August- Birthdays, School, and other August Adventures!

 I'm not sure where the month of August went, but it's practically gone! The month flew by with the start of another school year, multiple birthdays, fall sports, coaching, art classes, a class picnic, a family wedding, and whatever else we've done that I've forgotten about this month!

If you remember, from my last blog post, Wyatt sprained his ankle at the end of July. He was very disappointed to miss out on soccer camp at Bob Jones University, but Travis had the opportunity to attend instead. Soccer camp was a much better experience that basketball camp was for the boys last summer. I was thankful for the emphasis on devotions, spiritual growth and skill set development. Travis told me that the worst part about the college was the showers. The dorms have community showers on each hall, and while each shower is separated by a curtain, of course, Travis did not like that at all. I had to laugh when he told me that he only took two showers cause the "showers were weird, mom." Gross! But ok! Chandler was actually awarded with the "Camper of the Week" award that was giving to the soccer player that displayed leadership skills, soccer skills, and Christian character. I think the part that makes me the most proud about that award is that Chandler won that completely on his own. I wasn't there to remind him to have good manners or work hard, but he did it; and he won the award. We are proud of him! 

Early in the month of August, Roger and I went to South Carolina for his brother’s wedding. It was a quick trip away, but it was good to see family that we haven’t seen in quite a while. The weekend went by way too fast, but we were thankful that we were able to celebrate Nate and Jenny as they tied the knot. 

Our first day back to school was on August 14th, and it was a very different feeling to only be taking four kids to school this year. Garett is continuing to work for the gutter company, while trying to figure out what his next steps will be. He has started attending Sunday morning services at the same church that his co-worker attends, and Garett seems to be liking that. It seems like there is a large disconnect between kids getting out of high school and then becoming adults. We've been a little concerned about Garett feeling a bit lost and disconnected, so we are praying that he can develop some rock solid friendships soon. He needs a buddy to go golfing with, spend some time with and hang out with. All his brothers (and playmates) are busy with school and fall sports. I think Garett is feeling lonely. If God brings Garett to mind, please pray that he will have wisdom and direction...and find a friend. 

Jen and I have been busy coaching middle school volleyball, and like everything else, it is an adventure! I am excited about this opportunity to help young players develop skills, but also to hopefully encourage their walk with Jesus. I don't like losing, but more importantly than that, I want us to help our players develop a deep love for Jesus...and improve their volleyball skills!

Two days after school started back, one of our friends hosted a "Senior Party" at their lake property. It was a great opportunity for most of the seniors to fellowship together as well as enjoy some fun adventures at the lake. I am thankful for many of the parents in Chandler's senior class, and it was a fun afternoon for all. Our family also went to the lake as we helped with some of the food preparation, cleanup, and whatever else needed doing. We are thankful for Steve and Tammie as they have invited and included us to several events and that fellowship has been much needed by our family. 

Chandler is a SENIOR! I can't even believe that we are already here...again! Where did time go?! He is taking several harder courses this year and a dual credit course. He told me that he needed to drop one of his electives as he needed another study hall hour to study. He has been working hard on his grades, and please, please pray that he will have some direction on what God wants him to do. On the night before school started, Chandler was in tears (lots of tears), and he doesn't cry easily. He said that he felt frustrated that God wasn't working and he didn't know what God wanted him to do in college. It was a good reminder to encourage Chandler to focus on the next right thing...today, be a good student, love Jesus, honor your parents, work hard, and be open to whatever God has for you. I cried (nothing unusual there!), and Chan cried, but we are really praying that God will continue to work in and through Chandler's life. He has made some really, really hard decision this month about somethings, and it's been hard to watch his hurt. But God is always at work, never late, and He is working out His perfect plan. However, that boy could use your prayers. 

Roger has been busy coaching the boys soccer team, and the team has been working hard. There is a lot of talent in some of our players, but Roger and his assistant coach also work very hard with the team. The team has done well this season, and we are looking forward to seeing what the season brings. Soccer is Chandler’s favorite sport, followed closely by golf. Wyatt prefers basketball, but he is good at soccer too. Travis enjoys all the sports, but he’s not as competitive as any of his older brothers. They get hot and bothered by him not being as competitive, but I think Travis has just learned to “play his game”, and he is doing just fine at it. It’s fun to watch them play together, and while tempers sometimes have to cool off around our house, I really do enjoy watching them play soccer. 

None of these soccer photos are mine. The credit goes to Chance Howard- youth pastor. I am very thankful that he is willing to take the pictures! 

We also celebrated Emma’s 12th birthday, Travis’s 15th birthday, and now Garett’s 19th birthday! Craziness! The month of August is full of birthdays and ice cream cakes! :)  Emma still enjoys all things girly, and she asked for a baby stroller for her birthday. Aunt Jen found her a baby stroller on Amazon, and Emma was thrilled with her gift. I know that it won’t be too much longer before she isn’t interested in dolls and baby strollers anymore, so I am happy to treasure these moments. Garett spent some of his own earnings to get Emma a gift card to Walmart, and she was so thrilled! She made an entire shopping list for things she was interested in at Walmart, and then quickly realized that her $20.00 gift card was not going to cover all the things she was interested in buying! It was a quick reminder of how fast money can be spent! 

Travis’s 15th birthday was last weekend, and we had two of my dad’s sisters visiting for the weekend. It was fun to have them over for his birthday lunch, and of course, eat ice cream cake! Travis asked for new golf shoes for his birthday, and I was able to find him a really nice pair for his birthday. His big brother, Garett, spent his own money to buy Travis a gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods and that was really sweet.  

Garett had his 19th birthday this weekend, and we celebrated with homemade enchiladas, and you guessed it…more ice cream cake! He tries to pack a lunch during the week so that he can save more money, so for his birthday Aunt Jen and his parents gave him gift cards for food places. And Garett was delighted with that! I can’t believe that he is 19 years old, and that we have arrived here so quickly! 

We came to the western side of the state to spend a day with my Aunt Lisa and her family. It was a good day for relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day. The kids spent several hours in the pool, but it was definitely not warm enough for me! Once we get into the school year, the days seem to fly by and it is hard to get away to visit our family on the western side of the state. Since this was a long weekend, we felt like we should do it. And I’m glad we did!

Travis has a weird rash infection that has spread over his legs and on one of his wrists. He was itching so badly during the soccer game on Tuesday night that Roger pulled him from the game. Travis went behind the bench to slather up with anti-itch cream so that he could play again. By Wednesday morning, the rash had spread some more and Travis came and found me in my classroom. He asked if I could make him an appointment after school. I made an appointment at a walk-in clinic, and while we got right in for our appointment at 4:50pm, we waited almost an hour in the exam room! The physician was concerned about a staph infection as Travis had scratched some of the itch so badly that he had torn his skin. She recommended two different shots to get a jump start on the infection and then some additional pills and anti-itch cream. Travis was completely mortified when the nurse said that the shots had to go in his butt. He was like, “Um, no thank you. I’m good.” However, Travis is TERRIBLE with taking pills, so I knew that was needed to get these shots in at the clinic. And we did. Travis arrived home and promptly told Roger, “Well, there was a full moon in the doctor’s office.” Haha! I’m glad he was able to be a good sport about it later. The steroids have made him hungrier and crankier than usual, so I’ll be happy when it’s all behind us. However, the rash does seem to be getting better, so we are thankful for that. 

We are thankful for a long weekend to soak up some extra family time, catch up on laundry (or at least I am thankful for that!), and savor these days as a family of seven. I know our time is coming to an end, and I can almost feel the changes coming at me faster than I’d like! I’m thankful that my Heavenly Father holds each one of our children in the palm of His hand, and He loves them more than I could ever imagine. The song I have on repeat this week is one that I have shared before, but I really do love this song. 

As we prepare to enter the month of September, I hope that you are reminded of the goodness and grace of our Heavenly Father. We truly are so blessed to have a Heavenly Father that we can run to in moments of joy or sorrow, laughter or heaviness, peace or unsettledness, He welcomes us with open arms. 

April Wrap-ups & May Musings

 

Happy May! The month of May brings about the close of many school related activities, and a whole host of new transitions as Garett prepares to graduate. We ran out of the month of April with Wyatt’s 16th birthday, Easter dinner at our house, the Junior/Senior banquet for Garett and Chandler, the state golf tournament for three of the boys, Emma’s piano recital, getting a few chickens and whatever else happened at the end of the month that I can’t even remember! We burst into the month of May with the state baseball tournament, Garett’s senior trip, and the wrapping up of the school year. Whew- no wonder I feel like I need a nap most afternoons! (And the fact that I’m getting old also contributes to that idea!) 

Wyatt is now officially 16 years old, and my mind has a hard time wrapping my head around that idea! Roger has tried to take him to get his permit twice now, but the lines for the DMV are absolutely ridiculous around here. The last time they tried to get the permit, they went to a smaller town. Roger and Wyatt were in the parking lot by 6:30am, and the lines were already long! At 7:30am, the DMV worker came out and told the first 14 people in line that they could enter the building, but there was no guarantee that they would get seen that day! One person ahead of Roger in line said that he had been in line since 1:00am that morning! I’m not sure if the lines are so lengthy due to the requirements for the Real ID or the DMV is just that short on people. Either way, Wyatt does not have his permit yet! Hopefully, he will be able to get it soon. Chandler has an appointment for his drivers license on June 2nd, and we’ve had that booked for him since March 2nd! 

Aunt Jen bought a few more baby chicks, but we are currently babysitting them. I do not have anything to do with the chickens, but Travis and Emma love the chicks! They take care of them completely. The day that Jen bought the chicks, she called to see if the chicks could live in our shed for a bit. I said, yes, and she, Travis and Emma bought the chicks and brought them over. Jen told me that on the way over to our house, Emma announced that this baby chick was her “social security pet”. Jen was completely lost at sea until she asked, “Emma, do you mean your emotional support animal?” I about died laughing when Jen was telling me the story. Oh Emma, you do our hearts good! 

The last Friday of April was the night of the Junior/Senior Banquet for the boys. Both Garett and Chandler invited dates with them to the banquet, so it was a fun opportunity for them. I have some great pictures of the boys and their dates. Garett invited a girl named, Kate, from the Junior class, and Chandler invited his girlfriend, Ava. Jen went along to the banquet, and she was willing to go along with the boys to the after activity as well. When we found out that there wasn’t really a plan for an after-banquet activity for most of teens, a few moms put our heads together to see what ideas we could come up with. Thank the Lord for Groupon! We found a groupon for bowling, and it was right down the road from the banquet. Chan invited everyone in his class to come bowling, and I think about 13 of them ended up going bowling. All the kids that went seemed to have a really great time, and after bowling a few of them came over to Aunt Jen’s for more snacks and fellowship. It was a late night, but a good night for our kids and their friends also. The boys had a hard time getting up on Saturday morning to work at the Pickle Festival, but they made it! 

Wyatt, Chandler, Garett, and I, all worked at the Mount Olive Pickle Festival. It’s basically a full day of all things pickle related! We sold fried pickles, chocolate covered pickles, a pickle lemonade to name a few items. The boys worked hard at squeezing lemonade, frying food, and breading pickles. I worked hard at taking money and giving correct change. It was a long day, but it was a good day. Travis told me that he needed to start working again as his money box was getting a little low after the winter. Haha- oh yes, Travis is discovering the importance of budgeting wisely! 

A little over a week ago, the three younger  boys competed in the golf tournament for our conference. They’ve enjoyed playing golf this season, and we are thankful for the coaches that invest in them. Their team placed third at the tournament, and they only lost by a few strokes. The boys are already looking forward and talking about next year. Roger was able to get away to see their tournament, and I was thankful that he was able to go. It’s hard to get away from school this time of year, but we wanted one of us to be there. Roger went from the golf tournament to then watch Garett’s baseball game, and then to Emma’s recital! Emma was excited about her recital, and I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to make it there when I discovered that the van had a tire with a nail in it! However, Emma and I used the air compressor to pump up the tire. Then we filled the air compressor with air, hopped in the van, and drove to Aunt Jen’s. We put more air in the tire at Aunt Jen’s and we made it to school safely and on time! Praise the Lord! Garett was also supposed to be in the recital with his guitar, but through a series of miscommunication, not enough guitar lessons, and a long baseball game, he did not make it into the recital. He was fine with that, and it was the best solution. Emma had worked hard on her piano piece, and she did a good job. We are thankful for music teachers! 

Last Wednesday, the boys asked to go golfing after school. I agreed to drop them off, but before that happened, we ended up with six golf bags and six boys in the mini van! Gabe and Enzo are friends with the boys, and everyone wanted to go golfing. I dropped everyone off at the golf course, and then came home to do a few things. I picked them up on the way back to church, and they ate pizza on the way. These are the moments that life is made up of, and I am thankful for these memories. 

Last weekend was the baseball tournament for Garett. Roger was kept busy with a fire for the entire weekend, but the rest of us stayed busy at the tournament with helping with collecting admission fees, concessions, trash, or whatever else needed doing. It was a beautiful weekend for a ball tournament, and it was an exciting end to the season. Roger was unable to go to the tournament as he was busy flying on fire patrol.  We need rain quite badly, and while we got a little this past weekend, we already need another shower of rain. But the baseball championship game went to ten innings, and it ended on a home run hit! The school baseball team had won the game! It was exciting and emotional for me all at the same time. Garett is done with baseball. No more watching him play first base with ease and confidence,  and then praying he will be able to hit the ball when he goes up to bat! I’ve watched him display leadership skills, confidence, humility, kindness, and compassion as he’s played this season. I was an emotional basket case as I hugged him in his smelly, sweaty jersey one last time. I am so incredibly thankful for this young man. He doesn’t know exactly what God has for him, but I am confident that Garett can and will do great things for God as he focuses on Jesus. Please pray that Garett will have wisdom and discernment as he continues to pray about his future. 

Speaking of futures, Roger and I have some decisions of our own to make regarding our future. God is always at work, even when we can’t see or feel it. Sometimes, I wonder why God is moving so slowly, but it’s not slowly, it’s perfectly. Please pray for clarity and direction. 

As we head down the final weeks to gradation, we are talking and considering summer plans. Garett has a job lined up for the summer, and then he will need to make some more decisions in the fall. He is planning on taking a missions trip in early June and then working the rest of the summer. The younger three boys are planning to go to Teen Extreme Camp at Pensacola Christian College. Chandler, Wyatt and Travis are also considering a soccer camp at Bob Jones University this summer. Everyone has a job lined up for the summer, and we are thankful for opportunities of employment. The summer flies by, so we really do need to be intentional with our time. 

Thank you for your prayers, support and love to our family. 

Celebrating a Birthday, an Anniversary and an Adoption! God is Good!

 Good by August and hello September! Summer is fading and fall is coming. (We’ve had a few cooler days, which has given us a taste of fall days to come.) We’ve had four soccer games, and we’ve won one, tied two and lost one. The three oldest boys are at the annual High school retreat, so we are soaking up some time with just two at home. 

Garett turned 18 last Friday, and I’m still trying to wrap my mind the fact that he is 18 years old. We were supposed to have a soccer game on his birthday, but it ended up cancelled due to thunderstorms. It was a bit of a mixed blessing as then we were able to go out to dinner for Garett’s birthday, but it was a bummer that the game was cancelled. 

Last Thursday, Jen and the three youngest kids had planned to fly out to Maine for the adoption of Hannah and Josh’s kids. We ended up leaving right from Thursday’s game (before it had even ended), so Wyatt and Travis were hot and smelly, but they had a plane to catch. I took them to the airport, while Roger finished coaching the team (we ended that game in a tie). I dropped them off at the airport in plenty of time and headed home. The airport is just over an hour from our house, and I was almost home when Jen called me. The flight leaving Raleigh was delayed, and flights were grounded in Washington D.C., due to storms. Jen said that the flight delay might cause them to miss their connection in D.C., unless that plane was also delayed. She said that the gate agent said that they would make an update at 8:30pm. (The flight was originally supposed to leave at 8:03pm). I said that we would pray that the flight would take off, and I was going to continue home. At 8:30pm, Jen called me to tell me that the flights were still delayed, but it was unlikely that they would make the connection in D.C. She had asked the agent when the next flight to Maine would be, and the agent said that the next flight in would be on Saturday morning! Um- the adoption was Friday at 3:00pm! Jen asked the agent where the closest flight to Maine would be…Boston, Portland, ME, etc. The agent said, “we can get you to Philadelphia by about 5:00am on Friday morning.” That’s the closest?! Apparently due to the holiday weekend, and overbooked flights, there were not any options. The agent said that at 10:30pm, they would make one more update to see if the flight would leave that night. Jen called me around ten pm,  and told me that nothing was looking promising. She said that I should probably think about heading back to the airport to pick them up. Roger offered to go with me to the airport, so we told the oldest two to go to bed, and we headed back to the airport. We arrived to pick up four very disappointed people at about 11:30pm, but there was nothing that could be done. Maine is too far to drive on a whim, and it would be about impossible to get there by the adoption at 3:00pm. Jen said that she was not planning on going into school on Friday since she had already made sub plans for the day. Emma quickly asked if she could stay home with Aunt Jen! Wyatt and Travis asked if they could come into school later, early enough that they could still play in the soccer game, but late enough that they could sleep in. It was 1:30am by the time we had dropped Jen off at her house as well as the three youngest kids. It was a short night on sleep as Garett, Chandler and I were back out the door to school by 7:00am! I’m not sure why God didn’t allow them to get to Maine for the adoption, but I know there’s a Master plan in there somewhere. We were all disappointed as well as Hannah and Josh’s kids, but it is what it is. We had already planned to spend some of Christmas break in Maine, so we are all looking forward to that.  We are thankful that the adoption went off without a hitch, and that now we officially  have two nieces and a nephew! Praise the Lord! 

Chandler had the opportunity to attend a Duke football game on Saturday evening with a few other boys from school. Nicholas had invited Chandler to come with them to the game after the soccer game. Well, the game ended up being cancelled, so that worked out well for the football game. I’m thankful that Chandler has a few good friends in his class that he can spend time with at events like these. I’m thankful for Nicholas’s parents investing in Chandler’s life as well. The older I get, the more I appreciate those the mentor and invest in the lives of our children. 

On Saturday morning Roger and the two oldest boys went to play golf with the Everett’s. Travis, Wyatt and Emma stayed home (since they originally thought they would be in Maine). Emma and I went grocery shopping, and spent some time cleaning the house. We made plans to go to the beach on Sunday afternoon with the Hardison’s, so we gathered up all the beach stuff for that as well. 

Sunday afternoon found us looking for a parking spot on the beach! I had no idea that half of the state of North Carolina would also be at the beach on Sunday afternoon before Labor Day! Roger and Stephen ended up dropping us off by the beach, and then parking the vehicles a ways away. We found our spot and got all set up around three pm., and by 4:00pm, there was a shift as people started to leave the beach. We enjoyed the afternoon fellowshipping, relaxing, eating, and playing in the ocean. Another family also joined us at the beach, and there were nine boys…and Emma! We stayed until around 7:00pm when everyone was water logged and filled with sand. It was a beautiful day to be at the beach, and I’m thankful that we took the time to go. Since everyone was working so much this summer, we really didn’t get to the beach at all. Even though it was crowded when we arrived, a good time was had by all. 

Monday was our 19th wedding anniversary. Whew! And where did time go!? It was nice to have the day off of school for our anniversary since it was Labor Day. When we got married 19 years ago, I definitely wasn’t thinking about a school calendar to work around down the road! It was not the most exciting anniversary in the world, but ya know…it’s okay. We have plans to celebrate our anniversary by getting away for a few days in October (after soccer season is over), so it is okay to have a very low key day. Roger had to get some goalie glove glue for one of his soccer players, so we made a trip to get that. We brought along the “tribe”, but I’m recognizing more and more that these moments of all of us together are quickly fleeting! 

We had a soccer game on Tuesday night, and it was rough! Last week the team had three games and no practices. They went right into the game on Tuesday without a practice, and it was rough. Lots of miscommunication,  frustration, and aggravation amongst the team. We don’t like to lose in this household,  and with having four players and the coach in the same house…well! We had a lot of big emotions and feelings last night! Some hurtful things were said to each other, and apologies had to be made, and sometimes the best thing to do is to send everyone to bed!! The four boys share a room, so sometimes we have to say, “You can’t talk to each other until tomorrow.” Usually the boys will stay up for a while talking, but its typically about the day or an event, and I don’t mind as their usually in bed plenty of time to have a little conversation with each other. However, last night was not that night. Last night was the night where we say “just stop talking. Stop talking. Not another word. Brush your teeth and go to bed.” Just happens in our family or yours too?!  

I had a special moment on Sunday morning when another mom came up to me. She mentioned that she has a son in 7th grade, and Garett had gone out of his way to include him during teen evangelism. (Teen evangelism happens on Wednesday afternoons, and Garett hasn’t gone in a while. But the youth pastor asked him to go last week, so Garett went.) She told me that she was just so thankful that Garett had been kind to her son and included him and didn’t seem annoyed. It was just so kind for another mom to take the time to speak kindness to me. We are so, so far from “having it together”, and I’m on the struggle bus every single day. But it encourages me so much when someone else speaks words of kindness and encouragement to me about our children. It made me tear up, but it was a special way to start the day. It was also a reminder to me to speak kindness to other moms around me. We all need encouragement and uplifting from time to time, and I want to “speak love and light” to others. 

This week found us in full swing at school as middle school art started this week. I have 37 middle school students that are in Middle school art. This is a whole new ball game from teaching elementary art, and I want to do it well. I’m taking the same principles of introducing the names of God to these students as well, and we are working through elements and principles of art. Travis is in one of my middle school art classes, and he’s sure to keep me humble on the job I’m doing. :) I never have to worry about what Travis is thinking as his face will show it or he will just say it. But it’s good to have feedback, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to invest in my own child as well as in the lives of 200 plus other ones! 

Through it all, God is good. Life is full of uncertainties and disappointments, and we faced some of those this past week. But we also celebrated Garett’s 18th birthday and our 19th wedding anniversary. God is good. 

Names of God: Week #1 

August - School, Soccer & Lots of Birthdays!

 Somehow I thought I’d manage to squeeze two blog posts into August, but since there’s only about three days left in August, don’t hold your breath! Life has been busy, but when is it not!? I’m trying to live with intentionality as this is Garett’s last year of high school, and we are facing 4 graduations in the next five years!! I tell Garett often that I’ve never done this before, and he should expect me to cry a lot this year. He said, “okay, mom. But you sometimes cry a lot on years that I’m not graduating.” Um- true that! 

Earlier this month we celebrated Emma’s 11th birthday, then Travis’s 14th birthday and in a few days, Garett’s 18th birthday! Emma had a few friends over on a Sunday afternoon for her birthday, and she was excited about the Barbie dream house a friend had passed on to her. Emma picked salad for her birthday meal, so we had salad with all the toppings and of course, Ice cream cake! Emma is entering fourth grade this fall, and sometimes I struggle with the fact that she is much older than the rest of her class. However, so far that hasn’t seemed to bother her too much, and I pray that will continue to be the case. I remind myself often that she’s exactly where God wants her to be. Our prayer for Emma this year is that she will understand school, love others, be honest, and live for Jesus. She loves to play with younger children, and can often be found playing ‘teacher’ at home. We are so thankful to have her in our lives. 

We started school on August 15th, and I’m not sure that any of us were entirely ready to go back to school, but off we went! As we pulled out of the driveway on the very first day of school, Travis announced, “Well, we only have to do this 175 more times until the school year is done.” One of his brothers promptly told him “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t talk!” Haha! School is not Travis’s favorite thing, but we are praying him to have a great school year and to lean into Jesus. 

I’m teaching elementary art classes to kindergarten through 5th grade as well as a middle school art class and teaching library to elementary students. I’ll be honest, it’s a lot, maybe even too much, and it stresses me out, but I’m going to do my very best at it all. I have a great art assistant as well as a wonderful library assistant, and they’ll help me however they can. But at the end of the day, it’s still a lot of lesson plans, prep, and thinking. I sometimes dream about art classes and books, but I know that God will give strength and energy for every day. I started out the school year with a few days of prep, and that has helped me settle my mind immensely. This week I started teaching students, and we are already starting to work on art projects to enter in at the county fair in just a few short weeks. I tell my students often that I am passionate about God, family and country. Therefore, the art for the fair will be patriotic in nature. I’m excited to see how the projects turn out! I love teaching, but my prayer is that I will pour into my students and point them to Jesus. I start my lessons with prayer and a Bible verse, and this year I plan to focus on the names of God. I remember learning about the names of God during my school/college years, and it impacted me. I am praying that my students will leave the school year knowing Jesus better than when we started the school year. I’d appreciate your prayers!

We had our first soccer game on Friday, August 23rd, at the end of our first full week of school. There is nothing quite like “first week of school tired”, but the boys soccer team started their season with a win! Roger is coaching the soccer team this year, and he has poured a lot of time and energy into the team. It has pros and cons to be coaching the four boys, but for the most part, I think they all enjoy having Roger as their coach. After the soccer game, we hosted the team for a spaghetti supper. Jen had the idea to have supper with the team at school after the game, and we had several parents offer to bring desserts or tea. Most of the team stayed for the supper, and it was a positive way to start the season. There’s been some rough moments, to be sure, but I’m excited for Roger and the team. Garett would especially like to have a winning season as it’s his last sports season, but we will work hard, play hard and give God the glory. 

Travis celebrated his 14th birthday on Sunday, August 25th. He had asked to have over a few families for supper, and he picked out tamales, beans, rice, and chips and dip for his birthday supper. We had about 21 people over for dinner, and it was a lot of boys! I think we had eleven boys here, and they played outside most of the afternoon and evening. Travis seemed to have a good time, and we are thankful for friends to share a meal with at our house. And now for about a week, the boys are 17, 16, 15, and 14…and Emma is 11. Garett will turn 18 in a just a few days, and that’s another thing I’m just not ready for in my life, but here we are! 

The boys had a soccer game last night, and while they didn’t win, they did tie the game. It’s been unusually hot here the past few days (even for N.C.), and they have another game tomorrow evening. Tomorrow Jen is leaving with our three youngest kids to head to Maine. They are flying out tomorrow evening for a very special occasion. (More about that in another post). I had also wanted to go, but with Garett’s birthday, senior pictures for him, a soccer game, and it being such a quick trip, we decided that just the younger kids would go with Jen. We are all planning to take a trip to Maine over Christmas break, so that gives us something to look forward to in December. 

In other news, I’m looking for some advice. I’m in my 40’s now, and I’m getting older every day. I exercise regularly (very regularly), and I eat fairly well. But…yikes! Why is the scale going so fast in the wrong direction?! I know hormones, age and all that, but has anyone found an actually solution?! I’d prefer to not gain any more weight, and I’d love to lose a few pounds (at this point, I’d settle for even losing ounces!). It’s the most ridiculous and frustrating thing I’ve ever encountered! I’m open to any and all suggestions…and I’ve tried some crazy ones! 

We’d appreciate extra prayers as we try to parent older teenagers and point them to Jesus. I realize that so many decisions that they will make in the next few years will have to be their own personal choices and not something I can make for them. They’ll be deciding for themselves to love and serve Jesus.  Statistics  show that 7 out of every 10 church kids born in “generation z” (1997-2012) are walking away from Jesus and the faith. That’s not okay! I’m praying hard and passionately for our children, and please, please pray for our children. Please pray that they will be steadfast, unmovable and abound in Jesus. Please pray that they will understand how to love people and point them to Jesus without being pressured into making bad decisions. Yes, I know that they will make mistakes along the way in their lives (I still do and often), but that they will guard their hearts and love Jesus. 

Thank you for your prayers. 

 

                                                The first name of God that I’m introducing this year. (Genesis 1:1) 

New Life, New Memories and Moments!

 

(Started on 3/29)

Praise the Lord- spring break is finally here!!! It’s been a long time and coming, and I am looking forward to a bit of reprieve over the next few days. We are looking forward to celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sunday. Our church is having a Good Friday service tomorrow night, a community outreach event on Saturday morning, and services on Sunday. We are looking forward to the opportunity to reflect on what Jesus has done as well as point others in our community to Jesus through our community event. Also on Saturday our oldest boys are coming home as well as my sister and my dad! Yay!!!! 

My parents arrived in North Carolina last Monday evening, and while my dad has been in the Dominican Republic, my mom has helped with getting the boys where they need to be, reading with Emma, and enjoying time with her family in the western side of the state. Last Tuesday afternoon my parent came to watch Garett play in his baseball game. However, Garett had said on Monday that his arm was hurting him a bit. By Tuesday afternoon, he was in quite a bit of pain, and he was unable to play in the game. That was disappointing to him and my parents, but clearly he had strained something in his arm. Hopefully he will have some time to rest his arm over spring break, and be ready to return to baseball after break. 

Last Wednesday my parents checked the younger three out of school a little early to take them to lunch. Whenever Papa is around, things happen! Jen and Travis have devised a plan to raise some chickens for eggs. Jen suggested to Travis that perhaps she would get some chickens after the missions trip. However, by the time Jen and I arrived home from school, the chicken coop was built and the chickens were in a tote with a heat lamp! The plan is for the chickens to live in Jen’s backyard, but currently, we are babysitting half a dozen chickens. Travis has done very well with taking care of them, watering them, cleaning out their pen, and even helping to find a different pen for them as they are growing quickly. The chicks cannot be outside yet, but thankfully, they’ve been moved to the shed at our house. Originally Travis had the chicks in the tote in our mudroom, but I told him the chickens were smelly. He replied, “It’s fine, Mom. They don’t smell that badly.” Um, son, the chicks are moving out! 

The boys stayed overnight at Jen’s house on Thursday night since they were leaving at 2:15am on Friday morning. Chandler did not want to miss his last golf practice, so I told him I would finish his packing as long as he didn’t care what he was wearing. He replied, “Oh, I already packed most of my clothes. Mr. Hardison (our athletic director) gave us some old jerseys and shorts. I’m just going to wear those and then leave the clothes there. Then I have less to pack!” However, in every picture I’ve seen of him on Facebook, he’s wearing the same orange shirt and gray shorts! I finally sent my sister a message and asked if he’s changed clothes this week. She said that outfit was his painting and concrete work outfit as he doesn’t want to wreck his other clothes. But he has showered and changed clothes this week- thank the Lord! They’ve been busy with moving lots of dirt, mixing and pouring cement, helping with Vacation Bible School, and a lot of other things. I’m sure they’ll come home exhausted, but we are so very thankful that Garett and Chandler have had this opportunity. We are praying for them to be a blessing and get a blessing. Missions trips can change your life. 

Emma has been praying about getting a dog for about a year now. She’s been praying specifically for a German Shepherd. Roger and I have been saying that God will provide a dog in His perfect timing. I couldn’t imagine adding a dog into our lives, but guess what? Here we are! A co-worker of Roger’s mentioned to him last week that she had a friend that was trying to get rid of some puppies. The puppies were pure-bred German shepherds, and they were selling them for $1,000 a piece! Um- no thank-you! However, the co-worker continued on to explain that this family had two (14 week) puppies that they just wanted to give away to good homes. I was pretty sure that I didn’t need a 14 week puppy in my life, but the pup would be free, and it was a German Shepherd- should we go look?! So on Friday, March 22, we went over to see the puppies or we tried! They had let the puppies out to run off some energy, and the puppies were no where to be found! The pups had run off with the two older 6 month dogs and there was one puppy left to see! The pup that was left at home had a hernia, and we knew we didn’t want to start off with vet visits. We decided that we would come back on Saturday to see the other puppies. Wyatt, Travis and Emma were thrilled with the thought of getting a dog, Roger thought it would be a good idea for our family, so I was the one holding out! We went back to see the pups on Saturday, and there was Sam. Sam was one of the 14 week old pups, and we could’ve chosen one of the six month old dogs, but at six month they’ve already learned a lot of bad habits. Sam was the one that we picked out, as he seemed calm and collected. Sam came home with us, and while the trip home was a bit rough as Sam got car sick, we made it home. Sam was very reserved the first few days, but he’s been a good change for our family. Roger has worked with Sam a lot, and Wyatt and Travis are very good with Sam. Emma loves Sam, and he puts up with her. God answered Emma’s prayer, and I hope that she never forgets that! 

My mom came back from visiting her family on the western side of the state on Tuesday, and we surprised her with showing her Sam! It was nice that my mom was around this week as she could take the boys and Emma right home after school to check on the pup, and the boys and Emma were excited to get out of school a little early twice this week! Also, since my mom has been in town this week, I asked her to come to read to my library classes. She was willing to read, and my assistant (Jen) and I were happy to have her read! It’s always nice to have a guest reader in the library, and I’m thankful that my mom was willing to read. 

(Continued 4/2) Friday was our first official day of Spring Break! It was a day of lots of activities as we prepared for guests in our home for Easter Dinner. The boys began their trip back to the U.S. on Friday, and arrived home on Saturday afternoon. Our church had sent out an email saying that there would be a baptismal service on Easter Sunday. Emma has been asking about baptism for a while, so we contacted Pastor. After the Good Friday service, Emma went to talk to Pastor Powell. Roger and I went with her, but she talked with Pastor Powell on her own. She cried a little as she talked about her salvation and how she knew that Jesus had died for her sins. After a short conversation, she asked about being baptized on Sunday. It was arranged that Emma would be one of the four to be baptized on Sunday. She was so excited (and nervous), but she wanted to surprise Papa, Nana and Aunt Jen. We tried to surprise her older brothers too, but Travis let the cat out of the bag on Sunday morning! 

Saturday morning found Emma and I back at church for a community event for Easter. I had been asked to face paint (something, I’ve never done before!). I was completely nervous for most of the time while painting faces, and I passed on anything harder than flowers and hearts to my friend, Kaycee. Yes, I teach elementary art, but it’s different when I’m following along to written directions, have practiced the art project, and it’s not on a person’s skin! Whew! We made it! I’m thankful for my friend, Kaycee, who was willing to help with the face painting. There were quite a few of us that were face painting, and there were a lot of kids that wanted their faces painted!! Emma enjoyed the morning playing with her friends on the inflatables, participating in the egg hunt, and enjoying the beautiful day. God blessed us with a beautiful day for the event, and there were a lot of people that came out for it. 

After the morning event, Emma and I went home to get Sam and Travis. Wyatt decided to stay home, but Sam needed to go to the walk-in clinic at Tractor Supply to get a rabies shot and a check-up. I wasn’t thrilled about the amount of time we spent waiting in line, and neither was Sam, but we made it! Sam now has the shots that he needed, and he probably won’t want to visit Tractor Supply again any time soon! On our way back from the clinic, we stopped at Jen’s to pick up Garett and Chandler. Yay! Both boys were completely surprised that we had gotten a pup while they were away, and it was a good surprise. Sam has been a good dog so far- he’s calm, gentle, and gets along with all the kids. I didn’t want a puppy, but Sam has fit in quite nicely. 

Sunday was a full, tiring, but great day! We were going to be having about 40 people over for lunch, which dropped to about 35, but still a full house! We had been praying that God would give us beautiful weather so that everyone could be outside, and He did! Our friends, the Everetts, came down on Saturday evening, and Laura and I were up early to prep and cook. We surprised ourselves with everyone being ready for church super early. Emma and I needed to be at church by 9:15am as she was singing with the kids choir. She was a little nervous about the baptism, but also excited. Emma and I headed to church, and the rest stopped for coffee before church. It was a full service with lots of singing (I love that part), the baptism, and preaching. It was a great service! 

Around 1:30pm, we had Easter dinner at our house. Our house was full, but so were our hearts. There was PLENTY of food, and it was all delicious! We had my parents, Jen, Everetts, Harrison’s, Tamela’s parents, Carrillos, and the Lee family over for lunch. The kids spent the entire afternoon outside with basetkball, golfing, and playing together. The adults fellowshipped together and kept track of little ones and puppies! The Everett’s had their dog, the Harrison’s had their pup, and we had Sam! The Hardison’s dog, Marley, and Sam wrestled and played together for hours and then would flop over for a nap. It was fun to watch them play, and the kids enjoyed holding the chicks, walking the dog and being outside. We are so thankful that God blessed us with a beautiful day, and I am thankful for Ressurrection Sunday. Food is good, fellowship is great, memories are wonderful, but the most precious and awesome part of it all is that Jesus Rose Again! What a day to celebrate! Death was defeated and Jesus conquered the grave! Praise the Lord! 

We are looking forward to a few days off of school! These first few days are supposed to be warm and beautiful, but then it’s supposed to turn chilly again. We will also be working on a few school projects that need to be finished up before we return- such as a science project, animal notebook, and fine arts project- never a dull moment!

In closing, God is good, so good. I’m starting a devotional book on the names of God, and the first one in the book is God- Elohim, meaning the Strong Creator. How much we have to be thankful for in this life! Looking at the choices of those in leadership in our country and what’s happening around the world, would cause me to be depressed in a hurry! But we can rejoice that our confidence is in God and not in mankind! 

Coming Down the “Home Stretch”!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Birthdays! (And 19 Days to Go!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another Birthday, 17 years of Marriage, and other Life Stories!

 Another week of school is over! It was nice to have a long weekend, and some extra time time with our family. Last week Chandler had a cross-country race and the boys had two away cross-country games. Garett also turned  sixteen! I can’t even believe that our oldest son is 16 years old! Time has flown by, and we are so thankful for Garett in our family. 

Chandler had a cross-country race on Monday, and Emma and I were able to get there in time to see him run in his race. In all my years of running in college, the girls always ran first and then the boys. However, the boys have been running first and it’s been a challenge to get to the races on time. We thought that we would be late due to construction but we made it on time. Actually, the race got off to a late start so we had plenty of time. It was a hot day, but not quite as hot as last week. There were a lot more students at this race due to a lot more schools being back in session. There were probably over 50 boys running in the race. Chandler started off really fast due to a fast pace runner in the front. The pace runner puttered out at about 1/2 mile, but Chandler kept running strong. He stayed up in the front for most of the race, and he held the lead for the last mile or so. He finished first in the race with a time that was almost a minute faster than last week! It’s fun to watch him run as he does it easily. I know he works at it but he’s kinda a natural athlete. Chandler told me after the race that he was glad that I just let him run. I asked him what he meant, and he said that he runs for fun. Another teammate’s parents are serious about their child running and improving every race,  and Chandler said he’s just glad that I come to just see him run. I don’t know…maybe we will get more serious about it over the next few years, but  Chandler’s just a freshman. I know what it’s like to run for fun (and be good at it) and I’d rather not put pressure on our son to perform, but just keep doing his best. Don’t get me wrong- we want Chandler to get better!If he stopped doing his best, we’d be having some discussions, but I’m happy that he’s enjoying it for now. 

The boys had an away soccer game on Tuesday (Garett’s 16th birthday) and Roger was able to get off work early so that he could come to the game with Emma and I. The team lost 1-0, but they played hard. Garett probably had his worst game of the season, and boy, was his brother all over him. Chandler gives 110% when he plays, so his voice could be heard on the soccer field telling Garett, “I need you to give more! Run faster!” The coach came over to us and said to Roger and I, “Well, I’m seeing which one of your boys has a take-charge personality!” Um- yes! The coach told Roger that he feels like Chandler is capable of being a real leader on the team, and that it would be good if Chandler felt comfortable telling the other players to “step-it up” also. It was a hot ride in the car for a few minutes after the game, and I’m not just referring to the weather! The older boys had some working out they needed to do, and the younger brothers chimed in with their opinions also! They sorted it out though, and we had supper before heading home. It was a kinda late night, and it didn’t feel excessively celebratory, but it is what it is. Garett is an extremely easy going kid- unless it’s his siblings pushing him! We sure are thankful for this boy who is quickly becoming a man. Please pray for him as he continues to work through educational difficulties and become the man that God wants him to be. 

Wednesday is our “come home early” day as there are not any school practices. I decided to make a meal for two of the teachers as one of them recently moves and another has a spouse that hasn’t been well. I didn’t think that the dessert that I made was overly delicious, but the casserole was good. I think we were able to be a blessing to both those families, and we are thankful for the opportunity to show teachers our love and appreciation. 

Friday was our 17th wedding anniversary, and we celebrated by going to the boys soccer game! Haha! Oh well! We were thankful for the opportunity to be together as Roger was able to get off in time for us to go to the game. The traffic was bad and we were six minutes late for the game. When we arrived the score was 2-1! (Not in our favor!) The team did a great job and they are improving every game! At one point, we were leading 3-2, but the game ended in a tie! Garett played much much better in this game, and Travis even got some playing time! It’s been a challenge for him, but he was happy to get a few minutes of playing time. While it wasn’t a romantic dinner with Roger and I for our anniversary, we are thankful that we were able to spend time as a family. Our days as a family of seven going places will be over before I’m ready, and we are soaking up the moments with these kids that God has given us! 

Emma has struggled with school these past few weeks. Please pray that she will be able to find a friend, settle in and understand a lot of new material! Emma and I probably struggle the most with feeling like “a fish out of water”, and while we think we are likable people, it’s been a challenge to feel like we are adjusting completely or fitting in. I did have the opportunity to be the art assistant at school the past few weeks, and the person that I am helping has been fun to work with. Maybe it will become a deeper friendship as time goes on. 

We went to a different church on Sunday, and we went to Sunday School and worship service. It’s a bit different visiting on a holiday weekend, but I am glad that we went. We plan to re-visit next Sunday, so we will see. We continue to pray, look at websites, pray, gather information and pray some more. We don’t want to rush into anything, but we are definitely looking forward to settling in a church soon. 

Monday was Labor Day, and it was nice to have the day off! We spent some time at the beach, but the jellyfish were biting! Emma, Travis and Roger all got bitten by jellyfish, so we didn’t spend a lot of time in the water. It was a relaxing day as a family, and we were once again thankful to spend time together as a family. 

I got a special package in the mail this past week, and it totally made my day! My friend, Allison, sent me a “fall basket”, and it was so nice to see fall colors and pumpkins! It doesn’t feel like fall weather, but fall is coming according to the locals! I’m definitely not ready for long sleeves and boots, but I’m ready to put up fall decorations! I’m thankful for Allison’s friendship over the years and across the miles. 

We have some friends come to visit us at the end of the month, and Travis and Emma are especially excited. Two of their Maine classmates are coming, along with their mom and younger sibling, and we are excited to have guests for a few days. 

Garett and Chandler left for the Senior High retreat on Wednesday afternoon, and they were excited about going! Garett probably mentioned three or four times that he hopes the “food will be good!” We are praying that God will work in a mighty way in their lives over the next few days. We need a revival in our country and may it start with our own young people! We all know that young people are capable of amazing things by the power of God, and we are praying for the Holy Spirit to work in their lives this week. God is so good, and we are so thankful that the boys have the opportunity to go. It’s been quieter around our house the past twenty four hours, and we do miss the older boys. It’s also nice to have some extra time with our other children. Garett will be leaving for a school trip to a historical city on Monday, and he will be gone all week. We are definitely getting to the place where the boys are growing up- jobs, trips, experiences, wow! 

I’ve been working in the school library, and I’m amazed at how much work goes into keeping a library running smoothly! I’ve been cleaning, doing bulletin boards, filing books, cataloging, organizing, and deciding on which books to read for read-aloud. I’m thankful to be working with another mom from the school, and we’ve had some good conversations about books, libraries, and students. My prayer is that I will do a good job with the library and maybe even help a few students decide that they like books and reading! In our technology driven world, getting kids to engage in reading is definitely a challenge! Children’s books especially seem to go out of print quickly and new authors, graphics and ideas are constantly coming on the scene. The students seems to really like books about sharks, bugs, aircrafts, tractors, and books that are non-fiction but the pictures are up to date! Sometimes the information can be accurate, but if the book is outdated or there’s very few pictures, I don’t want to read it either! 

We love you all. We are so thankful for each one of you that love and pray for us. We’ve been in North Carolina for almost three months, and while it’s not been without it’s challenges, God has been so faithful. When we’ve been weary, He’s encouraged us. When we’ve been overwhelmed, He’s directed us to the next step. He’s been faithful and He will continue to be faithful.