Onward and Forward!

                          

     

Since another week has careened past me, I'll just highlight a few of last weeks events. Travis had surgery, I made a supper meal for over 240 people, and we are under contract to purchase a house!!

First of all, Travis had surgery last Tuesday...April 26. His original surgery date was May 22, but they had a cancellation and asked if we wanted to take it. That was completely and utterly of the Lord's perfect timing! Travis had been picking and messing with his teeth for the past week or more, but when I asked him if they hurt or if he wanted to take some medicine, the answer was always no. However, I could tell his teeth were starting to bother him greatly. Thankfully, my mom was willing to keep the other four kids, so I just had to take Travis to Madison for his appointment. His arrival time at the hospital was 11:40 am, and I was ready to get him in the car. Since he wasn't supposed to eat or drink anything, I figured that the car was the easiest place to watch him every second! My friend, Autumn, was able to come along with me. Having a friend along makes the drive go by so much faster! We arrived at the hospital early, so we had a few minutes to wait. The nurse came for Travis about 11:45 and we walked back to the pre-op room. The nurse had me sign some papers and took all of Travis's vital signs. She handed me a big fluffy white gown to put on over my clothes, and I did. A while later the anesthesiologist came in to talk to us. He explained the procedure process, and said that sometimes the kids can twitch or make funny noises,etc., as they are going under. He then remarked that he saw that I was dressed to come back to the room while Travis went under. At that point in time, I realized that I had on this big fluffy suit because I was going back with Travis! I would, of course, be excorted  out before they began surgery, but I realized that I was way out of my league! I asked if I had to go back with Travis, and he replied, "oh, no. You don't have too, some parents decided that they don't want to watch their child going under the anesthesia." Yes, yes, that's me! I recognize my limitations, and unless you want me to be in a pile on the floor, it would be best if I didn't go back with Travis! Oh whew! I was much relieved to have that cleared up for me. If Roger had been there, I'm sure he would've gone back with Travis, and I certainly could've made myself do it....I think. 

It took a little bit for the doctor to come back to discuss the surgery with us, and Travis was ready to go home. He was starting to get a little anxious, but right then,  they came to take him back. He willingly went with them, and I went to the waiting room. They got started with the surgery about 12:50 and he was done a few minutes after three pm. It was a long afternoon, but it went well. The doctor explained that she didn't know how Travis had gone this long without having to come into the dentist. He had a rather large abcess on the roof of his mouth where one of the teeth were infected. Travis did great coming out from under the anesthesia, and we were discharged about an hour afterwards. He was tired and groggy, but he was in good spirits. We are both thankful that it is behind us. He has a follow up visit next week, and hopefully, everything is as it should be. 

Later last week, I spent a good portion of my day preparing for a meal for a teen rally at our church. Every year, our church hosts an event called, "Teen Mania". It's for teens around the state and they come and hear preaching, have fellowship, play games, and be wild and crazy, without any regrets. I was asked to do the Friday night meal for this event. We were expecting about 250 for supper, and I think I served about 240. We made "walking tacos". It's a pretty simple meal of a small bag of chips per person, taco meat and toppings on top, and you can eat it right out of the bag. In preparation for this, I browned and seasoned over 53 pounds of meat. I used a variety of beef, and pork, and even some version. I had a great group of ladies to work with on Friday, and everything went as smoothly as I anticipated...which is always a blessing! My dad took the boys up to the hunting cabin for camping, but Travis didn't want to go. Emma and Travis stayed with me, and on Friday, my friend, Gretchen, graciously watched them while I was working on the meal. I am so thankful for her! It was a long day, and lots of work, but I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to serve at this event one last time. Our time here is quickly coming to a close, and everything is becoming close to being the "last time". 

And last, but not least, is our housing situation! Well...we are under contract! We are praising the Lord about this exciting event! We had the housing inspection for the house that we thought we were going to walk away from last Wednesday. There wasn't anything too concerning in the inspection report, but we still signed a release from contract. Since we weren't willing to pay any more money to get anything fixed, and they had said that they wouldn't pay any more, we decided to walk away from the house. I know Roger was discouraged as he felt we were back at square one. I didn't know what to think, I wasn't thrilled about the house, but there was nothing wrong with it that could not be fixed either. However, God had another plan. The people selling the house decided that they were willing to work with us. They asked us how low they would need to go on the house so we would take it. Roger told them to throw out a number at us, and see if we would be willing to take it. The sellers need to sell their house as they are building a new one, this house has been on the market for 180 days, and we were their only offer. They came back with a number, and after much prayer, discussion, and seeking counsel, we accepted their number! I am excited to see what God continues to do. We don't have a closing date yet, but we are certainly ready to be back together as a family!! The verse that just keeps coming to mind is "But my God shall supply all your needs..." God is so good to us, and we are rejoicing in this step.

In other news blips, we have eight days left of school. I am pretty sure that I am more excited than my children...and they are very excited! My dad has been teaching the boys how to use the rotatiller, and they have been busy mowing the grass as well. They also went fishing and caught several fish. They are learning how to clean them, and I hope they learn how to cook them! The boys are thrilled to be moving to Maine, but they are very unsure about leaving all that is familiar and dear to them in Wisconsin. I know that God is preparing and protecting the hearts of our children just as He is working in ours. Emma just wants to see daddy, and it's been almost nine weeks. It's been a long time for all of us. We are pray that Roger will be able to maybe squeeze in a quick visit sometime soon, but he has been very busy at his job. 

Our love to you all  and Happy Mother's Day!

                         

Maine Adventures, Upcoming Surgery, and Maybe a House!

Honestly, it's really hard to know where to even begin! I left on Sunday afternoon for a trip up to Maine. We had a contract on a house, and I was coming out to see it and to spend time with Roger. The flight was uneventful to Boston, but there was a bit of a pickle in Boston. I had to switch terminals to get on a much smaller plane to Rockland, Maine. The timing was going to be tight, so I hurried to make the plane. I did manage to arrive at the right terminal and get my boarding pass. However, there is no hurrying up security, so it was getting close to leaving time! I managed to squeeze thru security and found the right gate. I quickly asked the attendant if I was on time for the flight. He replied that I  had a few minutes to spare. Yes! I could use the bathroom! I went to use the bath room, and I came back to find the passengers in line! I quickly hopped in line, and I handed the guy the ticket. These are much, much smaller planes...like six passenger planes. The ticket agent guy announced that there were too many people in line...uh, oh! He then discovered that the problem was me! I was getting on the wrong flight!! I have no idea where that plane was going, but it wasn't going to Rockland, Maine! Oh well, I did get on the right plane eventually! 

Roger was waiting to pick me up at the airport. I flew directly into the airport that he flies out of, so that was really neat. It was so good to see him again, and I remembered all the reasons I miss him so much! We stopped for coffee, and then we headed up to Stockton Springs to see Josh and Hannah. They graciously opened up our home to us, and it was nice to stay with family for a few days. 

On Monday we drove out to see the house that we have an offer on...and that's when the train derailed! I wasn't in love with the house, although in all the pictures I had seen, it looked perfect! However, something was off about the house. I can't even explain it, but something did not feel right to me. I think I was expecting a nice, clean, tidy house since that's what the pictures made me feel it would be like. But the house needed a deep cleaning, lots of fresh paint, and a few other things that I didn't care for. There really isn't anything wrong with the house, per se, but something did not feel right. Since our realtor was unavailable to show us the house, we had a different realtor walk us through the home. I did not say anything at the time, but Roger could tell I wasn't in love. Roger and I were unable to really discuss the house at the moment though, as I was spending time with my sister that afternoon. 

Hannah and I had a wonderful time together. We spent time visiting Augusta, and I enjoyed visiting with her. God had a perfect plan in bringing us to Maine, and allowing it to be at the same time that Hannah and Josh are in Maine. We are definitely looking forward to spending time with them. 

On Monday night, Roger and I discussed the house for hours! He's been looking for five weeks now, and he knows exactly what's available. I haven't been looking at all...except at pictures...and I wasn't thrilled with the house. There is nothing about it that can't be fixed, but I'm just not sure how much effort I want to put into it. Unfortunately, our realtor was out of town with his daughter, so our communication with him was limited. Roger did call and talk to him and expressed some of our concerns. 

Tuesday morning was spent driving around the country side driving past the houses that Roger has already visited. There are definite limitations to what our budget will allow us to buy! If the yard was nice, the house was a mess; if the house was nice, the yard was a wreck. Is there a happy medium out here?! After a couple of hours of doing that, we were both stressed and our blood pressure was rising. We decided to have lunch and take a break. Because of Roger's job, he has connections in the flying world of Maine. This worked out well for us as we went to the airport to see about getting on a flight out to the island of Vinalhaven. There was a plane available to take us out there, so we hopped aboard and took the ten minute flight out there. It was a breathtakingly beautiful flight, and I loved seeing the places that Roger flies into. The airport is on the far side of the island, so we had about a three mile walk into town. It was a beautiful walk, and it would be a great place to take the kids. We walked thru the downtown of Vinalhaven, and then someone stopped us. Because Roger's work delivers mail on the island, there was someone from the airport there. They asked how we were planning on getting back to the mainland. Roger replied that we were planning on buying tickets to take the ferry back across. However, since the mail had come over on the ferry that morning in the airport vehicle, it needed to get back to the mainland. This worked out perfectly for us as one person could ride back fin the mail van for free,  and we only needed to buy one ferry ticket...sweet! So, we rode the ferry back to the mainland, delivered the empty mail boxes to the post office, and went back to the airport. I'm telling you, it's a different world up here! 

After the ferry ride, there was a brief rainstorm. On the way back from the airport, we saw a beautiful rainbow. It was just another reminder that God is with us every single step of the way. It was pretty amazing! 

                       

      

Roger's boss had given Roger some money to take me on a nice date while I was here. We decided to take Hannah and Josh to supper with us, and we ate at a delicious little restaurant in downtown Belfast. We enjoyed great company, delicious food, and made a memory. It was a good afternoon/evening after a rather stressful morning! 

Wednesday was spent driving by more houses, reviewing our options, and trying to figure out if we were going to try to get out of our contract, or if this is really the house God has for us. We called our realtor, and I called my friend, Jenn. Jenn had been our realtor when we sold our house in Wisconsin. She was an amazing realtor, and I realized again what a special blessing it was to have her as our realtor! She offered a few suggestions, and we put together a plan of action. On thing that Roger and I agreed on was the fact that we had two very different pairs of eyes looking at the same house! Roger was looking at it through eyes that have looked at 22 other houses in the area. He's thinking, "Wow! Compared to all the others, this one is great!" I'm looking at it saying, "Is this all our money will buy?" Do you see the problem? 

Our realtor came back into town on Wednesday night. We had thought about trying to change my plane ticket; but since we are still in a contract with house number one, and we have looked at the options of houses available, we decided that I would come back to Wisconsin as planned. 

                           

We met with our realtor on Thursday morning. We discussed the house in great depth, our options, and he showed us another home that came on the market. After much prayer and many, many, conversations, we are going ahead with the home inspection. Once that is done, we will submit any request asking them to fix some things and trying to renegotiate the price. If they agree, then we've found our house; and if not, then we keep looking. This is a huge step of faith simply because we have no idea what they are going to do. Can I be happy with this house? Absolutely! I don't think it's a house where God answered my prayers and did "exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think", but God doesn't have to answer all my prayers the way that I think He should. I feel like we are in the story of Gideon where he throws out the fleece before the Lord, and then waits on God's direction. Here we are...waiting! 

So, while it was wonderful to see my husband, and have face-to-face conversations, it was a long four days. It was mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausting on both of us. We are making decisions that wil impact our entire family. God has shown Himself strong every step of this journey, and I'm clinging to the fact that He has a perfect plan in all of this. God allowed so many details to come together for Roge to get this particular job in Maine, and I have truly been blessed to look back at all that God has done. I know He is not finished yet! 

In other news, Travis will be having dental surgery on Tuesday. The dentist office called, while I was in Maine,and said that they had a cancellation. Because of the state of his teeth, and the anxiety he's been having over this upcoming event, I do believe this is another instance of God's perfect timing in our lives. I'm thankful that my mom was able to take Travis to his appointment for his pre-surgery physical! My parents were real troopers in keeping the kids while I was away, taking Travis to his appointment, and keeping up with the schoolwork. I am very thankful for them. Both Travis and I will be glad to get this behind us, even though Tuesday will be a long day!

Wyatt turned seven while I was away. His birthday was on Wednesday, and it was hard for me to miss it. I'm thankful that my wonderful friend, Gretchen, took my kids, made a cake for Wyatt, and helped him celebrate his special day. My parents took the kids out for supper the night before, but they were all excited to go to their friends house. These kids are growing so incredibly fast, and I feel like every time I blink, something is changing! I am looking forward to having a birthday celebration with Wyatt simply because it doesn't seem like he is seven yet, and maybe a birthday party will help convince me! 

So, that's where we are at with our housing situation. To review please read the following:

1) I am still in Wisconsin with the kids. 

2) Roger is in Maine working his job. 

3) Yes, we are still happily married, and we plan to keep it that way. 

4) Yes, I do miss my husband. I miss him more that words can say. Just because I do the right things, smile, and say the right words, does not mean that I am fine. But I can promise....God's grace is sufficient. 

5) Someday this will all be behind us. And yes, God does have a house for us! 

Thank you for your love and prayers, Sarah 

A House!? I Hope I Like It!!

As typical in our household, we've had a busy week. My dad had a great trip to Haiti, and my mom visited her family in North Carolina. They are back from their trip, but we both enjoyed the time apart. 

I had a great week with the boys. We spent time doing school (yay!), visiting with friends, taking a few outings together, and having a relaxed schedule. However, it was also a busy week as Travis had an appointment in Madison with the pediatric dentist. His appointment was on Wednesday of last week at nine am. My friend, Gretchen, graciously watched my other children so that I could go with just Travis. He was pretty nervous about the appointment, but I was thoroughly impressed with the dentist and his assistant. Travis has been having some teeth problems, and it was discovered at his last visit to the regular dentist that he should see a specialist. So, we were referred to this one in Madison. Long story short...Travis needs dental surgery! The first available appointment is May 24, so we took that appointment. His back molars came in with little to no enamel, so they are in decay mode. The need to be capped, and the easiest most painless way to do that is by having him have surgery. Neither of us are overly excited about it, but he does need his teeth! My sister, Hannah, told me I should ask the hospital if I can buy a timeshare there! (I know, right?!) Travis and I were able to spend quite a bit of one-on-one time on Wednesday, and I always appreciate that. 

Roger has been looking at homes in Maine and looking at more homes. We just couldn't seem to find anything...until last week. Roger came across a house that was for sale on two acres. It's on a dead end road, and it's 23 minutes from his work. We put in an offer and it was turned down. So, we thought about it, prayed about it, and submitted a second offer. As of Thursday, we have a house under contract! (Hopefully, I like it!) God is so good! The house looks like it it has about everything we were looking for, it doesn't need any work, and it is move in ready! We are working to all our paperwork in order, and we are looking to close on June 1! This is a huge deal...and I'm a tad overwhelmed! However, God has brought us this far, I'm trusting Roger's judgment on this, and I am looking forward to the future. 

It's been seven weeks since I've seen Roger, and last week I was able to find a cheap ticket from Milwaukee to Boston. I am going to see Roger!! Woo hoo!! I didn't realize that God would provide a house for us before I came out there, and I was planning on spending three days looking at everything available! However, now I get a chance to see our house before we move into it, and a few relaxing days (I hope) with Roger. I am also excited about seeing my sister and her husband. It's been a long seven weeks, and I could use a few days to take a breather. I'm praying that I'll come back refreshed, recharged, and ready to face the remainder of our time here. I leave on Sunday afternoon, and I'll be returning on Thursday evening. Because Roger flies for a small aviation company, they have connections with other companies. I am able to fly into the town right next to Rogers work with a small airline company that flies out of Boston....I just have to make the flight! It's going to be a tight squeeze to get from the big terminal to the smaller terminal to catch the next flight, but I am certainly going to do my best to get on that plane! (No worries, we do have a back up plan.) 

It's finally spring in Wisconsin, or at least for a few days! The boys have been practically living outside, and enjoying the weather. JoEllen escaped from her pen yesterday, so we had an unexpected break in school work to get her back in her pen! She managed to take a running leap and get out of the pen! The boys thought that was really neat! Emma was concerned about the calf getting away, but after a few minutes of chaos, everything was in order again. We are all looking forward to finishing up the school year, and it's becoming harder to focus as the weather gets nicer. Only a few more weeks! 

                                      JoEllen escaped from her pen!! 

One fun memory that I want to write down for later is as follows: I was talking to the kids about our favorite church songs. Wyatt announced to me that he really likes the "dairy song". I was completely baffled until he started singing, "Bringing in the cheese, bringing in the cheese, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the cheese!" I completely lost it as I practically fell off my chair! I love these kiddos!! 

We appreciate your prayers as we continue to prepare and work towards transitioning our lives again. Our love, Sarah 

                         

                                 Emma "helping" with the chores

Surgery and House-Hunting 101

Monday: 

Wyatt had his surgery today to remove the lump in his leg. We had to be at the hospital by 6:45 am., and Wyatt's biggest annoyance was that he couldn't have anything to eat or drink. The surgery went really smoothly, and it only took about 35 minutes. The waiting before hand and the recovery afte were both longer periods of time. Wyatt did much better with the sedation this time as far as his recovery out of it. He didn't experience the headaches or the crabbiness that he had when he was sedated for the MRI. 

The nurse said that because of the sedation, Wyatt should rest for the rest of the day and not ride his bike. She offered Wyatt apple juice and Popsicles, both of which he took willingly. When the hour was up, we were free to go home. She asked if Wyatt would like a wheel chair ride out to the car, or if he wanted to walk. He quickly snatched up the offer for the wheelchair ride! He obviously didn't need to ride in the wheel chair as he had been walking around the recovery room just fine. However, he's never had a wheel chair ride, so he thought that was cool. We had just gotten in the vehicle, and Wyatt announces that he is starving and what can he eat! The nurse had said that the medication might make his stomach upset, but Wyatt didn't seem phased by that! I gave him some food, and then we went home. Once at home, I had to remind him that he couldn't ride his bike or climb stuff today. He immediately went inside to tell his brothers that he got to ride in a wheel chair and to show them his cut! 

Trying to get Wyatt to rest and take it easy was like trying to wrestle the honey pot from Winnie the Pooh-what a bear!! He watched a movie for about twenty minutes and then wanted to go outside. I told him he needed to wait a little longer as we had only been home a little over an hour. However, I went outside to help Emma with something and when I came back in Wyatt had stacked the couch cushions and was jumping off the couch onto the cushions! I asked him if that hurt to which he replied, "No, should it?" I don't know, I just assumed people that had surgery on their shin didn't go around jumping off of stuff!  Finally, I sent him outside with the reminder to not ride his bike! The nurse had said that the biggest risk of infection is in the 24 hour window so the wound needed to stay clean and dry...I would be doing good if it stayed shut! 

We survived our "rest" day without very much rest! Needless to say, he is fine! Wyatt's speech teacher from last year had heard about his surgery and she sent him a big box of goldfish and a sweet card. I'm thankful for those that encouraged and prayed for us through this adventure. I think it's behind us now, and the surgeon did call to say that it was benign just as they had thought. 

                     

     

And the house-hunting? 

Well, honestly, I'm a bit discouraged about that. Roger had two houses lined up to look at on Tuesday, but one went under contract on Sunday and the other went under contract on Monday! The realtor did spend six hours with Roger on Tuesday looking at various properties and showing him what's available. However, at the end of the day, he came away feeling like he had seen everything in our budget! If it's a good property, it goes off the market like a fire cracker. There are also houses that have been on the market for years, which leads you to wonder what's wrong with it! Waiting is hard, but I know that God can do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20) 

Roger looked at a few other homes later in the week, but nothing has jumped out at him. The house is either big and the yard small, or the house small and the yard big, or it needs updating! I sent Roger pictures of one house, and Roger went and looked at it. He said the house would be perfect for Thanksgiving because he thinks that's where the first Pilgrims ate! Obviously, we know our history, but basically he was saying the house needed some major updating! So, we are waiting for God to once again show Himself strong.

We've survived five weeks without Roger, and what a challenge! I'm so thankful to hear Roger talk about his job with joy and excitement! He is really enjoying working for this company, and I know that God will continue to direct our steps. 

On Thursday is rained...all...day. By about three o'clock I realized that the boys needed an activity. So I decided to take them up to the mall and Sam's Club. They did very well at Sam's Club and they like to go there. Why? Because of the food samples, of course! My children go to the mall for one reason...to shoot targets at the sporting goods store! I wouldn't have minded walking around and going in a few stores, but we went to the sporting goods store first. They have a target scene set up and you can shoot targets with the guns...fake ones, of course! However, after I had given the kids tokens to play the games, we realized that two of the guns did not work. Chandler politely went up to the sales associate and explained the situation. She came back with enough tokens for everyone to play the game two times! That was a lot of fun for the kids. I would've made several dollars if I had a dollar for every time someone asked if these were all my children...yes, they are! We probably were a bit of a sight with Emma in her carrier on my back and the four boys following along like ducks...oh well! We had a good time together, and it was something fun for everyone to do. 

My parents left on Thursday for a trip to the south. My dad is going to Haiti, and my mom is visiting her family in North Carolina. It's a nice break for all of us from each other, but I do love my parents. This is a busy week with a trip to Madison on Wednesday with Travis. He needs to see a pediatric dentist, and this is our first appointment. Travis is already nervous, so I'm praying that God will calm his heart. We also have school, and taking care of JoEllen, and all the other duties of life, so it will be a full week. 

God is good. 

                     

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