We started off by spending Sunday afternoon with Roger's boss and his wife, Terri. They invited us to their cabin on a lake to spend time relaxing and swimming. It was such a good afternoon with them, and I am very thankful that we made the effort to get to know them better. The kids had a great time jumping off the dock, swimming with the dog, and trying to sink each other on floats. We enjoyed a late lunch at the cabin and headed home late afternoon. I am so thankful that God has blessed Roger with a boss that is not only a good employer but also a good friend. I enjoyed getting to know Terri better, and the kids came home ready for a good nights rest!
Monday started off with a bang or a scream rather! I walked into the kitchen to discover a big fat mouse crawling out from under the stove! (I hate mice!) I was not a happy momma, but the boys were more than happy to stick brooms and sticks under the stove, but we did not have success in catching that mouse. Next order of business was to go to Walmart for mouse traps! Actually the boys attempted to make their own off of a you tube video, but as Wyatt said, "No mouse is going to be dumb enough to actually go in that trap!" Yeah, I think we will just stick with the store bought ones for now! I spent the morning running to Walmart, helping the boys set traps, and getting them ready for the soccer camp they attended this week...oh, and getting ready for the four young men we were having stay overnight in our home!
Our church hosted a Mennonite choir on Monday night and 49 people needed beds for Monday night. That's a lot of people for a small church, but the church folks willingly opened up their homes for the people. We moved the boys out to the tent for the night, and two men slept in the boys room, while two more slept in our basement guest room. We had already told our boys that they could attend a sports soccer camp (kinda like a Vacation Bible School, but with sports) in the evenings this week. Our church was also starting VBS this week but in the mornings. I knew it would be a crazy week, but the boys were so thrilled to be going to sports camp. Roger and I often feel like there are way more activities to say "no", so it's nice to have something they can attend and enjoy that we can say "Yes!". The sports VBS started on Monday evening about thirty minutes before the choir started at church. Roger was working, so I dropped the boys off at sports camp. Then Emma and I headed to church for the choir group. There was good turnout for the choir, and their music was a blessing to me. Sometimes acappella music can be very enjoyable. I had to leave before it was over to get the boys from soccer camp, so Roger brought the four men home that were staying overnight. We had a great evening of fellowship and food, although it was a late night!
Tuesday was also an early morning as the choir members had to be back at church by 7:00am. I made breakfast of fruit, blueberry muffins and breakfast casserole, and then Roger took them back to the airport. It was a short visit, but I certainly enjoyed the opportunity to welcome people into our home. We were certainly blessed! Those men left some very thoughtful thank you notes as well as a small gift of money and a music cd. While Roger was dropping off the choir members, Chandler spotted a mouse in the living room! He managed to grab a tennis racket to pin the mouse down, while Wyatt grabbed a pot. Chandler hit the mouse on the head, and the mouse was dead! Hooray! It wasn't caught by the trap, but we do have one less mouse!
The choir members had to be at church at seven, but rest of us all needed to be at church by 8:30am. Vacation Bible School started at 9:00am, and we needed to be ready to welcome all the children. I admit I was dragging a bit, but we made it. I taught the preschoolers this week, and we started out on Monday morning with 14 of them! They were such a fun group of kids though, and I truly enjoyed spending time with them. I was talking with Roger about some of our past ministries, and my first class of preschoolers. I think my first year of teaching at Vacation Bible school was when I was in 7th grade...I've put in quite a few years of teaching/helping at Vacation Bible school. Each class and year is so different, but each one brings new memories and challenges. I've learned so much by teaching them as in the following lessons: 1) When an activity seems to be falling apart, it is indeed! Move on to the next activity quickly and don't spent time trying to figure out why it didn't work! 2) It is always, always better to be over prepared than underprepared! 3) This age has very short attention spans and everything moves along quicker than you think it should! 4) Never ask this group of kids what they would like to do/play. You tell them what is going to happen! I've learned many more things, but those are a few!
Roger had off on Tuesday, so he tried to help out at Vacation Bible school. It didn't work out very smoothly for too many reasons to list here. However, I'm thankful that he was willing to attempt to help out on his day off and to be there for our kids. We spent Tuesday afternoon hooking up our trailer and picking up some furniture! One of the teachers from our school is moving away, and they are in the process of getting rid of a few items. They kindly offered us two great chairs and a loveseat! One of the chairs is a very big chair, and Roger has been very grateful for it!
The boys returned to soccer camp for Tuesday evening, and Roger and I had a date...with Emma! It was nice to spend some time with Roger as this week has just been so crazy!
Wednesday we repeated the events of Vacation Bible school, and more Soccer camp in the evening. It was actually kind of warm today, so we went to the lake with the Philbrook's after morning VBS. Here's the shocker-I actually got in the lake today! Emma did too, and I have a feeling that she is now going to think that's a regular occurrence! Everyone is sleeping well this week with all the activities, but I've also had to pray for extra grace and patience.
Thursday was raining and chilly, which always switches up the dimensions of VBS! I was thankful to make it through the morning, and delighted to head home! We spent a relatively quiet afternoon, and the boys rested also. They've been enjoying soccer camp so very much, and it's exciting to see how much they learning.
Friday...last day of VBS, and I am so thankful that it's over! I am thrilled I had the opportunity to be involved, and I have been praying fervently for lives to be changed and impacted by this week. It was an exhausting week, but Gods grace always proves sufficient! I had the opportunity to meet one of the moms of a preschooler after the closing program today. She's the mom to four boys, so we had no lack of things to talk about! Their family is just up here for the summer, and they live in New York City! God calls each of us to different things, and I'm thankful for where God has us!
The boys also had a closing program at their soccer camp. Roger was able to get off in time to go, so the boys were thrilled about that! They are very understanding about Roger's job, but it delights their hearts in ways that I can't do when he is able to come to their events. The mom that I had met earlier at our church's VBS was there with her family at the soccer camp closing program. It was good to visit with their family, and we are praying for the opportunity to have them over for dinner soon.
Saturday was an uneventful morning at home followed by a birthday party at a campground for the boys. Roger was working today, and I wasn't exactly excited about going. However, this family is one that attends our school, but the boys don't see them much in the summer. I know the kids really were looking forward to this day, and I had said two week ago that we would go to the party. So, I gathered my energy, and we went. It was a great time for all. I enjoyed the opportunity just to relax and visit, and the boys spent time in the lake, chasing friends, and playing for several hours. When we left to go home, it was a quiet ride! Saturday was an early bedtime for all of us.
God has brought us safely through another week. I'm thankful that not every week is like this one, but I can rejoice in the mercies and goodness of my Heavenly Father. We enjoyed attending church together this morning, although we had to leave a bit early. Roger was needed to fly a flight at one pm., so we went to the airport with him. While he flew the airplane, I unpacked our picnic lunch. Today was a gorgeous day, so it was a good day to enjoy lunch at the airport. We spent a great afternoon at home....doing nothing! We came back for the evening church service, and I had the opportunity to play the piano for the church service. It truly refreshed my heart and my soul, and it was a great moment to end the week on.
Tomorrow I'm off to Boston with our tribe. My sister is flying in for a visit, and we are excited about that! However, I'm not a huge fan of big city driving, so prayers would be appreciated!
We received a special gift in the mail this week from some dear Alaskan friends. They are the type of friends that no matter how much time passes between phone calls or emails, we can pick up our conversations right where we left off. Those are truly great friendships! God has used them to bless our family many times, and I am so very thankful for them. God continues to confirm that we are making the right choices in endeavoring to keep the boys enrolled in the Christian school. We have been blessed by the prayers and gifts of so many; and although my faith is often quite weak , I'm thankful that God continues to be at work!
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