Spring Break, Birthday boy, and Life!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

I always have such good intentions when it comes to posting on the blog. But then the days start to run away from me, and I have to lay in bed thinking about what we did when! You'd think by now I would write things down on a more regular basis, but alas, I forget! 

 

Time spent in the woods = time well spent! 

Anyways that's enough whining about what I don't do, so now I will tell you what I DO! Last Tuesday afternoon, as in April 11, we spent the afternoon out with the Pastor and his son shooting guns on their property. Now, we use every precaution in teaching our children about guns, but it is important to use that they learn how to handle firearms responsibly and correctly. They can understand that a gun does not go off by itself, and that someone is responsible for pulling the trigger.  We are blessed to live in a country where we can own firearms, and it's not a right that I take lightly. Anyways, we had a good hike out to the shooting range through the mud and across the creek. The boys enjoy spending time with the Pastor's son, and it was a good afternoon for all of us.

The kids had a short week last week in school as we had a half day on Thursday. Since Thursday is one of the morning that Emma has school, I had a bit of a free morning. Shortly after I dropped the  kids off at school, Roger called to see if I wanted to go on the mail flight with him to one of the islands. I picked up coffee for us, and I hurried out to the airport to catch a flight with Roger. I am so thankful that he has a job in which I can come along to when I have a free moment. It was a beautiful morning to be flying, and I can see that Roger clearly enjoys what he is doing. I am also thankful that  I don't have to take multiple flights across the water every day. It's not that I was overly nervous or . uncertain, I just happen to like being in the ground better than being in the air across a body of cold water! It was a morning well spent, and I am thankful that I was able to go along with him. I picked up the kids at 11:30 am., and our week of spring break vacation began! Hooray!  I am excited about having a little freedom in our routine and schedule although I definitely appreciate a routine and schedule! The weather was absolutely beautiful last Thursday and Friday, and the boys were begging to set up the trampoline. However the ground is so wet that we would have such ruts in the yard from the trampoline. We will need to wait a few days for that. We instead took a hike down to the beach where the boys tested out how waterproof their boots were as well as looked for treasure on the beach. We had to do a little grocery shopping too, and I realize that I have gotten kinda spoiled about shopping while the kids are at school! They do very well, and they don't ask for everything, but we have quite the train with a  cart and five kids! Oh well!!


On Friday night we had over a few families from school. The kids have made some good friends, and Roger and I have enjoyed getting to know some of the parents better as well. We had eleven kids here and six adults. We feasted on lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and brownies and ice cream! The kids were exhausted by the end of the evening, but it was such a good time of fellowship and laughter. I'm   thankful for opportunities to interact with other families in the school.


On Saturday I went to do a few errands for a few groceries for Sunday's dinner. I also went to JCPenny to look for an Easter dress for Emma. It's certainly not a necessity, just something that would be nice for tomorrow. However, the cheapest church dress there was $25.00 and even with my ten dollar off coupon, I knew that a $15.00 dress was not in the budget...it was definitely a want and  not a need. I told Emma that we couldn't get the dress, but then the Lord reminded me of some totes of clothes down in the basement at home. I had forgotten that when we left Wisconsin a few friends had given clothes to Emma that were too big at the current moment. I told Emma that we could go home and look in the box. As soon as we arrived home, she asked to look for the box of clothes! And did God ever provide!! Wow!! We found a whole box of 4t clothes that she can wear now. She now has about  ten beautiful  dresses and plenty of summer clothes! I love these memories that are a reflection of how good God  is to me!

God is so good to me! 

Sunday was Resurrection Sunday! Praise the Lord...He is risen! We had the opportunity to go to a  sunrise service at church...at five forty five am! We did end up being a few minutes late, but we did make it there. The sky was overcast so the sunrise was not amazing, but celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ is definitely a reason to rejoice! After the service, we ate breakfast with our church family. I had originally planned to make biscuits and gravy. But my common sense caught up with me and I decided to bring fruit and yogurt! We helped clean up from breakfast and headed home by about 7:00 am. I put on the ham for lunch, set the table, and prepared for the morning service. We   went back to church for Sunday school and worship service, and the day was turning out to   be  beautiful weather! It was good to worship with other believers and it was exciting to see so many visitors at church this morning. I helped direct the children's choir, and I thought they did a great job.  Emma went up front to sing along with the children, but about halfway through the song she hopped  off the step to tell me that Aunt Hannah was here! Emma was very excited that aunt Hannah was at church and apparently she felt like she needed to let me know immediately! We headed home shortly  after church and enjoyed a lunch of ham, asparagus, fruit, fresh bread, and corn. The kids convinced   Roger to set up the trampoline, so that kept them busy for the afternoon. Hannah and I enjoyed a nice long walk in the beautiful weather.  Sunday was a bit of a long day, and the kids were ready for bed  early. However, it was truly a privilege to attend church this morning and to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior!

Monday was another beautiful day although it was not quite as warm as Sunday. The boys were up  early as in about 6:00 am., and immediately they went outside to jump on the trampoline. I let them jump for a while and then called them in for breakfast, Bible time and chores. As soon as their  responsibilities were done they bounded back outside. We did have to run a few errands this morning to take lunch to Roger, pick up milk, and shop for their Easter baskets. Roger and I usually give the children small baskets of treats on Resurrection Sunday such as kites, new toothbrushes, small toys, etc. However, we have been working hard on our budget, so we decided that we would give them their baskets on Monday night. 😊 It might seem like a terrible idea to you, but it actually worked out very well. I gave each child a name to shop for and told them the amount they could spend. Then we went to Walmart and each child shopped for a sibling. Since all the Easter stuff was 50% off, they had a great time finding small gifts for their picked sibling. It just might be a tradition that I will continue with over the years!

On Monday afternoon we went on an impromptu hike with some friends from school. I met Allison and her two girls for a hike down to the Saint George river, and the kids walked along on the waterfront collecting sea glass, and testing out how wet they could get without actually getting in the water. We decided to continue our outing at the lighthouse a bit farther down the road. The fog was  really thick along the ocean, but after we were there for a bit, the fog burned off. The kids had a good  afternoon with their friends, spending time outside, and combing the beaches for sea  glass.

 Coins that the kids have been saving 

We had told the kids at the beginning of the break that we could do something special for spring  break. We had collected $134.00 in our coin jar, and it's time for us to do something special as a family. The boys had been asking about going swimming at a hotel, and we gave them two choices  for options. We could either go to a hotel for a night, or we could do two separate things during the  week instead. They chose  the two separate activities for the week. One of the activities was getting a day pass to the YMCA and going swimming at the pool there. Roger has had to work most of the week, so I knew that this would  be a "mom and kids" activity. Those aren't my favorite as they are a lot of work for me, but I also knew that Roger would be home too late to join us. I decided that we would go to the YMCA in the afternoon...after nap time. Travis insisted that he was not tired, but he was asleep within ten minutes of laying down! We headed to the YMCA about three pm., and we played in the playground gym, and in the basketball gym,  and then got read you to go swimming. Unfortunately the YMCA had a disagreement with what the paper schedule said and what was  actually happening in the pool. But we were able to use the big pool while we waited for a water class to finish. Garett and Chandler both took the swim test and passed. Wyatt  wanted to take the swim   test, but I felt that he wasn't ready for it. Once the water class was done in  the family pool, we moved over to that pool. The water was much warmer, so I liked that  much better! However the slide wasn't open, so that was a bit of a disappointment for the kids. We did have a good afternoon at the YMCA, and I'm glad we did it. I hope that if we ever do it again it will be  on a day that Roger has off! I am reminded though of how much easier it is too take them swimming than it was four years ago. Everyone can get themselves dressed, and for the most part, everyone can keep their head above water. Emma needs the most help, but the boys are good about watching her also. It was a tiring afternoon, and I was thankful  that I had put supper in the crockpot before we left!

Wednesday was a day of appointments for the three older boys. They have  had an appointment scheduled for the orthodontist for the past five months, and today was the day! The appointment was in Bath which is almost an hour away, and since Roger was working today....well, five kids came  along! The one perk about going to Bath is that the McDonald's has a playland there which is exciting if you are a kid. We left our house in plenty of time so that we could play for a bit first. Of course the playland was quite busy since it is spring break week. We arrived in plenty of the time for the appointments which was a good thing because I had a bunch of paperwork to fill out! The waiting room held nine chairs, and we walked in with six people. The waiting room was a bit tight to say the least. However, it is my pet peeve when people talk about you like you can't hear them. " Wow, what  a bunch of kids!"    " I  wonder if all those kids are hers?"    " And four boys and one girl?"  Hello....I am right here!  Oh well, we survived the appointment with a smile, and it looks like Chandler will need braces in a year. We will have to come back in about nine months to find out for sure. Wyatt and Garett have some spacing concerns. But since it is  unlikely that our insurance would cover their spacing issues, it will have to wait. It was quite the afternoon, but now that is behind us. Hooray!

Thursday...today is Wyatt's eighth birthday. I remember the day that boy was born. He was our biggest son at eight pounds, eleven ounces. He arrived at 11:54 pm. I am so very thankful for this boy with a sunny smile and a ready hug. He challenges me to think about my responses to him, he forces me to cry out to God for grace and wisdom, and he loves with every bit of his heart. I am blessed to be his momma. A year ago, I missed his birthday as I was in Maine viewing the house Roger had put an  offer on. (That is a story in itself!)  My friend, Gretchen, made Wyatt his birthday cake last year, and Wyatt wanted to know if they could come this year. Oh how I wish! But Wisconsin is a bit far to come for a birthday dinner, so it will be our family for tonight. Today I am missing Wisconsin. We've  adjusted well....I think. But sometimes I long for the friendships that I've had for years, for the friends that understand and love our children, for cups of coffee and long talks on parenting failures and challenges, and for the deep friendships that developed through long talks. I know those relationships will come here in Maine with time, and the truth be told, I think I am working on those  friendships. Good things take time.

 Wyatt is 8!! 

Friday was a day that Roger had off of work. The kids have been anxiously waiting for Friday  to come a week they had big plans for the day. They have been wanting to go to the trampoline park in Portland, and this was the day that we were going! It was a good day to do it, as the weather was overcast and rainy. The kids had such a good time, and I'm glad we took the opportunity to do it. Emma enjoyed it as well, but she did tire before the boys were ready to go. Roger stayed with the boys while Emma and I went to Sam's Club. Sam's Club is one of my kid's favorite places to go...maybe that's because they have icees, pretzels, and yummy samples! It ended up being a late night for the kids, but it was an enjoyable day as a family. I missed being at the ladies Bible study this morning, but I'm also recognizing that my time with our kids is getting less by the day! I feel like we  have so much more to teach them, character traits to work on, and things they need to know to stand strong  in the name of Jesus Christ. Oh my....just writing that down makes it seem like an insurmountable challenge! However, being a parent  to these five children has made me realize that parenting is a moment by moment cry to my Savior for mercy, grace, patience and wisdom.  I fail at this parenting business every.single.day. But I can also rejoice in the fact that  the mercies of God are new every morning. I find that children forgive easily, and I work on having open, honest, and clear relationships with each one of them. I am finding out that parenting actually gets harder as our children get older because they are experiencing new challenges and struggles, and each child is different and unique. I am learning so much from them about by own weaknesses and failures. But I can rejoice in the victories  such as a child telling the truth when it was hard, a child who stayed in  their bed, and a  child who was terribly naughty all day but at night time announced, "I love you, mommy." I can rejoice in the the faithfulness of God, and I trust His Word.

A few blog posts ago, I asked for prayer for an unspoken request. We are still in need of prayer on this as we have some decisions to make concerning our budget and how to make everything work.  We need wisdom  and peace, and we are asking you to continue to pray with us and for us on this request. Hopefully  I will be able to give you bit of an update soon, but please continue to pray.

We love you all!
Sarah

 Fun with friends on Monday of spring break week! 

Academic Fair, Family, and Blessings!

Brothers...Nate and Roger 

April 1st

The first day of April greeted us with about 5 inches or more of wet, sloppy snow! I have to admit it was beautiful, but I'm also ready to see the leaves on the trees start to bud also! Thankfully, although the weather was mostly wet and damp last week, the snow did disappear rather quickly. Now we have  mud, and I mean, lots of mud! But the good thing about children and mud is that children can be washed clean again and mud dries. I'm thankful that the children like to be  outside, and they certainly sleep better when they've been outdoors for a while.

Last week was such a busy week that it both flew by and dragged on for forever at the same time, and yes, that is possible! 🙂 We started off on Monday with both feet on the ground as Travis and Wyatt both had to bring in their completed academic fair projects to school. I have to admit transporting delicate clay projects, a model airplane and runway, homemade yogurt, and four back boards for presentation skills was a bit crazy! However, nothing was broken...hooray! On Monday morning we just had to transport the stuff for Travis and Wyatt, so at least the trips of valuable items were broken up. Chandler and I spent Monday evening making homemade yogurt. Chandler's academic fair topic was on Americas Dairyland. He had to make a project to go along with his topic, so he picked yogurt. He found a simple recipe on Pinterest, and he happily mixed it all together in the crockpot. It was a new experience for both of us, but I was pleased with how he figured out the directions. When it came time to taste test the yogurt the next morning, he insisted that we wait for Roger. I think he wanted Roger to be his ginea pig to try it out.😜

Garett's project 

Chandler's project 

Wyatt and his friend, Levi 

Travis's Project 

Tuesday is a day that I try to go to a ladies Bible study at a different church in our area. But last Tuesday, I was asked to fill in for music classes. I knew that I would have to miss Bible study, but I also wanted to be a blessing to the music teacher by filling in. So I taught music class on Tuesday morning, did lunch duty, came home and prepared supper, went back to pick up the big boys, and came home to finish getting dinner ready. We invited Roger's boss and his wife to come to dinner last Tuesday evening, and it was a time of good company and lots of stories. We have come to love and appreciate Roger's boss, and his wife is a very dear lady. I'm thankful that we had the opportunity to have them in our home for a meal, and it's something that I hope we can do again soon. The boys told them  all about their academic fair projects, and they agreed to try to come on Thursday night to see the presentations. It was a later night than normal for the kids, but this couple is dear and sweet to us and it was worth the bit of a later bedtime.

Wednesday was the morning for our monthly parent group meeting. Roger had off today, so he did errands while Emma and I attended the meeting. After the meeting, we went to pick up Travis. However, the school secretary mentioned that they were short on lunchroom volunteers for lunch duty. I don't like to see the teachers have to use their valuable time to supervise lunchduty if it can be helped. So, Roger and I did stayed for lunch duty. I also ended up with a very hoarse voice today, so I was happy to go home and take a rest with Emma. I was feeling fine, but I could hardly talk and I was a bit tired. Many kids have been sick at school this week, so we've been trying to use lots of disinfectant and hand washing to keep germs at bay!

Thursday was the day of the academic fair. Chandler and Roger taste tested the yogurt, and Chandler decided to add some strawberry jam to give it extra flavor. Chandler was not crazy about the taste, but Roger thought it was really good. Chandler was happy to have his project done though, so he wa just happy the yogurt was edible!

I spent part of the morning with my friend, Allison. We shopped for paper products for the refreshments that would be served after the academic fair. We managed to make good time on finding some that would work, so we wisely used the remainder of our time sipping coffee and fellow shipping! 🙂 I have come to love and appreciate her friendship to me, and I'm thankful that God brought a much needed friend into my life at just the right time.


After picking up Travis on Thursday morning, we headed home to clean our house. Roger's brother, Nate, his wife, and four kids would be flying in this afternoon for a short visit. I had all the boys take the sheets off of their beds this morning, and Chandler told me "I'm not too dirty, Mom. We don to need to wash my sheets!" 😳I assured him that we would wash them anyways. I still have a very hoarse voice, but I don't have any other symptoms of sickness. Praise the Lord!

We managed to get clean sheets on all the beds, make a snack for the refreshment table, and get everyone's chapel clothes laid out before returning to pick up the boys from school. After school we came home for a bit of downtime, but the boys were pretty wired both about the academic fair and that their cousins were coming to visit.

The academic fair started at six-thirty pm., but the kids needed to be there a little earlier. Since this is our first time having the academic fair experience, we were all anxious to see what it would be like. Each of the classes had set up their presentation around the room. We moved from room to room interacting with the students and asking  them about their projects. All the students did a great job, and it was so rewarding to see all of their hard work come together. Nate and Ruth ended up meeting us directly at the school, and the boys were delighted to see their cousins. Roger's boss, Kevin, and his wife, Terri, were also able to come to the academic fair, and I know that meant a lot to the boys. It was a long day, but I knew that the next day would be  Friday! We had already decided to take the boys out of school around noon, so that they could have some time to spend with their cousins.

Cousins 

Friday was another full day with a half day of school for the boys, a trip to a small town with the cousins, lots of outdoor play, and even a supper date  for the adults. After we picked up the boys from school, we went home where the boys immediately dug out all their nerf guns to play with Landon and Emma. Nate and Ruth have an "Emma" too, so we had two Emma Robertson at our house. The two Emma's are separated by quite a few years between them though! Charis is two, and  our Emma greatly enjoyed having a younger child around. We ended up going up to Camden, which is a quaint little town up the road. The kids had  a good time walking along the harbor, and running around with their cousins.

Roger had to work part of the day on Saturday. But it gave Nate's family a chance to see where Roger works.  Also  on Saturday we visited a lighthouse with Nate, Ruth, and their family. After all, it would be a shame to come all the way to Maine and not visit a light house! Although we didn't have great weather while they were here, I'm thankful that it wasn't pouring down rain. We did have to dress up a bit warmly , but we were able to be outside. Nate and Ruth had to leave on Sunday morning, so it was a really quick visit. However, it is always nice to see family, and I'm thankful that they made the effort to come see us.

So there it is in writing...a crazy busy week! Want to know a special blessing? Someone anonymously put $200.00 on our  school bill!  I had a hard time not skipping out of the office on Friday after the secretary told me that! God is so good! Just when it's hard not to be overwhelmed, God gives us a special tangible reminder that He knows exactly where we are at! I had many blessings last week among them being a meal shared with Rogers boss,  having family come to visit, and someone being used of God to encourage us. We are blessed! I don't know who put money on our school bill, and they might not even read the blog, but I am so very thankful for your generosity!

Have a wonderful day!
Sarah