Preparing, Anticipating, and Waiting!

Another week has come and go, and we have successfully plodded through it. I would tell you about the highlights from last week, but I forgot to write them down. (Apparently, I didn't have that many!) 

I do remember that my favorite day from last week was Thursday. Why? Well, the boys and Emma went with my parents to a hotel to go swimming for a few hours. There is a hotel that allows people to come swim for several hours, and it's fairly cheap. Since my parents had the kids for a few hours, I snuck off to have a visit with my friend, Jenna. It's so hard to get together with schooling, nap times, living at someone else's home, and life. We talked for two hours, and it felt like ten minutes. We did get in a quick walk together, and I'm thankful that God worked it out for me to visit her.  My heart was encouraged and blessed.

As far as this week is concerned, it's been a bit challenging and a tad long. The boys will have off on Good Friday, but it's not Friday yet! Monday was a pretty nice day. We spent most of the day outside after our school was done. We had dinner at a friend's house. She watched my kids so that I could get in a quick run (I really miss those!), and I went to plasma to see if my protein levels are high enough now. It'll be a few days before they get back to me, so we will see. Monday was a full day, but it was a good day. 

Tuesday was not quite as nice outside, but we still spent a good portion of the day outside. My dad was able to take the boys fishing in the afternoon, but they didn't catch anything. I took Emma to run a few errands. Tuesday was a bit rough for Roger and I, as it was his birthday. Last year Roger was finishing up his instrument training in Florida, so this is actually the second year in a row that we haven't been together on his birthday. However, the company did buy everyone pizza because of Roger's birthday, and they had cake! My sister, Hannah, and her husband, Josh, had Roger over for supper. Hannah is a great cook, and I know Roger appreciated a home-cooked meal. (Roger has been doing his own cooking which he's not bad at). But because  of our budget, he has eaten a lot of tuna and eggs! It was hard for me to not be around for his birthday, but we survived the day. 

And then we had snow! Wyatt had a dentist appointment early on Wednesday morning. We were home again before the snow started falling. Although I am definitely ready for spring, the boys are certainly not minding the snow! They stomped around outside for a good portion of the day, and helped my dad fix JoEllen's pen so it would be warmer. I'm not sure if everything caught up with me today or what, but I was an emotional basket case! I'm thankful that tomorrow is a new day!

Also, Roger did get some fabulous news on Wednesday. He had an appointment with a bank there in Maine. We were both praying hard about this meeting as we need to get some pre-approval papers so we can start looking at homes in the area. God really showed Himself strong to us, and He put all the pieces smoothly in place. In less than an hour, Roger had the papers he needed! We are rejoicing in the fact with we can move forward with looking at homes. I believe we have found a realtor to help us as well. Someone that the company knows is a realtor specializing in homes under 200k. Um, yes! Definitely our price bracket and then quite a bit down from there, please! Please, please pray that God will direct us to the right home for our family as we wait for His timing!

Thursday was our last day of school for this week as we are having Friday off. We are all looking forward to the longer weekend! Garett and I had lunch with a gal from our church, Tressa. It was a good opportunity to visit and for me to have a little bit of one on one time with Garett. 

Friday was a full day for us. Wyatt decided to go with my dad out to the farm to help with chores. (My dad has been going out to help every day for the past three weeks.) The other boys decided not to go, but they might've gone out to the farm if they had known that I was going grocery shopping! My mom and I finished planning out the menu for Sunday, and then I took the four kids with me to the grocery store and a few other errands. We still have Roger's birthday present to mail, and then I forgot to mail it! We had a good time together even if grocery shopping isn't their favorite thing! I do so love these kiddos! This time without Roger has been hard on all of us, but I'm especially seeing it in my children. 

After grocery shopping and having lunch together, we came home to play outside for a while. Since the snow is melting again, we now have lots of mud...again! Oh well.  It bothers my parents far more than it does me. I haven't decided if that's because I care less, have just gotten used to it, or what. However, we are trying to stay picked up and cleaned up, which is a challenge. 

Saturday: We spent the day outside, having an egg hunt with some friends, coloring eggs, and having dinner at the neighbors house. I also got a call from the plasma center. I failed my blood protein test again, so I won't be donating for a while. And such is life... I'm tired! 

                      

    

Update from Roger: 

Roger called me on Saturday morning to let me know that he wasn't going to be able to go with the realtor we had thought we would go with. When I asked why, he replied that the man had passed away! I guess he had been sick for a while, and then unexpectedly passed away last night! We are praying for the family, but also for us to find another realtor! 

Roger is throughly enjoying working for this company, and it's a delight to hear him so excited about his job. It's hard to be in this pattern of waiting, but God knows. 

Wyatt will be having surgery on Monday to remove the lump on his leg. We would certainly appreciate your prayers for that event. 

It looks like Roger has been able to contact another realtor and will be looking at a house on Tuesday. Please pray for direction and wisdom. Also please pray for our family. I have some things that are heavy on my heart, and I need extra wisdom and discernment. 

Thank you.

One last note: Today we celebrated Resurrection Sunday! Oh, how I praise the Lord that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead! It was a joyful day as we had a great service at church this morning, lunch with many friends and family, and church at my parents church tonight. This Sunday was a little bit harder than average as it is such a family day, and I desperately missed Roger today. Talking on the phone is never the same as in person, and there are real struggles involved in communicating effectively. Imagine how hard it is to communicate face to face, now times that several times over and you can picture the challenges. However, God is so good to us! 

                      

Roger's Check Ride and Home-Front Craziness!!

                      

Just in case you think I'm laying around eating chocolate and watching the sun go by, let me assure you that I am not! This past week was way too full, but there was nothing to do except keep going forward. 

The boys have been helping my dad on a farm this week, and they've been enjoying the experiences. On Monday, Wyatt was able to watch a baby calf be born. The other boys were around, but Wyatt was able to catch the whole experience. His biggest question was why did the baby calf come out of the mama cow's butt! Oh dear! Chandler was curious as to why a bunch of cows only needed to have one boy cow in the pen. "Doesn't each girl cow need her own boy cow, Mom?" Oh, it was a week full of learning experiences! 

Also on Monday, I was able to get away to have supper with a dear friend. It's hard to get away these days, and I enjoyed every moment. We could've visited for hours longer, but reality was calling both of us. I am very thankful for each of my friends who have worked to keep up with what's happening in my lives and ask me the deep, hard questions of  life. It's easy to get in a habit of saying that everything is fine, when really  underneath it all, everything is not fine. 

On Tuesday, we ended up in the doctor's office. The boys have been playing outside in the pines behind my parents house. The trees were recently cut down leaving behind lots of brush and branches for building forts, teepees, and huts. However, Chandler woke me up twice during the night to tell me that his ear hurt. Since colds have been going around, I figured he probably had an ear infection. I gave him so Tylenol and put him back in bed. In the morning, I realized that it was his outer ear that was hurting. It was red and swollen. We discovered a tick on his ear. I couldn't believe that we were already having ticks. Since the ear was so red and swollen, I decided to take him into the clinic. The doctor said we could give him a preventative antibiotic for Lymes disease, but it was only recommended for kids over eight. Because Chandler is just eight, I said no. We are to wait and see if any other symptoms arise, and we will go from there. 

Wednesday was a busy day, as usual. Between school, errands, and doing a plasma donation, there are never enough hours in the day. My friend, Autumn, graciously watched the children while I did plasma. Then we all ate supper together and headed to church. The way plasma works is that you get $20.00 on your first donation and $50.00 on your second donation per week. With Roger not getting a paycheck yet, we've been working hard to make that $70.00 go as far as possible. However, I received word from the plasma center that my protein levels are low. Because of that I won't be able to donate for a while. While I'm bummed about missing out, I'm glad to have a break too. It takes several hours a week to do two donations, and I don't always feel the greatest. However, that sounds like complaining...I am very thankful for plasma donations! 

Thursday was Wyatt's big day-the MRI! We had to be at the hospital by 7:00am, so it was an early morning. Wyatt knew that he couldn't eat or drink anything when he got up, but he did want to know if the hospital had any food! My friend, Autumn, was able to come up to the hospital, so I had some company. Wyatt did fabulous! The nurses were amazed at how calm and unintimdated he seemed. The nurses did a great job of explaining the MRI procedure, and I was thankful to know that they wouldn't put the IV in until after he was under the sedation. He was wheeled down to MRI around 8:30 and it was all over by 10:10am. I was thankful that it took less time than anticipated, and it was nice to have time to talk with Autumn. Wyatt was extremely crabby coming out of the sedation, but he survived it. He had a very bad headache and was glad to get in the car to go home. On the way home, he started to feel better. I know he did because he asked for a donut! We stopped for a donut,  and we were home a little after one pm. Wyatt took a quick rest on the couch, but then he wanted to go along to get their pet. Oh yes, we now have a pet (more on that later). 

The doctors office called me later on Thursday afternoon. The MRI revealed that Wyatt's lump is a collection of blood vessels. The blood vessels are benign...praise the Lord! However, because of the size of the lump and where it is on Wyatt's leg, the doctor suggested removing it, Wyatt is extremely active and if he should fall or have an accident, that lump could burst. Although it wouldn't cause life threatening hemorraging, it would be painful. The doctors office called back later to say that Wyatt could get in to the surgeon the next morning at 8:30 am! I thought that was fast, but I was looking forward to it being behind us. 

Friday was Wyatt's big day...or so we thought! I didn't let him eat or drink anything and the appointment was scheduled for 8:30 am. However, it was just a consultation with the surgeon abut the surgery!! Wyatt was beyond annoyed that he was hungry and thirsty and still had a lump on his leg! We did get the surgery set up for March 28th, so that's the day for the actual surgery. I took Wyatt to McDonald's for a treat afterwards since he was so annoyed! We did have a good time on our little date, and we were able to get in another whole day of school work. 

Saturday was a beautiful day! It was about sixty degrees, and we spent almost the entire day outside! The boys went with Papa to help out on the farm again and Emma and I did some walking and cleaning. The boys came back and got JoEllen out of her pen to do some walking with her. We also played soccer, golfing (which I'm terrible at) and baseball. Needless to say, we all got plenty of exercise! I ended up with over 35,000 steps on my Fitbit. It was a busy day! 

My parents graciously took my children to church with them in Sunday. I was invited to go see a production of Rogers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella". Because the performance started shortly after church, I wouldn't have had time to take my kids to my parents and be at the performance. Oh, what a wonderful time it was!! I throughly enjoyed the performance, and it was nice to spend the afternoon with two very dear friends. It was definitely the highlight of my week! 

Okay, so back to JoEllen and who is she? JoEllen is a beautiful Jersey calf that has been loaned out to the boys for their first pet. One of my dad's dear friends heard about the boys wanting a pet, and offered to let them keep JoEllen until we leave for Maine. She is well-loved, and the boys have been enjoying the memories. Emma is fascinated with her, but Emma still wants to like JoEllen from a distance. I am so thankful that the boys have this opportunity, and JoEllen is providing them with the opportunities to be responsible and careful. I think the hardest part will be saying good-by to JoEllen when we leave for Maine! 

                           

   

And what about Roger? Well, he is settling into life in Maine. He passed his check ride yesterday, and he is officially on the payroll!! Hooray!! The instructor giving Roger his check ride test told Roger that it was the best check ride he's done in a long time. He said that Roger handles the plane fabulously and the company is happy to have him...oh yeah, that's my man!! I'm so very thankful for all of Roger's hard work. I wish we were already back together again, but God has a perfect plan for that also. 

Thank you all for your prayers!

                       

   

A week of Appointments, an Ultrasound, an X-ray, and Life! (I'm not pregnant!)

Woohoo!! We survived another week without Roger! The week has been full of appointments, a pulled tooth, an ultrasound, and X-ray, celebrating Papa's birthday, school, and other moments! The last time I checked, we were all still sane (although that is debatable!). 

I took Wyatt to his doctors appointment on Monday. After asking a bunch of questions, the doctor asked if I specifically remembered any incidents where Wyatt might have injured that leg. I looked the doctor in the eye and replied, "Wyatt is one of four boys! If I kept a record of every incident and bruise, I could write a 300 page book by now!" The doctor laughed and agreed with me. :) Since the doctor was unsure about the lump, he decided to send Wyatt to have an ultrasound and X-ray done. So off we went to the hospital. Wyatt did very well at the ultrasound and sat still. After she put the goop on his leg and took a bunch of pictures, she said, "Okay, Wyatt, you did great!" Wyatt looked at her and replied, "Yes, but the lump is still there!" Wyatt clearly expected the lump to be gone after the ultrasound and he didn't think she did a good job! (It was a fun memory!) The doctor called back that evening to say that the ultrasound and X-ray did not reveal exactly what the lump is, but it did reveal what it is not. It has blood flowing to it, and the doctor would like to have an MRI done on it. So, Wyatt is headed to have an MRI done on Thursday, March 10. Because of the length of the MRI, and his age, Wyatt will have to be sedated for the MRI. I wish that Roger could be here, but I think it will be just fine. We'd appreciate your prayers. 

On Tuesday, we celebrated Papa's birthday. He took everyone to Pizza Ranch, which was enjoyed by all! I think the food could be awful, and I'd be fine with it. It means that I don't have to make a meal or clean up! :) 

On Wednesday, Chandler had a dentist appointment. Travis's tooth pain seems to have gone away,at least for the moment, so I'm hoping that he can make it until his appointment on April 6. Chandler was to the dentist to have a filling put in a cavity. However, they discovered that one of the fillings from a cavity had come out, and the tooth was decayed and infected. So Chandler ended up getting a back tooth pulled. Lest you think we don't take care of our teeth around here, we do! It just seems like if it's not one child, it's another! Oh well! 

On Thursday the surgery center from the hospital called. Since Wyatt will have to be sedated for the MRI, he will have to have a pre-surgery physical. We will have to be at the hospital on Thursday by seven am., and it's about forty-five minute drive from our house. I can see Wyatt being super annoyed that he can't have anything to eat or drink when he wakes up...this could be interesting! Although I'm really not too nervous about the MRI, I do miss Roger at moments like these! 

Wyatt had his pre-surgery physical on Friday. Since we were going to meet up with some friends for lunch after the appointment, I took all of them with me. They did very well at the doctors office, and the doctor said that he could feel four sets of eyes on him with every move he made. We have a great children's doctor, and I am very thankful for him. He does a good job with the kids, and they seem to like him. After the appointment, we met up with some friend for lunch. The kids had a great time playing together, and it was a good opportunity for me to fellowship with my friend. 

On Saturday my dad took me to breakfast. Growing up, breakfast with dad usually meant he had something on his mind. It was hard to get past the fact that he just wanted an opportunity to see how things are going and to see what our plans for the future are. It was a good visit, and I'm glad we did it. After breakfast, my mom, Emma, myself, and two gals from my parents church, took a visit out to some Amish stores. It was a good time of company, while my dad took the boys to the park to snowboard. Everyone came home ready for showers, supper, and bed! 

Oh, how I miss Roger! We are doing well, I think, but this  is hard. My parents would like 

to see us stay here until the school year is over;  after thinking about it, it does make a lot of sense.  We are slated to be done with school around the second week of May, so that's only a few weeks away. It will take some pressure off of Roger to "hurry up and find a house", and we will be able to finish out the school year. Although this probably isn't my first choice, we do want to make sure we are in the center of God's will, and we need His hand of direction to find a place to live. Roger has looked at several properties, but nothing is jumping out at him. I found a property online that I wanted him to look at and he did. However, it was on a five acre parcel of land, but the state prison was just beyond those five acres! I realize the prison has to be somewhere, but I'd prefer it not be that close to me! It appears that most people are looking in our budget, which means that the properties that we can afford tend to fly off the market. Howeve, God has His hand in this as well, and He will continue to guide and direct. 

One thing that God continually brings to my mind is how good He is to me. I am one blessed mama to have these five children. Although these last two years have been far from ideal, Roger and I have grown more committed and faithful to each other and the Lord.  I've been studying the passage in Ephesians chapter three, and I am claiming the promise of Scripture in verse 20. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. How awesome is that!! And for whatever He chooses to do,  I'll give Him the glory. Have a blessed week! 

                               

                              Emma talking to Roger

Moments and Meltdowns...Yes, They Happen!!

Today I am praising the Lord that we have survived one week of Roger being away! What a week it was for all of us including moments of tears on both our children and my part at some point in time. I'm thankful that God's grace is sufficient for me; I'm thankful that He never leaves me nor forsakes me; I'm thankful for new mercies every day. 

Roger left for Maine last Saturday. I wasn't sure what I was going to do to distract the kids from the long day, but God provided am opportunity for us to visit with some friends. Gretchen and Sean were taking a quick trip to Ohio to help a friend, and they asked if I would be willing to come and watch their kids. It was the perfect distraction for all of us. The kids had friends to play with, I had a treadmill to run on, and we all had a little more space to ourselves. 

As usual, Sunday was a rough day for all of us. Somehow, the devil can discourage me more on this day than any other. I also tend to be more tired and emotional, which means that I have to put up an extra guard against impatience, inconsistency, and frustration. I can see that our children are struggling more with Roger being gone this time as am I. My children are facing their own battles, and while I'm trying to be sensitive to that, it's hard to find the time to spend with each of them. Travis has become a "leach" meaning that he wants to go with me everywhere, know where I'm going, when I'll be back, and wants to sleep in our bed every night! He is crowding my personal space, but I'm trying to be okay with that. 

I was able to have lunch with a friend on Tuesday. Tressa works in Berlin and invited me to join her on her lunch break. We had a good time together, and I'm thankful that my mom was willing to watch the kids for an hour for me. 

Wednesday was a busy day with grocery shopping, errands, and church. We had a missionary speaker at church, and I always enjoy seeing what God is doing in other parts of the world. It was a long day, but a good day. 

Friday:

I've been having a lot of "female" problems as of late. It concerns me that I am tired all the time, feel depressed often, struggle with fatigue, and I gained quite a bit of weight in one month! After talking with Roger about some of my recent struggles, I decided to make an appointment with the doctor. There was a cancellation, so I was able to get into see the doctor right away. I explained some of the issues that I've been experiencing and told her that I just feel "off". It was a very disappointing visit for me. Her basic conclusion is/was that my body is going through some stressful time, and that it will balance itself out. I'm to wait six months to see if my issues get better,  and if not then she will run a thyroid test and a hormone panel of test. Meanwhile I'm to take ibuprofen every six hours for the next four days to help balance things! Yeah, it was a disappointing day, and I left with more questions than I started out with. I'm not sure what to do next, but I do feel like I'm at a low point with how I feel. 

In addition to that, Travis developed a severe toothache today! He has a tooth that looks like it has an abcess growing. It was too late to call the dentist by the time I realized how severe it is, so we could be in for a very long weekend! He's in quite a bit of pain, and of course, he wants to be right near me! It seems like it was a little better this evening after a dose of ibuprofen and a tea bag on the swollen spot. 

In addition to that, Wyatt has a lump growing on his leg! (I know...by now you think I'm making this all up! Trust me, I am not!) Wyatt has had a little bit of a bump on his shin, but yesterday he started complaining about it hurting. I checked it out and noticed that it has grown larger since I last looked at it. He has an appointment on Monday to have it looked at. 

In other news:

The boys were able to go ice skating tonight, and they had a great time. My dad took them skating at the pond at the end of the road and a couple of other families from church joined them. I know the boys were excited to be able to go tonight and it provided them with a fun, free activity. I'm thankful that my dad was able to spend some time with the boys this week, and I treasure the moments that they have with their papa. Chandler ended up with a black eye from a hockey stick, but it was fun. 

                          

   

Roger is getting settled into the job in Maine. He is thrilled to be back at flying and is enjoying getting to know the company and area a bit better. We are hoping to start looking at homes as soon as he is finished with his training. I'm a little worried about getting a loan, the process of finding a house, and several other details that must be worked out. However, God knows exactly what must happen and when, so I need to just WAIT! Waiting is hard, but it's a good reminder that God is enough. 

We appreciate your prayers, and we love you all so much.

Sarah 

Departures and Depression

Wow! So much has happened since I last hopped on here to write about the adventures in our lives! Let's see...Roger has a start date at his new job; his previous job in Arizona called to see if he wanted to come fly for them again; we've been working hard at school;  we snuck in a quick trip out to South Dakota to see Aunt Jen; my parents are back safely from their travels, and life is moving forward! 

First of all, Roger is thrilled to have a start date for his new job! He will be leaving around the 20th of February to head out to Maine. We've been looking at many, many, houses online, but as we well know, pictures can be deceiving! Roger has to complete two weeks of training (unpaid) before he will officially be hired on. Once that takes place, then Roger can begin to start house hunting. We've decided to buy if the Lord allows us to find the right place. Although this flying job isn't a forever job, it will most likely be a four to five year job. Renting a house for a family of our size is...well, crazy! We are praying about the right house, in the right location, with the right price. 

I can see the anxiousness coming out in our boys even though Roger hasn't officially even left for Maine yet. We are all feeling the need for our own space again, and we are dreading the separation that is coming. However, it's different then when Roger left for Florida for his training or even different from the job in Arizona. I think we all are gearing up for Maine to be "home" for a while, so there's a different type of anxiousness. We are once again waiting to see how God is going to fit all the pieces of this puzzle together, and we are trying to not rush God's perfect timing. 

I'm  fighting depression hard this time as Roger leaves for Maine. Waiting on God is exactly where He wants me to be, but this is hard! I'm going to be apart from my best friend, my soul-mate, the father of our children, and my steadfast parenting partner for an indefinite period of time. While I am so very grateful that my parents have allowed us to stay with them, we both need our own places. There's something very different about moving back into your parents house after almost eleven years of marriage and five children! My parents love our kids; but our kids are also loud, messy, noisy, and they come with lots of Legos, nerf guns, and mud! When Roger left for Arizona, we still had our own homes, so while single parenting was challenging, I'm still facing some very different challenges this time around. However, God knows my heart, and He will use this time to draw me closer to Himself, I'm sure. I chose to write about these feelings and emotions, because someday all of this will be a memory in the past. God is good...and He's still God. 

Roger will have a busy week this next week with finishing up at the job he's been working at, getting caught up on his flying skills, packing up, trying to spend some individual time with each of the boys, and getting his life insurance policy updated! The last one is one that I am adamant on! I was reading over the policy and discovered that his life insurance policy does not cover aviation accidents! Although I am not planning on anything happening to my man, it's definitely an important thing to amend!  

The kids, my mom, and I took a short trip out to South Dakota. Although it's a twelve hour drive, it's a lot closer to come from Wisconsin to South Dakota then from Maine to South Dakota! Originally Roger had planned on coming with us, but when he received word about the job in Maine, we decided that I would be best if he stayed in Wisconsin. However, it's our first Valentine's Day that we haven't been together for so that's an interesting change. My sister has graciously opened up her apartment to us, and the boys have been enjoying spending time with her. She lives in an apartment by the school, so the boys have access to the gym. Since the school has a few days off, the boys have been running and playing  non-stop!

It was a good trip, and I cherish the memories with my sister. However, it's back to reality! We just have a few short days until Roger leaves, so we are trying to make the most of our time. And in making the most of our time, I'm signing off to spend time with my family. 

The Good and The Bad

I've been in the process of writing this post for the past three weeks! Life has been a little crazy!

The Good: 

My parents left for North Carolina last Wednesday, January 13, and my dad flew out on Friday for the missions trip to Haiti. While it hasn't been very warm in North Carolina, it's been warmer than here in Wisconsin! We've had some sub-zero temperatures, which apparently my children haven't noticed! They bundle up more and they don't stay outside as long, but they've definitely been enjoying the winter activities. 

We went ice skating on the little pond at the end of the road last week. Since Garett is now wearing my hockey skates, I had to find a different pair in the box...seriously, when did he get so big?! I ended up wearing a pair of figure skates instead of hockey skates. Wow! Those skates were dangerous! I've been skating since I was about eight, but I've almost always wore hockey skates. The figure skates have the toe pick on the front, and I took several spills on the ice. I was reminded that I'm 32 and not 16 anymore! However, we did have a really good time and the boys are looking for the next opportunist to ice skate. 

Roger and I were able to get away for an overnight this past weekend. I set it up for a surprise for Roger, and it was a lot of fun. One of our dear friends from Alaska had sent us a Christmas card with a gift of money. This was the perfect opportunity to use that gift, and it created lasting special memories. One of my friends, Gretchen, took all the boys. And my friend, Jenna, took Emma for the night. I can't remember the last time we were able to get away by ourselves without a specific list of things we needed to do. It was fabulous! We stayed in a hotel in Brookfield, WI, and met up with our friends, the Longsines, for coffee the next morning. We visited and talked, and Roger and I enjoyed every moment of our little vacation. Since we don't know when the next time will be, it will be nice to have such a fun memory to look back on. The only down side of the weekend is that Roger ended up sick. He'd been fighting a cold for a while, but by Saturday night, he was pretty congested. 

Roger stayed home from church on Sunday, and I took the kids for church services. It was cold on Sunday at about -15, and it reminded me of many cold Alaskan mornings. We ended up staying home from church on Sunday night as I wasn't feeling that well either. It was an early bedtime for everyone in this family. 

Today, Tuesday, January 19, was an interesting day for us. The phone rang about 9:30, while the kids were doing math class. I don't answer the phone at my parents house and just let it go to the voicemail. However, it was the activities director from the nursing home wondering if my dad was going to be doing the nursing home service at 10:50! I called my mom to find out if dad had made other arrangements; and it was discovered that in the business of the trip preparations, he had forgotten. I told the kids to go brush their teeth and get ready to go to the nursing home service. I called the activities director back and told her that we would come and sing some songs to the elderly folks. After talking with Chandler and Garett, we decided that I would play the piano, Chandler would lead the songs, and Garett would preach. I told Garett to pick out a passage from the Bible and he could read it to them. Chandler did a great job of welcoming the folks, calling out the song numbers, and praying for the service. The boys all sang "Jesus Loves Me", and Garett read Psalm one to them. Garett did a very good job reading the passage, praying, and saying a few words...and I do mean a few! I was very, very proud of their willingness to help out and participate in the service. I had my hands full at the piano with singing, playing, and supervising Emma! However, it was a good opportunity for my children to serve, and I was certainly blessed by the service. Afterwards, I treated them to lunch at McDonalds since they did such a good job helping me. The nursing home service created a little bit of a chaotic school day, and we have a little extra reading to do tomorrow, but it's all good. I'm thankful that we had the opportunity to serve the Grandpa's and Grandma's in the nursing home, and they seemed very glad to see all the children. 

                    

    

Update: Last week went by so quickly that I didn't even get a post up on the blog. Between schooling, parenting, housekeeping, and fellowshipping with different families and moms, it's been a busy week! 

Chandler celebrated his eighth birthday on Tuesday, January 26. Wow! He's growing and changing, and it's happening so quickly! He asked if he could go snowboarding for his birthday instead of having a birthday present. We looked into the cost of a snowboarding ticket and a snowboard rental, and we were amazed at how expensive it was going to be for just Roger and Chandler to go snowboarding. We did a lot of thinking and researching, and eventually we decided to look into the cost of buying a used snow board and boots. God provided Chandler with boots and a snowboard for his birthday! Roger took him to the local sledding hill, and Chandler took to it like a duck takes to water. First time down the hill, and Chandler made it all the way down without falling over! Craziness! He is thrilled to have his own equipment, as he is looking forward to going with Uncle Josh and Aunt Hannah once we move to Maine. I'm thrilled that the boots and board will have three other children to get to use out of it, so we will completely get our money's worth. :) 

The Schilders graciously invited us to use their home for Chandler's Birthday dinner and cake celebration. It was closer for all the friends from church and a lot more space. We had a great time of fellowship with several families. I think there were 17 kids there plus all the parents. Chandler asked for tacos and rice for his birthdays supper. He picked out an ice cream cake instead of regular cake as he doesn't care for cake. It was a good time, albeit a bit of craziness! 

I was also involved in a baby shower for a dear friend of mine, Katie. I was asked to plan the games, and I enjoyed that. It's fun to try out new ideas for games, the only down side is that you don't know exactly how well the game will actually go over...but I think it was fun. :) 

The bad:

I say the "bad", but it's not really bad. It's just a hard spot in our lives. I feel like we are preparing for change, looking for change, embracing change that is coming, and it's just not happening! God's timing is always, always perfect, but sometimes it's difficult to see the rainbow through the clouds. If one more person asks me, "You guys are still here? I thought you were moving?", I think I might lose my mind!! 

This waiting on God has been much harder this time than when Roger was in school in Florida. When Roger was in school, we had no idea where that first job was going to be. However, we had our own home, I was able to be involved in our church, and life was as normal as it could be. Yes, our income was unstable, but God always provided. Now I feel like my life is a bit of a muddle in a funnel, and while we have income this time, nothing else is the same. Honestly, it's a hard transition for me, and I have long discussions with God on many things. I can recognize the fact that I'm struggling with depression, but for now this is just something I'm muddling through. It can't be fixed, it's teaching me to wait again in God, to trust Him completely, and leave it all in His hands all of which are challenging for me! 

Roger is the perfect spouse for me in this adventure as He patiently listens to me. It's not all roses for him either, as his passion and talent lie in pursuing a career in aviation. Does God have a plan in allowing these delays, challenges, and trials? I choose to believe that He does, and that He knows all about our emotions and feelings; yet He still loves us. 

I have many more thoughts bottled up inside of me, but for now, that's where it will stay. God knows...

Happy Monday!

Delays and Delights!

As much as we desire for our lives to be smooth and orderly, we probably wouldn't depend as much on Christ if they were that way! Roger called the company he will be working for in Maine this week, and discovered that he will be delayed by about four weeks. The man who will be doing Roger's training is unable to do it until the first week in March. His wife fell unexpectedly ill, so that will postpone Roger's departure date. Although Roger is disappointed in this news, it doesn't catch God by surprise. We know that He is the one controlling our lives, and this is all a part of His master plan. That's not to say we  aren't a little disappointed in this change in our timeline of our lives. But the awesome part is that Roger has a job, we do have a place to stay, we have a good church, and it's gives us a little more time to enjoy our Wisconsin relationships...although my parents are probably looking forward to some peace and quiet! (I kind of doubt my mom will miss the nerf  guns, loud farm imitation sounds, and lots of other dirt and noise!) 

My parents are leaving on Wednesday for their trip. My dad is taking a two week missions trip to Haiti, and my mom will be visiting family in North Carolina. I know my dad is looking forward to this trip, and we are praying for safety and the furtherance of God's Kingdom. However, it also provides a great opportunity for us to be our individual families for a little while again. Our family is looking forward to this time with just our family, and I'm sure my parents are looking forward to leaving the craziness for a while! It really doesn't seem overly loud or crazy to me (most of the time) but since these kids are my monkeys in my zoo :), I do my best to take good care of them.

Roger has been working a little bit of overtime at his job, and I know that we will look back at these months and see God's hand in it all. We are still uncertain of housing, moving our stuff, and all the logistics of getting our whole family to Maine. But since we are taking everything one day at a time, we just continue to do what is right in front of us to do. 

We are back into the swing of school, and we are hard at work. I've been trying to double up on some lessons as I know that a move is in our future. Since I don't know exactly when that will be, I don't want to be behind in school. My mom has been a huge help in schooling the boys, and I don't take that for granted. I know I will miss that aspect terribly when we move away. 

My parents both were not feeling well this week, so it was a bit of a struggle with having five young children in the house. We ended up going over to a friends house on Thursday as we wanted to give my parents some extra time to rest. So we texted several friends to see if we could come over for a few hours, and Phil and Autumn graciously said we could come there. So Roger and I picked up pizza and came over! It was a good reprieve for us as the kids had friends to play with and they got to play a new game "Pie in the Face"! They had such a good time, and I'm thankful for friends that are willing to have us over on short notice. 

Tomorrow is a fresh start to a new week. I'm looking forward to being in God's Word, seeing Him at work in our lives, and the adventures of a new week! 

God bless,

Sarah