Pains, Ultrasounds, Snow Days and Auction Day!

Pains, ultrasounds, snow days, auctions, and music classes! That about sums up our week! I bet some of  you opened this blog page thinking that we were announcing I am pregnant! No! Roger had a small zit looking thing on his hand last week, but by last Sunday night the swelling in his hand was intense as well as the pain.

 

 

 

 

By Monday morning, Roger could hardly move his hand. He decided to go to the clinic while I held our one-hour Christmas program practice. The clinic prescribed a pretty intense antibiotic to help with the infection and pain. He picked me up from school, and we went to get that prescription.  By the time we picked up Emma at 11:30am., Roger was practically white from the pain. We went home and he rested while I worked on finishing up some auction details. I picked up kids from school, and we made a pumpkin roll for Mr, Kevin’s birthday, which was on Tuesday. After school on Tuesday we were planning to go out to the airport to have a small party for Mr. Kevin’s birthday. Roger spent Monday afternoon soaking his hand many times, and trying to make sure no one touched it.


Roger was supposed to work on Tuesday, but if you can’t squeeze your fingers, it’s difficult to fly the plane! The weather wasn’t great either, so Roger stayed home with Emma on Tuesday. Although I know Roger wanted to be at work, it did work out really well that Emma could stay home while  Allison and I worked on auction projects. We had several errands to run before getting started on organizing all our auction donations. Neither of us were especially eager to work on that project!  We had coffee together, went to the bank, picked up some groceries we needed for hot lunch and the auction dinner, went to get the bidder cards from the auctioneer, and then finally...when we couldn’t come up with anything else that needed doing except the job of organizing, we headed to school. We were both just a wee bit tired of this project! However, once we did motivate ourselves, we got a lot
done in a few hours. I was actually able to go home and check on Roger and Emma, make a pan of
 Mac n cheese for the auction, and then come back to pick up our boys. The boys came home and  
 immediately started creating birthday cards for Mr. Kevin’s birthday. It was so sweet to see them all
 at the table coloring, writing and drawing out cards. Garett and Travis both took money from their piggy banks and gave  Mr. Kevin a dollar. I know, right?! A dollar? Yes, and since they were so eager  and willing to give, I certainly wasn’t going to discourage that. Chandler and Wyatt didn’t have any dollars at home as their money was in the bank, but they were very supportive of the other brothers giving money. Emma scrounged around and came up with two cents to put in her birthday card for Mr. Kevin. It’s so great that he’s such a good sport, and the boys were delighted to give him their cards. Roger came with us to the airport for the birthday party, but he was pretty miserable all day. His hand had actually gotten quite a bit worse over the day, and we were worried about the spreading of the infection. We only stayed a short while at the airport due to Roger’s hand, and it being a school night, and the week of the auction. After putting the boys in bed, I told Roger that I thought he should
 just go ahead and go to the Emergency Room. In our area, we don’t have an urgent care clinic or
walk-in care. Basically, it was either go to the E.R. on Tuesday night or go on Wednesday morning. His hand was basically getting worse by the hour and the pain was spreading into his finger joints and up his arm. I would’ve gladly went with him, but since all our kids were in bed, off he went on his own. The pain was getting to the place where Roger couldn’t sleep, eat or think, so it was time to do something. I don’t relish the idea of owing the hospital, but I like the idea of Roger losing his hand even less! God has always shown Himself strong, and He is going to continue to do so. I tried to wait up for Roger, but I couldn’t stay awake. I finally went to bed, and heard Roger come home around two am. He was exhausted, and he needed sleep. I asked him on Wednesday morning what they had done at the E.R. He said that they had give him pain medicine, done an ultrasound to make sure the blood flow was good, taken lots of samples of blood, prescribed another antibiotic, and the had lanced and drained the infection. I’m thankful for numbing medicine because I can’t imagine getting that thing lanced and drained!



Roger was running a fever on Wednesday morning, and I didn’t really want to leave him while I   taught music class. I gave Roger some pain reliever, and the fever did go down. Roger decided that he would just drop me off at music class, and then he would get his medicine filled, and he would rest in the car until I was done. Roger hasn’t been able to drive his car this week since you can’t drive a stick shift car with one hand! I taught music classes, which is a challenge to do when you’re tired! I finished a bit early, and Roger was taking a nap in the car. We needed milk (no surprise there), so we decided to go to the grocery store and pick that up before getting Emma. Roger stayed in the truck, and I ran in for milk. I came back out, Roger tried to start the truck, and it wouldn’t start! Frustrating! The truck has been limping along for a while now. Every morning the boys have to go out and put air in the tire and make sure the truck will start. Two of the windows won’t roll down, one of the doors has a broken spring, but it’s still drivable! Usually we have our little battery pack in the car,  but  today it was at home on the counter. charging. Poor Roger! He only wanted to go home and relax and we were stuck at the grocery store! Well, I called Allison, who was at church. She came over, tried to help us jump start the truck, and when that didn’t work, she took us to the airport. I called the school  to let them know I would be late picking up Emma. Kevin loaned us one of the vans, and we picked up Emma. Then back to the grocery store to try to get the truck out of the parking lot! We were able to get it jumped since the van has a bigger battery, and finally...home! Roger fell asleep as soon as we got home, and Emma and I worked on a few things around the house. I went to go get the boys and left Emma and Roger at home. After school on Wednesday, the boys helped with making Chex Mix for our baked goods table. Wyatt talked me into making Chex muddy buddies for him. We already had such a big mess in the kitchen that it really didn’t matter, and it’s not been an easy week for our kids either. We spent time making that together, and then cleaning up our big mess! Roger is a bit short in patience this week since the pain has been so intense. He definitely doesn’t like being  dependent upon someone to help him with his socks, shoes, zipping up his coat, etc. I’ve been driving most every where because Roger hasn’t been able to drive his stick shift car. His hand is healing, but it is a slow process. God is giving us strength to get through one day at a time.

Thursday was another very full day. Allison, Claire and I planned to spend most of the day at the school numbering and organizing our auction items. Allison needed to go to the grocery store before we got started, so I went with her. A the grocery stores, she said, “Aren’t you going to get a cart?” I replied that I didn’t really need anything and I had just come along to spend time with her. She gave me a surprised look and said, “Aren’t you supposed to buy rolls for the lobster tomorrow night and the hotdogs?” Oh yeah! That would be me! Yes, I’ll get a cart! We went to get coffee (yes, it’s that kind of week to have two coffee dates in it!) and headed to the school. Thankfully once we got moving in on the project Claire, Allison, and I were able to get a lot done. It was a day for a lot of heavy sighing as we were all tired, but we got it done! Claire supervised and helped with the picking  of  70 lobsters. Another school mom, Annah, helped with that job along with two folks from our church Sharon and Neal. It was a big job, but they got it done quickly! The best part was that we had enough done that when school was over, none of us had to stick around after school! Hooray for home!

Friday...auction day! Oh, and our first snow day of the school year was also on Friday! Now what? Since school was cancelled due to snow should we try to reschedule the auction?! Claire, Allison and I had many, many texts going all morning, but around nine am. Allison got ahold of the auctioneer. He suggested we go ahead with the auction as planned. Since all weather reports seeemed to indicate that the weather would get better throughout the day, we decided that we should move forward. After all....we had a lot of lobsters already cooked! Once it was decided to go ahead with the auction, God just gave peace at every turn. We knew that He had already helped us get this far and that He would bring the right people to the auction. We met at the school at a bit afte one of, and worked hard on  setting up chairs, auction items, a few decorations, getting started on kitchen work, printing out the auction lists, writing out bidder cards, and preparing for the evening.  A few other parents came a bit later  to help set up the kitchen and get the Mac n cheeses baking, and by 5:30, we were ready! The fellowship hall was full! We had to set up extra chairs for folks to sit in, but we had plenty of food and plenty of fun! God showed Himself strong in a way that only He can do! It made the hours and hours and hours of prep work, chasing down donations, and being exhausted seem worth it. God provided enough funds to supply our needs, to be able to give the teachers a Christmas gift this year, and to continue on with hot lunch. I am so very thankful for the parents that helped, those who bought our auction items, and those who came to show their support...we couldn’t have done it without them!

Saturday was a day to just relax. My kids were so excited about the auction, but also that the auction was behind us! We spent the morning talking, drinking coffe, and taking trash to the dump...exciting times! We wer invited to a friends house for supper on Saturday evening, and that was a big blessing.  It was nice to have fellowship with Nick and Hannah and their little ones. It was especially nice for me to not have to think about having a plan for supper. After a crazy week, it was a nice way to unwind.

On top of Roger’s hand, the busy week with the auction, the vehicle problems, the looming Christmas program, also Roger’s grandpa is dying. Just a few weeks ago his grandma passed away (Rogers Dad’s mom) and this week his grandpa is dying (Rogers mom’s dad). To say that it’s been a rough month would be a gross understatement! God has been faithful and strong, but it’s not been an easy month for our family. We are thankful that both of these grandparents know Jesus as their personal Savior. They both were and are ready to meet Jesus. While we do and will miss them, we know that we will see them in Heaven again some day. One of my favorite memories of Roger’s  grandpa is from about six years ago at the family reunion. Grandpa had come along to Roger’s  family reunion,  and it was my first opportunity to really get to know him. We often found ourselves the first ones up that week and sat together in the kitchen over many cups of coffee and studying God’s Word. Grandpa lived out his life for Jesus. Through his life , he pointed people to Jesus. I don’t think he would want people to just say he was a great guy or a wonderful person , I think he would want them to know that he’s different because of a personal relationship with Jesus. I’ll never forget that week at the family reunion where an older man encouraged my walk with Jesus, took time to listen to a young mama, and encouraged my heart. I look forward to seeing him in heaven someday.

In closing, our family could use your prayers. Every week brings new challenges, but this past month has seemed that satan has just brought one obstacle out in front of the other. It brings to mind the verses from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”

We serve a great and amazing God! I can’t imagine my life without Him. At the end of my life, I don’t care if people think I’m crazy (probably I am), but I do want them to know that I had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that I had confessed my sins to Him and asked Him to come into my heart, and that I was passionate about serving and loving Him.

Blessings and Pain (For Roger anyways)

 

 

 

I am so excited about this week! Or maybe it’s the fact that after Friday a major undertaking will be behind us?! This Friday our school will host its 19th annual auction! Wow! We are going to have a few crazy days ahead of us, but then it’ll be done! The proceeds from this auction go to our Parent Group. We use the funds for funding field trips, teacher appreciation week, hot lunch every Friday, technology needs, a Grandparents luncheon, and much, much more. Although small in number this year, ready or not, the auction is almost here. I’m so thankful for the moms that have worked together on this endeavor. While there have only been a few of us at the parent meetings and brainstorming sessions, the spirit of unity has been present. I’m so thankful!

In three weeks, the students will put on their Christmas program. It seems like a big undertaking to think that this will come together in a little over three weeks, but I remember feeling this way last year too. It’s a great group of students to work with, and for the most part, they all come prepared and willing to do their best. I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve in this ministry, and I’ll also rejoice when the program is over. But for now, I’m trying to enjoy the blessing of today!

Last week...what did I even do?! Let’s see...I finished my blanket for the auction. I also forgot to take a picture before I dropped it off at the school. I’ll try to remember to do that. I like how it turned out, and the boys all wanted to keep it...which we don’t need!

Last Monday morning found me in the sanctuary with the students preparing for the Christmas program. The teachers graciously gave me an hour to work with the entire student body on Monday mornings for the next few weeks. I know it’s a sacrifice on their part, so I definitely want to use that hour wisely. Following the program practice, Allison and I snuck away from the school to pick up  a  squash. Yes, you read that right! An older lady in our  church donated a very, very large blue Hubbard squash to our school auction, but she wanted someone to come pick it up. Allison and I didn’t have a lot of time, but we could both see that she wanted someone to visit with her. Her husband passed away recently, and I’m sure she’s a bit lonely. We stayed as long as we could, but Allison and I talked on the way back to school about the needs of the older folks in our church. I made a promise to myself that I would take the kiddos back this week to visit if God provided the opportunity.

On Tuesday morning, Emma and I were invited to a play date. Hannah, my friend,   come over to our house with her little ones a few weeks ago, and today we went to their house. We had a great morning visiting together. Hannah and I always have some deep conversations involving parenting, our responsibilities as mamas, life, and so much more. We certainly never solve all the problems, but it s good time of sweet fellowship centered around our love for Jesus, His Word, and our hearts desire for our children to grow up to love and serve Him. For having five kids five years old and under, it really was a peaceful morning. We were able to sit and visit while the kids played nicely. I worked a lot on my blanket while visiting with Hannah. We left we happy and full hearts. I was encouraged by a relaxing morning. We also voted on Tuesday...did you?

Wednesday was a bit crazier than normal, as Garett woke up not feeling well. I knew I didn’t want to cancel a morning of music classes with only having a few weeks left. Garett could’ve been fine on his own for a morning, as he just was struggling with a cold, but I decided to drop him off to Roger. How awesome is it that God provided a job for Roger where our kids are welcome to come and stay for a bit?! Garett was more than delighted to go to the airport...so much that I wondered how sick he really was feeling! He certainly didn’t act too sick, and I asked Roger to see if he could figure out why Garett didn’t want to go to school. It’s very unlike Garett to not want to go to school. School is hard for him, but he does enjoy it. I spent my morning directing handbells, chimes, boomwhackers and voices! Sometimes my head does hurt afterwards! When I picked up Garett after music classes, he  announced immediately that he was starving! Doesn’t sound like a sick child, does it? Garett was quiet for much of the day, but he never really opened up to much. He just said that he didn’t want to get the other kids sick, and he felt like his throat was sore. I completely believe him as we’ve had lots of sick kids, but my mother’s intuition told me that this might be something more.

Thursday morning rolled around with a full day of auction preparations to be done. Allison and I had a date to go to Augusta to go to Sam’s Club to get food items for the auction dinner. My friend, Annah, kindly agreed to watch Emma so that she didn’t have to go shopping with us. Emma was delighted to find out that she was spending the day with some of her friends! I dropped Emma off at Annah’s and picked up her son, Josiah, to take to school with us. On the way to school, Garett  casually asked Josiah if they had had a timed multiplication drill yesterday. Immediately my mom instinct picked up on Garett’s anxiety. Josiah told Garett that the teacher had forgot about the drill, so they might have it today. I could tell by the expression on Garett’s face that he was anxious about this math drill. When we dropped off the kids at school, I held Garett back to talk to him. He explained that he hated timed events as he can’t think under pressure. Um, yes, I’d agree with that! I explained that I could understand his concern but we can’t avoid problems in our lives by hiding from them! I just told him to do his best, and let God work out everything else. Garett told me after school that his teacher had given them a drill, but it wasn’t a timed drill. Well, praise Jesus! Garett does have an amazing teacher, so I’m sure that she was able to discern what the problem might be.

Allison and I had a great day! While it’s more fun to be shopping for our families or ourselves, it was so great to spend the day together. We visited, laughed and chatted the whole way to Augusta and back again! I am so blessed by her friendship, and I am so thankful for her. After picking up the kids from school, we headed to the airport to see Roger. I wanted to see about borrowing some rakes to rake some leaves. The older lady who’s house we went to on Monday had said that she needed to  get out and rake up her leaves. Okay, that’s something that my kids can help with. We gathered up the rakes, and headed over. She was delighted to see the kids and thought that we had stopped by for some Halloween treats. She was so surprised to find out that the boys were going to rake her leaves. Wow...our boys have become so much better at working! When we first started taking them on these service activities, it was a lot of work to help them stay on task. However today they pitched right in, raked hard, and gathered up seven wheelbarrows of leaves before the sun was getting too low. Emma was happy to stay in the house and entertain. I was so thankful for the hard work of the boys, their happy servant hearts, and the fact that God blessed us with these children. I hope that we were a small blessing to this dear older lady. It was dark when we finally arrived home, but our hearts were blessed by being a blessing to someone else.

Friday ...oh, Friday! Chapel music, auction project with Chandler’s class, hot lunch, and following up on some auction requests! It was a crazy, crazy day! Claire  took Emma with her in the afternoon, so I was able to follow up with a few businesses about some auction donations. I had a good time helping Chandler’s class with their auction project. They made homemade cleaners with essential oils. It was a fun project, and it smelled up the whole lunch room!

I’m thankful for days at home like Saturday. I’m thankful for church family, and it makes me sad when we miss it. I wasn’t feeling well on Sunday, and since Roger was working, we ended up staying home in the morning. It was good to just relax at home for a bit with our children, and I am thankful. I’m thankful for good health especially as Roger has been struggling with an infection in his hand. He finally had to go into the doctor today as his hand is so swollen that he can’t move it. We are praying for a swift and speedy recovery. He needs that hand for flying. I’m thankful for veterans and those who have served and are serving our country. I’m thankful for the Christian school. It’s not perfect because it’s made up of people, but it’s a great place for our children.

Today is Monday, and Roger’s hand is much, much worse! He had to go to the clinic and now he is on an antibiotic. Please pray that he will be able to get some relief from the pain soon. It’s very.  uncomfortable and the boys miss wrestling with him. God is good.
We love you,
Sarah

A Rough Week...and God’s Hand at Work

One of my favorite songs: https://youtu.be/mmdnM-aLEpM


I’ve struggled for several days over what to even write on this post. The reason that I am writing is because it was a rough week, but God showed Himself to be faithful and strong just like He always does. When I come back to reread this post in a few years, I want to be reminded of the character of God and Who He is.

To start off the week, I received a text from Rogers’s mom saying that Grandma Robertson was dying (Roger’s grandma). The last time that I had actually seen Grandma Robertson was when Chandler was about six months old. She lived out in California, which is a bit more than a hop and skip from Maine! Roger has a lot of memories with his grandma as his grandparents visited them often when he was growing up. Roger didn’t sleep well on Monday night as he woke up in the night to read a text that grandma had passed into the arms of her Savior. We talked about many options on Tuesday and looked into flights for Roger to get out to California. However, we didn’t come up with any great ideas or options. The memorial service would be on Saturday, and Garett was going on an all-night teen activity with Roger on Friday night into Saturday morning. Garett was really looking forward to this activity, and the only reason he was being allowed to go is because Roger was also going. Since
the tickets weren’t the only reason Roger wasn’t at peace with going to California, we decided that we would not be able to get out to the memorial service for Grandma. This was a bit hard on Roger as all of his other brothers and older sister were going to be there, but God was clearly not giving us peace.

It was all for the best and in God’s sovereign plan. There were some circumstances that happened in my life in Thursday that were very painful and hurtful to me...not physically, but I sometimes think physical pain might be easier than emotional pain. Words can be hurtful. I needed Roger to be here, and if he had been in California, a lot of emotional decisions might have been made on my part. It was one of those days where I missed the ability to talk to my dad in person. I could’ve called, but it’s not the same. I’m thankful that Roger was able to be my sounding board on Thursday night. On Thursday night, one of my friends, Beka, called from Wisconsin. I haven’t heard from her in a few weeks, and the reason she called was to ask a simple question. Yet it was a God ordained timed  event. She had just been through a similar instance a few months ago, and was able to offer some encouraging words. I’m thankful for God’s love to me.  It’s not often that I’m caught completely off guard, but that definitely happened on Thursday.

On Friday morning I found myself fighting tears, fatigue, and emotional instability.  Due to weather, Roger had the day off, which was again a detail that God ordained. We were able to talk with our  pastor and get some solid, Biblical advice. It was a morning that God worked out so many details to fall into place, that we could only step back in awe and say, “God is at work here”. I’m not at liberty to discuss any details because that would be hurtful to others. I can say that while I’m not exactly happy with the situation or circumstances, I am at peace with the situation.

Isaiah 26:3-4 King James Version (KJV)

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

It was a long week, but God was and is faithful, kind and true. He protects me, watches over me, and continually holds me in his arms. He blessed me with a wonderful husband, whose gifts are discernment and faith. I can be confident in who God created me to be because I know He is with me. 

Isaiah 43 King James Version (KJV)

43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Wrapping up of October

Can you believe that the month of October is almost over?! The leaves are in the final stages before falling completely off the trees. We can see our neighbor’s house again, so it’s another reminder that the seasons are changing. We did see a few flurries of snow last week but no accumulation. The boys and Emma are anxious for the snow to fall. Emma told me that she can’t wait for the snow because “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to eat clean, white snow, Mommy!” So we have five kids that will be delighted when the snow does start falling!

Roger and Chandler left on Friday afternoon for their trip to Ohio. They flew from our area airport to Boston. From Boston they had a direct flight to Cleveland. Roger has a good friend that lives in the Cleveland area, so Chandler and Roger were able to stay the night at his place. Kyle has been a friend of Rogers for years and years, and Roger said it was so refreshing and encouraging to be able to  reconnect with that friendship. Chandler had a great weekend with Roger, and the other boys are anxiously waiting for whenever Roger might need to go on another trip! On Saturday, they spent time with Kyle, picked up the u haul, picked up the airplane part, and got ready to head back to Maine. Roger and Chandler were on the road by 4:00 am., and God provided good weather and clear roads. They were home by 8:00 pm. On Sunday night! I’m so glad that Roger was able to take one of our children with him. I’m not going to lie...it was a bit of a long weekend for me! The other boys and  Emma did really well together, but I definitely missed Chandler and Roger. We stayed busy with  various projects around the house. Travis and Emma helped make a few pumpkin rolls, and I started  on a crochet project for the auction...provided I can finish it in time!

 

On Sunday we had a church dinner following the service as well as a church business meeting. That can make for a bit of a long afternoon. I made crockpot lasagna and we brought along a pumpkin roll. When we arrived at church, the church had no electricity! I guess the wind from the night before had caused the power to go out. That meant that all the crockpots wouldn’t work! Thankfully our church  sanctuary has lots of windows, so we moved on with the Sunday school hour. Interestingly enough, we are discussing thanksgiving with the kids in our Sunday school class. It was a good time of discussion as they popped up with so many things that they are thankful for which included electricity! I’ve enjoyed these past few weeks with the children on discussing prayer. I feel like I’ve learned so much, and I certainly enjoy hearing what the kids have learned. Our time to shape, mold, and direct them is such a short window of time. We have no time to waste. I want to be intentional in teaching an opening Sunday school exercise as I am about teaching music class every week. Thankfully the power did come back one before the Sunday school hour was over, so there was enough time for the crockpot food to cook.

By the time the meeting and lunch was over, it was about two pm. That makes for a very short afternoon when the children’s program starts at five in the evening! It felt like we had very little time at home, but it was enough time to get laundry going and to pack lunches for school. It definitely   wasn’t an ideal afternoon, but we all survived!


Monday morning started another week of school, as well as our Parents Group meeting. Our auction is now just two weeks away, so we are on the home stretch. I will be so thankful to have this massive undertaking behind us, as the Christmas program is only three short weeks after that! It was a small group of moms that met together on Monday morning, but the willingness to work together  and in harmony was present. I am very much praying that God will give each of these moms a special blessing as we work on this event. It’s our schools’ 19th annual auction, however, that doesn’t mean that it comes together of its own accord! It’s a lot of hard, hard work. I wish I knew how to better encourage families to want to participate or help out, but I don’t. So instead I’ll move forward with a happy heart to serve the school in this capacity. I know we serve an amazing God!


 Monday evening, the kids had an opportunity to go to an event. Travis didn’t want to go as he was
 suffering from a head ache. He was sleeping by 6:45 pm., so I know he was tired! He seemed to   bounce back the next day, so off to school he went.  

Emma and I spent much of Tuesday working on contacting various businesses for donations to our auction. Emma and Travis had appointments at the doctors office after school to have some  vaccinations. The nurse asked the kids what they were going to be for Halloween. We certainly don’t
 celebrate Halloween, but we do participate in our church’s trunk or treat event. Travis looked at the nurse and replied, “I’ll be myself, of course!” I had to laugh as Travis does not like to dress up for anything so clearly he would want to be himself. Emma loves to dress up, and she always likes to try on my clothes also!



Wednesday was another full day, and I knew it would be. Since Wednesday is my music class teaching day, as well as our annual Trunk or Treat, it was a full to bursting day! After music class, I did lunch duty. Then we dropped by at the airport for a little bit to see Daddy. We had enough time to need to find something to do, but not enough time to go home. So Emma and I went to visit an older
couple in our church. Our kids enjoy older folks for the most part, and I want to encourage our children to make sure they interact with older people. We have so much we can learn from them. It was an enjoyable visit, and I believe it was a God -honoring way to fill up our afternoon. We picked  up the boys from school, and then we got ready for our trunk or treat. I’m not a fan of Halloween, and I do believe that people do wicked things on Halloween. But guess what? People do wicked and evil things every day! The Bible says, “This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” I would rather raise our children to not be fearful of a day, but rather to rejoice in how  great our God is! The Trunk or Treat event is one that the community is coming to the church. I  firmly believe that we, as Christians, have a wonderful to point families to Jesus! We decorated our
trunk like on of our church ministries. Since I teach the little ones on Sunday night, we decorated it
along that theme. Garett handed out the treats, and Emma handed out flyers to our children’s program on Sunday nights. Chandler and Wyatt hosted the table with hot choclate and Gospel tracts. I’m not
sure how many cups of hot chocolate they drank while hosting, but oh well! We saw a lot of kids and families on Wednesday night. I don’t know how many, but it was quite a few. I’m praying that seeds  were planted or watered, and that  God will be glorified through this event. It was a long and tiring
day, but we came home with happy hearts and sugared up kids!


 I have more to write about the events of this week, but I think I’ll save it for another post. I will say that I would definitely appreciate your prayers. The ending part of this week was exhausting,  troubling, and disheartening. I know that ultimately God will refine me as I face struggles, but sometimes spiritual growth is painful. However, we will continue to serve our Heavenly Father until He calls us home.

 

 Travis studying his spelling words 

I’ve been thinking about this statement by A. W. Tozer  a lot in recent days...a whole lot. It’s led to several discussions with my dearest friends. My heart’s desire is that my children will love God so passionately and fervently that they will be set apart and different simply because they love God so deeply. However, if my children grow up to love Jesus, serve Him, and live for Him, it will be In spite of me, not because of me. Being a parent is the hardest job...ever. I fail every day to point my kids to Jesus. Yet I know that as much as I love them, their Heavenly Father loves them even more. Oh, I want to be a vessel used by the Master to ever point them to Jesus.   

A “Down Week” or not so much?

 

 

I feel like I was supposed to have a “down week” last week. However, the week is over and while I can’t remember much of what I did, it certainly didn’t feel like down time! I do know that I have been very busy (read a tad overwhelmed) with the school Auction in a few weeks, the Christmas program prep, and the responsibilities that the rest of life at the moment brings! I’m ready for a vacation!

Roger is now single engine sea plane certified! Hooray! He’s been excited about this opportunity, and we are so thankful to his boss for helping Roger achieve this goal. Garett  has been excited about this as well, and he was disappointed to not be able to go along for Roger’s check ride. Garett will be having his first official flight lesson to log in his own flightbook by the end of next month. Garett is very excited!

Roger and Chandler will be taking a trip to Ohio this weekend. Roger is picking up some type of airplane part that was bought out there, and Chandler has the opportunity to go along! They will be flying out to Cleveland, staying overnight with a friend, and driving a U Haul back to Maine. All of our kids wanted to go...at first. Then Roger mentioned a long drive at which point Travis and Emma decided that they didn’t want to go! Garett was eliminated from the opportunity simply because in a few weeks he will be going on a teen activity with Roger. That left two boys who really, really wanted to go with Dad. Budget and space would only allow for one child to go. We torn up eight pieces of paper with the words either “stay” or “go” written on them. Then Wyatt and Chandler both picked four pieces of paper. In the end, Chandler was the one who had picked the right pieces of paper. Wyatt was so very disappointed, and it’s hard to see your child sad. I know that God has given this opportunity to Chandler for a reason, and we will work it through. Roger did take Wyatt out for a dinner date last night, so that gave them the opportunity to visit together. Wyatt is a quiet child, so  sometimes it takes a bit to get him to open up and start talking. While I would’ve enjoyed a date with Roger too, I’m thankful that the two of them had the opportunity to have some one on one time.

Our school fundraiser auction is three weeks from Friday, and it’s been an uphill climb! For some reason, I’m finding it difficult to find people to donate to the school auction. I’m not sure if it’s money related, Christian school related, or I’m just not good at asking! I’ve reached out to over thirty businesses. It would be nice if businesses would at least email or call back to let you know that they will or won’t donate! I can be a very persistent person though, so the next step is to follow up in person! However, God knows exactly what He is doing. I can trust Him for whatever the outcome may be for the school auction. Roger’ boss graciously and generously gave us several gift certificates for our auction. I’m so thankful for those that are willing to help us in this endeavor. I’ll even happily write thank you cards!

Last Friday my friend, Claire, surprised me with a thoughtful gift bag. I enjoy giving gifts, but I also enjoy receiving them. Her thoughtfulness blessed my heart. We served soup on Friday for hot lunch. You know we live near the coast when one of the soups is Fish Chowder and many of the kids enjoyed it! I made beef stew, which I’m also assuming was good as there wasn’t any left.

After hot lunch, I went to Garett’s classroom to see what boys wanted to sing in the Christmas program. Originally only about four boys had said that they actually wanted to sing, but when I said whoever wanted to come and try out for the group could come, all seven of them came along! We worked through several different people combinations and some with everyone singing together. I asked the boys which ones of them wanted to sing and were willing to work hard at the song. I was surprised when all seven boys said that they wanted or were willing to sing. Truth be told, there voice combinations together aren’t as great as if it was a trio or quartet group. However, these are pre-teen boys that are willing to get up in front of an audience and sing! It’s not going to be their music  teacher that tells them they aren’t going to make the cut! The Bible says to make a joyful noise, and if these boys are willing to work at that, then that’s what we will do! I’m actually really thrilled that these boys are willing to step out of their comfort zones and sing! I am confident that God is going to use their lives greatly if they will continue to be willing vessels in The Master’s hand.

On Saturday Roger had the day off. That was nice because cooler weather is coming and we need to get ready! We cleaned up the yard and the basement, and worked on various projects around the house. Chandler had been invited to a birthday party in the afternoon for a classmate. He was excited about going, but when we arrived he was the only boy and about ten girls! However, Chandler did really well. He interacted with the girls, was polite, and he told me he had a good time. He also thanked me for not leaving him at the party, but for staying with him. It was a good time for both of us, as I enjoyed some fellowship with a few of the moms in Chandler’s classroom.

On Sunday afternoon I whipped up three pans of Mac n cheese, four dozen cookies, and cut up carrot sticks for our children’s program in the evening. While that project did use up most of the afternoon, cooking is something I really don’t mind. I also enjoy the challenge of seeing how inexpensively I can prepare a meal while keeping it balanced and kid friendly. Every once in a while, it’s enjoyable to have the opportunity to try that. Sometimes the opportunities are really close together but that’s okay too!


Yesterday was Monday, and a fresh new week! After dropping the kids off at school, I had a few errands to run. I had placed ten dollars in my back pocket, but later in the morning the money was missing! I searched high and low, retraced my steps, became irritated with myself  for being irresponsible and careless, and in truth, I lost my joy! After about thirty minutes of searching, looking, and being frustrated, I took the time to pray. (Yes, I should’ve done  that first!) God brought  to mind the verse “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, there with to be content.” Well, I certainly wasn’t content! I wanted my ten dollars back! However,  I was reminded that I was allowing ten dollars to steal my joy. This money was ruining my day and affecting my attitude. I confessed my heart condition to God, and I felt peace sweep over me. Truth is, I never did find that ten dollars. But then again what’s ten dollars in comparison to sweet fellowship with my Heavenly Father?! Here’s the really cool part though...the mail! In the mailbox today was a sweet card from my sister, and a gift of money for the kids education! I was brought to tears at how God continues to provide for our needs, his love for our physical needs, but also our hearts condition. I serve a great God, do you?


Well that about sums up my “down week”! Perhaps it also explains why I’m a bit tired on this Tuesday afternoon! It was a good week. We would appreciate your prayers as Roger and Chandler go off on their adventure this weekend. We love you all,
Sarah


Few funny moments from the week:
1) I asked Travis to bring me down a brush from the upstairs bathroom so that I could brush Emma’s hair. He came back with a brush...the toilet brush! Um,  no!

2) I’ve been working out in the mornings before the kids get up. They are usually up as I’m finishing up my workout. A few mornings ago, it was a difficult workout. I was about dead on the floor, when Wyatt pipes up “That’s funny. You don’t look any skinnier yet!” Thank you, son! Ah, the memories to laugh about bring joy to my soul!

Adventures and Education!

It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve written on our blog. And as much as I do it to keep others involved and informed about our lives, I also do it because I’m going to forget as I get older! The last seven days have been crazy, and I’m looking forward to some “down time” this week. Not down time as in I’ll be bored, but rather the chance to catch up on much needed projects around my own home and life. I can’t remember the last time I was bored!

Since the last few days have been so full, I’ll just capitalize on some of the highlights. We had a long weekend over Columbus Day, and we enjoyed a few extra fun activities with our family. Roger had to work on Friday, October 5th, but I took the kids up to visit with my sister. It’s been too long since we’ve visited, and I wanted to catch up on their lives. The kids enjoyed the chickens, exploring the yard, and visiting apple orchard. We picked a whole big grocery sack of apples, and in a week I had about four left! It was a beautiful day, and I’m glad I made the effort to squeeze in a visit.

 

 

On Columbus Day we had off of school also, and Roger had the day off of work. He’s been working on getting his sea plane rating, and it looked like he would need to do that on Monday. However, God worked out the details for him to be able to enjoy the day with the family. I had purchased a Groupon to an adventure ropes course months ago, and we needed to use it, or it would expire! We were able to go with our friends, the Philbrook’s. It was a fun afternoon and the kids definitely enjoyed the experience. Emma did part of the course with Roger, and she did a few of the small zip lines. Roger took her on the big zip line, and she enjoyed that too. Apparently, I’m the only one in the family that not crazy about heights!

Not having school on Monday always makes me feel “off”. I spent much of Tuesday in a meeting a church, shopping for hot lunch and preparing for our Harvest Dinner on Friday night. Wednesday was music classes, and with eight weeks until our Christmas program, we have no time to waste! I’m happy with the effort that the kids are putting into learning new songs and instruments. It’s the fastest thirty minute segments of my entire week!

Thursday was a special meeting concerning Garett’s education. A few weeks ago, he had some testing done to determine if he has a learning disability. What was discovered is that he does not display characteristics of a learning disorder, but is rather instead a slow but progressing learner. I was reminded that Garett is a hard working student, he is a leader in his class, he has a love of those around  him (just maybe not his brothers as much), and he learns at a different pace than most students. Ah, I love this boy of ours! In my flesh I wish that learning was easier for him, and that this wouldn’t be such a struggle. However, I’m reminded that if I love him more than I can express, His Heavenly Father has divinely created Garett, and God loves him far more than I ever could! These meetings are always hard on the parents, and for those that have children that learn differently, I can relate to you. It was a balm to my soul to meet in our administrators office after the meeting to pray for Garett. Hearing these teachers ask God for wisdom and direction on how to help Garett assures me that Garett is right where God wants him to be. Just as with each of our children, we are trusting God with their future. We will earnestly seek God’s direction, we will ask for wisdom, we will cry out for grace and help, but we will trust our Heavenly Father. I don’t know what God has in store for Garett. But I know that if Roger and I can keep pointing Garett to Jesus and helping him develop his relationship with Jesus, Garett can be exactly what God wants him to be without fear of failing or too scared to try. We serve an amazing God!

After we came home from the meeting on Thursday, Emma and I had a visit from my friend, Hannah. Hannah also has children close together, and we always enjoy visiting. It was a good morning as our children played together, and Hannah and I discussed many different things from parenting to churches to families to relationships, oh just everything! I also started on making food for the Harvest Dinner the next day. Our school is hosting a Harvest Dinner with an apple dessert contest. We are taking a free will offering that will go towards the financials needs of the school.


 Roger was sent home from work early on Thursday due to the rainy weather. After school, I helped three of our kids make apple desserts. Everyone wanted to use the apple peeler, so we had plenty of apples that were ready to go in the desserts. It was a bit of a crazy afternoon with three kids baking, white chicken chili cooking, hunting for our harvest decorations, making supper for our family, and trying to stay sane! Thankfully, my friend, Claire, had offered to make all the Mac n cheese needed for hot lunch for the school on Friday. I had my hands full with helping with an apple tart, and apple pie and an apple strudel! Roger took the chili to school on Thursday night so that I wouldn’t have to try to coordinate that big nesco in the morning. I was happy to crawl into bed that night!

Friday was the icing on the cake of crazy! I play the piano for chapel on Fridays, and I needed to put some songs in my iPad. Then Chandler’s class needed cookies for a science experiment, and of course hot lunch, decorating for the dinner, preparing for the dinner and finally home again! Actually for all that was in the day, it went relatively smoothly. I got up with Roger as I usually do to get in a workout before the day started. And then it was go, go, go all day. Allison and I did sneak away from the school to get coffee and take our kids to the playground for a bit. It was good to just sit down and visit for a few minutes. Claire and I had done the decorating for the dinner after lunch, and I’m so thankful for all her help. Emma and Lucy, Claire’s daughter, did very well during the afternoon at school. They played together, made messes together, but they got along all afternoon.  I am thankful for each family and person that made the effort to come to the Harvest Dinner. There are always those that I think would want to come or make the effort to be there, but guess what? I’m not responsible for them! God blessed our efforts with unity and harmony among those that came, and several families stayed to help clean up. Roger was able to make it to the dinner, and I was thankful for that. He has been working hard on this sea plane rating and has a check ride on Monday. I am excited for him as he has been looking forward to this. God is so good!

We’ve been discussing prayer with our Sunday school class. This week we focused on adoration of God. It was so encouraging for me to hear the students tell me about the attributes of God and describe His character. God is truth. God is just. God is holy. God is loving. God is our provider. God is our Rock. God is our Fortress. God is a deliverer. God is kind. God is persevering. God is unchanging. God is strong. God is the Creator. God is the King. God is our Savior. Wow! What a wonderful God we serve! I absolutely loved hearing the kids express their theology and be confident in Who God is.

Also this week another man in our church passed away. Our church has several older people whom I have grown to love and appreciate. This man usually sat behind us, and he was always enouraging when I was given the opportunity to play the piano. He was nintety two, I think. He will be missed. This is the second older person in our church that has passed away in the last month. We will miss these quiet, faithful men. It’s a reminder to me to love these older folks while I have the opportunity. And also a reminder to ask God to give us a few more families for our church body. Just as other churches, we have our share of struggles and burdens too. We need to be praying for boldness to preach Christ always...and if necessary, use words.

Thank you for your love and prayers. We appreciate each one of you.
Love,
Sarah

Field Trip!

I absolutely love this time of year! It’s such a reminder of what a creative and amazing God we serve! The fall colors are approaching full swing, the air is crisp and cool, and it’s a wonderful time of year! On the other hand...is it seriously October already?!

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to go on a field trip with Wyatt and Travis’s class. My friend, Claire, graciously offered to keep Emma with her. I definitely enjoyed the opportunity to go on the field trip. We were all able to travel together in one vehicle, so I was able to enjoy conversations with Mrs. Wheelis, who teaches second and third grade. The field trip was to the Conservation Fair. This fair is geared toward school aged children. There were educational booths, sessions, and activities for the kids to do. It was a bit of a cooler day, but the sun was shining. The students were able to see an owl, some salamanders, and a snake at the first session we attended. The students seemed to have a great time, and our students were respectful and polite. It is disappointing to report that was not the case with the majority of the students there! At the information booths, the students were supposed to listen and then ask questions. It’s very distracting the way some students were rude and interrupting. Guess what happened every time? The student being rude was asked a question or asked to help with volunteering! This is madness as we are rewarding bad behavior! Unfortunately, this is something that I’ve also observed in recent times in Sunday Schools, Children’s programs, and other such events. No one expects children to behave and because they are so disruptive, the person giving the talk probably felt compelled to try to do something. The unfortunate thing is that I don’t think a lot of teachers had any control over their students, but then again, that’s not possible if you are talking or texting, is it? That part was very disheartening! And it was such a reminder to keep working with our children and students. The future is right in front of our eyes, and we have a tremendous responsibility to point them to Jesus and to help them become a generation that will fear the LORD.  

 

Friday morning was a very rough morning for me. I don’t have rough days very often, but I don’t like them! There has been quite a bit of sickness going around the school, and I woke up feeling very tired. I had heard some discouraging news from my kids after school on Thursday, so I felt I needed to do my best to express some of my concerns. Ever have those conversations that go a lot better in your head than in real life? It was one of those mornings! By the time my friend, Claire, came down to the kitchen to help with lunch, I was a hot mama mess. But God always provides the right encouragement at the right time, first in my friend, Claire, and then Allison brought me coffee. But a weight was lifted, and I moved on with the day.


After hot lunch, Emma and I headed home. I actually decided to try to take a nap, but I never fall  asleep during the day...except this time! I woke up to Emma singing loudly, and the clock read “late”.
 I flew out of bed, gathered up Emma, and went to pick up the boys. We had plans after school to go help Mrs. Terri move wood. The boys enjoy the opportunity to drive the lawnmower with the bucket on the back. It really is a quick process when we all work together. I enjoy visiting with Terri, and the  boys had a great time playing in the yard and with the dog.


Roger had off on Saturday, and we enjoyed the day together. Garett went to his first teen activity, which is hard for this mama to believe! We went out to the youth activity in the afternoon as one of the teens was getting baptized. I was happy to see so many people from the church come out to the  
baptism also.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to play the piano for a local church. I always enjoy the opportunity to serve the Lord in this way. Roger had to work, and I had a bunch of kids with runny noses and barking coughs. Thankfully the kids were able to go to the airport while I played the piano at church. The pastor is a great preacher, and I enjoyed the message on demonstrating a “forgiving love”.  The kids all rested in the afternoon, and that seemed to help us all! For the evening service, I dropped our kids off at our children’s program at our church. It was a very weird feeling to just drop the kids off and not be helping! Emma was very disappointed to not have her mama be her teacher, but I knew she would get over it. Roger was able to pick them up after it was over, so I was able to go grocery shopping after church. It’s not my favorite to do it on Sunday after evening church, but my family likes to eat!


Roger had off on Monday, which meant that we could have a date! Hooray! All the kids were in school on Monday morning, so Roger and I went on a walk. And we went out to breakfast, spent time discussing budgets, dates on the calendar, and our activities for the month of October. It was a profitable morning for us, and we needed a date together. After picking up Emma, we headed home. She was delighted to have daddy home for the day, and even happier that she didn’t have to go pick up the boys in the afternoon. When I picked up the boys from school, Chandler’s teacher mentioned that Chandler seemed to not be feeling well. I asked him about it on the way home, and he replied that he had thrown up after lunch. “What?! Why didn’t you tell your teacher? He said that he just wanted to finish the day. We had a discussion about what information is important to tell our teachers. He spent the afternoon on the couch, and he threw up several more times. He had a terrible headache, and he slept terribly...so did his mama! He was feeling better by Tuesday morning, but I told him he would have to stay home from school. He was disappointed to have to stay home, but Emma was delighted to have a brother home for the day. I worked on many projects around the house, and I did  enjoy having them home for the day. Chandler is back to himself and ready to return to school.

Today is Wednesday, and it was a full day. I taught music classes, which I don’t mind, but it’s a lot to prepare for every week. We are nine weeks away from our Christmas program, and I feel like I have my fingers in about ten pies! Everyone returned to school, and after about three days of cloudy weather, the sun came out! It was a beautiful fall day, and one that I enjoyed greatly. I am so thankful for eyes that can see color, ears to hear music, and a body that can walk and enjoy God’s creation. I am so blessed!

In case you didn’t see it on Facebook, I have signed up to be a beachbody coach. Basically,  I want to help and encourage others on their fitness journeys. I enjoy being active, and while I have so much to learn about nutrition and health, I do enjoy encouraging others. I will always enjoy running, but as I get older I can recognize the importance of strength training. I signed up to have access to the workouts, and then I joined a challenge group. This is a group of wonderful Christian ladies, and I have been encouraged by this group. I like the variety of the workouts, and they have a workout for every body type and every fitness level. I am not going to be getting a six pack of abs, nor do
I really want that, but I do want to be fit for the Master who created me. I want to have energy for my husband and my children, and to encourage others to join me. If you are interested in learning more, I’d love to hear from you. And you can visit my website if your interested.

https://mysite.coach.teambeachbody.com/?coachId=1765734&locale=en_US

We love you all, and we are thankful for you.
Love,
Sarah

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. This is a verse that Emma is learning, and it’s been a good reminder for me to. I want my actions, words, and life to be a reflection that points people to Jesus.