Roger just had one flight today, so we decided to take a trip to Flagstaff. The flight was supposed to be at eleven, but the tour bus was late. We didn't get on the road until 12:30 pm., and Roger had to be back for a flight tomorrow at two pm on Tuesday. We knew it would be a rushed trip, but there are a few things we really need.
We arrived in Flagstaff about 3:00 pm., it took a little longer than the gps anticipated due to some road construction. The challenging thing about visiting Flagstaff was the fact that it's a new city to us. We didn't know where anything was located, so we knew it would take a bit of time to figure out where we were at and where we needed to go. However, Flagstaff does have a Chickfila restaurant, so we stopped there to use the wifi, let the kids play, and plan out the trip. While we were at Chickfila, we decided that we should probably get a hotel room for the night. Since it was already four pm, there was no way that we could get everything done before the stores closed and the kids became crabby! I had thought that we might need to stay in a hotel, so I had packed clothes and necessities just in case. We found a hotel that was in our budget, and Roger was able to get a discount because of his pilot's license. Yay!
We went to Staples to look for a computer since our other one is running very slowly, and we are trying to perhaps use a different curriculum for Garett. However, there was nothing in our price range. But I did find a few school items and a few water bottles. I also had a gift card! After that stop, it was approaching six pm, and the kids were ready for some activity. So, Roger decided to stay at the hotel and take the kids swimming, while I went to do some grocery shopping. I visited three different grocery stores, just because I had options. I found organic chicken for $1.77 lb, cantaloupe 2/$1.00, and a few other good bargains! We prayed very specifically that God would help us spend our money wisely, and He directed me to find the right stores to shop at. I also found the Target Department store, and I wandered around for a bit simply because I had that option. I had a good time shopping, and I'm thankful that Roger could take the kids swimming. I kinda doubt that they would've enjoyed going to several grocery stores!
It was a late night for everyone by the time we ate supper, got ready for bed, and figured out what we needed to get done in the morning. We needed to leave Flagstaff at eleven to be sure that Roger would be back in time for the flight. So we were up early the next morning to tackle the rest of the errands. We took a trip to Sam's Club in the morning to pick up our dairy products. Sam's Club offers a five pound bag of cheese for $12.92, but cheese in Page runs about $9.98 for a TWO pound bag! So we stocked up on cheese, butter, and diapers at Sam's Club!
Flagstaff is a beautiful city. The surroundings are completely different from Page, Arizona, and it was a welcome change for our family to see trees and mountains. Flagstaff is located along historic Route 66, and it has a very cute downtown with lots of classy shops...a nice place of for a date walk, but not for five kids! It was fun to drive around the city though, and check out all the different stores and shopping options.
We left Flagstaff around 10:30am on Tuesday, as Roger was on a flight at 2:30 pm. We did stop at a pawn shop on the way out of town to look at a few bikes. We didn't find one, and if we had, I don't know how we would've made it fit in the truck! However, there was a used computer there that we thought might work for Garett's school. The pawn shop owner was very nice, and said that if it didn't work out we would need to return it within a week to get our money back. We decided to buy it since it was in our price range, and it seemed like a good purchase for the price.
We arrived back in Page around 1:00pm, and Roger left for his afternoon flight. Myself and the kids unloaded the truck and put away all the groceries. Then the kids played outside while I made supper, and planned out the menu for the rest of the week. Since it was Tuesday night, the kids had AWANA, and they were very excited about going again. I'm very thankful that this opportunity is available to them.
Wednesday, September 30
It was a horrible, terrible, no-good very bad day as the book about that bear declares! Roger had an early morning flight, and he was back by about nine am. I had already started school with the kids, but when Roger walked in, I walked out. I was frustrated, upset, and I even told Roger that I didn't care if the children grew up stupid. Of course, I care! I felt like I needed to get away and take a breather, but there was no where to go, and no one to go see to spend time with.
Roger is awesome and amazing with the kids, but he also worked every single day in September with at least one flight. Sometimes, I just want someone to talk to that offers adult conversation! I decided to go for a run to clear my head and my thinking. It was just me and God and that's the way I needed it to be.
I realized on my run that I've been angry and frustrated with the Lord. I want to have friends for dinner! I want to have play dates! I want to have coffee with a mommy friend! I miss my routine and stability of life back home! I want homeschooling to be easy, and why is it this hard?! I want my family to live down the road so that I have someone I trust to watch the kids! I want to have a date with my husband! I want to have a home again! I basically unleashed my burdens on the Lord as I vented, and cried, and re-grouped my thoughts. For the record, it is very difficult to get into a running pattern when you're having a emotional conversation with Jesus! However, in the midst of my turmoil, I was reminded of so many Scriptures that offer promises to me. "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart." And dozens of other promises from God's Word. God didn't promise me an easy path (which I want) but He did promise that He will go with me every step of the way. I wish I knew what God has for our family once this job is over, but God hasn't directed us that far yet. But I do know that He will be faithful and to that promise I cling.
When I arrived home, Roger was working with the boys on schoolwork. We managed to finish most of what we needed to do, and everyone took a nap. Roger had another flight, but he was back in time for church. He also told me that his plane is due for an annual, so he wouldn't be flying for the next two days. Yay!
Roger worked on getting the new computer up and running, but we discovered that the disks that Garett has for his school are for windows 7 and lower. The computer we bought has windows 8. We talked about it, and decided we needed to return the computer. However, we had purchased a new mouse and keyboard to go with the computer becaue the wireless ones that came with it were not working. But....a certain child discovered that we had purchased a new keyboard, so he decided to take apart the one that had come with the computer! A very unhappy mama came out to discover that we couldn't return the computer with the keyboard it came with as it was in pieces! So, it was a forty dollar charge basically to try out the computer since we had to return the computer with the new mouse and keyboard. Originally, we had planned on returning the mouse and keyboard we bought to Walmart, but we needed to give them back with the computer when we returned it! Ahhh.....frustrated parents!! So, guess what? Two trips to Flagstaff in one week is unusual since we haven't been anywhere in about four weeks. However, we needed to get the money back, so we decided to go back to Flagstaff.
Thursday, October 1
Since Roger would have off the next two days because of the annual on his plane, we decided to take a trip to the Grand Canyon on the way to Flagstaff. It was a field trip and a teacher's retreat except the teacher had to bring along the students! The boys were excited about going to see the Grand Canyon...until we arrived. I think they were a bit disappointed, honestly. We have canyons practically in our back yard; and although they aren't as big or majestic as the Grand Canyon, the concepts are the same. To be honest and fair, the Grand Canyon is huge, beautiful, and majestic, but if I had to pick a national park to visit, I'd pick a different one. In my personal opinion, Zion National Park in Utah is prettier, offers a wider variety of scenery, and a more scenic drive through the park. However, yes, the Grand Canyon is grand!
While we were at the Grand Canyon, a Asian man came up to Roger. He asked if all these kids were ours, and Roger said yes. The man said that he appreciated the fact that we didn't follow the typical one child per family rule that they have in his country. He was fascinated with our family and offered to take our picture. It was an interesting experience, because we just get used to having them around, but this man couldn't fathom what having five kids would be like. (Sometimes, I have a hard time fathoming it also, but then I'm reminded that I'm the mom!)
After the Grand Canyon experience, we traveled on to Flagstaff. We returned the computer and got our money back. We looked at a few bikes in the city, but we didn't decide on one yet. And we took our old computer to a computer repair place to see if they could fix the problems on it. It was a very enjoyable day, and it was very relaxing to have Roger around for two days!
Friday, October 2,
Roger's plane was finished today, so he actually had a flight this afternoon. We thought he would have two whole days off, but that's okay. At least we had one whole day to do something fun and different as a family.
Saturday, October 3
I made home made cinnamon rolls for treats for the pilots today. It started out as two whole pans, but the boys quickly brought the count down to one and one-half pans! My word, these kids can eat!! It was a day full of laundry, flights for Roger, trips to the park, cleaning the house, and catching up on the few things that needed to be caught up on. Roger was gone all day today except for a 1/2 hour break between flights. He walked in the door a little after dark, and he was tired! He loves flags and it's a gift that the Lord gave him. I know Roger is searching for the next place the Lord would have us to be, but we are at a loss for peace and answers. However, November is right around the corner, and time is running out. Please pray for wisdom and direction as we seek God's will for the next step in our lives.
A few funny moments:
The city park in Page always has people sleeping in it no matter what time of day it is. We've never passed by the park without seeing several people sleeping there (most of them sleeping off a drunken stupor, unfortunately). However, the weather is getting a little cooler in the mornings, so one morning when we passed by the park, only one person was in the park. It was rather humorous to hear Travis announce that "hey, Mom, there is only one person sleeping in the park today. I wonder where everyone else is."
I realized that I've been having a blond moment. Roger often talks about his flights and how they went. He often refers to flying at five thousand feet. I've often thought to myself, "what is there to take pictures of at five thousand feet?" However, just this week I realized that if Page is at 4,300 feet above sea level, then Roger isn't that high off the ground! Don't ask me why it took me so long to figure that out because I don't know, but Roger had a good chuckle over it!
No comments:
Post a Comment