Spring Break!
Last Friday we had awards chapel for the third quarter, and this Friday we are trying to gear up for returning to school on Monday! Every quarter the teachers have the opportunity to choose a student from their class for the Knight Award. This award is given based on Christian character, testimony, being a role model, hard work, etc. We have plenty (did I mention PLENTY?) of parenting struggles, but I had tears in my eyes as the four boys each earned the Knight Award for the third quarter. They aren’t perfect by any means, but the Knight Award is a reflection on some of their choices. It’s been a very challenging year for three of our five children, and yet the four boys did receive the Knight award. I’m so thankful for their hard work, diligence, and character to make the right choices- most of the time! I told my friend, Hannah, that Chandler received the award based on his character and choices, but it certainly wasn’t based on his wardrobe choices! Garett shows up for chapel with his shirt neatly tucked in, fairly clean pants, and his hair combed. By the time Chandler arrives in chapel, his pants are dirt stained, his hair a mess, and his shirt almost as dirty as his pants! I asked him how on earth he managed to get that dirty before 8:30 am, and he replied that he was just playing kick ball outside before school and just “forgot what I was wearing”. In some ways, our two older boys are polar opposites!
Last Saturday evening, I had the opportunity to go out to dinner with five other ladies. It’s been a very, very long time since I’ve had dinner out with friends...as in so long, I can’t remember! It was a relaxing evening spent talking about our families, good food, hobbies we enjoy, and celebrating one of the ladies who’s about to have a baby. I was thankful for the invitation. Without going into any details, I’ve had a rough couple of weeks -or maybe months- and it was nice to have a low key evening becoming better friends with these ladies.
And then- SPRING BREAK! We’ve enjoyed almost every moment of our spring break week. The weather has been mostly beautiful except for Thursday when it was snowing! On Monday, we took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill, worked on laundry, and spent the day puttering around our house.
Tuesday was Wyatt’s 12th birthday! I can’t even believe how fast the years are flying by! Wyatt is smart, sensitive, and eager to please child. He’s been diligent at school this year, and he’s a good friend. We are so thankful that God placed him in our family. Wyatt was given a bike for his birthday, and he’s already spent some time this week breaking it in. The boys have built bike trails all over the yard, and now that they all have bikes, the trails are well used. We celebrated Wyatts birthday with a trip to the park, lunch at a food truck, and tostadas and ice cream cake for supper. The weather was beautiful, and it was fun to be outside for a good chunk of the day.
Wednesday was a fun day for both the kids and myself. The boys all went over to a friends house, and this friend has a house with a pond. My friend, Mandi, said that the boys spent almost the entire time outside playing in and around the pond. It was supposed to rain on Wednesday, but thankfully it didn’t start raining until later in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Emma and I took a trip to Augusta. We spent some time walking around at a few stores, enjoying the company around us, and it was good to get away as “just girls” as Emma says.
Thursday- Roger had an unexpected day off of work- Hooray! I had bought tickets for a trampoline park in Bangor for Wyatt’s birthday. Wyatt invited a school friend, Levi, and the boys and Emma soaked up every minute of their two hour jumping pass. Also, everyone was starving when they were done jumping! Roger and I enjoyed the time watching the kids, discussing many things, and having some time with just the two of us which is a rare thing these days.
Roger’s been faced with some challenging decisions as of late, and it was good to sit and discuss those things. Recently we’ve been faced with several people we know dissolving their marriages and wondering how on earth that happened! Divorce is not something either of us take lightly, and it happens far too often. It is also a reminder that we need to spend time together working on our marriage, and resolving things before they become an overwhelming problem and struggle. Marriage isn’t easy, and to have a good marriage it’s even harder! Roger and I have definitely had our share of struggles over the years, but God has been faithful. Hard days are a part of everything in life from parenting, to jobs, to marriages, to relationships, etc., and sometimes it’s good to take a step back and spend some time reflecting and focusing on what’s really important. In the crazy world we live in, it’s easy to get swamped with situations or circumstances that are being “loud”, and sometimes it’s hard to focus on getting alone with God or just spending time mediating with God and His Word. Yet, when I do, I find myself refreshed and encouraged and ready to press on. This week has been a good week for refreshing myself in God and His Word. I’ve even been able to spend some time reading some books that have been on my “to-do” reading list for a while!
Tomorrow we are hosting a teen boys activity at our house. That translates to lots of food, loudness, and fun! We are planning on having a Bible Scavenger Hunt, and I’m planning on having lots of food! We treasure these moments to be a part of our sons lives as well as to invest in the lives of those around us. As adults we often think the world is crazy and out of control. Yet, how important it is to cling fast to God’s unchanging world and to endeavor to encourage the next generation to do the same! Stay the course, fight the good fight!
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