May was crazy as it felt like there was a different event every day of the month from the first of the month til the day of graduation! Sports awards, senior breakfasts, events for elementary, events for high schoolers, graduation practice, a visit from my parents, graduation for Chandler, graduation party, graduation for my counsin’s son, and all the day to day activities! No wonder I’ve felt like napping the first week of summer break!
I really think it would be impossible to write all the details for the month since I am so far behind, so I think I am going to use more pictures than anything else. However, I do want to give an update on Chandler as he has been making decision regarding his future. He is actively pursuing joining the United States Military, and there are many, many steps in the process. He has been unsure about what to study in college or what God would have him to do, and he has prayed a lot about his decision as have his parents! This is a big deal, and we would appreciate your prayers for Godly friends for him and good influences as he prepares for boot camp and beyond.
Secondly, Garett missed out on Chandler’s graduation as he was on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. We are so thankful for this opportunity for him as he has been lacking Godly fellowship in his life. He had a wonderful week, and we are excited that he has decided to return for a second missions trip at the end of June. Chandler is planning on going with him this time, and I am thankful that God has provided these missions trip to take with Parakaleo. Chandler may not have another opportunity to take a missions trip for a while, so he is looking forward to taking this trip at the end of June.
Garett’s Missions Trip
My parents flew in for Chandler’s graduation on Thursday night and my cousin’s sons’ graduation on Sunday. It was a busy week! My dad helped the boys build a ramp into the shed for their dirt bikes as well as a platform to jump off into the pond. My dad said that the boys were interested in building a platform to jump off into the pond, and instead of telling them not to do it, he decided to help them make it as safe as possible- good plan! The boys have been so busy with riding the dirt bikes and clearing trails to ride them through the woods. It’s keeping them busy that is for sure! My parents left on Wednesday to fly to Maine to see Hannah and her family for a few days. We enjoyed having them here, and it’s always good to catch up in person.
We also hosted a graduation party for Chandler and another friend in his class at our house last Saturday evening. It was a very wet afternoon, but we’ve needed the rain so badly that I didn’t mind the extra mess and mud. We are thankful for rain!
Update on the boys jobs for the summer: Chandler plans to do odd jobs for various people throughout the summer, and so far he’s had plenty of work. Wyatt is working for a friend of ours, and he seems to be liking the job. Travis is still kinda looking for some more summer work, but jobs for 15 year olds are a little harder to come by. I will probably try to pick up some jobs throughout the summer, but I’ve currently been enjoying soaking up time at home and doing a few extra things at our house. Emma’s current plans include working if the opportunity presents itself and lots of time at the pool! :) I’ve had to get a large calendar that I keep in the kitchen so I can keep track of who is going where and when! Wyatt and Travis are going to Youth camp; Chandler and Garett are going on a missions trip; Emma is going to church camp; Emma is going to Maine with Jen; we are trying to figure out some trips to take as a family- we are busy!
The end of the year was rough for me. There are a lot of emotions and feelings this as Chandler graduates as I know that he won’t be sticking around. I know that God has a perfect and beautiful plan for his life, and I am so excited to see what God does, but parenting is hard. We are raising children to become independent adults, and it’s happening before our eyes. I’ve had a lot of questions about how I feel regarding Chandler’s decision to join the military. I ask often, “Is God any less in charge of God’s life because of where he is?” I think not. We gave our children over to Jesus from before birth, and Chandler is just as safe in the military as he is anywhere else that God calls him to. I am thankful that we live in the greatest country on earth, and I am proud of Chandler for wanting to serve his country as he doesn’t know exactly what God has for him. Yes, there is a little bit of me sad that he won’t experience Liberty University this fall as Chandler worked so hard to apply for scholarships and make it affordable. But I also know that Chandler did not make his decision lightly, and he seems to have such peace about entering the military. Of course, please do keep him in your prayers.
As we wrap up the month of May, it was a busy month but so full of blessings too. God is so good and faithful, and He saw us through a lot of challenges and struggles. God’s grace has been so evident in our lives each and every day. We are so very blessed.
This will be my last blog for 2025, and I wanted to close with our family letter for Christmas. In a perfect world, I would’ve gotten Christmas cards sent out to family and friends, created a Christmas photo card, and done a million other things, but that didn’t happen in 2025! Instead, I’ll write our Christmas card digitally, and we will welcome in another year tonight. We are so thankful for all that God has done and will continue to do in our lives.
Dear Friends and Family,
2025 was a year of many events and happenings in our family. Like yours, we’ve had some amazing experiences, some difficult challenges, and some trials along the way, but the faithfulness of God has never faltered or wavered. Lamentations 3:22-23 states that “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” I am thankful for the steadfastness of the Lord’s faithfulness.
Roger continues to work for the forestry service. We are thankful for the flexibility of his job as it allows him to make most of the boys basketball games, and he coached the boys soccer team for the 2nd year in a row. The boys soccer team won 1st place in their conference this year, so that was especially exciting! Roger continues to enjoy flying, and sometimes he wishes his job involved a bit more of that, but we are very thankful for his job. Roger stays busy with teaching the boys about car maintenance, enjoying golf with the boys and tea parties with Emma, as well as continuing to lead our family with quiet faithfulness and steadfastness.
Sarah transitioned to teaching art this year at our Christian school, and that is something that we are all thankful for this year! As much as she enjoyed being the librarian and doing art last year, it was a lot, and we are thankful to the transition of just art this year. Sarah teaches art to 4K thru 12th grade, so she stays busy with making lesson plans and trying new ideas. Sarah was the assistant coach for Middle School girls volleyball this year, and that was a fun new challenge for her. She stays busy with art classes, ball games for the boys, meals, laundry and all the other things that make up “mom life”. Also, Roger and Sarah celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this year! Time really does fly! They are looking forward to getting away for a few days together in January for some much needed time together.
Garett graduated from high school this past spring, and that has brought along both challenges and delights as we transition from parenting a teen to an adult child! He is still desiring to pursue his aviation degree, but he is currently pondering a few different options. He continues to work for the Gutterworks Company as he moved to work with them full time over the summer. As parents, we are so thankful for the co-workers that Garett has in his employment. We are thankful for two Christian men that Garett gets to work alongside of every day. Garett has faced challenges this fall as he realized that being a graduate out of high school is not as fun as one might think! He has started to attend a small local church, but our prayer would be that Garett would find some deep friendships that would encourage and point him to Jesus.
Chandler is a senior this year in school, so we are preparing for our second high school graduate! (Mom is not ready!) Chandler knows that he would like to attend college somewhere, and he has visited Liberty University. He really enjoyed the college days there, but the cost of college is quite high, and Chandler is prayerfully considering his options. Chandler enjoys working with his hands, and he appreciates outside work and play. Please pray with us that he will have wisdom regarding his college decisions. Chandler had a great senior year of playing soccer as he closed out his high school season with 30 goals for the season and 25 assists. Now he is playing his senior year of basketball!
Wyatt is in 10th grade this year, and he enjoys all the sports, but especially basketball! Wyatt is not quite as interested in school as his parents would like him to be, but he does ok. Wyatt is taking piano lessons this year, and we are thankful for his growth in that area. Our prayer for Wyatt would be that he would make good friendships and that he would have wisdom about what God wants him to do in the future.
Travis would prefer to be anywhere but at school, but he works hard at it. He played soccer also this season, and as the youngest Robertson boy playing sports, he puts up with a lot from his brothers! He enjoys anything outside and in the dirt, and he loves to annoy his oldest brother…hopefully someday they will be best buds! Travis provides a lot of humor for our family, and we are thankful for his lightheartedness.
Emma is in fifth grade, and school is hard for her. She enjoys school because she is a social butterfly, but school does not come easily for her. She enjoys babies, Barbies, and Legos, and not so much playing sports much to her brother’s chagrin. Emma is Sarah’s grocery shopping companion, and Emma goes with Sarah almost every Saturday to get the grocery shopping done. It has provided for one on one time for them, and they are both thankful for that.
In closing, we also took a family cruise last March to celebrate Garett’s high school graduation. Everyone had summer employment, and we are thankful for God’s provision of work there. The boys had the opportunity to go to Teen Extreme camp at Pensacola in June. Travis and Chandler attended soccer camp at Bob Jones University (Chandler was the Camper of the Week there. Wyatt was unable to attend due to a badly sprained ankle). The boys took a trip to Wisconsin in November for deer hunting, and they stayed at Sarah’s parents home. We celebrated Christmas at home this year, and we’ve savored lots of moments and time together. As we age (quickly!), we are realizing just how fleeting these moments as a family are in our lives.
As we look towards 2026, we pray that you will find grace and peace in the presence of our Savior. We truly have the greatest gift in our salvation in Jesus, and that is a gift that is freely offered to each one.
And it's Monday again! I don't know that I've ever heard anyone say that Monday is their favorite day of the week, but I am thankful it is another day "that the Lord has made."
Today marks another day of giving thanks, and this time it is with the letter "c". This one was a pretty easy one- Christianity, Christmas, Christ, Church, etc.
"Children"- This was my word for today. It would be weird to be teaching children and not to be thankful for them! And if ever I get to the place where I am not thankful to be teaching children, then it is time to be done. I am so thankful for the opportunity to pour into these children and to hopefully impact their lives in a positive way for Jesus Christ.
“Championships”- Another thing we are all thankful for this year! It was fun to win the championship for soccer this year.
2025 Championship
"Christmas" Emma's word for today. She is very excited about Christmas, and everything that comes with it. It's a good reminder to be thankful for the real reason to celebrate the season and that is Jesus, of course!
"Christianity" this was Chandler's word pick for today. He said that he was thankful for Christianity, and that it's not about a religion but a relationship with Jesus. Chandler has learned a lot about relationships this year, and I think that he is realizing that the most important relationship is with Jesus.
"Coffee"...um...this was also my word! I am so thankful for coffee. I love the smell, the taste (but NOT black), and it marks the beginning of another day for me as I read my Bible and drink coffee. I am very thankful for coffee!
"Chocolate Chip Cookies" - Guess who picked this one? Wyatt loves cookies, and almost every cookie he likes to eat. Chocolate Chip Cookies and Oreos are his favorites. He told us when he was about five that he likes about every cookie, but not "church" cookies. I was like, "What are church cookies?" He said, "Church cookies are like the generic Oreos that don't taste the best and those wafer cookies that don't have any flavor." But other than that, he is thankful for cookies!
“Co-Workers”- this was Garett’s word today. I think I am just as thankful as he is for his co-workers! Garett is blessed to work with two Christian men, and it has been such a blessing to him. I know that God provided these men and this job knowing that Garett would need the fellowship and mentorship especially since graduating from high school.
“Cash”- Travis’s word for today. He told me “Yes, mom. The love of money is evil, but cash is helpful!” Well, I agree! We are thankful for cash and the work that provides the cash!
“Cute wife”- Seriously…Roger’s word. I asked him if he was going with a theme throughout this Thanksgiving season, and he said that so far he’s come up with a word that matches the letters. I’m thankful for Roger.
We blinked. Just like that Christmas break is over, and tomorrow we are going back to schedules, routines, school, basketball, and another semester of school! Tomorrow morning is probably going to be a bit of a rough wake-up call as we get back to school and work, but we made some great memories. It was a good break for our family, and it provided a much needed reset for my mental health and clarity.
As you might remember, I mentioned in our previous post (Here), we planned to take a trip to Maine over Christmas break. We left on Christmas Day about mid-morning, and made it to New Haven, CT., on Christmas Day. We arrived in Maine on Thursday, and we were all excited to see snow on the ground! My boys had been praying that there would be some snow in Maine, and when we arrived, there was snow! God provided safety in our travels, as we went through many of the major cities on the east coast including, Washington, DC., Baltimore, New York City, Hartford, and Boston! Thankfully, traffic was moving right along, and we did not run into any bad weather or traffic. We arrived in Maine on Thursday afternoon, and we headed right to Hannah and Josh’s house. Our kids were all excited about seeing their cousins, and they tromped around outside for a good chunk of the afternoon. Hannah had arranged for a photographer to take family photos while everyone was together. Originally the pictures were supposed to be on Monday afternoon, but it was supposed to rain on Monday! We were able to reschedule the pictures for Friday afternoon, so that meant coordinating clothes for fifteen people. We did have to take a trip to Sam’s Club, but we managed to get clothing that didn’t completely clash. Josh had cleaned out his closet, and Hannah had saved the bag of clothes instead of hauling it right to Goodwill. She saved it as she thought some of our boys could use some of the items. They sure did! The boys borrowed clothes, boots, and coats from the bag all week long! We ended up trading with some of our jackets, and that Goodwill pile sure did come in handy!
Our family headed down the coast towards Owl’s Head for Thursday night as a friend of Roger’s had offered to let us use his house for a few days. It worked out really well as we were able to catch up with some of our Maine friends over the next few days. I met with my friend, Allison, on Friday morning, and we chatted our way through a quick two hour visit over coffee and a walk around town. It was good to catch up in person. We are terrible about actually calling each other, and we are not much better at texting! The boys’ friend, Austin, came over to spend the day with them on Friday, so that was a fun time for them. Roger and Garett went to visit Penobscot Island Air (where Roger used to work) on Friday morning, and they even caught a flight out to Matinicus. Since we’ve been gone, the company has undergone some changes. Roger’s boss passed away in 2020, and our life was abruptly turned upside down. Through a series of events, Roger took a job in Michigan in the fall of 2021 while the kids and I stayed in Maine as I was teaching and the kids were in school. We didn’t end up in Michigan as we had planned, but instead we arrived in North Carolina in the summer of 2022. We were a little battered and bewildered as to what God was doing, but God is always good. Anyways, back to our Maine visit…it was good to see the company thriving again. They have a new hanger, lots of new faces, and I think it was also a time of healing for Roger. Roger was able to see in person that the company was doing well, and that several needed and good changes have taken place. I stopped in for a visit on Friday mid-morning, and I was able to say “hi” to a few people that I recognized, and I was introduced to the new chief pilot who promptly told me that if Roger ever wanted to come back, he would have a job. While I surely don’t know that that is what God has for us, it’s always nice to feel welcome and appreciated, and it was good for Roger to hear that.
We survived family pictures on Friday afternoon…in the snow…with all fifteen of us. The weather was actually quite nice as the wind wasn’t blowing, and the sun was shining. Since we were already paying for pictures, we asked the photographer to shoot a few extras of Garett for his senior photos. (Might as well get it all done at once!) Also, for all those that sent us a Christmas card- thank you! You can expect a family card and Garett’s senior photos all in the same envelope around April! :) We had a great photographer who was able to get all the photos we needed or wanted in under 90 minutes. We are excited to see how they turned out, but everyone was also glad to go back to Aunt Hannah and Uncle Josh’s for pizza!
Saturday morning found four of our kids and I visiting with some school mates from Travis and Emma’s classes. We didn’t really plan anything ahead of time for our time in Maine as I wasn’t sure how the week would unfold. However, I reached out to my friend, Claire, and she welcomed the kids and I for a morning of visiting. It was good to catch up on school events, her kids, life, and the kids seemed to just connect right back. Roger and Garett were able to catch up with another one of Roger’s pilot friends, and that was a good time for them. We had invited our friends, the Davis’s, for supper on Saturday evening. I made a big pot of soup, and we sat and fellowshipped for several hours. Jess and I had taught at the same school our last year in Maine, and we had really hit it off. Tim and Jess have four kids, and our children also seem to really enjoy visiting together. Allison and Jason and their girls came over in the evening as well, and we fellowshipped and laughed until 11:00pm! Our family had made several really great friends during our six years in Maine, and it was good to catch up in person. While we were all a little tired on Sunday morning, it was an evening well spent together.
We flew around in a flurry of activity on Sunday morning, as we cleaned up the house we had been staying in and prepared for church. We were able to worship with friends at our home church on Sunday morning. Lots of smiles and hugs as we were greeted by so many that remembered us. “How the kids have grown!” That was the most common statement, and yes, the boys and Emma have grown a lot in 2 1/2 years! Several faces were missing as we greeted those we knew as several of our older dear friends have passed on to Heaven. I saw grief-filled faces as I hugged a few of my older friends, and it was a reminder that whether we like it or not, time marches on. Heaven grows sweeter every day.
Our friends, Nick and Hannah, invited us over for lunch after church on Sunday morning. Hannah and Nick have five of their own kids, we have five, and Tim and Jess have four! The house was brimming with laughter, voices, the smell of delicious food, and families fellowshipping together. Whew! It was a fast visit as we knew that we needed to get to Hannah and Josh’s house later that afternoon. Before we left the Rockland area, we made on more last stop. We pulled into the driveway of Terri Waters later that afternoon, and so many memories came flooding back. When Kevin was alive, we had spent several holidays together, time at their lake cabin, family birthday parties, dinners together, and so many precious memories. Terri welcomed our tribe with a smile and a hug, and we wish that we had had more time to visit with her, but it was good to see her. She sold the company last year, and I think it was a good move for her. Life can change in the blink of an eye, and that is certainly what happened in 2020. It is so comforting to rest in the fact that God doesn’t make any mistakes. His plan is always the right one. I may not like His plan at the time or perhaps even for years to come, but He doesn’t make mistakes. I’m thankful that we were able to stop in to give a hug and a smile to Terri while we were in Maine.
We spent the rest of the week up by Hannah and Josh. A friend of theirs had offered to let us sleep at their house, so that was really helpful. We love each other, but fifteen of us in the same house can be a lot! Monday was a rainy, dreary day, so we pretty much puttered around in the morning talking and drinking coffee at Hannah and Josh’s house. Everyone was kinda getting a little stir crazy in the afternoon, so we went out and looked around at a few different places. My parents stayed at Hannah and Josh’s house, and they probably were not sad to see us leave with eight children in tow!
Tuesday was a beautiful morning, and while the ground was wet and muddy, the sun was shining again! We ended up on a hike with my dad, Hannah and Josh, their kids, Jen, and all our family. It was about a three mile hike through the woods in a preserve. If we had been quiet, we might have seen some wildlife, but certainly not with fourteen of us! Travis shouted loudly at his brothers, who were ahead on the trail, “GUYS, WE HAVE TO BE QUIET TO SEE A DEER!” Um, son…there are no deer for miles around after that! It was a fun morning and everyone got some fresh air. Roger and I, and Garett and Chandler, met up with another couple for lunch in the afternoon. The Peabody’s have been good friends to Roger for years, and they are a special couple to our family. Chandler told me later that he didn’t really remember the Peabody’s but he figured that lunch would be good. He said that he was glad he had come along because after visiting with them, he did remember some good memories…and lunch was good too!
Garett and Chandler drove down for a youth event that they had been invited to by some friends on Tuesday evening. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for them as they were able to re-connect with some of their friends. Soccer is pretty big in that area of Maine, and that is right up Chandler’s alley! They ate food, played games, participated in a soccer tournament (but were unable to finish it as they needed to drive back), and came back tired but refreshed. I’m thankful that Levi extended the invite to them to come, and that Garett and Chan were able to go.
We packed up our belongings, washed sheets and bedding, and headed for Hannah and Josh’s house on Wednesday morning. It was raining again on Wednesday, and it was a good day to leave as everyone was tired. Hannah fed us (again) and we got on the road to head back to N.C., around eleven am. We made good time, and we stopped around 7:30pm in Bordertown, NJ. That is not a stop we will make again! The pool was not heated, the hot tub was broken, and the room was so dirty that I told my kids not to take off their shoes! We were able to get a different hotel room, but it still wasn’t super clean. We aren’t picky people, but I don’t like some else’s hair on the bed or mud on the floor! Oh well! We survived and continued on the way to home on Thursday. We arrived back around 4;30pm, and everyone was glad to get home. It’s a lot of work to unpack, do laundry, and prepare for reality, but we did it. It’s been good to be home for a few days before heading back to school. We have two weeks of school before we are going to spend a weekend with my Aunt and Uncle in western NC.!
So…it’s a new year! I’ve been thinking about my goals for the year, the goals for our family, the goals I have for our children, and all the dreams and expectations for the new year. I have a list, and I have plenty of ideas for the new year, but I really want God to be glorified in and through me. I want to encourage and point others to Jesus. I want to help our children understand their need for a personal and growing relationship with Jesus. I want to help them be able to defend and understand what they believe and why. I have a lot longer list of ideas and goals, but these are my starting points. What about you? What are your goals, dreams, ambitions for the new year? I was reading an article that stated that one of the number one ways to succeed in something is to write it down. So…write it down!
It’s been a busy two weeks, as we’ve jumped full swing into summer break! We are enjoying a bit of a more relaxed schedule, but we find it’s still really full with kids working, balancing screen time and work, projects that we’d like to finish, and planning a few activities over summer break.
I’ve still been working at the school some as it’s near impossible to get everything cleaned and packed up before school ends much less when I’m working in both art and library. I enlisted the help of my kids to help take down bulletin boards, move books, haul stuff to the dumpsters, and other cleaning jobs. Working for mom would not fall on their list of favorite things, but welcome to life! I’ve been doing some research regarding an art curriculum for elementary students, and there is so much out there! It’s so easy to be overwhelmed with it all. We’ve also looked for a library curriculum, but that’s a really hard one to come by because I’m picky about what we read and generally we don’t have the books on the list in our small library anyways. I’ve written our own lessons plans for the past two years, but it would be nice to be able to have the book, a game, and an activity all ready to go without searching all over creation for what I want…maybe I’m just too picky or my expectations are too high!?
On Memorial Day, we went to Aunt Lisa and Uncle Ryan’s house out towards the western side of the state. It makes for a long day, but it was a fun day. All the kids got in the pool (multiple times) and Emma and Travis ended up with a sunburn! We took Sam (the dog) with us, and he did very well on the car ride so that was a blessing. The boys walked down to the pond to go fishing, and they caught a few fish. We enjoyed lots of delicious food, good fellowship and time outside. It was a good way to start summer break.
Chandler had the opportunity to spend a few days at a lake with one of his friends from school and a few other boys as well. He left on Wednesday to go to the lake, and we came down on Saturday to pick him up. He had a great time fishing, kayaking, playing with air soft guns, and doing all kinds of activities. We came to pick him up on Saturday, and we enjoyed time at the lake as well. It was good to get to know Nicholas’s parents a little better, and we surely did appreciate the laughter and fellowship. It was a beautiful day to spend at the lake, and we were thankful for the invite.
Garett is working full time with the gutter company this summer, and last week he got his drivers license! Yes, he is almost 18 (in August), but we were not in an anxious place for him to get his license and insurance is expensive! However, the timing was right and God arranged for all the details to fall into place. Roger took him to Jacksonville last Thursday for a 8:00 am appointment. They arrived in time, but there was an accident on the route that they normally take the drivers road test on. The DMV told Roger and Garett that they weren’t sure how long it would be before the route opened, but they would be given a “floating” appointment meaning that once the route opened back up, Garett could take his test as soon as they could squeeze him in. Well that was a bit of a bummer as Roger was missing work to take Garett to do his drivers test, and we weren’t sure if we should wait it out, reschedule or if I should come and wait with Garett. Roger and Garett went back into the DMV to talk to someone, and they said that they would allow Garett to take his road test on an old route that they didn’t use anymore. Praise the Lord! Within ten minutes, Garett was walking back into the DMV to get his drivers license permit! We are thankful that one of the boys now has his drivers license as this means that Garett can now help with getting other kids where they need to be! I didn’t think I’d be this excited about one of our kids having their drivers license, but it’s been so nice!
I started working at a farmer’s market a few days a week, and it looks like Chandler will be able to earn a little money on the days that I work as he can come with me. The days are long at the farmer’s market, but it’s not hard work as it’s just being friendly and selling people produce. I think it’ll work out nicely for a few days a week and help provide a little extra money for a summer trip or the school bill. Chandler would still like to find a bit more work as he’d like to work closer to four or five days a week, but we are thankful for something!
Travis finished up the soccer season with the rec team this past week. It’s been fun to watch him play, and he’s enjoyed it-mostly. I thought that Travis would be excited about being on a team without his brothers and getting a lot of playing time. He told my sister, Jen, that he enjoyed playing soccer but it would’ve been better if Wyatt could’ve been on his team. The Lord was good to Travis as Travis was placed on a team with Christian coaches, and it was a good experience. One of the coaches is also a coach for a soccer league team in the area. The coach sent us an email about Travis playing on a travel ball team, and then he came and talked to us. While the experience would be good, the cost is way too high, and we are already busy as a family. We don’t need one more event to haul kids to or cause us to split up our very valuable family time. We asked Travis what his opinion was about the travel ball team, and told him that it was nice of his coach to notice Travis’s skill level and offer him a position on the travel soccer team without Travis even going to tryouts. And all of that was and is true! It’s nice to be recognized for hard work and effort, but thankfully this was an easy decision to make. Travis was non-committal about it (he’s not one to talk a lot), but he said, “yeah, it’s nice to be asked to join the team. But I don’t want to. I wouldn’t really want to do it without one of my brothers, and I’ll get to play on the school team in the fall.” So that was that, and it was a good decision. The coaches held a little awards ceremony after the last game last week, and it was so refreshing and encouraging to hear these coaches talk about the “Christian character” award, and how that was being like Jesus. This is a non-Christian school team, and these kids are from all walks of life, but these coaches made a point to bring Jesus into the conversation and to pray over the players after the last game of the season. I doubt Travis thought much about it, but as his mama, I sure did appreciate the prayer and reference to Jesus Christ!
This past week we’ve been dog siting for some friends of ours. I’ve decided that we are definitely a one dog family, and while we’ve not minded Marley being here, we are thankful for just one dog! We also have the three Hardison boys here, so that’s eight boys and Emma! It’s not been very quiet here, but it’s been fun. They eat a lot, but they also have played hours of basketball and golf. We are thankful for these moments and days. Life truly is a vapor, and if I accomplish nothing else with my life, I want my kids to know and serve Jesus.
We’ve also had VBS (Vacation Bible School) this past week, so I took Jace and Emma in to VBS with me, while the boys spent time with Roger. They even got to go golfing a few times with the Hardison boys, so that was fun for all.
Chandler has already gotten a pay raise at the farmer’s market, so that was exciting for him. He worked two days and got a pay raise on the third day. The disadvantage to the farmer’s market job is that it is a bit of a hike to the job, so he really can only work on days that I work, and I don’t want to work every day! This past week, Wyatt also worked at the farmers market for a day. Chandler, Wyatt and I all worked on Saturday, and it was a busy day. I prefer the busier days, as I’m not one for sitting around! The boys worked hard at keeping everything stocked and shucking corn. We always come home tired, but it’s been good to have a little employment this summer.
This week is basketball camp for Chandler and Wyatt, and they’re looking forward to going to Bob Jones University with two of the Hardison boys for basketball camp. I’m excited that they have this opportunity, and Travis and Emma are looking forward to it as well. I’m going to take the two youngest, along with my sister, and we’re going to spend a few days in the Greenville area while the other two boys are at camp. It should be a good week, and I’m looking forward to spending some time with the youngest two kids.
Today was Father’s Day, and we barely saw Roger! He spent the day at work flying patrol for the fires. We really, really need rain. The forecast for the next ten days is hot and without rain. Please pray that God will provide some rain. Many farmers are on the verge of losing their crops as the soil is so dry. We really need several days of a nice soaking rain. We missed having Roger around, but we are so thankful for him. He’s not the life of the party, and he doesn’t like to be the center of attention, but Roger is faithful, loyal, kind and a good friend. He loves his family, and he works hard to be present in our lives. I’m thankful for him, and I love him so very much.
Life can also be heavy and hard, and sometimes it’s hard to know what God is doing. The pastor said something this morning that really resonated with me after this past week. He said, “What you believe in not only matters for eternity, but it also shapes your perspective on life.” And sometimes we just have to walk by faith. This past Tuesday, my friend, Beka, from Wisconsin called me. She told me that there had been an accident and the daughter of someone I knew had been killed in a tragic ATV accident. I was completely taken off guard. Emma is almost the same age as this little girl that passed away, and I was pregnant with Emma the same summer that my friend was pregnant with her daughter. I don’t know what God’s plan was in allowing this tragedy to happen, but I do know that God is in control. He is the God of all comfort, and His mercy never fails. I’ve cried several times this past week as we grieve the loss of life, and for the family left behind. Please do pray for my friend, Jen, and her family, as they grieve the loss of their daughter.
As parents, we naturally expect our children to outlive us, and sometimes we are caught off guard by what happens in our lives. I look forward to the day when “He will wipe away all tears from our eyes.” Heaven is going to be an amazing place, and if you’re not sure about where you will spend eternity, please reach out to me. I’d love to show you how you can know for sure that you are on your way to Heaven. Jesus died for you, so that you can have eternal life in Heaven. We need to recognize that we cannot get to Heaven on our own, and we are all sinners. We have no hope of Heaven without Jesus. But..Romans 3:23 says that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23 “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Believe that Jesus died for you. Recognize that you are a sinner. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your life. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that “for by grace are ye saved, through faith, and not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” Salvation- that’s the best gift ever!
We have five weeks left in the school year, and the days are flying by! Every year after spring break time seems to pick up speed as we wrap up the school year. Spring sports, awards banquet, spring music recitals, competitions, and warmer weather are all indicators that the end of the school year is right around the corner.
We enjoyed a few days of warmer weather on spring break, but then the weather turned quite cool. However, we did get down to the beach one of the days on spring break to catch a few rays of sunshine. The boys enjoyed several rounds of golf during spring break, and golfing has become one of their favorite activities (it’s also fairly cheap if you’re a minor, so they need to golf while they’re young!). I didn’t get a whole lot done on my to-do list, but we did enjoy time together as a family and that’s important.
Last weekend, (4/12) we had our friends the Everett’s down for a few days. Garett and Savannah attended the Junior/Senior banquet. I think they had a good time, but it was a lot of work, money and effort for an event that lasted less than two hours! That was also a crazy Friday as Garett was dismissed from school early due to the banquet, Travis had soccer practice for his rec team, and trying to get everyone where they needed to be on time- but it all came together. We also enjoyed strawberry picking while the Everett’s were here, and a round of golf, and lots of food!
Last week (April 15-19) was a bit crazy. We had art classes as normal on Monday, but then found out that the art room would be used for the high school competition later in the week. I do not mind sharing the space at all, but we had 29 art projects in the room that were in the final stages of preparing to enter for the elementary students next week (April 22)! My art assistant, Kaycee, has been great this year, and she helps with whatever wild schemes I dream up. We arranged to move all the elementary art over to the science lab to set it up there for the next few days while we finished up the paperwork and helped a few students with their final details. We did art as normal last Tuesday, and then spent the afternoon cleaning, re-arranging, and moving things over to the other building. I spent a lot of time on Wednesday and Friday helping students complete their projects for the art competition. I had asked for the art projects to be brought back right after spring break, and while I got a lot of them back, some of them needed some “fine tuning”. I am amazed a how little parental support some of my students received, and it makes me a little sad. But I’m thankful for teachers who are willing to let me take their students to receive some direction to help their art projects. All in all, the elementary art did come together, and it was all dropped off for competition on Monday morning! Praise the Lord! Now, we are just waiting to see how the students placed!
Our school hosted a high school competition last week (Wednesday-Friday), and Garett and Chandler were in a couple of events. The choir sang on Wednesday, but Chandler spent all of Tuesday night throwing up as in practically every couple of hours. On Wednesday morning, he had a low grade fever and was still throwing up. I texted his choir teacher and said that unless Chandler was desperately needed, he would be staying home! So Chandler stayed at home while the rest of us went to school. I’m not a huge fan of this competition because I feel like a lot of kids spend their time sitting around and not cheering on their classmates, but rather just wasting time (I hate wasting time!). Garett was in choir on Wednesday and the Ensemble. He didn’t need to be at school until around noon, but since I go into school at 7:30am, he had to come too. But Garett is a pretty good sport most of the time, so he helped with a few odd things here and there, and worked on some school work. The choir sang in the afternoon on Wednesday and the ensemble shortly afterwards. We actually got to come home a little earlier than normal so that was a pleasant treat! Chandler wasn’t feeling 100% on Thursday, but he was healthy enough to go. Wyatt had a migraine though so he stayed at home! Thankfully, Wyatt is too young to be in the competition, so he didn’t miss much! Garett sang in a mixed quartet on Thursday, and while he struggles to hold his part, I’m thankful that he is always willing to try. He will smile and give it his very best. After the quartet, Garett had to hustle out to the soccer field for the soccer kick shoot out. We did terrible in that event (usually how it goes when no practice is involved!). It was a warm afternoon, so we were all happy to go home with that event was over.
Friday brought about the final day of competition for the high school events, and Wyatt still wasn’t feeling great. Travis offered to stay home to take care of Wyatt and the dog. Wyatt and Sam had been just fine the day before, but Travis was an eager beaver to volunteer to stay home. Roger and I think highly of education, but with the competition going on, the junior high classes had been having a lot of substitute teachers and irregular schedules, which Travis does not handle well. We decided to let him stay home and you’d have thought we had given him the moon! It’s hard on me to have him ask me every single day if I will sign him out of school, does he have to go, or will I pick him up early. For whatever reason, God has allowed Travis to have another challenging school year. I surely don’t know the reasons, and I tell Travis often that I don’t know what God is doing, but I know that He does care about each one of us. We pray hard and we pray often that God will provide Travis with one special friend. Having the chickens to take care of and Sam has helped some, but Travis still could use a friend at school.
Anyways, back to the competition at school. On Thursday night, Chandler asked me if Eli could stay overnight at our house. Normally, we don’t have people over during the school week, but since this week has been a little different, I agreed. I can’t remember the last time Chandler asked if someone could sleep over, but it was a fun afternoon. The boys tromped around in the woods, went fishing, played basketball, watched a movie and ate a lot of supper! Roger didn’t get home from work til after 9:00pm due to a fire, and he didn’t even notice that we had an extra boy in the living room! I think the boys had a good time, and I was thankful that it worked out on the spur of the moment idea.
Chandler competed in the mile run on Friday morning. I was able to watch him compete, so I was thankful for that. Chandler ran his mile about nine seconds faster than last year. Last year he placed first, and this year he placed fourth. The kid that won the mile won by a long shot! Chandler didn’t seem terribly disappointed as he was just happy that he had ran faster than the previous year. It meant that Chandler did not place in any of the events that he competed in, but he said that next year he’d like to participate in a few more events. As for all the teachers, we are glad that week is behind us!
Wyatt’s 15th birthday was on Saturday (April 20th). I can’t believe my smack-dab-in-the-middle-child is 15!!! Time is flying by! He was feeling a little better on Saturday and asked if Roger would take him golfing for his birthday. We had lunch together at a Mexican restaurant early in the afternoon, and then Roger took all the boys golfing. I think they had a good time, but Wyatt was exhausted when he came home. He showered and laid right down on the couch. I don’t remember the last time he was this sick for this long with just a constant low grade fever and headache (sounds like Covid). He went right to bed on his birthday, so we will have to celebrate with ice cream cake another time.
It’s always nice when someone makes a meal or invites us over for dinner, and Jen invited us all over to her house on Sunday afternoon. Our church was hosting a singing group from a college, so all the Sunday school classes were combined. We had just sat down, and the students were singing their first song, when Wyatt broke down. I asked him what was the matter, and he replied that his head was hurting so badly and the music was making it worse. So Wyatt and I slipped out, and I took him to Jen’s house. He crawled right into bed, and I went back to church for the worship service. After church, we all went to Jen’s for lunch, and Wyatt still was looking pale. He didn’t eat much (a true sign to every mama of teenagers that something is not right), and when we went home in the afternoon, he showered and laid back down on the couch. Our family had already made arrangements to go over to the Hardison’s house for supper and fellowship, so Wyatt stayed home. Wyatt started to make a change for the better on Sunday afternoon, but we decided to have him stay home anyways- no one else wants to be sick! We had a good time at the Harrison’s, even though it was raining. They also have a fairly young pup, so Sam had a great time getting all dirty out in the yard with Marley the pup! We enjoyed conversations, food and fellowship, and we are thankful for friendships.
Monday morning was the morning of the big event for the elementary art competition. I get nervous that I’ll have accidentally missed a direction or did a step wrong. The last thing I want is for any of our art to be disqualified! All the art had to be dropped off at ten am, so I spent the morning checking and re-checking the directions, the paperwork, and having students sign the paperwork. I gave a huge sigh of relief when it was all safely delivered!
On Tuesday, Kaycee and I had to re-arrange our normal art schedules. Since the competition this week is for 3rd-6th grade, we had art classes for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades. I would’ve loved to have had art with everyone, but there are not enough hours in the day! I decided that kindergarten, first and second grades needed the art specials more as they won’t be getting out of school for the competition. I don’t always do it perfectly, but I do work hard to try to make sure that the teachers get their specials for their classes. 30 minutes of planning can and will make a big difference to a teacher! Having taught in the classroom, I know how valuable those planning periods are, so I try to make it happen. Since the art room was being used, we had art classes in the back foyer of one of our buildings. It’s a fairly big space, but it’s also a walk-through area for students going out to recess, lunch, bathrooms, etc. It was a crazy Tuesday, but by the grace of God, we made it through! I am also very thankful that we don’t have to do it like that every week!
Tomorrow will be a big day for our elementary students as they compete in many events. I’ve been working with our Bible Sword Drill teams, and I’m ready to have this behind us as well. I certainly don’t mind helping out with these students, and I’m thankful for the opportunity. But between art, Bible Sword drill and my own kids, I am thankful that this competition will be over this week! We have a 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade team for Bible Sword drill. My friend, Jennifer, and I have been working with the students for several weeks trying to prepare them for this competition. The younger grades get 10 seconds to find the Bible reference and the older grades get 7 seconds! That’s not much time when you’re trying to find a reference in 66 books of the Bible! However, they’ve worked hard, and we are praying that all that hard work will come to fruition tomorrow.
It’s hard to believe, but in four weeks from Friday, school will be over for another year! The boys have been busy trying to get jobs lined up for the summer. Garett’s boss from last summer said that he might have some work for Garett, so please pray that will open up for Garett again. Chandler applied for an internship job through a local community college. He had to complete a hefty online interview and then this past week, he was called for a face-to-face interview. I took him to his interview on Tuesday, and they said that they would notified the students that would be hired by May 6th. This would be a fantastic opportunity for Chandler as it’s an internship with some class time as well as hands-on learning, and he would be paid. However, they’re only accepting 12 applicants, and there were about 45 that had face-to-face interviews. But we will pray and see what God does.
In closing, I really should go back to writing on the blog once a week! So much happens in two weeks that it’s hard to keep up with all the details! Garett had a bit of a rough week last week, and we spent much time in prayer and talking with him. If he’s brought to your mind, please pray for him. I’m thankful that God loves our children so very, very much. Garett will also be running for Student Body President next week, so I know he’d appreciate your prayers for that. He is very excited about the opportunity, but also a little nervous. I’m excited to see him campaign. :)
Chandler and Wyatt will compete in their final golf tournament on Monday, and I am trying to work out the details to go and watch them play. Garett’s baseball season is wrapping up next weekend (first weekend in May), and Travis will start his soccer games with a game on May 10th. He’s excited about playing, and we are hoping that perhaps God will also provide a friend on his team.
God is good. We are waiting on God for some answers regarding schooling for our children next fall. It’s always hard to step out in faith, but God is always faithful. For whatever reason, God gave us several children that really do struggle with school. (I’m thankful that Jen helps out with tutoring Travis and Garett in some of their subjects!!) This doesn’t mean that these children are not smart, responsible, and respectful, but it does mean that as their mama, I have to stay on top of things a little more than with some of our other children. It can be tiring, exhausting and overwhelming, but I’m so thankful for the precious gift of each of our children. Christ’s mercy is more than I can imagine, and when I am overwhelmed, His mercy is more…
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!
Updated: This blog post has been in the writing for several days now, but I’m going to leave it as it is- Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Eve! I was very much hoping that I would find the time to write an updated Christmasy letter, but at the rate I’m going, it looks like Easter is a much better possibility! We’ve managed to wrap up this part of the school year and slid into Christmas break. It’s been a few years since I’ve felt this tired and overwhelmed at the Christmas season, but there’s a lot happening in our lives right now. I feel like I’m struggling to find “balance” in it all with Holiday gatherings, friends, Church events, school events, basketball, cheer, children, spouse, food to prepare as well as finding moments to prepare my own heart for the reason for the season. (If it was completely honest, I feel like I’m struggling a bit with some depression, but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to find a few moments to re-group and re-focus over this Christmas break). We went to the Christmas Eve service this morning, and that is always one of my favorite church services as it’s typically full of more music and an opportunity to cherish a quiet moment of reflection.
The last few weeks have been busy as we’ve prepared for Christmas break. We were able to take in a singing event with our friends, the Harrison’s and the Everett’s. It was a truly wonderful experience to soak up the sounds of the season and listen to college kids sing about the reason we can celebrate- Jesus. It’s a tradition that I hope we will be able to continue with for years to come as it really was a great service and the kids all enjoyed it too. We’ve also hosted a cheerleading Christmas party, made 100s of treats to give out for Christmas gifts, gathered food and gifts for the kids school events, and even managed to get the art room free of Christmas ornaments! Whew!
Those would be the highlights. The low lights would be helping our freinds, the Everett’s, clean their military base house as they prepare to move. I can’t even hardly type that without my eyes filling with tears. Laura has helped me coach cheerleading, loved our children, hosted us for more meals than I can count, and their family is very special to us. We will miss them more than we can express. Another lowlight would be last Sunday night. It was raining and Laura and I had taken Emma, Chandler and Ava out to get some items for our cheerleading party. On the way back home, some of the roads were becoming flooded. We turned on the road towards home, and about halfway through a very large puddle…we were stuck. I immediately hopped out of the car and the water was over my knees. We tried to push the vehicle out of the water, but that didn’t work either. We called our husbands, and they came to rescue us. I ended up taking Laura, Ava, Chandler and Emma back home in Roger’s truck with Garett, Roger and Justin tried to figure out the car situation. It involved calling a tow truck, a long night, and lots of water before the vehicle was finally out of the water. That adventure definitely put a damper on the night! I’m thankful that God protected all of us. We learned a lot, and God is still in control. I don’t understand why God thought we needed one more situation in our lives, but God is still good. It’s been a week!
Also this week the alternator on the van went out, so Roger spent the day after Christmas fixing that! Garett’s car bit the dust, and the repairs were going to be way too costly, so that vehicle went to the junk yard. Garett was pretty happy to get $400 for his car, and he’s beginning the process of looking for a different vehicle. He doesn’t have his license yet, which is partially on him, but mostly on us as parents. We aren’t quite ready for the hike in insurance prices, and currently he’s still going wherever one of us are going so it’s worked out. Yes, he’s missed out on a few things, but nothing that he’s seemed too bothered about. He’ll get his license…eventually!
We took Jen to the airport on Thursday morning as she’s flying to Maine to see Hannah and Josh and their kids. Roger hasn’t felt well for the past few days, so he’s been home a bit more this week and I’ve appreciated that. Jen opened up her home to the Everett’s as their between homes right now without base housing or a house in the area that they are moving to yet. We celebrated Christmas with them on Saturday night with lots of yummy food, gingerbread creations, and a Christmas movie. The Everett’s are leaving to see family in Tennessee, and Roger’s parents are coming into town tonight. We are thankful for family.
Continued (12/29/23) It’s now Friday morning. The presents are unwrapped and strewn all about. The cookies are eaten. Grandpa and Grandma have come and gone, and now we are trying to recover from too much sugar and junk food! We enjoyed our visit with Roger’s parents, and the weather was beautiful on Christmas Day. Roger, his dad and the kids went to the baseball park for a while, and I was able to get in a short walk. We visited on the phone with my parents for a bit too. We had a relatively quiet Christmas as far as gifts for our kids. Since we are going on a family vacation in January, we told the kids that they would just pick names for each other and they’d each get a gift that way. We all picked names for each other and the kids do the shopping for the name that they picked (with some help from mom and dad!). It’s interesting to me to see what they pick out for each other. As they’ve grown and matured, we progressed from picking things out at the Dollar Tree (nothing wrong with that!) to picking out shoes, a hockey stick, a doll, etc. I do enjoy spending time with the kids as we Christmas shop, and I hope that Roger and I have impressed on them the importance of the real reason for Christmas! Gifts, lights, cookies, treats, special events are all fun and exciting, but without Jesus we’d have no hope for eternity! I’m so thankful that Jesus came to be the “Light of the World”.
It’s hard to believe that our Christmas break is wrapping up in just a few days. I wish I had had a bit more time to savor the moments, take longer walks, and do a few more things, but I’m thankful for the break from school. It was beginning to feel overwhelming and over stimulating those last few days of school, and I can recognize in myself when the tentacles of depression start to creep in. Roger and I have had some long conversations over break about the future and what that might look like for our children. With Garett approaching his last year in school soon, we are quickly recognizing that our time is running out to spend these amounts of time with him. I feel like there is so much more that I want to teach him or that I want him to be prepared for or informed about in life. But above all, I want each of our children to recognize their need for Jesus in their lives in a real and personal way. The burdens sometimes seem really heavy these days, but we can lean on Jesus.
I do have plans to write an updated newsy letter for our family and send out a picture, but it’ll probably happen around Easter! I like to write the letter every year because I like to re-read them over the years.
