Christmas Memories, Lots of Driving, and Time with Family!

 

Wisconsin memories! (I’ve played pond hockey on this pond more times than I could possibly count!) 

Two days until the start of a new year!? There were moments when I thought that 2021 was never going to end, but through it all God has been faithful and true. I am so thankful that in the moments of despair, discouragement, and fatigue, that God has brought us through. 

In 2021, we saw a job change for Roger, our house selling, lots of school and staffing changes, a move into an apartment for our family, Roger starting his new job in Michigan, and numerous other changes and challenges. Through it all, every morning God provided new mercies and grace for every moment. Oh, how I take heart in that! 

I’m looking forward to a new year -2022. I know that God will continue to show Himself strong and faithful. The first half of the school year has been rough on one of our children in particular, so I would appreciate prayers for a better second half of the school year. I am praying that this child, in particular, would see God do great and mighty things in their life over the remainder of the school year. This child has told me numerous times that they’d like to be homeschooled, they are ‘weary in well-doing’, and is just all around struggling. Roger and I have been daily asking God to provide us with wisdom in how to help this child. I firmly believe that God is using these experiences in this child’s life to shape and mold them into who God has created them to be, but at the same point in time, I am this child’s parent. God has given Roger and I the responsibility of parenting. Sometimes this means removing a child from a situation due to constant frustration and discouragement. Sometimes it means praying often and fervently that God will use this situation in their lives to help them understand that God can and will help them through hard things. All that to say- we need wisdom! 

It was a busy week of break, and I am not ready to go back to school -yet! First we have to drive back across the country and then I’ll think about school again! In the last ten days, we finished up school before Christmas break with the school Christmas program, the church Christmas program, and then the drive to Michigan for Christmas with Roger. School was supposed to not get out until Wednesday, December 22, but we unexpectedly had the week off. So the kids and I left on Monday to head to Michigan. 

God provided great weather and smooth driving conditions for almost the entire trip to Michigan (19.2 hours) The last 100 miles hosted terrible driving conditions in snow, blowing snow, and dark roads, but we made it! We arrived at the hotel in Mackinaw City on Tuesday evening- two whole days before we thought we would be there! That was a special gift for our family. One of Roger’s dear friends from one of the islands in Maine, had gifted our family with a gift of money which was especially timely as we had a longer hotel stay that originally anticipated. Roger had to work on Wednesday and Thursday but the kids and I spent the days swimming, walking around the town, and exploring the area. There are not a lot of hotel options in Mackinaw City this time of year, and the one hotel was open Monday thru Wednesdays and the other hotel was open Thursday thru Sunday. So we had to go across the street on Thursday afternoon to switch hotels which provided a humorous situation, but it was a memory! 

We found a local ice arena for the kids to skate at on Wednesday and Thursday, so that was a highlight for them. After six years of not having skates due to my kids wearing my size of ice skates, the boys decided to buy me a new pair of ice skates for Christmas. I got my gift early so that I could use them ice skating on Thursday with the boys. However, when we arrived at the ice arena for skating, Travis told me “Mom, I am really glad that you got new skates. I should’ve said something yesterday, but I didn’t want to say anything cause we were buying skates for you. But, Mom, I can’t get my ice skates on with my socks too.” I looked at Travis’s feet and noticed that he had blisters on his ankles. He had worn his skates on Wednesday without socks so that he could get them on! I told him that wearing skates with socks is very important, and that we would’ve happily have bought him skates if we had known that he needed some that badly! (The kids are constantly growing and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with who needs what!) Anyways, I offered to let him try on my new skates, and he insisted that I should go skating and that he would just watch. We compromised and shared the new skates. Travis wore them first (at my insistence) and then I went skating a little later. When I put on the skates and skated on the ice, Chandler told me, “Mom, you’re actually a pretty good skater for a girl and how old you are!” Um- thank you? I think! Oh, these kiddos surely keep me on my toes! 

On Christmas Eve, we drove down to a bigger city to do some shopping, wash the van, change the oil, eat lunch at Culver’s, and we bought a new pair of ice skates for Travis! It was a fun time as a family, and we will enjoy the memory. Our family likes to go to a Christmas Eve service, but I was having a hard time finding a church via online that was stating that they were having a Christmas Eve service. I found one area church that was having a Christmas Eve service with carols first and then a visit from Santa. Hmm…well, that didn’t sound like what we were looking for necessarily! The Baptist church didn’t have anything posted, but there was one community church that was having a Christmas Eve service at 7:00pm. I knew that it probably wouldn’t be exactly like our church in Maine. We arrived at the church building a little early, and the sanctuary had low lights, candles waiting to be lit, and music playing. That all seemed fairly traditional but as we sat down and listened to the music, one of my kids started snorting (like laughing). He said “Mom, the song that’s playing is “Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer”!” Sure enough it was! I’m kinda a traditionalist (Roger would say “not kinda, she is”) so I really wanted to hear more traditional Christmas music. Someone must have adjusted the playlist because the next song was “Mary, did you know?” And then other Christmas carols. The pastor was very nice and friendly, and the service opened with prayer and then some singing. We knew most of the congregational songs, but then before the message there was a special.  A dear old lady (probably in her 80s) got up to do “Interpretive song”. Basically she twirled and danced and did some sign language to the music. I dared not to look at the boys! I will say that the people at that church seemed to really love Jesus, they were excited to be in church, and they enjoyed worshipping. It wasn’t how I’d do it, but I can appreciate their sincerity! We enjoyed the candle lighting and singing “Silent Night”. When we were on our way back to our hotel, Chandler asked if we would be visiting that church on Sunday morning. I asked him if he wanted to go back. He replied, “Well, that wasn’t necessarily my style. But if you wanted to go, then we will go.” That was a very diplomatic response, but I think we will try another church on Sunday. 

Saturday was Christmas Day. We enjoyed the morning with a family walk, reading the Christmas story, and opening a few simple stocking gifts. We went to the airport for lunch with a few of Roger’s co-workers, and then we came back to the hotel for more swimming and Christmas movies. It was a day that was low-key, but well spent. 

Roger had to work on Sunday, but the kids and I made plans to visit one of the local churches. It’s often very hard to tell from a web-site or Facebook exactly what a church is like, and neither of those can tell you if the church family is welcoming and friendly. The kids and I visited a small church in Saint Ignace. The people were friendly, the music was songs that we had either heard before or sung in our church, and the Pastor preached from the Bible. All of the boys said that they wouldn’t mind visiting again. I enjoyed the few brief moments interacting with the church people. After church, we dropped Garett off at the airport and the rest of us started the 5.5 hour drive to my parents house. We’ve traveled a lot this Christmas break (and I’m tired!). 

We’ve enjoyed a few days at my parents house along with my sister, Jen. The boys and Emma have enjoyed the snow, ice skating, hunting, and other winter activities. It’s been a busy few days, and we start the trip back to Maine tomorrow morning bright and early. This was our last trip out here before moving. Roger will be coming to Maine every month from now until June, and we will be moving to Michigan in June, Lord willing. We do not have a house so that’s a definite prayer request. Also, we’d appreciate prayers for a safe trip back to Maine. Please pray that I feel refreshed and ready to return to school on Monday as well as our children. We want to glorify God with all of our lives. 

Praying that each one of you had a blessed and wonderful Christmas season. It’s an exciting time of year, but I pray that you will take the time to really reflect on Jesus. He is the greatest gift! He is not a helpless babe in a manger, He is the Lord of the Universe. All Glory to God!

Mom Fails and Craziness - but Christmas Break is Coming!

 This past week was one for the books that’s for sure! In a small Christian school, everyone learns to be flexible whether it’s their nature or not, and this was one of those weeks! I’m thankful for new morning mercies. I’m thankful for great co-workers. I’m thankful for cold cereal and pancakes. I’m thankful that my kids will eat about anything. I’m thankful for grace. 

On Monday when I woke up, I responded to the text that asked if I would be willing to sub in a different class. So on Monday, I did that. You can read about it here. This past week we were missing a lot of staff, so that meant we needed to be flexible. I really like structures, routines, and schedules, and most people do better when they have those. I knew it was going to be a long week for my kindergartners as well as my own children without having the “specials” classes (art, music, library,). I reached out to one of my kindergarten parents to see if she would be willing to come in to do an art project with my class. I have plenty of teaching that I could absolutely do, but it’s not teaching if you’re talking to air! My students can only process so much information at a time, so I knew that if they could do something different it would be better for them. 

My friend, Olyvia, said that she would be available on Wednesday morning to do a craft with my students. God orchestrated that! I woke up feeling “off” on Wednesday morning. I think it probably had to do with the weather changing, stress, life, etc. but by 8:15am, I had a migraine. My friend and co-worker, Jess, asked me if I was okay. I kept my head down and said “yes”. I knew if I stopped to talk, I’d probably end up in tears and for what reason I wouldn’t even know! My migraine was escalating all morning to the point that I had turned off the lights in our classroom, and we were using natural light and our Christmas lights. My friend, Allison, mercifully brought me coffee around 10am and along with several extra strength Tylenol, and the grace of God, we made it through the day! One of my kindergarteners did tell me I was kinda grouchy,  and one asked me why I was whispering, but we made it. I was happy to go to bed early, and thankfully our boys can put themselves to bed and find their own food if needed. 

Thursday brought about a little bit of snowfall, which delighted my students! I think the teachers were kinda hoping for a snow day, but off to school we went. I have sixteen kindergarteners, so thats a lot of coats, hats, mittens, boots and snow pants! “No, those are not your mittens.” You have to put on your snow pants first and then the boots.” “I’m sorry your coat is wet, but you did put it in that puddle.” “Your mom would want you to wear a coat.” We are figuring it all out, but it does take us a while to get ready and to get it all back off again. However, I am a firm believer that children need outside time every day! I’d rather spend the extra time to get them dressed than to have inside recess because it takes so long to get ready! We will get faster at it, and the snowfall was beautiful. 

Friday morning brought about some more school craziness as we realized that we were going to be short another teacher. It was definitely a moment where we needed to take a moment and just pray about what God would have us to do. Through a series of events, I ended up in third/fourth grade for the morning. While it was unexpected, I do appreciate the opportunity to get to know the students better. I don’t have any of my own kids in that classroom, so it was a good opportunity to get to know these students. My friend, Bethany, came in the afternoon to help out, so I went back to teaching kindergarten. One of my kindergarteners told me that “it was the best morning ever”! Haha! 

My mom fail: My younger boys and Emma both had play dates on Saturday afternoon, so that meant laundry for mom! Until our house officially closed, we were doing our laundry there. But now I take the laundry to the laundromat on Saturday afternoons. It’s nice to use several big washing machines and have it all done fairly quickly. However, when all the laundry is done on one day at one time, it’s plain to see what we have used for clothing. Towels-check. Mom-check. Emma- check. Garett- check. Chandler- check. Wyatt- check. Travis- TRAVIS! Why does Travis only have one pair of underwear, one t-shirt and one pair of pants in the laundry for the week!? I folded all the laundry, brought it back home, and started looking all over our apartment for Travis’s clothes. I found one more shirt and one more pair of pants. Um- what has this child been wearing?! Travis and Wyatt are similar in height, but Travis cannot wear Wyatt’s pants as Travis has to have the drawstring pants. I went to Walmart and bought underwear, another shirt, and another pair of pants. When Travis came home, I asked him about his wardrobe. He replied that he’s just been wearing the same clothes and rotating through the t-shirts and pants. I was horrified at his lack of clothes and I asked him what on earth happened to his clothes! He piped up, “I think when we were moving houses, my bag of clothes went to Goodwill”. What?! And you didn’t think to mention it to me that you only have about five pieces of clothes!? He replied that he wasn’t bothered by not having a lot of clothes, but sometimes he was taking off one dirty t-shirt for a day and then putting on the other dirty t-shirt….great. Well, several new articles of clothing were not in the budget for early December, but now the fourth son does have some clean clothes to wear. I told Roger the story and I was mortified. Roger just started laughing. He said that he remembers being that age and grubby clothes not bothering him. Gross- just gross. Oh well! Next week I expect to see more laundry for Travis come through the wash! 

We made it through the week, and God is faithful. We are excited about seeing Roger next week, and we are looking forward to Christmas break. As I looked at our family Christmas card, I was reminded again of how blessed I am. God has given me so many wonderful blessings. I am so thankful for Roger and our children.  God has given me a job that I really enjoy - teaching kindergarten. We have an apartment for the school year. God continues to supply our every need and right on time. While I become often frustrated with our children, a mom spoke to me this past week and told me what a blessing my older boys had been to her family. The boys have been given an unexpected opportunity to play soccer through the winter, and that has been such a blessing for them to get out some energy. Emma continues to bless me with her kisses and hugs. I am so blessed. This Christmas season is flying by, but I’m thankful that I can celebrate the real reason for the season every sing day. Jesus is the reason for the season, and He is my salvation. That’s something to celebrate every day! 

House Closings, Parades, Blessings

 

And with a hop, skip and a jump, we are in the month of December! I love this season, but I do not like how quickly the month flies by! We have an activity on almost every weekend, and the kids and I will be leaving for Michigan on December 22. We have 12.5 days of school left, and excitement is certainly in the air! The teachers are trying to pour in knowledge, and it often feels like pouring water in a strainer! We are all looking forward to Christmas break.

It’s been a busy week and one-half since I wrote on the blog. Roger flew back to Michigan last Saturday night. While Roger was here, we managed to haul a boat, a piano and a basketball hoop in the mini van- not all at the same time! On Thursday, we moved the piano to the church/school. Wyatt and Travis’s teacher has been wanting a piano, and we could supply that need. It needs to be tuned, and it was very, very heavy, but we got the job done. The boys have been extremely helpful in moving/hauling things, but for the piano, boat, and basketball hoop, we were thankful for some extra muscles! 

On Friday, we signed on the papers on our house. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling, but also a bit of relief to know that we were that much closer to being done with a very large project!  We certainly enjoyed the moments with him, and we are looking forward to being together again in just a few short weeks. I filled in on the piano at a local church on Sunday, so that always kinda makes Sunday feel a little different. I’m definitely not among the world’s great pianists, so I’m thankful that they put up with me! Travis and Emma went with me in the morning to practice at West Rockport Baptist Church, and Emma stayed for Sunday School. Travis and I made one last and final trip to our home to drop off a small gift for the new owners and to make sure that everything was good to go. That was a tad bit emotional for me, but also a relief to know that it’s done! 

Tuesday marked the official closing day on our house. The buyers had their final walk-through on Monday afternoon, and it was a relief to hear “the house looks great!” I would’ve enjoyed meeting our buyers, but it is what it is, and we are now ready to look for a property in Michigan. Please pray with us that God will provide the perfect place for us. 

This past week of school felt long and short at the same time! The students are excited, and the teachers are tired. But God’s grace is sufficient for every moment- praise the Lord for that! Friday night found us on a parade float for a local town representing our Christian school. It was a frigid night, and we were all very cold by the time the parade was over. It was a fun opportunity for the kids to be in the parade and the older boys did a good job helping prepare and then dismantle the float. It was an opportunity to let the community know that we are a Christian school in the area. But it was cold! 

On Saturday, our two oldest boys had the opportunity to spend some time with a friend and his family. That meant I had an afternoon with my younger three. We decided to go Christmas shopping. In our family, the kids pick names for each other. Then they are responsible for picking out a gift for that person. Sometimes I have to do some “steering in the right direction”, but as the kids all get older, they are getting a lot better about really putting some thought into gift giving. I had asked one of the kids earlier in the week what we should get their teacher. After thinking about it for a moment, he replied, “I’d like to get my teacher a new lunch cooler. His lunch cooler is old.” I was kinda surprised that this child even noticed, but it blessed my heart to know that he put some thought into what he’d like to get his teacher. Anyways, the three youngest and I went to Augusta to go Christmas shopping. The boys and Emma had a good time, and it was a good opportunity to spend some time with just a few kids. We saw several teachers from our school also in Augusta, so apparently we are all thinking the same thing- “Christmas is coming and we aren’t ready!” Wyatt is having a struggle to find something for the person whose name he has picked. We will come up with something, we hope! 

On Sunday morning, I woke up to a big surprise and unexpected blessing. Some dear friends of ours in Florida sent us a gift of money for Christmas! God’s timing is always so perfect, and sometimes He gives us blessings that we haven’t even asked for- we serve an amazing God! These Florida friends have blessed us in the past, and Roger and I have been so blessed by their prayers and generosity. 

Today was the start of a new school week. I generally use my Mondays to prepare for my week ahead as I have kindergarten on full days Tuesday through Thursday. So Monday is used for laundry, grading, grocery shopping etc. However, today I was supposed to spend some time with my friend, Allison. We were going to have coffee together and go to a consignment shop. But God had different plans. I woke up to a text on my phone asking if I would be willing to sub in a different classroom today. Thankfully, my friend, Allison, is flexible and understanding as we rescheduled. Today I subbed in the 5/6th grades classroom. Long division is a far cry from counting 1-50! When I looked at the sub plans, I noticed that the first thing on the list was devotions. I had randomly stuck my Advent Devotional book in my bag, which was totally of the Lord. I opened the devotional book to December 6th, and the devotional thought was on how Jesus was the Perfect Substitute! The devotional book gave an example of the authors experience with substitute teachers, etc. and I just could not get over how appropriate the devotional thought was for today. It was definitely a God thing! I’m not sure that the students learned a whole lot today, but I did try. I hope that above all else they know that Jesus loves them. I had the opportunity to play the YouTube video of one of my favorite songs “It’s about the Cross.” 

Around ten o’clock, Emma came down to find me in the 5/6th grade classroom. She had thrown up and she wasn’t feeling good. Um, now what?! I’m kinda tied up at the moment! I sent her up to my classroom for a bit. I had a twenty minute break at lunchtime, so I took Emma and Chandler home. I’m thankful that we live close to the school these days as I was able to get them dropped off and back to school to walk back into the classroom with my students. It was a crazy day to say the least, but God’s grace is sufficient. Now on to the rest of the week- one moment at a time!

“O Come Let Us Adore Him” 

A Year of Giving Thanks!

 

November is always a fast month, but this year it felt even faster than usual! (Perhaps that has to do with the fact that I’m getting older, and time flies faster!) This Thanksgiving Day was a bit different for us, as it was just our family spending the day together. I’m certainly not complaining by any means! 

As we look back over the course of the year, I can reflect on so many blessings that God has bestowed upon our family. 2021 was a year unlike any other, and there have been high point and low points for all of us. But through it all, God has been faithful. 

January: Garett and I were able to go to Haiti on a medical missions trip with Parakeleo International. It was a busy, full, and exhausting week, but what a blessing to see God at work. The US team will not be going to Haiti in January 2022, but I am so thankful for all that God continues to do around the world. 

February: We used up our winter break from school working on the house, and we are so thankful that we did! We poured in hours of time into new flooring, painting, and moving things around in our house. At the time, we didn’t know that God would want us to list our house in a few months, but His timing is ever perfect. 

March: We continue to see God’s hedge of protection around our school, church and families, as we are able to continue with in-person learning for our students. What a blessing to be able to attend school in-person! 

April: This year (2021) we were especially thankful for our Resurrection Sunday services. How thankful we were to be together in person to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! I am so thankful for salvation, hope in Jesus, and the promise of eternity spent with my Savior! 

May: Our capacity restrictions were lifted just in time to have our Patriotic Program! I am so thankful for the United States of America. I’ve seen and heard things that I never would’ve expected to in the last few years, but I am still thankful to be an American. Our Founding Fathers made huge sacrifices for our freedom, and I refuse to just throw it away. Liberty and freedoms are quickly being stripped away, but for as long as I am able, I will endeavor to be a Patriot of this country that loves America and loves Jesus, as well as raise up the generation behind me to be the same. 

June: We made it! School is over for another year! We are thankful for Garett’s 8th grade graduation. My parents came out for the Patriotic Program and Garett’s graduation. They took the boys back with them to Wisconsin so that the boys can attend camp and spend some time with them. My friend, Hannah, invited me to take a fitness class with her, and it’s been such a great experience for me. It’s provided an opportunity to interact with others in our community, an outlet to relieve some stresses, and an opportunity to grow stronger. I am thankful for the health that God has given me. 

July: We are all happy to be home! I went out to Wisconsin to pick up the boys, and we are thankful for our home in Maine. Roger made some difficult decisions regarding his job this month, and we spent much time in prayer. I am so thankful for a personal relationship with Jesus in which we can cast all our cares upon Him! I’d have never survived without prayer!

August: Back to school preparations are underway! We had many teacher positions to fill this fall, and God filled all of them with just the right people! I am thankful for the opportunity to work with some amazing teachers and friends. We have our share of struggles, but God continues to work in and through us and the school. I am so thankful that our children have had the opportunity to attend this Christian school for the past six years. 

September: I am thankful for my students. It’s a new year with a large class of kindergartners. I pray for them often that they will grow up to love God and serve Him passionately. Also, this month, God makes it clear that our family will be leaving Maine. As hard as change is, there is such peace in knowing that God goes beside us and before us. We talked with a realtor, and we will be listing our house on September 29th. It was a crazy month as we had just started school, Roger is getting ready to take the job in Michigan, and we are getting our house ready to list. My specific prayer for this month was that God would sell our house before Roger needs to leave for Michigan which is on October 5th. 

October: I am thankful for God’s blessings and answers to prayers. We could feel the prayers this month as our house was under contract within five days of being on the market! God did “exceeding abundantly” this month in answering our prayers. God provided an apartment for the kids and I for the school year through some dear friends. God provided housing for Roger in Michigan. God provided a storage company that would bring a pod to our house to load. God provided us with an amazing realtor to walk us through every step of our house closing. God provided financially when we were unsure if Roger would get paid for training at his new job. God provided sanity for me when it seemed like everything was getting crazy. God provided rest when He knew that I just needed to be able to sleep. God provided my children with extra forgiveness for a parent who was low on patience and grace. 

November: I’m thankful for family. I’m thankful that Roger is home for a few days, and that God made it possibly for him to get home a day early. I’m thankful for every moment that we can soak up together knowing that God will continue to carry us through. I’m thankful that the boys will have the opportunity to play soccer three time a week through these winter months. (God provided a miracle in allowing that to happen for them). I’m thankful that we have a church family with whom we can gather for a night of “Pie and Praise”. I’m thankful for our children, and I’m thankful that God has specifically created them for this era in history. We serve an amazing God- how can we not sing His praises?! 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

House Appraisals, Moving, Michigan!

 Every time I let two weeks go by without writing on the blog, I feel behind! (Story of my life these days!) November is always a fast month with Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, and events leading up to Thanksgiving and then it’s December before I can blink! I’ve never been this far behind in Christmas preparations, but since I couldn’t tell you where our Christmas decorations are if my life depended on it, it’s not something I’m going to worry about too much at the moment! 

Two weeks ago, on November 1st, we started back to school after having a few days off due to sickness in the school. I found a note on my desk along with a gift certificate to Dunkin Donuts! That was an especially encouraging way to start back to school! I’m thankful for good co-workers, laughter, lots of prayer, and friendships to encourage us through the rougher moments. 

We’ve almost completely finished up moving out of our house in Warren. I have a few trips to take to the thrift store this week, but the storage pod is full, and we are tired! Garett said that Dad would’ve packed the storage unit differently, and I definitely agree- but since he’s not here, just be careful when opening the door! We got almost all our earthly belongings in an 8x16 storage pod, and we found a lot of stuff that we definitely did not need! The boys and I have taken numerous trips to the dump, we’ve given away a lot of stuff, and we’ve paired down on a lot of what we own. And still, I probably couldn’t tell you exactly what is in most of those boxes in storage as it’s all a faint daze! I thought that the last ten percent of packing a house was hard, but come to find out, it’s actually the last three percent that is hard! The three percent that doesn’t fit anywhere, and I second guess myself so much on whether or not I’ll need something through the winter, but oh well! It is what it is! 

We live in town now for the rest of the school year, but the parking lot is empty on the weekends, so the boys have picked up street hockey, riding bikes and also riding bikes to and from school. One morning this past week, Chandler ran to school as his bike was there (at 6:30am). Then he rode his bike back from school to ride back to school with a friend! But the friend forgot to come so Chandler rode back to school on his own. I just had to laugh at all the trips to school! It’s nice that the boys are old enough to bike to and from school on their own, and it burns off some energy for them. 

We’ve had some significant rainfall lately, but it’s always nice when it doesn’t rain during school hours! On Friday, we were a bit short-stafffed, it was raining, and it felt like a long day. Sometimes when we come home, the boys spread out and find their own things to do out of each other’s space for a while and sometimes they do things together, and sometimes one of them will plop themselves down at the kitchen table to talk for a while. I LOVE the fact that they want to talk to me, but I’m not alway crazy about the timing! Sometimes when we come home, I’d like a few minutes to decompress too! But this past Friday, one of my sons sat at the table for a while sharing some of his frustrations with me. Rain, no gym class, substitute teachers, naughty kids, that makes for a long days for kids too! My child asked me “why is it that teachers are so quick to remove privileges on account of naughty kids, but we can’t earn an extra privilege because some kids are consistently doing the right thing?’ Um…I don’t have an answer! Consistency is hard for parents, teachers, all of us! I do think that we (teachers/parents) are trying to raise up kids that will do right regardless of what those around them are doing. Character is doing what is right even when no one is watching! However, I also think it’s easy to get bogged down by children that are disrespectful, interrupt, and rude. It’s easy to make a blanket statement, “You are all so naughty, or blah, blah, blah” But I know from my own parenting experiences (and it generally holds true in the classroom also) that generally it’s not ALL the kids making bad choices. It’s just that the kids making the bad choices are the loudest! 

Report cards came out on Friday, and Roger and I were happy with the report cards. The boys and Emma have been working hard this past quarter, and while they didn’t all make honor roll, that’s okay. Travis and I spent some time on Thursday working on an essay that he hadn’t done very well on. Wyatt told him all the things that he needed to fix, which didn’t necessarily help matters, but he meant well. Travis got the assignment orally, but writing it down was a whole new issue! We made it through, and Travis got ready to hand it back in. But then on the way to hand it in, he managed to spill something sticky on it! Ugh! I’m thankful for grace and for the teachers patience with our children! Each of the kids had positive remarks on their character and work ethic, and I just praise the Lord for that. I fail so often in pointing our kids to Jesus, but the positive remarks on their character are encouraging to my often weary heart. 

We are on the final (almost to one hand) countdown to Roger coming home next week for a few days! We are very much looking forward to this short visit. Our house appraisal happened last week and our water filtration system goes in next Tuesday. The house appraisal was a huge answer to prayer, so many thanks for all those who prayed for us on that! My next prayer request would be that perhaps we could close next week while Roger is here as that would be fantastic! 

A few other praises and random thoughts from the past two weeks: 

1) We are able to get mail at our apartment! My dad sent us a letter, and then one day when the boys were out in the parking lot the mailman asked if they were the Robertsons. The kids replied “yes”, and he brought us mail the next day. I love mail- especially when its not junk mail! 

2) Chandler had the opportunity to go deer hunting one morning this past week. He got up to go to exercise class with me at 4:30am, and then I dropped him off at our house in Warren with his bike. It was a drizzly, wet morning, and I had school to teach. I told him that he could ride his bike to school when he was done hunting. We are kinda old-fashioned in the fact that our kids don’t have cell phones, and they’ve survived just fine thus far! Chandler told me approximately what time he thought he would be at school, and I asked his teacher to text me when he arrived at school. Chandler is a responsible boy (most of the time), and I think we’ve done a fairly good job of teaching our children how to look out for themselves. Anyways, Chandler hunted for several hours, and he even had the opportunity to shoot at a buck. The arrow went into the tree directly above the deer, but it was an exciting experience. Then Chandler had to bike to school, which is about 11.5 miles. It’s not usually a hard ride, but it was raining. Chandler said he hadn’t even gone a mile when his feet were soaked as well as his clothes. He told me that he thought about turning around several times, but he knew that he had said that he would be at school around nine am. The only thing to do was to keep biking! He made it- a few minutes before nine am. Thankfully, he had dry  clothes at school, but Chandler said that it was a bike ride he won’t forget for a very long time! 

3) My friend, Claire, made supper for our family on Friday night. And on Wednesday, we had come home with leftovers from hot lunch! Not having to cook for two nights this week was an unexpected blessing! I am thankful for friends, food and generosity. 

4) On Saturday we spent a good chunk of the day hauling stuff to the dump, dropping items off at different places, and working hard! Chandler came with me on the first trip to the dump, and we explained that we would be back a few more times with other random items for the dump. We had this fiberglass boat in our yard that has a hole in it. Chandler was convinced that we could put the boat in the back of the van and haul it to the dump that way. Um- nope! It totally did not work like that, and Garett ended up hauling it around the yard and then into the woods. Maybe someone will use it for a garden bed who knows! But anyways, it was a humorous experience to watch the boys try to figure out a solution! We took the treadmill to a friend, gave the grill to our neighbors, gave the lamps away and I think we are down to trying to figure out a plan for one dresser and the piano- not too bad! 

Thank you for all your prayers and love for our family. These days are often long, and I feel ready for bed by around 7:00pm. I haven’t been sleeping that great, and I’m kinda “peopled” out sometimes. I’m not an introvert by any means, but I do need solitude and silence. On Sunday morning, a friend of mine asked how I was doing, and I said that I was weary. She replied, “Then go. You have an hour while the kids are at Sunday school. Go get some quiet time”. I felt about thirty seconds of guilt, but then left. I drove off down to the water with just my Bible, coffee and some quiet time. It was an hour well-spent. It’s easy to be consumed with “doing” sometimes it’s much hard to just “be still”. 

But God…

 

I’m daily reminded that God is faithful, and these past weeks have been nothing but God- God surrounding us, upholding us, moving us, changing us, loving us, as we continue to take one day at a time. Actually sometimes, it’s just a moment at a time! A victory that I held in a harsh word, delight from a child’s hug, laughter at the park, a moment to cry, moving forward, and knowing that bedtime is coming! 

The last two weeks have felt like some of the longest in my life, and I don’t consider myself a dramatic person who exaggerates life! Roger has been gone for four weeks this coming Tuesday, and we are on the countdown to seeing him again. While the boys have been so helpful in helping pack and move and load stuff, they still need a lot of direction and admonishment to do the “next right thing” which sometimes means walking away from a brother rather than engaging with him! 

We’ve moved to the apartment, have mostly packed our storage unit, cleaned, worked, and then taken our turns with colds and sickness. Its been a different adventure to live in the “city” so to speak, but I am so thankful that God provided this perfect spot for our family. It’s close enough to walk down to the harbor, stroll to the park, or adventure to go window shopping. Last Sunday afternoon we walked down to the park, and the kids had a good time playing together. It’s a good thing we got out on Sunday as its rained most of this week!

 Tis the season for colds, and it was our turn this week. With a large family, it seems to eventually sweep through all of us. I used to be super careful about my kids not “sharing germs”, but then it didn’t seem like it mattered and everyone got sick anyways! Now I feel like maybe we can just get it over sooner if we just share germs faster! Either way, I think we are on the up-and-up. I took an at-home Covid test on Thursday to make sure that I didn’t have Covid, and it was a relief to have a negative test! Apparently, I’m a tired mom with headaches, but not Covid! Every store in our area is sold out of at-home Covid tests, but I managed to get a few in a Sam’s Club delivery. It’s a special blessing that I got them when I did as the very next day, they were sold out! You can go get tested a certain sites, but there is still a few days wait to get in, and to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of everyone knowing my business-personal opinion there. 

It was a long week of isolation and loneliness- well, I felt lonely. I’m not sure that the kids did as they had each other to argue with! I’ve felt kinda crummy most of the week, so trying to do remote learning on top of that was just really hard. I was not a very fun mom, and depression was hard hitting this week. I cried more than I usually do, I’m sure we haven’t done all that we were supposed to, and I’m sure I let more  slid than I should’ve, but for now, I’m just thankful that it’s Friday! (Now Saturday) Since we are currently living in our apartment, but trying to finish up at our house, that added to the confusion of remote learning. The printer is out our house, but we ran out of white paper. So then we printed it on colored paper, and then ran out of ink! At this point, all parties were done-mom, students, teacher-on-duty, children-done. (Done is code for “frustrated and overwhelmed”) We will do the best we can and leave the rest (not my usual approach to things, but it is what it is!) 

Roger passed his check ride!! We rejoice in this in big way, as it’s another step for Roger in the right direction. We also have the huge praise that Roger was paid for his training! This is a huge answer to prayer for us as we just weren’t sure how God was going to provide for all our needs in October, but He did- as He always does! Roger seems to be enjoying his new job, and we are praying for our housing situation in Michigan. It’s hard to know exactly what direction to be looking in as we don’t have a church family or school that is helping direct that direction. When the kids and I go out in December, we are praying that God will provide a bit clearer of a direction of where He would like us to live. A lot depends on the schooling situation for our children, and that’s a part that is heavy on my heart. Two of our children really struggle with academics, and while they are diligent in their studies, school is hard. The thought of returning to homeschool during the high school years is daunting at best, but God knows the future. I’m thankful that He loves our children even more than I do, and He goes before us. 

Travis had the opportunity to go with some friends to Boston about a week ago. His friend, Abel, invited him to come to a Dude Perfect tour show, and Travis was thrilled! Travis does not show a lot of emotion over anything, but this was one thing that definitely excited him! Abel has been a good friend to Travis during his years at our Christian school, and it was fun to see Travis have such a good time. He came back tired but happy! We are so thankful for Claire and Micah’s generosity in including him on this adventure.  It was a fun adventure for him, and it’s often fun to go to something without a sibling. 

We are having a few snags with our house closing, so we’d appreciate continued prayers for that. We need to install a water filtration system, and the appraisals are taking longer to complete these days. Please pray that we can find the right people to do the jobs, and that we can close our house this month! It’s very wearying trying to manage a lot of pieces right now, and it would be a blessing to wrap up this part. It’s been bittersweet as we moved out last Saturday knowing that we had spent the last night in our home. For five plus years we’ve lived at this house at the end of a dirt road. We’ve hosted family and friends for overnight stays, entertained for youth group events, baby showers, birthday parties, and so many memories around our large dining room table. It’s a melancholy feeling to wrap up the final days and details here. (Final details means dumping random contents in a box these days!) I told Roger that I have no idea what will end up in Michigan, and I’m pretty sure that the bunk bed pieces are in three different boxes! Oh well! We will figure it out as we go! 

Sometimes it’s easy to feel defeated by our circumstances and surroundings, so I wanted to record a few blessings from this week. While there was a LOT of rainy days this week, we did spend a few evenings playing games together as a family. I’m thankful for technology and that the kids can “see” Roger every evening when we have Bible time and pray together. I’m thankful for my friend, Allison, whom endured a gazillion texts from me this week, but encouraged me daily. I’m thankful for coffee (and creamer). I’m thankful for a spouse who loves me and encourages me when I feel like I’m making a royal mess of many things. I’m thankful for grace- God’s grace. I’m thankful that every day is a new day, and that I have children to love (and drive me crazy). I’m thankful that I was able to go back to exercise class this morning! There’s a few things I need to survive these days apart and those include- Jesus, coffee, and exercise! I’m thankful for love and forgiveness, and that regardless of how I “feel”, God’s love in unchanging, constant, and sure! 

Thank you for your continued prayers as we need them. 

     Photo credit: biblword.net

Moving Mountains! God is Able!

 So much has happened in a little over a week that it’s hard to keep everything straight! However, the biggest take-away has been that God is so faithful! Every since Roger’s boss passed away fifteen months ago, we’ve wondered what God had in mind for our family. Roger is a man of steadiness, faithfulness, and compassion so when he told me that he thought that God was going to be moving us away from Maine, I tried to prepare myself for that. (Which wasn’t/isn’t really possible, but God has been faithful through it all!) 

On Monday, September 27th, I posted that we were getting ready to put our house on the market on Wednesday, September 29th. At the time of that posting, we did not have a place to live for the school year for the kids and I, but we were diligently praying. Shortly after that post was published, I got a text from one of my best friends, Allison, asking if we were interested in looking at an apartment her husband was going to rent. Yes! Roger was able to meet me at the apartment, and together we took a walk through it. It is not furnished (but that means we can get a smaller storage unit), but it is only a little over a mile from the school! It’s right in town, so it doesn’t have the yard, but the ocean is just about a block away! It’s going to be a great and awesome place for the kids and I through the school year, and Roger has seen the place we will be living. It really was an act of God that this apartment became available! And it’s amazing to see God work in and through His children to meet the needs of the body of Christ. I am praying specifically that God will greatly bless both Jason and Allison for their willingness to be a vessel used by God in our lives. So that was one huge blessing!

Secondly, the house went on the market on the morning of Wednesday, September 29th. By about 8:30am our realtor texted me to tell me that she had showings lined up on the house already and that she would be showing the house multiple times on Wednesday. It was a good day to have showings as we had soccer practice after school, so by the time she sent the text saying that we could go home, we were all done with practice. We got our first offer on Thursday morning, as well as more texts from our realtor saying that she would be showing the house again all day on Thursday! We continued to pray that God would give us multiple good offers, and that we could be under contract by the time Roger needed to leave for Michigan.  Our house was not shown on Friday, as our realtor was taking a course, but it was shown again all day on Saturday. By the time Saturday evening rolled around, we were missing being at home! However, all offers had to be submitted by Sunday at noon, and by Sunday at noon we had eight offers on the house! We serve an amazing God! 

On Sunday morning, our church gave Roger a “send-off” with fellowship, breakfast food, farewell cards, prayers and well-wishes. It was a flashback to our church in Wisconsin as well as the church we were a part of in Alaska and in Arizona! Roger will be missed by his church family and our teen group also. It was a kind and thoughtful gesture on behalf of our church family, and a memory that we will remember. Roger and Garett left before the church service was over as Roger had to be in Sanford, Maine to take his multi-engine test that afternoon. The weather wasn’t great, and I know that Roger was concerned about passing, but again God showed Himself strong and Roger passed! Thank you, Jesus! 

That left our realtor, Jestine, and I to figure out what to do with the offers on our house on Sunday afternoon. Our realtor has been amazing, and we are very thankful for her help and experience! I had the privilege of teaching her son in Kindergarten last year, and it was nice to get to know Jestine better. We had several people write us letters about our house, and it made me wish that I could give our house to some of them! All of our offers were good, so it was a challenge to figure it all out. Jestine helped me understand some of the offers a bit better, and by five o’clock we submitted the paperwork to the offer we accepted. By six pm, Jestine messaged me that we were officially under contract! Hooray! God at work again! Our children were delighted to hear the good news, and house showings and children are not a good mix! Travis told me that he didn’t know where to put any of his stuff and that he couldn’t find anything with the house being so clean! Garett asked if we could stop putting stuff in the van now that the house was under contract - anything that I didn’t know what to do with, I’d tell the kids to just “put it in the van for now”. So, yes, we are all thankful, grateful and thrilled to be under contract. We have home inspections, radon tests, water tests, septic tests, etc. all to happen in the next few days, so we would appreciate your continued prayers. (As well as prayer for the appraisal that will be happening)

Monday was a CRAZY day for Roger and I as we dashed around all over creation trying to complete things that I was going to need Roger to help me complete! Travis had a cold so he ended up staying home on Monday. He was not sad to miss school and spend extra time with Dad! Roger and Travis tracked down a storage unit place, and God provided us with a storage unit that was willing to bring the “storage pod” to our house for fifty dollars. The kids and I can pack the storage unit, and then they’ll come and pick it up for us. This was a huge blessing for me! I was trying to figure out how on earth we were going to get all our stuff to storage, but now that the pod is in our driveway, it’s going to be much easier. We all stayed up late on Monday night as we took apart beds, loaded stuff into the pod that was already packed, and tried to get as much done as possible. Our closing date isn’t until mid-November, but I would love to have the kids and I packed up and moved to our apartment by the first week in November. It’s hard to be between two different places, packing, cleaning, organizing, decluttering, teaching school, managing children, making meals, driving, etc, so if we can eliminate some of those stresses, it will be better for all of us! 

So in just a few days time -as in about a 72 hour window- God answered multiple prayer requests! He gave us offers on our house. He provided a place for us to stay for the school year. God allowed us to find a storage unit. God helped Roger pass his multi-engine test. God showed up in a big way, and I’m still in awe of it all!

I was telling Roger that I kept feeling like the story of Gideon in the Bible. God tells Gideon what He wants Gideon to do. Gideon basically keeps asking God “are you sure?” Gideon throws out a sheep fleece one night and says if it’s wet in the morning and the grass around it is dry, then I’ll know that God is in this. So God does exactly that! Then Gideon says “Well, if the fleece is dry and the ground is wet, then I’ll know God is in this”. So what does God do? Exactly that! That’s kinda what I’ve been feeling. “God if you want this to work, and if this is YOUR plan, you’re going to have to show Yourself strong and mighty”. God has consistently done that for us. He’s made every step thus far extremely clear, and I know that God will continue to do so. 

It feels like Roger has been gone much longer than not quite a week, but we are just taking it one day at a time. Mid-quarter reports came out on Thursday, and I’m happy to report that our children are doing well. Travis does tend to get worked up about school, but at the end of the day, he’s a hard worker and he’s plodding along at exactly his speed. We are thankful for their teachers, both for their desire to educate our children but also their desire to point them to Jesus. 

The boys attended a birthday party on Saturday except Garett as he was working. We couldn’t be at home as our home inspection was happening, but it all worked out. Our van has been in the shop for a few days so we were borrowing a friends vehicle. My friend, Bethany,  helped me coordinate returning our friends vehicle, picking up our vehicle, and even coming over in the afternoon to help pack up some things. We are blessed to have people in our lives that are willing and able to help us out! I’m not always great about asking for help, (something I need to work on) but I’m thankful for each person that has offered or stepped in to either encourage myself or our children. 

I have so much more I’d love to write about, but I’ll close with asking you to pray for us about an unspoken prayer request. It’s not a secret, and I’d be happy to share it with you via email or message. But I’m just not ready to share it here yet. It has to do with people and relationships and people doing the right thing. Please pray with us and for us! We so appreciate all the love and support that has been shown our family as we navigate these new waters. God is good!

3 “M”s -Moving, Maine, and Michigan

 

It’s an unusual place to be in for me, but the whole month of September almost went by without a single blog post! (Did you miss us?!) :) 

I have sat down several times over the course of the month to try to write down some thoughts and to give an update on our family, but the words weren’t flowing or my thoughts were too jumbled. My thoughts are still jumbled, and my words still are not flowing, but it’s time for an update anyways. Bear with me as we share some important updates on our family. 

First of all, we are moving! As you process that information, you can rest assured that this was not an easy or hasty decision. It’s one that we’ve wrestled with on and off since about February, but God has made it increasingly clear that His plan for our lives is in a different direction. There have been many, many tears over this decision and more to come, but God is faithful! Oh, He is so very faithful! As we’ve prayed, we’ve seen God at work. He’s opened the way for us to walk in this path, He’s never forsaken us, He’s encouraged us through using people when we’ve been discouraged. We serve an amazing God! Through all of this, we want our children to know that God will be glorified and that He is worthy to be praised -even when it’s not necessarily what we would’ve chosen for ourselves. 

Secondly, our house is going on the market on Wednesday! That’s another reason that I haven’t updated the blog as it’s a big job to get a house ready to go on the market and especially one that seven people live in! One of our children has already been very stressed over school, and this packing, decluttering and disrupting his life, has made this month a great challenge for him. I faintly remember telling Roger about seven years ago when we were getting ready to sell our house in Wisconsin and move to Arizona that “I don’t ever want to do this again!” And here we are! Roger has had a pretty rough work schedule this last month as he’s had to work every single weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) for his entire last month. That’s added to the challenges as the kids are in school Monday through Friday. But it did mean that Roger could work on many projects on our house. He took many trips to the dump as well as many trips to the scrap yard. Our house is looking pretty amazing these days, but it’s not feeling like home! 

So, what’s the plan? Whenever we decide to make a plan, generally God redirects our paths, but we do have a tentative plan. When our house sells, we will be homeless. Sounds fun, right?! Honestly, I absolutely believe that God orchestrates our lives so that we will depend on Him for every moment. 

Back to point #1- Roger has accepted a job in Northern Michigan. He will be flying for an aviation company out there that will also allow him to build multi-engine time. More importantly, he will be able to be home every night. There are many, many aviation jobs out there. But we know our time with these children is so very short, so having Roger at home at night is a big deal to us. However, we will be separated for a time (this kinda feels like de ja vu of our experience when Roger was in Florida for flight training!) Roger will be leaving for Michigan the first week in October. God has provided a place for him to stay for short-term. The kids and I will be staying in Maine for the time being as I am teaching kindergarten, the kids are in school, and there is a housing shortage in Michigan also! 

As our house goes on the market on Wednesday, we are diligently praying that God will continue to provide in a great and mighty way for our family. Depending on how long it takes our house to sell, the kids and I will need a place to stay for the school year. God has already revealed one possibility, but we are still very much in the waiting. Roger will be flying back as often as his schedule allows to spend time with us. We are planning to go to Michigan for Christmas break, and we will continue to work together to see each other as much as possible. We are thankful for those that have offered us “buddy airline” passes for Roger to fly back as well as so many that are praying that we will find a place to live. Again, the Lord  is good and faithful! 

The last month has been difficult on all of us and that would be an extreme understatement. We’ve worked hard, cried, yelled, hugged, packed, cleaned, decluttered, and we are “done”. As Travis told me yesterday, “I can’t wait for this part to be over!” (As I told him to pick up his stuff and put it somewhere else!) Roger has had a rough last month at work, and it didn’t end the way that we wanted it to. We have some amazing memories of this company and this spot in Maine is dear to our hearts. Several of Roger’s co-workers have come up to him to tell him how much they enjoyed working with him. Several younger guys commented to Roger that they learned so much about manhood, character, and work ethic just by working with Roger. An older gentleman gave Roger a gift of money and said, “I’ve appreciated your family. I know you’ll be able to use this.” Another friend happened to tell Roger, “I’ve seen a lot of naughty kids in my days, but your kids have always been a pleasure to be around. It’s encouraging to know that there are still families trying to invest in their kids.” 

Yesterday a bunch of people from one of the islands that Roger has flown to for the past six years came out to say good-by to him. Roger said it was one of the most emotional moments he’s had in his lifetime. He told me when he go home that it was a good thing he was so familiar with the runway as he could barely see through his tears. Oh, this is hard- so hard. There is SO much more here, but sometimes it’s just to complicated to share my heart. Please do pray for us as we navigate these unfamiliar waters again. Pray that God will show Himself strong and mighty to our children. Please pray that Roger and I will have great wisdom, understanding, and communication, as we are separated for a bit. God has shown Himself strong and mighty, but we are still emotional drained and hurting. The school kids have been focusing on a song at school “Jesus, Strong and Kind” and every time I’ve heard it this month, I can feel my eyes water. “We can always run to Jesus, Jesus strong and kind.” 

It’s not all about Roger and I as we also look into the faces of our five children. Chandler and Garett are excited about the move, and are praying that God will give them some hunting land. (I don’t think they care too much about where they live, they’d just like some hunting land!). Chandler said that he thinks he’d like to move back to Maine someday. “I really liked living here, Mom. I think I want to move back someday.” Wyatt and Travis are very unsure about the move to Michigan, and Wyatt told me that he’s glad that he has one more school year in someplace that he already knows and has friends. (Travis would prefer to move someplace where there is NO school!) Haha! Emma thinks that moving will be a great adventure and she’d like to bring all her friends with her. I’m thankful that God knows their hearts and needs better than even I could ever dream. 

In the past month, the kids have completed four weeks of school. The four boys are playing soccer. Garett received some very nice notes from some staff and teachers. Chandler made his first big purchase - a bow. And he’s excited to practice and go deer hunting soon. The older boys went to multiple neighbors and people and asked about hunting on their land. Everyone they asked either said “yes” or “I don’t have enough land”. I could not believe the amount of people that told them yes! That was exciting for them! 

In closing, we do ask for your continued prayers. We did not envision this step in our lives, but God goes before us and beside us. We rejoice in the fact that He is worthy! 

Summer Adventures - Last Days of Summer Break!

 August is typically a very busy month as we celebrate three birthdays, prepare for school, enjoy the last days of summer, etc. This year was no exception, and it felt like one of the craziest and fastest months of the year! We had family visit, friends visit, Roger took a work trip, we cleaned out so.much.stuff out of the school, switched classrooms, did a yard sale for school, and tried to soak up the last few days of summer break. 

So many of you have been praying for the staff that we’ve needed so greatly at our school. I’m happy to write that God has provided for each one of those positions! The last person needed was a third/fourth grade teacher, and she was hired on about an hour before the open house for school yesterday! Wow! We serve a big God! Thank you for all those that prayed with us. The school has grown exponentially this year, and with that we experience new challenges and growing pains. We have a great headmaster and administrative team, and with the hand of God to guide and direct us, we move forward with great expectations! It’s an exciting year to be a part of the school, I feel like we have prayed for this spirit in the school for the past six years, and we’ve prayed for student growth for the past six years. For six years, God said, “Not yet, not yet”, and this year, He’s opened doors that seemed impossible, He’s already abundantly provided, and the enthusiasm and unity of the school is contagious. I’m thrilled to be a part of the school again this year, and I’m looking forward to welcoming fifteen kindergartners to my class tomorrow morning! We are going to be tired as we adjust and adapt to a new routine. I know I’m going to be tired! 

Last weekend we had friends visit from Wisconsin. Amanda and her son, Owen, came out to Maine to visit for a few days. The kids enjoyed the scenic boat right out of Bar Harbor on which we got to see birds,  seals, porpoises, and other parts of God’s Creation. We are blessed to live in such a beautiful place. It was a quick few days, but we enjoyed our time together. 

This past week I’ve spent many hours at the school as we prepare, plan, had teacher inservice, prayed a lot, and enjoyed getting to know the new staff members. I’m thankful for my friend, Hannah, who had our children over for several days over the past few weeks. Our children only enjoy being a school for so long before it’s not nearly as fun anymore. The older boys spent some time working at the school this week, and I was thankful for their help. I hope that they look back on the time spent helping and working around the church and school as a blessing and a molding of their character. I’m thankful for Godly men and women that invest in the lives of our children. 

My friend, Allison and I helped at a yard sale this past weekend. It was a ton of hard work, and we’ve agreed that we will never do one of those again! It was one of those ideas that seemed like a good idea about three months ago, but then here we are with just a few people pulling most of the work load. Did I mention it was a lot of work?! Another mom came to help clean up after the yard sale, but it was still a lot of trips across town to the thrift store. I think I took three or four truck loads, and she had three van loads. Around three o’clock, Allison and I sat down for coffee, looked at the mess before us, and said, “Never again”! We managed to drag ourselves back up to finish the job of cleaning up, and finally said good by to each other around 4:30pm. (The yard sale ended at noon). I had Travis and Emma with me as Roger had taken the three boys and a friend to their field day for their bow hunting class. We decided to stop at a food truck for supper before heading home, and while we were waiting, Allison and her family pulled us. It was a nice way to end a long day. I’m thankful for Allison and our friendship. She encourages me, laughs with me, and we can manage to get through most of our “adventures” without tears most of the time! 

Travis turned eleven this past week, and Garett turned fifteen yesterday! We haven’t really celebrated either of their birthdays as I had teacher inservice on Travis’s birthday, and on Garett’s birthday we had a school open house! We will celebrate them on a day when Roger is off of work, and we can enjoy some time as a family to celebrate their special days.  I can’t believe how the years are flying by, but God has been so faithful in giving us these five children. I fail them often, but God’s grace sustains us. We aren’t perfect, and we surely have our moments of terribleness, but again, God is faithful and offers forgiveness. 

We are excited to start school tomorrow! Please pray with us as we partner with families in our churches and communities for the glory of God’s Kingdom! 

Visits with Family, Old Sturbridge Village, & Birthdays!

 Almost every day I think to myself “I really need to write on the blog today”. Yet somehow it’s not been an easy one to cross off my to-do list. Maybe it’s because we’ve been so busy with the end of the summer festivities, family visiting, beach trips, trips to the amusement park, visiting Old Sturbridge Village, cleaning at the school, and so much more! 

I’m happy to be making these summer memories with our children, but sometimes I do stay up at night wondering how I’m going to get everything done. Yet, by the grace of God, we press on. We do the next thing in a great big grand scheme, not always seeing the big picture, but one puzzle piece at a time. I know I’ve been feeling a bit frazzled and frizzled by the anticipation of another school year, compounded with our need for teachers, add to that Roger’s job, mix with times of prayer coupled with anxiety and it’s the perfect recipe for what? Well, I don’t know what, but it’s probably not good! Every time I think I’ve managed to give all my anxiety back to the Lord, the devil tempts me to pick back up my baggage. It’s a moment by moment battle. 

Emma’s 8th birthday was this past week, and I can’t believe it! The years are flying by, and I’m trying to treasure the moments. Emma is very, very different from her brothers, but we are so delighted to have her in our family. Emma loves all things pink, chocolate, bike rides, friends, and singing loudly. She’s unique and special, and we pray daily for her to grow up to love the Lord with all of her heart. 

Last week we enjoyed a trip to an amusement park with several of our friends. Allison and I had originally planned on just taking ourselves and our kids, but we ended up with enough friends coming along that it was cheaper to get the group rate! Travis and Emma were delighted to have Lucy and Abel come along, and Emma also enjoyed spending a bunch of time going on rides with her friend, Hope. Hope is fourteen, but Emma really enjoys spending time with her. Hope graciously took Emma on a lot of the rides, and Emma is a dare-devil! She went on all the crazy rides and multiple times! The boys went around and around in the amusement park, riding almost every ride and having a wonderful time. It worked out really well, as we were picking up my sister, Jen, from the airport that afternoon. Jen arrived in Maine for a visit last Tuesday, and the airport was only twenty minutes from the amusement park. 

We’ve enjoyed our week with Jen here as we went blueberry picking, a day at the beach, a trip to Old Sturbridge Village, celebrating Emma’s 8th birthday, hiking, reading and playing games together. Jen, Emma and I also went up to see Hannah on Tuesday afternoon and we had a good time visiting, walking and having ice cream. The first thing that Emma told the boys when we came home was that she had ice cream without them! To which they replied that they didn’t really care as they had ice cream at home! Oh, life with siblings!

The three older boys have been attending Teen VBS at our church each evening this week. I think they’ve enjoyed it, but it is a long evening. Chandler and Wyatt have also been working on a project for a man in our church, so they’ve had some tiring days. I think we will all be excited to go to bed a bit earlier after this week. 

Last night I met with some dear ladies from our church to have a special time of prayer for the school. We just walked room by room, floor by floor, praying for God to provide the right staff, teachers, and students. We are praying with great expectations as we wait to see what God will do and how He will direct us. We still have some very pressing staff needs, but we rest in the fact that God is never late! He has a specific plan to reveal to us, so we will be fervent in prayer as we wait. We pray for unity, harmony and a great spirit of revival to sweep through our school and community. It would be so exciting to be a part of that! Oh, how we pray for God to send revival and may it start with me. 

This morning I drove Jen to the airport to catch her flight back to South Dakota. We were finally able to get the grass cut as the sun was shining today. I met up with my friend, Bethany, and her kids at a nearby lake, and we soaked up the sunshine. The boys and Emma had a great time playing in the water and with their friends, and it was good to reconnect with school friends. We do miss our school friends during the summer, so it’ll be nice to get into a routine of seeing some of them regularly again. 

Roger continues to press on at work, school, church and home, but I know that he is weary. Change is coming, and it’s something that feels real and tangible at this time, but we don’t know yet what that will look like. I’m thankful that God holds our future and whether it’s here or in Timbuktu, He will go before us and beside us. Roger and I have been faced with challenging decisions before but these days it’s a bit harder as we look into the faces of those in front of us. Five years ago, when we moved to Maine, we adjusted, adapted, and came to so love and appreciate Roger’s job. But it’s been increasingly clear that God perhaps has something else in mind for the Robertson family. 

Meanwhile, I continue to make plans for kindergarten teaching and my class continues to grow! I’m excited about teaching kindergarten again, and I’m praying for God to greatly use me to impact lives for eternity. I’ve done quite a bit of reading and professional development over the summer so I’m looking forward to implementing some of what I’ve learned into my classroom. Travis and Wyatt will have a new teacher this year, and they are excited about having their first male school teacher. We’d appreciate your prayers for our children as well as we prepare for another school year. God is so good, isn’t he? While the world around us seems to be going quite crazy on a regular basis, it’s comforting to know that God has a plan in all this madness. He’s not surprised, confused or anxious. He will never leave us nor forsake us. What promises He has given us in His Word! 

Old Sturbridge Village- Jen had been asking about what to get Travis for his 11th birthday which is this month. Travis mentioned that he really likes history, so we decided to look into going to someplace historic while Jen was here. I remember faintly going to Old Sturbridge Village as a young child, so we tried to figure out if we could make that happen. It was hard to squeeze it in, but we did it! Sturbridge is about four hours away, so we decided to stay overnight. The kids always like a hotel with a pool, so we specifically tried to find a hotel with a pool. We made fairly good time getting to Sturbridge, so the kids were excited about swimming. Well, the hotel had a pool, but the pool was green! Even the boys said that the pool looked gross! The kids were very disappointed, but after a year + of Covid, we are all learning to adapt and adjust! The hotel was a bit run down on the outside, so we wondered if there would be a breakfast in the morning. Let’s just say that we were thankful that the hotel was close to a McDonald’s so that we could get sausage biscuits for breakfast! It did make for some fun conversations on the way home as we talked about our adventures. The boys really, really enjoyed the village. They enjoyed the opportunity to help water the gardens, watch the blacksmith, see the old mill at work, and walk through all the buildings. Emma wasn’t quite as interested, but she did well at walking and looking. Travis’s only complaint with Emma is that “She looks at stuff too fast”. We did see the entire village and some of the village we saw twice. It was a good experience and one that I am thankful that we took the time to do.