Another week of school is over! It was nice to have a long weekend, and some extra time time with our family. Last week Chandler had a cross-country race and the boys had two away cross-country games. Garett also turned sixteen! I can’t even believe that our oldest son is 16 years old! Time has flown by, and we are so thankful for Garett in our family.
Chandler had a cross-country race on Monday, and Emma and I were able to get there in time to see him run in his race. In all my years of running in college, the girls always ran first and then the boys. However, the boys have been running first and it’s been a challenge to get to the races on time. We thought that we would be late due to construction but we made it on time. Actually, the race got off to a late start so we had plenty of time. It was a hot day, but not quite as hot as last week. There were a lot more students at this race due to a lot more schools being back in session. There were probably over 50 boys running in the race. Chandler started off really fast due to a fast pace runner in the front. The pace runner puttered out at about 1/2 mile, but Chandler kept running strong. He stayed up in the front for most of the race, and he held the lead for the last mile or so. He finished first in the race with a time that was almost a minute faster than last week! It’s fun to watch him run as he does it easily. I know he works at it but he’s kinda a natural athlete. Chandler told me after the race that he was glad that I just let him run. I asked him what he meant, and he said that he runs for fun. Another teammate’s parents are serious about their child running and improving every race, and Chandler said he’s just glad that I come to just see him run. I don’t know…maybe we will get more serious about it over the next few years, but Chandler’s just a freshman. I know what it’s like to run for fun (and be good at it) and I’d rather not put pressure on our son to perform, but just keep doing his best. Don’t get me wrong- we want Chandler to get better!If he stopped doing his best, we’d be having some discussions, but I’m happy that he’s enjoying it for now.
The boys had an away soccer game on Tuesday (Garett’s 16th birthday) and Roger was able to get off work early so that he could come to the game with Emma and I. The team lost 1-0, but they played hard. Garett probably had his worst game of the season, and boy, was his brother all over him. Chandler gives 110% when he plays, so his voice could be heard on the soccer field telling Garett, “I need you to give more! Run faster!” The coach came over to us and said to Roger and I, “Well, I’m seeing which one of your boys has a take-charge personality!” Um- yes! The coach told Roger that he feels like Chandler is capable of being a real leader on the team, and that it would be good if Chandler felt comfortable telling the other players to “step-it up” also. It was a hot ride in the car for a few minutes after the game, and I’m not just referring to the weather! The older boys had some working out they needed to do, and the younger brothers chimed in with their opinions also! They sorted it out though, and we had supper before heading home. It was a kinda late night, and it didn’t feel excessively celebratory, but it is what it is. Garett is an extremely easy going kid- unless it’s his siblings pushing him! We sure are thankful for this boy who is quickly becoming a man. Please pray for him as he continues to work through educational difficulties and become the man that God wants him to be.
Wednesday is our “come home early” day as there are not any school practices. I decided to make a meal for two of the teachers as one of them recently moves and another has a spouse that hasn’t been well. I didn’t think that the dessert that I made was overly delicious, but the casserole was good. I think we were able to be a blessing to both those families, and we are thankful for the opportunity to show teachers our love and appreciation.
Friday was our 17th wedding anniversary, and we celebrated by going to the boys soccer game! Haha! Oh well! We were thankful for the opportunity to be together as Roger was able to get off in time for us to go to the game. The traffic was bad and we were six minutes late for the game. When we arrived the score was 2-1! (Not in our favor!) The team did a great job and they are improving every game! At one point, we were leading 3-2, but the game ended in a tie! Garett played much much better in this game, and Travis even got some playing time! It’s been a challenge for him, but he was happy to get a few minutes of playing time. While it wasn’t a romantic dinner with Roger and I for our anniversary, we are thankful that we were able to spend time as a family. Our days as a family of seven going places will be over before I’m ready, and we are soaking up the moments with these kids that God has given us!
Emma has struggled with school these past few weeks. Please pray that she will be able to find a friend, settle in and understand a lot of new material! Emma and I probably struggle the most with feeling like “a fish out of water”, and while we think we are likable people, it’s been a challenge to feel like we are adjusting completely or fitting in. I did have the opportunity to be the art assistant at school the past few weeks, and the person that I am helping has been fun to work with. Maybe it will become a deeper friendship as time goes on.
We went to a different church on Sunday, and we went to Sunday School and worship service. It’s a bit different visiting on a holiday weekend, but I am glad that we went. We plan to re-visit next Sunday, so we will see. We continue to pray, look at websites, pray, gather information and pray some more. We don’t want to rush into anything, but we are definitely looking forward to settling in a church soon.
Monday was Labor Day, and it was nice to have the day off! We spent some time at the beach, but the jellyfish were biting! Emma, Travis and Roger all got bitten by jellyfish, so we didn’t spend a lot of time in the water. It was a relaxing day as a family, and we were once again thankful to spend time together as a family.
I got a special package in the mail this past week, and it totally made my day! My friend, Allison, sent me a “fall basket”, and it was so nice to see fall colors and pumpkins! It doesn’t feel like fall weather, but fall is coming according to the locals! I’m definitely not ready for long sleeves and boots, but I’m ready to put up fall decorations! I’m thankful for Allison’s friendship over the years and across the miles.
We have some friends come to visit us at the end of the month, and Travis and Emma are especially excited. Two of their Maine classmates are coming, along with their mom and younger sibling, and we are excited to have guests for a few days.
Garett and Chandler left for the Senior High retreat on Wednesday afternoon, and they were excited about going! Garett probably mentioned three or four times that he hopes the “food will be good!” We are praying that God will work in a mighty way in their lives over the next few days. We need a revival in our country and may it start with our own young people! We all know that young people are capable of amazing things by the power of God, and we are praying for the Holy Spirit to work in their lives this week. God is so good, and we are so thankful that the boys have the opportunity to go. It’s been quieter around our house the past twenty four hours, and we do miss the older boys. It’s also nice to have some extra time with our other children. Garett will be leaving for a school trip to a historical city on Monday, and he will be gone all week. We are definitely getting to the place where the boys are growing up- jobs, trips, experiences, wow!
I’ve been working in the school library, and I’m amazed at how much work goes into keeping a library running smoothly! I’ve been cleaning, doing bulletin boards, filing books, cataloging, organizing, and deciding on which books to read for read-aloud. I’m thankful to be working with another mom from the school, and we’ve had some good conversations about books, libraries, and students. My prayer is that I will do a good job with the library and maybe even help a few students decide that they like books and reading! In our technology driven world, getting kids to engage in reading is definitely a challenge! Children’s books especially seem to go out of print quickly and new authors, graphics and ideas are constantly coming on the scene. The students seems to really like books about sharks, bugs, aircrafts, tractors, and books that are non-fiction but the pictures are up to date! Sometimes the information can be accurate, but if the book is outdated or there’s very few pictures, I don’t want to read it either!
We love you all. We are so thankful for each one of you that love and pray for us. We’ve been in North Carolina for almost three months, and while it’s not been without it’s challenges, God has been so faithful. When we’ve been weary, He’s encouraged us. When we’ve been overwhelmed, He’s directed us to the next step. He’s been faithful and He will continue to be faithful.
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