Christmas break....Skating, Family, Skiing, and More!!

Family arrived, the presents were opened, Jesus' Birthday was celebrated, and the days of vacation have flown by!

                                                  Skiing and Snowboarding Trip

My parents arrived Tuesday, December 20. Oh, how excited the boys were to see my parents! Emma was excited because the boys were excited, but once my parents arrived, she was a bit standoffish. It didn't take her long to warm up to them, but six months without seeing them caused her memories of them to fade. She has warmed up and is back to her usual cheery self. She's asking Nana to read her books, and for Papa to play with her. The boys have been busy with Papa as they've gone ice skating, ice fishing, on a plane ride, and lots of outdoor play!

Jen arrived from South Dakota last Wednesday, and we've enjoyed her company as well. The house is full of people, and sometimes you have to wait in line to use the bathroom, but it's a joyous time of year. The boys and Emma love Aunt Jen and they've been keeping her busy with playing games with them and asking for her to make popcorn! 😄

The boys finished up school last week with Christmas parties and crafts, and many other fun activities. Chandler said it was the "best week of school ever!" The boys enjoy school, but everyone is ready for Christmas break...including the teachers! I'm thankful that my parents were able to meet the teachers. and visit the school. It's nice to have a face for the name that you are praying for, and I know my parents pray for the school and the staff.

On Friday my dad took the boys ice fishing and ice skating. They were delighted to spend time with Papa even though they didn't catch any fish! We wrapped presents, finished up some last minute errands, and enjoyed the day with the family.

Saturday...the longest day of the year for my children...also Christmas Eve! 😀 The weather was a bit too warm for ice skating, and we didn't have enough snow to go sledding. The boys played lots of indoor games and asked numerous times "why is the day going so slow?!". We took them ice skating at the indoor rink along with both my sisters and Hannah's husband, Josh. Even Emma went ice skating, although she was not too crazy about it! The boys have really come along way with their skating skills, and they certainly enjoyed the time on the ice. It helped pass the afternoon a bit more quickly also. We came home, ate a snack, and went to the Christmas Eve service at church. This is one of my favorite services, and one I look forward to every Christmas season. This was our first time attending a Christmas Eve service here in Maine...obviously. 😀 It was good to sing the songs, and reflect on the meaning of Christmas. I played a piano duet with the pastor's daughter, so that was fun for me also. After the service, we came home to open presents....finally!  Emma and the boys were delighted with so many gifts, and they wanted to play with all their new treasures that very night! After all the excitement, the kids all crashed in their bed dreaming of new toys and on a sugar high from all the Christmas treats!

Christmas morning is the morning to wake up early, of course! So much excitement in the house as the boys built with new toys, played floor hockey in the basement, and enjoyed their treasures. Emma was content with another new dolly and a few horses. We managed to get everyone fed and out the door on time for the Christmas service. After church we headed up to Hannah and Josh's house for the afternoon. The boys brought along their snow gear, but it was very windy outside. They bundled up and went out for a bit, but we spent most of the afternoon playing games and watching Christmas movies...oh, and eating, of course! It was a full day, and it was a joy to have my family here to spend the day with us.



Monday was a decompressing day!All that sugar and rich foods from the previous days, made for a
great day to have salad and chicken! My dad did take the boys ice skating, Roger worked all day, and my sisters and I spent some time together shopping and visiting together. My mom hasn't been feeling well, so she tried to go to the walk in clinic. She wasn't able to see the physician, but she needs to be seen soon. She has a bad cough and cold.

Tuesday...Nana went to the doctor today. She was given the diagnosis of having bronchitis, which explains the long time cough she's had. She was given a prescription and told to rest. She spent much of the day resting. We spent the day around the house playing lots of games, and spent time visiting together.

Wednesday was my dad's last day here. He returned to Wisconsin on Thursday morning. He and mom went for a drive, visited Roger's  job, toured the area. We had several children that weren't feeling that great on Tuesday and Wednesday, so it ended up being a low key day for everyone....with lots of laundry to do!

I drove my dad to the airport early this morning. We left our house a little after four am, and we drove to Portland. It was an early morning, and I was tired...but we made it! I arrived home to find that the boys were scheming with aunt Jen and planning a skiing trip. As their Christmas present this year, Jen gifted the most with an experience. She gave them coupons for a skiing trip. The boys were so excited about going! The weather on Thursday was a variety of snow, sleet, and rain. When we left to go on the ski trip, it was snowing. However, it did rain for part of the afternoon also. The older two boys took a snowboarding lesson, and the younger two had skiing lessons. It's amazing how quickly kids can catch on! Our boys are quite outdoorsy and athletic and with the instructors help, they quickly grasp what they needed to do. Travis was convinced after his skiing lesson that he was ready for the big hill...oh dear! So, up we went on the ski lift. He and Wyatt both took off down the hill, and they made it to the bottom without crashing. I was impressed. 😀 While the kids were having lessons, Jen, Hannah and I were trying out the slopes. Hannah brought her snowboard, and Jen and I skied. It's been over twelve years since I've been skiing, so I definitely didn't try anything fancy! My goals was to not crash and go rolling down the hill. The boys stuck with the adventure through  the snow, sleet, and rain. Even though everyone was soaked by the end of the afternoon, it was a great time! We came home, dried everything out, ate supper, and watched the old movie, "Snowball Express". That was a very fitting movie to end the day on, and it provided more laughter! The boys are looking forward to the next time they get to go snowboarding and skiing, and I'm thankful that Jen provided them with this experience.

On Friday Roger had a day off of work...yay! We spent some time around the house, and then decided to meet up with Hannah and Josh. Today was Josh's birthday as well. We traveled up to Bangor to meet for lunch at Chick-fil-A. The kids weren't crazy about the drive, but they did fine. Since we were already up that way, we went to Sam's Club and a few other places that we don't have around home. My mom is staying here for a few weeks until after my missions trip to Haiti. However, she still isn't feeling fabulous so she decided to stay at home.

So, we are wrapping up Christmas break with a few slow easy days before we resume school on Tuesday. We had a great week being together and at home. The boys are praying for more snow, but they are delighted with what we have in the yard. They've built a snowboard ramp, several igloos, and a few forts over break. 😀

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. We enjoy this time of year as we reflect on the birth of Jesus. He came as a baby, but ultimately He came to redeem the world from sin. Jesus invites you to have a personal relationship with him....now that's the best gift of all!!

Living and Learning

Ready or not Christmas is coming! We've been enjoying this stretch of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it does pass by so quickly! We spent time at a holiday parade, visited a living nativity, participated in the school Christmas program, put up our Christmas tree, and we are preparing for time with family over the Christmas holiday.

On December 2,  Friday, we went with some friends from school to a local parade. The parade was relatively short, but the huge red lobster was in the parade and quite a few fire trucks. 😄 We also
met up with one of the other teachers from the school, and it's nice to go to local events and recognize people we know. After the parade, we walked down the street to "A Walk to Bethlehem". A local church puts this together every year, and it is amazing. I've seen several living nativites, but nothing quite like this one. The people line up outside the church building, and then as people file into the sanctuary a person hands them a piece of paper with one of the tribes of  Israel on it. They take the "tribes" one at a time through the display, but as you're waiting they have people leading the congregation in Christmas carols. Then a person dressed as a Roman centurion will be your guide through the walk. I can't even fathom all the work it takes to pull something like this together! Each person is dressed for the part, and it is literally a "walk to Bethlehem". You first walk to a room where the prophet is foretelling the birth of Jesus. Then the guide takes your group to where the angel speaks to Mary and she visits Elizabeth. As you weave your way through the building, we come across the tax collector in Bethlehem, and in the church kitchen the "inn keeper" tells you that he had to turn away a young couple. Following the path to Bethlehem, you enter the church fellowship hall which is set us as the marketplace in Bethlehem. There are a bunch of different booths set up each displaying something that might be sold or taught in Bethlehem during the time of Jesus's birth. Also in the church fellowship hall, is a menagerie of animals, yes, real ones! A cow, donkey, sheep, and chickens are on display at the Bethlehem market. Following the market, you are guided to the stable. There a couple is playing the part of Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus is there also. The "walk" concludes with the pastor giving a simple plan of salvation and inviting people to join them for church on Sunday. It was an amazing experience and one that will be on our calendar for next Christmas season. You are invited to come visit us during the first weekend in December so you can come along with us next year!

On Saturday, December 3, we invited a family from school to join us for supper. This family has children in three of the boys' classes, and the boys have been asking about them coming for several weeks now. Although we did not really know the parents or their boys that well, it was a blessing to have another family over for supper. Roger and I enjoyed an evening with great fellowship, lots of noisy kids and nerf guns, and it was a good opportunity to meet another family in the school.

Sunday, December 4, we picked out a Christmas tree after church. The boys were so excited, and Emma was excited about whatever they were excited about! Since we are not very familiar with Christmas tree farms, we picked one that was a bit disappointing. We had to pick a tree from the already cut ones because it was over budget to go out to the lot and cut your own. However, the boys didn't  mind too much, as they were just excited to be getting a tree. We are "living and learnin'" and next year we will do better at finding a place to cut our own. The amount of places to get a real pre-cut Christmas tree are amazing as there are just so many! However, since we enjoy the experience of cutting our own tree, we will try a different place next year. The kids had a good time decorating the tree, and I did a good job of letting them. 😀

Last week was a busy week for me at school, as we were preparing for the Christmas program. I spent several mornings at school with the practices for the  program. I played the piano for several of the songs, so Emma and I did have a few mornings where we stayed at school while the program practice was happening. I didn't mind, but I was very glad to spend most of the day on Saturday at

home. On Thursday, I worked with a few other moms doing a Christmas shop for the students at the school. All the items ranged in prince from .25 to $1.00. It was a ton of fun to set it up, watch the kids shop, and wrap presents for them. Several ladies from the church graciously volunteered to help wrap the gifts. This was a huge blessing and those dear grandmas can certainly wrap pretty and efficiently! I wouldn't mind helping with the Christmas shop next year, however, hindsight tells me that we should not do it the same week as the Christmas program!

I also took the boys to get their first professional haircuts on Thursday. They really enjoyed the experience, and I'm glad we made this treat happen for them. I also reminded them that next month mom would be cutting their hair again. 😀 They are certainly enjoying putting hair gel in their fresh haircuts!

Friday night was the school Christmas program. The kids did a great job, and I enjoyed playing the piano for the prelude and a few of the songs. I also think the staff and students are happy to have that behind them. It's a lot of work, but the kids did great. My sister was able to come down for the program, but not her husband. That's probably because I forgot about telling them until Wednesday morning...oops!

Saturday was a "catch up" day at our house. The boys spent much of the day outside building, destroying, laughing and fighting. I made Christmas cookies for our children's Sunday night Christmas party at church. I also had a conversation via phone with a dear college friend. Elizabeth and I  have not talked in probably over three years, but we jumped right back into our friendship. We were very close in college, and I'm looking forward to renewing that friendship. On Saturday afternoon we invited ourselves over to Hannah and Josh's house for cookie decorating, supper, and board games. It was a fun evening of famly togetherness. We should do it more often....not the inviting ourselves over to people's houses, but the impromptu get-togethers!

Sunday was a day of worship with other believers. I was asked to play the piano for the church Christmas choir, so I enjoyed playing in church on Sunday. I've actually been thinking that I would like to go back to taking piano lessons again if I could find a teacher who will teach me and fit in our budget plan. Someday...,maybe...we will see.

Monday, December 12, was our first snow day!! We all enjoy snow ❄️ and cold weather, and it was so fun to have a day to stay at home with all the kids! Roger had to work, and he ended up soaked to the skin by the time he arrived home. He could wring water out of his socks as they were that wet! We were just far enough inland that we got mostly snow and not the rain that the coast had. It did change to rain later in the day, but the boys just switched to water boots and kept on going! There were plenty of puddles to mop up by the back door, but they did enjoy this first snow day. The days are flying by, and I wish I could hold back time for just a little bit. The children are so excited about Christmas, and all the fun events happening at school. They are growing up so quickly in the decisions that they are making about picking out presents for others...no more wrapping of used handkerchiefs! We mailed out several packages to friends this week, and the boys are wanting to be more involved every year with wrapping, taping, and mailing. We are praying for more snow, and we are supposed to have cold weather on Friday.  Yay! The boys are anxious to try their hand at ice fishing in Maine, so maybe we will get to do that soon along with some pond hockey.



My parents are coming to Maine next week. I've been busy cleaning and organizing for their arrival, but since their arrival isn't until next week, I will still be busy cleaning and organizing! Somehow there is always something that needs doing! We are excited about my parents coming and the arrival of my sister, Jen. It's been about six months and the boys are full of memories and experiences that they want to share.

Christmas tree excursion 

Snow!!

Cookies and crafts!

As some of your already know, I am planning on taking a missions trip to Haiti in January. I appreciate your prayers. I am including a link with additional information. https://www.gofundme.com/jm-missions-trip-to-haiti

Thanksgiving!

                                                           Travis at ice skating lessons

This post is a little dated...obviously. But it has some memories in it that we want to remember.

Like most Americans, we are getting ready for Thanksgiving. Roger and I were just discussing how fast the year flew by. A year ago we were getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family in Wisconsin. Now we are getting ready to start a Thanksgiving celebration in a different state entirely. I'm going to miss seeing my parents, my sister, Jen, and many close friends gathered around our table. However, we are looking forward to dinner with my sister, Hannah, as well as Roger's parents.

The past week was a busy one which is of no surprise to anyone! I spent a lot of time at the school helping prepare for the school fundraiser auction on Friday. Since we are new to the school, this was a different experience for us obviously. The boys were very excited about it along with most of the kids in the school. Roger had to work on Friday, but he did make it to the auction part. The boys were "runners" meaning that they worked with the other school kids bringing the items to the auctioneer and then people would bid on them. We had been given 136 items to auction and it was everything from gift certificates to toys to jewelry to antiques and anything in between. I, along with two other moms, worked with the kids getting the items in the right order and having the kids take the items out front. There were some moments of chaos as we worked to get the items in the right order and tying to make sure the kids didn't switch what they were carrying with another student! All in all, I thought it went really well. Of course, I have nothing to compare it to, so I'll let you know next year how it really was...if I help out with it again. The drawback to helping in the back is not getting to really watch the auction or participate much, but that's okay. It helped us stay on budget! 😀 Roger could've bid on items but he was helping with Emma, and he was exhausted after working all day. He left with the boys and Emma shortly after the auction was over as he had to be at work at 4:30am. The auction dinner started at five pm, with the auction itself starting at 6:30pm. It was about 9:00pm, when we finished selling the last item, so the kids were ready to be done.

There was a slight hiccup in the events of the evening that I heard about the next day. I am really not going to even say what happened, other than I could use some extra prayers. There was a storm in my life, and I'm waiting for God to send the rainbow. I do believe that the challenge is past and behind me, but it was painful to me. I was hurting, but God sent grace and mercy to me. I rejoice in who He is, and that I can think on things that are true, lovely, good report, and pure. We truly do serve an amazing God.

On Sunday we were able to have a family from church over for lunch. It has been such a long time since we have been able to do that, and it was an encouragement to me. Lunch certainly wasn't anything fancy, but the fellowship and friendship was great! We are starting to settle in at church, matching names and faces, and getting involved with church activities. I am playing the piano for a ladies Christmas group which is a blessing to me.

Roger's parents arrived on Wednesday, November 23. It's been a while since we've seen them and we enjoyed spending a few days with them. Roger and his dad left early on Thanksgiving morning to drive to New Hampshire. Our vehicle was ready to be picked up. It's nice to have a vehicle back!  We celebrated Thanksgiving with Roger's parents along with my sister, Hannah. After a large meal, we went to the Breakwater Lighthouse to walk it off! It was a Little chilly out by the water, but it was a good walk. Of course, that also meant that we now had room for pie!

Hannah and I spent some time together on Friday. We are not crazy Black Friday shoppers by any means, but it was a festive day together. It actually was not very crowded any of the places we visited. I'm not sure if  Mainers aren't really in to Black Friday, or if they had already done their shopping with the stores opened at midnight. Maine has a law that prohibits Black Friday shopping on Thursday, so some the stores opened at midnight. At midnight, I was sleeping in my bed! Hannah and I are terrible about taking pictures when we spend time together, but we should try harder since we are making memories.

On Saturday, Roger went to work and his dad was able to go with him. The weather wasn't great, but Roger did get in a few flights. The kids and I took trash to the dump, cleaned up the house, and took Grandma to the Maine Prison showroom store. It's  a store that sells wood working projects that the prisoners have made. It was a fun, low key day.

On Monday Roger had to work, and his parents needed to get to the bus stop in Portland to catch a bus to Boston. I certainly  didn't mind taking them down to Portland, but I decided to take Travis with me. It would've been a tight time line to get back in time to pick him up at 11:30. We made it to the bus stop on time, and I enjoyed my time with our two youngest children.

As we thought on Thanksgiving last week, I came up with some thoughts about our move to Maine. We have much to be thankful for, and I want to remind myself and our children of that often.

T- Transition 
     Transitioning to Maine has helped us draw closer together as a family. It has strengthened our personal convictions as a couple and as parents as we looked at various churches deciding what one God would want us to become a part of.
H-Home
    God has blessed us with a home at the end of a dead end road. It's 20 minutes from Roger's work, and it's 20 minutes to school and church. It's a good spot for us.
A- Attitude 
    A good attitude has been imperative in our move to Maine. Having five children watching how I respond has deepened my relationships with them as we weed through our emotions, facts, and feelings.
N-New experiences 
    We are truly blessed with having so many new experiences. The boys have been able to fly with Roger, hike to numerous lighthouses, try lobster, swim in the Atlantic Ocean, and so much more.
K- Konnection
      Yes. I am aware that connection starts with a "c". I'm thankful that Maine has provided an opportunity for Roger and I to re-connect in our marriage and our family. With Roger being gone for training most of 2014, living in Arizona for some of 2015, and moving to Maine in 2016, we have needed this time together. We've grown closer to each other and our Heavenly Father during these last few months.
S- Salvation and school 
      Salvation is clearly not just a Maine idea, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention how thankful I am for my salvation. Salvation is a free gift offered by Jesus Christ, and I don't ever want to forget what He did for me at Calvary.
       School....The Christian School ranks high on my list of things I'm thankful for in Maine. It has been a bit of a silver lining, and we ar thankful that the boys have the opportunity to attend there.
G  Great job for Roger
       Roger is enjoying a job that is a special opportunity for him. He has a grea boss and working at Penobscot Island Air is enjoyable for him. Roger has a special aviation talent, and I'm thankful to see him using his talent at a job he enjoys.
I   In laws
     We were not sure if we'd have anyone for Thanksgiving dinner other than ourselves and Hannah. I'm thankful that Roger's parents were able to join us. Rogers dad played many games of ping pong with the kids, and Roger's mom kept my baskets of laundry folded and the socks matched!
V AdVentures
     We have been able to explore so many new things in Maine. There is so much history here, and so much to see and do.  My favorite part is that much of it is free!
I Islands 
    As in every state, Gods handiwork is beautiful! We are blessed to live in the mid coast region. We have enjoyed flights over the islands, and we are soaking in Gods beautiful handiwork!
N Needs
   Garett came up with this one. When I asked him why we are thankful for needs, his theology seeemd a little shaky. Howeve, it was an opportunity to assure him that he is right. We do need to be thankful for needs. Our needs present us with the opportunity to ask our Heavenly Father for whatever we need and to praise Him for whatever He does!
G Glory to God!
  To God be the Glory! We have seen the hand of God on our lives and the lives of our children. We look forward to another year to praise the Lord!