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! 

February - A Lot of Moments in a Short Month!

 February is already gone! Often it feels like the longest (short) month of the year! It's probably due to the fact we are now in the time of the school year when we don't have any days off til Spring Break! And sometimes, the month of February just isn't that exciting...we just faithfully plod along! 

We had off the last Monday in January due to an "ice day", and it was already a short week due to the marriage retreat that weekend. However, sometimes the "short" weeks at school can feel like very long weeks indeed! But regardless, we made it to Thursday, which was a 1/2 day. I had taken the day off of school on Thursday as I needed to take Wyatt to an appointment that we've been waiting to get into for about 2 months. The appointment was at 8:30am, but it was a little over an hour away, so it was an early morning for Wylie and I. Thankfully, the appointment went fairly quickly, so that was a blessing. Wyatt saw a male doctor, and the doctor looked a little surprised when he poked his head in the room and saw Wyatt. I was trying to figure out why, but after a few minutes, the doc looked at Wyatt and said, "I think I know the answer to this, but I have to ask. It says on the paperwork that Wyatt is a female, but that's not correct, is it?" Wyatt looked completely mortified at the question as he quickly replied, "No, I'm a male." The doctor chuckled and said, "That's what I figured, but I've put my foot in my mouth a few times, so I just needed to clarify!" Whew! We got that straightened out! 

After school, Jenn and the kids headed to the mountains for the weekend. Roger and I were heading to the Marriage retreat on Friday in the late morning, and it was completely weird to be at home without any kids in the house! Roger had gotten some money for a date night for a Christmas gift, so we decided to go out to a local steakhouse for supper. We arrived at the restaurant about 5:30pm, and it was very crowded for a Thursday night! But we had no place we needed to be, so we stood in the doorway chatting with another older couple while we waited for a table to open up. In about five minutes, the waitress came and said that a booth had opened up for the couple ahead of us. The older lady turns to us and says, "Ya'll want to eat with us? We can share a booth and that's less waiting for you." Roger and I weren't worried about the wait, but they were so nice and friendly that we agreed to share a booth with them. God knew it was exactly what we needed! The older couple was so sweet and easy to talk to, and they told us about their potato packing warehouse, how they met (56 years ago), the church they attended and everything else. It was such a great evening of fellowshipping, and when it was time to go (after about two hours in the restaurant), the older gentleman told Roger that they would be paying for the bill! Say what!?  He told Roger that we had talked about potatoes, and he could just use it as a tax write-off, for which we were very thankful for. Roger and I had just expected a simple dinner with the two of us, but God had something much more in store for us last Thursday. I'm still pondering the details of how God worked all of that out...something only God could do! 

On Friday, January 29th, Roger and I headed to the marriage retreat in Myrtle beach. The boys and Emma had made it safely to the mountains, and the boys were looking forward to skiing on Friday evening. Myrtle Beach was cold this time, as all of NC was bracing itself for a snow storm that was supposed to be coming Friday evening. The Saturday morning session for the marriage retreat was canceled, but there was a Friday night session. I was sitting in the session when I got a notification on my phone. We have all kinds of security set up on the boys phones, so when they download an app, I know about it. I leaned over to Roger and pointed to the app installation. The three boys that have phones had all downloaded a GPS Speedometer app. I'm not a genius, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why the boys had downloaded that app on the night they were going skiing! I will say that the boys going skiing definitely challenged me to increase my praying! The boys had a great time, and Garett called Roger to tell him that they had a lot of fun skiing! Praise the Lord! 

Roger and I had a leisurely breakfast on Saturday morning before heading out to visit with Roger's aunt. We stayed for a few hours visiting about many things and then headed home. It was beginning to look like the weather people had gotten it wrong again as we didn't see any snow on the way home!  We arrived home about three pm, and then went to check on Jenn's chickens, and it finally started snowing! Sunday morning greeted us with about 7 inches of white fluffy snow! That's a lot of snow for this part of N.C.! We spent some time shoveling the snow, but of course, first we had to find the shovel. We haven't needed one while here in NC, and it felt a bit like Maine with the seven inches of white snow. It was beautiful, and it was nice to get out and enjoy it. 

So we started out our first full week in February with two snow days! It’s been an unusual winter with several snow and ice days, and I’ve been ready for spring for a while now! My parents came for a visit the second week of February, so that was a nice break for the kids. Emma loved having Nana and Papa pick her up early from school while they were here! Faith Church also had revival services that week, and we all really enjoyed the services by Kenny Baldwin. He is a gifted speaker, and it was encouraging to see our children make several spiritual decisions as well. Also that same week that my parents were here, Travis had his JV Basketball tournament to close out the season. It was a rough season for the team, and I think Travis was relieved to see it come to an end. I’m not sure that they won a single game, but Travis played hard, and some of the team made improvements over the season. I always enjoy watching the kids play sports, and this season flew by. Typically I feel like basketball is a long season, but the season seemed to go by so quickly! 

Additionally, my parents stayed for “Senior Night” for Chandler on the last home basketball game of the season. It seems surreal to think that in just a few short months, we will have yet another senior cross the stage to get his diploma. Feel like we were just here with Garett! Usually, Chandler starts in the basketball game, and he has been so fun to watch play. Compared to the ninth grader that came four years ago and barely knew anything about basketball, he has come a long way! He enjoys the game, and he plays with a lot of heart. On senior night, the seniors get to start in the game, but this year there were six seniors on the team. Only five players can be on the court at a time, so which senior wasn’t going to start? I was sitting in the bleachers a few minutes before the game started, and one of the senior moms leaned over to me and said that Chandler had almost made her cry. I asked what had happened, and she said that Chandler had given up his senior starting spot so that her son, Nicholas, could start that night. That did bring tears to my eyes as I know how much Chandler enjoys the sport, but yet had the kindess of heart to give his spot to someone else. I love that kid! (Sometimes, he drives me crazy, but then he does something like that, and my heart melts!) It’ll be a moment that I’ll remember for a long time. 

My parents left to head back to Wisconsin on February 19th, and the boys basketball varsity team had their season end tournament at Campbell University. It was a crazy few days with several trips to the college, and lots of games of basketball. The boys team ended up with 2nd place for the season, so that was exciting. It would’ve been fun for them to win the tournament, but they placed second. And just like that Chandler’s senior basketball season is over…on to the golf season! 

For the first time, our school is having a girls soccer team this spring. Jen and I are helping with coaching the team, and our first two practices were frigid! It was so cold! The team has their first game on Friday, and I am looking forward to seeing our team grown and mature this season. I am also praying for some warmer weather for practices! One of the coaches that helped Roger coach the boys team is also helping coach the girls team this season.  It is nice to have someone else to plan practices, drills, etc., so Jen and I are thankful for that. 

The boys have started playing golf for their spring sport season. Chandler and Travis were both very excited about the golf season, but Wyatt needed a little convincing to play golf this year. I’m not exactly sure why he wasn’t as excited, but he did it anyways. Wyatt is a decent golfer, and the team will need him this year. I am thankful that the boys get the opportunity to play, and I am looking forward to seeing how their team does this season. 

Last week of February! This past week Chandler took a trip to Pensacola Christian College. He went with another senior from school.  A few other students from school also went on the trip but they were on different flights to and from Pensacola. Chandler and Eli seemed to have a great trip, and they visited several classes, and did come back with a little information! Chandler ran into some friends of ours from Maine, so that was fun for him! Archie was a good friend of the boys when we were in Maine, so it was nice to hear from Mandie (Archie’s mom) that Chandler and Archie were hanging out some during college days. Chandler is feeling the pressure of making college decisions, but we are definitely praying that God will give clear direction. Chandler did text me on Wednesday night to tell me, “Mom, I’m keeping an open mind, but this college is very conservative. Very.” Haha! Well, I already knew that, but there are certain things that sometimes you can deal with especially as getting a solid Christian education is important to us. We will keep praying. 

We are in the month of March! February was actually not nearly as long as I thought it would be! Praise the Lord! My dad is traveling about an hour every day to take radiation for his cancer. He has made it through the first week, but there are six more weeks to go. If it comes to mind, please keep praying for him. In this month, we are frantically preparing for a Christian school art competition. These entries are all due on March 16th, and I’m hoping that after that deadline, I will be able to sleep a bit better! Travis is in my art class, and he has been working on a craft which includes pouring a tapered candle. Oh my- it’s been interesting! 

The church youth group is planning a ski/snowboarding trip to the mountains the second weekend of this month. It’s a little  bit pricey to go, so none of the boys were planning on going even though they really do enjoy skiing and snowboarding. But out of the blue, one of my best friends in North Carolina, asked if my boys were going on the trip. I replied no, not this year. She asked if they were interested in going, and I said yes, but since there’s three of them…it’s just a lot. This friend said that God had prompted her to reach out to me, and she offered to pay for Chandler and Wyatt to attend the youth retreat! I was completely floored, and the boys were amazed and thrilled. That same day I found out that Travis’s trip to the youth retreat was also covered. Sometimes on the days that seem the bleakest, God sends a small light to brighten the day and sometimes God sends a flaming blaze that encourages me for days and weeks! I hadn’t even prayed about the boys attending this youth event simply because it just seemed like a pipe dream, but God had other plans. I’m excited for the boys to have this opportunity, and praying that God will speak to their hearts at this event. 

This month will also be achievement testing for our students, and I can’t say that anyone is necessarily super excited about that. But spring break is coming- Praise the Lord! 

Also this month, Chandler will be going on his senior trip. We recently got an email from one of Chandler’s teachers saying that someone had offered to put money towards Chandler’s senior trip that the school is taking to Disney. But Roger and I  have made the decision that a trip to Disney would not be best for our children, so we are doing something different for Chandler’s senior trip. It was a painful and difficult decision to make, and there are many reasons for our decision that I will not discuss here. If you’d like to know, you can surely reach out to me. It was so encouraging to know that someone thought highly of Chandler’s character and work ethic and wanted to help out with his trip. We wrote a really positive reply regarding our decision about his senior trip, but it seems like a monetary donation was only for the school trip to Disney. But it is not a conviction if money can make you change your mind, is it? We are going to continue on with our plan for Chandler’s senior trip, and we are praying for him to have a wonderful trip and also God’s continued direction. God is so good!

In closing, I’m asking for prayer for the same things that have been on my list for the past several months- our children, my dad’s health, school, Chandler’s college decision, Garett and his flight training and job, and the list could go on and on. Thankyou for those that pray for our children or our family regularly. The older I get the more I realize what a precious gift we have in approaching the Father’s throne with our needs, requests and praises. I’ve been convicted lately about be sure to spend time in prayer for our family. We have a lot of changing things happening in the next few months, and we covet your prayers. We are blessed. 

Sports, Trips, and Challenges

Another two weeks have flown by! September is coming to a close, and we’ve had our first few feelings of “fall” temperatures. By fall temperatures, I mean that the humidity has dropped some, and we don’t feel the sweat dripping down our backs at the soccer games! 

Life is full- very full. I ponder sometimes whether or not it’s “too” full, but I haven’t come to any real decisions on that at the moment. I want to be present for our children and the events in their lives, but I find balance to be hard. So while I ponder and pray, I press on (ooh…look at all those “p”s. Ponder, pray, press-on!)  We are in the middle of the first quarter of school, so we are  in the thick of things so to speak. School is getting harder, and as teachers we’ve discovered which children shouldn’t sit next together, which ones might have a harder home life, which ones have academic struggles, which ones need some extra encouragement, and we pray that we don’t miss anything that we need to catch! I’ve enjoyed teaching art (so far). It’s fun to see the kids experiment with line art, color wheels, and work on projects for the upcoming county fair. We decided to make all the art entries “patriotic” this year. I’m amazed that not everyone thinks that they are blessed to be an American and that we live in a great nation! Oh yes, there are things that grieve my heart and soul also, but we are still so very blessed. So we had some of the students paint fireworks, some drew and colored the Statue of Liberty, and some drew the American flag. It was fun to see the art work in the various stages, and it was such a relief to finally get it all dropped off at the fair this week! It was a craaaaazzzzzyyyy week as we wrapped up the projects and delivered them to the fair this year. I want the students to do well as it’s a good representation of the school, but more than anything I want them to use their talents for God’s Glory. We are created for His glory, and we don’t magically reach an age where we need to start living that way. We need to live that way every day no matter what our age! I teach in Christian education because I value the opportunity to point kids to Jesus. I teach not just because I enjoy it, but because it’s a discipleship opportunity. If these kids don’t remember anything else from art or library classes I want them to know that I love my God, my family, my country and I love them. Oh, I want them to learn, but I want to point them to Jesus. As our college president used to say, “Life touching Life”. 

Last week, Jen went to Washington D.C. with Chandler’s tenth grade trip, while Roger and I left on Wednesday for the trip to Williamsburg with 8th graders. I don’t think Wyatt was exactly thrilled that his parents came along, but he handled it well, for the most part. We got to see him interact with his classmates outside of the school walls, and that was good for us as parents too. I had never been to Jamestown before or Colonial Williamsburg, so I was happy to have the opportunity. Jamestown history feels a little old for me to relate to, but I really enjoyed walking at Colonial Williamsburg. Hearing the interpretative speaker talk about the Continental Congress and the sacrifices that those brave men made for our baby nation was enough to bring me to tears. Meanwhile, much of the class looked bored, unfortunately! To think that we got to visit the house that Thomas Jefferson and George Washington both visited and shared meals at was really neat. I would’ve enjoyed spending more time at Colonial Williamsburg, and I think I’d like to take our kids back there as a family sometime. Roger and I were thankful that we had the opportunity to go, and hopefully we were a blessing to some along the way. It was nice to come home and sleep in our own beds though! I think I’m getting old!

In the past week, we’ve had cross-country meets and soccer games to add to the fun. Wyatt continues to thrive in the middle school races, and he generally places in the top 4 in the races. His friend, Kaden, is usually not far behind. It’s been a little discouraging for them as the points are based on the top three finishers per team, and there’s not been a third runner that has been close to Wyatt or Kaden. Chandler struggled after returning from Washington DC. As it’s hard to get back into running if you haven’t run in about 2 weeks! He struggled a lot in his race this week as he finished ninth, but perhaps it will be a good motivator too. This time of year always brings back my own memories of cross-country season and all the seasons that I loved my experiences. I’m a little bit bummed that I don’t think either boy will run next year, but we will see what next year brings.  I have a number of reasons on why I think this is the case, none of which need mentioning here. For now, we encourage the boys and press on. 

To be completely honest, it’s been a hard school year. Literally Satan has thrown darts at every turn and worked to discourage us. Travis is struggling in school, and we are trying to figure out what is BEST for Travis. Our best friends are moving away. I struggle to find the balance between school, family, and life. The boys have experienced some personal disappointments this year, and I’m constantly reminded that we need to put our rest in Jesus. Roger’s had some struggles at work too, and while I’m not trying to sound like Debbie Downer, it has been rough…that’s putting it mildly. However, God is unchanging, faithful and true. I was reminded this week of the faithfulness of God as I had a moment to drink some coffee and talk with Roger. It’s not that God is unfaithful, but rather that I am faithless. He’s constant, trustworthy and kind, while I struggle to respond Christlike. 

Yesterday, the soccer/volleyball games were canceled due to the rain storm. It was kinda nice to have some extra time to work on a few other projects. Roger came into the school to do some scrimmage practice with any boys that wanted to stay and play in the rain. We were invited to the Everett’s for supper, and we are going to miss them when they move.  I don’t know why God is moving them away, but I have to trust in His plan. As Laura and I sat in the driveway in the van and shared our concerns and burdens, I was reminded that deep friendships are a gift. I wasn’t looking for a like-minded “mama” bear, but God brought one into my life. I wasn’t planning on losing my best friend in North Carolina so soon after we arrived, but God knows. This is the first time that we’ve been on the other end of the moving side. Generally, we are the ones that are doing the moving, but in this instance, we’re staying and they’re moving. I’m not even going to pretend that I know what God is doing, and I’ve really, really struggled with this. But we trust. We wait. We pray. We surrender and we press on. He is faithful. 

I like this song. I’m so thankful that we serve a Good, good, Father. 

 

Away and Home Again!

 It’s mid-July and this is my first post for the month of July! We’ve had a busy month as we’ve enjoyed all the summer activities, and lots and lots of outside time. The boys have been gone for the past month visiting my parents in Wisconsin as well as my sister, Jen, in South Dakota. We are all home now- thank you, Jesus!

We started of the month of July with a very low-key holiday which was the Fourth of July. The Fourth of July has never been “low-key” and this was an entirely different experience for us. Since the Fourth was on a Sunday, that was a bit tricky already but it was also raining here. I don’t remember very many Fourth of July’s that have been raining, but this one was both rainy and cool! In fact, in many places in Maine it was colder on the Fourth of July than it was on Christmas Day 2020! After church, Emma, Roger and I came home and ate leftovers for lunch. We kinda just hung around home. We talked about our nation and it’s current state of affairs. We spent some time praying, and just kinda did “not much”. 

Monday, July 5th

Today marked the one year anniversary of Kevin’s death. I’ve never had a year seem so short and so long all at the same time. We miss him more than words could ever describe, and Roger misses him more. So much has changed in a years time, and we surely miss his presence in our lives. 

Emma and I left for Wisconsin today. We were on the road by 6:45am to begin the long hike of 1,304 miles to Wisconsin. We made good time as we made it to outside the east side of Cleveland, Ohio by 8:00pm. The van had been making a bit of a “funny” noise for the last 100 miles or so, so I was happy to get off the road to see if I could figure out the problem. (Funny, right!?) Emma had been such a good little traveler all day as she looked at books, played with her doll, watched a movie, and talked to me. One of her friends, Audrey, and Audrey’s mom had put together a little basket of “surprises” for Emma. It was filled with a bunch of stuff from the Dollar Tree that they had wrapped. Emma enjoyed opening a small gift after each stop for gas or a break. Anyways, I had booked this hotel online for us to stay at, and it stated that they had a pool and a breakfast. Emma was looking forward to swimming, but when we checked in they told us that the pool was down for maintenance! Then I asked about the breakfast in the morning to which the clerk replied that “Due to Covid, our breakfast supplies haven’t been getting delivered regularly. We probably wont have a breakfast tomorrow.” So the van was having some type of mechanical issue, the pool wasn’t working, and no breakfast! (Oh, and we later discovered that the air conditioner in our room was not working either!). I felt like crying, but Emma and I needed to find some supper, and we needed to come up with a plan for the van. Emma was a trooper for sure as she didn’t whine about being disappointed in the pool not being open. I called Roger, and we decided that I probably should not continue to drive the van until I was able to get it looked at. 

Tuesday, July 6

Emma and I were up early as neither of us slept great. I was concerned about the van and it was very warm in our room. We left the hotel about 7:15am to try to find a place to get the van looked at and quickly. We went to the first place and then realized that it was just for trucks. Then we went across the street the the Honda dealer and automotive services. Our van isn’t a Honda, but according to my AAA app, they would look at our vehicle. The mechanic told me that they didn’t open until 8:00 am, but he would look at it as soon as possible. Emma and I sat around and waited until almost 9:30am, but they said that a bearing was causing the “funny”noise. They said it was safe to drive to Wisconsin, so back on the road we went! We made it to our friend, Jenna’s, house around 7:00pm. Jenna and I stayed up way too late talking, but we never run out of things to talk about and pray about in our lives. I’ve missed her dearly, and it was a wonderful time together. 

Wednesday, July 7

Emma and I had breakfast, coffee, and fellowship with Jenna and our friend, Katie. It was a long over-due visit, and it was good to re-connect with dear friends. Emma made some poor decisions as a friend that disappointed me, but life goes on. We took the opportunity to discuss better choices to make in the future, and hopefully we both learn from our mistakes. Parenting is the hardest job we will ever do, and it’s also a very humbling job! It was a full morning, but I’m glad I was able to visit with Jenna and Katie. Jenna, Katie and I have a very dear friendship in that we talk about politics, Bible reading, children, parenting, and everything under the sun. It was so nice to discuss deep Bible topics and pray together. “Iron sharpening iron” friendships. Oh, none of us are perfect or have it all together, but we can surely pray for each other and our crazy kids! 

Emma and I headed to my parents house around 12:30pm. The boys were going to be coming back from South Dakota the next day. Emma and I visited with my parents and attended Wednesday night church with them. It was also good to visit and fellowship with people from my parents church. Emma and I were very tired after two nights of not great sleep! 

Thursday, July 8

My boys are back! I was so, so glad to see the boys pull into the yard this evening. Our day had been busy with visiting with my family. I had gone to have lunch with my friend, Amy, but it was cut a little bit short by Roger’s phone call. He had called a mechanic to look at our van, and I needed to drop it off. My mom and I took the van out to the mechanic, and he told us that the earliest he would be able to have the van done was Monday. I had been planning on leaving on Sunday afternoon, but it looks like my plans were changing. Oh well! I’d rather get home than be stuck somewhere with five kids in tow!

The boys were glad to see Emma and I. They have had so many fun adventures with my sister and my parents. Lots of fishing, four-wheelers, activities, swimming, camping, and even a visit to see a rodeo! I am so thrilled at the opportunities  that they had, and I’m happy that they are all wanting to go home and see Roger. 

Friday, July 9

We spent the day working on projects around my parents house, shopping for groceries and hosting a cookout in the evening. I had invited several of our friends to my parents house for a cookout and fellowship. We probably had about thirty people there on Friday night, but it was a good evening of fun, laughter and fellowship. 

Saturday, July 10

We had a busy day today as we went to a park with the Shuberts. My kids love Jenna and Ryan’s kids so they enjoyed playing basketball with them, as well as with Ryan (Jenna’s husband). Jenna and I never have enough time to finish all of our conversations and we definitely have a “Jonathan and David” friendship. No matter how long it is between conversations, we can just pick up wherever we left off. I was holding back many tears as I hugged Jenna good by. It was a short visit as I needed to take the boys over to mow the grass at Mark and Allison’s house. We had made plans to play mini-golf with Mark (Roger’s brother) and Allison (Mark’s wife). Roger’s brother, David, as well as his wife, Gao, were also going to play mini golf with us. The boys made quick work of mowing the grass, and we headed to play mini golf. It was a good time together, and then Mark took Garett and Wyatt flying while Allison and I went to Hobby Lobby with the remaining kids. It was a fun afternoon, and I’m glad that we were able to spend some time with Roger’s brothers and their wives also. It’s always a challenge to figure out how to fit in visits with so many people that are so dear to us during a short stay in Wisconsin. After mini golf and flying, we went to have supper at the Longsine’s house-also dear friends to us. The hours flew by, and before we knew it, it was 9:30pm! We surely missed Roger during our visit, but the kids seemed to enjoy renewing their friendships with the Longsine children as well. 

Sunday, July 11

Originally, I had planned to leave after Sunday morning church, but since our vehicle was not ready, that decision was taken out of my hands. The kids and I went to church at Wyldewood where it was good to see familiar faces and many new faces at church. It’s harder for the kids to jump back into friendships after a year of not seeing many of these people, but they did very well. I had no problem jumping back into conversations and seeing many of my dear friends was a very special part of my day. After church we headed to have lunch with the Schilder family. I’m always thankful for friends that are willing to feed an additional six people! We ended up taking the kids swimming, well the kids went swimming while Gretchen and I visited! We shared struggles in parenting, our hearts desire for our children, some of our dreams, and just treasured the few moments together. Gretchen has a very dear friend that is going through a very hard time in her life right now, and I cried as I listened to Gretchen talk about the devotional she had shared with her friend. The truth is that often and frequently we just don’t know what God has for us. In our short-sightedness, I have a hard time seeing how God can bring about something good from something that seems like a tragedy. Continually and often, I find myself giving something to God only to take it back a few minutes later and worry or fret over it. I’m certainly a work in progress, but my hearts desire is that I will lean on Jesus, trust Him completely; and even when it all seems unclear, I can rest in Him. 

Monday, July 12

I had planned to be back in Wisconsin by this evening, but that was not God’s plan. The boys and my dad went to take a bow over to a hunting shop, they unloaded some wood, and they did some shooting. Emma and I went to pick up a friend, Abby, and then the girls played at my parents house for a bit. We made plans with my parents to have supper together at Pizza Ranch, and I was praying that the van would be done tonight so that we could leave early on Tuesday morning. It was an unexpected day to have, but it was a good day. The boys and Emma were able to go to the Schidlers to swim for a bit, while I snuck in a coffee date with Ginny. (Many friendships were made in our time in Wisconsin, and it’s super hard to connect with many of them over the course of only a few days!) The boys were happy to spend some time with their friends, but they are definitely ready to go home also! We enjoyed supper at Pizza Ranch with my parents, sister, and Gretchen and her family. Then Jen and I drove out to get our vehicle. The repairs cost way more than I would have liked, but the vehicle is repaired and ready to drive back to Maine. The mechanic is a friend of my dads and a sound and honest mechanic, so I know that he did the best job possible on our vehicle. We arrived back with the vehicle to my parents house around 9:00pm, and we are planning on an early start for Tuesday morning. 

Tuesday, July 13

6:45am was when we began the trip back to Maine. The kids are tired, but ready to see their dad. Mama is tired, but also ready to get back to Maine. It was a good week for Emma and I, and the boys are ready to be back in their own yard. Chandler told me that it was a good vacation but he’s ready to get back to work. Wyatt told me that he wants to see Dad and he wants to sleep in his own bed. “Me too!” We made it to Erie, Pennsylvania, before stopping for the night. We stopped a little earlier than we normally do when traveling, but I wanted the kids to have time to swim before bed. Well, the pool was open, but the Covid restrictions were in place. While it was a bit irritating to have to sign up for a swim spot and then its only for 45 minutes, we were thankful that we could go swimming. Since we couldn’t go swimming until 9:00pm, we walked to get supper, wandered around a bit, and walked off some energy. I went to a grocery store to pick up snacks for our next day of traveling. We were a bit early for our swim spot, but we were able to go swimming early as the 8:15 people were already done swimming. The kids had the pool to themselves for the first fifteen minutes, but then the other people who had signed up for the 9:00 swim spot showed up. The limit was 16 people at a time, and there were 14 people in the pool area. It’s a bit crazy because generally when we stop at hotels we swim whenever the pool is empty. But when you have to sign up for a swim spot, then often you end up swimming with more people than you normally would. But oh well! Everyone got to go swimming, and then it was time for bed. 

Wednesday, July 14

We made it home today! Thank the Lord! We made pretty good time on the way home today, and we were really only stuck in traffic for about forty minutes out of the whole 21 hour drive. We did make a stop at the Aldi grocery store in New Hampshire, but we were home by 9:00pm. Home sweet home! It was a long drive, but we made it back. We were all ready to sleep in our own beds!

Haiti missions trip- Day #2! “Bags found, Bags Lost!”

 Haiti Day #2

It was an early morning! We arrived at our hotel in Miami around 9:00pm, and then showered and hopped in bed! 3:00am comes early! 

Ashley and I spent some time praying for the trio before going to sleep, but my mind just kept on going. I don’t think I will ever forget how abundantly God provided for Garett and I to go on this trip in 2021. I am so thankful for Rogers willingness to chauffeur kids, make meals, watch the dogs, and keep everything moving along, as well as work a full-time (or more) job. I am so blessed to be married to him. His quiet faithfulness and kindness remind me of how good God is to me. The mercies of the Lord are new every morning! 

It’ll be an interesting day today. We arrived at the airport around 4:15am, and made it through security without a hitch. Then the quest to find one last cup of good American coffee began! There were not very many options this early in the morning, but at last we found an open coffee shop. Yay! 

Our flight wasn’t scheduled to leave until 6:00am, so we thought that we’d have plenty of time to get coffee, fill water bottles, and use the bathroom. But by 5:26am, the crew was making the final boarding call! Josh was still in line for a bagel, when the final boarding call came. The lady took the bagel out before it was finished, but Josh made it on the plane! It was kinda crazy though because then we sat on the plane until 6:00am to depart! 

When we arrived in Port-au-Prince, we had to pay the fee to get into the country. Then navigate through customs after picking up all our bags. We’ve been praying that all our bags will arrive and that we will clear customs without any problems. While in the customs line, a lady was taking everyone’s temperatures. She then asked me if I had a Covid test. I replied, “Yes, but not recently.” She wanted to see proof that I had had a Covid test, but of course I couldn’t produce it! She then proceeded to ask me my telephone number so I rattled it off, and then she replied, “Go ahead”. I was completely baffled, and it totally caught me off guard! Haiti is not requiring Covid tests for entry, so I’m not sure what her purpose was in asking if I had one. Oh well! Anyways, we navigated that hurdle and then on to baggage claim. 

We had met up with the rest of the team in Miami so we had twelve people and over 24 bags-each weighing close to 50lbs! After collecting our bags, I noticed that I was missing a suitcase....not again?! While nothing of extremely great need is in that suitcase, I don’t bring stuff to Haiti for the fun of it-we need it! That particular suitcase contained my pillow, sleeping bag, nutritional meals for children, and food! 

After a few moments of chaos and confusion one of the baggage people came over with the suitcase. Thank you, Lord! Of course the baggage man needed a tip, so I gave one to him and his friend quite gladly. Then Grandpa Falde told me that he also had already tipped the man! Oh well! 

We made it through customs with only one bag being pulled- a bag full of vitamins! The custom agent wanted Hannah to produce a paper saying that the vitamins weren’t expired. Hannah had brought along one, but she didn’t know which bag it was in. Hannah told them that the vitamins weren’t expired (truth) and that she was bringing them to children (truth). She also produced her nursing license certificate that is printed on fancy paper and lots of English words, and that was good enough! On our way again! 

Next step was to load all the bags and people into one large dump truck for the five minute trip over to the MAF office. The trip was uneventful, and we arrived at the MAF office safely. There we unloaded everything and everyone. Everything and everyone had to be weighed. And then we waited...and waited... We needed to take two flights to Jacmel to get everyone and all the bags there. Eight people went on the first flight and lots of luggage too. Then some of us (myself, Garett, my dad, grandpa Falde,) waited for the next flight. Our Haitian nurse joined us at the MAF airport to join us on the second flight also. It was kinda a long morning, but we all survived. Around 11:45am, the plane came back from its first trip, and shortly afterwards, we were on our way. It was a very windy day, and kinda bumpy, but we made it. In fifteen minutes we took a flight that is normally a three hour drive! 

Some of the team had already left for Seguin when we arrived in Jacmel as they needed to get started with sorting out the medical supplies. There was supposed to be two dump trucks to take us to Seguin, but only one truck was there...a small one. It wasn’t big enough to take us all up to Seguin. It was not big enough for the five of us that had been on the plane, plus the two ladies that had waited for us in Jacmel, and two Haitian cooks and their stuff too! The truck was a small one with a welded frame (like bars over the pickup frame). I hopped up into the pickup bed to help load the bag. I turned around and smacked my head right on that welded frame! Immediately I felt the warm and sticky substance of blood on my face. The Haitian man that was helping me load the bags immediately gave me his handkerchief to put on my forehead. Another Haitian dumped water on the wound and applied pressure. No one was wearing gloves, nothing was sanitary or overly clean, but they jumped in to help an ditzy American. Jackie (one of the ladies that had gone on the first flight) had some bandaids, so we slapped two of those on my forehead, and carried on. I had a very bad headache, like the kind you feel like throwing up from. But there was no time for resting, and I’ll survive! I drank some water, took some meds, and started up the mountain. On the back of the small dump truck was myself, our Haitian nurse (Samuela), two Haitian cooks, and two other ladies from the team (Jackie and Amanda). My dad, Garett, and Grandpa Falde waited in Jacmel for another dump truck to take them and the rest of the bags up to Seguin. We made good time in our little dump truck and it only took us 2 1/2 hours to get up the mountain. 

When we arrived, I helped to put away stuff from the many bags we had brought. Some sorted clothes to give away, some worked on other jobs, etc. We worked on emptying out bags and suitcases, and we realized we had a problem. We had acquired a bag that didn’t belong to any of us! Somehow we had managed to get a bag at he MAF office that didn’t belong to any of us! Someone was missing their bag! 

Oh but wait! So were WE! We realized that we were missing two suitcases! That same suitcase that had been missing in port-au-prince was missing again! And Hannah was missing one of her medical bags that she needed for clinic! Perhaps the bags were left on the second flight that MAF took? We didn’t know...we just knew that we had had ALL the bags when we arrived at the MAF office so the confusion happened somewhere there. Pastor Falde tried to call the MAF office but they were already closed for the day. Where were those bags? On someone else’s mission trip? Stolen? At this point, we have no idea! It sure would be a bountiful blessing if we could get those bags back! 

Tomorrow we begin our first clinic in Seguin @ 6:30am. It’s sure to be a busy and full day. We don’t have as many medical personnel as a we usually do on these trips, so those that are medical people or know what they are doing will be kept very busy! It’ll be exciting to see how God works through me in the next few days. God is good! 

But now, it’s almost 10:00pm, and I have 25, 000 steps. I have a major headache, and I’m going to bed. I’m thankful that there was an extra sleeping bag at the mission house, and that some dear Haitian lady washed this sleeping bag. It doesn’t smell moldy, there is no rat poop on it, and it smells like fresh air- Thank you, Jesus! 

Creation Museum, Ark Encounter and HOME!

A lot can happen in a week including an adventure to the Creation Museum, a visit to the Ark Encounter, a visit with a friend, and over 25 hours in the mini-van! We are so, so glad to be home!

We were blessed to be able to visit the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter with my parents, as well as with my mom’s sister (Lisa) and two of her grandchildren. It was an extremely full two and 1/2 days, but I am so glad that we made the effort to go to these places. Our kids have already been to the Creation Museum twice, but this was their first trip to the Ark. It was an amazing experience to see what the Ark might have been like and what life might have been like on the Ark. Truly these moments are when the “Bible can come alive” for both our kids and for me. I only wish these types of things weren’t so expensive for larger families! Truly one of the biggest hinderance to having more of these types of experiences where the kids can learn about our nation’s history or the Bible is the cost! I’m thankful that my parents see the value in taking our children to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter, as we all created some wonderful memories. I will say that both of these places involve A LOT of reading! It would be nice if they offered some type of audio tour via an app with headphones or something. July is a busy tourist season, and Emma had some moments of distress on the Ark when she lost sight of me a few times. However, we did manage to keep track of seven kids, two adults and two seniors-Hooray! The Ark encounter also has a very nice gift shop, and my sister (Jen) had thought ahead to give each of the kids some money to spend at the gift shop if they would like. Travis picked out a notebook, as he has been writing all kinds of notes this summer. Emma picked out a stuffed snake. Wyatt picked out a hat. Garett picked out a rope bracelet with his name on it. And Chandler decided that everything was overpriced, and that he would save his money-no surprise there!


We all traveled down, over or towards the museum  area on Monday. Myself, Travis and Emma were the last to arrive as we had waited for the mini van to be fixed. Then on Tuesday we spent all day at the Ark Encounter, and we spent half of a day at the Creation Museum on Wednesday before each of us heading back to either Wisconsin, Maine or North Carolina. I’m thankful that our kids were able to spend some time with their second cousins, and for the extra time with my parents and my aunt.

  

 

 

We left the Creation Museum on Wednesday around one pm, and everyone was tired before we even started driving! Its about 17 hours from the Creation Museum to home in Maine, and I knew we would need at least one hotel stop. The traffic was pretty terrible so we actually only made it to outside of Cleveland before stopping for the night. I’m thankful for hotels with swimming pools! When we woke up on Thursday morning, we still had about thirteen hours to home. That’s a long day of travel with five tired kids and one tired mama. I remembered that I have a college friend that lives on the outskirts of Boston, and that would only be about a ten hour drive. I sent Carrie a message asking if we could stop by to visit and telling her that we could get a hotel near her. She graciously called me back and said that if we didn’t mind a small house, we were welcome to stay at their house. Yes, praise the Lord! We traveled pretty steady all day long and arrived at their house a little after seven pm. Chandler was suffering from a migraine which I’m pretty sure was caused by not enough water and car sickness! Carrie had made some chicken soup for supper, and the kids were thankful for food and to be out of the car. It was a short visit as we were on the road again by 9;00 the next morning but I am so thankful for Carrie’s hospitality. Chandler hadn’t slept good, so he was ready to head home. I was also ready to be home, sleep in my own bed, and just enjoy not quite so much snug time in the car with our children! We did stop at Aldi on the way home. If you’re not familiar with that, it’s a fabulous grocery store. We don’t have any Aldi stores in the entire state of Maine, so I wanted to stop and get fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs, and other staples before leaving the area. We made it home in the early afternoon, and we were all delighted to be home! I’m thankful for God’s protection, His safety, and His traveling mercies.

It has been good to be home, and adjust to life at home again. Emma had another screening for kindergarten today, and I was pleased to hear that she has improved by leaps and bounds! She did a great job, and passed with flying colors- thank you, Jesus! The boys have enjoyed puttering around the year, building and creating stuff, and living outdoors. It doesn’t seem possible that school will be starting up again in a few short weeks, but we are almost there again! I will be teaching music again, so Ive begun the process of reading through many, many Christmas programs! If anyone knows of a good one, please let me know! Roger has been working pretty hard and steady. We arrived home on Friday afternoon, and he was working. He worked the next three days, but we are thankful that he has off on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

You know what else I’m thankful for? Godly counsel. “In the multitude of counselors, there is safety”. I had recently confided in some dear friends about a decision that I was needing to make. It was one that would have affect our family financially (in a positive way), but the other affects might not have been so positive. It was a position that I probably would have been very good at, but through a series of conversations and many, many conversations with Roger, we decided that it was not “for such a time as this”. Maybe at another time, another year that door of opportunity will open again, but for now we both have peace about the decision. That is not to say that it was an easy decision to make-it was not! However, God gives peace for every step as we walk in His ways. (Perhaps I will write the story behind that someday).

God is so faithful to us.

A Full Week...Joy in the Adventures!

 

 

 

 

It would be truly impossible to capture all that we did and experienced this week in Wisconsin. We had a wonderful week at my parents home, and they graciously offered hospitality to our chaos and many of our dear friends. Since I had lived in Wisconsin for about thirty years, I have a lot of memory trails and some dear, dear friends. We tried to visit and see many of our friends, but unless I  had a lot more time, it would be impossible to squeeze in anything more.

My dad took the kids fishing, let them sleep in the camper in the driveway, and put up with many hours of four-wheeling and gator noise in the yard! (As well as guns shooting!) My mom allowed my children to eat her out of house and home, and she said she just couldn’t believe how much our kids can yet! Yes, yes I know!! Milk is about $2.00 a gallon in Wisconsin and in Maine we pay just under $4.00 a gallon. I’m pretty sure that Garett drank about half a gallon a day! At home we have to sometimes limit milk consumption and we still go through about four gallons a week! The boys were delighted to be back in the Dairyland state!

My dad tried to take the boys on a camping trip on Friday, but instead he spent most of the day trying to move vehicles and equipment around! His truck broke down on the way up to the cabin in Wausau, and he had the trailer with the canoes and four-wheelers on it. My mom took our van to go get the kids and bring my dad back to find a friend with a truck he could borrow. Then my dad, Chandler, and Garett went back and got the canoe trailer. And then one more trip to put the broken truck on the trailer...whew! The boys were disappointed about not being able to go up north, but God had a plan. While my dad was driving my van back to get another truck, he realized that something was not right with the van. He asked the mechanic to look at it and the power steering pump was broken...ugh! Now in one day, two vehicles needed to go to the mechanic shop! Obviously, we needed our van to take back to Maine, and we had plans to go to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter with my parents. My parents left on Monday morning (7/29) with our three older boys, while Travis, Emma  and I waited for the van to be fixed. Thankfully, the mechanic was able to have our van fixed by around eleven, so we were all able to meet up at the hotel on Monday night. (We have two days planned. And my mom’s sister, Lisa, is bringing two of her grandchildren also.)

Anyways, back to the rest of the week. Every day was full to overflowing, but so is my heart. I had so many heart-to-heart conversations with several of my dear friends. I’m thankful for friends who ask the hard questions and are willing to engage with me about every topic under the sun. Many of my conversations these days revolve around parenting challenges and raising kids that love Jesus! Oh, my hearts desire is to see each of our children filled with the Holy Spirit and have a desire to love and serve Him! I had conversations about is there such a thing as too much Bible? What is the balance between sanctification  and service? How do we encourage our kids to serve and to be involved in the local church without it becoming “loathesome” to their souls? What makes for a good Christian education? And so much more!


I was able to connect with one of my friends who I didn’t see last year. She and her husband have faithfully served in full time ministry and recently God brought them through some “refining fires”. They have continued to serve the Lord and wait patiently, and recently became involved in the church Roger and I were attended. Over and over throughout the week people mentioned to me what a blessing this couple has been to the church. The body of Christ has been encouraged and become stronger because of this dear couple. I’m so blessed to count them among our friends, and I loved hearing how God has orchestrated these events! Beka and Jared have been friends of ours for years (they can’t get rid of us!), and it was such a blessing to me to hear about how God has once again shown that His way is perfect.

Our children had a full and wonderful week. I so enjoyed seeing our older children interact and play with younger children. Garett has a special gift with young children, and many of them seem to
gravitate towards him. It happened in a flash, but now my kids are becoming the older kids!


Wyatt had several rough learning lessons this week. He accidentally broke the John Deere gator and had the hard job of telling Papa about it. However, he did it. Secondly, when he had a friend over, Wyatt was convinced to let his friend drive without asking Papa about it. Wyatt then needed to say “I’m sorry and will you forgive me?” Roger and I have continually worked with our kids that an apology is not complete until you ask for forgiveness. It’s sometimes easy to bark out “I’m sorry.” But...looking someone in the eye and asking for forgiveness is much harder! Wyatt struggles with wanting to please people, and sometimes that allows him to make poor decisions. If you think about it, I could surely use some prayers on how to help him! I sure do love that boy!

Emma had a friend over for a sleep over. Roger and I are totally not sleepover type parents, but every  once in a while, we allow it to happen. Story is the daughter of one of my dearest and bestest (I know that’s not a word!) friends! Story and Emma have totally different personalities but yet they seem to really enjoy each other’s company. It was so sweet to see them playing together, and I hope their friendship continues over the years.

Truly God gave us a wonderful week. It was wild and crazy, but full of memories. We serve an amazing God. I am blessed with wonderful grandparents for our children, and I rejoice in serving a great God!

“Iron Sharpeneth Iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”