Coming Down the “Home Stretch”!!

If I don’t hurry up and write about the last week, school will be out!! I’m already feeling the mad dash to the finish line as we wrap up final exams, class parties, try-outs for fall sports, and all the other year end activities! 

Almost two Fridays ago, (May 12th), the school had field day for the 3rd-6th graders. Travis had been throughly disappointed that he was going to miss out on field day due to his cast on his foot! I wasn’t sure exactly what my role would be for the day, but I managed to stay busy with handing out ribbons for different events, helping with the snack stand, and whatever else needed doing. Around 10:30am, Travis’s teacher came to find me. He said that Travis was really wanting to do the soccer kick, and that Travis had asked his teacher to ask me. A kid on crutches with a timed soccer event doesn’t seem like a recipe for success, but Travis wanted to DO something! So I said yes, he could try that. So for the soccer shoot-out, there were several differently marked spots where soccer balls were placed. The athlete had to run to the ball and then kick it into the net from that spot, and it was a timed event! I missed part of it, but I caught some of Travis’s attempts at it. He did very well for a kid on crutches, and he even placed third in the event! It was one of the highlights of his day, so I’m glad I said yes.

Last Saturday (5/13) Roger and I were invited to a wedding. Roger had planned to go with me, but he wasn’t able to get off of work in time. I took along Garett as my date, and I’m constantly reminded of how grown up he’s becoming! It was a beautiful wedding, and we enjoyed it. Garett said that his favorite part was the supper meal! I guess he’s still a typical boy at heart! It was a fun event to take Garett to, and I’m thankful for moments to spend with our children individually. 

Also over a week ago was Mother’s Day. We had our friends, the Everett’s, over for lunch on Mother’s Day. Roger grilled some meat, we had potatoes and fruit and ice cream cake for dessert! It was a low-key day, and a day well spent. We all went hiking at a state park not too far from our house. The boys wanted to try fishing. They were not successful, and everyone came back really, really dirty and grubby, but it was a fun time. We didn’t have church on Sunday night, so we were able to hike for a bit, fish for a bit, and just talk and visit. We are thankful for friends to share in the memories. 

Last week passed by in a really quick blur! It was here and gone before we could even blink! We had the sports awards program on Tuesday night. I was reminded again of how fast these years are flying by, and how important coaches are in the lives of our children. Our children played a lot of sports this past year, and it was mostly good experiences. I’m the most thankful for the coaches that can see beyond the sport, the ball field, or the court, and look to eternity. No one is going to remember in two years, or even next year, who was awarded Most Valuable Player or Most Improved, but these kids will remember which coaches took the time to invest in them. I know I can be passionate and out-spoken about what I believe, but I fervently believe that if every Christian got ahold of the truth “redeeming the time because the days are evil”, we would see a dramatic change in how we use our time with the youth of today. The truth is that there is NO time to be wasted, and I wish that I could express more fervently how important it is to invest in lives for eternity and not for a short-term sport or even a school class. Don’t get me wrong, I love to win and academics are important! My husband says that I can be too competitive, and I know where Chandler gets that from! But as I get older, I also realize more and more how short our opportunity to touch lives really is in the grand picture. Okay, stepping off the soap box now! Moving on! 

The younger grades had a field trip to a baseball game on Wednesday, so I took the day off so that I could go with Emma. I  also took Travis along after receiving permission for him to come along. He was really bummed that his class hasn’t really done any field trips this year, and he’s struggled along through school for most of his life. I am not usually that parent that allows other siblings to go on a siblings field trip. However, since I was already taking the day off and going, and Roger and I thought that Travis could use some special encouragement, we decided to let him go to the baseball game. He was so excited! My friend, Laura, and I drove to the game with Travis, and we had a good time just visiting together. When we arrived at the game, there was a flurry of activity as tickets needed to be passed out, and figuring out which students were with their parents and who needed supervision. There were a lot of parents on this field trip, which can be both good and bad. Sometimes the student will behave better if a parent is present, but that’s not always the case! I thought that the game was rather boring, personally, but Travis had a great time! By about the fourth inning, Emma was more interested in the bathrooms, concessions, and the small playground than she was in the game. She later told me that “that field trip was not my favorite. But it was better than going to school all day!” We actually managed to get home a little earlier than normal as I just picked up our other children a bit earlier from school since I wasn’t working. 

Last Wednesday was also my 40th birthday! I’m not quite sure how I arrived here so quickly, but here we are! My friends, Laura, and Brandi both gave me gifts on my birthday. It was nice to be remembered, even if I am getting old! My friend, Jennifer, took me out to lunch on Thursday for my birthday and gave me a gift. I’m thankful for all the birthday wishes, the cards, and those that have invested in my life for so long. We were talking about “heroes of the faith” a few weeks ago with our friends, and I want to be that role model for someone. I want to encourage and point others to Jesus. I want our children to know that life really will fly by, so do what matters for eternity! I have a few “heroes of the faith” in my mind. A few that come to my mind are my college cross-country coach, Jack Noonan. He’s already passed into glory, but he taught me so much more than to just enjoy running. He invested in a silly, young freshman, and constantly reminded us to do it all for the glory of God. Another hero of the faith, in my mind, would be my dad. He’s been faithful to pastor a little church for a long time, and while people may not be flocking to it, he’s been a pillar of faithfulness and trusting in the Lord. Another person would be Becki Martz. She was a teacher to both Garett and Chandler during their junior high years. She was a great teacher, but so much more than that, she loved them and pointed them to Jesus. My boys would both say that she’s their favorite teacher, and through her mentorship I learned so much more than just teaching from an academic standpoint. “Teach to touch lives for Jesus”. I miss our prayer meeting and conversations about things that will matter for eternity. We talked plenty about school, but also so much more about our students and how to help them develop a love for Jesus. I miss her. I do have others that have mentored me through the years, and I’m sure that I am forgetting some very important ones, but in the course of our conversation about “heroes of the faith”, I realized that I want to be that for someone and our children. I am certainly not doing the Christian walk perfectly, and I fail every day, but through it all, I want to trust in Jesus. 

Last Friday, after school, the boys had try-outs for the fall soccer team. It was pouring down rain! Still, there were a bunch of kids that showed up to play soccer. Everyone was soaked through in a matter of minutes, but they kept at it. Travis trotted out to the field on his crutches to tell the coach that he wanted to play, but that the doctor had said “no sports”. I was proud of his initiative to go and talk to the coach. The coach told him that if he came to the summer practices, he would see about giving him a jersey in the fall. Travis did play last year, so the coach does know a little bit about his playing level already. The boys are all excited about fall sports, as soccer is their favorite. We also see a lot of competitiveness come out between Garett and Chandler in this sport. Chandler is more of the natural athlete, but that can lead to a prideful spirit sometimes. However, if he can channel that, he will make a great leader both on and off the playing field. I was very impressed that during the soccer tryouts, he took the time to run the laps with one of the slower players on the team to encourage him. That makes my heart happy, and I know that the Lord looks upon the lowly and contrite heart. Today (5/22) there were cross-county tryouts. Wyatt did decide to tryout for the team also, so we might have two cross-county runners. We will see. I see potential for both Chandler and Wyatt to do well as well as improve over the season. 

Travis also got his cast removed today! Yay! He is thrilled about that, and he is supposed to wear a boot for three weeks. We are excited that the cast is removed, and Travis is happy that he can go swimming now! 

We have four days left of school, and we are looking forward to completing this year. We learned a lot over the course of the year, and I’m glad that we made it through the “firsts”. The first new day at a new school, the first tryout for a sports team, the first official final exams, the first introduction to new teachers and all new kids in class, etc. We learned a lot through mistakes, unfortunately, but we are smarter than we were 180 days ago. We are thankful for the mercies of God that brought us through. I’m thankful for God’s provision for the school bill. I’m thankful that our children have the opportunity to attend a Christian school. We are truly so blessed. 

We are wrapping up school. My parents are coming out to visit next week. My sister, Jen, is also coming to North Carolina. She has several job interviews lined up, so please pray for wisdom for her. We are excited for summer break! God is so good! 

 

Broken Bones, Baseball Finish, and 11 School Days to GO!!

 In a house with five kids, our lives have never been exactly “boring”, but this week we added some extra excitement. We wrapped up the baseball season with a tournament on Friday/Saturday. The boys played frisbee(disc) golf with some friends on Sunday afternoon, while Emma and I went to the park with our friend, Tamela, and her son, Jace. Then Travis broke his foot, Chandler got a very sore throat, the older boys sang with Ava and Savannah for Wednesday night church, and we have eleven school days to go! Whew! (No wonder I’m tired!) 

Also, last week our school celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week, so that’s always a fun time. We didn’t do anything extravagant for our teachers, but I hope that they know that we love and appreciate them! I made chocolate covered strawberries for the teachers last Wednesday. And while they look pretty, I sure can make a mess in our kitchen in a hurry! We do very much appreciate those teachers that invest and pour into our children. We recognize that our children are certainly not perfect, and that they can be a challenge at times! But we appreciate those that invest in them and point them to Jesus. These teen years can be challenging, but we sure do love these kids that God has blessed us with. 

On Friday, the baseball tournament started around noon. The baseball team didn’t have to come into school right away, but Garett and Chandler just decided to go ahead and come in with me. They helped with some projects that needed to be done for the tournament, and watched the other spring sport games that were also playing- girls soccer, men’s volleyball, girls softball, and boys baseball. A lot was happening on the school campus! 

Friday morning was also my first meeting with the special education department here in North Carolina. One of our sons has a current IEP from the state of Maine, and I have a son that I suspect may also have some learning challenges. I asked for this meeting as Garett’s IEP will be expiring in October. We don’t know what God has for him, but we do know that school is hard and challenging. Travis does not have a current IEP, but I suspect that he may have some learning challenges. However, getting the testing done can be a challenge. The specialists all made the comments that we must have some great boys as all the teachers put rave reviews on the evaluation. In the course of conversation, it almost seems as if the boys would have an easier time getting the proper evaluations done and faster if the boys were terrors in their classroom and rude! However, the special education department did agree to test the boys, but it will take a while as in we don’t know how long! Please pray that the testing that they do will be an accurate representation of the boys learning and  comprehension levels. Both boys have passing grades in all subjects, but like I told the teachers, those grades do not represent ALL the hard work poured in at home. It doesn’t show the little 12 year old boy crying often at the kitchen table about how school is so hard and he really, really doesn’t want to go. Those grades don’t represent the 16 year old boy that realizes that he’s not exactly like his peers, and “why can’t I just be smarter?” I know that I know these boys better than anyone else in the world, and I will advocate for them. I know that the testing would probably be easier and faster if they were in the public education system, and sometimes I do get frustrated by teachers that don’t really get to know their students, but at the end of the day, I believe that our boys are exactly where God wants them to be for right now. However, we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom about their future education. I know that God can use anyone that is surrendered to His Will, and above all else, we want our children to love and serve Jesus. 

We spent Friday and Saturday at the school for the baseball tournament. I helped out some with concessions, collecting money for admission and picking up trash. It was beautiful weather for a baseball tournament, and many people came out for the games. The girls softball came in fourth, and the boys baseball team came in 1st. Chandler did get to play in the last game, and he had a great bunt. Garett didn’t get to play as much, and I think both boys are relieved that they can come home earlier now that they don’t have practices. We learned a lot and we had our share of struggles, but God brought us through it all. 

On Sunday afternoon, we met up with our friends, The Hardisons. We spent the afternoon playing disc golf, playing at the park, eating lots of food at their house, and lots of laughter and conversations. We had a great time! Emma was the only girl out of 8 kids, but she can hold her own. The kids all played outside for the majority of the afternoon. We headed home around 8:30pm, and everyone was tired and ready for bed. Monday morning dawned with a new week of school, except Travis could walk on his foot! His right foot was swollen! We asked him how long it had been hurting, and he replied that he had stepped on it wrong while playing basketball at the Hardison’s house. I asked him why on earth he hadn’t mentioned it to us the night before! He replied, “Mom, I was really tired. I just knew that you would probably tell me to take some medicine and drink more water!” I had a hard time not laughing, but that is generally my go-to response! It’s currently easier for Roger to take a day off of work, so he and Travis ended up going to a walk-in clinic. They first went to the walk-in clinic that Roger had taken Chandler to for his episode with poison oak. They arrived at 7:30am, and there was already a line. They spoke to the receptionist around 8:30am, and she told them that they no longer treat pediatrics in this office! Well…what now? So Travis and Roger had to travel to another walk-in clinic that would see pediatrics. After seeing that doctor, she referred them to a sports doctor for an x-ray and further evaluations! It was an all day affair! I’m so blessed to be married to a man like Roger that will take it all in stride and keep on doing the next right thing. Eventually, they saw the sports doctor on Monday afternoon, and he is concerned that Travis broke the bone that is on/near his growth plate in his foot. I don’t know. I didn’t really understand it all, except the fact that Travis now has a cast for at least two weeks, and then probably a boot for 5 more weeks! Not exactly what we wanted to hear right before school gets out, but God is still faithful. Travis was in tears when he realized that he would have to not participate in gym class or the school field day events which will be tomorrow. It’s been a rough week for him. 

On Wednesday night, Garett and Chandler sang special music with their friends, Ava and Savannah. I was probably more nervous than they were about singing as I haven’t exactly been playing the piano on a regular basis! Chandler looked a little bit like a deer in the headlights, but they did it. We are proud of them for getting up in front of people to sing for the Lord. I know that they can build experience and confidence over time, and maybe next time Chandler will hold the microphone close enough that we can hear him! We are very thankful for the Everett family, and God has blessed us with a special friendship. 

This week in library, we hosted a “strawberry” theme day. Since fresh strawberries are in abundance right now, we focused on that berry. We did a trivia contest, learned about the plant, and sampled fresh strawberries with homemade whipped cream. It was a hit with almost all of our students, and I hope they all learned something! Did you know that the strawberry is the only fruit that grows its seeds on the outside? Or that the average strawberry has 200 seeds? Or that strawberries are a member of the “rose” family? How about the fact that North Carolina is 3rd in strawberry distribution? It was a fun lesson, and it helped engage our students a bit more as we wade through the last few days of the school year. 

Fire season seems to be coming to an end, and it was a fast season. We got more rain this year than we’ve had in past springs, so it kept the fire season shorter than normal. We are looking forward to having him back on his regular schedule of Monday thru Friday and home on Saturday and Sunday. Roger and the older boys are looking forward to playing on a co-ed softball church team this summer. I think I might could be persuaded to play, but honestly, I need some serious practice time and right now I can’t even keep the laundry folded! 

We are thankful for all that God does in our lives. We have  been very blessed. We’ve had some rough moments in the past few weeks, but God has shown Himself to be faithful and true. The boys are planning on working for the neighbor again this summer, and they are looking forward to that. I”m looking forward more time at home, outside, and being with our family. Thank you for your love and prayers. 

Birthdays! (And 19 Days to Go!)

 Nineteen days! If anyone is wondering, we are down to 19 days until school is out! We are looking forward to summer break. It’s been a good year, but the first year in a new school is generally full of challenges and changes, so it’ll be nice to have this first year behind us. We’ve surely learned a lot! (A lot of academics yes, but also a lot about how the school functions and operates.) 

These past few weeks have been full of activities! Two weeks ago, I went with the high schoolers to a state competition. The competition was across the state closer to Charlotte, so the drive was a bit of a hike. One of the music teachers and I ended up traveling on the boys bus with 36 boys! To be honest, it didn’t phase me a bit. My life is already full of telling boys to “make good choices”, “stop being annoying,” etc., so having 36 more to give a few directions to was fine. Mrs. Lawanda and I made a good pair and it was such a blessing to me to get to know her better. We left on Wednesday morning around 7:30am., and made it to the competition for the opening assembly and then right away the choir sang. Garett and Chandler were both in the choir, and it was a special blessing to me to hear them sing with the choir. I know that singing is not always their favorite, but they’ve learned a lot through choir, and I’m thankful that they had the opportunity to be a part of one. It was a crazy few days at the competition with athletic events, singing, drama, music, and keeping track of 70 plus kids! 

Thursday was a very warm day at the competition and by the afternoon it was hot! Chandler was competing in the one mile run, and both boys were in the soccer shoot-out. The soccer shoot out had to consist of at least two girls on the team. Our school does not have a girls soccer team so finding two girls who were willing was a bit challenging! However, two girls were found that were willing! I don’t think anyone of the kids from our school really knew what they were doing or were supposed to do, but they had a good time. This was apparently a first time event, new this year, so everyone was new to it. Next year, they’ll have a better idea of what to expect. It was so warm that a lot of kids were starting to get headaches, and there was not enough water available for the athletes. By the time Chandler and Eli (another kid from our school) started the mile, they both looked a bit dehydrated! Chandler did very well in the mile run, and he did place first in that event. That was exciting! 

We traveled back after the awards ceremony on Friday morning. It was a full three days of activity and not a whole lot of sleep! However, I was very thankful for the opportunity to spend with my own children as well as other high schoolers. Roger and I were also very thankful for those that were willing to watch our kids while I was away. Roger is in the middle of fire season, so we weren’t sure if he’d be available to pick up kids from school, get them to school, etc. My friends (both named Laura) were willing to watch our kids. Wyatt and Travis were happy to spend two nights at Gabe and Enzo’s house, and Emma certainly didn’t mind spending time with the Everett family. Our kids know that we are very particular about houses that they stay overnight at (or spend time at period), and they were excited about the few days out of the “norm”. We are blessed with some great friends.

Wyatt also turned 14 since I’ve last written on the blog! I can’t believe that our smack-dab-in-the-middle child is 14! Time has flown by! Wyatt is smart, competitive and friendly. He loves to play sports, learn new things, and spend time with his friends. Wyatt is very good at golf and basketball. He sometimes struggles to be content with where God has placed him in our family, and I pray often for his heart to be sensitive to the Lord’s leading. We love him dearly! My friend, Laura, spoiled him rotten with a cake, special activities, and dinner of his choice! I’m thankful for others that also invest in the lives of our children and point them to Jesus. 

Last Saturday evening, we went to a rodeo with the Everett family. It was pouring rain when we left our house, and we were unsure about how much “fun” the rodeo was going to be! However, about 12 minutes after we arrived at the rodeo, the skies cleared and the sun came out! It was a beautiful night for a rodeo! We had a great time of laughter, memories, and fellowshipping with each other. It was a fun night after all.

 

This past week, we hosted an elementary fine arts event at our school. It was for 3rd-6th graders. I worked with our students that were going to participate in the Bible Sword Drill event. I’ve grown up doing Bible Sword drills, but the rules for this competition were intimidating! I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that the kids needed to be able to find the books of the Bible quickly. My friend, Jennifer, and I worked with the 3/4th graders and I worked with the 5/6th graders. We started out at the beginning of March wondering how this was going to go! However, we improved a LOT! The sixth grade team placed second, the fifth grade team placed third, the fourth grade team did not place, and the third grade team placed fourth. I was so proud of all their hard work, and I can breathe easier knowing that’s behind me! Whew! If I get asked to help with that event again, I’ll have a much better idea of what to expect. The first year of anything new can be very intimidating. I had mentioned to several of my friends that my prayer was that we would not be last and that the students would not be embarrassed. And God answered that prayer- Praise the Lord! 

Also, I ran into one of my college friends during fine arts. That was an unexpected suprised, but it was good to reconnect with my friend, Melanie. I look forward to seeing her next year! On Thursday, my friend, Jennifer and I helped out all day with the Bible Sword Drill competition. We were both a little nervous about what to do, but we quickly figured it out. I was a line judge which meant I needed to watch for the first and second person to the line and then check to make sure that they had the right reference. Sometimes it was really clear who was first and other times it was a bit harder. Jen and I were able to run out for some lunch and to get coffee to make it through the afternoon. I brought some back for my friend, Tamela, as she was running around playing the piano for a bunch of events. It was a full and busy day! 

The Fine Arts competition continued into Friday, and I wasn’t quite sure what my role was going to be. I generally can always find something to do, so that’s generally not the problem, but I wanted to be a blessing to someone. I worked in the library for a while, and then I got a text asking if I could help in the lunch room. That kept me busy for a while! I helped serve 291 sack lunches, so there was plenty to do for a while. I was thankful that Tamela had brought me coffee that morning as I needed it! We had two days of rain during fine arts, and the kids were showing the effects of being cooped up for a few days! Thankfully the sun came out and it turned into a beautiful evening. 

On Saturday Roger was able to get off work around 12:00. This was a pleasant surprise as the boys have been wanting to play golf with Roger. Justin Everett and his son, Brody, also went to play golf, so it was a fun afternoon for the boys. Wyatt was, by far, the best out of the boys, and it was fun to see him excel in something. They played 18 holes of golf, and it was a hot afternoon. They came home needing some water and food, but they had fun. 

While the boys were playing golf, the girls went out shopping. We went to TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Target, and Sam’s Club. Per usual, I spent most of my money on groceries at Sam’s Club! Oh well, we are thankful to have funds to fed our tribe. It was a fun afternoon with lots of laughter and memories. Emma woke up on Saturday morning eager and ready to go, so it was a long wait until 2:00pm for her. She had a great time with Ava and Savannah and when we came home, she asked when we were going to go again!  Um…not for a while! 

We are on the “home stretch” for the last few busy weeks of school. Baseball season will be over this weekend- praise Jesus! Then it’ll be the last few weeks of academics and activities to the finish line. We keep telling our kids that we have to keep going strong. We can’t give up, and we have to press on doing our very best! I saw this quote this past week, and I was reminded that we have to be diligent and work hard. We need to “redeem the time”. These are some wicked and dark days that we are living in, however, God is still on the throne! Praise His Holy Name!