Memories and Heat!

 

Summer break comes around but once a year, and we do our best to treasure the moments! (Most of them anyways!)

Last Wednesday, Emma and I took a trip to New Hampshire with my friend, Allison, and her two girls. Allison and I really went because we wanted to Aldi (a grocery store) and Trader Joe’s! The girls came along for the shopping and fun! It was a fun day as we wandered around with our girls, ate lunch together, and created memories. I’m glad we took the opportunity to do this day trip with them.

Roger, Emma and I played “tourist in our own state” on Saturday afternoon/evening. We went to Boothbay which is another quaint little seaside town. We wandered around the streets, peeking in the little touristy shops, and just visiting and talking together. The boys would probably not have enjoyed all the wandering around the little shops, but Emma enjoyed it! We bought ice cream and coffee, but other than that we just took in the sights, sounds and smells of another little spot in Maine.  

I’ve been working on some continuing education classes for school, and I’ve been learning a lot as I go. Emma and I have enjoyed lots of reading books together, outside time, and special moments with just her and I. 

This week we went to the beach with a bunch of mamas and kiddos on Monday. It was supposed to be a very hot day, but it wasn’t really hot when we were at the beach! I ended up wrapping up in my towel as it was not hot when the sun was behind the clouds. But by the time we were getting ready to leave the beach around noon, the sun was coming out and it was really starting to warm up. 

Tuesday was very hot, and Emma and I were able to spend part of the day at the lake with Allison. Emma was in and out of the lake all afternoon, while Allison, Annah and I visited together and watched the kids play. I’ve had a harder time keeping track of one kid over the past few weeks than I’ve ever had keeping track of five kids! I think it might be because I think “how can I possibly lose one kid?” So I don’t count as often, but with five kids, I count a lot!! 

And it has certainly warmed up! Par for the course, the week of Vacation Bible School always seems to be the hottest week of the summer. It was so, so warm on Monday and Tuesday night of Vacation Bible School, but we made it. I hadn’t planned to be really involved with Vacation Bible School this year as it was a crazy school year, and we are only two weeks removed from that! However, there was a need for help this week, and it was something that I could do, so I did. Emma and I have been going to VBS every night, and there has been a good turnout of kids! I had thought that the crazy heat might keep the kids home, but no, they’ve been steady at coming! Tonight (Wednesday) is the last night for VBS, and I know that the teachers and helpers are thankful that it is wrapping up.  Vacation Bible School can be an incredible evangelistic ministry for children and their families, and while it’s a lot of hard work, seeds have been planted to tell children about the love of God, the faithfulness of God, and that a home in Heaven can be theirs for the asking. 

Roger and I are still very much in a “waiting” stage of our lives. To be totally honest, I’m ready to be out of the waiting stage even if I don’t like the next thing God has planned. But…perhaps that is God’s perfect plan as He is working on my heart and Roger’s. We’ve been through some pretty rough days the last few weeks, but God prepared us for that also. Remember a few weeks ago, when Roger and I were able to get away for an overnight? I think that God allowed us that very special time to reconnect and bond together so that we would be better equipped to handle some difficult days. God has a way of giving us exactly what we need, even before we realize that we need it. Because of that spontaneous offer by a friend to watch Emma for an overnight, Roger and I were able to make sure that we were rooted and grounded. It feels like we’ve been in a “storm of life” for a while now, but I know that God sees the storm from the other side. 

I miss my boys! I cannot wait to see them again! Tomorrow will mark the third week that they’ve been gone, and I’m heading out to Wisconsin to get them next week. Emma and I will be driving out to pick up the boys from my parents house, and then driving back to Maine. Last week, Wyatt and Travis had the opportunity to go to camp, and it sounds like it was a wonderful experience for them. Our boys are not much for phone conversations as we talked with all four of the boys last Saturday night and the total length of the phone conversation was under twelve minutes! They all told me that they are missing home, but they are glad that they’ve had the opportunity to go to Wisconsin. This week they are headed out to my sister, Jen, in South Dakota. She plans to take them camping, to a water park, and to a rodeo. They are soaking up good solid memories with my family, and I know that these experiences are important to them. But…I can’t wait to get them back!