And it's Monday again! I don't know that I've ever heard anyone say that Monday is their favorite day of the week, but I am thankful it is another day "that the Lord has made."
Today marks another day of giving thanks, and this time it is with the letter "c". This one was a pretty easy one- Christianity, Christmas, Christ, Church, etc.
"Children"- This was my word for today. It would be weird to be teaching children and not to be thankful for them! And if ever I get to the place where I am not thankful to be teaching children, then it is time to be done. I am so thankful for the opportunity to pour into these children and to hopefully impact their lives in a positive way for Jesus Christ.
“Championships”- Another thing we are all thankful for this year! It was fun to win the championship for soccer this year.
2025 Championship
"Christmas" Emma's word for today. She is very excited about Christmas, and everything that comes with it. It's a good reminder to be thankful for the real reason to celebrate the season and that is Jesus, of course!
"Christianity" this was Chandler's word pick for today. He said that he was thankful for Christianity, and that it's not about a religion but a relationship with Jesus. Chandler has learned a lot about relationships this year, and I think that he is realizing that the most important relationship is with Jesus.
"Coffee"...um...this was also my word! I am so thankful for coffee. I love the smell, the taste (but NOT black), and it marks the beginning of another day for me as I read my Bible and drink coffee. I am very thankful for coffee!
"Chocolate Chip Cookies" - Guess who picked this one? Wyatt loves cookies, and almost every cookie he likes to eat. Chocolate Chip Cookies and Oreos are his favorites. He told us when he was about five that he likes about every cookie, but not "church" cookies. I was like, "What are church cookies?" He said, "Church cookies are like the generic Oreos that don't taste the best and those wafer cookies that don't have any flavor." But other than that, he is thankful for cookies!
“Co-Workers”- this was Garett’s word today. I think I am just as thankful as he is for his co-workers! Garett is blessed to work with two Christian men, and it has been such a blessing to him. I know that God provided these men and this job knowing that Garett would need the fellowship and mentorship especially since graduating from high school.
“Cash”- Travis’s word for today. He told me “Yes, mom. The love of money is evil, but cash is helpful!” Well, I agree! We are thankful for cash and the work that provides the cash!
“Cute wife”- Seriously…Roger’s word. I asked him if he was going with a theme throughout this Thanksgiving season, and he said that so far he’s come up with a word that matches the letters. I’m thankful for Roger.
Today’s was an interesting day as Roger, Garett and Travis went to Aiken to visit with Roger’s parents as it was “Grandparents Day” at their church. Emma sang in kids choir, Chandler went to church with a friend, so we were kinda spread out all over. My favorite part of today was during the last song when I put my arm around Wyatt, and he lifted his arm and put his arm around me. It reminds me that these days are fleeting so quickly, and I am so thankful for hugs from our kids. I updated our post from yesterday because I forgot about two very important things that I am thankful for! Read about it Here
Day #2 - Letter “B”
Bible- I asked Emma what was a word that started with “b” that she was thankful for and without even thinking, she replied, “Bible”. What a gift we have been given to have God’s Word in our own language and have access to read it every day! Also, I take this gift so much for granted!
Basketball- Wyatt’s word for today was basketball. He probably enjoys this sport more than any of the other boys, and it shows. He will practice whenever he has an opportunity. This is not the word that I would’ve chosen! I don’t mind basketball, but the season is so long! However, I can be thankful for this opportunity for the three boys in school to play this sport.
Brothers- Chandler’s word. I asked him which brothers he was thankful for and he replied, “It definitely depends on the day and the situations!” Haha! The good news about having a bunch of brothers is that if you’re mad at one there’s another one you can have a conversation with or do an activity with. (Not that I want them to be mad at each other, but let’s be real- it happens!)
Baptism- This was my word for today. Baptism does not get us to heaven, but it is an outward profession of our love for Jesus. Emma was baptized last Easter (2024), and it was such a special moment for her and us.
Bathrooms- Guess who picked this word?! Travis! He said that he is thankful for bathrooms and especially ones that have toilet paper! Okay then!
When we were in Arizona, we had to go to the laundromat to wash clothes. One day while we were there, I told Chandler to take Travis to the bathroom. They came back and Travis clearly still needed to go. I asked what was the problem and Chandler replied, “We can’t use the bathroom, we don’t have a costume!” I was like, “What in the world?!” But the sign does say for “Costumers” only! Haha! Spelling does matter!
Beds- Garett’s word for today. He said that he can about sleep anywhere, but he is thankful for beds to sleep in. He is thankful that he does not have to sleep under a bridge tonight.
Beautiful wife- totally Roger’s word! I certainly didn’t pick this one, but I am thankful that Roger finds me to be beautiful.
I am attempting to surprise and impress even myself this month as I attempt to write about 27 days of thanks. I’ll be honest and admit that I sometimes struggle with fatigue, depression, being overwhelmed, and forgetting to be truly thankful for so many things that God has blessed me with on a daily basis. I have a generally idea of how I want to process my thoughts, but I’m sure I’ll change my mind along the way…and I’ll probably forget to write a day of gratitude on a day here or there also!
Day #1 of Giving Thanks:
“A”
“Adoption”- I am so thankful for the adoption of our two nieces and nephew. (This adoption formally took place in the later half of 2024, but we are so thankful for these little ones in Hannah and Josh’s life.)
“Aunt Jen” - Our children have loved having Aunt Jen live close to us these past few years. She has poured into their lives with time, energy and effort. She works so hard at what she does both for our children, Hannah’s children, and her students. I am so thankful for her leadership and administration in the school, and while it’s certainly not all been roses, she has stuck with it. We are also thankful for other aunts in our children’s lives, but Aunt Jen lives close!
“Athletics” - Wyatt’s choice. :) This is something that our whole family enjoys (Emma probably tolerates more than enjoys athletics at this point in her life, but hopefully she will enjoy sports more in the future!) The boys have enjoyed playing soccer, basketball, golf, and baseball on the school team, and we are thankful for this outlet for them. It’s a tool that can be used to encourage life skills, character traits, and so much more.
“Automobile”- This was Roger’s word for “A”, but he said his favorite part about automobiles is when they run well! Haha! This year we’ve added two vehicles to our family as we have more drivers. Garett has mastered the skill of driving a manual car, and the Honda has been a good car for him.
“Administration” -Whew! No one necessarily always loves the job, and it’s a big one, but I am thankful for the school administration. Jen works harder than anyone I know to try to encourage both spiritual growth and high academics, and she has high expectations. The elementary side also has a new principal and the head of school is relatively new also. I know that not all would agree with me, but sometimes change is necessary. We don’t always agree with the decisions made that are above my pay grade, but I do work hard to be thankful for the efforts and energy that the administration team pours into the school. I am thankful for them.
“Apple”- This is Emma’s work. She especially likes caramel apples.
“Activities”- This is Garett’s word. He has enjoyed hunting this fall, as well as a fishing trip one afternoon with someone from his church.
“Air conditioning” Travis chose this word. He said that he doesn’t think much about air conditioning in the winter, but he sure is thankful for it in the summer!
“Art Assistant”- I am so very, very thankful for my art assistant, Kaycee. She works hard to keep everything neat and organized, and helps me with so many crazy ideas. I am so thankful for her!
‘Attributes of God”- What a gift to be able to study and learn about the attributes of our great God! So thankful!
October was a really long and full month of activities, events, “last moments for Chandler”, my parents visiting and a whole host of a lot of other things that happened in our lives. I’ll admit, I’ve felt a bit like a “failure” mom as I haven’t posted many pictures of Chandler’s last senior moments to Facebook or even shared a whole lot of what’s been happening in our lives. But the blog is the story of our lives, and I’m trying to keep most of our memories and events in one place…even if it’s currently at a once a month post!
Photo credit: Chance Howard
All good photos- credit to Chance Howard!
Photo credit: Chance Howard
We started off the month of October with a visit to the regional fair. The boys had soccer practice so Emma and I had the opportunity to go to the fair with one of Emma’s classmates (Cynthia) and her mom. Emma is quickly learning that there are some advantages to being the only child to attend certain events! Emma and Cynthia had free student passes, and I had free fair passes from entering art at the fair, so the we didn’t have to pay any admission fee. Maria and I decided that Emma and Cynthia could get wristbands for the rides, and the girls rode so many rides in the 3 hours we were at the fair. We did take them into some of the show barns to see the fair art, but we walked quickly. Maria and I had many conversations while the girls were busy on the rides, so it was a good evening for me too. After the fair, we took the girls to McDonald’s for supper, and they were thrilled with that too. It was a fun and full day for them.
When I went to pick up all the school art work from the fair the Monday after the fair ended, I about had a panic attack as one of my high schoolers was missing his art piece! I was about to probably cry when one of the fair workers came by and said, “Oh, I think his piece is in the front office.” I was a bit confused as I was worried that it had been broken or something, but no, he had won “Best of Show” at the fair, and his project was heading to the North Carolina State Fair! Well, praise Jesus! I was so relieved and thrilled! Kaeden’s project continued on to the state level, where he won “Best of Show” at the state fair! I had nothing to do with the project, and I only coordinated the efforts of getting it to the fair, but I am so proud of his hard work and representation of the school. That was a highlight for our art department at school.
Soccer season is completely wrapped up for another year, and it marks the ending of another chapter of soccer for another of our sons. Chandler had a great season, along with the team. They were 16-1 in the season (that’s 16 wins and 1 loss for those that did not know). And Chandler scored 30 goals over the course of the season. Roger and Armando Jr. did a fantastic job coaching the team, and while it certainly wasn’t without its moments of frustration, we are so proud of the team! The boys high school soccer team won their state conference match on October 18th for the first time in a very, very long time. They had seven seniors on the team, and we will miss them next season. However, we are thankful for the great season that the team had, and the Lord was merciful as we did not have any serious injuries. Chandler won the MVP award for the tournament, and two other boys were also named to the All-Tournament team. I do think that the awards in the conference can be a bit biased or based on who knows whom rather than skill or performance at the games. The boys soccer team should’ve had more than just three players named in the all-conference awards and the all-tournament awards. But ya know, at the end of the day, it’s just a plaque or trophy…and I also have a box of those from high school days. The memories, the moments, the relationships will far outlast the trophies or plaques. But, that being said, we were thrilled when the boys team also won the “Christian Character Award” in the conference! It’s often hard to keep your “cool” on the field or with the refs, but for the most part, both the players and the fans did fairly well. I am proud of Roger’s hard efforts, sacrifices to make coaching work, and his willingness to keep at it even when it was hard with three boys and a coach all living in the same house!
The boys and I have worked several Saturdays at various fairs and festivals this past month helping the family that we work with during the summer months. No one necessarily loves getting up on a Saturday and going to work, but life is expensive! Chandler has been busy looking at several different colleges and trying to figure out his options. He would like to go on a deep sea fishing trip for his family senior trip at the end of the school year, and we are looking into our options for a family vacation when school is out.
This month Wyatt had an appointment with the doctor as I wanted to ask about a bump on the back of his head. I’ve noticed it for a while now, and I wanted the doctor to check it out. It’s a hard lump on the back of his skull, so the doctor asked if we would get it xrayed. He said that he didn’t think it was anything serious as the lump is hard and not soft, but to go ahead and get it xrayed. I took Wyatt in the next morning, and I figured it wasn’t terribly serious as the doctor didn’t call until the following afternoon. Apparently, it’s just part of how his skull is formed. He probably shouldn’t ever get a close cut on the back of his head, but there’s nothing wrong. I am thankful for that. Wyatt does have another concern that we are getting looked at later in the year, but we’re not ready to cross that bridge yet.
Chandler gave blood at the school blood drive this month, and while he managed to give the blood, he might be a “one and done” type of person. He finished the blood donation, sat in the chair, apparently said, “I don’t feel good.”, and he passed out! I wasn’t there as I was finishing up teaching, but our guidance counselor called me to tell me that Chandler was fine, but he was feeling a little woozy. I walked down to the donation room, and the Principal and Pastor were in the hallway. Pastor Powell told me that Chandler was about as white as a sheet, and when I looked in the room, he sure was white! Chandler was laying on the floor with his legs up on the chair, sipping juice, and looking a little out of it! All is well, but Chandler did come home that afternoon and took a nap!
Let’s see…what else happened this month? Lots of art, teaching, instruction, and trying to make it through the very long month of October! There are not any days off of school, so it makes for some loooong days! My parents did come from Wisconsin in the beginning of the month, and it was good to see them. It’s been a while, and we don’t see them nearly as often as we would like. They came for Chandler’s senior soccer night, and stayed a few days. The boys were happy to get out a little early from school a few days that week, and we enjoyed meals and fellowship with them. The boys and Roger will be heading to Wisconsin for deer hunting at the end of November, and they are all looking forward to both the experiences and time together. Maybe someday my parents will move a little closer! (Did you read that, Dad and Mom?) :)
Also this month we took the time to remember Charlie Kirk, Emma’s field trip was cancelled due to the government shutdown, and we made it through the first quarter of the school year!
We’ve also had some not-so-wonderful experiences as that’s what life is made of. Reality is that we cannot always protect our children from hard or unpleasant situations (nor should we want to), but sometimes these moments of growth are hard on parent and child. There’s been a situation this past month that caused us to wonder if we are just those “really weird parents” or if we just need to be “steadfast and unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord”. I know I’m talking in riddles here, but we really could use some extra prayers. One of our children was faced with a situation that is out of their control, but yet a bit of a situation where the repercussions will be felt for a long time. The truth is that at the end of the day, Roger and I need to protect, prepare and nurture the heart of our children to love and serve Jesus. We surely do not do it all perfectly, but as I tell my art students all the time, “Progress over perfection.” How do we best prepare our children to live lives that honor and glorify their Heavenly Father? Perhaps I’ll be able to share a bit more about this situation later, but honestly it’s been hurtful and overwhelming, and we are still trying to process it all.
One of the attributes of God that we are teaching in our art classes is that God is holy. Did you know that the word “holy” is mentioned 611 times in the Bible? The word “love” is mentioned 310 times. I’ve been telling our art students that we are surrounded by a culture that screams “God is love.” “Love like Jesus”, etc. All of which are true statements, but we equally need to ask ourselves, “Is this holy?” “ Does this action/deed cause me strive to be holy?” Sometimes in my art classes, I think I’m far more convicted than my students! Haha!
We are very much looking forward to the month of November. A few of my art students worked on a “thankful” tree for Jen this past week as we want to encourage thankfulness in the hearts of our students. I’m excited to see what our students are thankful this month, and hopefully encourage that attitude of gratitude. God is so good, isn’t he? I’m hoping to write a bit more on the blog next month about several things that I am really thankful for in my life.
September. Oh, how overwhelming and “heavy” this month has been for my brain and heart to process and digest so many deep emotions. This is one September that we will never forget, and I really am praying that we will have a “Turning Point” in our nation from the youngest to the oldest.
Yesterday, while at the Teachers Convention in South Carolina, the keynote speaker spoke about not being ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus and being equipped. Ben Schettler, the founder of The Center of Truth in Love, spoke a powerful message about equipping the next generation. He was the first speaker/ pastor that I have listened to in-person that has spoken clearly about Charlie Kirk, his memorial service, his vision and love for young people, and what are we going to do now. I’m sure there are other speakers/pastors that are speaking on this topic, but I haven’t heard very much in-person around me lately, so I found the message to be refreshing and challenging, and encouraging. One of the problems with social media is that the flood of information is so great, so overwhelming and not always factual. I appreciated hearing from someone who had been at the memorial service, personally know Charlie Kirk, and was passionate about preaching about our responsibilities as Christian educators. I’ve shown patriotic art videos to my students, spoken to them about the need to be the next generation of leaders, and tried to encourage them to live their lives passionately for Jesus Christ, and sometimes, it still feels like an uphill battle! However, I was encouraged to stay the course and keep at it. The Center of Truth in Love has some powerful resources to help us be faithful and work to equip the next generation for Jesus Christ. I want to teach my students about art mediums, artists, and all things art, but more importantly than any of that, I want them to know Jesus and to make Him known!
We arrived at the teachers convention on Wednesday afternoon, and we will leave this afternoon. Attending any teachers convention is a little like drinking from a fire hydrant! The amount of information is fast and furious, and it’s hard sometimes to separate out the most important things or things I can implement in my classroom. My boys and Emma are at home, and Emma has called me often to see how it’s going and when I’m coming home. I’m thankful that the boys and Emma are old enough to stay on their own while Roger is at work, but I know that it makes for some long days for Emma. The boys have stayed busy with putting up tree stands, golfing, more golfing, picking up leaves, and eating. Emma enjoys making crafts and coloring (and I’m sure that the craft stuff is all over her room), but they’re surviving and it’s good for them to miss mom. :)
I’m going to back track a little back into September to fill in some more thoughts and events that have happened in our lives.
Written (9/16) “Rise up, O men of God”… these lyrics from a very old hym have resonated with me this past week. This past week has felt very “heavy” and somber both from a Christian’s perspective as well as an American. The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a shock and Lord willing, a wake-up call to all of us.
For me, as a mama, a wife, a Christian, and an American, I am heart broken by so many things from this past week. As a mom, I grieve for Charlie’s children. I grieve for Erika, his wife, as she will have so many decisions and challenges that she never envisioned. I grieve, as a Christian, over the martyrdom of another Christian. I grieve for the body of Christ as we rejoice in Charlie’s home-going to Heaven, but he will be missed by so many here. As an American, I grieve for the division in our country. How did we get to the place where evil is so celebrated?! No longer can people disagree with each other in a civil manner. Instead, there are so many instances where the death of another person is celebrated?! How is this even so?! There are a lot of people that I’ve disagreed with over the course of my life, and they’ll be more to come. However, I would never wish evil, pure wickedness, upon them. I have a hard time even wrapping my mind around that kind of hate. It’s heartbreaking. I soaked up a lot of information those first few days after the assassination, but eventually I took Facebook off of my phone as it became overwhelming to process it all. I needed to take a step back, get my head on straight, and be present for my family.
If I’m completely honest, I didn’t know a whole lot about Charlie Kirk prior to last Wednesday (9/10). Oh, I knew who he was, and I had some idea of what Turning Point USA was standing for. But now…now I’ve signed up for emails and texts from Turning Point USA. I’ve inquired about starting a chapter in our area to encourage youth to be involved in the world around them. I’m certainly not going to sit around and wait for someone to do something when I can inquire about information and keep learning and hopefully be a difference maker!
Emma had a minor surgery on September 16th. I took the day off of school for her surgery, and we had to be at the hospital at 5:30am. It was an early morning for us, and it was several hours before she was taken back for her tonsil and adenoids surgery. Emma was extremely nervous about the surgery, and I was a little concerned about how she was going to do with the IV that they wanted to put in her hand. However, God provided Emma with an amazing nurse! Really, God’s hand was evident in it all. As I was talking to Emma about trusting in God and quoting Scripture to her, the nurse was in agreement with what I was telling Emma. She told Emma that she has three girls, and that she could tell Emma was nervous. Emma really needed to get that IV in her hand, and it was time to do it. The nurse asked Emma if she could pray with her, and of course, Emma said yes. We prayed together, and then the IV was put in. I’m not saying that it wasn’t a bit traumatic, but by the grace of God, the IV went in her hand. The surgery itself was really quick once Emma went back to the surgery ward. In about twenty-five minutes, the surgery was over. They called me back when Emma was in recovery. Wow, she was so grouchy! The nurse was talking to her and asking her about her name. The nurse was said, “ Do you like to go by Emma or Kate?” Emma replied, “I go by Lou. Aunt Jen calls me Lou!” It was so funny to her Emma declare her name was Lou as Aunt Jen often calls her Emm Lou, but not just Lou! We were on our way home by about 9:30am, and we spent the rest of the day resting at home. We had some challenging moments, but Emma is on the mend. Roger stayed home with her two days last week, Jen took one day, and I took a day. Emma came to school on Monday, but we didn’t quite make it through the whole day. Thankfully, the kids have a short week at school as they’re on Fall break. It was encouraging to Emma (and me) to hear from many that were praying for her or gave her a sweet gift. Emma was delighted with a gift card to McDonald’s, a few awesome gifts from my sweet friend, Laura, and Mrs. Kennedy, and Emma’s piano teacher. It was a blessing to know that many prayed and loved on her.
Emma’s surgery, our 20th anniversary, and the soccer team took a field trip to watch a college team play soccer.
Emma was delighted with some gifts while she was out of school!
Roger has been busy coaching the boys soccer team, while Jen and I have couched middle school volleyball. Both have had their challenging moments, but also a lot of really great moments, memories, and experiences. The boys team has only lost one game in their soccer season, so that’s been exciting for them. Jen has done a great job coaching the Middle School volleyball team, and I just help in whatever way that I can.
We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary early in the month of September…at a soccer game. :) It’s life, and the season that we are in right now. I am so thankful for Roger and who he is, what he does, and all that he believes in. He’s faithful, loyal, hard working, and he loves me. I am so blessed. We are looking to get away for a few days by ourselves sometime in the near future, but for now, we press on doing what God has called us to do.
Updated: 9/26. Last Sunday, we went to the early morning service at a church in Wilmington, and it’s early, but we enjoy the service. After the service, we walked at the park for a bit, ate some lunch, and then hung out on the beach for a few hours. The service for Charlie Kirk started while we were at the beach, so I started watching the live stream. The boys were interested in it also, so we ended up watching the service in the car and at home. It was a long service, but wow…it reminded me of the weekend that a few ladies and I traveled to Washington DC for a Freedom Walk in November of 2020. I think it’s easy to have momentum and motivation after watching a service or attending a Freedom Walk, but it’s in the day to day of “life touching life” that we are going to have a Turning Point. May God give each of us wisdom, determination, and direction to do the next right thing, and to not be weary in well doing.
The month of September has been busy with life, heavy with events that have happened in our world, and encouraging as we have seen the Gospel presented to so many this month because of the death of Charlie Kirk. God is working, and we need to pick up a shovel and start working too!
I found this quote to be especially appropriate in light of recent events in our nation. Press on!
I'm not sure where the month of August went, but it's practically gone! The month flew by with the start of another school year, multiple birthdays, fall sports, coaching, art classes, a class picnic, a family wedding, and whatever else we've done that I've forgotten about this month!
If you remember, from my last blog post, Wyatt sprained his ankle at the end of July. He was very disappointed to miss out on soccer camp at Bob Jones University, but Travis had the opportunity to attend instead. Soccer camp was a much better experience that basketball camp was for the boys last summer. I was thankful for the emphasis on devotions, spiritual growth and skill set development. Travis told me that the worst part about the college was the showers. The dorms have community showers on each hall, and while each shower is separated by a curtain, of course, Travis did not like that at all. I had to laugh when he told me that he only took two showers cause the "showers were weird, mom." Gross! But ok! Chandler was actually awarded with the "Camper of the Week" award that was giving to the soccer player that displayed leadership skills, soccer skills, and Christian character. I think the part that makes me the most proud about that award is that Chandler won that completely on his own. I wasn't there to remind him to have good manners or work hard, but he did it; and he won the award. We are proud of him!
Early in the month of August, Roger and I went to South Carolina for his brother’s wedding. It was a quick trip away, but it was good to see family that we haven’t seen in quite a while. The weekend went by way too fast, but we were thankful that we were able to celebrate Nate and Jenny as they tied the knot.
Our first day back to school was on August 14th, and it was a very different feeling to only be taking four kids to school this year. Garett is continuing to work for the gutter company, while trying to figure out what his next steps will be. He has started attending Sunday morning services at the same church that his co-worker attends, and Garett seems to be liking that. It seems like there is a large disconnect between kids getting out of high school and then becoming adults. We've been a little concerned about Garett feeling a bit lost and disconnected, so we are praying that he can develop some rock solid friendships soon. He needs a buddy to go golfing with, spend some time with and hang out with. All his brothers (and playmates) are busy with school and fall sports. I think Garett is feeling lonely. If God brings Garett to mind, please pray that he will have wisdom and direction...and find a friend.
Jen and I have been busy coaching middle school volleyball, and like everything else, it is an adventure! I am excited about this opportunity to help young players develop skills, but also to hopefully encourage their walk with Jesus. I don't like losing, but more importantly than that, I want us to help our players develop a deep love for Jesus...and improve their volleyball skills!
Two days after school started back, one of our friends hosted a "Senior Party" at their lake property. It was a great opportunity for most of the seniors to fellowship together as well as enjoy some fun adventures at the lake. I am thankful for many of the parents in Chandler's senior class, and it was a fun afternoon for all. Our family also went to the lake as we helped with some of the food preparation, cleanup, and whatever else needed doing. We are thankful for Steve and Tammie as they have invited and included us to several events and that fellowship has been much needed by our family.
Chandler is a SENIOR! I can't even believe that we are already here...again! Where did time go?! He is taking several harder courses this year and a dual credit course. He told me that he needed to drop one of his electives as he needed another study hall hour to study. He has been working hard on his grades, and please, please pray that he will have some direction on what God wants him to do. On the night before school started, Chandler was in tears (lots of tears), and he doesn't cry easily. He said that he felt frustrated that God wasn't working and he didn't know what God wanted him to do in college. It was a good reminder to encourage Chandler to focus on the next right thing...today, be a good student, love Jesus, honor your parents, work hard, and be open to whatever God has for you. I cried (nothing unusual there!), and Chan cried, but we are really praying that God will continue to work in and through Chandler's life. He has made some really, really hard decision this month about somethings, and it's been hard to watch his hurt. But God is always at work, never late, and He is working out His perfect plan. However, that boy could use your prayers.
Roger has been busy coaching the boys soccer team, and the team has been working hard. There is a lot of talent in some of our players, but Roger and his assistant coach also work very hard with the team. The team has done well this season, and we are looking forward to seeing what the season brings. Soccer is Chandler’s favorite sport, followed closely by golf. Wyatt prefers basketball, but he is good at soccer too. Travis enjoys all the sports, but he’s not as competitive as any of his older brothers. They get hot and bothered by him not being as competitive, but I think Travis has just learned to “play his game”, and he is doing just fine at it. It’s fun to watch them play together, and while tempers sometimes have to cool off around our house, I really do enjoy watching them play soccer.
None of these soccer photos are mine. The credit goes to Chance Howard- youth pastor. I am very thankful that he is willing to take the pictures!
We also celebrated Emma’s 12th birthday, Travis’s 15th birthday, and now Garett’s 19th birthday! Craziness! The month of August is full of birthdays and ice cream cakes! :) Emma still enjoys all things girly, and she asked for a baby stroller for her birthday. Aunt Jen found her a baby stroller on Amazon, and Emma was thrilled with her gift. I know that it won’t be too much longer before she isn’t interested in dolls and baby strollers anymore, so I am happy to treasure these moments. Garett spent some of his own earnings to get Emma a gift card to Walmart, and she was so thrilled! She made an entire shopping list for things she was interested in at Walmart, and then quickly realized that her $20.00 gift card was not going to cover all the things she was interested in buying! It was a quick reminder of how fast money can be spent!
Travis’s 15th birthday was last weekend, and we had two of my dad’s sisters visiting for the weekend. It was fun to have them over for his birthday lunch, and of course, eat ice cream cake! Travis asked for new golf shoes for his birthday, and I was able to find him a really nice pair for his birthday. His big brother, Garett, spent his own money to buy Travis a gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods and that was really sweet.
Garett had his 19th birthday this weekend, and we celebrated with homemade enchiladas, and you guessed it…more ice cream cake! He tries to pack a lunch during the week so that he can save more money, so for his birthday Aunt Jen and his parents gave him gift cards for food places. And Garett was delighted with that! I can’t believe that he is 19 years old, and that we have arrived here so quickly!
We came to the western side of the state to spend a day with my Aunt Lisa and her family. It was a good day for relaxing and enjoying the beautiful day. The kids spent several hours in the pool, but it was definitely not warm enough for me! Once we get into the school year, the days seem to fly by and it is hard to get away to visit our family on the western side of the state. Since this was a long weekend, we felt like we should do it. And I’m glad we did!
Travis has a weird rash infection that has spread over his legs and on one of his wrists. He was itching so badly during the soccer game on Tuesday night that Roger pulled him from the game. Travis went behind the bench to slather up with anti-itch cream so that he could play again. By Wednesday morning, the rash had spread some more and Travis came and found me in my classroom. He asked if I could make him an appointment after school. I made an appointment at a walk-in clinic, and while we got right in for our appointment at 4:50pm, we waited almost an hour in the exam room! The physician was concerned about a staph infection as Travis had scratched some of the itch so badly that he had torn his skin. She recommended two different shots to get a jump start on the infection and then some additional pills and anti-itch cream. Travis was completely mortified when the nurse said that the shots had to go in his butt. He was like, “Um, no thank you. I’m good.” However, Travis is TERRIBLE with taking pills, so I knew that was needed to get these shots in at the clinic. And we did. Travis arrived home and promptly told Roger, “Well, there was a full moon in the doctor’s office.” Haha! I’m glad he was able to be a good sport about it later. The steroids have made him hungrier and crankier than usual, so I’ll be happy when it’s all behind us. However, the rash does seem to be getting better, so we are thankful for that.
We are thankful for a long weekend to soak up some extra family time, catch up on laundry (or at least I am thankful for that!), and savor these days as a family of seven. I know our time is coming to an end, and I can almost feel the changes coming at me faster than I’d like! I’m thankful that my Heavenly Father holds each one of our children in the palm of His hand, and He loves them more than I could ever imagine. The song I have on repeat this week is one that I have shared before, but I really do love this song.
As we prepare to enter the month of September, I hope that you are reminded of the goodness and grace of our Heavenly Father. We truly are so blessed to have a Heavenly Father that we can run to in moments of joy or sorrow, laughter or heaviness, peace or unsettledness, He welcomes us with open arms.
And just like that, July is almost over! I’ve been trying to find the time to write about our “adventures”, but honestly, time is just running away from us this summer. We’ve made lots of trips to the local pool, and the boys have played a lot of golf and soccer. We’ve worked a lot at various jobs, and I am thankful that I’ve wrapped up the job at the farmers market. I’ve been thankful for work this summer, as the summer months are always tight without having income coming in from my work at the school. The farmer’s market job has provided jobs for Wyatt, myself, Travis and even a day for Emma here and there. Even Garett has worked a day at the Farmer’s Market when we were short handed! I don’t think he was thrilled to use his day off at the market, but it was helpful to us, and he did it! It is almost always hot, but it also has given us an opportunity to be thankful for our air conditioned home and the local pool!
Garett purchased a car a few weeks ago, and then we purchased a second additional vehicle for our family. Now that Chandler is driving to his job also, we’ve needed to have an additional car. Last week, Roger and I drove to Wilmington to look at a “new” car. Since this is Chandler’s last year in high school, and he is probably going off to college, we kept that thought in mind while looking. Chandler has been driving the mini van to his job as he can put down the seats, and then pile in all his pressure washing equipment in the back of the van. He has been working for a man from our church, and Chandler has been thriving on the variety of things he gets to do, and he has been saving his money all summer long. He made a big purchase- more on that later. Anyways, back to the car situation for our family. We purchased a 2005 Toyota Camry. Haha- it’s definitely not my dream car, and it wasn’t my first pick, but it’s paid for and it has low miles. We drive a LOT to and from school, and it has been very expensive to insure Chandler and Garett with car insurance. They’ve done a great job of paying for a good chunk of it, but Roger and I felt like the best thing to do right now was to purchase and older car and try to keep our car insurance as low as possible. Typically I drive the “new” car to work at the farmers market, and Chandler takes the mini van to his job. He called me last week and said, “mom, I have to tell you something.” Um, that is never what a mom wants to hear! He went on to say that he had been painting for his job, and he had accidentally spilled some black oil paint in the back of the van! I’ll be honest, I was a bit annoyed, but I kept my cool. He worked really, really hard at getting the paint out of the van, and while the van still smells a bit like gasoline, most of the paint is out of the van. I told Roger that I guess one thing that I can be thankful for is that I don’t have a 2024 Honda Odyssey mini van, and instead it’s a 2011 mini van with 250, 000 miles! Someday, we might have a new vehicle, but for now, we’re in the middle of raising up new drivers, lots of miles, and lots of work, so it’s okay. God has blessed us all with some great work opportunities, great family time at the local pool, and lots of hours of conversations this summer. We are so blessed.
The Fourth of July seems like forever ago, but it really was just earlier this month. We all had off work for the day, so that was nice. We spent the day working around our own house, and on various projects. Roger and I had thought about inviting some people over for the holiday, but truthfully, sometimes I’m just tired. We had just had over our neighbor and her daughter earlier in the week, and while I really do enjoy having people in our home, I just wasn’t up to it. So, we just puttered around the house and soaked up family time.
In between working at the farmers market this summer, I’ve been working on some new projects that I want to try with my art classes. I’ll be leaving the library this year, and instead I’ll be teaching the art classes from kindergarten thru 12th grade! Gulp! It’s a big undertaking, and there are many, many days that I doubt my abilities! However, God is faithful, and I know that He can help me do my best, love my students, and point them to His faithfulness and goodness. I’m excited about the opportunity, but teaching art is a spectrum that is a million miles wide! There are SO many things to teach, creative ideas, artists, and the list goes on and on. These first several years will be the hardest as all the lessons have to be written for the high school classes, as well as students that are in their second year of Middle School. The hardest part is getting started and trying to narrow it down to what I want to teach.
My dad has been struggling with some physical complications after his prostrate cancer, and he has actually spent a few days in the hospital this summer. Aging is a part of the life process, but no one prepares you for your parents aging! It’s hard to know how to help or what to do, and all of us girls live farther away than we’d like. If it crosses your mind, I know that my parents would appreciate your prayers.
Roger and Garett left on Wednesday, July 23, to drive to Oshkosh, WI for the EAA air show. It’s been quite a few years since they’ve been able to go to the air show, and Roger had some family members that were going to be there this week for the air show also. Garett and Roger drove the 15 hours through the night, but they made it safely to Wisconsin. They will be leaving to return to NC in the early hours of Sunday morning, so it’s a really quick trip! I am thankful that they have this opportunity to spend time together. The older I get the more I realize that life really is such a “vapor” as the Bible states.
We’ve spent several Sundays this summer visiting a church in Wilmington, NC. We often go to the early service, and then we spend a couple of hours at the beach. We’ve been to Wrightsville beach and Topsail beach, and we’ve enjoyed our time at both. The boys enjoy the beach but not the sand. Emma loves all of it, and she’s never ready to leave the beach! Last summer we weren’t able to spend a lot of time at the beach, so we’ve tried to prioritize it more this summer. It’s a bit of a drive to the church in Wilmington, but we’ve enjoyed the services there this summer.
The boys have also spent a lot of time golfing this summer, and that is something that they’ve enjoyed doing in the evening hours together. Emma and I will go to the pool, and the boys will golf til they get to the hole by the pool. Travis will usually give up the golfing for time in the pool by that point! :) Travis has also managed to snag another little job this summer and that is mowing grass for our neighbor. We went over earlier in the summer to introduce ourselves, and she mentioned that she would like to hire one of the boys to mow her grass once a week. She pays quite well for a simple mowing job, and since Travis was the boy that was with us at the time, he snatched the job up. She told him that if one of the other brothers wanted to mow one week, they could do it that way. Travis told Roger, “I’m just going to let the brothers assume that I’m mowing her grass out of the goodness of my heart but I’ll be getting paid too.” Haha! Well, it didn’t take long for that secret to get out of the bag, but Travis has kept the job. It’s been a perfect little side job for him, and he calls it his “mad money” job. He saves his money from the farmer’s market, and he uses his “mad money” for golf outings, extras, and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee sometimes. We are thankful for employment for the boys, and we’ve definitely been working to try to instill in them, “spend some, save some, give some”. Getting in the habit of giving to the local church and ministries is an important habit to make, and we want the boys to start that habit now.
It’s not all work…we do have fun too! Chandler and Wyatt were planning on heading off to soccer camp at Bob Jones University on Monday. However, Wyatt ended up spraining his ankle at school soccer practice on Tuesday night. I brought him into the urgent care clinic on Wednesday night, and it is not broken. We are thankful for that! However, his ankle is badly sprained, and he needs to stay off of it for several weeks. So, no soccer camp for Wyatt next week. He is very disappointed about that, but it is what it is. I contacted BJU to ask them if I could just send a different son instead. Travis was not originally signed up due to the cost of camp for three boys, but now Travis is going to soccer camp on Monday with Chandler! Emma, Wyatt and I will stay a few days in the Drury hotel in Greenville, SC, and I’m excited about the time to spend with these two kids. It gets harder to find the time to spend with them as life gets busier, so I’m looking forward to a few days enjoying their company.
We made it to Greenville, SC, yesterday afternoon. It’s only about a 4.5 hour drive from our house, so it’s a much easier drive than driving to Pensacola. We dropped off Travis and Chandler at camp. I had made the name change for Travis to go instead of Wyatt, but Travis told me last night that everyone was calling him Wyatt, so he was just letting them call him that. I am praying that they have a really great time, learn a lot, grow closer as brothers, and closer to Jesus. I didn’t think that BJU did a great job last summer on their basketball camp and pointing kids to Jesus, so I’m hoping for a better emphasis on that with soccer camp. We will see. We are also getting to the place where Chandler is going to need to start making some decisions regarding college, so I’m sure that is coming into play also when he attends these camps. Please pray for wisdom and direction for him. Chandler took a college English class this summer, and he is thankful that one English class is behind him!
Garett and Roger had a great time at the Airshow in Oshkosh, and I am thankful that they were able to spend some time together as well as time with some of Roger’s family. Garett is still struggling to get all the pieces to the puzzle of life to fit into his nice neat little boxes. I keep reminding him that sometimes all we can do is the next right thing. For now, work hard and save money. Love Jesus and pray fervently. He didn’t have a lot of close friends in his senior class, and I am a little worried about him making connections as he transitions out of youth group. It seems like the jump from high school to adulthood is hard in life decision making and in churches. Friendships move and shift, and Garett is struggling a bit with it all.
I don’t know about anyone else, but we are not ready to jump into “back to school”. We are trying to soak up these last few days with family and friends. I love teaching, and I am excited about the new year…but there’s just so much to do! I am not ready to go through another “senior year”! Chandler is currently planning on going to college, and he is trying to figure out his options. We are open to suggestions! Where are kids going to Christian colleges at these days? Chandler would love to go somewhere where he can possibly play soccer or golf or both! College is also expensive, so trying to navigate through many steps is a bit overwhelming! I’m thankful that God goes beside and before us, and that God has a perfect plan for Chandler’s life. In the picture that I added to the blog that states “golf”, that includes a picture of Chandler at Dick’s Sporting Goods. He has worked hard this summer, and he paid for a golf fitting and a fitted set of irons for him. He did drop a pretty penny on it, but he’s also in a position to make a big purchase this summer. I had to laugh though as he entered into Dick’s Sporting Goods with his grubby shorts, ripped t-shirt, and dirty shoes to pay for his golf clubs! He looked more like a homeless person than someone who was going to spend some money! :)
Emma had a sleep study done on July 6th. It was probably the worst nights rest I have gotten in a long time, and I don’t think Emma slept much better! However, the results of the test concluded that Emma needs to get her tonsils take out. She has mild sleep apnea, and her tonsils are enlarged. That surgery will take place in September. Please pray for a quick and smooth recovery!
I’ve had this song on my mind lately as we prepare for another transition of a senior this year. God is so good!
