May Madness- I mean, “May Memories!”

 May was crazy as it felt like there was a different event every day of the month from the first of the month til the day of graduation! Sports awards, senior breakfasts, events for elementary, events for high schoolers, graduation practice, a visit from my parents, graduation for Chandler, graduation party, graduation for my counsin’s son, and all the day to day activities! No wonder I’ve felt like napping the first week of summer break! 

I really think it would be impossible to write all the details for the month since I am so far behind, so I think I am going to use more pictures than anything else. However, I do want to give an update on Chandler as he has been making decision regarding his future. He is actively pursuing joining the United States Military, and there are many, many steps in the process. He has been unsure about what to study in college or what God would have him to do, and he has prayed a lot about his decision as have his parents! This is a big deal, and we would appreciate your prayers for Godly friends for him and good influences as he prepares for boot camp and beyond. 

Secondly, Garett missed out on Chandler’s graduation as he was on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. We are so thankful for this opportunity for him as he has been lacking Godly fellowship in his life. He had a wonderful week, and we are excited that he has decided to return for a second missions trip at the end of June. Chandler is planning on going with him this time, and I am thankful that God has provided these missions trip to take with Parakaleo. Chandler may not have another opportunity to take a missions trip for a while, so he is looking forward to taking this trip at the end of June. 

                                                            Garett’s Missions Trip 

My parents flew in for Chandler’s graduation on Thursday night and my cousin’s sons’ graduation on Sunday. It was a busy week! My dad helped the boys build a ramp into the shed for their dirt bikes as well as a platform to jump off into the pond. My dad said that the boys were interested in building a platform to jump off into the pond, and instead of telling them not to do it, he decided to help them make it as safe as possible- good plan! The boys have been so busy with riding the dirt bikes and clearing trails to ride them through the woods. It’s keeping them busy that is for sure! My parents left on Wednesday to fly to Maine to see Hannah and her family for a few days. We enjoyed having them here, and it’s always good to catch up in person. 

We also hosted a graduation party for Chandler and another friend in his class at our house last Saturday evening. It was a very wet afternoon, but we’ve needed the rain so badly that I didn’t mind the extra mess and mud. We are thankful for rain! 

Update on the boys jobs for the summer: Chandler plans to do odd jobs for various people throughout the summer, and so far he’s had plenty of work. Wyatt is working for a friend of ours, and he seems to be liking the job. Travis is still kinda looking for some more summer work, but jobs for 15 year olds are a little harder to come by. I will probably try to pick up some jobs throughout the summer, but I’ve currently been enjoying soaking up time at home and doing a few extra things at our house. Emma’s current plans include working if the opportunity presents itself and lots of time at the pool! :) I’ve had to get a large calendar that I keep in the kitchen so I can keep track of who is going where and when! Wyatt and Travis are going to Youth camp; Chandler and Garett are going on a missions trip; Emma is going to church camp; Emma is going to Maine with Jen; we are trying to figure out some trips to take as a family- we are busy! 

 The end of the year was rough for me. There are a lot of emotions and feelings this as Chandler graduates as I know that he won’t be sticking around. I know that God has a perfect and beautiful plan for his life, and I am so excited to see what God does, but parenting is hard. We are raising children to become independent adults, and it’s happening before our eyes. I’ve had a lot of questions about how I feel regarding Chandler’s decision to join the military. I ask often, “Is God any less in charge of God’s life because of where he is?” I think not. We gave our children over to Jesus from before birth, and Chandler is just as safe in the military as he is anywhere else that God calls him to. I am thankful that we live in the greatest country on earth, and I am proud of Chandler for wanting to serve his country as he doesn’t know exactly what God has for him. Yes, there is a little bit of me sad that he won’t experience Liberty University this fall as Chandler worked so hard to apply for scholarships and make it affordable. But I also know that Chandler did not make his decision lightly, and he seems to have such peace about entering the military. Of course, please do keep him in your prayers. 

As we wrap up the month of May, it was a busy month but so full of blessings too. God is so good and faithful, and He saw us through a lot of challenges and struggles. God’s grace has been so evident in our lives each and every day. We are so very blessed. 

Garett’s Graduation and Other Crazy May Moments!

Updated: I did not get this post written before Garett graduated from high school, so I’ll be backtracking just a bit over the last week. It was a crazy week! 

My parent arrived in North Carolina last Monday (5/19), and it was good to see them for a few days. I feel like I was really busy for most of the time that they were here, so I didn’t get to talk to them as much as I would’ve liked. And both my parents were not feeling well when they first arrived, so they needed a few days to rest up. Hannah and her kiddos arrived on Wednesday, and then the excitement really began to kick off. Chandler was exempt from exams on Thursday morning, so he went over to Jen’s house to play with kids in the morning. I think that they wore each other out! Chandler taught the kids how to golf, played outside for hours on end, and they all were dirty by the time I dropped by after school! 

Garett had a senior breakfast on Thursday morning. This is a breakfast for parents and their graduate. Roger was working, so it was just Garett and I and Aunt Jen. We had received an email about the breakfast, but not about the part where the parent is supposed to get up and say a few words about their senior! Seriously, I felt like I had used up all my words for the week as I had just given a testimony on Sunday night! However, I did say a few words, mostly about how we had no idea how to parent and Garett was all trial and error! I did remind Garett and the other graduates that there are plenty of parents that are working hard to raise “good kids”. We don’t want “good kids”. We need Godly kids that are on fire for Jesus Christ! My hearts desire is for our children to walk in the ways of the Lord.  

Garett graduated on Thursday, May 22, 2025. I had been super emotional all week, but on the night of his graduation, I held back the tears. Garett had a great crowd of support for his graduation as friends and relatives came for this special event. My parents, Roger’s parents, my sisters, friends, all came to support and cheer Garett on for this event. Each of the seniors gave a pre-recorded testimony while they walked across the stage, and I was impressed with all that Garett had come up with as he thanked his parents, siblings, grandparents, and others. He brought his rose to me, and I gave him a long hug. This boy (quickly becoming a man) is so very special to me. I am very much going to miss him next year as my teacher’s aide, as well as having him around at school. I can always count on Garett to love others and be kind (not always to his brothers, but always to others!) I probably don’t say it often enough, but I am very proud of Garett. We are diligently praying about what God has for Garett, but we just do the next right thing. 

On Friday morning, the rest of the student body had the awards ceremony. This is the last event of the school year, and it was a fast moving event! It’s a lot of names when it’s an awards ceremony for 1st-11th grade, but it moved right along! There is always something exhausting about the last few days of school, and that’s magnified even more with having a senior. We were all tired on Friday afternoon. 

Sunday was an open house event to celebrate Garett. We had sent out invitations to many that we knew wouldn’t be able to come, but we wanted to share Garett’s announcement with them. God held off the rain, and we had a great turnout of teachers, staff, friends, and family. It was a fun afternoon with kids running everywhere, adults visiting and lots of food being eaten!  We were blessed by so many that took the time to come to Garett’s open house. 

Monday was a very chilly Memorial Day! It’s been cold and rainy for our first official week of summer break! My Aunt Lisa and Uncle Ryan had arranged to spend a few days down at the beach, so they invited us to come down on Monday morning. My parents still weren’t feeling great, but our family, Hannah’s family and Jen all drove down to Wilmington beach for the day. Thankfully, the resort had an indoor pool that we were able to use, and the kids enjoyed that. We did go out on the beach for a bit, but the rain and cold drove us back inside. However, it was so good to spend some time with our extended families and to visit for a while. I am so thankful for these opportunities.  

Jen and I had out-service for school on Tuesday morning, but I was able to meet up with Hannah and her kids for lunch at Cookout. There is no “Cookout” in Maine, so it was a treat for them. I like Cookout too because it’s relatively cheap to feed my tribe there! 

Garett and Jen needed to be dropped off at the airport by about 5:30am on Wednesday morning, so I drove them to the airport for their early morning flight to the Dominican Republic. Garett will return around midnight on June 3rd, and he will leave about 9:00am on Wednesday, June 4th for his missions trip to Chicago! We are praying for God to do great and mighty things on these Missions Trips. 

Chandler is also gone for a few days, as he’s spending a few days at a lake with some friends from school. He is now officially a Senior, and my mind surely can’t grasp that as we just graduated our first born son! He will be taking his driving test on Monday, June 2nd. Please pray that he will pass this driving test. He wanted to go to the DR on the missions trip, but we’ve had this driving test booked since March 1st. The DMVs around here are booked solid, and it’s nearly impossible to get an appointment for anything. Wyatt is still trying to get his permit, but he’s tried twice now with Roger and the lines have been so long. Chandler is excited about driving, but he’s not been real anxious about getting his license as he’s had Garett to drive him everywhere. However, he needs to be able to drive to his job this summer and to practices and events in the school year, so we are praying that he passes on Monday! 

We will be busy this summer with various jobs, events and activities, but we are also looking forward to some days by the pool, the beach, and hanging out at home. It was a busy and full school year, but God’s grace brought us through it. We are thankful for new morning mercies and our good, good Heavenly Father. 

Who knows when I will get around to writing next, so I’ve posted extra pictures on this post! :) 

ORIGINAL POST: (I started this post last Wednesday- May 21) 

 At a time in my life where I’d really like to keep up with all the important events, I can’t even keep up with the day to day events! Important event #1 is that Garett will be graduating from high school on Thursday night! Whew! How did that happen so quickly?!

We’ve been very busy these last few weeks with Garett’s senior trip, exam preparations, sports awards ceremony,  Teacher appreciation week, working through some plans for next school year, and everything else! 

Garett had a great time on his senior trip. Garett is pretty easy going and they could’ve told him that they were going to be shoveling dirt all week and Garett would’ve been like, “ok, cool. What are we going to eat?” The Wilds Christian Camp is a great camp, and I have some great memories of going there, so I was thankful that Garett got the opportunity to visit there for a few days. The class made a stop at Carowinds Amusement Park on the way back home, and that was also a fun time for Garett. Garett has the unexpected opportunity to  go on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic next week! Jen (my sister) is going to the DR to cook for a week on a missions trip, and Garett was thrilled with the opportunity to be able to go along with her. He’s also going on a Teen Youth missions trip to Chicago with some teens from church, but since God provided this opportunity to also go to the D.R., Garett is thrilled to go! He will be working with a medical missions trip team there, and Jen will be cooking. Chandler had also hoped to go along, but his drivers test is scheduled for June 2, and we certainly cannot miss that after waiting for four months to get an appointment! Garett will come back from the trip to the DR on June 3rd, and he will leave for his missions trip to Chicago on June 4th. It’s going to be a crazy few weeks, but we are thankful for the way God orchestrated all of this. Garett has plans to work through the summer with the gutter company and then we are praying about his plans for the fall. 

Last week, we had our annual sports awards ceremony. It’s a full night of speeches and awards, and it can get a little long if you don’t have a child in one of the sports being talked about at the time. However, we have a lot of boys that play a lot of sports, so we were interested. :) Wyatt received “Most Valuable Player” on the soccer team. Travis received “Christian Testimony” for golf. Chandler received “Most Valuable Player” for golf. Garett was the recipient of the “Conqueror Award” which goes to a senior (or two) that has displayed Christian character, sportsmanship and academic success. This award was an honor and a privilege to receive and both Garett and another senior boy in his class received this award. I was thrilled for him. 

Also last week, on Saturday, was my birthday. The boys helped in the morning with a car wash put on by the youth group, and Roger and I worked on a million projects around the house as we prepare for Garett’s open house party this coming weekend. My sister, Jen, took us all out for lunch and that was a special treat. On Friday, a friend at school, Mrs. Horne, sent me a text that said, “Please stop by my room this morning”. I did, and she handed me a cup of coffee and said, “Happy Birthday”. And I started crying! I think the stresses of all the week had build up, and she showed me such love and care that I just needed a moment for a lot of tears! I really was thankful for the coffee, but so much more for her generosity and thoughtfulness. These last few days are very overwhelming and full of events and activities, and it was so nice to just get a hug and have a birthday blessing bestowed upon me. Sometimes it really is the little things in life that shape and mold us. 

Sunday evening was the Bachelorette service at church. Our administrator had asked me on Thursday morning if I would be willing to give a testimony on Sunday night.  I agreed to do the testimony, but I really didn’t have a clue as to what I was going to say in it! Where do I even start to tell about the goodness of God in my life or in our family? I struggled with it all day on Thursday and I had notes everywhere. I told Roger that I wanted to say something meaningful and something that would magnify Jesus, but where did I start with narrowing that down to a five minute testimony?! By Friday night, I had decided that I would share my salvation testimony and how we had come to Faith Christian. One of my children said that they were sure I would do a good job, “But please, mom, don’t get up there and cry all over the place!” Um..okay. I’ll try not to! And God was good…I didn’t cry through the entire testimony! I closed out the testimony with a few basic points to the graduates 1) Stay in God’s Word. 2) Pray 3) Seek Godly counsel. God’s plan is so incredibly perfect! The preachers main points in his sermon where pretty much the same! I love how God so incredibly intertwines His plan perfectly! I did get emotional at the end when we went up to pray over Garett. I am so proud of the man he is becoming. He gets mad and irrational, just like me, but he’s also sweet and kind and so loving. I am blessed to be his mama. 

My parents arrived from Wisconsin last night, and we are looking forward to spending a few days with them. Hannah and her kids will fly in tonight (Wednesday) to be here for Garett’s graduation and a few days of visiting. It’s going to be a busy few days, but we are excited to have everyone here. 

April Wrap-ups & May Musings

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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