March Moments and Memories - Trips, Spring Break, and other “Fun”!

 March has disappeared into the past, and April is moving forward at “full steam”  ahead! I feel like I can barely keep up with all the school events, sporting events, church events, family events, and the busyness of spring. I read a quote recently that said “we are not promised tomorrow, and we are not even promised ‘later’, so live every moment with intentionality.” Whew! That is true, and trying to be intentional is a big job in these moments. 

March flew by with Roger’s birthday soccer games and practices, preparation for our fine arts competition, Chandler’s senior trip, a quick visit to Raleigh to catch up with some friends, and everything else that fills up the regular days of our lives. Earlier in the month of March, we were able to meet up with some dear friends of ours from Wisconsin. Roger and I have been friends with Jared and Beka for a very long time, and although we hardly see each other any more, it’s such an easy friendship to jump back into. We jumped back into our friendship, but our older teens and their older teens took a bit of time to warm up to each other and visit together…Emma doesn’t know any strangers though, so she was happy to talk to their teen age daughters! It was a very quick evening in the Raleigh/Durham area, but I am thankful for the moments to  catch up on a few things and to know how to pray more specifically for them. It was a fun, albeit cold, evening. 

I am very, very thankful to have the first fine arts competition behind us. We took 41 entries in Jr. high and Sr. High to the state competition. The students competed in various art categories, and there was a total of about 483 entries! We had 2 senior high students place first in their categories, so they will be allowed to enter their art pieces in at the national competition in April. This was very exciting to me, as going to Nationals is a big deal! We had a few entries that didn’t place well, and it’s hard to know sometimes what the judges are looking for in this type of competition. However, we are moving on and preparing for the next fine arts competition which is just 2 days after we get back from spring break! And my elementary students are preparing for their competition which is the following week, so April is going to fly by…and I’m going to be very tired! I am thankful for my aide and friend, Kaycee, who helps fill out forms, organize art work, file papers for me, and clean up a million messes a day! I will also be thankful to have these big events behind us, but I am thankful for the opportunities for our students to use their talents and skills. I often tell my students “Progress over perfection”. Are we progressing in our skills and implementing what we have learned?  The Christian life is similar to that also. Perfection won’t come until I see Jesus face to face, but am I progressing in my walk with Him? Am I more like Jesus today than I was yesterday? 

March 23-27 - I took Chandler and another boy from school on their senior trip. Jessie and Chandler went to visit the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Sight and Sound production of “Joshua”, and snowboarding in Maine for two days. It was a very full week with lots of driving! We left early Monday morning to head to Philadelphia, and we arrived about 1:00pm. Parking is always interesting in big cities, but we managed to find a place to park. We went to the visitors center (an impressive building), and I quickly realized that there was a lot to see and way too little of time. I spoke to a nice lady at the information desk and she recommended that we see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. She was able to get us tickets for Independence Hall for the next tour, so we quickly headed that way. The tour was informative and well done, but I think what struck me most was standing in the same room that our Founding Fathers had stood in almost 250 years ago. To see where George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and others had sat and penned the “Declaration of Independence” was a sobering and reflective experience. They were not writing for the needs of the country at that moment, they were also writing for the future United States of America. I’m glad that we were able to get in to see Independence Hall. 

Next stop was the “Liberty Bell”, which is more than a bell as they have a whole museum dedicated to the the bell. The boys enjoyed the experience, but by then it was 3:00pm, and we were all hungry for lunch. Can you go to Philadelphia without eating a Philly Cheesesteak?! You can, but we went and found a place to try cheesesteak and cannolis. It was a little tucked away place, but it was good. We all tried the cannoli, but I decided that Philly can have that. I didn’t love the taste of cream without a lot of flavor wrapped in a crunchy cookie. I can skip that. 

We traveled to Amish country outside of Lancaster, where I had lodging for the night. I had been struggling to find accommodations since both the boys are just 17 and 18, However, there is this adorable place that has converted railroad cars into hotel rooms in Pennsylvania.  The place was so cute with a petting zoo, rows of railroad cars, and an old farmhouse that had been converted into lodging. We stayed in the farmhouse as we could all have our own rooms, and it was pretty cheap lodging. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and the place was quite cute. The boys went to Planet Fitness in the evening, and to Play it Again Sports where Chandler found a putter for Travis. It was a full day of travel and memories, so we were all happy to go to bed. 

On Tuesday morning, we checked out of the hotel and hunted down a bakery and coffee shop. We found a cute little market that also had a coffee shop. Yum! The doughnuts and bakery items were made right there in house, and it was a great stop before heading to “Sight and Sound- Joshua”. If you’ve never been to Sight and Sound, it was a 10/10 rating for me. A job well done and very impressive! It’s not a cheap experience, but they really did a great job of making the story of Joshua come alive. Jessie and Chandler also enjoyed the show, and I would love to take Emma and the other boys some day. We got out of the show at 1:30pm, and we were probably about the 4th people to get out the door as we hustled to get out of there. The gps said it was a 9.5 hour trip to Hannah and Josh’s house in Maine, but traffic was terrible! Trying to get out of New York City and Connecticut felt like forever! We traveled 100 miles in 3 hours, and the time on the GPS just kept rising. I wanted to make it to Hannah’s house as I knew that would save on the cost of the trip (since I wasn’t getting paid for these days away, every penny needed to be counted!). We finally made it to Hannah and Josh’s house at 12:27am on Wednesday morning- Praise the Lord! 

Wednesday morning rolled around, and the boys slowly crawled out of bed, but excited for snowboarding and skiing. Chandler had made plans to borrow Josh’s old snowboard, but I had arranged for Jessie to rent skis at the mountain. The skiing weather was beautiful, and the conditions for skiing were perfect! The boys headed off to the mountain, and I spent the morning hanging out with Hannah and her kiddos, which I loved! Chandler called me about two hours later to say that they were at the ski mountain, but had a slight problem. I was like “ok…”. He told me that Jessie couldn’t rent the ski equipment because they didn’t have any one over 21 to sign for it. I told Chandler that I had signed the waiver online, and the additional rental information, but apparently they needed an adult to sign. Chandler and Jessie are pretty independent and good problems solvers, so I told Chandler to see what they could figure out. Well, they figured it out. Jessie ended up using Hannah’s old snowboard and boots (which were a little small), but they managed. Chandler asked the guy for a refund on the rental equipment, and the guys told him that they usually give out a voucher for that type of thing. I told Chandler that a voucher wouldn’t be very helpful since it expires in a year, and I know we won’t be back to ski in the next year. Chandler managed to get the voucher in email format, and the guy told Chandler that maybe they could get the money back if we would call. OH yes! Anyways, the boys had a great time snowboarding, and they came back to Hannah’s very tired and a bit sore. 

Thursday’s agenda was another day of snowboarding for the boys, and I was able to head down the coast to see some of my friends from Maine. It was the quickest morning of the year as I sat at Dunkin and sipped coffee with my friend, Allison! We talked about everything under the sun, and although I haven’t actually talked to her in over a year, we didn’t miss a beat. We talked about the challenges of raising adult children, schooling concerns, church challenges, laughter and memories. Allison also has a young adult child, and it was good to know that I’m not alone in our concerns and challenges with our own young adult and soon to be two of them. After coffee, I headed over to the school that we were involved in for the six years we were in Maine. It was good to speak briefly with teacher and co-workers from my time there. Many of my kindergarten students recognized me, and it was fun to share a quick hug with them and speak with them…that class is now in 4th grade!! How time flies! I shared a quick moment with one of my mentor teachers, Becki, and then headed back to Hannah’s house with a full heart and memories to hold dear until the next time I see these friends. God is good. 

Friday morning came early-4:30am early! It’s about 16 hours from Maine to NC, and that’s a long day of travel! Roger had recommended to me that we get on the road early to try to get through NYC before rush hour. We were in the car and on the road by 4:33am. What a day! I am thankful for caffeine, Chandler driving, the ez pass, and express roads! It was a long drive back, but we were pulling into our own driveway by 11:00pm. God is so good for His protection and mercy. 

It was a good week, albeit a bit crazy. Chandler and Jessie made some memories that will hopefully last for their lifetime. Taking this trip was not my first choice, but we felt it was a necessary trip for these boys. I asked the boys about their favorite parts of the trip, and Chandler said that, “Mom, I really enjoyed all of it. I’m glad we were  able to go, but really nothing can take the place of the missed time with our own classmates.” And I totally get that as that’s what I would also think as an 18 year old. I wish the school had chosen a trip that would have allowed us to have a clear conscience in sending our child, but since that wasn’t the case, we chose differently for them. Again, I have no issues with those that choose to go to Disney as a family, and I’ll like your memories on facebook and ask about your trip, etc. However, for Roger and I, we have chosen to avoid Disney trips as they have become a voice for the LGBTQ movement in the last years, and that’s not something that we want to support, and also the cost is very high for something that is strictly entertainment driven. I like entertainment and fun, but we also wanted intentionality for Chandler’s senior trip.  I read and hear statistics often about the fact that 7 out of 10 Christian young people will walk away from the Lord. In a family with five children, we absolutely have to fight against that statistic. I am praying, pleading, and working to raise five kids that love Jesus. I don’t expect them to do it exactly like I do it, but I do want to them to live full, emboldened lives for Jesus! Do we support other controversial things? Oh, I am sure, in light of Romans 14, we also do things that people think as controversial, but we are making choices as a family. Are we doing it perfectly? Never! But we take hope in the fact that we serve the GREAT I AM. We are thankful that Chandler had Jessie to spend the week with, and that God gave him a friend for this trip. 

This week we are on Spring Break, and I am so thankful for that! We’ve spent five days at Topsail Beach, and Hannah, Josh and their kids have come for a few days also. It’s been some fun, full days of memories and laughter, but we are oh so thankful for these moments. The cousins have spend oodles of time together at the beach, golfing, fishing, playing outside, and eating lots and lots of food! 

I finally finished up Chandler’s graduation announcements, and realized that we are about six weeks out from his graduation! Yikes! Chandler recently told us that he really, really doesn’t know what he wants to do when he is done with high school. I think he is overwhelmed with the decision making, and although he’s been accepted at Liberty, the cost is overwhelming to him in light of a four year college degree. Chandler recently visited the Armed Forces Recruitment office, so we are praying about God’s clear direction on his life. There are a lot of decisions that will be made in the next few months, and we need Jesus to help us. If you think about it, Garett could use some prayers…and some friends and fellowship. He is realizing that life outside of high school can be a lonely place to be, and we’d like to see him develop some friendships with other young people. He is struggling with a lot of decisions as well, and sometimes it’s hard to know how to parent adult children. We need a lot of Jesus and a lot less of us! 

I am so thankful for the Resurrection of Jesus! I am thankful that Jesus defeated death, and that He reigns! We went to a little Good Friday service at a small local church on Friday evening. It was a little like stepping back in time, but it was a good reminder. It was kinda a drama with a lot of singing in it. People in the congregation had stepped up to fill the roles of the twelve disciples, the Sanhedrin, etc. As they were taking their places for the drama, Emma leans over and whispers to me, “Mom, why are the Wisemen in the Easter story?” I looked over to where she was looking and realized that “Pilate”, “Herod” and the “Sanhedrin” were probably reusing the costumes from the Wise men in the Christmas story. I caught her up to speed, and she nodded, but it was a funny moment. 

Roger has spent the last several days working, so we missed him on Easter Sunday. We had a very untraditional Easter dinner, but no one seemed to mind as long as there was food to eat. I greatly enjoyed the church service on Sunday and the music at the church we attended near the beach. It’s always good to be reminded of the sacrifices Jesus made for me. I pray that I will never lose sight of what He has done for me…and you. Salvation isn’t a gift just for me or for a special group of people. Jesus died for all mankind, and He loves you with an unconditional love. His mercy is more that we can imagine and His forgiveness is offered to each of us. I pray that you will understand and accept His precious gift of salvation. 

To all of you on spring break- I hope you enjoy every moment! 

February - A Lot of Moments in a Short Month!

 February is already gone! Often it feels like the longest (short) month of the year! It's probably due to the fact we are now in the time of the school year when we don't have any days off til Spring Break! And sometimes, the month of February just isn't that exciting...we just faithfully plod along! 

We had off the last Monday in January due to an "ice day", and it was already a short week due to the marriage retreat that weekend. However, sometimes the "short" weeks at school can feel like very long weeks indeed! But regardless, we made it to Thursday, which was a 1/2 day. I had taken the day off of school on Thursday as I needed to take Wyatt to an appointment that we've been waiting to get into for about 2 months. The appointment was at 8:30am, but it was a little over an hour away, so it was an early morning for Wylie and I. Thankfully, the appointment went fairly quickly, so that was a blessing. Wyatt saw a male doctor, and the doctor looked a little surprised when he poked his head in the room and saw Wyatt. I was trying to figure out why, but after a few minutes, the doc looked at Wyatt and said, "I think I know the answer to this, but I have to ask. It says on the paperwork that Wyatt is a female, but that's not correct, is it?" Wyatt looked completely mortified at the question as he quickly replied, "No, I'm a male." The doctor chuckled and said, "That's what I figured, but I've put my foot in my mouth a few times, so I just needed to clarify!" Whew! We got that straightened out! 

After school, Jenn and the kids headed to the mountains for the weekend. Roger and I were heading to the Marriage retreat on Friday in the late morning, and it was completely weird to be at home without any kids in the house! Roger had gotten some money for a date night for a Christmas gift, so we decided to go out to a local steakhouse for supper. We arrived at the restaurant about 5:30pm, and it was very crowded for a Thursday night! But we had no place we needed to be, so we stood in the doorway chatting with another older couple while we waited for a table to open up. In about five minutes, the waitress came and said that a booth had opened up for the couple ahead of us. The older lady turns to us and says, "Ya'll want to eat with us? We can share a booth and that's less waiting for you." Roger and I weren't worried about the wait, but they were so nice and friendly that we agreed to share a booth with them. God knew it was exactly what we needed! The older couple was so sweet and easy to talk to, and they told us about their potato packing warehouse, how they met (56 years ago), the church they attended and everything else. It was such a great evening of fellowshipping, and when it was time to go (after about two hours in the restaurant), the older gentleman told Roger that they would be paying for the bill! Say what!?  He told Roger that we had talked about potatoes, and he could just use it as a tax write-off, for which we were very thankful for. Roger and I had just expected a simple dinner with the two of us, but God had something much more in store for us last Thursday. I'm still pondering the details of how God worked all of that out...something only God could do! 

On Friday, January 29th, Roger and I headed to the marriage retreat in Myrtle beach. The boys and Emma had made it safely to the mountains, and the boys were looking forward to skiing on Friday evening. Myrtle Beach was cold this time, as all of NC was bracing itself for a snow storm that was supposed to be coming Friday evening. The Saturday morning session for the marriage retreat was canceled, but there was a Friday night session. I was sitting in the session when I got a notification on my phone. We have all kinds of security set up on the boys phones, so when they download an app, I know about it. I leaned over to Roger and pointed to the app installation. The three boys that have phones had all downloaded a GPS Speedometer app. I'm not a genius, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why the boys had downloaded that app on the night they were going skiing! I will say that the boys going skiing definitely challenged me to increase my praying! The boys had a great time, and Garett called Roger to tell him that they had a lot of fun skiing! Praise the Lord! 

Roger and I had a leisurely breakfast on Saturday morning before heading out to visit with Roger's aunt. We stayed for a few hours visiting about many things and then headed home. It was beginning to look like the weather people had gotten it wrong again as we didn't see any snow on the way home!  We arrived home about three pm, and then went to check on Jenn's chickens, and it finally started snowing! Sunday morning greeted us with about 7 inches of white fluffy snow! That's a lot of snow for this part of N.C.! We spent some time shoveling the snow, but of course, first we had to find the shovel. We haven't needed one while here in NC, and it felt a bit like Maine with the seven inches of white snow. It was beautiful, and it was nice to get out and enjoy it. 

So we started out our first full week in February with two snow days! It’s been an unusual winter with several snow and ice days, and I’ve been ready for spring for a while now! My parents came for a visit the second week of February, so that was a nice break for the kids. Emma loved having Nana and Papa pick her up early from school while they were here! Faith Church also had revival services that week, and we all really enjoyed the services by Kenny Baldwin. He is a gifted speaker, and it was encouraging to see our children make several spiritual decisions as well. Also that same week that my parents were here, Travis had his JV Basketball tournament to close out the season. It was a rough season for the team, and I think Travis was relieved to see it come to an end. I’m not sure that they won a single game, but Travis played hard, and some of the team made improvements over the season. I always enjoy watching the kids play sports, and this season flew by. Typically I feel like basketball is a long season, but the season seemed to go by so quickly! 

Additionally, my parents stayed for “Senior Night” for Chandler on the last home basketball game of the season. It seems surreal to think that in just a few short months, we will have yet another senior cross the stage to get his diploma. Feel like we were just here with Garett! Usually, Chandler starts in the basketball game, and he has been so fun to watch play. Compared to the ninth grader that came four years ago and barely knew anything about basketball, he has come a long way! He enjoys the game, and he plays with a lot of heart. On senior night, the seniors get to start in the game, but this year there were six seniors on the team. Only five players can be on the court at a time, so which senior wasn’t going to start? I was sitting in the bleachers a few minutes before the game started, and one of the senior moms leaned over to me and said that Chandler had almost made her cry. I asked what had happened, and she said that Chandler had given up his senior starting spot so that her son, Nicholas, could start that night. That did bring tears to my eyes as I know how much Chandler enjoys the sport, but yet had the kindess of heart to give his spot to someone else. I love that kid! (Sometimes, he drives me crazy, but then he does something like that, and my heart melts!) It’ll be a moment that I’ll remember for a long time. 

My parents left to head back to Wisconsin on February 19th, and the boys basketball varsity team had their season end tournament at Campbell University. It was a crazy few days with several trips to the college, and lots of games of basketball. The boys team ended up with 2nd place for the season, so that was exciting. It would’ve been fun for them to win the tournament, but they placed second. And just like that Chandler’s senior basketball season is over…on to the golf season! 

For the first time, our school is having a girls soccer team this spring. Jen and I are helping with coaching the team, and our first two practices were frigid! It was so cold! The team has their first game on Friday, and I am looking forward to seeing our team grown and mature this season. I am also praying for some warmer weather for practices! One of the coaches that helped Roger coach the boys team is also helping coach the girls team this season.  It is nice to have someone else to plan practices, drills, etc., so Jen and I are thankful for that. 

The boys have started playing golf for their spring sport season. Chandler and Travis were both very excited about the golf season, but Wyatt needed a little convincing to play golf this year. I’m not exactly sure why he wasn’t as excited, but he did it anyways. Wyatt is a decent golfer, and the team will need him this year. I am thankful that the boys get the opportunity to play, and I am looking forward to seeing how their team does this season. 

Last week of February! This past week Chandler took a trip to Pensacola Christian College. He went with another senior from school.  A few other students from school also went on the trip but they were on different flights to and from Pensacola. Chandler and Eli seemed to have a great trip, and they visited several classes, and did come back with a little information! Chandler ran into some friends of ours from Maine, so that was fun for him! Archie was a good friend of the boys when we were in Maine, so it was nice to hear from Mandie (Archie’s mom) that Chandler and Archie were hanging out some during college days. Chandler is feeling the pressure of making college decisions, but we are definitely praying that God will give clear direction. Chandler did text me on Wednesday night to tell me, “Mom, I’m keeping an open mind, but this college is very conservative. Very.” Haha! Well, I already knew that, but there are certain things that sometimes you can deal with especially as getting a solid Christian education is important to us. We will keep praying. 

We are in the month of March! February was actually not nearly as long as I thought it would be! Praise the Lord! My dad is traveling about an hour every day to take radiation for his cancer. He has made it through the first week, but there are six more weeks to go. If it comes to mind, please keep praying for him. In this month, we are frantically preparing for a Christian school art competition. These entries are all due on March 16th, and I’m hoping that after that deadline, I will be able to sleep a bit better! Travis is in my art class, and he has been working on a craft which includes pouring a tapered candle. Oh my- it’s been interesting! 

The church youth group is planning a ski/snowboarding trip to the mountains the second weekend of this month. It’s a little  bit pricey to go, so none of the boys were planning on going even though they really do enjoy skiing and snowboarding. But out of the blue, one of my best friends in North Carolina, asked if my boys were going on the trip. I replied no, not this year. She asked if they were interested in going, and I said yes, but since there’s three of them…it’s just a lot. This friend said that God had prompted her to reach out to me, and she offered to pay for Chandler and Wyatt to attend the youth retreat! I was completely floored, and the boys were amazed and thrilled. That same day I found out that Travis’s trip to the youth retreat was also covered. Sometimes on the days that seem the bleakest, God sends a small light to brighten the day and sometimes God sends a flaming blaze that encourages me for days and weeks! I hadn’t even prayed about the boys attending this youth event simply because it just seemed like a pipe dream, but God had other plans. I’m excited for the boys to have this opportunity, and praying that God will speak to their hearts at this event. 

This month will also be achievement testing for our students, and I can’t say that anyone is necessarily super excited about that. But spring break is coming- Praise the Lord! 

Also this month, Chandler will be going on his senior trip. We recently got an email from one of Chandler’s teachers saying that someone had offered to put money towards Chandler’s senior trip that the school is taking to Disney. But Roger and I  have made the decision that a trip to Disney would not be best for our children, so we are doing something different for Chandler’s senior trip. It was a painful and difficult decision to make, and there are many reasons for our decision that I will not discuss here. If you’d like to know, you can surely reach out to me. It was so encouraging to know that someone thought highly of Chandler’s character and work ethic and wanted to help out with his trip. We wrote a really positive reply regarding our decision about his senior trip, but it seems like a monetary donation was only for the school trip to Disney. But it is not a conviction if money can make you change your mind, is it? We are going to continue on with our plan for Chandler’s senior trip, and we are praying for him to have a wonderful trip and also God’s continued direction. God is so good!

In closing, I’m asking for prayer for the same things that have been on my list for the past several months- our children, my dad’s health, school, Chandler’s college decision, Garett and his flight training and job, and the list could go on and on. Thankyou for those that pray for our children or our family regularly. The older I get the more I realize what a precious gift we have in approaching the Father’s throne with our needs, requests and praises. I’ve been convicted lately about be sure to spend time in prayer for our family. We have a lot of changing things happening in the next few months, and we covet your prayers. We are blessed. 

January Experiences - Welcome to 2026!

 Hello January! (Oh wait…it’s almost over already!) 

This month has been a whirlwind of activity as we came back to school on the 6th of January, and we’ve been busy with basketball, school, upcoming art competitions, a trip for Roger and I, Chandler’s 18th birthday, and a whole host of a bunch of other activities that I’ve already forgotten! 

I was greatly encouraged by multiple texts to one of my dear friends from Maine this month. I am so thankful for Sharon’s investment in my life, her prayers for our children, and her encouragement to me to “keep the faith”, and press on in Jesus’s name. January is often a month of feeling overwhelmed with many things happening at once, and being over stimulated is a real struggle for me. Sometimes the noise feels very loud at our house, and it is, but I have to ask myself, “are my children deliberately trying to get on my last nerve? Or are they just being boys?” Truthfully, sometimes, I’m just a grouch and need to get over myself! Anyways, I was encouraged to know that Sharon prays specifically for our children, and I need women in my life to mentor and encourage me. It was an unexpected blessing this month. 

Also this month, we had “spirit” week at school and “Homecoming” night. It’s a fun week of activities for the students, and I think most of the teachers willingly join in on the fun. I had the opportunity to help with the “pep” rally, and while it always takes me a minutes to get over myself and get hyped up for the event, I typically have a good time with it. It’s fun to interact with the elementary kids, and I try hard with the Middle school/High school students! It was a fun and tiring week, and I don’t think I remembered to take a single picture of our kids that week, but oh well!

Roger and I got away for a few days to celebrate our 20th anniversary …which was in September, but now was when we had the time to get away. It was such a wonderful and relaxing week with just Roger and I. We talked about everything under the sun as we soaked up the sunshine. I read four or five books on the trip, and it was a wonderful week! The weather started out a bit on the cool side as our first day in the Bahamas was about 69 degrees and overcast, but it was 84 degrees the next day. Roger and I took our first cruise with the MSC cruise line, and it was a great experience. MSC is owned by an Italian company so there are some different things that they do from other cruise lines, but overall the experience exceeded our expectations. It’s hard to know what to expect when the cruise only cost about $720 for both Roger and I for six days, but we were pleasantly surprised by our experience. I am very thankful for the time away with Roger, and it was a reminder of how hard we need to continue to work on our marriage and relationship. After all the kids are out of the house and we face an empty nest, I want to still be in love with Roger. I want to still desire to spend time with him, value his opinion, cherish our time together and that doesn’t happen without intentionality. God is so good, and I am so abundantly blessed. I often fail to realize how God has blessed and orchestrated so many things in His perfect timing, and it was a blessing to have some extra time (in the sunshine) to think about many things regarding our future, children, etc.

 

We arrived home from our cruise on Saturday, and we arrived home just before the ice storm hit North Carolina. We are thankful for God’s protection on the trip home. We had church online on Sunday, and it was nice to spend the day catching up with the kids on all their experiences from the week. Emma stayed with Aunt Jen, and all the boys stayed at home. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the boys kept the house. We didn’t have a lot of food left in the fridge, but they survived quite well together! The boys were on time to school every day, and the dog survived the week too. We had a snow day on today (Monday), and it was an unexpected day to prepare for the rest of the week. My middle school and high school students are in the beginning stages of preparing for an art competition in a few weeks, so we have a lot to do! It’s probably the most stressful time of the year for me, so I am thankful that Roger and I got away for a few days before the craziness begins. 

Today is also Chandler’s birthday! Where did time even go?! This little bundle of boy has grown into a young man with an entrepreneur spirit, inquisitive mind, and a hard work ethic. He doesn’t always speak his mind in a group of people, but he always has an opinion. He sees the world in “black and white”, and he is a deeply loyal friend. He exasperates me to no end at times, but I pray often and fervently that he will continue to grow in his relationship with Jesus and desire to serve Jesus all of his life. I am so very thankful for this second son of ours, and please pray with us that he will love Jesus and that Chan will have wisdom about college. He is planning to visit Pensacola Christian College next month, and we are praying for God’s clear direction for him. I’m thankful that God loves my children more than I ever could imagine, and that He has a perfect plan for each one. 

God has been teaching Roger and I a lot this past month. We’ve had some new and different experiences, and I feel like God is challenging us to trust Him in new ways these days. Parenting adult and teen children is the most difficult thing I have ever done, and each day brings new challenges. I am thankful that God walks before us and beside us, and that I can constantly lean on Him. We serve an amazing God!