Back-to-school this month! It’s hard to believe but we are done working at the farmers market for the season, and we are heading back to school in just a few days! Summer flew by with camp for Emma, soccer camp for the boys, a trip to Maine for Emma, a trip to Wisconsin, Chandler leaving for BMT, and a whole host of other summer activities. There will always be a list of projects that I wish I would’ve gotten to get accomplished, but the fact of the matter is that none of the kids will care that the bathroom didn’t get painted (again)! Hopefully, they will remember the memories created in the mountains, the beach, dirt bikes, frog ponds, and summer moments!
Chandler left three weeks ago today, and to say that he is missed would be the understatement of the year! Now, I'll admit, Wyatt and Travis have both helped themselves to his closet of clothes (with Chandler’s permission) and Wyatt has claimed the bottom bunk for the moment, but whew- we miss him! Returning to the “dark ages” of no cell phones or texting is not for the faint-hearted, but we are making it! Sometimes we can get access to a link to look at photos, and it’s literally like playing “Where’s Waldo”! I’ve only ever seen one picture of Chandler, and it was not a good photo! We’ve been writing every day for about three weeks, and we hadn’t gotten a singular piece of mail. No, I take that back. We did get one piece of mail from Chandler, and it was information about his graduation. The only thing that was handwritten was the address- not helpful!!!
I’ve learned a lot in three weeks…”no news is good news”; the military is the GOAT of using acronyms; just keep writing; pray always; tears are normal and expect them often; and a host of other things! I’ve made some friendships via some of the support groups, and it’s nice to know that we are not alone. I’ve been able to encourage a few others through prayer, sharing Bible verses, and being able to relate. The military is a whole new ball game!
The support groups are a wealth of information and sometimes it’s hard not be overwhelmed. However, the one thing I’ve gotten down is that you never know when a phone call will happen. So, I’ve figured out how to by-pass the silent tone with Chandler’s number, so it’ll ring even if I have my phone on silent. I’ve changed his ringer to a specific one just for him, and I carry my phone everywhere. I’m doing my best to not miss his call if/when he calls! This worked out in my favor on Saturday morning. The boys had a soccer jamboree tournament, so I was sitting at the gate collecting money. At 10:11am, my phone rang, and it was Chandler!! I picked up the phone and tried not to dissolve into complete tears. Roger had just wrapped up his game, and thankfully, we were able to walk into the school building and talk uninterrupted for 14 minutes and 57 seconds! Let me assure you, that was not nearly enough time, but it was good to hear from him. His voice sounded terrible, and he said it was from so much yelling. He told us that he had written several letters, but they hadn’t been able to send any mail until August 4th (Saturday was the 8th). He pleaded with us to keep sending the mail, which he says is his favorite part of the day, as hearing from home keeps him motivated and going. Chandler’s voice sounded like it hurt to talk, and his voice kept cracking all over the place, but he’s alive and kicking. Praise Jesus! That phone call totally made my week! Chandler said that the church services on Sunday have been on point with the Bible, and he has really, really enjoyed the services. There were a lot of other little things we talked about, but time went by too quickly.
Roger and the soccer team had a jamboree on Saturday, so we spent the day at the school. It was also Emma’s birthday, but we celebrated her day on Friday evening. It probably wouldn’t have been her first pick to hang out at the soccer field all day, but she is a good sport. We are so thankful for Emma. Emma is sweet and loves all things girly. She is NOT fiercely competitive, much to her brother’s chagrin, and she does not like people to be upset with her. She squabbles the most with Travis but also can be his biggest supporter. She wrote the sweetest note to Chandler, and I might share it here. We love her, and our prayer is that she will continue to grow in her relationship with Jesus, and that she will live her life completely for HIM.
The boys' soccer team did decently on Saturday. I know Roger has been working hard with his team, and that the team is missing the depth of experience that last year's seniors brought to the team. However, they’ve been working hard, and it showed on Saturday. The team won one game and tied two others. Roger would appreciate your prayers as it can be challenging to coach a soccer team with a wide range of skill levels and a team that has two of your kids on it! Garett came and took pictures of the team in action, and it was good to have him there. It was completely weird to not see Chandler on the soccer field, and he really enjoyed the game. However, watching Wyatt play is a lot like seeing Chandler play! They have a lot of the same mannerisms and Travis would say that Wyatt has taken over Chandler’s job of yelling at him! Haha- we do have some great memories and some not-so-fun moments!
When we arrived home from the jamboree, there were five letters from Chandler in our mailbox! Could my day get any better?! Praise Jesus! One letter was just the graduation passes for September, and Chandler had written “DO NOT LOSE! I WANT TO SEE YOU!” Ok- got it! There were three letters for our family, and one note for Travis. Chandler had also tucked in a little note for Emma’s birthday. I’ve read and re-read his letters, and while he’s not winning any awards for spelling, I can see his energy and heart in the letters. He is most concerned about passing the selections course which will take place after basic. He needs to pass the thirteen-week course in order to move on to his selected field and only 15-20% pass selection. Please start praying with us on this! I told him on the phone, and I told him in letters that God’s people are praying for him! He said that he can feel God’s presence and Chandler finds himself praying all the time. I think that God is working in Chandler’s heart, so please continue to pray for that. Please pray that he will stay strong and healthy. Please pray that he will be a good leader for his flight, and that he will find good friendships. Please, please pray that he will pass the selections course. And if you want to add one more random prayer request, I have an unspoken request that I’d appreciate prayers for also. So far, after hearing Chandler and reading his letters, I would say that he is currently in a good place mentally. Please pray for the aforementioned prayer requests!
In other news, Garett is moving forward on his pilot’s license! He has scheduled his written test for the end of August, and I can tell he’s already nervous about passing it. Garett often chooses the comfortable route because he doesn’t want to fail at something. This is an important step for him, and I know he would appreciate any additional prayers.
Sundays are just going to be hard for me, and I think I’ve resigned myself to that fact. There are certain songs that will cause my tears to flow and Travis would say “Mom, that seems to be about every song!” Haha, well, currently yes! During yesterday’s handshake part of the service, I turned around to shake the hands of the people behind me. The lady asked me how Chandler was doing, and just like that, tears flowed! Oh, yes, I’m a regular waterfall! She wrapped me up in a hug and introduced herself. I’ve seen her multiple times behind us, but yesterday we made a connection. One of her children had also gone into the military, so she was familiar with the process. We exchanged phone numbers, and my heart was so encouraged. God is faithful- always.
I think the only child I haven’t mentioned in this post is Wylie. Wyatt is doing ok. He started off the summer with a job that he really liked, but he ended up back at the farmer’s market. Wyatt doesn’t love that job, but he is a hard worker. He has cut grass for us multiple times this summer without being asked, and he enjoys tinkering with his dirt bike. He invited the soccer team players (juniors and seniors) over to our house after the jamboree, and I’m thankful for that. Unfortunately, only two boys ended up coming over, but I’m thankful that Wyatt wants to invite people over to home, and that he has some good friends. Please pray for him as he enters his junior year of high school that he will make good friends, love Jesus, work hard and lead well.
It’s time for me to sign off as school is calling! I’m starting to feel a lot of pressure to get a lot of things done in a short amount of time. I have lots of art classes to teach this year, which requires lots of preparation, power points and writing lessons. I write my own art lessons, and every year I focus on some Biblical point. I’ve covered Names of God, Attributes of God, and this year I think I am going to focus on the Fruits of the Spirit. (It helps me learn things too!)
In closing, I’ll add a song that Emma really loves.
No comments:
Post a Comment