August Musings and Moments

 Back-to-school this month! It’s hard to believe but we are done working at the farmers market for the season, and we are heading back to school in just a few days! Summer flew by with camp for Emma, soccer camp for the boys, a trip to Maine for Emma, a trip to Wisconsin, Chandler leaving for BMT, and a whole host of other summer activities. There will always be a list of projects that I wish I would’ve gotten to get accomplished, but the fact of the matter is that none of the kids will care that the bathroom didn’t get painted (again)! Hopefully, they will remember the memories created in the mountains, the beach, dirt bikes, frog ponds, and summer moments! 

Date moments- with extras!! 

Chandler left three weeks ago today, and to say that he is missed would be the understatement of the year! Now, I'll admit, Wyatt and Travis have both helped themselves to his closet of clothes (with Chandler’s permission) and Wyatt has claimed the bottom bunk for the moment, but whew- we miss him! Returning to the “dark ages” of no cell phones or texting is not for the faint-hearted, but we are making it! Sometimes we can get access to a link to look at photos, and it’s literally like playing “Where’s Waldo”! I’ve only ever seen one picture of Chandler, and it was not a good photo! We’ve been writing every day for about three weeks, and we hadn’t gotten a singular piece of mail. No, I take that back. We did get one piece of mail from Chandler, and it was information about his graduation. The only thing that was handwritten was the address- not helpful!!! 

I’ve learned a lot in three weeks…”no news is good news”; the military is the GOAT of using acronyms; just keep writing; pray always; tears are normal and expect them often; and a host of other things! I’ve made some friendships via some of the support groups, and it’s nice to know that we are not alone. I’ve been able to encourage a few others through prayer, sharing Bible verses, and being able to relate. The military is a whole new ball game!

The support groups are a wealth of information and sometimes it’s hard not be overwhelmed. However, the one thing I’ve gotten down is that you never know when a phone call will happen. So, I’ve figured out how to by-pass the silent tone with Chandler’s number, so it’ll ring even if I have my phone on silent. I’ve changed his ringer to a specific one just for him, and I carry my phone everywhere. I’m doing my best to not miss his call if/when he calls! This worked out in my favor on Saturday morning.  The boys had a soccer jamboree tournament, so I was sitting at the gate collecting money. At 10:11am, my phone rang, and it was Chandler!! I picked up the phone and tried not to dissolve into complete tears. Roger had just wrapped up his game, and thankfully, we were able to walk into the school building and talk uninterrupted for 14 minutes and 57 seconds!  Let me assure you, that was not nearly enough time, but it was good to hear from him. His voice sounded terrible, and he said it was from so much yelling. He told us that he had written several letters, but they hadn’t been able to send any mail until August 4th (Saturday was the 8th). He pleaded with us to keep sending the mail, which he says is his favorite part of the day, as hearing from home keeps him motivated and going. Chandler’s voice sounded like it hurt to talk, and his voice kept cracking all over the place, but he’s alive and kicking. Praise Jesus! That phone call totally made my week! Chandler said that the church services on Sunday have been on point with the Bible, and he has really, really enjoyed the services. There were a lot of other little things we talked about, but time went by too quickly. 

Roger and the soccer team had a jamboree on Saturday, so we spent the day at the school. It was also Emma’s birthday, but we celebrated her day on Friday evening. It probably wouldn’t have been her first pick to hang out at the soccer field all day, but she is a good sport. We are so thankful for Emma. Emma is sweet and loves all things girly. She is NOT fiercely competitive, much to her brother’s chagrin, and she does not like people to be upset with her. She squabbles the most with Travis but also can be his biggest supporter. She wrote the sweetest note to Chandler, and I might share it here. We love her, and our prayer is that she will continue to grow in her relationship with Jesus, and that she will live her life completely for HIM. 

The boys' soccer team did decently on Saturday. I know Roger has been working hard with his team, and that the team is missing the depth of experience that last year's seniors brought to the team. However, they’ve been working hard, and it showed on Saturday. The team won one game and tied two others. Roger would appreciate your prayers as it can be challenging to coach a soccer team with a wide range of skill levels and a team that has two of your kids on it! Garett came and took pictures of the team in action, and it was good to have him there. It was completely weird to not see Chandler on the soccer field, and he really enjoyed the game. However, watching Wyatt play is a lot like seeing Chandler play! They have a lot of the same mannerisms and Travis would say that Wyatt has taken over Chandler’s job of yelling at him! Haha- we do have some great memories and some not-so-fun moments! 

When we arrived home from the jamboree, there were five letters from Chandler in our mailbox! Could my day get any better?! Praise Jesus! One letter was just the graduation passes for September, and Chandler had written “DO NOT LOSE! I WANT TO SEE YOU!” Ok- got it! There were three letters for our family, and one note for Travis. Chandler had also tucked in a little note for Emma’s birthday. I’ve read and re-read his letters, and while he’s not winning any awards for spelling, I can see his energy and heart in the letters. He is most concerned about passing the selections course which will take place after basic. He needs to pass the thirteen-week course in order to move on to his selected field and only 15-20% pass selection. Please start praying with us on this! I told him on the phone, and I told him in letters that God’s people are praying for him! He said that he can feel God’s presence and Chandler finds himself praying all the time. I think that God is working in Chandler’s heart, so please continue to pray for that. Please pray that he will stay strong and healthy. Please pray that he will be a good leader for his flight, and that he will find good friendships. Please, please pray that he will pass the selections course. And if you want to add one more random prayer request, I have an unspoken request that I’d appreciate prayers for also. So far, after hearing Chandler and reading his letters, I would say that he is currently in a good place mentally. Please pray for the aforementioned prayer requests!

In other news, Garett is moving forward on his pilot’s license! He has scheduled his written test for the end of August, and I can tell he’s already nervous about passing it. Garett often chooses the comfortable route because he doesn’t want to fail at something. This is an important step for him, and I know he would appreciate any additional prayers. 

Sundays are just going to be hard for me, and I think I’ve resigned myself to that fact. There are certain songs that will cause my tears to flow and Travis would say “Mom, that seems to be about every song!” Haha, well, currently yes! During yesterday’s handshake part of the service, I turned around to shake the hands of the people behind me. The lady asked me how Chandler was doing, and just like that, tears flowed! Oh, yes, I’m a regular waterfall! She wrapped me up in a hug and introduced herself. I’ve seen her multiple times behind us, but yesterday we made a connection. One of her children had also gone into the military, so she was familiar with the process. We exchanged phone numbers, and my heart was so encouraged. God is faithful- always. 

I think the only child I haven’t mentioned in this post is Wylie. Wyatt is doing ok. He started off the summer with a job that he really liked, but he ended up back at the farmer’s market. Wyatt doesn’t love that job, but he is a hard worker. He has cut grass for us multiple times this summer without being asked, and he enjoys tinkering with his dirt bike. He invited the soccer team players (juniors and seniors) over to our house after the jamboree, and I’m thankful for that. Unfortunately, only two boys ended up coming over, but I’m thankful that Wyatt wants to invite people over to home, and that he has some good friends. Please pray for him as he enters his junior year of high school that he will make good friends, love Jesus, work hard and lead well. 

It’s time for me to sign off as school is calling! I’m starting to feel a lot of pressure to get a lot of things done in a short amount of time. I have lots of art classes to teach this year, which requires lots of preparation, power points and writing lessons. I write my own art lessons, and every year I focus on some Biblical point. I’ve covered Names of God, Attributes of God, and this year I think I am going to focus on the Fruits of the Spirit. (It helps me learn things too!) 

In closing, I’ll add a song that Emma really loves. 

July Adventures- Sleep Study, a Sprain, a Trip to Greenville, SC, and Other Adventures!

 And just like that, July is almost over! I’ve been trying to find the time to write about our “adventures”, but honestly, time is just running away from us this summer. We’ve made lots of trips to the local pool, and the boys have played a lot of golf and soccer. We’ve worked a lot at various jobs, and I am thankful that I’ve wrapped up the job at the farmers market. I’ve been thankful for work this summer, as the summer months are always tight without having income coming in from my work at the school. The farmer’s market job has provided jobs for Wyatt, myself, Travis and even a day for Emma here and there. Even Garett has worked a day at the Farmer’s Market when we were short handed! I don’t think he was thrilled to use his day off at the market, but it was helpful to us, and he did it! It is almost always hot, but it also has given us an opportunity to be thankful for our air conditioned home and the local pool! 

Garett purchased a car a few weeks ago, and then we purchased a second additional vehicle for our family. Now that Chandler is driving to his job also, we’ve needed to have an additional car. Last week, Roger and I drove to Wilmington to look at a “new” car. Since this is Chandler’s last year in high school, and he is probably going off to college, we kept that thought in mind while looking. Chandler has been driving the mini van to his job as he can put down the seats, and then pile in all his pressure washing equipment in the back of the van. He has been working for a man from our church, and Chandler has been thriving on the variety of things he gets to do, and he has been saving his money all summer long. He made a big purchase- more on that later. Anyways, back to the car situation for our family. We purchased a 2005 Toyota Camry. Haha- it’s definitely not my dream car, and it wasn’t my first pick, but it’s paid for and it has low miles. We drive  a LOT to and from school, and it has been very expensive to insure Chandler and Garett with car insurance. They’ve done a great job of paying for a good chunk of it, but Roger and I felt like the best thing to do right now was to purchase and older car and try to keep our car insurance as low as possible. Typically I drive the “new” car to work at the farmers market, and Chandler takes the mini van to his job. He called me last week and said, “mom, I have to tell you something.” Um, that is never what a mom wants to hear! He went on to say that he had been painting for his job, and he had accidentally spilled some black oil paint in the back of the van! I’ll be honest, I was a bit annoyed, but I kept my cool. He worked really, really hard at getting the paint out of the van, and while the van still smells a bit like gasoline, most of the paint is out of the van. I told Roger that I guess one thing that I can be thankful for is that I don’t have a 2024 Honda Odyssey mini van, and instead it’s a 2011 mini van with 250, 000 miles! Someday, we might have a new vehicle, but for now, we’re in the middle of raising up new drivers, lots of miles, and lots of work, so it’s okay. God has blessed us all with some great work opportunities, great family time at the local pool, and lots of hours of conversations this summer. We are so blessed. 

The Fourth of July seems like forever ago, but it really was just earlier this month. We all had off work for the day, so that was nice. We spent the day working around our own house, and on various projects. Roger and I had thought about inviting some people over for the holiday, but truthfully, sometimes I’m just tired. We had just had over our neighbor and her daughter earlier in the week, and while I really do enjoy having people in our home, I just wasn’t up to it. So, we just puttered around the house and soaked up family time. 

In between working at the farmers market this summer, I’ve been working on some new projects that I want to try with my art classes. I’ll be leaving the library this year, and instead I’ll be teaching the art classes from kindergarten thru 12th grade! Gulp! It’s a big undertaking, and there are many, many days that I doubt my abilities! However, God is faithful, and I know that He can help me do my best, love my students, and point them to His faithfulness and goodness. I’m excited about the opportunity, but teaching art is a spectrum that is a million miles wide! There are SO many things to teach, creative ideas, artists, and the list goes on and on. These first several years will be the hardest as all the lessons have to be written for the high school classes, as well as students that are in their second year of Middle School. The hardest part is getting started and trying to narrow it down to what I want to teach. 

My dad has been struggling with some physical complications after his prostrate cancer, and he has actually spent a few days in the hospital this summer. Aging is a part of the life process, but no one prepares you for your parents aging! It’s hard to know how to help or what to do, and all of us girls live farther away than we’d like. If it crosses your mind, I know that my parents would appreciate your prayers. 

Roger and Garett left on Wednesday, July 23, to drive to Oshkosh, WI for the EAA air show. It’s been quite a few years since they’ve been able to go to the air show, and Roger had some family members that were going to be there this week for the air show also. Garett and Roger drove the 15 hours through the night, but they made it safely to Wisconsin. They will be leaving to return to NC in the early hours of Sunday morning, so it’s a really quick trip! I am thankful that they have this opportunity to spend time together. The older I get the more I realize that life really is such a “vapor” as the Bible states. 

We’ve spent several Sundays this summer visiting a church in Wilmington, NC. We often go to the early service, and then we spend a couple of hours at the beach. We’ve been to Wrightsville beach and Topsail beach, and we’ve enjoyed our time at both. The boys enjoy the beach but not the sand. Emma loves all of it, and she’s never ready to leave the beach! Last summer we weren’t able to spend a lot of time at the beach, so we’ve tried to prioritize it more this summer. It’s a bit of a drive to the church in Wilmington, but we’ve enjoyed the services there this summer. 

The boys have also spent a lot of time golfing this summer, and that is something that they’ve enjoyed doing in the evening hours together. Emma and I will go to the pool, and the boys will golf til they get to the hole by the pool. Travis will usually give up the golfing for time in the pool by that point! :) Travis has also managed to snag another little job this summer and that is mowing grass for our neighbor. We went over earlier in the summer to introduce ourselves, and she mentioned that she would like to hire one of the boys to mow her grass once a week. She pays quite well for a simple mowing job, and since Travis was the boy that was with us at the time, he snatched the job up. She told him that if one of the other brothers wanted to mow one week, they could do it that way. Travis told Roger, “I’m just going to let the brothers assume that I’m mowing her grass out of the goodness of my heart but I’ll be getting paid too.” Haha! Well, it didn’t take long for that secret to get out of the bag, but Travis has kept the job. It’s been a perfect little side job for him, and he calls it his “mad money” job. He saves his money from the farmer’s market, and he uses his “mad money” for golf outings, extras, and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee sometimes. We are thankful for employment for the boys, and we’ve definitely been working to try to instill in them, “spend some, save some, give some”. Getting in the habit of giving to the local church and ministries is an important habit to make, and we want the boys to start that habit now. 

It’s not all work…we do have fun too! Chandler and Wyatt were planning on heading off to soccer camp at Bob Jones University on Monday. However, Wyatt ended up spraining his ankle at school soccer practice on Tuesday night. I brought him into the urgent care clinic on Wednesday night, and it is not broken. We are thankful for that! However, his ankle is badly sprained, and he needs to stay off of it for several weeks. So, no soccer camp for Wyatt next week. He is very disappointed about that, but it is what it is. I contacted BJU to ask them if I could just send a different son instead. Travis was not originally signed up due to the cost of camp for three boys, but now Travis is going to soccer camp on Monday with Chandler! Emma, Wyatt and I will stay a few days in the Drury hotel in Greenville, SC, and I’m excited about the time to spend with these two kids. It gets harder to find the time to spend with them as life gets busier, so I’m looking forward to a few days enjoying their company. 

We made it to Greenville, SC, yesterday afternoon. It’s only about a 4.5 hour drive from our house, so it’s a much easier drive than driving to Pensacola. We dropped off Travis and Chandler at camp. I had made the name change for Travis to go instead of Wyatt, but Travis told me last night that everyone was calling him Wyatt, so he was just letting them call him that. I am praying that they have a really great time, learn a lot, grow closer as brothers, and closer to Jesus. I didn’t think that BJU did a great job last summer on their basketball camp and pointing kids to Jesus, so I’m hoping for a better emphasis on that with soccer camp. We will see. We are also getting to the place where Chandler is going to need to start making some decisions regarding college, so I’m sure that is coming into play also when he attends these camps. Please pray for wisdom and direction for him. Chandler took a college English class this summer, and he is thankful that one English class is behind him! 

Garett and Roger had a great time at the Airshow in Oshkosh, and I am thankful that they were able to spend some time together as well as time with some of Roger’s family. Garett is still struggling to get all the pieces to the puzzle of life to fit into his nice neat little boxes. I keep reminding him that sometimes all we can do is the next right thing. For now, work hard and save money. Love Jesus and pray fervently. He didn’t have a lot of close friends in his senior class, and I am a little worried about him making connections as he transitions out of youth group. It seems like the jump from high school to adulthood is hard in life decision making and in churches. Friendships move and shift, and Garett is struggling a bit with it all. 

I don’t know about anyone else, but we are not ready to jump into “back to school”. We are trying to soak up these last few days with family and friends. I love teaching, and I am excited about the new year…but there’s just so much to do! I am not ready to go through another “senior year”! Chandler is currently planning on going to college, and he is trying to figure out his options. We are open to suggestions! Where are kids going to Christian colleges at these days? Chandler would love to go somewhere where he can possibly play soccer or golf or both! College is also expensive, so trying to navigate through many steps is a bit overwhelming! I’m thankful that God goes beside and before us, and that God has a perfect plan for Chandler’s life. In the picture that I added to the blog that states “golf”, that includes a picture of Chandler at Dick’s Sporting Goods. He has worked hard this summer, and he paid for a golf fitting and a fitted set of irons for him. He did drop a pretty penny on it, but he’s also in a position to make a big purchase this summer. I had to laugh though as he entered into Dick’s Sporting Goods with his grubby shorts, ripped t-shirt, and dirty shoes to pay for his golf clubs! He looked more like a homeless person than someone who was going to spend some money! :) 

Emma had a sleep study done on July 6th. It was probably the worst nights rest I have gotten in a long time, and I don’t think Emma slept much better! However, the results of the test concluded that Emma needs to get her tonsils take out. She has mild sleep apnea, and her tonsils are enlarged. That surgery will take place in September. Please pray for a quick and smooth recovery! 

I’ve had this song on my mind lately as we prepare for another transition of a senior this year. God is so good!

  

July- Work, More Work, Liberty University, Appomattox Court House, Parenting

 July has come and gone, and teacher in-service begins in less than a week. I am so not ready to go back to school, but I know that when the time comes, I will be ready…Lord willing. I’ve put a lot of energy and effort into thinking and preparing for the school year, and my biggest prayer request is that I will point my students to Jesus. 

We worked a lot this summer, and I mean a whole lot! Everyone has been working except Emma, and shes’s enjoyed lots of time at the pool and time spent with Aunt Jen. (I am very thankful for Jen and her willingness to help out with our kids) 

On July 4th, we spent the day as a family. We attempted to go to the beach, but that was an epic fail as the beach was so crowded! We did enjoy lunch together, and we had a good time. Roger had a full month in June on fire patrol, so it was nice for everyone in our family to have the day off together. We had talked about inviting some families over to our house, but I wasn’t up for hosting, prepping, and cooking. It was a good day, but a very uneventful Fourth of July! But, oh how thankful I am for our country! I know that we are all concerned about the future of America, but I know I sometimes forget how much I have to be thankful for in this great land. However, that being said, please go vote in November! We are not professing our love for a candidate, but rather voting for the future of our children. Please vote wisely! 

Garett has been working hard at the gutter company, and his favorite part is lunchtime! He enjoys food greatly, and his boss pays for lunch everyday. Garett has also been trying to finish up a math course that he needs for this school year, so he’s had a busy summer. Chandler works five days a week out at a farm/produce stand near Roger’s work. On one of my days off, we took a field trip out to his place of work. It was fun to see where he worked, and he is well loved by his employers. Emma came to work with me one day, and she had a good day helping at the farmers market. Travis has come to the farmers market several times, and he typically keeps the produce bins full and helps wherever needed. He also helps sell stuff from time to time, and this past week a lady asked him about okra. Now why you would ask a teenage boy about how to cook okra is beyond me! But Travis said he had overheard one of the employees say that she had breaded the okra and then fried it. Now, she had breaded it in cornmeal and seasonings and then fried it. Travis couldn’t quite remember what the breading was so he told the lady that the breading was oatmeal!! Um- no! Haha! Then Wyatt was like, “Travis! It wasn’t oatmeal!” So a few weeks later when someone asked about cooking okra, Travis said his mom had a secret recipe and that he wasn’t allowed to tell anyone the recipe! However, he did sell okra! It’s been fun working with the boys this summer, and while the trip is a bit of a drive, we’ve had lots of time to talk and spend time together. I am thankful for these moments. 

 A famous preacher once said, “Preach the Gospel always, if necessary, use words.” I’ve told my kids this phrase often as I tell them that their actions and what they do matters. This summer at the farmer’s market, I’ve worked hard to always wear a t-shirt that has a verse, a worship song, or a phrase that will point someone to Jesus. I’m amazed at how many people will comment on what I’m wearing and either ask about what it means, or whole-heartedly agree with the statement. It’s a opportunity to point people to Jesus, and as believers we must be diligent to “redeem the time”, and point people to Jesus. On the other hand, I’m sure that I’ve offended some people with my t-shirts, but all the people that have spoken to me have been so pleasant and kind. One lady told me that she even choose to bring her business to our farm stand because she liked my t-shirt that said, “Waymaker, promise keeper, Light of the world, that’s my God”. I wish I could say that I take advantage of every opportunity to point people to Jesus, but the truth is that I often fail at it. But, God is merciful and kind and He provides more opportunities to talk to people about Him. 

In the month of July, we also coordinated a week of craziness with our friends, the Hardisons. Chandler and Eli had a few days of a Remote Control Robotic class at a local community college. Stephen was gone to a retreat for school, and Tamela and I switched around a bunch of kids that week as we navigated a crazy week of work as Wyatt and Kaeden came with me, and Chandler stayed a lot of the week with Eli. Surprisingly we did forget any of the kids anywhere, and we made it through the week! I am thankful for cell phones and the ability to coordinate schedules with friends. 

A friend of ours went up to Maine, and he brought us back some lobsters. Roger made some delicious lobsters rolls, and we met up with our friends, the Everett’s at a park halfway between both of our homes. It was a fun evening for their family to try something new, and having lobster rolls certainly brought back a lot of great memories from our time in Maine. 

This past weekend found much of our family in Lynchburg, Virginia. A while back Chandler was looking for soccer camps near us. He found a soccer clinic/camp happening at Liberty University, and he asked Roger and I if he could attend the camp. It’s basically a soccer camp for rising juniors and seniors that are interested in playing soccer in college. We got a phone call from a recruiting person on Sunday evening, and we had to listen to the whole jabber about how to best get Chandler into soccer in college. Well, let’s just say that we don’t have the kind of money that we would need to put Chandler in the “best spot” to play soccer in college. I’m thankful that God is not concerned about that, but that He already has a “best” plan for Chandler’s life! I found an airbnb for Friday and Saturday, and Jen and I headed to Lynchburg, Virginia on Friday afternoon. Wyatt, Travis and Emma came along with Chandler, and while we wish that Garett and Roger could be with us, we did enjoy our time there. I dropped off Chandler at the soccer camp, and he told me that he was nervous. He had paid for this camp out of his own work earnings, but he was worried that he would be the worst player at the clinic. We pulled into the college, and the intimidation factor was real! These kids had the backpacks, the shoes, the jerseys, and everything that screamed “I play soccer”! Meanwhile, Chandler had on shorts with paint on them and shoes that had a lot of wear and tear. But I reminded Chandler that clothes don’t set a person up for success, and that God already has a plan for Chandler. By the time I picked him up at 8:00pm, he was beaming. He told me that he had really enjoyed the first afternoon of soccer camp, and that he was glad that he had spent his money to come to the camp. I was thankful that the coaches and soccer players from Liberty University had taken the time to pray both before and after the session, as well as gave their personal testimonies of how they had come to play soccer and how God had brought them to where they are now. It was encouraging to Chandler to play with players on his own playing level as well as be challenged by many that were better than he was. I have no idea what God has for Chandler or his future of college or soccer, but I know that God already has a plan. I told Roger that Chandler wasn’t the only one that felt “out of their league”. I was speaking with a few parents and a mom mentioned that this is her sons’ 3rd ID soccer camp of the summer, and they had driven up from Georgia for this clinic. Another parent mentioned that they had come from Florida, and I was over here like “oh, um, this is our first soccer ID clinic, and we have no idea what we are doing, but whatever it is, we’re having fun while we’re doing it!” Haha! We’ve got five kids to try to help through college or further their education, and we are praying them through whatever God has for them, but we are not on the level of most of those parents. And know what? That’s totally okay for them and for us. It was a great experience for Chandler, and he said he would 100% spend his money again to come to the soccer camp. I’m thankful that God worked out the details for him to be able to go, and it was fun to get away for a few days from the normal routines of life. 

On the way back from Lynchburg, we stopped off at the Appomattox  Courthouse in Virginia. It was a free stop on the way back home, and it was educational to boot! It was interesting to read about the surrender of the Confederates that day on April 9th, 1865. We got to step into history as we walked through the area, went in the buildings, and toured the grounds. There were a lot of artifacts from the Civil War era, obviously, and Travis told Aunt Jen, “I think it’s really neat how they had a hot dog cooker back in those days.” Jen was obviously surprised and she asked Travis to show her the “hot dog cooker”…it was a curry comb!! Haha! That kid keeps us on our toes, and he’s very matter of fact about life! I’m glad we made the effort to stop, but we were all glad to get home that afternoon! 

“Hot dog Cooker” 

Garett successfully finished his math course while we were away, and Roger and Garett were able to spend some quality time together. We are thankful for these moments!  

It’s been a busy and full summer, but we’ve made some memories. The boys have played golf whenever they can squeeze it in around working, and Emma has spent many hours at the pool. We visited a few other churches this summer as well, but either we didn’t feel like the fit was great or we didn’t feel like the doctrine was sound. We’ve been in North Carolina for over two years, and I still feel like I’m struggling sometimes to find “our groove” in church and in friendships. The church we were a part of in Maine had a much higher median age, but there was also a connection that came through a small school and church. We’ve made a few friends here in NC, but I know that Roger and I often feel like we don’t know how to connect…and we wonder is it us? Our tribe of five kids? The fact that we didn’t grow up here and don’t have family around her?  Because we don’t live like the “Joneses”? What makes it harder for us to connect and feel included here? Truly, I don’t know. We’ve had many, many families over in our home in the years we’ve been here, and I do it because I really do enjoy opening our home, hosting and cooking as it’s a part of who God created me to be. (I also grew up watching my mom cook a big Sunday dinner every week, and we had someone over for dinner almost every Sunday.) We found deep connections with the Everett family, but God chose to move them to Virginia. We’ve been very thankful for the Hardison family and their boys, and I absolutely know that God had His hand in bringing along their family into our lives even though Emma wishes that they had a girl and not so many boys! So what do you do when you feel like everyone around you has enough friends already? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure, but I know that God still calls us to love those around us, worship Him completely and rejoice in Him. We will continue to have people in our home, prepare food for others, love our neighbors, and love Jesus. Maybe God is creating our sons to create really great and meaningful friendships with each other- provided that they can stop arguing with each other long enough to decide that they love each other! No, they don’t fight all the time, but there is a lot of testosterone in our house with four teenage boys! I thought that diapers were expensive, but I am not prepared for how much food these boys can eat or how expensive car insurance is for teenage drivers! Whew! Parenting is not for the faint- hearted! I am so thankful for God’s grace,  and that He calls us to rest in Him! (Parenting is also exhausting!) 

As we prepare to return to school, we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and direction. Garett will be a senior, and he’s unsure about what God would have him to do after he graduates from high school. We need a lot of wisdom and prayers as we help him prepare for the future. 

I have really been enjoying this song. I pray that you will be blessed tonight. 

 

Greenville, SC & A Trip to the Mountains & lots of Work!

 Summer break is flying by, and with the majority of our family working this summer, we are working hard to cling to the moments we have together! The early years of raising children is hard work, and it can be monotonous and overwhelming. Then they become teenagers! Life is no longer monotonous, but we need a family calendar to keep track of everyone!! 

Earlier this summer, we were praying that Chandler would find a job. He was able to work with me at the Farmers Market for a few days, but he was still looking for more of a full-time summer job. Well, he now has a job with more hours, and he still gets to be outside a lot. Thank you for praying that he would find a job!  Chandler is working for a farmer/produce stand near Roger’s work. Chandler has been working 7:30am- 6:00pm, and he is shucking a lot of corn, selling fruit, working in the fields, and getting an introduction to welding. He’s been busy, but God is so good. God provided this job for Chandler, and it’s about twelve minutes from Roger’s job. Roger has also been working long hours due to the lack of rain, so he drops Chandler off at work and then picks him up. 

Garett continues to work with the gutter company, and he likes it. I’m pretty sure that his favorite thing is going to lunch everyday, but he does like his job. He’s been getting up and going to work around 5:30am due to the heat this week. 

Wyatt and I are working at the farmer’s market. I try to work about three days a week, but it all depends on what’s happening with the other kids, Roger’s job, and other activities. Most of the time, Wyatt comes with me to work, so he’s been able to get some employment this summer also. 

Travis and Emma stay busy with helping take care of Aunt Jen’s chickens, cutting grass, and going swimming. We are thankful that Aunt Jen is willing to have two sidekicks this summer. Currently, Travis and Emma are in Wisconsin with Aunt Jen visiting with my parents. I’m thrilled that they have the opportunity to do that, and I know that my parents were excited to have them come visit. 

In the past two weeks, we’ve worked and played. Last week, Chandler and Wyatt attended basketball camp at Bob Jones University, while Jen and the two younger kids spent a few days in Greenville, SC. Roger and Garett stayed behind and worked, but then met up with us in the mountains for a few days of fun later in the week. 

Last Monday (6/17), we left for basketball camp with two of our boys that were attending as well as two of the Hardison boys. They were all excited about attending basketball camp, and I’m glad that they were able to work on some skills and drills that should help them in the future. While Bob Jones camp was okay, I think the boys will be returning to PCC next summer to try one of their sports camps. I know that I can be OCD about communication and spending time wisely, but to be honest, BJU should’ve done better. Camp should be looked at as a potential student visiting the college (in my opinion). These are 9th-12th grade boys coming to visit the college campus and a little bit more of a “best foot forward” approach would’ve been greatly appreciated by this mama. I also would’ve appreciated a more serious and dedicated approach to spiritual lessons and growth. I know that I’m in a minority and that’s okay, but I really want Jesus to be first and foremost in any activities. I personally feel that sometimes we get so worried about “kids having fun” that we fail to prepare them for eternity! (I did personally call the college to express some of my concerns as well.) So what did BJU do well? Like I said, I appreciated the emphasis on improving skills in basketball. Both of the boys said that they felt like they learned a lot, and they were thankful for that. I’m thankful that this opportunity was given to them, and now they’ve had an introduction to BJU. It’s really too bad that it wasn’t a better experience because I know that Bob Jones does present some top quality events for educators, and I’ve been a recipient at those events.  

While the two boys were at basketball camp, Travis, Emma, Jen and I spent a few days in Greenville. Greenville has a beautiful downtown area, and we walked down there several times. The hotel we stayed at offered breakfast, snacks and drinks and supper- all included in the price of the hotel! That was an amazing blessing as we were able to spend time just watching the kids swim in the pool, eat, read, and soak up some sunshine and relaxation. It was good to get away for a few days, and if I ever go to Greenville again, I’m going to be looking for the Drury Inn and Suites hotel again! A highlight of the trip for Emma and Travis would be going to Smoothie King and trying the Dude Perfect smoothie! 

Basketball camp ended on Thursday at noon, so I picked up our two boys and headed for the mountains. Jen headed back to her home to check on the chickens, and get ready for her trip to Wisconsin. 

We met up with the Everett’s in the mountains on Thursday afternoon. Roger and Garett met us there and everyone went golfing in the afternoon except Emma, Laura and I. Thursday was Laura’s birthday, so we were happy to celebrate her birthday. I had purchased discounted tickets for Anakeesta and the Titantic museum for the few days that we were in the mountains. We went to Anakeesta on Friday, and it was a hot day! The chair lift up to the top of the mountain was a lot of fun, and Anakeesta offers some nice views of the mountains, beautiful gardens, tree walk ropes course, and lot of playground space. We did enjoy it, and I’m glad that we did it. However, I felt like it was more suited towards kids Emma’s age as there was a lot of playground space, slides, and ropes courses. For teenagers, Anakeesta offers two mountain coasters and zip lining (all of which cost extra $$), so for that reason, I don’t think we’d do it again. The boys didn’t complain about not doing the coaster or zip lining, but the playgrounds and slides were a little below their level of interest. However, it was a fun day spent with family and friends, so it was a day well spent. 

Saturday morning was set aside to visit the Titanic museum, and everyone really seemed to enjoy that. There was lot of information to take in, but they did offer headphones that would read the highlights to you as well as a kids version of the highlights. I think I can say that everyone did learn something, and that was a good experience. It was money well spent in my opinion, and I’m glad we took the opportunity to do that museum. 

We also played some game that Justin came up with. It was the adults versus the kids, and the adults did win. We didn’t win by a lot, but we did win! It was a lot of laughter and fun, and then we decided to take a trip to the Smokey Mountains park and get in the creek. We ended up finding a spot with a waterfall, and while we only planned to go wading, everyone was pretty wet by the time we were done! 

A few other notes to remember from our trip: we really enjoyed “Steak n Shake”. It was a restaurant that reminded me of Culver’s hamburgers, and it was fairly cheap. We tried to go to Cades Cove to see some wildlife, but we didn’t realize quite how low we were on gas, so that ended up being a bit of a flop. I guess we will save that for another trip! We had coffee at the Black Rifle Coffee Company, and that was a fun time. We enjoyed s’mores around the fire pit, and the mosquitos weren’t too bad! The cabin was practically straight up a mountain, but it was a memory for sure! We treasured our time with our friends, the Everett’s, and it was a fun few days in the mountains!

We left the mountains on Sunday morning, and I met up with Jen in Newport, Tennessee. She was headed to Wisconsin and rather than come all the way back to Eastern North Carolina, we met up with her in Tennessee. Emma and Travis hopped out of our van, and into Jen’s vehicle. Emma was a little sad about going on Saturday night, but by Sunday morning, she was happy to be going to visit Nana and Papa. Travis kept asking if Wyatt could come with him to Wisconsin, and originally we had planned on that. But when Chandler got his job, then Wyatt could work with me, so Wyatt decided to stay back and work. I think Wyatt would’ve liked to have gone along also, but he was also happy to be going home. Our friends, the Harrison’s, kept Sam from Thursday thru Sunday, so we picked him up on Sunday night. I think Sam was happy to see us, but he really doesn’t seem to mind hanging out with the Hardisons’ dog Marley. We were all happy to be home on Sunday night, and when we sat down for family prayer on Sunday evening, I was like “okay, who’s going where this week and working where?!” I’m thankful that the sun sets later these days, as we are frequently gathering around the table around 7:30/8:00pm for supper! (Everyone still likes to eat!) I’m thankful for employment, memories, family, God’s grace, sleep and clean clothes! (I’m thankful for a lot more, but those are the ones that are on my mind!) 

Travis and Emma will be coming home with Jen tomorrow, and I am very much looking forward to seeing them! Roger has been crazy busy with work also. Typically the standard fire season is over by early June as the humidity rises and we get more rain showers. However, this summer has been very hot and very dry, so Roger has been working quite a bit. The district that he flies for has only received about .5 inch of rain in the past 31 days. Most of the crops are gone, and only the farmers that have some type of irrigation will get anything off their fields. The cucumber harvest is about 90% dried up, and peas will be in short supply as we just haven’t gotten enough rain. Please pray that God will provide some rain for much of the eastern side of North Carolina. We are thankful that Roger is able to gain some extra hours as this will help him be able to take off in the fall when he is coaching the soccer season, but we also really, really need a nice soaking shower of rain. 

Amidst the business of all the working schedules and summer activities, I’m also constantly reminded that Garett will be a senior this fall. I’m not ready! We’re trying to soak up the memories, moments, and pour into each of our children their need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Garett has talked with us a little about his plans for after high school, but he needs a lot of direction and prayers at this point in time. We are capable of hard things, and God provides what we need every step of the way. I know that this also holds true for our children. I’m thankful that while the world erupts in chaos and disorder, we serve a God who has never relinquished His control. He holds us in His hands- and I’m thankful for His presence. 

January- a long month!

 Update: January IS over, and I didn’t manage to write a post all month. (It’s been a few years since that happened!) 

(1-29-24) January is almost over, and I haven’t even posted once in this entire month! It’s not because I didn’t want to or that nothing exciting has been happening, but it has been a busy (and very, very long month)! This month I just want to praise the Lord for how He orchestrates things for our good. At the time, the situations may not seem good, but God is always, always good. 

We started off the new year by taking a family trip. It’s been a while since we’ve gone on a trip as a family, and about 336 days ago we booked a cruise! Roger and I have been on several cruises, and we’ve enjoyed each one. Some we’ve done on our own as a couple, and some we’ve done with friends. This was the first cruise for our children, and it was truly a wonderful experience. We went on a cruise to the Bahamas with our dear friends, the Everett’s. The kids went to school for three days after Christmas break, and then we headed down to Miami on Friday, January 5th. We boarded the cruise ship on Saturday, and we had an amazing time away for five nights. When we booked the cruise, 336 days prior to going on the cruise, we didn’t know that Laura and I would be coaching cheer. It literally seemed like the worse timing to go on a cruise as we’re knee-deep in cheer season, Homecoming was the week we returned as well as school spirit week and two pep rallies. However, as I look back over the course of the month, I think God had us book that cruise for that week so that we could re-group, relax, and prepare for one of the hardest weeks of the year upon our return. God was/is good. We choose that particular week because it was cheapest, but God directed us to that week because He knew it was best. 

On our cruise, we went to Falmouth, Jamaica and Nassau, Bahamas. The weather was beautiful the entire time we were away, and we didn’t know that back in North Carolina the weather had been quite rough with lots of rain and wind! We had no phone or internet service for almost a week, and it was glorious. The kids enjoyed the formal dinning experiences on the cruise and the opportunity to taste so many food options. Our kids and the Everett’s kids spent hours at the pool, eating ice cream, rock climbing, playing mini-golf, and all kinds of other fun events. For the most part, they got along fabulously, and everyone slept great at night as we were tuckered out from so much fun. We didn’t do any excursions through the cruise line, but instead just got off at the ports to see what we could find. In Jamaica we found a local guide who took us on a tour of the city, showed us the authentic spots for the locals, and entertained us for several hours as we walked around! We tromped right through the local school grounds, and he told us all about the school and the routines of the students. He led us to a local fisherman’s beach, and told us that it was a fine place to go swimming. Laura (my friend) pointed out that the sign said “no swimming- sharks”, to which he replied, “we just put that there so that kids wouldn’t go swimming here.” Hmm… well a few of the kids and Roger and Justin did get in the water for a bit, but it was colder than they thought it was going to be in the ocean. It was a quick swim, and then back on our tour of the town. The memories of Jamaica will bring back lots of smiles and laughter as we look back on the memories some day!

We also went to Nassau, Bahamas. At Nassau, we spent most of the day at the beach. The weather was gorgeous, and we took a lot of pictures that day. We created a pyramid with all twelve of us, which also created a lot of laughter and smiles. Travis and Emma got plenty of sun on the cruise, as did Garett! You’d have thought we would’ve remembered to bring sunscreen for our blond children, but we forgot! Thankfully, we did get some on the cruise ship, but Travis and Garett both did get a sunburn. However, they bounced back quickly, and back to more sunshine activities they went (with sunscreen this time!). 

We arrived back in the port of Miami on Thursday morning, and then we spent the day driving home. We arrived home around 10pm, and back to school we went on Friday or rather some of us did. Since Roger had off work on Friday, he stayed at home with a few of our kids while Wyatt, Chandler and I went to school. I needed to go back to school as there was a basketball game that night and the cheerleaders would be at that game. It made for a crazy day back, but we made it. We came back with full hearts, lots of memories, and the desire to save money so that we can go again someday! 

Laura and I had a crazy busy week the third week in Januray (15-19). The kids had off of school on Monday, January 15th, but it was a teacher workshop day. I spent the day preparing for art classes, library classes, spirit week, and Homecoming. Homecoming is an annual event in which the cheer team prepares a special routine for the audience. Also there are two representatives chosen from each class to represent their class and the school. Travis was chosen for the 7th grade class, and I’m thankful that he is a boy! The girls had to find formal dresses, worry about hair and makeup, while Travis just had to figure out a suit. The cheer team hosts the spirit day events, so that meant a lot of work for Laura and I (read -way too much),  but we made it through. The cheer team had decided that we would host a coin challenge for spirit week, which was based of the weight of coins brought in and not the amount of the coins. We gave each class a small bucket, and every day the cheerleaders would go to the classrooms to weigh the coins and collect the coins. The girls also were responsible for choosing the “best dressed” student in each classroom. We did an “American” day, “Anything but a backpack day”, “Any decade day”, and School color day. It was a wild week with the grand finale resulting in two pep rallies on Friday, the girls cheer routine, and the Homecoming event. We also had cheer leading practices from 6-8pm during the week to help us be ready for Friday. Honestly, I tell Roger often that it was the grace of God that brought us through that week! Garett was also supposed to bring a dessert for the junior class fundraiser, but I knew I couldn’t possibly do one more thing that week. Laura made his dessert for him, and another cheer mom also sent me a text offering to make a dessert on Garett’s behalf. I was so thankful for their acts of service to help us get everything done. It was almost midnight when we got home on Friday night, and we were all very thankful to fall into our beds. 

Last Saturday we went to Virginia. Virginia is where the Everett’s have been moved to via the Air Force.  We went up to help them unpack, spend some time unwinding from the busy week, and to prepare for our lives to change as they wouldn’t be so close anymore. Thankfully, Virginia is only about three hours away, and we’ve made the trip twice already. Last Sunday we visited a church with them, and this past Sunday we did the same. It’s always interesting visiting other churches, and now that all the kids are older, we have plenty of opinions! Last Sunday was an emotional afternoon as we said good by. Although they’ll be close enough to visit, it’s still not the same as seeing them everyday. Laura has still helped me with cheer routines, ideas, support, and all the other things that a great coach does to help the team, but we sure do miss their family! 

Chandler’s 16th birthday was on Friday, so the Everett’s came down for his birthday as well as for the basketball games that day. I can’t believe that boy is 16 years old! It seems like just yesterday he was born, and now he’s maturing and changing every day! Chandler is a sweet boy (most of the time). He’s an entrepreneur, and he’s good with young kids. He’s not particularly fond of school, but he’s mostly independent. He doesn’t yet know what God wants him to do with his life, but I have a few ideas and lots of prayer invested! Laura and her kids took Chandler out for his birthday lunch, and he enjoyed that. I’m thankful for friends, family and coaches that have invested in his life. We need people to be involved in our children’s lives and to point them to Jesus. We try to provide our children with opportunities for the Holy Spirit to work in their lives, so for that reason, we are looking to send Garett and Chandler on a missions trip!

Garett and Chandler have appointments at the passport agency this Wednesday! Please pray that this appointment will go smoothly, as there is a lot of paperwork invovled!  A few years ago, we tried to send Chandler to Haiti on the missions trip that Garett and I were going on, but due to Covid, it was near impossible to get him a passport. The situation in Haiti has grown increasingly more dangerous, and at this point in time, there’s not a missions trip planned for Haiti. However, Jen, (my sister) is taking some students from her former school in South Dakota to the Dominican Republic. Garett and Chandler have been interested in going on a missions trip, and God seems to be opening the doors for them. They’d both like to find some work to do to help pay for this trip, so please pray that God will provide them with some extra jobs in the next couple of months. Please pray that the passports will come quickly and the process will be smooth! We could’ve gotten Chandler’s passport earlier, but I wanted to wait until he was 16. Garett’s needs renewing and now both boys will have passports that will be good for ten years…whew! Lots of prayer is needed for this trip to the D.R. We are asking God to work in the hearts of our boys. We are praying for a great trip for them and that the Gospel will be presented with great boldness. We are praying for God’s protection and mercies, as well as His blessings to be evident in the lives of each member of the team. (UPDATE: we did get to the passport office, and $360 later the passports are in the processing stages!) I am thankful that we were able to get this step done, but please, please pray that God will provide work for both of these boys to help them offset the cost of their trip. God is so good! 

This is a brief overview of the month of January. There are so many more things that happened, but I can’t possibly touch on them all. We’ve had some really big trials and testing that happened this month, and some that are too personal to share. We’ve had some quality family time together, but there’s been an overshadowing of some hard experiences. I’ve had to lean into what I know to be true this past month, and really rely on Jesus for my strength. I certainly have not done it all perfectly, and I’ve sure cried an awful lot this past month, but God is my strength and my song. We will praise him through it all. 

Christmas Adventures and Laughter

Ahhh....the sweets sounds of Christmas break! What are those sounds you ask? In our house, it’s popcorn popping, games being played, the sound of pucks sliding across the ice, Christmas music, laughter, LOTS of food, and being together. (It’s also the munch of WAY too much sugar!)

We’ve enjoyed our time with Aunt Jen this week, and we were able to go on a special adventure with her this past week. Jen arrived at our house on Sunday evening. Our children were very excited to have Aunt Jen with them this week. We spent Monday playing games together, doing some grocery shopping, wrapping gifts, and getting ready for Christmas. Roger had to work on Monday and Tuesday, so that was a bit of a bummer, but we just made the most of our evening time together.

Tuesday was Christmas Eve, and the kids were excited! Hannah and josh came down for part of the day, and we went bowling together. I had been giving a gift certificate for the bowling place, and it was a great time to use it. We surely miss Roger when he’s not able to join us for fun events, but we were thankful to enjoy time with Hannah, Josh and Jen. The bowling place has candlepin bowling which uses a smaller ball and smaller pins than regular bowling. After bowling, we came home to cook up food for our Christmas Eve dinner. Roger was able to be home around four pm, so we were able  to enjoy dinner together before the Christmas Eve service. I always look forward to the Christmas Eve service as it sets the tone for the Christmas gatherings happening in the evening and on Christmas Day. I had thought that Wyatt and Garett were going to do their piano pieces for the Christmas Eve service, but there was some confusion so that wasn’t the plan. It felt a little scrambled at first, but it was all brought together by the grace of God. The children’s choir sang, and then the older kids played on the xylophone chimes. Each child has a chime and a stick to hit the chime with. All the children got lined up, and I was about to count them off to start, when I noticed that Wyatt was quietly laughing. Travis had managed to get his xylophone stick stuck in his pants! He had pants that tie on, and he had managed to get the xylophone stick stuck in one of the loops! He was all flustered, and he couldn’t figure out how to get it unstuck. His brothers were having a hard time holding their laughter in, and my friend Allison and I were also trying to hold in our laughter! Oh the memory! Travis managed to get the xylophone stick unstuck, and the rest of the song went off without a hitch! There was a good turnout of people for the service, and there is something beautiful and special about the Christmas Eve service. I am so thankful that it’s not all about the baby who came, but about the Savior Who came to redeem the world! What a gift!

We opened up our Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, as we were headed to Hannah’s on Christmas Day. Emma was so excited about opening gifts, and she announced loudly after the church service that she had taken a nap during church so that she wouldn’t be grouchy opening presents! The kids had gotten gifts for each other at the Christmas shops they had gone to, and I always love seeing what they’ve picked out! Emma opened up a soft blanket from Wyatt, to which Garett replied, “I’m glad you like it, there’s plenty more where that came from!” He had picked out the exact same blanket for Emma! Emma didn’t mind having two blankets! The funniest present was the gift that Emma picked out for Chandler. She knows that Chandler enjoys reading, so she picked him out some books at the Christmas shop. She was so excited for Chandler to open them, and Chandler’s expression was quite hilarious! Emma had gifted him with three inspirational Christian romance novels!! Chandler did very well at saying thank you, but his expression was quite humorous! Emma can’t quite read, so she just picked out books that she liked the covers to!

We spent Christmas Day with Hannah and Josh enjoying more delicious food, fun games, and fellowship together. The kids were a bit tired as it had been a late night the night before and they were all up early to play with their Christmas gifts.  We came home in the late afternoon, and we all went ice skating for a bit! All the kids are better skaters than I am, but my excuse is that I have to wear skates that don’t fit properly! Chandler currently wears my skates, but some day I might get my skates back!It was fun to get on the ice with the kids, but wow....we were all happy to go to bed early!


Jen’s Christmas gift to the kids was an adventure! She had purchased tickets to a trampoline park as well as an overnight stay at a hotel with a pool! The kids were thrilled! Roger had to work on Thursday and Friday, but Jen and I headed down to Portland on Thursday morning with all the kids. I thought the trampoline park would be very busy the day after Christmas, but it actually wasn’t too bad at all! We were there right when they opened at ten, and the kids jumped and played until about two pm. Then we headed to Sam’s Club to feed them a snack before heading to the hotel for swimming! The hotel we stayed at had an outdoor heated pool, and I even got in the pool...so it was warm! The kids swam for a few hours, before getting out to have supper. The kids were excited to have dinner at Olive Garden since that’s where we had gift cards to eat. The last time the kids ate at Olive Garden was with Jen last Christmas, so they were excited to have dinner there again. And after they ate, they were tired! Emma and Travis about fell asleep at the dinner table, and they were happy to climb into bed at the hotel. Chandler told me that he was having a lot of fun on this adventure, but he sure did miss Dad. I’m glad that the kids have the opportunity to enjoy these adventures also, but I surely miss Roger when he’s not along too!

We headed home on Friday morning after another swim! After thirty six plus hours of activities, it was a quiet ride home! The boys were happy to get home and check on their ice skating rink. They shoveled it off to get ready to resurface it, so that they can use it some more. On Friday evening we joined Roger at work to have pizza with his boss and wife. The kids had gifts that they had picked out for Kevin and Terri, and Emma was happy to help them both open their gifts. I’m so thankful for Kevin and Terri and their love for our kiddos. They told the kids that their Christmas gift was not wrappable. They have gifted our children with an evening of snow tubing, dinner, and an overnight at a hotel for sometime in January or February! Our kids are so very excited about this adventure, and I am looking forward to it also. The months of January, February and March can get to be a bit long, so this will give us all something to look forward to!

We are wrapping up our last few days of Christmas break as we prepare to go back to school on Thursday. I am so not ready yet! It’s been a good break. I’ve spent a few days not feeling great, but it’s been a good time to slow down and treasure our time together. Roger has been busy, but that comes with the territory of being the second man in charge....you get to fill in any spots in the schedule that are short on people. I’m thankful for this Christmas season, and I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.

We love you all,
Sarah

Vacation and Emma’s Test Results!

I’ve been a bit absent from blogging for the past two weeks as we’ve been soaking up some much needed time away for Roger and I. My parents have also been visting for the past two weeks, and we have treasured our time together. Of course, time went by all too quickly, but we are thankful for the opportunity to spend time with them.

My parents arrived about two weeks ago, shortly after our adventure to the E.R. With Emma. Our kids had winter break for the first week my parents were here, so we spent lots of time ice skating, visting, enjoying the outdoors together, and making memories. Also during that week, I called the doctors office to find out about Emma’s bloodwork. Imagine my surprise when our doctor reported that no Lyme testing had been run! I was not a happy mama, and now we had to return to the lab to have Emma’s blood redrawn! Emma did much better this time around, but it still wasn’t very fun. I knew it would take a few days to see what the results were, but I definitely feel like the E.R. Department dropped the ball on doing that test with the first round of her blood!

Roger and I had plans to leave on Friday afternoon for a few days away together. 396 days ago we had saved enough money to book a cruise! Cruising is something we both enjoy, and we find it a very affordable vacation if you’re willing to be flexible! My parents agreed to watch our children while Roger and I went on a cruise. It’s been four years since our last cruise and time away together for longer than two days. As we strive to preserve, protect, strengthen and encourage our marriage, I firmly believe that time away together is a necessity!

Roger and I left on Friday afternoon to head down to Newark, New Jersey. Our cruise was departing from Cape Liberty on Saturday afternoon. Roger was able to get a good deal on a car rental for 24   hours through his work, so we drove down to Newark, dropped off the car, and headed to our hotel   for the evening. On Saturday morning, we met up with some dear friends from Wisconsin. We headed to our cruise ship, and we savored every moment of our time. It was truly a wonderful week!

Our first port stop was in Orlando, Florida. Roger and I did not go with our friends on their excursion to NASA, but instead did some walking and talking around town. The Lord’s hand was in it all, as the doctors office called me on Tuesday. Roger and I did not have cell reception or an internet package on board the ship, but since we were in Orlando on Tuesday, I was able to get in touch with the doctors office. Emma’s bloodwork results had come back. The tests confirmed that Emma does indeed have Lymes. The doctor had called in an antibiotic prescription to the pharmacy. I was able to get ahold of my parents so that Emma can get started on her treatment. It’s not wonderful news, but we rejoice in knowing that God knows all things. I’m thankful that the bloodwork did confirm the Lyme, and that this is probably what caused Emma’s ankle to swell. It was a blessing to be able to talk to the doctors office, and get ahold of my parents on Tuesday. God knew that we needed that day  
 in Orlando.


The weather was beautiful in the Bahamas! We enjoyed the sandy beaches, the water, the friendships, the sun and the soaking up of memories. We went on this cruise with some friends from our church in Wisconsin. Some we knew really well, and one couple was someone we knew but not really well. We enjoyed our time with all of them! We spent many hours in conversations and laughter as well as conversations about the deeper and more painful experiences that life can bring. We are truly blessed.

I’m thankful that my parents held down the fort at home, helped our kids with school work and chores, encouraged them in their walk with Jesus, and loved on them. While our kids were thrilled to see us, they had a great week with Nana and Papa.

It was good for Roger and I to get away and spend some much needed time together. It’s not often that we have the opportunities to discuss everything under the sun without ears in the cornfield ...if you know what I mean! Roger’s job in Maine is a wonderful blessing, but the hours are long. It was good to reconnect as a couple, talk through our dream and desires for our children, pray together, and savor the memories.

More Birthdays and Interviews!

This was our last week of summer vacation, and we certainly worked at getting the most out of the week! We started off with celebrating Travis’s birthday last Saturday. It’s hard to believe that our youngest son is already eight years old! Travis had a great day as Roger was off of work and it was a beautiful day! We did some work around our house to finish up the lawn mowing and weed whacking. Then we spent the rest of the day doing fun family adventures. We went to play mini-golf together. That was something we haven’t done in a really long time so this was a treat for our family. Emma didn’t quite get the concept of mini golf as everytime someone hit the golf ball she would run over and pick it up for them! (Her brothers very quickly informed her that that is NOT how you play!) It was a bit of a warm day, but we had a good time. The boys tried out the batting cages after mini golf, and they enjoyed that also. We explored a couple of new places in the area including a discount grocery store, and I was excited about that! It’s a grocery store that sells damaged and outdated food items. It doesn’t bother me to feed outdated food to our kids (within reason), and prices were certainly more reasonable than the grocery stores. We were able to stock up on granola bars, jerky, crackers, and snacks for the start of the school year. Saving money makes me happy! We ended Travis’s birthday with ice cream and a few gifts. My sister, Jen, had sent him two remote control cars that were a lot of fun for everyone. Roger and I weren’t sure what to give to Travis, so we gave him a twenty dollar gift card to Walmart. He was very impressed with that and spent the evening dreaming of things he could spend it on the next time he was at Walmart.

 

 

Roger worked on Sunday, which has been a fairly frequent thing of late. It’s not ideal, but we manage. I packs a lunch on the Sundays that he works, and we head to the airport after church to eat lunch together. Sometimes Roger is still not able to eat with us as he is on a flight, but at least we can try. The company has lost a few pilots again, so being short-staffed is always a challenge. Things will     slowly start to slow down over the next month or so, and the days are getting shorter.

We also took a trip to the lake this past week. It’s been very, very warm here, so the lake was a great reprieve. Travis had asked to go to the lake for his birthday, but we couldn’t make it work on Saturday. Instead I took the kids on Tuesday morning to the lake and we came back on Wednesday afternoon. Roger has a great boss and his wife is also special to our family. We’ve been able to make many memories at the lake  this summer, and spend time with Terry (Kevin’s wife). Terry had brought cupcakes and ice cream to celebrate the August birthdays, and we had some excited kids! Travis was ecstatic with the farm rug, tractors, and farm animals that he was gifted with for his  birthday. He greatly enjoys  anything to do with farming, and it was the perfect gift for him. As you know, Garett has a great interest in aviation, so guess what his gift had to do with? Kevin gifted Garett with his first flight bag. It was also the bag that Kevin had used when he first started flying. Kevin had also included a dvd set on flying, a flight log book, and written a note to Garett. As Garett realized what he was being given, his whole face lit up! Garett will receive his first official flight lesson as part of his birthday gift...I have tears in my eyes as I know this is a gift that Garett will remember for many, many, years to come. We are so blessed to have those in our lives that are willing to also invest in the lives of our children and show them that they care.

Although the weather was hot at the lake, it was a great way to wrap up summer break. We spent hours in the lake, visiting together, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the relaxation that the lake brings. We headed home mid-morning on Wednesday as I needed to cook some food for the school open house on Thursday.

Thursday was a long day....are we ready for this? Emma had a preschool open house in the morning, and I came with four of the kids. Our parent group was providing coffee and donuts for the open house, and I was able to interact with some new parents...and hopefully some willing volunteers! Garett turned twelve on Thursday!!! Pure craziness!! He asked if he could go to work with Roger for his birthday. Kevin graciously agreed, so I had dropped Garett off there in the morning, then set up for the open house, the open house, a staff meeting, back to pick up Garett, run a few errands, and  back for the picnic and open house for the elementary students...whew!! All in all it was a good day,  but we are waiting until Roger has another day off to celebrate Garett’s birthday as a family. He made  a five dollar tip at the airport. We needed to go to Walmart and Travis was excited to spend his gift card. Chandler asked Garett what he was going to buy with his five dollars. Chandler hinted strongly that they needed some pellets for the pellet gun. Garett thought for a moment and then replied, “ It’s my birthday and I’m sure I will get a gift. I will buy pellets because we can all use that together.” Wow! So they do know how to be sweet!! At Walmart Travis looked at many, many, things to buy with his gift card. However, it didn’t take him long to tell me he had decided on what to get with his gift card. He said, “I’m going to buy a backpack and lunch box for school. There are a lot of  things that I really like at Walmart, but I need those things for school.” I was so happy for his decision! He may struggle with school work at  times, but he made an excellent choice in spending his  gift card.

We spent Thursday evening at the school for the open house. It was a long day, but I’m thankful that the open house was well attended. We are welcoming several new families to the school, and it was good to have a few of those families attend. I’m excited about the future, and continuing to pray that God will direct the right ones to our school both for staff and students....He is so faithful. I often think that we fail to get God’s very best simply because we don’t ask for that. Our God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think...and I firmly that!

We had two school friends come home with us on Thursday night. Josiah and Caleb are good friends with our boys, and their parents are in Ukraine for an adoption finalization. Our boys were so excited to have their friends stay over. They spent time outside, and time on the Wii, and time just playing with LEGO’s and eating lots of food! I’m glad that we were able to have them over, and it made the day pass quickly. Roger worked on Friday, but he has off the next three days!! Roger has as special outing planned for the boys. Chandler greatly enjoys fishing, and Garett and Wyatt do as well. Roger has planned to take them up north to camp, fly out to a lake and fish. Travis was planning on going, but he has had a bad headache all day. I think he’s a bit worked up about the school year, and he probably just needs some time to chill. It’s not ideal for the boys to miss a Sunday, (and our anniversary), but Roger has worked SO much this summer. I know the boys need some time with just Roger, and this has been a plan that we’ve been trying to make happen all summer. There will be othe days to celebrate our anniversary, and our boys are approaching the age where they need to spend time with their dad. I’m thankful that Roger has been able to make this happen. Roger left with the three older boys and I took Travis and Emma to the lake this afternoon. We had a good time at the lake with our friends, the Philbrooks and another family from church.

Roger and I will be celebrating our thirteenth wedding anniversary tomorrow!! The years have certainly flown by, and I’m thankful for my best friend. He loves me, provides for me, quietly points me to Jesus, loves our kids, he is faithful, honest and true...I am blessed.

Since we’ve had so many birthdays this month, I’m also including the interviews I did with the birthday kids. It’s always so fun to hear their responses and to look back over the years. These responses are unprompted and unedited.

Garett: Age 12 
What is your favorite color? Blue

What is your favorite restaurant? Hu Hot or Culver’s (neither of which are on the east coast)

What would be the perfect amount of money to be given for your birthday? $100.00

Who is your best friend? Dad

What is your favorite food? Tacos

Favorite movie: The Apple Dumpling Gand

Favorite place to visit in Maine: Monkey C, Monkey Do (an adventure ropes course) or Mrs. Terry’s cabin

Favorite thing to do: go to the airport and fly with Dad

What do you think you might like to do when you grow up? Be a pilot and be as good of a husband and dad as I can be

Travis: age 8

Favorite color: blue

Favorite place to eat: Culver’s

Perfect amount of money for your  birthday: $1.89 (I asked him why this amount. He replied that it wasn’t too much money and if he didn’t ask for too much money, he might get it!)

Best friend: Dad

Favorite food: salad and corn on the cob

Favorite movie: Minions

Favorite thing to do: play farm or build legos

Favorite place to visit in Maine: The lake

Favorite animal: horse

What do you think you might like to do when you grow up: be a farmer in Haiti


Emma: age 5

Favorite color: pink

Favorite food: fruit

Favorite restaurant: McDonald’s

Perfect amount of money for your birthday: $2.00

Best friend: Charis (her little cousin)

Favorite movie: Minions

Favorite place to visit: Story’s house in Wisconsin

Favorite animal: cows

What do you think you might want to do when you grow up: Be a worker at Sam’s Club (one of her favorite places to go)

It was so fun to do this with the kids, and it’s so fun to look back at their responses over the years. I am so blessed to be their mama, and I don’t take this blessing lightly. Roger and I have a big responsibility and challenge to raise these kids for God’s glory, and we have no time to waste. Please pray with us as we strive and work to raise them for Jesus.

Our love,
Sarah