive to bring me lunch! :) I was looking forward to some adult company, and God provided just the right friend. I thought she was just going to drop off lunch and leave, but instead we ate lunch together, had coffee, talked, and talked. Emma woke up for a little bit, but she just drank a little juice. I gave her some medicine, and she went back to bed. So, Autumn and I had a whole afternoon of uninterrupted talking and fellowshipping. It was just what I needed! Before I knew it,the clock read five o'clock! 

My friend, Tressa, had graciously agreed to come over and watched Emma so that I could go to the Sunday night church service. She came over about 5:30, and I headed to church....by myself!! It was such an incredibly weird feeling to be in church without a single child! A friend mentioned that she had missed seeing me that morning, and I explained that I had a sick child. She told me that she had brought me coffee, but then had to give it to someone else since I wasn't there! I promptly told her that I would be on time next Sunday! :) Still, it was very encouraging to know that someone had thought of me, and she wanted to be a blessing to me. Even though I missed out on the coffee, I was encouraged because she thought of me.  

When I arrived home, Emma was laying on the couch with Tressa. Emma's fever was at 101.3, so she was warm. Tressa said it was a quiet night, since Emma only wanted to cuddle on the couch. My parents brought the boys home shortly after I came home. The boys were bursting with news about their day, the fun time that they had with other children, and how they had caught a mouse in the treehouse at Papa's house. It was such fun listening to them all chatter away. My mom said that the boys ate her out of house and home, and she couldn't believe how often and much they ate! :) (Tell me about it!) 

Although it was an unusual Sunday, it was a good day. God brought people and circumstances into my life to show me His great love, and His consistent unchanging character. Unfortunately, the devil seemed to be working overtime to discourage my husband. Roger is very frustrated that this training isn't done, he's ready to come back to his family, and as the weeks draw out, we realize that nothing is going to go back to the way it was before he left. I've changed, he's changed, the kids have grown, and we have our work cut out for us to stregthen our relationship, communicate together again, and regain our ground. 

Monday, October 27, 2014 

It was a busy, tired mom, sort of day! Emma was still a grouch, so trying to have school with her clinging to my hip was challenging at best. I took the three little ones home right after I picked up Travis from four k. Emma had been running a low grade fever all day, and when I laid her down for a nap, she was flushed. I gave her a little Tylenol, but by the time my mom brought the older boys home, she had a temperature of 101.9. My mom suggested that I take her into the walk in clinic, so I left the boys with my mom and took Emma to the clinic. Thankfully, it wasn't a long wait, but she does have an ear infection. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic, and we were on our way home. 

My phone had quit working earlier that morning, so I had no way to make phone calls or text people. While I wouldn't say I'm glued to my phone, it does make me uneasy with five small kids and no phone. 

Once more my friend, Gretchen, came to my rescue. She offered to watch my kids while I picked up Emma's antibiotic and tried to get my phone fixed. I left the three older boys at her house, but the leech came with me, and I took Emma along too. :) Travis likes the Schilders, and he often will stay there but not today. I took Emma along simply because she was running a fever, and I don't want to expose Gretchen's family to that. God was merciful, and the cell phone company wasn't over run with customers. They were able to fix the phone, at least temporarily, and that's a huge relief for me. 

I went back to pick up the three boys who were disappointed that their visit was already over! Emma was ready to go home, and she was still running a fever, but at least my phone is in working order again! 

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

We are on lesson 53 in school....woo hoo!! Wyatt has been a struggle for me to teach lately, because he simply isn't interested in it. He hasn't really applied himself, and if it's hard, then we have a battle of the wills to do what needs to be done! Thankfully, I'm currently willing this educational battle. :) My mom has been the glue that helps hold all this homeschooling together sometimes, and I can't imagine how challenging it would be if I had to do it all myself. 

Emma, the grouch, is still a grouch! She isn't running a fever, but apparently, she's still a grouch. Anytime I would set her down, she would lay on the floor and cry until I picked her up. The boys tried to help me by holding her but that just made her angry and cry louder! She fell asleep on the way home from school, and unfortunately, she didn't go back to bed. It was a long afternoon. Although the weather was much cooler today, the boys were content to play outside for several hours after school. Since Travis can now ride his bike, they all race up and down the driveway together. It seems like a collision waiting to happen, but so far so good! 

I needed to get the oil changed in the car after our trip to North Carolina, and the boys have been asking to go rock climbing at the YMCA. So, after realizing that Emma wasn't going to take a nap, I made the boys a huge lunch of chicken, brown rice, and broccoli. They ate up, we cleaned up, and headed to change the oil in the car. Travis was the only one excited about going to get the oil changed...know why? Remember the oil change place offers cookies and soda. :) I wanted to get to the mechanic before school let out for everyone else because I wanted the wait to be as short as possible. When we arrived, there was a few cars ahead of us, but the mechanic directed us to pull right into the garage bay. So we pulled in, parked the car, and proceeded to get out. You should've seen the mechanics eyes widen as all the doors popped open, the trunk unlatched, and kids crawled out from everywhere! I'm used to it, but I imagine it was a rather strange sight! I gave the man the information about the station wagon, and then we all went inside. We managed to get all the way into the shop with only hearing three comments of "see you brought the gang with you", and "wow, all those boys," and "the whole crew is with you today." :) The wait was only about 45 minutes...maybe they rushed the job so we could get out of there?! :) The boys didn't mind since they each were able to have a cookie and a whole can of soda. (Mom usually makes them share.)  As we walked back out of the shop towards the car, we began the whole procedure of putting everyone back in the car. When I wen to pay the bill, the mechanic asked me, "Them aren't ALL yours, right?" I just grinned, and replied with my standard answer, "yes, and I am never bored!" However, he did give me a compliment and said that I looked too young to have that many....or maybe he was just trying to cover up asking such a question? :) 

Emma was able to get a quick nap in the car before the YMCA. She wasn't happy the entire time we were at the YMCA, but she made it! The three older boys were able to go rock climbing, but there wasn't an open spot for Travis. He was very, very, sad, but it will be his turn next time. Chandler made it all the way to the top of the wall and rang the bell. The boys are probably better at rock climbing than I am, but we will see because next time, I'm going to try it! 

After the YMCA, the piranhas were starving again! I told them they could share some cheese curds from Culvers. After we carefully divided them out, the boys scarfed them down. I told them they could eat again at home! :) 

Well, it's been a busy day. It's time for Bible time and bed...hurrah!

I'm writing up another post to explain some upcoming changes, but we need your prayers. 

Thanks!

        My sweet daughter with Papa on Sunday night.

                        

Home...back to reality!

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Well, we've been home for over twenty four hours, and the house still looks like we just unpacked! We have clothes to wash and put away, mail to take care of, dishes from breakfast, etc. But I'm thankful that the house never complains! :) 

Everyone is trying to get back into the routines of bedtime, chores, and school! :) Travis asked me why he had to go to school all the time...he hasn't even gone for eight days! However, he adjusted well to going back to his class, and thankfully, Wyatt did retain most of what he learned before we left! :) All the kids are tired though, and I am a little cranky too. I brought the younger kids home from school, made supper for a friend and ourselves and tried to lay the little ones down for a nap. I decided to lay down too, but my mind really gets going once I'm still! Travis was out like a light, and Wyatt fought sleep for over an hour. He laid very still in bed, but he never went to sleep! My mom brought the older boys home, and I let Wyatt get up. Thankfully, they all went outside, so I did get to lay down for a few short minutes! :) 

                   

I planned to leave our house about 2:30, but it was closer to 3:15. The boys needed to pick up the yard, and they do very well for about five minutes. But then one of them discovers a ball to play with, or a ladder to climb, or gets in an argument with one of the other brothers about whose doing the most work, or something else ridiculous, and the job takes longer than it should. Then we have to have a discussion about working, staying with the job, and then finally we can leave! Whew...that tired me out just writing about it! :) 

We took a meal to a friend that has a sick baby, and then we dropped off the supper at the Schilders house. We were going to eat supper with them, but I didn't want to have to haul around the meal while we did errands. The boys were beyond thrilled when Mrs. Schilder asked them if they wanted to stay while I did errands and the YMCA. (I had told them they could not ask to stay, Mrs. Schilder had to offer to let them stay.) They all had huge faces of relief when I told them they could stay. The leach (Travis) was going to come with me, but at the last second he changed his mind and decided to stay. So, I drove off before he could change it again! 

I did a little grocery shopping, got in two miles at the YMCA, and then headed back to the Schilders for supper. They don't have a very big house, and they already have four kids plus the ones that Gretchen baby sits for; so it looks like a house overflowing with kids when mine are there as well! However,  Gretchen graciously allows me to drop the kids off and gives me some time to myself. I'm so thankful for those moments...they keep me sane! :)

After supper, we had our Kings Kids at church. Wyatt wasn't excited about going, but he's been a little bit of a bear lately. And he went- mom insisted! :)

As always, Wednesdays are our long day, and it was late by the time we were home and in bed. Travis will be the snack leader in Thursday, so I'll be up early to make treats for his class. 

Roger has his last two flights before his exams to finish this course, so please be in prayer for that. Also, please pray that he can get in to take the final test sooner than anticipated. They told him that it would probably be two weeks out, but I'd love to see it happen sooner!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

It was a rainy, dreary day. The kind of day that's just right for curling up with a blanket, cup of coffee, and a good book; and that is NOT what happened! :) Instead I crawled out of bed this morning to drink coffee and read my Bible. I had do scramble to get that done before I made Travis his treats for class today. It wasn't a real fancy treat today, but he did get to bring Rice Krispie treats and yogurt drinks. He was happy, so this mama is happy also. :) 

Emma had a rough day at the school house today. She was fussy, and cranky, and I think she wanted to go home! :) Wyatt has been "off his feed" ever since Roger went back to Florida. I knew that either he needed to take a nap, or I needed to take a nap! Garett had a chiropractor appointment in the early afternoon, and I asked my mom if she could take him to his appointment and then bring the boys home. She said that she would take Garett and Chandler home to her house after school and then bring them home after Garett's appointment. Whew...since that was solved, maybe I could get a nap! Thankfully, Emma stayed awake on the way home, which meant I could feed all the kids lunch and then lay everyone down together. I put Emma down in her bed, Travis in his bed, and Wyatt in our bed. I knew that if Travis and Wyatt couldn't keep each other awake, I had a better possibilty of taking a nap! Our house was quiet for over two hours. :) I only laid down for about thirty minutes, but it was enough to recharge my battery. The boys and Emma were just waking up when my mom came by with the older two. Although it was still wet outside, all the boys wanted to go outside and play. Since mud washes, and we have a working wash machine and hot water, I said to go ahead. :) Travis has figured out how to ride a big boy bike, so he was very excited to race through the puddles. 

I was still on the tired side, and the weather wasn't helping me feel energized. I was hoping the dinner fairy would come by today...that's the lady like the tooth fairy (one that's pretend, but I wish was real!). However after the outside play, baths, and clean up, I had five small children that needed supper. So I pulled out a little of this, some of that, and each child had something different for supper. It was a variety of sandwiches, pasta, veggies, and a little meat. No one complained and everyone was fed...success! 

                  B.   

We watched "Little House on the Prairie", and the boys enjoyed it for the most part. Chandler doesn't care for movies where people get hurt or scared, so he was a little anxious during the part where the Indians came in the house, and the wagon fell through the ice. I had to remind him that the movie was pretend, but it definitely makes me cautious  about what I'll allow the kids to watch. 

After the movie, it was Bible time and bed. Did I mention that bedtime is often my favorite part of the day?! :)

Roger had his last flight tonight! He is scheduling his final class exam for next week. He will then have to take the official FAA exam, so we are praying that he can get in quickly! 

Friday, October 24, 2014

The day started out as foggy as pea soup, and my kids were wired! School today was about as fun as getting my teeth pulled, but we survived it! I thought I was going to lose my sanity, but after thinking about it, it's probably long gone! 

The boys were anxious to get home since we had some friends coming over.  Shortly after we arrived home, Rebekah Longsine and her kids came for a visit. Beka is a good friend, and she became a better one when she brought me coffee! :) We enjoyed coffee and fellowship, while the kids played outside, built forts, and played cowboys and Indians. Beka and I talked about many, many, things, and it was a good afternoon of time well spent. 

The Longsines left a little before three, so I decided not to put the boys down for rest time. Our church was having a hayride for couples tonight, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go without Roger. I went ahead and set up a sitter for the kids though, because even if I decided not to go on the hayride, I could spend a couple of hours by myself! 

When the sitter arrived, I was still undecided about the hayride or time alone. It was a battle in my mind right up until I had to make a decision which road to go on...the one to the hayride, or the one to time alone. I decided to go on the hayride, even though it was hard to do without Roger. I did have a great time of fellowship and lots of laughter. My friend, Gretchen, and I decided to take a bowl of chili that was leftover from the supper, down the road to a friends house. Although country roads are dark, since I grew up in the country, I wasn't too worried. Gretchen's husband, Sean came along with us. It was probably a little over 1/2 mile walk to the friends house, and it was dark. We had lots of laughs and conversation along the way. I had a great time, and I am glad that I went. However, I missed Roger...a lot. 

Travis did well while I was gone, but the sitter did say that he asked multiple times when I would be home. He has become so attached lately that it's sometimes hard to not be frustrated with him. The kids were ready for bed when I arrived home, but I stayed up talking with Roger. 

This morning the kids were up a little after seven. I wasn't ready to get up, so I laid in bed thinking about sleeping. It's really hard to sleep, when four boys in the next room are getting louder and louder as they tell each other to be quiet! Oh well, that's why God made the coffee bean! He made it for tired mothers, you know! 

Today was the last day for the farmers market. I had kinda thought about going, but the boys were having such a good time playing with Legos and trucks. I decided to work on laundry, dishes, and my preparations for children's church tomorrow. Travis and I took a short walk together while Emma napped. It's been such fun to watch how quickly he's mastered bike riding. Roger worked with him a little while we were in North Carolina, and now Travis is quite proficient at bike riding. 

I called my parents to see if they could watch some of the kids while I took a child on a date.  I decided to ask Garett if he would want to come with me to run some errands and make a returns. He immediately replied that he wanted to go with me on a date. I told him that he would have to take a shower, put on clean underwear, brush his teeth, and put on pants without holes if he wanted to go on a date with a girl. I half expected him to decline from the date, but he was all excited. :) 

                    

We dropped off the other kids at my parents, and Garett and I headed off on our date. Garett is not often vocal about his feelings, and he doesn't demand a lot of attention; so I really felt like I needed to spend  some one on one time with him. I'm very glad I did. We had some good conversations, did errands, vacuumed the car, and ate lunch together. It was a special time for us...now I just have to figure out how to fit in three more dates with three more sons! 

A friend was  having a bridal shower at church today, but since that would have required hiring a baby sitter again, that was out. While I'm disappointed I missed it, I'm glad for the time spent today with one of my children. 

Roger is close to being done with his instrument training! He is scheduled to take the end of class exam on Tuesday, and then it's just a matter of getting it official with the FAA. Please pray that he can get in quickly! We need him home! 

The wedding!

                         

On Saturday, October 18, 2014, my little sister, Hannah was married! She married Joshua Costello, who loves her completely, and I'm delighted for them. 

Hannah and Josh decided to have an outdoor wedding and God provided a beautiful day for them! The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and Hannah did a beautiful job with colors and decorations. She was married at Bethelwoods Camp in York, South Carolina. The camp had a lodge where the reception was held, and several cabins. We were able to rent on of the cabins which made Friday and Saturday much more enjoyable. My dad was able to take the boys fishing in the camp lake, the boys had their bikes and plenty of room to roam! 

We arrived at the camp on Friday morning, and we spent the day helping set up for the wedding. Chandler and Wyatt both spent some time helping, but Travis and Garett stayed outside and played the entire time! Hannah is very creative and she had gotten many ideas off of Pinterest. She had made many of her own decorations, and it was beautiful to see it all come together. 

It was a late night on Friday by the time we finished decorating, did the rehearsal, and ate the rehearsal dinner. Roger spent the majority of the day taking care of the boys and keeping track of Emma. I couldn't have done it without him! Now that Emma is walking, she never stops moving! Although Travis insisted that he wasn't tired, both he and Emma fell asleep within minutes of laying down for rest time. It was a busy, full day, but the result was awesome!

                       

Saturday morning was a little on the cooler side, but the sun was shining. Since all the bridesmaids and the bride would be getting dressed and ready for pictures in the cabin, the boys were kicked out. (Actually none of them wanted to stay when they found out the girls were doing hair and makeup!) The hair dresser was supposed to be there at 10:30, but there was some confusion and she didn't arrive until 11:45. Thankfully, all the girls had their makeup done, but the picture taking did start a little later than planned. By the time we left the cabin for pictures, the boys were grumpy! They wanted to eat, they needed naps, and Chandler wasn't feeling well. He started crying when he came in the cabin, and he said his head hurt and his tummy. He tends to become his mother's child under stress...he doesn't sleep well, doesn't eat well, and gets sick easily! :( Roger put him in bed for a bit, and he had to wake Chandler up for the wedding. By the time of the wedding around three, Chandler was dressed, but he wasn't looking good. His face was white, and his tummy still hurt. He was supposed to walk the flower girl down the aisle, but with one look at his face, I told him to just go sit by Nana. Chandler was the boy that was the most excited about the wedding, and he was miserable! :( 

During the wedding, the three younger boys sat on the front row. Wyatt looked half asleep, Travis wanted to lay down in the grass, and Chandler looked like he wanted to sleep...happy children! The weeding was about thirty five minutes, and we were taking family pictures after the wedding. However, immediately after the wedding, Chandler threw up in the bushes! I could tell that he wasn't going to be up for photos, so Roger and I sent him back to the cabin. Chadler missed Every. Single. Photo! :( The poor little boy walked back to the cabin and slept through the whole reception! Around 7;30, he stumbled out of the cabin to get something to drink. He walked around for a bit, and then told me his stomach still hurt. So I walked him back to the cabin, and he promptly threw up again! :( He put himself back to bed while Roger and I helped clean up from the reception. 

The reception was lovely, and everything went so quickly that Hannah and Josh were able to get on the road to their honeymoon about 7:30! I was suprised at how quickly and smoothly everything went, but the take down was so quick that we were done and back in the cabin by 8:30! It felt like about 11:00! The boys were tired, and Chadler was sleeping again...in my bed! We all stayed up and chatted for a bit, but the cabin was quiet by 10. I'm thankful that we were able to have part in such a special day.

                    

Our week in North Carolina...happy to be home!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Even though the boys went to bed late last night, every one was still up by seven. The boys immediately went outside to ride bikes, run around, and find bugs!

It was a fun filled day for all of us. The boys were able to spend time with Papa, and they were able to go fishing! :) Since my dad was willing to spend time with the boys, I was able to spend several hours with my sister and Emma. We went shoe shopping for the wedding, had lunch, and just enjoyed being together. It was a lot of fun...although I don't know if Emma would agree! :) 

My sister, Jenn, is flying in tomorrow, and Roger is hoping to get in tomorrow as well. We are all looking forward to being with Roger again for a few days...and I can't wait until we are back together permanently! 

My dad said that the boys really seemed to have a good time fishing, especially since they caught some fish! On the way back to the car, each boy carried his own fishing pole. After they had walked a ways, my dad realized that Travis had accidently  let the line release out. So Travis had let out about 150 feet of fishing line before my dad realized what was happening. Travis was clueless, and he was just singing and walking along...letting out his fishing line as he went. :)

October 17, 2014, Friday 

It's been a whirlwind of activity the last few days! My little sister is getting married tomorrow! I've enjoyed spending time with her this week knowing that these memories are coming to an end. New ones are sure to be made, with lots of fun along the way, but things will be different now. I'm excited for her to begin this new stage of life, and God has definitely brought her the right man. 

Roger came in on Wednesday morning, which was a big surprise for us and a huge relied. He has done an amazing job of taking care of all the kids, while I spend time working on wedding stuff or talking with my sisters. I'm so thankful for him! 

October 20, 2014 Monday 

We left North Carolina about 8:15 this morning. Originally we had thought about going to the creation museum on the way home, but after a busy week, a tiring weekend, and a sick child, we decided against it at this time. Roger left about the same time we did to head back to Florida, but he dropped Jenn off at the airport in Charlotte first. 

We had an incredible time as a family this past week. It was wonderful to see Roger, visit with my sisters, and be a part of Hannah's beautiful wedding. Roger has about two week before he'll be home, and the kids were all crying this morning when we said good bye. Roger and I are to the place where we recognize that our marriage and family will need time and effort to reconnect as a couple and a family. I'm looking forward to dating my husband again. 

It was a long day if traveling. My mom wasn't feeling well, so my dad and I did all the driving of the two vehicles. I've never driven so much in my life! Usually, Roger is the pilot of the car and I'm the stewardess. It was challenging to try to drive with at least three kids in the car (usually at least two went with my parents) and try to help with conflicts, Emma's tears, no air conditioning, and stuck in traffic for over an hour. (Stuck in traffic so slow that I could have run faster!) We finally made it to the south side of Indianapolis, and we found a hotel. Although I was exhausted, the boys still had abundant energy. After swimming, running up and down three flights of stairs, and eating, I'm hoping that they'll sleep. :)

Tuesday, October 23, 2014

Home! We arrived back to our home about four pm. Thankfully, God provided clear roads, and He kept me awake on the road. I was really, really, tired while driving. I probably gained three pounds by eating food I really didn't need, but chewing helped me stay awake. I had already chewed all my gum by 10:30, and I was still struggling! I'm thankful that God kept my eyes open and helped us make it home safely. Chandler found $1.08 at the rest stop in Wisconsin, so he was thrilled with the money he made. :) It was really funny to see the boys looking in all the change returns on the candy and pop machines! :) When Chandler got the idea to look under the machines, he discovered $1.00 that was stuck under the machine. He managed to squeeze his arm under there and pull it out, so he was delighted. :) 

It's a tad overwhelming to think of all the things that need to get put away, the laundry to do, and back to school tomorrow. However, I have no regrets that we took this trip to North Carolina. 

Roger and I are looking, thinking, and praying about some different job opportunities. I'm not necessarily thrilled with the idea of moving, but our family desperately needs to be together again. Wyatt was an emotional basket case after leaving North Carolina, and he was mad that neither Dad nor Auntie Jenn was coming back to Wisconsin. For me...I'm just weary and want us to be together again as a family. 

Psalms 61:2

"From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

 

When God Stops the Rain...

Well, Roger has completed his instrument training at the aviator college of Florida. He has the official test from the FAA to take and he can become certified! While this has taken way longer than we originally anticipated, we have learned a lot! 

Roger is confident that he does not want to be an airline pilot. He would like to fly fire patrol, pipe line patrol, for a charter company, but not for a major airline industry. He still needs to get his commercial rating so that he can get paid for his flying, but we have a change in our plans. 

Roger will be coming home to finish up the instrument test and his commercial rating. Since the Aviator College is geared largely towards pilots who want to fly for airlines, not all the training has been conducive to helping Roger. We've also realized that October 30, will mark the date for five months that he's been away.  A lot has happened in our family, our church, our marriage, and our lives. We need to devote some serious time to our marriage. No, we are not on the verge of a divorce and neither of us is giving up on each other; but we need some time to relearn each other and to  grow together again. Our marriage isn't struggling in the sense that I've signed us up for divorce counseling, but it is in a bit of distress. We have five small children that need parents that are in love with each other, and we need them to understand that they are not the glue that holds are marriage together. So, we ask for your prayers as we again enter a new stage of life for us. 

That being said, I'll be flying out on Thursday to Orlando. Roger and I will be driving back to Wisconsin together over the weekend. What better way to spend time with someone when you can't get away from them? :) Actually, I'm looking forward to the drive back together. My parents will be taking our children for the four days I'm gone, so they could use some extra prayers too. :) 

While visiting North Carolina this past week and preparing for Hannah's wedding, we worshipped on Sunday at Hannah's home church. It's always interesting to be away from our church on Sunday where we know the people, know the routine, know the songs, etc. Hannah is very close to the pastor and his wife. Since we've been able to get to know them better through the wedding and Hannah, it was a special delight to worship with them on Sunday. Pastor Kevin preache a sermon that was just for me...seriously! He announced that he had planned a different message for this Sunday, but God clearly directed him to preach this sermon. 

The text was from 1 Kings chapter seventeen. It's a familiar story...Elijah tells Ahab that the rain will stop, God directs Elijah to the brook Cherith, the ravens feed Elijah, and the brook eventually dries up. Pastor Kevin went on to say how that there are similarities sometimes in our lives. We experience dryness in our finances, relationships, our walk with God, or anything else. That's exactly where I am! I feel like my relationship with my husband is dry, I wonder where and how God is going to supply our money, I wonder "why doesn't God show Himself strong?". I'm not holding anything back and the truth is I'm scared, I'm frustrated, and I want to see God work, but I feel like He has stopped the rain. I feel like my brook is all dried up...in my relationship, finances, and my walk with God. I don't know how to strengthen my relationship with Roger, but I know God wants us to grow through this. I don't like feeling scared about money, but it's no surprise to God. I want a deeper relationship with God, but I'm holding out on trusting Him completely. 

I feel like Roger and I are distant and apart in more than just miles. I enjoy seeing him, but I feel extremely selfish in the fact that I know that he will watch the kids and I can get away. He never complains about it, and he loves the boys; but I feel like I would rather get away by myself than even spend time with him...and I feel guilty about that. I want to have a deep conversation about his needs and my needs. He needs the physical side and I need space and time alone. Our marriage is going to take work to heal and time and effort from both of us.

I feel like my relationship with God is dry and struggling, I do my Bible reading because it's what I'm supposed to do. It's a duty often and a delight rarely. I feel like I'm a huge hypocrite when I go to church. These days I feel like I often go to church for adult conversation, fellowship, free babysitting, and I can use the bathroom in peace.

So...those are my feelings! However, the preacher also listed several things we can do when the rain stops. 

One: pray for Gods direction. Here's where the metal meets the road. I can continue to do the things that I know are right, while I pray for Gods direction. I may not "feel" like doing the right thing, but I know that God will bless faithfulness. 

Secondly: contain to do what you know to be right. While I feel like a hypocrite at times, I know that God can use me. I'm not a perfect parent...in fact, sometimes I wouldn't want me for a parent. However, God still speaks through His Word. I'll continue to plod along faithfully, both in my marriage and in my Bible reading. I firmly believe that God can still use all the pieces of the mess I've made. 

So,when God stops the rain...I'll choose to be obedient, to stay faithful, and love Him. 

We are coming back to work on our family, pursue more of God's direction, and remain faithful to what God has right in front of us...our marriage, our family, and our church. We so appreciate each one of you that has prayed for us, loved us, counseled with us, and we aren't done yet, so please, keep praying! :)

We have arrived...and with our sanity...maybe! :)

We arrived in North Carolina yesterday about 7:00 pm. Our children were delighted to be free from the car, free from each other, and free from confinement! :) It was a long drive, but I was happy with how well the children traveled. 

We are looking forward to the wedding on Saturday, we are looking forward to seeing Roger, and we are looking forward to a few days of relaxation ...hopefully! :) 

Here are a few photos from our trip:

Poison control center, 911, panic, and relief!

Just let me prerequisite this with stating how thankful I am for God's protection, His faithfulness, and His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

Ironically, just this morning in children's church, we were singing "Standing on the Promises". I was asking the children to remind me of some of the promises of God, and one of the kids stated the promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us. I'm thankful that He protects us in spite of our stupidty, and that He loves me! 

It was a crazy morning with packing the car, trying not to forget anything, trying to help children get ready to go, turn down the heat, wash the dishes, etc. A dear friend, Rebecca, sent me a text this morning stating that she was praying for me. I replied that I was thankful for the prayers and that I was going to need a coffee Iv to get me through this trip! The next text said, "check your email". So I did, and it discovered that my very dear, thoughtful friend had sent me a gift card for Starbucks! Yay! My morning improved drastically! :)

We left immediately following the church service, and headed to Fond Du Lac where we met up with my parents. The boys started into their lunch boxes before we even left the church parking lot! After we met up with my parents, two boys rode with them. The leach, (I.e. Travis) stayed with mom. :) Travis asked me fourteen times in the first two hours when we would be at the hotel! I finally replied, "not until it's dark outside!"

After we passed through Chicago, the boys needed to go potty...again! After the potty break, my dad took the older boys, I drove, and my mom rode with us. By this time, Emma was not happy about sitting in her car seat, so we were looking for things to entertain her. She played with her shoes, tore up paper, and then really started fussing. I felt around in my purse for something she could have, and I came up with a stick of deodorant. That seemed like a fairly safe option, after all the lid was on tight. (You would think by child number five, I would be smarter than that; but I blame it on my tired mommy brain!) Well, she was entertained with that for a while, until it became very quiet in the back seat. My mom looked back to see that she had gotten the cap off and had some deodorant in her mouth. My heart rate immediately sped up, my voice  was anxious, and I asked my mom to look at the label. Well, I love my momma, but she needs reading glasses! I could see from where I was driving that the label said something about calling the poison control center! I immediately pulled over, unbuckled Emma, fished around in her mouth, and poured water in her mouth. Okay, by child number five, I should also have the number for the poision control center in my phone...I didn't...but I do now!! 

I reached for my phone, and tried to remember the number for 911 since I didn't have the poison control center number. The lady on the phone asked where I was at...um...somewhere in Indiana!? She found out where I was before I did by the GPS signal in my phone. She asked if we wanted emergency personnel, but I said that if I got the number for the poision control center, I'd call them first. So, she gave me the number, but it didn't have a pen to write it down. So when I got off the phone with 911, I tried calling the number for the poison control center. At least, I thought it was the poison control center...but the number was busy!? What? I was smart enough to realize that there is no way that I could get a busy signal at the poison center! So, I tried calling all my nurse friends, my sister, Kelli Stertz, and a few others..but hello, it's Sunday night, so all my nurse friends were in church. Emma was screaming by now, and it wasn't sure if I should give her more water or try to force her to vomit. She seemed to calm down when I held her, so I figured we should put her back in her car seat and keep driving. We were no where near a hospital, so we might as well keep driving towards one while I tried to get ahold of someone to give me the number for the poison control center. I called my friend, Jenna, who was supposed to be in church. :) I was completely suprised when she answered the phone, but I told her to get me the number of the poison center. So she texted it to me, and I called again. Suprise...this time it rang! :) 

While I wasn't at peace with the situation, Emma appeared to be fine, and I knew that she hadn't ingested that much deodorant. However, I was relieved to talk to the poison control center. (Although I'm still annoyed that I have to punch one for English, and listen to a recording about how my call may be monitored for quality purposes!) The lady was very calm, which was a good thing, but my phone was not getting good reception. She told me to move to a better location so she could hear me better. Well, that was impossible since I was driving down the interstate in Indiana! I lost the call before I could find out what I was supposed to do! However, my sister called me, and I promptly lost her call too. Apparently, she then called my dad and he explained the situation to her. She called the poison center, and then called me back. Thankfully, we were finally nearing a town, so I did get some reception! 

So, my sister tells me that the poison control center is only worried because the deodorant poses a choking hazard if too much is ingested! REALLY!! Why not just say that on the label? This poor momma was terribly worried only to find out that it's a choking hazard!! 

Yes, I used up all those words to describe what happened in less than thirty minutes! My sister didn't sound worried when I talked to her briefly about the deodorant, but  she called the poison center to make sure that she didn't steer me wrong. I'm thankful for all the people  who prayed on spur of the moment notice, those who prayed for our protection and safety on our trip, and those who pray for us regularly eve when things are going well! 

It's now almost past ten, my kids are swimming in the hotel pool, and my heart rate is back to normal! :) We did make it to the south side of Indianpolis, so I'm delighted that we've made it this far. Thanks for your prayers...we need them!

B.                         

Real life

In real life news, I'm exhausted, I want my husband back, I want our family complete, and I want someone else to be responsible! 

However, God doesn't instruct us to base how we act on how we feel. Honestly, I struggle with that sometimes. It's easier to strike out with words than to think before I speak. It's hard for me to praise my children when I feel like I'm doing all the work (they're helping, but it's still mostly mom). 

I was reminded today of how much my children need to hear me praise them. Far too often, I'm critical, judgemental, and fail to see the progress that they are making. When you have children that are close together, it's easy to feel like you repeat your instructions 500 times in one hour, but then you realize that it's a different child every time that's asking you something! 

In reality, today was a very productive day, I'm just exhausted and emotional. The boys had a great time with their friend over last night. Of course, they were up very early to play! However, Wyatt did sleep until almost nine, so I know he was tired! After playing, breakfast, and picking up, I took all the kids to the YMCA. Our YMCA has a jungle gym for kids to play on so I let all the kids do that for a bit, and then I did squeeze in twenty minutes of exercise. Following the YMCA, we went to Target, so I could pick up a few more items that I needed to finish the gifts for our missionary family next week. The kids were all delighted to have icees and popcorn at Target. They actually all did very well, and I didn't lose anyone in the store! We saw our friend, Jennifer, at Target. At the checkout line, we were checking out next to each other, she came by and asked me what kind of coffee I would like from Starbucks. She then went and ordered me a coffee! I was completely surprised, and it definitely brightened my day! The caffeine helped me survive the day! :)

After our stop at Target, we headed back to Ben's house. Gretchen graciously fed my kids lunch, and helped me put together and wrap our gifts of missions conference. I had a lot of fun picking out things I thought our missionaries would like; I just wish it hadn't been the same day that I was trying to pack us up to go to North Carolina! Since I still needed to get the gift cards for our missionary, Gretchen watched all my kids while I ran to pick up the gift cards. It was a crazy day, but I think our deacon group is ready for the missions conference! I'm disappointed that I won't be here for it, but my sister'so wedding is pretty important!! :) 

By the time we arrived home this afternoon, it was already past two. My dad came over and cut our grass this morning and took care of our trash, so that was a big blessing for me. The boys worked on cleaning up their huge mess in the garage, while I tried to gather my thoughts about packing us up. Every time I look at the pile of things we need to take, I'm reminded that valuable real estate is being taken up in the car. The vehicle is shrinking and I haven't even put anything in it! 

The boys had been invited to a birthday party tonight, and originally I was supposed to help out at a college activity. However, after talking with Roger yesterday, we realized that there was no way it was going to be possible for me to fit in the college activity as well. So Roger graciously made the phone call so that I could get out of that obligation. (We actually ended up canceling the activity, so it all worked out.)  But since the boys were going to the party, I had a few hours to try to make headway on the packing job! I dropped the boys off at the party around 5, and then Emma and I came home. Emma was off her nap routine today, and she was a grouch! I tried to lay her down for a nap, so I could do some work; but she was so overtired that she just screamed! So my dreams of making great headway went down the drain! Since Emma was content if she sat next to me, I wrote a few notes and  made some simple gifts for my secret pal from church and another friend. (I guess the time wasn't wasted, but it sure was frustrating!) 

I went to pick up the boys about seven, and my dad called me on the way there. He said that he was planning on bringing the boys bikes to North Carolina so that they would have more things to do. However, he wanted to put two bikes on the top of the car...when would I be back? I felt bad about rushing the boys away from the party, and they were very disappointed to not see Connor open all his presents. But my dad has never been one to like to wait, so I knew we needed to get back home. :) 

Chandler helped my dad load the bikes, while the other boys took showers. Garett's infection had a nice fat head on it, and when we put the warm rag on it, the infection began to ooze. I felt really terrible, but I know that one thing that helped my infection was when it could drain. So I applied some pressure, Garett screamed, and I think it will begin to clear up and heal! (That was not fun!) 

After my dad left, we tried to get ready to leave tomorrow. "Packing" with five small children is another way of stating that you're losing your mental sanity! There are many reasons I need Roger, but the one of the biggest reasons is how he helps me work through the important things. At eight thirty, I decided that the toys were a disaster, and that I would like to come home to a clean house! (Who does that?!) So I dumped out toy bins, sorted through broken toys, and cleaned up the living room. I have to say that the boys did great about helping me, but it was way too late at night! 

After that escapade, we ate a snack, and worked on getting in bed. When it was time to pray with the boys, I couldn't do it. Instead I cried...I was so overwhelmed, tired from thinking about driving 17 hours, and just plain weary and missing Roger. Unfortunately, all the boys started crying and it took several minutes for us to gather together, pray, and get in bed. About fifteen minutes after I put the boys in bed, Chandler came in our room. I was working on folding clothes and picking out outfits. Chandler asked if he could help me. I wanted to say "no, it's faster if I do it myself. And haven't you made enough messes today?" But God guarded my tongue, and as I looked into my son's eyes, I saw a little boy who needed to spend time with me. Instead of going to bed, Chandler helped sort socks, put clothes in the bags, and he talked to me. God encouraged my heart though our little boy...how very blessed I am! 

It is now late, there is still so much to do, and I need to go to bed. The alarm is set for 4:30, and I need to get up to pack the lunches, the car, do my Bible reading, and prepare for Children's church. I need your prayers for safe travels tomorrow, the ability to stay awake, the protection of my sanity, the children to ride contentedly and that we will make great time getting there! 

Roger had another flight tonight, and he is working to finish this instrument rating up before meeting us in North Carolina. He probably won't be able to take the final test, but hopefully everything will be done. 

Thank you for your love for us, 

Sarah 

   

                                  

Preparations

Thursday, October 9, 2014

I didn't sleep well last night, and I've been short on patience and quick with words, unfortunately! I've had to apologize to several of my children today, and I badly needed a nap today! I'm hoping to get in bed earlier tonight, but it seems like late at night is the only time I have to myself. So instead of going to bed, I work on lists, write on the blog, pay bills, write notes, or do a gazillion other things. I'm several days behind on my Bible reading list, and I usually try to catch up during quiet time. Today, I just laid down to try to rest with the kids. However, lately I've been really battling with insomnia, so sleeping has been difficult. When I'm tired I'm more emotional, grouchier, overwhelmed, and just plain not fun to be around. However, God doesn't excuse my responses to my children and others when I'm just feeding off my emotions. "Let the words of my mouth and my mediation be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."

Well, I took child number one to the clinic today for his owie. I should have been smarter and taken child number three with me as well! Child number one, Garett, does have an infection of some sort, and it was culture swabbed so we will know the results for sure on Monday. For now, we are assuming that it is probably a staph infection since I just had one. He was prescribed the same antibiotic that I had an allergic reaction too, so I'm hoping he's not allergic also! 

Wyatt was complaining of his finger hurting, and this morning it didn't look too bad. However, tonight his finger is red and swollen, and he's been kinda whiny about it hurting. So, we will try soaking it in warm water first and see if that helps. 

It was a very broken up day, with schooling, a doctors visit, nap time, clean up time, running errands for antibiotics, and a baby shower. What I'm still amazed about is that the day turned into being so incredibly busy! When I woke up this morning, I thought I would have a fairly relaxing day at home getting ready for our trip! But after dropping Travis off at school, we headed to the church building for school. I called the clinic and they could fit Garett in at 9:45. I'm very thankful for that, but it meant that I had to take Garett in to the appointment, pick up Travis, come back to finish school with Garett and Wyatt, and then head home! Wyatt was tired at school today, and he even told me that he wanted to take a nap when he got home! (That is not Wyatt!) 

Once we came home from school, the boys played outside. I worked on making a list for all the things I need to do before I leave on Sunday. (I couldn't sleep last night because I was thinking about all that I needed to get done!) I laid the boys down for naps as well; and since Wyatt slept for three hours, I know that he was tired! I ended up separating the boys for naptime today, as that usually helps everyone rest better! :) Travis was still fiddling around, so I put him in our bed along with Wyatt. When I opened my eyes, they were both asleep beside me, so I'm assuming they stayed in bed. :) 

After nap time, we headed into town to pick up Garett's medicine. We picked it up at Walgreens, and when we were all back in the car and buckled up (all six of us), Garett states that his band aid fell off. He proceeds to announce that he needs band aids...really?! You didn't think to mention that in the store?! Oh well! Life goes on...we picked up pizzas to have for supper at our friends house. We went to the Shuberts for supper, and then Jenna and I went to the baby shower. We dropped the boys off at the Schilders house. (Gretchen and Sean have been so helpful in watching my kids!) Sean watched the boys while Gretchen, Jenna, and I went to the baby shower, oh, and Emma! I had such a fun time at the shower, made some new friends, played some fun games, and ate some delicious food! We weren't able to stay for the whole shower, since the boys had school the next day, but I'm so glad I went! What a sweet time of fellowship! 

It was about 9:00 when we arrived home. Even though he had a three hour nap, Wyatt still went to bed without a fuss! :) It was a busy day, but I was blessed by the baby shower; and I hope I was a blessing to someone today.

Friday, Ocotber 10, 2014

 I woke up on time this morning, so I'm actually caught up on my Bible reading again...yes! I've been reading in Hebrews and today I was trying to mediate on "...let us provoke one another to love and good works." I'm just as guilty as my children in not responding right and getting easily annoyed. I definitely need to apply this verse!

Last day of school before our "fall break" for my sisters wedding! Woo hoo! Pretty sure that I am just as excited as the boys! Travis has been anxious to leave ever since he realized that we were taking a trip! I'm just trying to keep track of all the lists I've been making! 

Garett's infection is already looking better, and he isn't allergic to the medicine. :) Wyatt still has a little bit of a sore finger, but it seems to be improved. I've been super busy with doing lots of laundry both to get ready for our trip and to wash anything that might have come in contact with Garett's infection. 

I still feel very tired, and I'm in need of some major energy to get ready for this trip and all that driving! Emma fell asleep on the way home from school;  but by the time I fed the boys lunch and laid them down for rest time, Emma was awake! :( The boys laid down for about an hour, but none of them actually fell asleep. They are having a friend spend the night tonight, so they are super excited! 

Since I still needed to get the car washed and vacuumed out, and pick up Ben for his overnight stay, we headed into Oshkosh around 2. Our friends, the Hammonds, met us at McDonald's to surprise their daughter, Summer. Summer is good friends with the boys, and she wanted to say good bye before the boys left on their trip. It was supposed to be a just ice cream treat, but the piranhas also ate French fries and chicken nuggets! Below is a picture of the boys and Summer playing on one of the game screens at McDonald's .

We went to a new car wash place. The boys all highly recommend it! :) (I think it's because the car goes through the wash, and the employees vacuum it out.) The car wash place had lots of windows for the boys to watch the whole operation, and they thought that was very cool. I love the fact that my boys can be entertained by the simple things in life! :) 

After the car wash, we went to Aldis. If you've never been to this grocery store, you must bring a quarter to get a cart. You get the quarter back when you return the cart. Chandler is meticulous about looking for carts to return, and looking to see if anyone left their quarter in the cart slot. Chandler was pretty excited as he made .25 at Aldi. :) I'm collecting various gluten free items to put in our missionary family's gift next week. We have missions conference next week, and each deacon family is responsible for raising funds and gathering gifts for one of the visiting missionary families. This is fun for me, as I like to give gifts and I've tried to get to know our missionary family a little bit. Asking people to give money towards a gift isn't my favorite part, but I don't think we've done too badly. 

Aldi's was the final stop before picking up Ben. The boys are so excited to have a friend over for a sleep over. (Gretchen offered to take the boys, but it's easier for me to have a sleepover at my house...that way my four boys stay mostly on routine, but Gretchen's boy is the one whose routine is messed up. :)  The boys played outside for a bit when we got home, then ate supper, then played, then ate again, watched a movie, and ate again...do you see a pattern here?! :) Finally, after Bible time, it was time to stop eating and go to bed. All the boys slept out on the living room floor, but since two Robertson boys couldn't get along, they had to miss out on the sleeping party in the living room. It was pretty hard for the two boys who missed out, but I'm hoping someday they'll realize that their brothers will always be the I brothers- so GET ALONG! 

I'm thankful that God can use our children to remind us of things. While we were driving, Wyatt mentioned that we need to get "that white thing" out of the truck. It took me a minute, but I realized that he was talking about the transponder for the Illinois I pass. Thank The Lord that Wyatt remembered to tell me about it! It would have been a costly mistake to forget it, and the trip would be much longer through Chicago!

Roger has a longer flight tonight as he will be flying his cross country flight. In avaition, a short cross country flight is 50 miles or more to land a a different airport. A long cross country flight is 200 or more miles away. He's getting closer to getting his instrument rating behind him, but please pray that he will be able to get in to the examiner right away to get his license. The last time he looked, they were scheduling the instrument tests for over a week out! He would love to move on to his commercial and multi engine rating, so he needs an early available spot. 

Again, we appreciate your prayers...please don't stop! 

Our upcoming trip

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Since this family didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night, we will all be going to be early! Garett and Chandler actually did fairly well in school considering the late night they had yesterday. I'm very pleased with the progress Garett is making with his reading and spelling. Chandler has a hard time writing cursive as he tends to scrunch up his hand and get really tense! But I'm happy with the progress he's making. Wyatt struggles with having a good attitude, especially when he's tired. He wants to be good at everything and win all the games we play for fun...so it's been challenging! (I wonder where on earth he gets that competitive nature from?!) :) 

I took the little ones home early, and of course, Emma fell asleep in the car. She stayed asleep while I carried her in and put her in bed, so I knew she was tired. I tried to get the other two boys laid down for naps before the older boys came home, but it just didn't happen. I was busy trying to get supper together, start and finish laundry, pay some bills, and looked at plane tickets for our trip to North Carolina. The little boys were laid down for rest time, and within five minutes, my mom was home with the older two. Since the boys were excited about their friends coming over, I just decided that an early bedtime would be more beneficial than trying to squeeze in a rest time. They all played outside nicely, and I was able to have a very enjoyable visit with my mom. Although we teach school together, we don't often get time to just sit and chat. So we drank coffee and visited together. I'm very thankful for my mama! 

I did spend a little time looking at airline tickets today, and I don't think that God has it in His plans for us to fly. The tickets are just too expensive and it's impossible to justify spending that money just because it would be easier for me. However, my parents are leaving for North Carolina on Sunday after church. They would like for me and the kids to car caravan with them just in case something happens to the vehicle. It's not my desire to leave on Sunday, especially since our church will be having missions conference; however, since Roger isn't hear and we can't afford to fly, I feel like I need to honor my parents in this request. We will be taking the car, as we've decided to park the truck for a bit. Since the funds aren't there to fix it, we will just take the insurance off and park it for a bit. 

I'm not going to lie...I was really disappointed to not find tickets that we could afford. I think the biggest reason that I wanted to fly is because the kids would have enjoyed it so much. I feel like they've had to sacrifice a lot this summer, and I know that flying would have been fun for them. It's been a challenging summer, with mostly mom parenting; and we are all tired of that! They've missed daddy in words that I couldn't even begin to describe. But somehow, God has a different plan for us right now. Why it's God's plan for us to leave on Sunday and take the car, I surely do not know. But I know that I serve a God who cares for me, my weary children, and my lonely husband. Someday, someday, this will be behind us!

The kids and I did have a good evening with several of our friends. Hannah came over with her three children, and Jennifer came over with her three children. We had a great dinner together, although the cauliflower dish was not popular with the kids! :) The children all played outside, except for the three babies; and all the nerf guns came out, the wooden guns, and even a lonely water gun!

For the first time, I noticed that my oldest son is transitioning out of playing with the younger children. It's not that he was rude or impolite, he just didn't participate in their level of play. Garett kept mostly to himself all evening, playing with his own stuff, and doing his own thing. My boy is looking for friends his own age to play with now, and he isn't as interested in playing with the little kids...he's growing up! 

Roger ended up getting into Orlando at two in the morning. He tried to find a hotel that was reasonably priced, but he ended up just getting a few hours of sleep in the car. He is exhausted today, but he will be flying tomorrow, Lord willing! He is currently staying in a room that was offered to him from a man in the church. It's a little bit farther of a drive, but it's a place to stay and the price is right! 

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Sticking with the schedule of Wednesdays, we filled the day right to the brim with activity! We had school, obviously, and Wyatt went to his speech lesson. His speech teacher said that he is doing very well, and she is pleased with his progress. My mom came home from school with us, so that I could go get the truck from the mechanic. On the way to get the truck, Garett asked if the truck was fixed yet. I replied that it wasn't fixed and that we would be taking the car to North Carolina. You could've heard a  pin drop in the car! However, Garett is always my most optimistic and easy going child, so he replied, "oh well, I'll just ride with Nana and Papa!" 

Chandler asked  why we weren't fixing the truck, and I answered that it was broken and cost too much to fix right now. He promptly asked if he could take the truck apart when we brought it home...um...no! We would like to fix it someday not start a scrap yard in our back yard! 

After we got the truck home, I fixed a quick lunch for everyone. We then turned back around to go the same direction as I needed to pick up the dresses for the wedding next week. :) I have the best friends as girl could ask for, seriously! My friend, Gretchen, took the boys while my mom, Emma, and I went up to Appleton to pick up the dresses and do some grocery shopping for our trip. (We must have food to throw in the back seat to the piranhas!) :) I had a very enjoyable afternoon with my mom and Emma, and the boys would have had an aweful time with all that "girl" shopping! 

When I returned to pick up the boys, they were just getting started with a campfire. Since I was wanting to get to the YMCA, Gretchen suggested I leave them there while I went to get some excercise. I was completely surprised when Emma reached out her arms to Gretchen, and Emma was more than happy to stay at their house! Gretchen told me that the boys had helped clean up leaves for a bit. She had told Chandler that one of the racks was acting like junk. Chandler quickly asked if he could have the rack for his scrap metal collection! That kid! When I told Chandler that he wasn't supposed to ask for stuff, he replied, "yeah, but mom, she said it was junk! I didn't want her to throw it away!" I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I didn't say anything at all. :) 

Since the kids were in such excellent hands, I went and quickly did two miles on the elliptical before Kings Kids. I went and picked up the kids, and off to church we went. Thankfully, the boys had remembered their bag this week, so I was happy about that! After church, I had to track down some people to ask for help in the nursery next week during missions conference. I think I have it all covered! :) 

Because my life was getting boring...NOT!...Garett decided to add something new to our routine. :) It would appear to me that he has a staph infection coming on. :( His knee is swollen and it looks very similar to the one that I had two weeks ago. So, I guess we will be going to the clinic tomorrow. I seriously hope and pray that we haven't stumbled upon something that is going to bother us for a while! I've washed and scrubbed down everything, but someone Garett seems to have picked it up. Oh, and Wyatt has a swollen finger too...from what?! I have no idea! 

In good news, Roger is loving the new place he is staying at in Florida. It's spacious and has plenty of room to spread out maps and books. He will be taking his cross country instrument flight on Friday, so we would appreciate your prayers.

A need or a want?

Today we said "see you later" one more time to daddy at the airport. It's definitely not getting any easier, but each time we drop him off, we are closer to being together as a family again! 

It was a busy day. Roger woke up early to go fly the flight simulator at the hanger, and I heard him leave the house. However, I was tired, and I accidently fell back asleep! It was 7:15 when I woke up, and we need to be leaving the house for school at 7:40! Needless to say, it was a whirlwind of activity for the next twenty minutes, trying to shovel food in the kids mouths, find socks and shoes, make sure teeth are brushed, and that the clothes they are wearing are fairly clean. It was a late night last night for the kids since we had the college age snack night after church. By the time we arrived home and everyone was in bed, it was close to 10:30. So none of the kids were ready to get up, I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off, Emma is trying to climb up my leg, the dishes are thrown in the sink, the table left cluttered, and out the door we went. I HATE mornings like this! However, I'm sure thankful that not every morning is like this one! :) 

We were actually only about three minutes late to drop Travis off at 4k. Then I took the boys out to my dad's church building, (that's where we do school). I dropped off the older two, and took Wyatt to his speech lesson. Yay for me...I remembered! 

Roger was able to pick Wyatt up from his speech lesson, so I went back to the school house to listen to reading. When Roger brought Wyatt back, he graciously listened to Wyatt say his sound blends, his numbers, and my dear husband even brought me coffee! :) 

Roger took all the boys home, while Emma and I got to go do "girl" stuff. We went to my friend, Jenna's house, and visited, went for a walk, talked some more, and had a great time together. It was refreshing to catch up on a friendship and to have some time with another friend.

We met Roger at the car repair place since something is wrong with the brakes on the truck...oh great! So, we all piled into the station wagon for the trip down to the Milwaukee airport. On the way there, Roger mentioned that the lawn mower had broken down again...I guess I shouldn't be surprised, right?! Oh well, now our lawn looks like it has a Mohawk. :) We left for the airport in plenty of time because we wanted to spend some time as a family before Roger's plane left at 8pm. However, Roger got a text on his phone stating that the plane was delayed and wouldn't be leaving until 10pm. Well now we had plenty of time...did I mention that we had plenty of time? :)  We found a McDonald's with a play land, and let the kids play for quite a while together. Roger and I had a good visit together, and it was nice to have a lengthy conversation for a change! 

After leaving the play land, we still had a lot of time before we needed to be at the airport, so we sent a text to a friend. You know you have good friends, when they let you drop by on short notice! :) The Longsines live about 15 minutes from the airport, so we stopped by for coffee. The kids had a great time playing with their children, and it provided us an opportunity to have more time together. 

Finally, it was time to go to the airport. Originally, I had planned to just drop Roger off at the ticketing area, but the kids all wanted to go into the airport to say good bye. So, we parked the car, rode the moving sidewalks, went down the escalator, weighed ourselves on the baggage scale, Roger checked in, and we rode the escalator again...I think that's the kids favorite part! :) We did stay at the airport for a bit, but since I still had to drive two hours to home, I didn't want to stay too late. We left the airport about 8:45, and I was a little anxious until we were all safely in the car and headed out of the airport. I was thinking as we walked through the airport, out to the parking garage, and to the car, that I think I should really start carrying pepper spray or something like that. It was a little unnerving to walk with lots of small children in an unpopulated area. However,  God gives protection, and He provided me with peace. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." How I'm thankful for the promises in His Word! I made it safely home, praise The Lord. Driving is not my favorite activity, and usually Roger does all the driving. Chandler and Garett stayed awake on the way home, so schooling today will be "interesting"!

So...the truck is looking like it's going to be costly. The repair person told Roger that the needed brake parts, calipers, brake lines and something else needed to be fixed. The repairs will cost around $700! Roger and I have decided two things. One, we will get a second opinion. Two, we don't want and can't put that much money in our truck right now. We might just end up parking it for a bit and taking I

The insurance off, we will see. This probably means that I'll be taking the car to North Carolina, which will make for a little bit of a cramped trip. (But, nothing lasts for forever, and I'm sure that we can survive that too.) :)

Here's my big prayer request...the one that is probably more of a want than a need. :) My sister is getting married next weekend, Ocotber 18. Originally, I had planned on driving down the truck, but it looks like I might need to take the car instead. BUT, I'd really like to fly. It would only be several hoursof stressfulness  versus 18 hours of stress! So, I'm looking into flying, but if you think to pray about it, it would be appreciated! The tickets need to be cheap...did I mention that the tickets need to be cheap?...that seems rather unlikely. But I've seen God work bigger miracles, so I'm not giving up yet!  

We so appreciate all of you. Roger is always encouraged by coming home, and fellowshipping with the body of believe in our own local church. We are blessed!