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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Break!

 

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! 

Happy New Year! 

Christmas Break! (December Events and Life)

 “A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices…” I am so thankful for hope in Jesus Christ. These days in December have been flying by so quickly, and it’s hard to believe that Christmas break is here! 

We started off December with a “Night in Bethlehem”. A local church puts together an evening of activities and re-creates what a night in Bethlehem might be like. There’s the opportunity to visit the potter’s house, the spice shop, the jewelry, and the bakery and host of other spots. At each place, you can do a small activity or craft. It’s a fun event that we went to last year, and I planned for us to do it again this year. Emma is still of the age that she enjoys these types of things, and the boys usually do, but whew- the night was an epic failure! I did not set us up well for success as I planned this for an evening after basketball practice. Wyatt and Chandler were very hungry, and it was quite a chilly evening for North Carolina. Everyone was in a rather sour mood by the time we left, and I was mad because no one appreciated Christmas events (in my opinion). After a rather lengthy discussion, I apologized for planning an event on top of an already busy day, and the boys apologized for not having as much patience and grace as they should’ve had. While the evening did not go as I envisioned it in my mind, it was a reminder that we are still in the trenches of parenting these teens, and we have lots of things to work through! 

We have had some fun events that did work out more smoothly! On one Sunday evening, we invited several families over to our house to make cookies and have supper together. Jen made a big pot of chili, and we created lots of sweet desserts and treats! I made caramelized pecans as teacher gifts this year, and while it’s the simplest recipe, these pecans are so delicious! You can see the recipe Here. I double the amount of pecans to the sugar part, and I add some real vanilla extract. I’ll definitely be making this recipe again. 

We also had several basketball games that we attended to watch the boys play this month. Chandler has become quite a good defensive basketball player, and it’s easy to tell that Wyatt enjoys the game. Travis plays on the middle school team, and while they are not that good, it’s fun to watch them play. I’ve been happy to support the cheerleading coach in whatever ways that I can, but I’m also relieved that I’m not responsible for practices, routines, uniforms, and hours of being away from our family. The one thing that I don’t really like about basketball is that the season is very, very long. But ya know, we’re already at Christmas break! Garett and Travis both were chosen to represent their classes on the Homecoming Court in January, so I’ll be going to consignment stores over Christmas break to find them a sport coat. This is an event that takes place in January in which each class from 7th-12th grade picks their classes representatives. In the senior class, several representatives are chosen and Garett was one of them. Travis is the class representative for his class again, and while he’s not exactly excited about dressing up, I’m happy for him. It’s usually a really quick ceremony done at the end of the basketball games. It’s a lot of work and effort for a very short ceremony, and it’s not the way that I would do it, but ya know…no one asked my opinion. Ha! However, it is an honor to be chosen to represent your class, and I’m thankful that Travis and Garett were chosen. We will do our best to have Travis not looking like he’d rather be at the dentist than wearing a suit coat! 

We went to Virginia the last two weekends. The first weekend up there, we helped our friends, the Everett’s move onto the Air Force Base. Garett was helping with a teen event, so he stayed home, but the rest of us went. We worked hard to load the U-haul, drive to the base, unload the U-haul, and we got a lot done in a day! The Everett’s surely could’ve managed without us, but that’s what friends are for, to come along and share in burdens and praises. We came home tired but with full hearts. This past weekend, we all went up on Friday night and on Saturday to enjoy Christmas together. Laura made lots of delicious food, we played racquetball at the gym, decorated gingerbread houses, and shared in laughter and fun. It was a good way to start our Christmas break. 

On the art side of things, we managed to help each student create at least one ornament to give away at Christmas. My middle school class created two ornaments each, and the middle school participated in an art show on the last day of school. Garett is my Teachers Aide in the mornings, and he has sealed and sprayed  a lot of ornaments for me! I am so, so thankful for my art assistant, Kaycee, as she has helped me be organized with all these ornaments and trying to help keep the art room picked up. I am very thankful for all of her help, and the fact that she doesn’t complain about all my crazy ideas! 

On the Library side of things, we focused on library books about Christmas and this season. We played a scavenger hunt in the library by hiding all the pieces of the Nativity for each of our classes. They enjoy looking for the pieces, and placing the character back in the scene. One character did get dropped, and Joseph’s head fell off, but we glued it back together! If you’re familiar with the Mercy Watson  books, there is a Christmas book about Mercy the pig. We also read Christmas in the Big Woods, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and a bunch of other books. I feel like library has had to take a little bit of a back seat this year as I balance out Middle school art and Elementary art, but again, I have a great assistant in library too. Jennifer Wade has helped keep the library organized and running smoothly, and she keeps up with books that need to be returned, and she has managed to extend the shelf life on some of our most popular books with lots of book tape and glue! I am very thankful for her too. 

We have plans to go to Maine for part of Christmas break to see my sister, husband and their kids. My parents are also planning on coming to Maine, so all of my families side will be together for the first time in probably almost ten years. I’m excited about all having all of us together, and the boys are hoping for snow and ice. 

Continued (12/25) 

I had plans to finish this blog post before Christmas, but here we are and I’m still writing! We are currently in the van traveling north towards Maine. We’ve savored and treasured our first few days of Christmas break, and created memories with our family. 

On Sunday evening, we were invited over to our friend’s house, the Kennedys. We enjoyed delicious food, fun games, and even a time of singing Christmas carols. It was a really great way to start Christmas break. Jen ended up with three of our boys going home with her, and Chandler asked me if his friends, Nicholas and Eli, could spend the night at our house. I was thankful that I was able to say “Yes” on a whim. Sometimes I feel like these three boys struggle to fit in with the youth group, and while they all have different and unique personalities, I’m glad that they were able to play video games, eat more food, and share laughter together. 

Jen and I did some Christmas shopping with Emma on Monday also. We pick names in our family, so each family member has to pick gifts for someone else in our family. I usually end up finding out who everyone has just by the process of helping finding gifts or getting a bargain for someone. Emma had Chandler’s name, and while she had a few little things for him, she wanted to get him something else. We used to put a monetary limit on the gifts, but now that all the boys have their own jobs and money, we kinda just let them pick out the gifts that they think they’re person would like. I was pleasantly surprised to find that several of our children really did go above and beyond as they really thought through what their person might like. One day last week, Garett took Chandler to Dick’s Sporting Goods as Chandler needed to find something for Travis. Garett does not like shopping so he did all of his shopping online. Chandler wandered around Dick’s for about thirty minutes, and then bought a sweatshirt for Travis. However, by the time, he got back to school, he asked me to return it. Chandler said that he thought that Travis would like the sweatshirt, but since he couldn’t wear it to school, Chandler wanted to look for somethings else. I told Chandler that I would return the sweatshirt, and we could look for something else. Travis had hinted around that he would like like a basketball backpack that he could put his shoes in. So Chandler and I went online on Thursday evening to try to find a backpack that would be perfect. At first the only color that was available was in white, and if you know anything about Travis…white is not the color for him! However, we were able to find a backpack in navy blue. I told Chandler that I didn’t think that the backpack would arrive in time for Christmas, but much to our surprise the backpack did arrive in time!

 Travis had my name for a gift, and he kept telling me that he and dad were going to do shopping together. My sister, Jen, offered to help him, but Travis wanted to go with Roger. Finally on Tuesday mooring, Travis and Roger had the opportunity to go Christmas shopping. Travis already knew what he wanted to get for me, and he brought his money and his ideas along. Roger said that he pretty much was just the driver, as the first place they went to did not have exactly what Travis was looking for. Travis bought me AirPods with his own money. It really was one of the sweetest gifts I’ve ever received as he really thought about what I might like, and he was willing to spend a good chunk of his own money to get me AirPods. He could’ve bought me the off brand, and that would’ve been fine, but he told Roger that he wanted to get mom something nice. I really do love that sweet boy! (He can drive me crazy faster than lightening, but I love him so much!) 

We also had some “not so Christmasy” moments on Tuesday, and we ended up having a bit of a loud family discussion. I didn’t think the kids were being helpful around the house, and I told them they were acting “entitled”, which led to a whole conversation! After much discussion, I finally had all the kids sit at the table and write down their blessings and praises from 2024 and their goals for 2025. It was a much needed reset for all of us, and I was blessed by reading over their lists. One son said that one of his goals for 2025 was to “not be such a grinch”. One son said that he wanted to not eat so many sweets. They had lots of praises in family, teachers, food, etc. It’s just so easy to develop an ungrateful heart, and we needed to reset our hearts and attitudes on what really matters…loving Jesus and loving others. 

Christmas Eve found us at Aunt Jen’s for delicious food, fellowship, playing on the Wii, and opening gifts together. Having Aunt Jen live close to us has been a gift in and of itself. She pours into our kids, feeds them often, and we are so thankful for her. We are very much looking forward to spending time with my other sister and her family in the next few days as well as my sister, Jen, and my parents. 

We woke up this morning, and savored some family time together over coffee and conversation. I’m reminded so often of how quickly these years are fleeting by, and I just want to stop and treasure these moments. God was so good to provide a Redeemer for us in sending His Son to earth. While I love the story of Jesus’s birth, the story is incomplete if we fail to recognize that this is the Saviour of the World. Without Jesus, I would have no hope for today, tomorrow or eternity. But I know that Jesus provides hope, peace, security, redemption, forgiveness, grace, mercy, sanctification and so much more. I am confident that my eternal salvation rests in Jesus, and that I have a home in Heaven. I serve a great God! 

I had big plans to write a Christmas letter, create cards, and send them out. But here we are, and not one of those things has happened! We are planning on taking family photos in Maine, so at this point in time, I’ll be sending a letter, family photo, and Garett’s graduation announcement all in one envelope! But, we love and appreciate each one that has invested in our lives and the lives of our children. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

This is one of my favorite songs this season. 

A Little of This and Too Much of That!

 We’ve had a some really great moments in the last two weeks amidst two very busy weeks of soccer, cross-country, teachers conventions and school. We’ve had a little bit of down time and too much of being busy, but in two more weeks the soccer and cross-country season will be done. It’ll be a wrap for Garett’s junior year, Chandler’s sophomore year, and Wyatt’s 8th grade year, and Travis’s 7th grade year for fall sports, and that’s so hard to believe! 

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a teachers convention. I was very thankful for this opportunity as I’m in the middle of teaching 200 plus students twice a week through art and library. I had planned to return to school this fall to begin my masters, but I’m really, really thankful that I didn’t try to take a bite out of that elephant! Attending a teachers convention is a little like drinking water from a fire hydrant as the water is good, but it’s fast and heavy! My favorite sessions were the ones on “ADD and ADHD” and “Read -alouds for children”. There was one that I attended that made me regret my choice. Sometimes the title sounds intriguing, but watching paint dry is more exciting! I found a few great ideas that I want to implement in either art or library, and I’m always happy to listen to other teacher’s perspectives.

While I was at the Teacher’s convention, the boys had the opportunity to attend the local fair in our county. They went with the Everett’s on Thursday night, and while it was crowded, they seemed to have a great time. They took pictures of the art that our school entered, and we did alright- I think. We entered 24 pieces of art and we took home 8 blue, 8 red, and 8 white ribbons (1st, 2nd, 3rd). I’m glad that event is behind us!

We went golfing last Saturday! (I did not golf, but I went to watch the boys golf!) Emma was able to spend the afternoon at Cynthias house which she much preferred to going golfing, but the boys were excited to go golfing. The Everett’s had given Travis a game of golf for his birthday, so he was eager to use that! It was a fun afternoon watching the kids interact with each other and laugh and make memories. Laura and I had a great time driving the golf cart and hunting for golf balls. It was a beautiful afternoon that made us think that perhaps FALL weather is going to come, and we enjoyed the moments. 

I had the rare opportunity to run a cross-country practice this week, and it was a good reminder of why I enjoyed that sport so much during my college days. It’s such hard work, and running is such a mental thing; but when you see and feel yourself improve, it can be so rewarding. Some of the runners had a cross-country meet, so our AD asked me to run a practice with the runners that had stayed behind for practices in soccer or volleyball. I went out on my lunch break to walk out a trail that I wanted the runners to run. Cross-country is an easy sport to get beat at mentally, so I wanted the runners to run a trail where I could see them almost constantly. If you know someone is watching, typically, you’ll keep running! I was happy with practice went, and I was thankful for the opportunity. I got out for a run on Wednesday evening, and it was probably the best thing I did for myself all week. It was a mental reset, and it helped clear up a lot of “brain fog” in my brain. 

The rest of the week was crazy busy with three soccer games with teams in our conference. The boys lost on Tuesday, but the teams won on Thursday and Friday. Garett, Chandler, Wyatt and Travis all got to start on Thursday and Friday’s games so that was especially fun for Travis. Jen had us all over for supper after Tuesday nights game, so I really appreciated that! It’s so nice to have her close enough to have supper with and enjoy life experiences with her. 

On Friday night there was also a night cross-country run. I wanted Chandler and Wyatt to run in the race, but I could see that they were both really exhausted. Chandler has played 240 minutes of soccer this week, and Wyatt probably close to the same. Chandler stayed up late on Thursday night working on a paper, so he was really dragging by Friday after the game. We did go to the race to support the team, and that was about what we could manage. Chandler said that if he laid on the ground, he would fall asleep and neither boy wanted to run. So even though I kinda wanted them to run, we decided that it was enough that they had come to support their teammates. A person can only do so much before burnout, and it’s been a long week. 

Jen, Emma and I left around 8:00am on Saturday morning to head towards the western part of the state. My cousin, Faith, was having a baby shower, and we wanted to go and show our love and support. It’s a bit of a drive across the state, but it was a good opportunity to visit with family. Emma and her second cousin, Lainey got in the swimming pool in the afternoon on the 7th of October! BRRR!!! They didn’t stay in long, but they did get in the pool and swim! 

We drove back today after church to prepare for another week of school and sports. My aunt mentioned that there is a possibility that the Opportunity Educational Scholarship will become available for all families in North Carolina that want to send their kids to a private school. This would be HUGE for us! I love teaching, but what would it be like to teach simply because I enjoy it, and not because we need to pay a school bill?! I have no idea if it will actually come to fruition or not or how long it would even last, but it’s definitely a big one on my prayer list! 

Through it all, God is faithful and good. We’ve had a lot of really great moments in the last few weeks, and I’ve had a few more awful moments than I care to admit. But in the midst of the doubts, discouragement, and depression, God has sent encouragement through His Word, His promises, and His people. I found a sweet note in my mailbox this week from an older teacher that has encouraged me in the past. A friend gave me a much needed hug this week and brought coffee. Sometimes no one can actually solve the problems, but God reminds me that He is the God of the “Parter of the Red Sea”, the “Protector of Daniel in the Lion’s Den” and the “Provider for Elijah”…He will never fail to supply our every need. 

The weather this week held the faintest touch of Maine, and it made me miss some of the really good times we’d had there. Maine is a beautiful state (so is North Carolina, but there’s nothing quite like fall in Maine!)  I miss the closeness I shared with the teaching staff and the feeling of being included. I miss teaching Kindergarten. I miss  Becki Martz teaching and pouring Jesus into our children. I miss  singing on the Praise team for church. I miss all the crazy ideas that Allison and I came up with together. There are some things that I do NOT miss, but in a few quiet moments of reflection this week, we did have a really great six years in Maine. But God is still faithful. He is still guiding and shaping our lives. May we live for His glory! 

I was reminded of this song this week…”Weak made strong..through the storm, He is Lord. Lord of all!” Oh, Praise the Lord! 

Maine Adventures, Budget Airlines, and Headaches

 

                                                  

                                                       My favorite flower: Lupine 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our First Week!

As we wrapped up our first full week in North Carolina, we are reflecting back on all that transpired during the week!

Last Monday we arrived to our home in North Carolina around 6:00pm. It was a little later than we had wanted but traffic was somewhat slow as we moved south down the east coast. We were thankful to finally arrive! The kids had no desire to look in the house as they immediately began tramping around in the outdoors, exploring the woods, opening the shed doors, discovering a snake shed inside one of the sheds, and just being happy children. I had already known that the house was going to need some work, so I had tried to brace myself for whatever might be waiting for me. Roger had already spent a significant amount of time cleaning bugs out of window sills, wiping down fan blades, cleaning windows, etc, but the walls definitely need some cleaning and painting! The floor is nice throughout the whole house. It’s a nice color, but its not as durable as I’d like it to be with a family of seven! However, it’s not going to be changing anytime soon! We need a refrigerator, the water iron count is too high, and the air conditioner system being replaced are our priorities! However, Roger had left his vehicle at the airport in Raleigh when he flew out to Maine to pick us up, so that was the first priority! We spent Monday night unloading enough of the u-haul to find beds for everyone to sleep on. We were all exhausted and a bit overwhelmed, so it wasn’t the funnest time ever but we got the job done. Wyatt had the job of opening and shutting the door for the rest of us that we unloading. He’s having a hard time giving his hand a break, so we gave him an easy job. After about 45 minutes of opening and shutting the door, Wyatt told me, “I always thought that the easy jobs were fun, but this is like the most boring job ever!” It was a good reminder to him that the easy job is not always the fun job! 

Roger had off on Tuesday, so we left early Tuesday morning to go to the airport to pick up his truck. It was a good time for us the two of us to talk on the way to the airport, and I was thankful. The kids were already up and running around the property by the time we returned home at 7:30am. We had told them not to ride the dirt bike until we returned, so they were happy to see us pull up in the driveway! Tuesday was a full, full day of unpacking the rest of the u-hual, returning the u-haul truck, and trying to make some sense of the madness/chaos of the unpacking! We had thought that Roger would have off on Wednesday, but a fire had sprung up so his boss asked him to come back to work on Wednesday morning. 

We really did need to get a refrigerator, so Roger and I got up early on Wednesday to go to Lowes before Roger went to work. Who knew that there were so many refrigerator options?! I just knew that I needed a big one, and the rest didn’t really matter. We were on a budget though, so that did affect our decision. We picked one out and arranged to come back in the evening to pick it up. It was the last one available, so I’m thankful that we went and picked out a refrigerator in the morning. Roger went to work, and the kids and I worked on many, many things. It was so overwhelming to even know where to start, but I know that bathrooms and the kitchen are two very important areas! I cleaned and scrubbed one bathroom while Chandler worked on putting together some shelves for the storage shed, and Garett and the other boys worked on picking up trash, exploring the yard, and building dirt bike trails. Roger came home from work around 6:30pm, and we ate supper and then headed to pick up the refrigerator. I hadn’t originally planned to go, but since we were getting a refrigerator, I decided I might as well do some grocery shopping. So Emma and I went in the van and the boys in the truck. Well, the refrigerator wouldn’t fit in the back of the truck with the topper on! So guess what? The refrigerator had to go in the van! We probably looked like some type of crazy people as we worked to shove a refrigerator in a mini van, but we did it!It was another late night as the older boys, Roger and myself worked to get the refrigerator in the house. I’m telling you that this refrigerator had better last for many, many years!! But, praise the Lord, we have a refrigerator! 

Roger flew a lot of hours this past week as he was patrolling the fire. On Thursday evening, we made a trip down to the neighbors. Roger had spoken with them earlier about the boys possibly fishing in their pond or riding their dirt bikes down the farm lanes. The neighbors had said “sure”, but we wanted the boys to go meet the neighbors before using the pond or the farm lanes. The neighbors are very friendly, and we enjoyed our conversation with them. They showed us the house that they are working on remodeling, and while showing us the house, the neighbor was pointing out all the old features of the house that they had preserved. “Look at this fireplace,” she proclaimed. “Y’all are familiar with air heads? Do they have those up thar in Maine?” I was completely baffled as the only airheads I’m familiar with are in candy form or when my children act like they don’t have any sense. Thankfully, Roger was able to bail us out, “Arrowheads, yes, we have those in Maine.” Oh, arrowheads!! Yes, I know what those are! I explained tot the neighbor what I thought she had said, and we got a good chuckle out of that. They were happy to let the boys fish in their pond and use the farm lanes for the dirt bikes, so that is a huge blessing for our children. Our home is in the perfect location for loud children and noisy activities. 

On Friday, we worked some more- surprise! The boys were up early to go fishing at the pond, and then we painted! We primed and painted both Emma and the boys room. Emma picked out her own color for her room, and it’s not exactly what color I would pick, but she’s delighted. On Saturday, Roger had to work due to the fire, so that was disappointing. We also knew that he would need to work on Sunday, so going to church with the kids would be on me. It’s not my favorite thing to do- visit new churches, but I really don’t like doing it without Roger. However, Sunday came around.

On Sunday morning, the kids and I headed out to visit a local church in our nearby town. The perks would include that the church building is about 7 minutes from our house, the cons were that we knew nothing about this church. I hadn’t been able to find much information on the internet, so I told the kids that I knew nothing about how the service would be. We were early- too early, so we drove around the small town of Faison. For a town of 900, there are about five different churches! Three Baptist, one Methodist, one Presbyterian, and one Pentecostal. We also discovered the town of Faison’s Recreation Center. They have a beautiful baseball field, playground, batting cage, and a Gaga pit. It was nice to discover this little gem not too far from our house. Well, it was time for church to start. As we pulled up to the church parking lot, I reminded the kids that I didn’t know anything about what the church service would be like. The only thing I knew was that they didn’t have a woman pastor so I figured that was a good start. 

The people at the church were very friendly and welcoming. But it’s hard to miss a family of five kids coming into church! The church family was preparing for Vacation Bible School this coming week, so it was kinda hard to get a feel, but we did appreciate the warm welcome. The church service opened with a very, very slow hymn. As we wrapped up the song and sat down, Emma muttered under her breath to me, “That was like the slowest song EVER!’ Shush! Thankfully, she didn’t announce that loudly! We also sang the doxology, which is very traditional, but then before the worship song a few ladies got up to lead the congregation in singing, “You are good”, which is not a traditional song at all! The preaching was on point with what we would agree with, and the pastor was unashamedly preaching the Gospel. He spoke on how we are each created for God’s glory and we are His masterpieces. He encouraged the people to become actively involved in the county’s pregnancy center and suggested ways that the people could show God’s love in action to other this week. In light of the overturning of Roe.vs. Wade, the pastor re-iterated that the abortion decisions would now fall to the states. As believers, we still have plenty to do to be involved in the abortion crisis in our nation. After the service, the kids were invited back to Vacation Bible School that night. Emma was pretty confident that she wanted to go, and the boys were confident that they did not want to go. Emma is a bit of a social butterfly, and she is definitely missing her friends. The boys do too, but they have each other. I told Emma that I would take her to VBS, and that I would stay there. I don’t know these people at all, and I’m certainly not just dropping off my kid! Thankfully, there was also a class for adults so that would work out well. When it was time to go, Travis, Emma and Wyatt all decided to come to VBS. They did have a very good time, and I was thankful. It was nice to attend an adult Bible class, and I appreciated the opportunity to have some adult interaction. We arrived home around 8:37pm, and Roger had just gotten home about 10 minutes earlier. We need some more rain to help put out the fire he’s patrolling. The chief pilot told Roger that he’s never seen the fire season go this late in the year in the twelve years that he’s been on the job. But fires don’t contain themselves to just Monday through Fridays, so it is what it is. 

On Tuesday, we visited one of the areas Christian schools. We are very much in the praying stages, but God does seem to be opening doors for our children to attend at the Christian school. Christian school is expensive! Without any financial assistance the cost would be over 20k to put all five kids in the school! That’s not a feasible option, so we’ve been praying about what God would have us to do. When we visited the school yesterday, we were talking about my previous experiences in Christian education, and what I had been involved with prior to moving. The administrator suggested that perhaps I would be interested in working at the school as a Teacher Assistant. That would provide us with an additional 25% discount for the first year and a progressing discount as the years go on up to 50% off in five years.  Whew! It was a lot to take in, and we were all very overwhelmed. The school is about 325  students, and there are a lot of classrooms, academic requirements, sports, music and drama  opportunities. Roger and I already knew that if we were going to put the kids in the Christian school, I would need to get a job somewhere. This definitely seems to be a door of opportunity to work where the kids are in school, be able to meet a lot of the staff, and be able to pay for the school bill. What I would make would almost pay for the tuition bill of 15k. Christian education is a sacrifice, and is it perfect? No, it’s not, and neither are we. We asked God to provide a way for our children to be able to go to a Christian school if that was His plan. He seems to be opening doors to do just that. We continue to walk by faith, and we would appreciate extra prayers as we make decisions. God is so good! 

I was totally surprised to find that you can buy almost all the pig at the local grocery store! Whatever do people make with pig ears, pig stomach, pig skin and pig tails!? I’m curious to know! This is definitely pig country, and pig meat is cheap. I’m thankful for that, but I don’t think I’ll be buying these parts of the pig anytime soon! 

A week of “Lasts”- But God is Good!

 This has been a week of “Lasts”. Last time going out to our friends cabin, last time having coffee with a friend, last time for the boys to go fishing, last time at a friends house, etc. It’s been a week of big emotions, lots of mixed feelings, and the devil has fought hard to keep us defeated every step of the way! We’ve been weary in the battle this week, but God has been faithful. There’ve been times that I’ve wanted to respond to something in a certain way, and it’s the Holy Spirit that has kept more from opening my mouth (there’ve been times when I’ve opened my mouth and I shouldn’t of also!). 

Last Sunday afternoon, we had a baptism for a few people in our church. This special event seems to kinda “kick off the summer” so to speak. The water is cold, but five people were baptized in the lake on Sunday. It was a good time of fellowship for the adults and the kids spent some time after the baptism fishing, swimming or tromping in the woods. Our two older boys stayed for teen group down by the lake, while I took the younger three home. My good friend, Allison, had made arrangements for five ladies to get together for supper at a restaurant. Wyatt is 13 so I had no qualms about leaving the three youngest at home while I went to supper for a little bit. Emma, however, had different ideas. Lately, whenever I leave to go anywhere, she begs to come with me-laundry, grocery shopping, dropping off something- anything. She was upset that I was going to leave her at home. As I tried to pry out what the problem possibly could be she sobbed, “I’m just worried that you won’t ever come back. That there will be an accident and something will happen to you.” Um-okay!? I’ve never been in an accident (by the grace of God), and I rarely go anywhere by myself, and I always come back! As I was trying to muddle through all this, my friend, Allison sent me a text and  offered to pick me up for supper. Meanwhile, Emma was offering to just bring her books and coloring pages and she could just stay in the van while I had supper with my friends. Again, probably not going to work. I told Emma that God would watch over me just as He always has and that Allison was going to be driving me to supper. “Allison?”, her tired voice spoke. “Okay, I’m glad she’s going with you mom and she’s driving. Have fun.” What?! What just happened here? I was so confused and baffled, but apparently Emma is mostly worried if I’m driving by myself somewhere. I have no idea why, and I haven’t figured it out yet. (I’ll let you know if I do!). 

Anyways, I had a wonderful time with four very special ladies to me. Some have been friends to me almost the entire six years we’ve been in Maine, one came along just this year at a time when I really needed a good friend, but they all hold a unique and special place in my heart. They know my quirks and oddities, and my crazy tribe of children, and they love me anyways. We’ve been through a hard year, and each of these friends can relate in some way to a few of our struggles. I’m blessed to call them among my closest friends, and I will miss them greatly. 

We spent most of Monday (6/12) packing and cleaning. It was a very boring day, but we did get a lot done. I did take the boys fishing in the afternoon, so that was fun for them. 

Tuesday dawned mostly sunny and a day that all the kids were looking forward to! Fun at a friends house! The boys all went over to their friend, Levi’s, house while Emma hung out with her friends Sadie, Evelyn and Lucy. It was a full day for them, and the boys played more games of baseball than anyone could possibly keep track of! We ended the day with supper with the Davis’ family one last time. We enjoy our moments together, our kids playing basketball or airsoft, etc. We’ve become good friends with their family, and we are thankful for them. 

Wednesday brought about one last time at another friends house. Hannah’s kids are a lot younger than most of ours, but for whatever reason, they are all really good friends. Hannah has supplied many loaves of bread to our tribe over the years, and we are thankful. Hannah has been a good friend to me, and I’m thankful for her listening ear, patience, and just desire to raise her family for God. We talked about many things over the course of the morning, and it was a good opportunity to say another “goodby”. The older boys spent the afternoon playing airsoft at a friends house. They had been invited to camp out in the yard for the night, but since all of our camping stuff was in storage, it was easier if I just came to get them around 8:30pm. When I came to pick them up, the boys were all gathered together in a circle, and Kai’s dad was praying over the boys. It was a very touching moment to hear someone else pray for their protection, their futures, wisdom, discernment and their future wives. I was blessed by hearing someone else pray for my children. 

Also, on Wednesday night, I spent some time on a walk with a friend. Sharon is a dear lady in our church that I look up to and admire greatly. I know that she prays for me diligently and has encouraged our family often. It was good to take a quick walk together and catch my breath for a minute. This week was rough and it felt like the Devil was throwing darts left and right. I had received a discouraging email on Wednesday morning, Allison’s dad was having some significant health problems, the van was making funny noise, and I was just tired and overwhelmed by it all. I know the kids were feeling mixed emotions about leaving, but also so excited to be together again as a family. (Me too!) Roger and I had been apart for 68 days, so we were anxious to get our family back together again. 

On Thursday morning I attended my last fitness class in Maine. I’ve enjoyed going to workout class at 5:00am for the past year, and it has been such a great experience. I’ve come to enjoy these moments, and I will definitely be missing working out with the 5:00am group! After working out, I went over to have coffee with my friend Robin. Not many people would be up for having coffee and a guest at 7:00am, but Robin welcomed me! We sat on the porch and visited for a while. Robin has been a good friend to me over the years, and I have fun memories of making a church dinner with her and WAY too much cranberry sauce! I appreciate her wisdom, patience and soundness in God’s Word. I treasure these women that have poured into me over the years. I’ve made so many mistakes along the way, but God has been so faithful and true. 

Later on Thursday morning, I took the boys over for one last morning of baseball and capture the flag with Levi and his siblings and cousins. Emma and I took the time to go on a “date”.  First we went to the school to say good by to a very dear teacher friend of mine, Mrs. Martz. We have prayed together for the school, for each other, for the staff, and church for the last five years. It was hard to say good-by to someone who cares as deeply about Christian education as I do. She’s been a mentor and encourager to me many times over the years. We prayed together one last time, and cried (because we are both good at that!) but the wonderful thing is that we will both continue to pray for many of the same things even though we will be 1000 miles apart. We will pray for God to be glorified, for the teachers, administration and students. We will pray for revival and for God’s will to be done. He’s done it before and He will continue to show Himself strong, of that we are most confident! 

Emma and I continued on our date.  We  walked downtown Rockland together, spent a few gift cards, and enjoyed our time together. It’s sometimes hard to find quality time to spend with our children, so I was thankful for these moments. We went back to pick up the boys in the afternoon and Levi too as we were headed to Allison’s cabin to swim and fish. Well, the boys were going fishing, and Emma was going swimming. And I was just going to sit in a chair next to Allison and watch- way too cold for me! The cabin is another spot that holds many memories, and the week was full of moment after moment of having “last experiences” at our special spots. It was overwhelming at times, but God gives us grace and peace even in the midst of change. 

Friday- Roger was arriving!! It was a bit of a dreary day, but we were excited about Roger coming back to Maine. He had arranged for me to pick up the keys for the uhaul so that we could start loading it that evening. The boys mowed the grass for our older neighbors one last time, and we worked hard at packing up the last of the apartment. Wyatt had an appointment for his hand, and it has not healed enough to not have it in a cast. Wyatt was disappointed but he handled it well. This new cast is a partial cast. He can take it off to shower, but it’s still very uncomfortable and we will need to find an orthopedic doctor in a few weeks. (A bit overwhelming, but God knows!) Roger’s flight was on time, so that was a huge praise! We headed back up the coast, loaded up all the stuff in the apartment (except the beds) and went to bed! Saturday was going to be a busy day!

Moving day or almost moving day! Saturday was overcast, cool and scattered showers, but we had a uhaul that needed loading. The boys have become such good helpers, and we are so thankful for each one of them. Wyatt had to be told to not over do it with his hand, but we did get it all loaded in the uhaul by about 1;15pm. My friend, Renee, brought over lobster rolls around 9:00am, so we had those for breakfast! I’m so thankful for her thoughtfulness, and it was a sweet good by. The lobster rolls were enjoyed quickly but they were delicious! Wyatt is the only one who is not a lobster fan, but the rest of us had a least two each! 

We spent Saturday afternoon saying a few goodbyes to dear friends. We met up with Shawn (a friend of Roger’s) and his family for a walk to the park. Then my sister, Hannah and her husband, Josh, came down with their little ones to say good by. We had pizza together as we only had a few things left in the apartment! We will certainly miss being around their little ones, as our kids love the littles! It looked like it was going to rain, but my friend, Allison, texted me and said, “want to take one last walk on the breakwater?” Yes! So we walked the Breakwater which was a chilly and cool walk in June! However, we soaked up the last few moments and memories together even in the chilliness. Because all our belongings, except for some random last minute stuff was in the uhaul, we slept on the floor on Saturday night. It was a good reminder that we (Roger and I) are not in our 20s anymore! However, we survived. We were up early on Sunday morning to finish getting the last of the stuff into the u-haul before church. And by the Grace of God, everything fit in the u-haul, and we were on time for Sunday School! 

Our church gave us a beautiful farewell breakfast on Sunday morning. It was quite emotional (and still is as I think about it), but it was a lovely time reflecting on memories and times together. We are going to miss our church family. A few ladies in our church had coordinated the breakfast, and it was clear to see that it was done in love for our family. We were blessed. It’s hard to say good by, but we know that God has a perfect plan for us. The kids each received a big bag of treats and fun activities for the road. Roger and I received a beautiful picture of the Breakwater Lighthouse and many, many cards- lots of thank-you notes to write! It was a hard morning, but a good one as we were together as a family. We know that God continues to have a perfect and on-going plan for us. The transitions and change are not always easy, but God is so very faithful. I’m so glad that we serve the God WHO cares! 

I have more to write about our trip to North Carolina, but I need to get back to unloading boxes and re-directing children who are very interested in all their “stuff” that has been in storage for nine months! Thank you for your continued love and prayers.