Maine Adventures, Budget Airlines, and Headaches

 

                                                  

                                                       My favorite flower: Lupine 

Last Monday night, Emma and I were at the airport waiting for a flight to Maine. Tonight we are at the airport waiting for a flight to take us to North Carolina! Last Monday, Emma and I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare for our flight to Maine, which was supposed to leave at 6:45pm. However, after several delays which put us leaving at 9:50pm, they cancelled the flight! Emma and I were disappointed, of course, but now what was the plan?! I called my sister, Hannah, and told her the situation. She was already on the way to the airport when I called her, and because we flew with a budget airline, there were not enough agents to help people re-book or figure out how to get their money back. Hannah and Josh ended up canceling the flight to Maine, and the airline doesn’t fly to Maine on Tuesday. The next available day to go to Maine was on Wednesday. Emma was disappointed, and so was I, but there was nothing to do but turn around and drive home. 

Hannah and I came up with an alternative plan on Tuesday. At first it looked like we weren’t going to be able to go to Maine, and we were all disappointed about that! However, God provided a way for Emma and I to leave North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon, and return on Monday instead of Friday. So we re-booked the flight, made sure the bags were packed and Emma and I left again on Wednesday afternoon. This time we made it to Maine! Hannah and Josh met us at the airport with their three littles. I drove home with their kids while Hannah and Josh headed to New Hampshire to spend a few days together. It wasn’t the warm-up, get-to-know- you time that we had originally planned on, but it worked! One of the little ones cried off and on on the two plus hour drive home, but overall, they did very well. We arrived at their house late on Wednesday night, so kids went to bed and I crawled in bed too. 

Emma and I spent Thursday, Friday and most of Saturday watching the little ones. Emma had a great time with her cousins, and I think a fun time was had by all. I was able to catch up with my friend, Hannah, and Allison some on Thursday, and Allison and her girls drove up for a visit on Friday. It was cold in Maine! And rainy! And those kind of days are hard on little kids and those watching them! Friday was pretty nice, so I took the kids to the park in the morning, then to get ice cream, and home for nap time! We went back to the park on Saturday morning even though it was a bit dreary and cold. Hannah came home around four pm., as she had dropped Josh off at work. I’m so glad that they were able to get away for a few days together. I very much remember our early days of lots of kids that were too little to watch themselves and desperately needing some time away together. I am so thankful that God orchestrated all the details so that Emma and I could go to Maine to bless them. I told Roger that I had forgotten what it was like to have kids that aren’t independent. You forget how exhausting it is to constantly make meals for everyone, cut up the food, clean up, do the laundry, bath the children, manage the arguing, and all the other things that need to be done. Our kids are of the age that they can make their own food, clean up after themselves, do their laundry, etc. But the years have literally flown by!! It feels like just yesterday I was doing all the things that needed doing for our own kids, and yet here we are! 

Emma and I went to our home church in Maine on Sunday. It was good to see faces that we haven’t seen in a year, and re-connect with a few friends. We met our friends, Jess and her girls, before church so that we could have time to visit together. It was a fast hour, but it was good to have in-person conversations. I’ve missed our close friends, and I was thankful for the opportunity to visit for a few minutes. 

It wasn’t the originally plan to be gone over Father’s Day, but it’s the way it worked out. Roger actually didn’t even get to spend time with the kids either. It has really been the worst week that I could possibly be gone, but yet God has provided for the details of all our children at home. Roger has been busy fighting a fire since Wednesday afternoon. The kids helped in Vacation Bible School on Monday and Tuesday night, and Emma and I left on Wednesday. My friend, Laura, came to the rescue to help make sure our kids didn’t spend days alone at home. They would’ve been fine, but I’m glad they didn’t have to do that. Laura has had the boys at her house every day, and the boys have enjoyed playing basketball, badminton, watching movies, swimming, hiking, and probably eating them out of house and home! We had originally planned to go to the Hardison’s home on Sunday afternoon. I had talked to Tamela and said that Emma and I wouldn’t be there, but Roger and the boys would be coming with some chips and dessert. Then I had to let her know that Roger was fighting a fire, so I’m not sure that the boys would be able to come. Steven and Tamela jumped in to help make sure the boys got to church on Sunday, brought them to their house on Sunday afternoon, and fed them multiple times, I’m sure! We are so thankful for the Everett’s and the Hardison’s jumping in to help us make sure that the boys had someone checking on them, watching over them, etc. The boys are independent, but I also don’t like them spending days by themselves. 

God is good- He gives us exactly what we need. He provided trustworthy friends in North Carolina who are willing to go out of their way to help our children. He provided a way for Emma and I to get to Maine. He gave us an opportunity to connect with old friends. He gave me some extra time to spend with my sister and her little ones. He provided a way for Emma and I to get back to the airport via my friend, Allison, so that the littles didn’t have to travel all the way down to the airport. (And I was thankful for the extra time to have conversations!)He gave moments to reflect on His goodness and faithfulness to our family. He is faithful. I am so blessed. 

It’s been a long and full week. Emma and I are ready to get home- but we are currently waiting in Portland for a delayed flight to take us to North Carolina. I’m looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, seeing our boys again, and spending a few days at home before taking the boys to camp next week. I knew that June would be a busy month…I just didn’t know it would be this busy! 

To all those that I had the opportunity to speak to in person this past week, I am thankful. There’s many others that I would’ve loved to have had the opportunity to speak with and give a hug too, but we just ran right out of time. We reflect on our six years in Maine with great fondness and delight. God taught us so much in our time in Maine. We were introduced to our first experiences with Christian schools. The boys built many forts in the woods behind our house. Garett developed his interest in aviation. God provided Roger with a great boss and friend for five years. Garett, Wyatt and Travis were all baptized in Maine. We discovered fiddleheads, Maine blueberries, and what redemption centers are for in Maine. ( I also have not missed needing to bring along grocery bags or pay deposits for bottles and cans!) We are blessed! 

I’m including a link to another of my favorite songs: 

Update: our flight to North Carolina was canceled last night. It was canceled around 10:30pm, and I will not be flying with Frontier Airlines again. After calling Hannah and Roger, checking flights out of Boston, working out some details, we ended up with a flight for Tuesday morning @ 5:49am. By the time we figured out the flight details, it was nearly 11:00pm, and we would need to be back at the airport by 4:30am, so Emma and I spent the night in the airport sleeping in the chairs. The first place we picked was too cold, so we moved about 1:00am. Then we got a few more hours of sleep until we could go back through security to get ready to board the plane. As I type this, we are praying that we will be boarding and heading home in about an hour- we are ready to be home! Emma has done very well, but we are both tired! 

Arizona to South Dakota to Wisconsin...and to Maine!!

 Well, what can I say? Life is a crazy roller coaster, and sometimes it's big, scary and fast! I'm ever thankful that God is in control of our lives, and He knows exactly where we are! These days I'm writing on the blog, so I can keep up with my own life as I'll never be able to look back and remember what happened and when. 

If you don't want to read the whole blog post, the following are the highlights:

1) We had a little trouble leaving Page, but the Lord showed Himself strong.

2) We visited my sister, Jenn, in a Rapid City, South Dakota.

3) We arrived in Wisconsin on Friday evening.

4) Roger and I left for Maine on Sunday afternoon. 

5) You are missing details by not reading the rest of it but those are the highlights. :)

Okay, so a little review and catch-up on our week! We had a fabulous last Sunday with our church family in Page. They had a cake for us after Sunday night church and blessed our family with a love offering. One sweet lady, Sheila, made me some beaded jewelry, and I was blessed by her kindness. It was such a privilege and a blessing to play the piano for the services, and I will miss doing that on a weekly basis. 

We spent Sunday afternoon packing, cleaning, packing, organizing and pulling more weeds! We had originally thought we'd leave Tuesday morning. However, the packing was going so well that we thought that we could leave on Monday afternoon instead. 

Monday, November 2,

Roger and I worked on cleaning up the last few things in the house and packing stuff up. I'd bring something out to be packed, and Emma would haul stuff back in the house! It wasn't going as well as we had hoped, but then Pastor Ken and his wife, Debbie, offered to take the three youngest children so we could finish up. We picked up a lot of speed on packing once they were off to the Pastors house! We managed to get the last of the sheets washed, the oil in the car changed, and everything else loaded up. We then went to the airport to find the assistant chief pilot as he was supposed to come check on the trailer to make sure everything was tidy before we left. And that's when our smooth sailing abruptly halted! 

 First we had to wait around for him because he was no where to be found. Then when he arrived, I could not believe how picky he was about the trailer! It looked over 100 times better than when we arrived, and six different pilots had lived in the trailer before we came along. Basically, the assistant chief pilot said that when the company rented the trailer the yard was clean of brush and weeds. It was FULL of brush and weeds when we arrived! We cleaned up the front yard so that the kids would have a place to play, and when we received the unpleasant note from the landlord, we raked the brush into piles. However, we had no way of getting rid of the piles of brush. The assistant chief pilot had a trailer he said we could borrow; but he never brought it over to fill, and then they abruptly let everyone go. The assistant chief pilot hinted strongly that he felt that we should stay and clean up the brush and stuff, but I felt that since he's still getting a paycheck and we aren't...he can do it!! There's a bit more to that story here, but suffice it to say that when the inspection was over, it was made clear that we were dismissed. We had thought about just bringing in blankets to sleep on the floor on Monday night since it was already the afternoon. But when the inspection was over, we didn't feel like that was an option. 

It was now almost five o'clock on Monday afternoon, we were already tired, and we had a long ways to go. We will forever be thankful that Pastor Ken and Debbie saw our need, reached out to us, fed us supper, and housed our family on Monday night. God knew that we needed that little bit of Christian fellowship after a long day, and our spirits were revived and encouraged. The Norris family loved our kids, and Wyatt cried when we left Page because he was going to miss Justin (the pastors sixteen year old son). 

Tuesday, November 3,

After breakfast, we gathered up our family and headed out of Page, Arizona. I drove Roger's car, and he drove the suburban with the trailer. I will always be thankful that my dad insisted that we learn to drive stick-shift vehicles!  Our first stop was the gas station, where we discovered that our bank cards were not working! Thankfully we had a back-up plan, but it's always disconcerting when something does not work! Since we were both driving, I was unable to call the bank and figure out the problem. When we stopped for lunch, I called the bank. They said that our account was overdrawn! Say, what?! We discovered that I had forgotten to move money from one account to another during the last few crazy days. We had two overdraft charges at $35.00 each! I talked with the bank manager, and I asked if there was any way that they could waive the fees. Since we have never done anything like this before in our history of banking with them, they graciously waived the overdraft fees. Praise the Lord! 

We traveled 557 miles on Tuesday with three kids, two vehicles, one trailer and a partridge in a pear tree...okay, scratch the last one! We made it to Rock Springs, Wyoming. By the time we arrived at 7:30 pm., we were all cold from the temperature change! 

Wednesday , November 4

We were on the road by seven am. The roads were covered with snow, and it was cold! The kids were looking for blankets and coats, and the roads were wet but safe. We thought that we would arrive in Rapid City, South Dakota, fairly late because of all the snow and weather conditions. However, God blessed with good, safe travels and we arrived by four pm. We had some children that were very, very happy to be out of the vehicle as well as one very happy mama! They did great traveling, but we were all thankful to stay with my sister, Jenn, for a day. My sister plays on a city volleyball league team, so we went to watch her play. Well, actually Roger and I watched the game, Wyatt played on Aunt Jenn's phone, and Travis and Emma climbed all over the bleachers. Travis did find twenty dollars under the bleachers though, so he was very happy! 

On Thursday we spent the day with my sister. She has an apartment at the school, and Emma discovered her classroom...every single class hour! Emma would drop in to way and smile, and the boys played in the apartment and in the gym. It was a fun and relaxing day for us. 

Friday, November 6

We drove and drove and drove! We left at four am, and we drove 332 miles without stopping! The kids traveled great for most of the day, and they knew that they would only get to Nana and Papa's house by driving. It was a long day, but it was nice to get home. I've missed my big boys greatly! 

Sunday, November 8

So...you're wondering what happens now? Well, we are too! However, we do have a few options. Roger and I left this afternoon to drive out to Maine. Yes, Maine! Roger has a job interview this week for a job out there.  This looks like a job that will possibly be for a few years, so we feel it would be best if I came along also. My parents are graciously watching our children...I mean, who wouldn't want to travel another 20 hours after traveling for 27 hours?! I I wish we were flying, but driving is a lot cheaper. This will give Roger and I the opportunity to spend some uninterrupted time alone which is something we haven't had since Feburary. So, in that regards, I am happy to be going. Also, my sister, Hannah, and her husband live in Maine, and we will get to visit them! Yay!!

Please pray for safe travels, wisdom, direction, and patience for my parents as they watch our children.  Our children are so very precious to us, and we desire to make decisions that will be the best for all of us and in Gods perfect will. We are desiring that God's will be made clear and plain to us in the matter of this job pursuit. God promises in Psalm 16:11 "Thou wilt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

We saw this rainbow about an hour after leaving Page. Both Roger and I were reminded of God's many promises to us. I certainly don't know what the future holds, and I'm not a fan of uncertainty but God is faithful! 

CHANGE!! It's coming...again!!

It really is impossible to know where to even begin to try to describe this last week of flying home, visits with my parents, friends, and going to our church. I decided to hit a few of the highlights and leave it at that as you'll probably end up confused anyways. If I don't write it down as it happens or that night, my  brain forgets what I want it to say! (I'm sure none of you have that problem!) 

Anyways, on Tuesday, October 21, I left Page with Garett, Chandler and Emma. The Pastor's wife from our church here offered to take us to Phoenix to catch our flight to Wisconsin. This was a huge blessing as Roger ended up being on a flight on Wednsday morning. It would've been really hard for him to drive down to Phoenix to drop us off and be back for his Wednesday morning flight. I am very, very thankful that Debbie was able to take us to Phoenix. It was raining the morning we left, which is unusual for Arizona. It's a five hour drive to Phoenix, and it rained a good portion of the time we were traveling. When we drove through Flagstaff, Arizona the temperature dropped to 39 degrees, and the roads looked like they had snow on them...it was weird. 

Anyways, I had planned to write a lot more about the highlights of my trip home, but now I have other news to share! Suffice it to say that it was a good trip back, the ladies retreat was different (fun but different), the big boys are staying at my parents, and I was able to visit several of my good friends. I wish I had time to visit with more of my friends, but I'm thankful for the time that I did have visiting and fellowshipping. 

Roger picked up Emma and I at the airport on Tuesday night with Wyatt and Travis. We stayed in a hotel in Phoenix since it is a five hours drive back to Page. On Wednesday we were able to meet up with Rogers parents for a bit, and we enjoyed that time with them. On the way back to Page, we took another trip to the Grand Canyon. Since our time here is coming to a close, we wanted to at least hike a few more trails there. Wyatt and Travis did very well hiking with us, and we had a good time. 

                       

Ahhh....there is so much more I'd love to say but on to the next thing! Roger had a flight yesterday and a flight this morning. I was able to go on the flight with Roger this morning and the office ladies kept their eye on Emma. It was enjoyable to see the landscape that God created and that Roger flys over almost every day. He's a great pilot, and I am thankful to see him use his love for flying in a job that he enjoys doing. After the flight we came home to start working on our yard. Apparently the landlord thinks that the yard needs to be cleaned up and all the weeds and brush ripped out. Umm...I didnt do it! It was like this when we came here. However, we received a rather unpleasant note from them insisting that we clean up the yard, and they would be inspecting the property in a few days. Wow! I'm not opposed to cleaning up the brush, but the yard was a haven for snakes when we arrived! Oh well, we are doing our best to help them be happy with us. 

But that's not the big news! We are leaving Arizona....this week! While we were in the yard this morning cleaning up, the assistant chief pilot came by to inform us that all the pilots are being let go, and Rogers job is terminated as of midnight tonight! What?! Wow! We had just asked yesterday if we could plan on being here until the 15th or if Roger would be done early. They informed us that it would be at least the  10th of November but probably the 15th. It was a sudden decision, and to be honest, I'm not thrilled. I feel like I was looking forward to the two weeks to say good by to our church people here, visit a few more trails one last time, and spend time enjoying time with our three youngest children. Now we spent the day like crazy people trying to clean up the trailer, pack up our stuff, and inform Pastor Ken and his wife, Debbie, that we are leaving. Roger called Pastor Ken to tell him about the sudden change of plans, and they immediately asked how they could help. They brought over lunch and visted with us. We have certainly enjoyed getting to know them, and God directed us to Navajo Baptist church at just the perfect timing for us to be blessed by their friendship to us. We will miss them, I will miss playing the piano for services, and we have been so blessed by their lives. 

                     

    

We spent the remainder of the afternoon loading up brush (We aren't don't yet!), and cleaning out shelves and cupboards. We asked Pastor Ken and Debbie if they would like our pantry items, toilet paper, and other useful items that might be a blessing to someone, and we don't want to haul across the country. We stopped by their place in the evening to drop off a bunch of stuff, and again stayed to visit for a while with them. The have become our dearest friends here in Arizona, and we thank God for them. God knew exactly what He was doing when He directed us to Navajo Baptist Fellowship Church. 

I woke up early this morning to take a run on the trail one last time. It turned into a walk as I texted my pastor's wife in Wisconsin and chatted with her this morning. While we don't know what the future holds, we do know WHO holds the future. I am blessed to have such Godly people in my life. 

Tonight after church, we had cake and snacks together. Roger and I shared a little bit about our lives and how we came to Arizona and why we are leaving now. It was a good time to interact with the people, and we have been blessed by that church family. A lady, Sheila, gave me a gift of jewelry that she had made for me. It's beautiful! Our pastors wife, Debbie, gave me some essential oil muscle rub that is fabulous. We've come to love and appreciate this group of believers, and we thank God for them. No matter where we go, good byes are always a bit painful. However, God directs for certain times and for "such a time as this". 

So...what happens now? Well, your guess is as good as mine! Just kidding! We do know a few things! We are returning to Wisconsin this week, and my parents have graciously consented to let us live in their basement while we pursue the next step. Roger has a job opportunity in Maine that he will be trying to look into. There is also the possibility of a job in Michigan. Truthfully though, we just don't know. We know that we need to find work to provide for our family, but we want to make sure that God is directing our paths not money or the need to "hurry up and find a job". We are looking forward to being in our home church in Wisconsin until God gives clear direction. I'll be honest....I'm not very good at this insecurity and instability, but God knows my heart. He gives me peace, and Roger is very good at not making hasty decisions. I'm so very blessed to be married to Roger, and I don't take that lightly. 

We are so very thankful for each one of you that take the time to read the blog, pray for us, and have helped us in so many ways. We are thankful for each and every one of you! 

                        

Two Weeks? Half Marathon? It is Possible...but Probably Not Recommended!

Disclaimer: Do not try this at home! I wouldn't recommend to anyone to run a half marathon without training for it. It is hard work, and it is hard on your body. This is just my story of why I chose to do what I did. You'd have to be a few fries short of a happy meal to try this, and I am not endorsing that anyone should do it. I do happen to be a little crazy, and I enjoyed this experience. However, do not try this at home without consulting your physician first! 

                        

A little over two weeks ago, the office ladies where Roger works asked me what I do for fun in Page. I said that I was pretty busy with homeschooling, keeping up with the laundry, making meals, etc. I said that in my spare time I liked to go running or walking. Immediately one of the ladies suggested that I should run in the Lake Powell half-marathon on October 17. Hmm...it's already October 4, so that doesn't give me a very long time to train! I told the ladies that I wasn't that good, and that the farthest I had run since coming to Page was four miles which is a far cry from thirteen miles! However, the ladies where so encouraging and really wanted me to run in the half marathon. Problem number two was the cost! It was expensive! I would be signing up as a late entry, so the money would be more. But both the ladies handed me money to put towards it, and they told me I should sign up. 

I went home and googled "how to train for a half marathon in two weeks". Well, guess what? No one had a training program for building up miles for a half marathon in two weeks! My confidence in myself was sadly lacking, and I told Roger that maybe I should just give the ladies back their money. The next day I decided to go out and see if I could run six miles. Although six miles is a far cry from thirteen miles, I needed to know if I could at least go that far! I made it, but I still was very unsure about actually signing up for the marathon. 

Over the next week, I thought about it, prayed about it, and increased my core strength training exercises. I know from my past running experiences that having a strong core will prevent several injuries. I wouldn't be able to put in the miles needed to train for this half marathon, unless I was going to kill myself trying. I also cut out all soda and sugar in an effort to give myself as much of a jump start as possible! I just did what I could do, and I signed up to do it. Roger and my friend, Jenna, had far more confidence in me than I did! But running a half marathon is on my list of goals for 2015, and I knew I probably wouldn't get another opportunity! 

The weather forecast for race day was predicted to be rainy, but this is a rain or shine event. Although it did rain quite a bit on Friday and during the night, Saturday was overcast and 58 degrees. Perfect weather for running a half marathon in my opinion. I texted a few of my friends about the race on Saturday, and I asked for specific prayer requests. I've been struggling with a UTI all week, so I knew that I might have to take advantage of those porta potties on the course!  My sister, Hannah, gave me some suggestions of some medicine that might help, so I tried out those this week. Although the UTI is much improved, it is still not completely better. It's challenging to run when you feel like you need to pee! 

Roger was not supposed to be on any of the morning flights on Saturday, and we were both thankful that he would be able to cheer me on at the race. However, that is not how it worked out! He ended up having a flight at nine am. On Saturday which meant that he needed to be at the airport at eight am. But the race was starting at 6:30, so what about our kids? Thankfully, the office ladies told Roger that the kids could stay at the office while he flew. While I was thankful to have that dilemma solved, it also meant that Roger wouldn't be able to see much of the race. We both agreed that waking the kids up for the start of the race would be pointless. And the race was going to be coming right past our road, so at least the kids could see a brief glimpse of mom. I was bummed a bit as Roger is my biggest cheer leader, but there was nothing that we could do about the situation. 

Saturday morning came early! Since the race was starting at the city park, I just decided it would be the easiest if I just walked there by myself on race day. I walked to the park at 5:30 am., and I wondered what I had gotten myself into! Who runs a half marathon without even really training for it? Would I be one of the last people to cross the finish line? Maybe I should just go home and go back to bed? But I kept walking to the park. After all, running a half marathon is on my list of goals for 2015, so I needed to get it done. It was a nice morning at about 58 degrees and overcast. 

Here are some things I learned at this half marathon:

1) IF you are going to run a half marathon without training, you should pick someone to be your buddy thru it. It would've been a lot funner to have a running buddy (Jenna Shubert) along to whine and complain about how hard it is, and what where we thinking! 

2) I will probably never be one of those runners that carries a hydration backpack. In the first half mile, I realized that I needed to avoid the runners that had those backpacks. Why? Well the sound of the water sloshing in the pouch made me need to use the bathroom even worse! (Definitely avoid those people if you have a UTI!)

3) I'm really thankful that this race had porta potties at the mile markers three, five, seven, nine, and eleven! And, no, I didn't stop at each one! 

4) This is a fun course! It has a few hills (the one at mile nine seems impossibly long, but the course is beautiful! I think I had an advantage by knowing the route of the course and having run parts of it as it made the miles go by faster.

5) Because the bike pacer (the person in the very front who leads the racers in a race) went the wrong way at the very beginning of the race, we ended up running 13.8 miles instead of 13.1 miles! I heard my phone buzz me a text during the race, but I wasn't going to pause or slow up to look at my messages. It was the race association sending out a text saying that everyone would be running a bit longer today. During the race I wondered if my running app on my phone was off because my app was not lining up with the mile markers of the race and that would be why! I learned that my body can run farther than I would've imagined it could go. I walked through the water stops at miles five and nine...and used the porta potties at those stops too. Other than those walking breaks, I didn't stop running. 

6) Running  a half marathon is like having a baby...how is that? Here is my anology:

      1-3 miles are fun and everyone is having a good time. Just like when the first easy contractions start and you are so happy to finally be having a baby!

     4-6 miles are a little more intense. It's becoming hard work, and you are wondering if you are up for all of this. Just like in labor when you are wondering how long this might take, and should you get an epidural now. 

       7-9 miles you are seriously wondering about your sanity! You are wondering why you signed up for this, and whose idea was this race?! Just like in labor when you are thinking about forgetting the epidural and just telling the doctor to give you a c-section! 

    10-13 miles you realize that you are almost to the end. You've at least run three miles before so you know you can finish...even if you started walking. As in labor, this is comparable to the "getting ready to push" stage as you realize that soon you will be holding your baby in your arms. 

     13.1 miles...you did it! You are so relieved to finally be done, and you tell yourself that it wasn't that bad and that you'd do it again someday. This is like the part when you finally hold your baby in your arms, and you smile with love at your baby. Then you look up at your husband and say, "it wasn't too bad, and look how beautiful he is!" 

It is a sense of accomplishment to run a half marathon. And although I am sore a bit today, and I am very, very thankful for my husband, kids, and friends that encouraged me through texts or calls. I am going to include how I did in the race. I'm not trying to brag by any means, but I do want to have a memory of what I accomplished yesterday. 

I placed #326 out of 1072 runners. I was the 156 woman to cross the finish line, and I placed 33 in my age division of women ages 30-34. There were 187 women in this age catagory. I did much better than I anticipated that I would do. I ran 13.8 miles in a time of 2:19:11. 

While I wouldn't recommend running a half marathon without training, I have no regrets about doing this one. It encouraged me in ways that I didn't know that I needed to be encouraged, it renewed my confidence in what I can do, and my husband's unselfishness was once again seen as he encouraged me and challenged me to take on this half marathon. I am blessed. 

Erupting Volcanoes...I mean Children!

This week started off on the rough side, and that would be saying it mildly! We've been having some struggles with the boys on attitudes, obedience, speaking unkind words, and anger. I've been at my wits end to try to help them solve their problems; and even after repeatedly pouring out my problems to the Lord, I didn't seem to be any closer to a solution. Since Roger has been so busy with flights, I thought maybe part of the problem was that the weren't getting enough daddy time. However, there wasn't much I could do about that one! I took one son on a date last week, and I told Roger that I didn't really feel that he had opened up much or that anything had been resolved. But life doesn't stop and give us time to solve our problems, the next day's rolls around and pretty soon I feel like I'm wallowing in pea soup trying to figure out which end is up! 

                         

 

Sunday was a rough day for our family. After church on Sunday night, we had a discussions with our children about their actions and how unacceptable their behavior was. However, you know the discussion isn't going well, when you pause and one of the children asks, "can we get a treat at McDonald's?"  What they were hearing was "blah, blah, blah", so we drove to McDonalds for treats instead....just kidding!! Well we did go to McDonald's, but it was for treats for mom, dad and Emma; and I didn't enjoy it very much with hearing sobs from the back seat from four sad boys! 

When we arrived home, we sent the kids inside and sat in the truck. I felt like we were failing big time in the parenting arena, but neither of us knew how to solve the problems we were facing. I felt like just ignoring the problem, but we knew that we wouldn't solve anything doing that. So instead we pulled ourselves out of the truck, and we went to assure our children of our love and put them to bed. After praying with them and kissing them goodnight, we sat on the couch to lick our parenting wounds like two hurting puppies. However, in a few minutes, one of our children came out to talk to us. He explained how frustrated he has been by his lack of personal space, and how he feels like his only friend is Dad. He was like an erupting volcano of emotions, feelings, and tears. As I sat there and listened to this young boy express all his bottled up feelings, I was thinking to myself how much easier this could've been if I had known about these struggles about six weeks ago! It explained a lot of things to me, and it helped Roger and I know how to try to handle certain situations. I don't know about other families that have boys, but in ours it seems like aggression feeds aggression. And by that I mean, if one boy stirs up the pot of fighting or getting angry, in two seconds flat there can be a pile of boys on the floor! God has given boys the ability to be leaders and to stand up for themselves, which is great if you're standing for the right cause...not so great if you're just refusing to back down to another brother! In our case, it's just been a case of four volcanoes simmering beneath the surface waiting for one to erupt. And erupt it did! Although it was a late night for us, I feel like our volcanoes have erupted and been cleaned out. They are ready for a fresh start in communication with us, and our eyes have been opened to problems. God did answer my prayers, and we are, I believe, on the way to a fresh start. 

Monday was a much better day for all the boys. They got along better, played better together, focused better on their schoolwork (always room for improvement there!), and helped out with much better attitudes. Wyatt did the dishes for me without asking, but Chandler ended up dumping his milk down the sink as it had soap bubbles in it! Hmm...I think Wyatt used plenty of soap, and he didn't include very much rinsing! I will be sure to rinse those dishes before using them! 

On Monday night we spent some time looking through old pictures. We picked up the computer last week in Flagstaff, so Roger wanted to take some of the pictures off of it. However, he was distracted by all the memories, and before long there were six other people sitting with him on the couch. We looked through memories of when Wyatt was born, and then Travis, our trip to Alaska (which I was surprised how much they remembered and all the good memories they have of that time), and when Emma was born. It was a fun time as a family to look back at all the memories and see how good God has been to us.

Tuesday was a busy day with homeschooling, Roger flying, and we had company for dinner. The pastor and his family came over for supper. They have their two grandsons visiting this week, ages nine and two, and the boys had so much fun with them! The trailer was vibrating with the sounds of nerf gun wars, laughter, and slingshots, but it was a great time. I'm so glad we made the effort to have them over. It's challenging to have people over for dinner when we don't even have enough room to seat our own family, but it was a blessing to have fellowship with their family. They are praying that God provides a job here in Page....I can't say as I'm there yet! 

Wednesday is always a busy day, but it was busier today since I needed to get the laundry done. Chandler came with me to do the laundry and finish his book reading assignment for the day. He is always diligent to hunt for money at the laundromat, and this time he was rewarded with fifty-three cents! While I do enjoy these moments to spend with my children one on one, I will also be very, very, thankful when God allows us to have a house with a washing machine again!

By the time we finished the laundry, it was time to run home and make supper for the church dinner. We did manage to get to church on time, but Roger had a flight so he didn't make it on time. I know the pastor is trying to encourage the church people to be on time as he has started implementing a policy of starting on time no matter how many are there. So we started the service with just ourselves and the pastors family, but eventually people start trickling in. Since I tend to be a time concious person, I like to start on time. But I can also understand that habits are  hard for people to change, and it all takes consistency. 

Wednesday was also Roger's last day of being busy with flights. The tourist season is really starting to come to a close, the houseboats are being pulled out of the lake, and there aren't as many buses in town. Although the season contract is until the middle of November, we are praying that God gives clear direction before the fifteenth of November. 

We appreciate your prayers! 

A Date, A Rainstorm, and Going Home!

After our adventures to Flagstaff last week, this week has been kinda boring! Although the days do pass by, the schooling is stumbled through, and the clock keeps ticking, so we are surviving! 

On Monday we had the pilots over to our house for supper. There are a few new ones as of late, including one very dark-skinned fellow from Nigeria, Africa. Emma is slowing warming up to him, but she was very uncertain at first. I think he misses his family a lot at he brought treats for the kids, and he seemed to really enjoy visiting with our family. I'm hoping that we can have the pilots over again next Monday. The kids really enjoying interacting with the pilots, and although the pilots might not always have the cleanest words come out of their mouths, I appreciate the fact that they are considerate of the way we are trying to raise our kids. They are always respectful when we pray before meals, and I do appreciate that. It was a good visit and a hearty meal of lots of pasta (that's cheap!) sauce, chicken,  and salad. 

On Tuesday Roger was busy with many flights, I was busy with school, and the day went by quickly. The children look forward to Tuesday nights as it is the Awana night. Chandler has been busy memorizing verses, Garett plods along through the verses, and Wyatt and Travis go along with the brothers! It's been good for them to interact with the kids at church, and Garett has a great teacher in his class. The other boys have good teachers also, but I certainly appreciate the teachers that make an extra effort to get to know the kids in their class. (It's also probably a relief for Garett to have a teacher that is patient and understanding, since that is one area that I am desperately asking the Lord to help me!) 

Since the kids went to Awana's, Roger and I had a date. Of course our chaperone came along in the form of a little girl named Emma. We went to the exciting place of the laundromat! It was actually a pleasant time to sit and visit while we waited for the laundry to wash. We had to scramble to get it all dry before the laundromat closed. Apparently they don't mind if they are late to open, but they definitely want to close on time! And since the laundromat doesn't have a closing time posted, they seem to close when they feel like it. However, the laundry did get washed and dried, and even if it's not folded, I'm thankful to have that much done.

Wednesday is always a busier day with schooling, cooking for the church potluck meal, and folding all that laundry! Roger, Emma, and I took a walk to the grocery store to pick up an item I needed for the dish I was making for the church potluck. On the way there, Emma wanted to get out of the stroller to walk for a bit. So, she walked along the sidewalk, and it was going well until she accidently fell into a cactus bush! She had lots of prickers in her hands, and I imagine that it was quite painful. She apparently remembers the pain because on the way back she commented on the "bad bush". I also had a special blessing at church on Wednesday. One of the ladies handed me two containers of oatmeal and two bags of pancake/waffle mix. It will be perfect for filling the bellies of small children, and not so hot for keeping a mama trim! I am very thankful for her thoughtfulness to our family, and this  was the first time a family in the church has reached out to us this way. It truly brightened up my day. 

Thursday was a little bit of a slower morning for Roger, so he filled out applications and updated his resume. The contract ends in just a few weeks, so we are fervently praying for the next step. After the boys were started on their school work, I decided to take Garett on an impromptu date. This boy has been my greatest struggle as of late as I feel like I can't relate to teaching him. However, it's not all about academic progress, but also about character development. I have felt that I am losing my relationship with my oldest child over our struggles, and I just wanted to spend some time with him to assure him that I do love him for who he is...and the young man that God is wanting him to become. We ate lunch together, went to the library, and took a hike on one of the many trails. It was good to interact with him, and it will hopefully help our relationship become stronger. Unfortunately, schooling was relatively easy for me, and I have a hard time relating to this young child who can't seem to grasp the concepts. As I've said before, God is teaching me more about myself in the homeschooling journey than I am teaching my children. 

A good friend, Katie, recently sent me a book on homeschooling. It has been eye opening, and it is helping me understand a little bit more about this mom/teacher/wife/homemaker role that I'm trying to fulfil. It's called Love the Journey, and I'm looking forward to finishing it. 

Friday was an unusual day for us. Remember last week we left our computer in Flagstaff to get some work done on it? It was done on Wednesday, but the only day we could all go together to get it was on Friday. We planned to leave early in the morning, pick up the computer, have lunch at the park, and then go to Bearizona. Bearizona is kinda like Bear County U.S.A. Except it's in Arizona. However, that was not how the plan went. Roger ended up having a flight even though they had already told him he could have the day off. So instead of getting on the road at 8:00, we didn't get on the road until close to 11:30. It was more of a quick trip to Flagstaff, a run to Sam's Club (to pick up the items I forgot last week), and supper together before returning back to Page. The boys were disappointed to not be able to go to Bearizona, but we knew that we wouldn't have enough time to really enjoy it if we tried to squeeze it in. 

It also rained for two days this week, and it was the first real rainstorm we've had. The boys delighted in making mud pies, filling up containers with water, and digging holes because the ground was soft! The lake rose six inches during the rain storm, so it was two days of significant rain! Since the lock on our door isn't very secure, the boys pitched in by helping to burglar proof our yard. With all the holes that are in our yard, I'd strongly suggest a flashlight after dark! 

                     

  

Meanwhile, while our friends at home are putting on layered clothing, sipping on pumpkin spice lattes, and enjoying fall colors, we are running the air conditioner, wearing short sleeves and shorts, and drinking iced coffee! It does cool down here in the evening to about 55 degrees, but it still warms up during the day to about 80-85 degrees. However, when we went to Flagstaff which is at 7,000 feet, and the mountain peaks are at 12,200 feet, the mountain peaks had snow on them! The boys have starting wearing  long sleeves in the mornings, but while everyone else is wearing sweat shirts and boots, we are still wearing flip flops and t-shirts! 

So, life in Page is on a whole different level from many things. Roger took me to get coffee this morning, and because we were short on time we went to McDonalds drive thru for coffee. The drive thru might be lacking in service when the people in the drive thru put their cars in park and turn them off as they wait for their order to be taken! Oh my word!! It was a little ridiculous, but after talking with others in town, apparently it's a fairly common occurrence. I decided that if Roger and I were ever going to open a business, it would be a coffee shop. With all the tourists that come through, you'd think the town would offer a coffee shop with an Internet cafe open until like ten pm. That is not the case, Starbucks closes at 6:30 pm. There is not another place to get coffee up on the mesa where all the tourists are at. McDonald's offers coffee...if you don't mind the wait...but it's not on the mesa, so it would be a ways to walk for coffee. Not that I'm planning on starting a business any time soon, I'm just saying! 

And now for the big news: I'm going home! Our church in Oshkosh is having a ladies retreat in two weeks, and I have been praying that God would allow me to go. It didn't seem like it was going to work out, but my mom has suggested that maybe I should let the older two boys stay at their house for a week or two. She will teach them school, and it would give me a chance to focus on Wyatt and Travis. Roger and I prayed about it for several weeks, and we decided that maybe it would be best for my relationship with Garett if my mom taught him for a bit. So, I will be flying to Wisconsin at the end of the month along with Garett, Chandler, and Emma. The two little boys will stay here, and Emma and I will only be gone a few days. Since Roger's contract is up on November 15, we will figure out how to get our family back together as the time gets closer. The older two are very excited about fishing with Papa, their friends, and a different teacher. As much as I am going to miss them, I am excited that they have the opportunity have this experience. I love them to pieces, but I think this will be a good thing. We have a lot of decisions to make in the next few weeks, and we need lots of prayers as we continue to wait on God's perfect timing. Roger was offered a job in another state, but it would still be a transition job and not one where we could stay for a year or two. However, November 15 is coming up quickly, so please keep us in your prayers!

Oh, and in other news, I might be running in a half marathon this Saturday. Apparently, the Internet does not offer training plans for training for thirteen miles in a 1 1/2 weeks! I'll let you know if I do it! 

                      

                        

  

   

Flagstaff Memories and a Rough Day

Monday, September 28

Roger just had one flight today, so we decided to take a trip to Flagstaff. The flight was supposed to be at eleven, but the tour bus was late. We didn't get on the road until 12:30 pm., and Roger had to be back for a flight tomorrow at two pm on Tuesday.  We knew it would be a rushed trip, but there are a few things we really need. 

We arrived in Flagstaff about 3:00 pm., it took a little longer than the gps anticipated due to some road construction. The challenging thing about visiting Flagstaff was the fact that it's a new city to us. We didn't know where anything was located, so we knew it would take a bit of time to figure out where we were at and where we needed to go. However, Flagstaff does have a Chickfila restaurant, so we stopped there to use the wifi, let the kids play, and plan out the trip. While we were at Chickfila, we decided that we should probably get a hotel room for the night. Since it was already four pm, there was no way that we could get everything done before the stores closed and the kids became crabby! I had thought that we might need to stay in a  hotel, so I had packed clothes and necessities just in case. We found a hotel that was in our budget, and Roger was able to get a discount because of his pilot's license. Yay!

We went to Staples to look for a computer since our other one is running very slowly, and we are trying to perhaps use a different curriculum for Garett. However, there was nothing in our price range.  But I did find a few school items and a few water bottles. I also had a gift card! After that stop, it was approaching six pm, and the kids were ready for some activity. So, Roger decided to stay at the hotel and take the kids swimming, while I went to do some grocery shopping. I visited three different grocery stores, just because I had options. I found organic chicken for $1.77 lb, cantaloupe 2/$1.00, and a few other good bargains! We prayed very specifically that God would help us spend our money wisely, and He directed me to find the right stores to shop at. I also found the Target Department store, and I wandered around for a bit simply because I had that option. I had a good time shopping, and I'm thankful that Roger could take the kids swimming. I kinda doubt that they would've enjoyed going to several grocery stores! 

It was a late night for everyone by the time we ate supper, got ready for bed, and figured out what we needed to get done in the morning. We needed to leave Flagstaff at eleven to be sure that Roger would be back in time for the flight. So we were up early the next morning to tackle the rest of the errands. We took a trip to Sam's Club in the morning to pick up our dairy products. Sam's Club offers a five pound bag of cheese for $12.92, but cheese in Page runs about $9.98 for a TWO pound bag! So we stocked up on cheese, butter, and diapers at Sam's Club! 

Flagstaff is a beautiful city. The surroundings are completely different from Page, Arizona, and it was a welcome change for our family to see trees and mountains. Flagstaff is located along historic Route 66, and it has a very cute downtown with lots of classy shops...a nice place of for a date walk, but not for five kids! It was fun to drive around the city though, and check out all the different stores and shopping options. 

We left Flagstaff around 10:30am on Tuesday, as Roger was on a flight at 2:30 pm. We did stop at a pawn shop on the way out of town to look at a few bikes. We didn't find one, and if we had, I don't know how we would've made it fit in the truck! However, there was a used computer there that we thought might work for Garett's school. The pawn shop owner was very nice, and said that if it didn't work out we would need to return it within a week to get our money back. We decided to buy it since it was in our price range, and it seemed like a good purchase for the price. 

We arrived back in Page around 1:00pm, and Roger left for his afternoon flight. Myself and the kids unloaded the truck and put away all the groceries. Then the kids played outside while I made supper, and planned out the menu for the rest of the week. Since it was Tuesday night, the kids had AWANA, and they were very excited about going again. I'm very thankful that this opportunity is available to them. 

Wednesday, September 30

It was a horrible, terrible, no-good very bad day as the book about that bear declares! Roger had an early morning flight, and he was back by about nine am. I had already started school with the kids, but when Roger walked in, I walked out. I was frustrated, upset, and I even told Roger that I didn't care if the children grew up stupid. Of course, I care! I felt like I needed to get away and take a breather, but there was no where to go, and no one to go see to spend time with.

 Roger is awesome and amazing with the kids, but he also worked every single day in September with at least one flight. Sometimes, I just want someone to talk to that offers adult conversation! I decided to go for a run to clear my head and my thinking. It was just me and God and that's the way I needed it to be. 

I realized on my run that I've been angry and frustrated with the Lord. I want to have friends for dinner! I want to have play dates! I want to have coffee with a mommy friend! I miss my routine and stability of life back home! I want homeschooling to be easy, and why is it this hard?! I want my family to live down the road so that I have someone I trust to watch the kids! I want to have a date with my husband! I want to have a home again! I basically unleashed my burdens on the Lord as I vented, and cried, and re-grouped  my thoughts. For the record, it is very difficult to get into a running pattern when you're having a emotional conversation with Jesus! However, in the midst of my turmoil, I was reminded of so many Scriptures that offer promises to me. "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart." And dozens of other promises from God's Word. God didn't promise me an easy path (which I want) but He did promise that He will go with me every step of the way. I wish I knew what God has for our family once this job is over, but God hasn't directed us that far yet. But I do know that He will be faithful and to that promise I cling. 

When I arrived home, Roger was working with the boys on schoolwork. We managed to finish most of what we needed to do, and everyone took a nap. Roger had another flight, but he was back in time for church. He also told me that his plane is due for an annual, so he wouldn't be flying for the next two days. Yay! 

Roger worked on getting the new computer up and running, but we discovered that the disks that Garett has for his school are for windows 7 and lower. The computer we bought has windows 8. We talked about it, and decided we needed to return the computer. However, we had purchased a new mouse and keyboard to go with the computer becaue the wireless ones that came with it were not working. But....a certain child discovered that we had purchased a new keyboard, so he decided to take apart the one that had come with the computer! A very unhappy mama came out to discover that we couldn't return the computer with the keyboard it came with as it was in pieces! So, it was a forty dollar charge basically to try out the computer since we had to return the computer with the new mouse and keyboard. Originally, we had planned on returning the mouse and keyboard we bought to Walmart, but we needed to give them back with the computer when we returned it! Ahhh.....frustrated parents!! So, guess what? Two trips to Flagstaff in one week is unusual since we haven't been anywhere in about four weeks. However, we needed to get the money back, so we decided to go back to  Flagstaff. 

Thursday, October 1

Since Roger would have off the next two days because of the annual on his plane, we decided to take a trip to the Grand Canyon on the way to Flagstaff. It was a field trip and a teacher's retreat except the teacher had to bring along the students! The boys were excited about going to see the Grand Canyon...until we arrived. I think they were a bit disappointed, honestly. We have canyons practically in our back yard; and although they aren't as big or majestic as the Grand Canyon, the concepts are the same. To be honest and fair, the Grand Canyon is huge, beautiful, and majestic, but if I had to pick a national park to visit, I'd pick a different one. In my personal opinion, Zion National Park in Utah is prettier, offers a wider variety of scenery, and a more scenic drive through the park. However, yes, the Grand Canyon is grand! 

While we were at the Grand Canyon, a Asian man came up to Roger. He asked if all these kids were ours, and Roger said yes. The man said that he appreciated the fact that we didn't follow the typical one child per family rule that they have in his country. He was fascinated with our family and offered to take our picture. It was an interesting experience, because we just get used to having them around, but this man couldn't fathom what having five kids would be like. (Sometimes, I have a hard time fathoming it also, but then I'm reminded that I'm the mom!) 

After the Grand Canyon experience, we traveled on to Flagstaff. We returned the computer and got our money back. We looked at a few bikes in the city, but we didn't decide on one yet. And we took our old computer to a computer repair place to see if they could fix the problems on it. It was a very enjoyable day, and it was very relaxing to have Roger around for two days! 

Friday, October 2,

Roger's plane was finished today, so he actually had a flight this afternoon. We thought he would have two whole days off, but that's okay. At least we had one whole day to do something fun and different as a family. 

Saturday, October 3

I made home made cinnamon rolls for treats for the pilots today. It started out as two whole pans, but the boys quickly brought the count down to one and one-half pans! My word, these kids can eat!! It was a day full of laundry, flights for Roger, trips to the park, cleaning the house, and catching up on the few things that needed to be caught up on. Roger was gone all day today except for a 1/2 hour break between flights. He walked in the door a little after dark, and he was tired! He loves flags and it's a gift that the Lord gave him. I know Roger is searching for the next place the Lord would have us to be, but we are at a loss for peace and answers. However, November is right around the corner, and time is running out. Please pray for wisdom and direction as we seek God's will for the next step in our lives. 

A few funny moments:

The city park in Page always has people sleeping in it no matter what time of day it is. We've never passed by the park without seeing several people sleeping there (most of them sleeping off a drunken stupor, unfortunately). However, the weather is getting a little cooler in the mornings, so one morning when we passed by the park, only one person was in the park. It was rather humorous to hear Travis announce that "hey, Mom, there is only one person sleeping in the park today. I wonder where everyone else is." 

I realized that I've been having a blond moment. Roger often talks about his flights and how they went. He often refers to flying at five thousand feet. I've often thought to myself, "what is there to take pictures of at five thousand feet?" However, just this week I realized that if Page is at 4,300 feet above sea level,  then Roger isn't that high off the ground! Don't ask me why it took me so long to figure that out because I don't know, but Roger had a good chuckle over it! 

A Date? One-stop Shopping? Wow!

Tuesday, September 22

So, Roger, Emma, and I had a date night! I know you are wondering what we did with the other children! Our children were invited to the AWANA program at a church here in town. It's a huge outreach in the community, and another Baptist church in town runs the program. We had seen the signs  on the church, at the post office, at the library, and at the grocery store. Many of the children from the church we are attending also go the AWANA program, and they invited our children. The four boys are old enough to attend, so we decided to take them to look into the program. We were impressed by how well it's organized, planned, and put together. There were over fifty kids there! It's every Tuesday night at 6:30 pm. The boys had a great time, and they are looking forward to going back next week. Roger and I were able to squeeze in a quick date to the grocery store, and it provided us with a much needed date...except of course, Emma came along! 

When we arrived at the church to look into the AWANA program, we discovered that it would be $30.00 a child for the program. We weren't sure if we could afford $120.00 for the kids to attend AWANAs, but we also feel that it's important for them to have something that they can look forward to every week. The secretary suggested that we could pay in increments if that was easier. We put $45.00 towards it, but Roger and I still need to come up with the rest of it. It seems like quite a bit of money since we aren't sure if we will be here past November, but it's also important for the kids. However, God always has a plan and a purpose. When Roger and I arrived back early to pick up the kids, the secretary mentioned that she needed to talk to us. Apparently, the director had discussed our situation with her, and the church will be paying for two of the kids to attended!! Wow! My heart was blessed and my faith encouraged by hearing that. Of course, I also had to wipe away a few tears at how good God is to us. The kids had a great time,  and they are working on their verses for next week. 

Wednesday, September 23

We are half way through another week of school! We spent some time reading books, and we are planning on a library trip on Friday. I was hoping that we would be able to go to the big city either Thursday or Friday, but Rogers schedule is pretty busy. I'm up for a lot of things, but driving 2 1/2 hours to the big city, and then shopping with five children, does not necessarily sound like FUN! However, it may become necessary as this Wisconsin family is almost out of all our cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, and everything else dairy! I've discovered a lot of great savings on some groceries by shopping on Amazon, but that company doesn't ship dairy...go figure! I mean, why not, it's only 86 degrees?! 

Every Wednesday, the church has dinner before the service. My mother has taught me well on many things including bringing plenty of food to church dinners! But, on the other hand, we have yet to come home with leftovers. I haven't decided if that's because I'm a good cook, or because people are very hungry! We made cookies, pasta and meatballs, jello, and bread. Well, Walmart made the bread to be honest. My family is still suffering the effects of my efforts of bread making in Alaska. Let's just say that is not my forte! I was able to play the piano for church tonight. I don't know if anyone else was blessed by it, but I certainly was blessed by playing! Playing the piano soothes my soul, and I feel like the music and the words come alive...I love it! I'd also love to start the boys on piano lessons, but I think I'm going to wait on that for a while. After all what would they practice on? Chandler suggested that we could build a piano out of cardboard and paint the keys on it. I'm certainly not trying to shoot down his ideas and that would be easier on the ears, but I think probably not! 

Friday, September 25

Today I'm just praising Jesus that we made it through another week of school. One of my good friends from back home suggested trying a different method of education with Garett, so we are working to get that set up this weekend. It's more of a computer based education, which might be able  to help me give more time to the other three students in school as well. I do have one question? Why is it when it doesn't matter if something works or not, it works fine; but if you need it to work, it breaks? Case in point is our computer as it has been slowing down over the last few months. However, when I went to try to use it for Garett's education, the thing wouldn't cooperate! Ahh...technology and I are not good friends either! (You're probably wondering what on earth I am good at, right? I'm not good a bread making, or homeschooling, or technology. However, I am very, very good at...ha, when I figure it out, I'll let you know!) But back on track, I will get Garett set up for a new change this weekend, Lord willing! I am willing to continue on with the curriculum that we have, but I am also learning to try other suggestions. 

        Sometimes the living room looks like this when we finish school. But it's  a small space so it doesn't take long to clean up! 

Saturday, September 26

Roger was gone for the majority of the day with multiple flying tours. Emma was up by 6:15 am., so I guess she didn't realize that it's Saturday! Chandler helped me make monkey bread and apple pie enchiladas for the pilot's treat this morning. It gives us a chance to be a blessing to the pilots, and it gives me an opportunity to bake with the kids. (It's a way to practice education without them realizing what is happening.) 

One of the maintenance mechanics came up to Roger yesterday and asked if if he bought a lottery ticket. Roger was suprised and of course replied that he's never boughten a lottery ticket. The mechanic replied that he should have bought one because Roger had amazing luck. Roger was completely confused and asked him what he was talking about. The mechanic showed Roger the rim of one of the tires off of his airplane. Part of the metal rim had snapped off, and the mechanic said that Roger must have had one very smooth landing to be able to land the airplane without puncturing the tire. Apparently, another pilot had mentioned that he had spotted debri on the runway when taking off. So, the mechanics had gone out the the runway to find the debri. They found the metal piece of rim, and as a precaution they had inspected all of the airplanes that the company owned. They discovered that Rogers plane was the one with the metal rim missing, and it must have happened on the last flight of the day. So I am thankful for the Lords every lasting protection over us. It could've been a very bumpy landing had that tire punctured, but God protected everyone. We are very thankful! 

Also today, we did laundry, I've finally discovered where you can do one-stop shopping in Page. It's at the laundromat! On any given day you can buy tamales, burritos, corn on the cob, peaches, baked treats, and jewelry! I've been working on getting some Christmas shopping done whenever I can get a good deal on some Navajo jewelry. It seems like it's mostly the teenage girls and elderly women that make the jewelry. I do better at bartering with the teens than the elderly ladies. While I'll buy some jewelry on occasion if it's a good deal, I don't generally buy food that someone else prepared at their house, although it often smells good. Sometimes the laundromat is more like a flea market than a laundromat, but at least the washing machines and dryers work. Although it does give me a bit of a chuckle when you read signs like, "please insert coins before staring". I believe they meant to say, "please insert coins before starting." Or "this machine accepts quitters only". I'm guessing it's supposed to say, "this machine accepts quarters only." Oh well, it gives my children good practical reading lessons! 

Since Roger was gone most of the day, it was a bit challenging to get the laundry done. However, we accomplished it, and we should have clean clothes to wear for the rest of the week. Yay! 

Emma has completely win over the hearts of everyone at the airport. She hands out hugs and kisses to those she likes, waves hello, and loves to go visit daddy at the airport. Since we live so close to the airport, we can hear the planes fly over. She will often run to the window to wave at daddy in the sky. Of course, Garett is quick to correct her if that isn't daddy's plane. He might not know his multiplication facts very well, but he knows the difference between a 206, 207, 172, the Otters and the Caravans! Ahh...maybe I just need to attach the multiplication facts to different airplanes!

Today was also a little bit of an emotionally hard day as our church back home is hosting their annual ladies meeting. The past four years I've helped in coordinating and working with the 5th thru 8th grade girls, and I've enjoyed it immensely.  While I loved seeing all the pictures from the day, it was a reminder of something I was missing out on, and a reminder that time marches on and change happens whether or not we want it to. But, in all of that, God is still faithful. And for today my ministry is to my husband, five children, and the people we come in contact with today. So, we will bake treats, love people, and hopefully, point them to the Lord today. Maybe someday, I'll get to return to the ministry of teaching and reaching the girls at the ladies retreat, but that's not for today. 

Sunday, September 27

Roger's flights were delayed this morning due to a tour bus breaking down on the road, so it was just myself and the children for church this morning. The pastor asked if I would play the piano since the guy that normally plays the guitar is out of town. I was happy to do it, and it was going well until Emma noticed that I had left the church pew and came running down the church aisle! She probably would have done fine sitting beside me at the piano, but the Pastors wife offered to take her to the nursery. Emma is becoming more comfortable at church, so she was willing to go to the nursery. The other four boys must have done okay sitting in the pew...or at least I think so. I'm mean, no one was crying or hitting on their brother, so I guess it went well! Roger missed the whole service, but he did get home as I was dishing up lunch. 

After lunch Roger, Emma and I walked down to the airport with lunch for the office ladies. They were thrilled to have white chicken chili, so I hope it was good! Since we still had a bunch left in the pot, we took some to the other pilots. It was a good walk for Roger, Emma and I, and we had a good visit. I'm thankful for every moment Roger and I can squeeze in together these days as his schedule has been so busy. 

However, Roger might have off tomorrow, so we might be going to the big city! Yay for grocery options, and dairy choices in the city! It's been four weeks since we've been so the pantry would like to see some groceries.  Roger will probably have a morning flight, but that will give me time to get some schooling in before we go. I think we are going to go to Flagstaff this time instead of Saint George. It will be a change of scenery, and even the kids are looking forward to going! 

Blessings on your day, and our love to you, 

Sarah

                           One of my baking assistants...Chandler 

Flying...Flying...and Life!

As far as I know, Roger and I are still married. But I'd have to be able to see him sometime to confirm that! I'm kidding, of course! Roger has been gone...a lot...with flying tours. I am thrilled that he is building the hours, but I wish that it would balance out a little bit. Roger has been leaving at 4:30am., and not getting home until after 6 pm. He's not flying all those hours continuously that he's gone, but there's not always enough time between flights to come home. 

Meanwhile, we press forward with school, trips to the library, Legos, building forts, and making dirt roads in the front yard. We are making progress, and I am trying to be a little more relaxed and fun. We've been reading a lot of books. We just finished "Snow Treasure" which is a true story about how the boys and girls of Norway got the gold out of their country to America. We all enjoyed it, and the boys learned quite a bit about WWII. Our friends, the Scherzers, sent us some books in the mail, and we are looking forward to starting those next. 

Some of you may know my sister, Hannah. She and her husband are moving to Maine for her husband's job. On their way there, however, their truck was broken into. Several of their personal and valuable possessions were stolen, and this is a discouraging way to start this new adventure. Please pray that the insurance will cover it, and that the police will be able to apprehend the burglars. 

Wednesday, September 16

It was another crazy day for Roger. He was at the airport again by 5:00am., and I ended up taking the kids to church by myself as he wasn't done by 6:00 pm. 

I've been taking Emma for walks in the morning since she has been getting up at about 5:30 am. It's tiring, but it does give me time to think and pray before starting our day. This morning I asked the Lord to help me be a blessing to someone today. I actually have no idea if I was a blessing to anyone today, but I know that God gave me several blessings today. 

One, we completed another day of school. Yay! We are down to 145 lessons left (which isn't very encouraging!) However, we press on towards to goal of finishing. It was encouraging to have one child that was very motivated today and didn't even take a break as he wanted to finish his school work.  I think he might have wanted to play outside by himself and knew that was one way he could make it happen. :)

While at the park this afternoon with the kids, they received a blessing. We have a set of junior golf clubs that they all share, and they often take the clubs to the park. We don't have very many golf balls though, so it's sometimes hard to keep track of whose ball is where. However, today there was an elderly gentleman at the park walking his dog. He mentioned that when he was about nine, he started playing golf. He mentioned that he lives near the golf course and often collects lots of golf balls. He asked if the boys would like a few extra golf balls. He said he had a dozen in his truck that the boys could have if they wanted. The boys were thrilled, and it was a special blessing to my heart to see their heart of thankfulness. At bedtime one of the boys thanked God for allowing them to get some more golf balls. I'm thankful that they are learning to thank God for the blessings that they receive. 

Thursday, September 17

Roger only had one flight today and it was at eight am. I was very thankful for this as we needed to get laundry done TODAY! I started school early so that when Roger got home, I could do laundry. I took Wyatt with me today, and he brought along his reading books. We took a half day field trip,and headed out to Lee's Ferry in the afternoon. Lee's Ferry is about forty five miles away in Marble Canyon. It was a ferry service that operated from 1871 to 1928. It was the safest place to cross the Colorado River for five hundred miles and even then boats capsized and people drowned frequently. It was a good practical lesson in history and geography, and the boys will write about what they learned tomorrow. We had a good time as a family, and it was a good change of pace. 

Friday, September 18

Woo hoo! It's Friday! Roger was busy again today at the airport, but he was able to come home for a few hours. We were able to squeeze in a short coffee date, and I went on a short run. The boys were tired today, probably after all the hiking from yesterday. We finished school- praise the Lord, but we are all very thankful that tomorrow is Saturday. Roger has another busy day of flights tomorrow, so I will need to practice some creativity in keeping the boys from getting aggressive with each other due to boredom. Boys need activity and lots of it! While the weather is about ten degrees cooler this month than last month, it's still a little hot to spend hours outside at a time. Yesterday, at Lee's Ferry, it was a hot hike, so it was a good reminder that we still need to drink lots of water! 

Saturday, September 19

It was a very busy day for Roger! I spent the day making treats for the pilots in the morning, taking the kids to the park, running to the grocery store, reading books, the park again, cleaning, and the other day to day activities that fill up our days. We certainly miss Roger when he is gone all day, but it is what it is. Roger and I are praying diligently about where God would have us to go next. Personally, I'd love a job that would pay enough to put the kids in a Christian School somewhere, but that might not be what God has for me. I know one thing, I'm leaning a lot about my own shortcomings while homeschooling! I think that God has bigger lessons to teach me than I have to teach my children!

Sunday, September 20

I love Sundays!  What a special day to worship together with other believers! I wish we knew people a little better and had a few more friends, but at least we can work on that while growing in God's Word. Sundays also bring their share of challenges along, as Roger has been not able to make it to the Sunday morning services. He was able to come this morning though since his flight was early this morning. The church is a small group of believers, but I'm thankful that they put forth the effort to have a Children's service, and in the last few weeks, they have worked on organizing the nursery better (I like that!). 

After church, we went home for lunch and naps. Our church in Wisconsin is thirty minutes from home, so it's very weird to be only five minutes from church! We were home with lunch eaten and everyone ready for naps by 1:30pm.! I took a short nap, and then went to do laundry. Yes, I did just do it on Thursday. However, Chandler has been struggling with really bad headaches lately, and because of those sometimes, he throws up. And then the other bed mate wet the bed! So, off to do laundry I went. It will be a long time before I take having a washer and dryer for granted again. We spend around $20.00  a week to have clean clothes. So, that's about $80.00 a month...painful, but entirely necessary!! 

On a happy note, I was able to have a lengthy conversation with my dear friend, Jenna, while doing the laundry. I love talking to those back home, but sometimes it does make me feel lonely. Jenna and I have a deep and dear friendship, and it's one of those friendships that we know what the other person is really like...and we still like each other! If I was completely honest, loneliness is probably one of my greatest struggles right now. Roger is gone a lot, and while I love my children, I do also like adult conversation. Hopefully, as we meet more people in the church, we can build some friendships. However, God knows exactly where I am, and He is reminding me that He is all I need. 

Monday, September 21

At the risk of sounding like I'm complaining, I struggle with Monday's. I am reminded that I have a whole week of school ahead of me and working with five little minds to grasp the concept that education is important. I'm working on being more flexible with how they learn, but I wish I could get inside their brains to figure out how they would best learn. We do lots of reading together, but I wish I knew how to make education fun and exciting for them. I realize that it can't be that way all the time, but I am working on trying to figure out new ideas. I am definitely a work in progress! 

I went to a ladies meeting tonight at the church we are attending. The pastors wife has been trying to have a ladies meeting once a month. Tonight five ladies attended the meeting. It was a good opportunity to try to get to know some of the ladies better. I am also not Native American, so it's interesting  to be in the minority. I tend to be a time conscious person, um.,.they are not! So, if they intend to have a meeting at seven, most people will show up around 7:15 or later. It's not a problem, unless you are like me and show up for things ten minutes early. Then you wonder if you have the right day, right place, or right time! Oh well, some things don't change whether I am in the far north  of Alaska and Canada or in the deep southwest of Arizona. 

I also had a special blessing in the mailbox today. I check for mail every day, but most of the time, we don't have anything. I think the ladies in the office have come to expect me to show up at the airport around one o'clock, just in case we might have mail. Today I received a special card from some friends back home telling me that they were praying for me, and they sent a gift of money to put towards a bike. I now have enough money for a bike, we just have to find one! If you think about it, we want to spend our money wisely, so please pray that we will find just the right bike. 

Roger is also seeing some changes take place at his job. These are not necessarily good changes for Roger as they have hired on more pilots. It means that we will be seeing more of him around home, but because they have more pilots, his hours will be shortened. There are a few days a week that they need seven pilots, but on the days that they only need four pilots, it's not a good thing. The company wants to keep everything fair, so they try to give equal amounts of tours to each pilot. It's great for the pilots just hired on, but not so hot for the ones that are trying to finish out the season and get enough hours. Our time is becoming very limited, so please pray that Roger will be able to get the hours he needs. 

Thank you for you love and prayers,

Sarah