Roger had off of work in Monday so he was able to take the three older boys flying. Roger's boss allows Roger to use one of the company's smaller planes if it's not needed. Garett has been asking to go flying with Roger for several weeks now, so I was thankful to see it happen. Garett has a strong interest in aviation, and we are trying to encourage his interest without being pushy about it. Garett was able to do some of the actually flying today, so he's been on cloud nine. Chandler was also able to fly the plane for a bit, and while he likes it, he doesn't have the same interest in it that his older brother has. Due to weather conditions, Wyatt was not able to have a turn in the front seat, so Roger said that I could maybe drop him off at work one of these afternoons this week.
On Tuesday I was able to attend a ladies Bible study at a church of one of my friends from school. This was a really good time of encouragement for me, and it was a reminder of something I'd like to come to more often. I was thankful for the time in God's Word, the fellowship with friends, and the opportunity to share our thoughts. After the Bible study, a few ladies from our church met together for lunch to discuss starting our own Bible study with ladies in the church/school. I am thankful that Beth, our pastor's wife, has a desire to help other ladies grow in the Word. The four of us came up with some good ideas, and I think it will come together quickly in the next week or so.
Meanwhile, Roger took the kids sledding this morning. Wyatt had taken a spill this morning while wrestling with his brothers, and while sledding he fell off the sled and landed hard on his stomach. Roger said he sat really still for a while after that and then threw up twice in the bushes on the sledding hill. It was a rough day for Wyatt! He seemed to feel better after an afternoon nap; and since we were going to my sisters place for supper, I just figured I'd ask her about Wyatt! We had a great time visiting with Hannah and Josh and it's nice to get together to do that. The kids enjoy playing with their dog, and it was a good evening together. Wyatt seems to be back to himself, so apparently it was just a bit of a rough day.
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| Emma and Garett at the airport |
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| Top: Emmanuel and Travis; bottom: at the airport |
Thursday was an impromptu play date with another family from school. The Philbrook's have two girls, but our children are not partially partial to gender playmates. They just enjoy having anyone to play with them! We had tacos again for lunch as that's an easy lunch for play dates as the boys certainly didn't mind! Allison and I have never run out of things to talk about so it was a good time by all. Allison has become a dear friend to me, and I am very thankful for her friendship.
On Friday we hung out at home, cleaned up the yard a bit, and just enjoyed a day without anything much on our schedule...except grocery shopping! These boys can eat...oh my! I'm already learning just how expensive our grocery bill might be when we have teen boys that are 12,13,14,and 15 years old! I think it might be time for us to look into raising chickens, and getting some seeds started for a garden this spring!
On Saturday I made a crockpot of white chicken chili and a dessert. The kids and I took lunch out to Roger's workplace to share with the other pilots on duty today. It was a beautiful day, and I'm thankful that God provided Roger with a job that we can drop by, bring lunch, and see him for a few minutes.
I had the opportunity to play the piano for services on Sunday. It's an opportunity that I definitely enjoy, and it blesses me far more than it probably blesses those listening.
It was a good week of winter break. Although it didn't seem like a much needed break from school because we've had so many snow days in the last two weeks, it was a good time to just spend time with our kids. The boys also have the academic fair coming up in April. Since this is our first experience with this event, I'll let you know how it goes! They each have to written report on a topic, and do some research on it as well as a presentation board. We started on the projects a bit over break,and it was a good reminder of how God has blessed me with the Christian school. Could I homeschool them? Yes. Would I want to? No! I love our children but I am much better at just being ther cheerleader, coach and mom than being their education instructor. God is so good to me!
Monday, February 27, we returned to school. Yay! Getting back into a routine and schedule is one of my favorite things to do!
Tuesday is music class day at the school. The music teacher had asked if I would be willing to teach music class today as her husband recently underwent a surgery. I said yes, but I knew it would be a bigger deal for Emma than myself. Roger would be working, and I didn't want to have Emma sit through several hours of music classes. However, the school also has a pre-k class for three her old school that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I mentioned to Emma that she could probably go to the class if she wanted to while I taught class. It was as though I had handed her the moon! She wasso excited, and she told her brothers all about it as soon as they came home from school on Monday. I was thankful to see that she was excited about going, but I was curious to see I found she would be as excited when I walked away from the classroom door on Tuesday morning! Sure enough Emma was all excited about going to "school" on Tuesday until we walked into the classroom. I knew she would be fine though so I walked away. I think it was harder on me than on her. That was my baby that I left for the morning! But I did have a good time teaching music classes, and Emma did fabulously in her class. I also have lunch duty on Tuesday, so it was a bit of a long day for all of us.
Wednesday was Roger's day off of work, so he spent the morning doing a few errands that needed his attention while Emma and I attended the parent group meeting at the school. After the meeting and picking up Travis, I came home to make a meal for the music teacher and her family. I've learned over the years of making meals for people that often the best meals are the simplest ones. I made the same meal that I've made for several years now for families that I bring a meal to. It's one my kids enjoy and it's simple and tasty. I made stuffed taco shells, hot bean dip, vegetables, chips and a dessert. I wouldn't t say that I am a gifted cook or anything, but I do enjoy making a meal for someone on occasion. What a blessing to minister to others as I've been so blessed!
Thursday was a fun morning for me. After Emma had enjoyed preschool so much on Tuesday, Roger and I talked about allowing her to continue to attend. Since she would be free, and she seems to enjoy it so much, we decided that we would continue to allow her to go for now. She was still a bit hesitant when I dropped her off, but she was happy to be at school like the "brothers". I was able to go on a run...the first one in a while. I definitely enjoy and need exercise, so that would be a huge plus for me in Emma going to school. However, I also want to make sure that I am making the best decisions for my child and not allowing my selfishness to get in the way. I was also able to have a coffee date with my friend, Allison. We discussed everything under the sun as well as the ladies Bible study that will be on Friday morning. This Bible study is one that we are both excited about and thankful for the opportunity to reach out to other ladies in our area. The kids ended up with a half day at school today. There was a problem with the heater and the boiler, so school was dismissed at 11:30. Allison and I took the kids to the bowling alley. We haven't been bowling since before our move to Maine so that was fun! It was a bit like stepping back in time though as it was a very "vintage" bowling alley! But we had a lot of fun and laughs while doing something fun with our children.
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| A view from my run; the boy's fort; adventures at the bowling alley |
Friday was our kick off day for our ladies Bible study. I made some treats for the ladies who came, and Allison made coffee. We managed to squeeze in a few minutes to pray together for the study before I needed to leave to play the piano for the school chapel service. Oh, how my heart is full! I desire to encourage these ladies in God's Word especially the mamas with young children. I remember the days of fatigue and frustration with my lack of opportunities to study in God's Word. It's hard for me to believe but I am quickly advancing to the side of no longer being a "mom of young children"! Emma is 3 1/2 years old, potty trained, and sleeps fairly well at night. However, I remember with great clarity the days of four boys in four years! I want to make sure that I try to reach out to other young moms in the trenches and encourage them. I have offered to take a turn at providing childcare for the moms that need to bring their children to the Bible study. I want these moms to have ever opportunity to be able to enjoy fellowship and a study in the Bible. We had nine ladies attend the Bible study today. I am thankful for each one that's came, and I truly enjoyed digging into the Bible as we studied on "storms in our lives". I'm looking forward to seeing what God continues to do in and through me as we continue our Bible study.
William Carey said, "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God."
Dr. Pat Robertson: "Attempt something so big for God that unless He intervenes, it's bound to fail."
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