The summer speed is disconcerting at best! We are trying to savor these last few weeks before school begins again, and time is flying by way too quickly!
For those of you that have followed us along on the journey of my sister, Jen, and her move to NC, we have an update! The moving company misplaced (spelled lost) all of her belongings for about ten days. They didn’t seem to know where her stuff was at, where it was going to be delivered, or what had happened after it had been picked up in South Dakota! The original plan was for her stuff to remain in Rapid City until she found a place to live here. However, it was discovered on Monday, July 11 that her stuff was on a moving truck in our area. Tuesday morning found Chandler and I waiting outside a storage unit at 5:00am! Jen was able to find a storage unit, so Chandler and I made sure the stuff was delivered. It was an early morning and made a bit more hectic by the fact that Travis had IEP testing that morning and that was Garett’s first day at his new job! Whew! But, by the grace of God, we managed to get it all done. Chandler and I came home from the storage unit escapade to take a quick nap. Then Travis and I went off to his IEP testing. He was NOT a happy camper, but Travis was still polite and respectful to the lady doing the testing. This whole process has been daunting and draining, but we are in the final stretch. We will hear the results of their testing on August 2, and then decisions will be made. Please pray that we will be at peace with decisions made and that God will be glorified. I’ve had to fill out paperwork for the boys, and it seems to be a struggle to separate bad manners/parenting from an academic need! A bunch of the questions were related to manners in my opinion. Questions such as “does he say please?” Does he manage money well?””Does he help with chores around the house?” And so on…I understand that there are children that mentally struggle with those capabilities, but so much of those questions are parenting related! One of the questions asked was, “does he bathe regularly?” Let’s see. Travis went to camp for a whole week and bathed once! That’s because he’s a sixth grade boy who’d rather be grubby than a child with a handicap! It’s hard to know how to answer the questions, so please pray for clarity in this whole matter!
Garett has been at his job for almost two weeks. It has seemed to be a good fit for him, so we are thankful for this opportunity for him. It doesn’t look like Chandler will be getting a job this summer, and that’s been a disappointment for him. He’s done some odd jobs here and there, but nothing on a regular basis. But we are thankful for the little bit of work that he has been able to do. And actually this past week, both Wyatt and Chandler were able to acquire work for two days. They spread out pine straw for landscaping for a man in our church. It was hot, sweaty work, but they were paid well and got the job done. They were even given some Chick-fil-a coupons for food -which totally made their day!
Roger and the boys (except Garett) left EARLY Wednesday morning for a whirlwind trip to Wisconsin. Roger is visiting with some of his family during the air show, and the boys are visiting with my parents. They were all excited to go even though it will be a very quick trip as they’ll be coming back on Sunday. Garett was a little disappointed to not be able to go, but that’s part of growing up and having a job! Emma wanted to see Nana and Papa, but not enough to take a 16 hour road trip!
Roger told me yesterday that he was able to get the deer hunting tags for the boys for the fall hunting season, so that was good news! Each boy will be able to deer hunt over Thanksgiving break, and hopefully, shoot some deer for the freezer! We have a lot of mouths to feed, and grocery prices are skyrocketing, so I’ll be thankful to have some deer meat should the boys be successful in their hunting. We had originally planned to take them to Montana to hunt elk and deer, but that’s a very long ways away from North Carolina, and the tags were much more expensive than in Wisconsin. This way they can have the opportunity to hunt with my dad at a much more affordable price and still do something that they really enjoy. They’re already looking forward to going in the fall.
Meanwhile, we’ve stayed home and worked on a lot of various things around the house like mowing grass and doing laundry. We’ve spent some time in the pool and with our friends, the Everett’s. I’m sure that Chandler, Wyatt and Travis will have a great time in Wisconsin and come back with many stories to share. I sure do miss them when they’re gone! The house is too quiet! (I don’t know what to do when I don’t have to referee the fights!) -Kidding! :) Emma had the opportunity to go with the Everett family to Beaufort to visit some friends on Friday evening. It was a quiet evening for Garett and I, but it was so good to spend some undivided time with this oldest son. He struggles SO much with school that sometimes it just makes my heart hurt. But he’s kind, respectful and a leader in a quiet way. I’m so proud of him, and I was reminded that I don’t tell him often enough how much I love him. I’m thankful for these moments with him.
Laura and I have conducted two cheer camps on Mondays this month, and that’s kept us busy and tired. Laura has the experience, and I like communication and information! I lead strength and conditioning and Laura teaches them the routines. It seems to work so far, and we have fun while we do it. We also come home tired on Mondays- one more to go! Pray for us as we pour into these girls during the winter sport season. We want to point them to Jesus, help them deepen their relationship with Jesus, and grow together as a team. We’d ask for prayer for Laura and I to have wisdom, direction, and discernment. We’re sure to make mistakes, but we want God to be glorified through it all.
I’ve also been putting in some time at the school as we work to get the library up to speed for the school year. A private school library is a challenge to maintain because we don’t have access to new books like a public school does or a public library. We did managed to add over 400 new books last year though generous donors, so that’s a really good start! But that also means that some books have got to go to make space for the new ones. As adults, I think we’re often attached to books due to our own childhood experiences, but the next generation has no such connections. So what will they read?! Well, it’s a challenge for sure! We’ve discovered that graphic novels are appealing to a lot of kids and even some of the classic series like The Boxcar Children have been re-written in graphic/comic form. Kids are drawn to the comic type writing in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the I Survived series is also popular. Children also seem to be drawn to books about facts, interesting quick tidbits of information, and the Who? What? Where is? Series of books. My friend and fellow librarian, Jennifer, have been working hard at making some changes in our library to make the shelves more appealing to our readers. Reading is a challenge for so many kids, and I think reading aloud to all children is important.
My sister, Jenn, is heading our way this weekend. She has a few houses lined up to look at, so we will see what happens with that adventure. We are excited to see her, and we are praying for a smooth transition for all of us. Change is hard, even if it’s good change. It looks like there may be changes for myself this year during the school year, but we are still praying about making good, wise decisions. I know that God has a plan and a purpose in all that He allows and that He is our Rock in the midst of uncertainty.
The summer has literally flown by, and I am not ready to go back to school! It means that another summer with our children has come to a close, and I’m reminded daily that our time with them is so very fleeting. We are thankful for the memories we’ve created and the time spent together.
I’ve had this song on my mind a lot the past few weeks. I’ve been overwhelmed with a lot of thoughts and changes that are looming upon me. Sometimes when I lay my head down to sleep, my mind runs away with all the responsibilities that I need to do. I want to do what I do and do it well. I want to love Jesus and point my kids and students to Him. I want to pour into others knowing that I am filled by an almighty, all-powerful God. I love this song, and the words in it. “Praise God, Just as I am!” I’m thankful that the God Who created the sunset this morning is the same God that loves me. He is faithful.
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