Last Week of Memories in Maine! Fishing, Reading, Packing- God is Faithful!

 Our time in Maine is coming to a close. In less than a week, Roger will be here to help us empty out our storage unit, pack the u-haul truck and head to North Carolina. It’s hard to believe that it’s really almost here! For so long, moving has felt like a distant dream but it’s quickly becoming a reality. We’ve spent this last week packing, packing, cleaning, fishing, packing, fishing, cleaning, packing…see a pattern here?! We’ve also have spend some time with friends for the last time, and we’ve said good by to a few people that we know we won’t see again. 

I’ve felt extremely fatigued and to be honest,  a bit depressed over the last week. While I am very much looking forward to being together again as a family, transitions are challenging…finding a new church home, new friends, a new school, all those things are very daunting for myself but especially for our children. Emma has been excited to move to Michigan and now North Carolina, but now that the time has arrived, she’s been emotional and a little distraught about leaving her school and friends. I get it. We long to be together as a family again, and I am certainly not cut out to be a single parent to five kids! When we moved here almost six years ago, we didn’t know a single person in the area, but God provided a Christian school and a church family. He slowly provided friendships (some of them deep enough to last for a lifetime) and we built relationships with people. We set down roots, and we expected to be here for a long time. 

However, when Roger’s boss died in 2020, God began to slowly reveal that He had another plan in mind for our family- we just did not know what that plan looked like! As we prayed and pondered, God continued to work in our hearts that change was coming. We knew that we were asking God to provide Roger with a job that would allow him to be home every night. As we prayed for that, God opened the doors for a job for Roger in Michigan. Roger was able to complete his multi-engine rating, and he started that job in October. We put our house on the market, and it sold in five days. Roger started the job in Michigan, but there was not a house/property to be found that would meet our needs. Meanwhile, God provided an apartment here in Maine that the kids and I could live in for the school year. Roger flew to Maine every month, and the kids and I went out to Michigan for Christmas. We were excited about being closer to my parents, but still there were no properties to buy. At Christmas time, Roger spoke to me about the possibility that this job in Michigan might not be a good long-term fit for our family. Say what?! Roger was concerned about some changes that were coming down the pike, as well as several other factors. We didn’t say anything to anyone for a while, but just kept praying and asking God to make His plan clear to us. As soon as we told the kids that we weren’t moving to Michigan, Emma announced it to the world! So we weren’t moving to Michigan, but where were we moving?! Roger made plans to return to Maine to get a local job while we continued to pray. However, in the middle of March, Roger had a phone call with a friend that suggested a job in North Carolina. North Carolina?! He had a phone interview and they asked him to come down the next weekend. Roger drove down to North Carolina at the end of March, and I flew down for three days. It was a quick trip, but it was clear that God was on the move! We drove all around the area (that was when gas was quite a bit cheaper!) and began to explore housing options. Roger drove back to Michigan to give his two week notice, and I came back to Maine to keep teaching. Roger started the job right after Easter, and we put an offer in on a house a week later. God’s timing is always on time. We’ve now closed on our property, and in a little over a week we should be arriving at that property as a family of seven. We are excited about that!

This week:

We spent Monday morning at the Smith’s house. The boys and Emma played in the yard and in the pool while Bethany and I visited together. On Monday evening the boys went fishing, while Emma and I sat on the bank, got eaten by mosquitoes and read books. Tuesday evening found us at church for a wiffle ball game. The boys have really enjoyed that. Wyatt has learned to bat and catch with his left hand while wearing his cast. He also rides his bike, and he still manages to go fishing…no wonder the doctor wanted him to put it in a cast instead of a brace! We are praying that he will be able to have it removed this coming Friday. 

We’ve also spent some time with a classmate of Garett’s. It was raining, so we went bowling. Wyatt also managed to bowl with his left hand! This particular friend seemed to need some extra encouragement, and I pray that we were able to do that for him. We have the opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this fallen world around us, and I certainly don’t want to waste these moments. We took a drive out to see our old neighbors this past week, and we had a good visit with them. I don’t think they know Jesus as their Savior, but they know that we love them and Jesus. The boys had the opportunity to cut their grass for them, and show them Christ’s love through serving. 

Travis and Emma had a play date with their friends, Abel and Lucy. Emma and Lucy have been friends since 3 year old preschool, and Emma has said often that she is going to miss Lucy. Travis is not much of a talker, but he and Abel are good friends, and we’ve been blessed by their friendship to our children. Emma and Travis enjoyed a whole day walking, eating, playing, and making memories with their friends. I’m thankful that Claire (Abel and Lucy’s mom) invited Travis and Emma over this week. It’s important that our children also get to say good-by to their friends. 

Because the boys have been doing a lot of fishing, I’ve been doing a lot of reading! Normally, I’d drop the boys off and then go home and come back and pick them up. However, we’ve been trying to cut some expenses (we have an unexpected expense on our new property) so I’ve just been sitting while the boys have been fishing. I finished two books this past week, and I’m almost done with the third. The first book I read was “For the Love”. She made some really good points about discipleship and ministries. She asked her readers the questions “What does ministry look like?” Is ministry having something for the church people to come to every night of the week? Awana, small group, visitation, etc. or is ministry more about the “church” going to the community? Is it having dinners with our neighbors, helping out a soup kitchen, playing with our children and engaging in lives around us? I’m not saying that Awana is not good or that we shouldn’t have church functions. However, balance anyone?! (I do have some convictions and feelings on both, but here is not the time or place or space!) Anyways, I was going along reading the book, agreeing with much of what the author was saying about raising kids, loving Jesus, and the church, but then I looked up the author. Let’s just say that the person who wrote the book seven years ago, and the person she is now are not even close! What a disappointment! Thankfully, I was able to “chew the meat and spit the bones” so to speak, but wow! The amount of people/authors/pastors/ that are “deconstructing their faith”  and walking away is overwhelming at times! We need to take God at His Word which means that at times I don’t understand His master plan, but I trust my Heavenly Father! Yes, bad things do happen to good people. God allows things that we do not understand, and we may NOT ever understand! But we can trust that God is working out things for His glory. Anyways, that was the first book. 

The second book I read was kinda an autobiography about Laura Story. She wrote the song “Blessings”, and it’s become a very popular song. However, she wrote it at a time when she could not see the Master’s plan but she had to trust Him. Her husband had a brain tumor, almost died, has had to overcome several handicaps, and yet Laura and her husband continue to praise and serve God. It was a good read and my struggles seem to pale in comparison to what they’ve gone through. Yet the good news is that God cares just as much about my struggles as He does those that are struggling with cancer, infertility, death, overwhelming burdens.etc. 

The third book (one that I haven’t quite finished) is “Mama Bear Apologetics”. This one is a good book, but it definitely requires a bit more thinking. However, we cannot skip over the fact that we live in a different world than we did 30 years ago. It is my (and Roger’s) responsibility to raise our sons and daughter to thrive in the gender that God CREATED them with. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend that there is not an agenda to demoralize boys (girls too). It’s a crisis in our nation and world, and we need to equip our children to understand God’s design for them. We need to be prepared to speak the truth in love, but yet we cannot just sit by and pretend that it’s okay for everyone to choose their gender as that is not the Master’s Plan. 

We are tired of packing, cleaning, and repeating! However, we are getting closer! This morning we went out to our friends (Allison and Jason) cabin on the lake. Emma went swimming while the boys fished. I have to say having Wyatt sit in a kayak with a paddle and a fishing pole in the same hand has made me nervous! I’ll be thankful to get that cast off, and I pray that we can make it another five days without getting it wet! 

Through it all, God has been so faithful to us. We are anxiously counting down the days until we move together to North Carolina. I’ve been in touch with a Christian school in the area, and we have plans to tour the school the last week in June. Christian school is expensive!-very! We took a pay cut when Roger took the job in North Carolina (but firmly believe that this was exactly what God wanted for us), and I won’t be teaching this fall. Please pray that we will have great wisdom to know what we should/could do. 

We want the very best for our children, so if that’s homeschooling then I want to do it well. If it’s Christian school, then God will make that clear to us. If we do decide to put them in a Christian school there are a few very specific things that we would be looking for in a school. 1) An environment where our children can grow in their walk with the Lord through discipleship, mentorship, and opportunities to put their faith into practice. 2) We are looking for a school to partner with us in training our children. While we are ultimately responsible for them, it is important to have a school that will help us in that goal of raising them for God’s glory. 3) Communication- we will be new to the area and the school so communication is going to be very important. It’s sometimes easy to assume that people/parents/students/ know the rules, but not everyone has grown up in that particular school. No school will be perfect as it’s made of imperfect people, and we would certainly add to the equation of imperfectness!  I did have a discussion with the administrator of a school in the area that we will be living in, and we are looking forward to meeting in person. I am so very thankful that God has a plan. He is not surprised at any moment in time, and He wants what is best for me, Roger and our children. He is at work, even when I can’t see His plan. 

God is so good. I hope that you can see Him at work in our lives as well as your own. We appreciate your love and prayers as we enter our last week in Maine. 

I’m including a link to the song Blessings. Sometimes when we know the story behind the song, the lyrics become even more meaningful. I know that I’ve been blessed by this song- enjoy. God loves you so much!

A Busy Ten Days- House closing, broken hand, school ends, trip to Boston, etc!

 

School is out for the summer! By the grace of our Great God, we made it through the year! It seems surreal to be done for the year as the school’s around us still have a few weeks. A few school districts in our area don’t get done with school until June 23! 

The last ten days have been a blur, but I know if I don’t write something down, I’ll forget almost everything! The last week of school was over before I could even blink! We had field trips, made tie-dye shirts, tried a few experiments that went wonky, went on a beach combing hike, awards chapel, and the last day of school! My students were tired, and so was the teacher by the time Friday came around! While I was ready to be done with the school year, I did cry as I looked into the faces of my 16 kindergartners one last time. We learned so much together this year. They learned 11 Bible verses, and probably about 40 Bible songs. We studied miracles of Jesus, what is prayer, the story of Queen Esther and so much more. They learned academics, but I hope above the academics they grasped the fact that their Heavenly Father loves them and He desires a personal relationship with them. I love them all dearly, and I am looking forward to seeing how God uses their lives. 

We had a special class time in our kindergarten room this past week when Pastor Mark came in to our classroom to answer some of their questions. My students enjoyed the opportunity to visit with him, and it was good for them to have some informal discussion with our pastor. 

Thursday was awards chapel for grades pre-k through 9th. No matter how short I think it’s going to be, it’s always longer than I planned! For the most part, my class did very well sitting through over an hour of talking and awards! I did share a few funny moments from my class when I got up to present my classroom awards. Here are a few of my memories: 

                 One Friday, I wore nylons with my dress to chapel, one of my students rubbed my ankle and then promptly asked, “What happened to your real legs?!” 

                I was overhearing a conversation in the hallways between two of my students. Student A: “You’re such a tattle tale!” Student B (immediately): “I am NOT! I’m going to tell the teacher you said that!” 

                We’ve been learning the books of the New Testament. I asked my students to tell me one of the books of the New Testament. One student excitedly said, “II Kilometers!” Um - I think you mean II Corinthians! 

                When I presented the awards of certificate of completion to my kindergartners, almost every one of them gave me a hug. The one child that did not hug me, put out his hand and gave me a very formal handshake! I about laughed out loud because this is the child that has constantly hugged me, wanted to sit on my lap, and be right close to me alllll year long! It’ll be a fun memory! 

Emma received an award for “Self-control” in her classroom. Travis received an award for “Perseverance” as well as the “Royal Knight Award” for the 2nd quarter (an award for displaying positive Character traits in a school quarter). Wyatt received the Royal Knight Award for the first quarter. Chandler  received the Royal Knight Award for all four quarters in his class as well as “Male Athlete of the year”. And Garett received the Royal Knight Award for the 1st and 3rd quarter as well as a special book from one of his high school teachers. I was so proud of them as those are awards that are a reflection of their character! They are FAR from perfect, but I am so proud of them for sticking it out through a difficult school year. God is good. Roger and I are thankful for each one of our children, and while we have our very difficult days, God gives us grace and new morning mercies. He also provides forgiveness and restitution. I am blessed. 

On Friday night (5/27) Chandler had his 8th grade graduation. He did wear dress clothes, but then he forgot his belt! He immediately went to change after the ceremony, but he looked nice and presentable. His teacher presented him with some fishing lures as his graduation gift as she knows how much he enjoys fishing. Chandler’s teacher was/is amazing! I have been so thankful for her, and her Godly influence on Chandler’s life. She’s mentored me, challenged me, and prayed with me many, many times over the school year, and I will miss her. I am thrilled that Chandler had her for his teacher. God knew that Chandler would need her for his teacher this year. 

Chandler had a soccer game in Boston this past weekend. Due to the graduation on Friday night, we ended up leaving for Boston at about 3:45am. It was a long day, but a good day with the kids. It looked like rain, but thankfully the rain held off during Chandler’s game. We did take a short trip into Rhode Island just because we’ve never been there before, and then we could cross another state off our list of places we’ve never  been. However, we ended up in downtown Providence, R.I. And it was in the middle of a college graduation! It was a nightmare of traffic! Travis got car sick, and he was throwing up in the car. I cannot handle barf, so I was trying to drive and not throw up! Needless to say, it was an experience we will never forget! We had a good time as a family, and although we missed Roger greatly, I was thankful to have some time with our children that was not centered around school activities, school projects, or school property! Also, I was pretty impressed that I drove to and from Boston with five kids by myself! I’m not a huge fan of big city driving, but God gave us protection and good traveling weather. 

Monday was Memorial Day! We celebrated by going up to Hannah and Josh’s in the morning. We went to a lake park with them and their family. The boys enjoyed fishing while Emma did go swimming in the frigid lake water! They ate a lot of food, played, fished and swam and then it was time to go home. It was a fun morning of visiting with family, and we were thankful for the opportunity. On Monday afternoon we went over to the Davis’s house for supper. Our kids enjoyed playing basketball, football, and swimming in their pool of very frigid water! I enjoyed some adult conversations with Tim and Jess about many things including discussions about Christ, the church, and the role of the church. I’m not a theologian or deep thinker by any means, but I do enjoy discussions on things that matter for eternity like missions, evangelism, families, discipleship, etc. Wyatt ended the evening with coming home with a swollen hand. He had had an exuberant fist bump with someone, and then his hand started swelling. I’m not a “rush to the ER” type of person, so we tried ice, some pain medication, and I was hoping that a good night’s rest would solve the problem. 

However, Tuesday found us in the walk-in clinic in the afternoon. I had texted my sister, Hannah, about Wyatt’s hand. She said that she would probably take him in to be seen due to the swelling in his hand. I called the pediatrician and they suggested bringing him to the walk-in clinic or the ER. We went to the walk-in clinic and spent most of the afternoon there! Wyatt took a nap on the exam room table, and I sat on the floor and closed my eyes. I thought they had forgotten about us, but they were just busy. When the doctor came in, she looked at his hand, suggested that it might be broken, and said that we should head over to the hospital for xrays. So, we had about an hour and forty-five minute wait, and then a five minute visit and then over to the hospital! Fun times! Thankfully, the hospital visit was quick and we were in and out of x-rays in 15 minutes. The doctor called about an hour later and said that yes, Wyatt’s hand was broken! He would need to go see the orthopedic doctor in the morning. WHAT?! We made it almost 16 years without any broken bones and here we are! Oh, his brothers are never going to stop giving Wyatt grief about being the first person to break a bone among the kids! They will tease him about breaking a bone so that he doesn’t have to move moving boxes, but then help him with his sweatshirt or pouring a cup of milk (at least for the first day!). When we went to the orthopedic doctor on Wednesday morning, she said that she wanted to cast his hand. I told her that we were moving out of the state in 18 days! She said that she would like to cast it and then we will come back right before moving to have the hand looked at again. For some reason, the doctor thought that casting the hand might be better than a splint once she heard that Wyatt had three brothers! Haha! She said that she felt like a cast would allow Wyatt to do more of what he wants to do rather than trying to be really careful with the splint/brace on. It didn’t take a very long time, and we walked out of the clinic with a hand in a cast! We are praying for a quick healing! 

We closed on our house in North Carolina on May 23! The closing went fairly smoothly, and we are thankful to have a property in North Carolina. We have some things that we know need fixing (quite a few) so Roger has been busy on those projects. We will be continuing on various projects on the property to make it “home” for a while, but I am thankful to have things to do to keep everyone busy this summer. We ended up purchasing the property for 20k under the asking price, without any other offers on the property, and an expedited closing (less than 30 days). God is so good! The kids are looking forward to some space, and I’m looking forward to them having some space! 

We will be leaving Maine on Father’s Day weekend. Ironically enough, it’s will be almost six years to the day when we moved TO Maine! Roger will be flying in on Friday, June 17th. We will be emptying out our storage unit and packing the moving truck on Saturday. Then we plan to leave on Sunday morning after church. It’s sure to be an emotional Sunday, but God has always been so faithful. We are very much ready to be together again as a family. We know we will have some hard learning curves as we re-adjust to life as a complete family again but also in a totally new environment and space. I still remember a very, very long, lonely summer six years ago when we moved to Maine, and we did not know anyone in the area. God was faithful then, and He will be faithful now. 

Please pray for us as we will be looking for a church to attend become involved with. We are praying for wisdom about the school year. (We would kinda like to possibly put them in a Christian school again, but school is expensive! I would need a job to be able to afford to put them in Christian school. However, God has done miracles for us before.) We would appreciate your prayers for our family. 

The past ten days have been very full of activities as well as lots of emotions. We are so ready to be together as a family again, but also we are feeling the sadness of moving away from what is familiar and secure to us. Emma was two when we moved to Maine, so this has been her life. Wyatt is still struggling the most with moving, but now that school is out, he is becoming more excited. I was able to finish packing up my classroom at school this week with the help of my friend, Shaina. It was a bittersweet feeling to walk away from the little classroom that bustled with the life and enthusiasm of 16 students. I’ll miss teaching, but we will see what God does in and through us as we continue to follow Him. He is so faithful-even when I’m not! Thank you for your continued prayers. 

Patriotism, Birthdays, and a House Closing!

 What a week it has been! Last ten days of school, birthday blessings, Patriotic Program, prepping for a house closing, to name a few things that have been events of the past week! I am so tired, but I am rejoicing in so many things that God is doing. 

God is faithful- so faithful! While the world around us squabbles, erupts in chaos and confusion, and blatantly disregards God and His Word, there is lasting peace in Jesus.

 Just last night, (Friday) our school performed a Patriotic Concert. The Patriotic Program is one of my very favorite school events, so I was thankful and blessed to be involved in some small ways. We had our first all school practice on Monday afternoon, and wow -we had a lot to do bring everything together by Friday evening. But by the grace of God, patience, persistence and hard work, I do believe that God was glorified last night. I found myself in tears several times as the students sang “God bless the USA”, “Father, I adore You”, “How many Kings?” And so many other songs and quotes. It’s hard to believe that this was the last Patriotic Program that I’ll be involved in. When I approached the school board with the idea of a Patriotic Program four years ago, they were immediately supportive and enthusiastically backed the idea. We missed a year due to Covid, but each time we’ve had a Patriotic Program it’s close to  standing room only in the church building. All Glory To God! It’s been a fantastic opportunity to reach into our community, teach our students, and glorify our Heavenly Father. I’ll miss it! 

 In a day and age where patriotism seems to be frowned upon, we MUST be diligent to raise up a generation of citizens that recognize that patriotism and Christian beliefs go hand in hand. Our Founding Fathers recognized their need for dependence upon Almighty God and upon the principles of the Bible, wrote the Constitution. I know this is my opinion that no one asked for, but I believe that every family, church, and Christian school has a responsibility to educate children in both the Bible and the history of our country. It’s easy to say that “we teach history” but are we equipping and preparing the next generation to become involved in city, state, and national politics?  I know that I feel like I was not adequately equipped to understand local and state politics and I want to do better with our own children. It is not enough to just tell them to “go and vote”, we must be diligent to prepare them to be in the battles that war against our freedoms! We cannot falter or be lazy in raising our children! Voting is SO important, so is preparing the next generation! Okay, stepping down off my soap box now, but you get the idea!  

Also, this past week I celebrated another birthday! It does seem like the years are picking up speed! I hardly have time to remember how old I am and another birthday is upon me! It was a full day as we celebrated my birthday in my classroom with a pizza party! My students made me lots of homemade cards, and I received several gifts from my friends. I had lunch with Allison on Monday, but it was a short lunch! I had to run off to program practice, but thankfully she understands my craziness! My friend, Hannah, made me a cheesecake for my birthday that was greatly enjoyed by all my children and myself. Roger and I decided that we would celebrate my birthday as a family when we are all back together again, as I don’t need one more thing to pack! It was a good day, and I’m thankful for another year of life. 

These last few days/weeks of school are LOOOOONG! We are all looking forward to being done, and we are approaching the finish line. I say that the days are long, but they are both long and short at the same time. I find myself with many things that I’d still like to teach them, but I find that my methods of teaching become more and more unconventional. We had a students birthday on Friday, and his parents brought an excavator to school. Super fun for the students and some hands-on learning! A few more days of assessments, field trips, fun projects and field day, and another year will be done. I’ve found myself in tears more than once this past week as I’m going to miss my class of 16 kindergartners. I’ve been so blessed to teach them this year, and while at times I’ve felt like throwing in the towel, God has been so faithful. 

We are preparing to close on our North Carolina property on Monday! Wow! Again, God has done “exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think”! We are rejoicing in His provision and goodness, and we are SO excited about being back together as a family agin. I’ve started packing up the apartment, and I’m just flabbergasted by all the stuff we’ve accumulated in almost 9 months! Whew! It’s a big job and one that I can’t focus on much until school is over. The kids have mixed emotions about the school year ending. A few of them enjoyed almost the entire school year, a few had rough classrooms and the year was long. Through it all- God has been faithful! 

I know part of it is just plain fatigue, but as we get closer to moving, I have my own mixed emotions. According to Chandler, “Why are you crying about everything these days?” Haha! I’m always emotional at the end of the school year, but this year is a little different as we prepare to say good by permanently. The kids have been in the local Christian school for six years, and I’ve taught in some way for the past five years. The school is dear to my heart, and I really do love teaching. I don’t know what the future holds or what the next school year will bring for our family, but I am very thankful for this local Christian school. I’m thankful for the opportunity to invest in the lives of children. This past week, I asked my kindergarteners if they had any questions that they would like to ask the pastor next week. They were so excited about the opportunity to ask questions and I could hardly keep up with writing them down! I was amazed at the depth of some of their questions! Here are a few: “How do we do great things?” “How does my soul live forever?” “Why do good people go to hell?” “Do babies go to Heaven?” “Are the streets really gold in Heaven and do we get to drive a gold car?” “What age will I be in Heaven?”  I’m excited for my kindergartners to have an informal time of discussion with our pastor, and please be in prayer for both him and my students. So many of my students have asked deep questions about salvation and heaven, and I know that they really do want to know about Jesus. I am so privileged to have the blessing of teaching them, and I certainly do not take that lightly. 

In closing, we appreciate your continued prayers as we finish the school year, pack up and prepare to transition. Chandler will be graduating from 8th grade, and while he’s excited about being done for the school year, formal events are not his thing! According to Chandler, dress clothes feel like fiberglass and they give him a rash! Ahh Chandler! It’s hard without Roger being here for these last few school moments, but we know that God has a perfect plan in His perfect timing. Just a few more weeks, and we will all be together again! Thank you for your love and prayers! 

May Blessings!!

 May flowers are finally here! We’ve enjoyed some wonderfully warm weather this week which has been wonderful for outside recess! It’s also been much harder to focus in school, so we are thankful that we are almost done! 

Since I’ve written on the blog last, we’ve had Teacher Appreciation Week, Mother’s Day, fun with friends, preparing to close on our property in North Carolina, and planning the last two weeks of field  trips and hands-on learning! 

Last week our parent group celebrated the teachers and staff at our Christian school. It was a full week of breakfast, favorite coffees, muffins, goodie bags, a luncheon and so much more! I am so thankful for our parent group that works to appreciate the staff and teachers. I am so blessed to love what I do, and I love to think about making a difference for eternity in the lives of my students. Many of my students (with their parents help) gifted me with flowers, notes, and gift cards. I was amazed by their love and generosity. I’ve been involved in our local Christian school in some way or another for the past six years, so it’s hard to imagine what next year will look like for us. We know that God is good and faithful and that He will continue to direct our steps. I made a slideshow presentation for my class last week, and as I looked through pictures from the school year, I was moved to tears. They’ve grown so much both physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I am so blessed to be their teacher this year. 

On Saturday night, we went over to the Davis’s again. It’s kinda become a tradition now as we’ve shown up at their house every weekend for the past five weeks! We’ve come to love and appreciate their family and friendship. This past weekend, we played softball, Robertson’s versus the Davis’s. It was a lot of fun, and so much yelling from both families! We got along great as a family when we were up to bat, but when we were in the outfield- whew! What’s funny is that both families responded the same way! It was like “then the fights began” when the family was in the outfield! It’ll always be a fun memory and the fact that the Robertson family won! Haha! 

Oh, another big blessing for this week is that our hot water was fixed on Monday! It was the best Monday news that I’ve gotten in a long time! We had been showering at different friends houses, but it’s nice to shower at home! I’m thankful for friends that were willing to let me come over at 5:30am to shower, but after ten days it was so nice to have hot water come out of the faucet again! I wouldn’t say the boys are excited about washing dishes, but they do appreciate the hot water more now than they did ten days ago. 

Mother’s Day was a quiet day. I sometimes wish that my children were better about writing notes, but I’m thankful for the quiet “I love you” or the long conversations around the dinner table at night or discussion about the things in life that really matter like relationships and character traits. We did have lunch together at “Five Guys” which is a favorite hamburger spot. We also went to the park and on a walk. It was a beautiful day, and I’m thankful for the children that spent it with me. 

I also cut Emma’s hair this past week. She kept saying that she wanted to grow it out, but since she has a hard time keeping it clean, out of her mouth, and brushing it, it was time to cut it! Travis told her that her hair looked like a “raccoons nest”! I think what he meant was a “Rat’s nest”?! Either way, Emma’s hair was cut by mom. It’s not the straightest job ever, but ya know, oh well! Emma said that she likes the fact that it’s easier to brush now, and so do I! 

In North Carolina news, we are preparing to close on our property on May 23. There were a few things that showed up in the home inspection that we needed to work through (call my dad about!) but we are submitting our counter offer and praying that it’s accepted so that we can close smoothly. The property needs work, but we are thankful that we didn’t have multiple offers to contend with, it’s out in the country,  and we have a few acres. We are still very much praying about schooling options for next year as well as finding a church family. Please continue to pray for our children as we prepare to transition. We are tentatively planning on leaving Maine on Father’s Day weekend. Ironically enough, we left Wisconsin around Father’s Day weekend six years ago. Roger is planning to fly back to Maine, we will load up our belongings and head south. We plan to attend our local church on Sunday morning, and then leave after church. It’s about a fourteen hour drive, so we will break it up into two days. I don’t really want to pull up to a house I’ve never seen in real life, late at night and exhausted! It’s going to be an emotional weekend for sure, but God has brought us through hard things before many times. We are so, so excited about being back together as a family. That has been very hard on us, but we are so thankful that God has directed us every step of the way. We are so thankful that we didn’t uproot our family last fall. We are thankful that we don’t have a house to sell in Michigan. We are thankful that this job in North Carolina was provided in God’s perfect timing. Roger has been busy the past week as it is fire season there. He flew 10.5 hours the other day, only stopping to fuel the airplane. We are thankful for these extra hours of work though, as it makes it easier for him to come back to Maine to help us move. 

We are so thankful for your continued prayers. God is faithful! I’m so thankful that we can rest in Him. To God be the Glory! 

UNDER CONTRACT! (A house, a race, and other shenanigans)

 

“When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” This is one of my favorite Bible verses, and it’s often quoted when referring to being overwhelmed with sorrow, grief, or sadness. However, it’s also true when my heart is overwhelmed with all the wonderful things that my Heavenly Father does for me/us. God is good. Even when things seem impossible, God is bigger. 

We serve an amazing God- which if you’ve been following along with us for any length of time, you know that God has answered our prayers time and time again. When we were looking for and praying about a property in North Carolina, we were specifically praying for a place with a little land, a place with some privacy for loud, noisy children, a place with a wooded lot, a place that we wouldn’t have to have much/any mortgage. I was dreaming of a house with a wrap around porch, plenty of space for guests, and a spot to call “home” again. We’ve looked at quite a few properties. Roger has driven past many of them, and nothing has been available. We decided that we were willing to move a little farther north and west with our search, and God directed both of us to point out the same property on Zillow! The property is about 26 minutes from Roger’s work, and it’s in a good location for us.  This past week, we put in an offer on a property! It’s not my dream house, but God has provided us with an amazing location for our large, noisy family. We have an accepted offer on a property with almost seven acres, a wooded area, a house that can’t be seen from the road, and only chickens for close neighbors- oh, wow! God is good, so good! As I texted one of my friends last night, I couldn’t help the tears from flowing as I was reminded of how God has continually provided for our family in the midst of a challenging and difficult year. He’s been faithful. I’ve wavered in my faith at moments, but God has carried us through. We are preparing to close on this property on May 23, which is just a short three weeks away. The property needs work and there is no doubt about that! However, we have five children that are capable of helping us with picking up the yard, painting, landscaping, drywalling, and other miscellaneous projects. Another amazing thing about this property is that we didn’t have any other offers to contend with, and the buyer is ready to sell! We put in our first offer on Tuesday night, and the buyer counter-offered that same night! We countered again, and settled on a price- almost 17k under the original asking price! We serve and worship an AWESOME GOD! (If you want to see the link to the property, I’m happy to send it to you. Just message or text me.) Please pray for the house inspection this week as well as the closing to happen as smoothly as possible. What a God we serve! 

In other news, Roger has been adapting and adjusting to his new job. He started on the 18th, and we have an accepted offer on a property on April 28th. Since we will be closing on the house before school is finished for the year, Roger will have a little bit of an opportunity to “jump start” some projects. We are excited about finishing school. Chandler often prays, “help me to just finish strong.” He’s right! It’s been a year to remember, and we are very much looking forward to being together. But we want to finish what we’ve started. I do ask for extra prayers for our smack-dab-in-the-middle child as he wrestles through some things regarding his grades, character, and choices he makes. It’s been a struggle, but God is bigger. 

Also this past week we had a couple of other fun memories. Last week my parents came from Wisconsin to watch Hannah and Josh’s kids while they attended a wedding. We spent quite a bit of time driving up to visit them and play with the kids last weekend and into this week. I’m a bit biased and I think my boys are great with little ones. But it’s always wonderful to hear someone else say, “Your boys are so good with the little ones.” And they are! We drove up last Friday night to my sisters house, and I could tell my parents were tired when we arrived. Hannah and Josh had left early Friday morning, and my parents had driven the 21 hours from Wisconsin to Maine, pulling into the driveway about 9:30pm on Thursday night. Three kids ages five and under will make you tired! The kids and I were able to help clean up from supper, bathe and dress kids, read to them, and prepare everyone for bed. It was a good opportunity to serve. We drove back up on Saturday morning to visit and play for a few hours, but then we needed to head home. The boys had been planning an airsoft party with some of their classmates, and they were looking forward to that. 

Saturday afternoon (4/23)found us at the Davis’s house with about ten other junior high boys. Almost every boy in Chandler’s class had come out for the air soft party, and it was a fun, fast 2 hours of playing together. It’s amazing how much boys can fight and squabble in small spaces, but give them some space and opportunities to work together, and suddenly they’re friends! We are thankful that Jess and Tim were willing to have a bunch of kids out tromping through their property. I’m especially thankful that Tim was even willing to play with the boys, and Jess and I had a great visit with another mom (Bethany) for a few hours! 

This past week we felt that school both dragged and flew by! I took all the kids out of school on Monday as my parents were in town. It was a fun, full day with visiting and enjoying each other’s company. On Wednesday my parents drove down to get a few boys out of school for the day, and the rest of us came up after school. We spent a lot of time driving last week, but it was worth it to soak up family time. We are going to miss Hannah and Josh and their little ones when we move to North Carolina. 

My friend, Jess, had invited me to a painting class at her church that was happening on Friday night. Two things: I’m not an artist and everything sounds like a better idea earlier in the week! By the time Friday night rolled around, Jess and I were not “feelin” it, but hey, we had paid and also a few other ladies that we knew were going to the class too. Per usual, I am glad I went. My kids hung out with the Davis’s kids while we were at the painting class. I’m not an artist, but at least I can tell what the painting is supposed to be! Emma asked if she could hang it up in her room at the new house-yes, yes, you can! It was a fun evening of fellowship with Jess and other ladies. 

Saturday dawned chilly and cool, but it was the day of our school 5k race. I had already signed up, and paid for our family to do it, so there was no backing out now! We didn’t have as much advertising for the event as in years past, so I wasn’t sure what the turnout would be. However, this was a good community event as families from the school, church and community came out to support the event. Chandler had gotten a shin smashed at his last soccer game, so I told him that he might want to think about taking it easy. Haha! Not if that meant Garett could beat him! The race was on! I haven’t run three miles in…well, I don’t know how long, but one thing I remember is the voice of my cross-country coach in my head, “Run your race. Don’t ever look back. Keep your pace.” Once I started, I was committed and not quitting that’s for sure! I kept Garett and Chandler in my sights for a while, and Travis and Wyatt both kept pace for me for almost a mile. Gradually, I lost sight of the older boys, and pulled ahead of the two younger boys. At the last turn in the 5K someone shouted to me that Chandler was in first place. Good for him, but I still had my own race to run! I finished with a time of 24:35 or something like that, and I was at least a full five minutes behind Chandler! I came in 9th place, right behind Garett. Chandler had won the race with a time of 19:16. I was excited for him, and happy that I had finished the race and not died! Wyatt and Travis came along shortly behind me, and Emma was a ways back, but she did finish! The last race Emma had run she had placed dead last, so this race was a definite improvement! Chandler had won the race and was the first place male runner, BUT his mother was the first place female finisher! Haha! I’m not going to let him forget that! My friend, Jess, placed first in her age category (which is the same as mine). But when her name was called, she said, “I’m not the winner in my age category, Sarah is!” Since I had won for the first place female runner, I wasn’t getting two medals. But now I’m going to forever give her grief about announcing to everyone how old I am! Ah, it’s good to have deep friendships! 

We left shortly after the race so that the boys could go to soccer practice and Emma has two more gymnastic classes. Travis announced that he was “way too tired for soccer and someone else can chase the ball”. He went with me and Emma to her gymnastics class, but the rest of the boys went to play soccer. I’ll just say that it was a quiet afternoon at our house! Everyone burned plenty of calories and energy! 

The hot water heater hasn’t been working since Wednesday night, so we’ve been improvising. Garett has taken cold shower, I’ve found a friends house to shower at, and the rest of the tribe isn’t worried yet about a shower! Emma and I went to my friend’s (Allison) house on Saturday. I spent more time visiting with her, but I did take a shower too! There is no way that I was going to be able to sleep after running in the morning without a shower. I’m so thankful for friends that are willing to help in whatever way we need. God is good- all the time. We will be thankful for hot water again, but Garett told me that God must be trying to teach him something about the dishes! I was like “huh?” Garett says, “Well, first I realized that I wasn’t thankful enough for our dishwasher. Now I realize that I wasn’t thankful enough for hot water to wash the dishes by hand!” Oh, the lessons we learn!  

Thank you for your prayers and love for our family. We are so thankful for amazing friends and family. May God use our family for His glory. 

April Showers and Lots of Them!

 In just over ten days, April will be gone and May will be here! We have under six weeks of school left, and time is passing by quickly- for the most part. Sometimes the days drag a bit, but it’s not for forever. God has been faithful in the waiting, and I’m learning to trust Him again for grace for every moment. I’m proud of our children for working through some really big challenges this year, and while we haven’t been perfect, God’s faithfulness has been evident. 

I’m still waiting for the April showers to stop and the May flowers to appear! It’s been a cold, rainy April with even a little bit of snow on Resurrection Sunday! We celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with family on Saturday and friends on Sunday. Roger was home for about five days last week (April 9-14) and we savored the moments. Roger came home on Saturday afternoon. We had dinner with the Davis family on Sunday afternoon. Roger and I spent Monday doing errands, laundry and visiting together. Roger needed to take a drug test before he could start his new job in North Carolina on April 18th. However, they said that there weren’t any places in Maine that he could get the drug test done. He was going to have to wait until he got to N.C., take the drug test, wait for the results and then be able to start the job. It wasn’t ideal, but we didn’t see any other options. However, on Monday afternoon someone from the HR department for Roger’s new job called to say that there was a drug place he could go to get tested in Augusta. Roger called immediately and they said that they didn’t take appointments. But if he could get there by 3:30pm, then they could probably get it sent out that day. So Roger hopped in the vehicle and drove down to get that done. The kids and I walked home, but it was a gorgeous day so no one minded. And Roger got the results back on Wednesday, and he was able to be ready to start the new job this Monday! Praising the Lord for that!

Roger spent some time with the boys individually on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. He came and had lunch with them at the school, and he worked hard to find a time to do something special with each one of them. He had donuts with Emma one morning. It was good to have him around at the school spending time with the kids on their lunch breaks and making the most of our short time together. This year has been a sacrifice for us and it’s been challenging, but God has orchestrated every move in His perfect timing.  I’m so thankful that we did not uproot our family back in September, buy a house in Michigan, and then be uprooting them again. 

Roger had to be on a bus to Boston at 3:00am on Friday morning. We had off from school on Friday as it was Good Friday. Since it was going to be an extremely early morning, we decided to take a hotel in Portland as that is where Roger was going to get on the three am. Bus. It was a good time as a family as the kids went swimming, Roger and I sat and visited together. It was hard to get up at 2:00am to take Roger to the bus, but it’s nice that I can leave the kids asleep and take Roger to the bus. The days following Roger leaving are always hard, but this was an especially hard time for me. I think it was because it was Easter weekend, and we don’t know when Roger will be able to come back. We are thinking that the next time he comes back to maine, it will be to move us to North Carolina. The kids and I made the most of the day though as we did a little shopping (mostly for groceries) while in Portland. We were home by early afternoon, and it was nice to know we had a long weekend ahead of us. 

On Saturday we were able to spend some time with my sister, Hannah, and her family. We enjoyed a delicious meal together, and my children definitely enjoy spending time with their little ones. Hannah had planned an Easter egg hunt, so that was a lot of fun for the kids. Travis likes about two kinds of candy, so he gave all his candy to Emma. Hannah hid different colors of eggs for different ages of kids. Garett and Chandler hunted for the blue eggs, which were really hard to find, but they had $1.00 in each egg. There were 20 blue eggs, and they eventually found all of them. Chandler found 13 and Garett found seven. One of the eggs was in the chicken coop, and when Garett went in to find it, Chandler locked him in the coop! Garett’s a good sport most of the time, so it was a moment of laughter. I’m thankful for these memories with family. 

Sunday found us on our church lawn at 6:00am, with about 30 people gathered for the sunrise service. I had never been to a sunrise service before coming to Maine, but we’ve been going now for the past six years. There’s something very special about getting up early on Resurrection morning for a worship service. We went back home after the service to get ready for the church breakfast at 9:30am. We had a good turnout of people for the Easter breakfast, and the church building was very full for the 11:00am service. How good it is to worship the Lord and fellowship with other believers! I think that the older I get, the more I appreciate the body of Christ. Each person is unique and created for His glory. Sometimes it’s easy to be frustrated with people, but God’s still working on me and I know that He is at work in the lives of others also. 

We were able to have dinner with our friends the Davis’s- they’ve seen a lot of us the past two weeks! Our children really seem to enjoy playing together, and the boys usually bring along their air soft equipment when we go to their house. Jess and I were able to go on a walk together, and I’m savoring these moments of friendship with her. God brought Jess into my life during a year that He knew I was going to need some extra encouragement. We’ve looked at each other and said, “Are you surviving?”, “Should we quit?” “We need a mental health day.” “I don’t think I can keep going.” But through the discouragements, we’ve been able to bear each others burdens, encourage and pray for each other. We’ve laughed with each other and at each other all school year long as well as cried and asked God to intervene in a special way. It’s just been that kind of year. God gave me a unique and special friend in Jess, and I am so thankful for her. I think it’s a friendship that will last long past this year, and I’m excited to see how God continues to use her life. I’m thankful that Jess’s husband, Tim, is willing to spend time with our boys and play airsoft with them and interact with them. We all need good mentors in our lives, and our teen boys are certainly no exception. 

We had off on Monday, but back to school today which is Tuesday. Did I mention that we’ve had a lot of rain this month? Today was another rainy day, and I think four of our children asked if they could just stay home. No. We have less than six weeks, and we need to finish well. It was a long day, but we made it through. These types of days often give me a headache with the changing temperatures, so the day was a challenge. But, we did survive! God is good. A friend sent me the photo below and it was certainly fitting for today! 

Roger started the drive to North Carolina on Saturday morning, and he arrived to Kenansville around 9:30pm. He was able to attend church with a friend on Sunday, and he’s been staying with a friend the past few days. We had a property that we wanted to look at, but it went under contract on Monday morning. Roger started his new job on Monday. As with any new jobs, the first few days can be daunting and overwhelming, but God continues to give mercy and grace. Roger will be staying at a campground for a bit until we can find the right property or place to rent or something. One thing is for sure- God does not operate on my time schedule! Learning to be patient is hard at times, but we know that God has only the very best in mind for us. Please continue to pray with us and for us as we press on for His glory. 

Wyatt will be turning 13 years old tomorrow! Where has time gone?! We will have three teenagers in our house tomorrow as Wyatt will be 13, Chandler 14, and Garett 15. We sure do love these children of ours, and every day with them is a gift. Wyatt has had a difficult school year, and I’ve prayed long and hard for him. He’s a sensitive but strong-willed person. He enjoys sports, photography, and spending time outside. He enjoys working on challenging Lego sets, and he is good with little kids. He finds it challenging to be the middle child, as he doesn’t get the same opportunities as the older boys, but he often doesn’t fit in with what the younger two are doing. I know that God can and will do great things through the life of this boy. I am praying that Wyatt will find his joy to be in Jesus, and that Wyatt will live his live for the glory and honor of God. I’m so glad that he is a part of our family. 

 

Good-by Michigan, Hello ???

 

What a week it has been! Actually, what a year!! Last weekend, I took a whirlwind trip to North Carolina (more about that later). I was gone for less than 72 hours, and thanks to the flexibility and love of two very special families, our children were well taken care of while I was away. 

Roger and I (and our children) have been praying often and fervently for what God has for our family. It’s been a long and challenging year with many unique situations that have altered the path that we thought we were going to go. Last week, one of my fellow teachers told me that she was going to make a meal for my family on Thursday. This was such a blessing to me as Thursday is usually a full day with teaching, music lessons for two boys, and then soccer practice for the older two boys. Jess made our family homemade mac and cheese, fruit salad and chocolate chip cookies. My children all declare that she makes the best chocolate chip cookies, and I’d have to agree! We were so blessed by her thoughtfulness and generosity towards us, and it was perfect timing as I was leaving for North Carolina on Friday afternoon. 

So why was I going to North Carolina? God has directed our family every step of the way from Wisconsin, Alaska, Arizona and Maine.While each state has been beautiful and unique, we really felt that we’d probably live in Maine for a good long time. However, God has/had other plans for our family. Last fall, Roger took a job in Michigan flying near the Upper Peninsula. This job was unique in that Roger was able to get his multi-engine rating, have some job stability and build hours in a multi-engine plane. It was a difficult decision to make, but we decided that it would be best if our family (the kids and I) stayed in Maine for the school year. God made it clear that we should put our house on the market in September, and in five days our house was under contract. Then God provided housing for our family in Maine, while Roger was able to start the job in Michigan in October. It was never necessarily our dream to live in the Upper Peninsula, but God gave us peace about the job situation, and we would be much closer to my parents in Wisconsin. The kids and I drove out to Michigan at Christmas time, and we were able to see the area. But God never opened up the doors for us to be able to purchase a house, and we never got around to finding a realtor either…I don’t know why. It just never happened (it was of God). Over the past couple of weeks, it’s been becoming increasingly clear that this Michigan job was not going to be the best long-term  fit for our family. It’s one thing if it’s just Roger and I, but it’s a whole different matter with five kids! We prayed a lot, and then some more. We really didn’t know what to do, but God had a plan. 

About three weeks ago, Roger called an old friend of his who lives in North Carolina. Roger was just calling to check in and say hi. In the course of the conversation, his friend mentioned that a job was opening up in the area for someone to fly fire patrol. Roger had been checking job sites almost daily, but we both have been praying that God would provide a job that exceeded our expectations. If we were in it for the money, Roger would easily have an awesome paying job by now, but money is not everything. We know (especially after a few months apart) that our children need both of us. I need Roger to balance me out, and the boys (and Emma) need their daddy to be around. After praying about it, Roger decided to apply for the job. He got a call shortly after the application was submitted and the job posting closed (as its a state job, it has to be posted for seven days). Roger had his first phone call with the people in North Carolina, and they set up a second phone interview for the following day. But the following day, it was more about when could Roger come down in person, interview, and fly the plane. Whew! It was all happening so quickly. Roger called me while I was in New Hampshire (March 16-18) to tell me that he would be going to North Carolina the next week (March 25-28) for the interview. I am not a person that makes spontaneous decisions (especially since having children), but I felt like I should try to go meet Roger in North Carolina. 

I mentioned the idea to a few of my closest friends, and my friend, Hannah, immediately replied that she would be happy to watch our kids while I was gone. My friend, Jess Davis, offered as well. God was orchestrating plans right before our eyes. We allow our children to have very few sleepovers with anyone but Hannah and Jess are two families that we would allow our children to stay with while I was away. It was decided that Hannah would have all the boys, and Emma would go to the Davis’s house. Our kids were thrilled with the idea. Hannah has four little ones of her one, and my children love to play outside, build forts, and play legos with her children. Emma is in the same class as Jess’s daughter (and Jess is her teacher) so Emma was thrilled too. Whew- the kids were taken care of, but how much would an on-a-whim airline ticket cost?! Want to know how God works in mysterious ways? The airline ticket cost the exact same amount as our tax refund from the state of Maine! We didn’t receive a whole lot back from the state, but the ticket was covered! 

I made plans to fly out on Friday evening and return bright and early Monday morning. Roger drove to North Carolina as the fire patrol is VFR not IFR, meaning that he has to have visual sight to the ground and not be using  instruments. If the weather wasn’t good on Friday, then the flight test would be moved to Monday. And since I was coming in, it was nice to have a vehicle to drive around the area. It was an awesome weekend with Roger. We haven’t spent two days of uninterrupted time together in a very long time. We talked a lot, drank coffee, and enjoyed exploring the area. We drove around a lot as we checked out the area. Roger had the interview and flight test on Friday, and they offered him the job. He told them that he would call them on Monday (3/28) with his answer. The job is in rural North Carolina in the coastal plains. The area is mostly known for it’s hog, poultry and turkey farms. One huge perk for me was the time we were able to spend walking on the North Carolina beaches. God gave us truly beautiful weather as it was in the mid 60s and sunny. 

So what are the real perks to this job in North Carolina? One of the biggest reasons would be the hours. If it’s not fire season, the job hours are 8am-5pm. Monday thru Friday. This means that Roger will consistently be home every night and on weekends. We can regularly worship together in the local church without wondering if it’s going to be Roger’s weekend to be working or if he will be able to get off in time to come to church. Another big reason is that this job will offer Roger a retirement plan and health insurance. We aren’t getting any younger, and while we’ve been setting aside some for our retirement, having a job that helps with that would be a great perk. Also, this job will give Roger some paid vacation hours and that means more family time. Our children are growing up so, so quickly, and we are doing our best to “redeem the time” with them and that means spending time with them. 

I am thankful that the job is in rural North Carolina, as we are praying for God to provide us with the perfect spot to raise noisy children, some animals, and a garden. We are excited to see what God is going to do. On Sunday afternoon, we found a realtor who was willing to show us some properties in the area. Roger and I spent some time on Sunday driving around and looking at properties. If you know anything about Zillow, almost every time, the property looks better in the pictures! We drove past a few that we knew were instantly off the table as far as what we were looking for in a home. The realtor showed us two properties. The first one was on eleven acres, which would’ve been lovely! However, the house was originally built in 1965. They had remodeled the house, but Roger would’ve still have had to duck every time he went through a door way and that would get old! Low ceilings made the house feel small, and we have five growing kids! The second property was a bigger home, and it would’ve fit our family very well. However, the property was only on about 2.3 acres and it was closer to other homes. With a dirt bike, airsoft guns, children that build forts, and yell at each other, we didn’t feel like it would’ve been a great fit. But, the good news is that we left North Carolina knowing that we didn’t want any of the properties that are currently on the market. We do have a realtor that is working with us, and we will see what God does. North Carolina was the fourth most popular state to move to in 2021, and lots of people are looking for properties with land. But, God will provide exactly what He wants for us in His perfect timing. 

Roger will be wrapping up his job in Michigan (much more could be said about that, but we are going to leave it at this for now). Roger will be coming back to Maine for a week or so before starting his new job in North Carolina. They are in fire season now, so they are looking forward to having Roger get there soon. But we know that our children need to spend some time with Roger before that happens. Roger will be able to have lunch with them at school, spend one-on-one time with them, and create some plans for our future together in North Carolina. The boys and Emma are excited about the move, but I think they are mostly excited about having some space again. Garett told me recently that he did not appreciate the dishwasher enough at our house! None of the boys are a fan of washing dishes, but hey, if you don’t cook the meal, you have to clean up and wash dishes! I know that I will appreciate the children being able to have a little more space to spread out and a place for them to be outside! One thing for sure, being in a smaller space, has made us all a lot more thankful for what we had at our previous house! 

I flew back to Maine on Monday. Roger dropped me off at the airport in Raleigh, and then he began the drive back to Michigan. I was back at the school by 1:30ish, and Emma was so happy to see me. She had a great time at her friends house, but she was missing mom. Apparently, Garett had to come talk to Emma on Monday morning. Our administrator came to get Garett and asked if Garett would talk to Emma as she was a little upset and missing mom. Garett said he took Emma into my classroom and asked her what was the matter. Emma replied that she was missing mom. Garett matter of factly told her that mom would be back in the afternoon, but Emma was still crying. Garett said he asked Emma again what was the matter. Emma told him again that “I miss mom.” Garett replied, “I already told you, she’s coming back this afternoon!” I had to laugh as Garett was telling me this story. Garett is definitely the brother that would be the gentlest and kindest to her, but he was running out of patience with her. He told me, “I told her you were coming back, and she was still crying!” He said “Then I told her that she was going to be okay, and I sent her back to her classroom.” I have to love this boy! He tried to help his sister, but in his mind, he gave her an adequate reason. He simply could not understand why she still needed to cry! But Emma survived the day, and she was happy to see mom in the afternoon. The other boys were happy to see me to, but as Travis said, “I certainly wasn’t crying!” Haha! I’m thankful for dear and precious friends that watch over and love our children. 

It was a long week with rushing back into a full and busy week of school, being a bit more tired than usual, and also the week that report cards were due! But, by the grace of God, everything that had to be done was done. I’m happy that the week is over. We are happy that Roger has a starting date for his new job, and we are excited to see what God continues to do. We are sad that we won’t be as close to my parents as we would’ve been in Michigan. But we are closer than we would be in Maine.  

Through all our adventures, God has been good and faithful. Please continue to pray with us and for us as we move forward on faith and God’s clear direction…one step at a time.