Vacation Bible School, a busy week, and an amazing gift!

What a week! We started off the week with Vacation Bible School’s opening night on Monday. I taught the 3 and 4 years olds and felt extremely overwhelmed most of the week. We had fun, but I’m not sure what they learned! We painted, made several crafts, played outside, participated in the penny offering, and I taught the two lessons, over and over. I wanted our focus to be on obedience to parents, that we are all sinners, and that Jesus loves us and died for us. It was an amazing week, with over 200 kids coming through the doors of the church to hear about Jesus! There were several professions of faith in Jesus Christ, and many, many visitors. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to help out, and I’m also thankful that I have 365 days to recover before it comes again!

                                                                                                                  


My children spent time this week visiting neighbors, asking me to call friends and relatives, looking for visitors to come to Vacation Bible School. Chandler was especially diligent and asked me daily, “Who can I invite today?”. But all their hard work paid off…Garett placed 5th in the bring the most visitors contest, Wyatt placed 3rd, and Chandler placed 1st! They were ecstatic about the gifts they received, and they were up early this morning to play with the new toys!

We also visited the strawberry patch this week! My children had a great time, and I’m thankful that I didn’t need a whole lot of strawberries as they quickly lost interest! I had a hard time convincing Travis that I wanted to keep the strawberries in the box! We were able to go with my sister and a friend with her two boys, so it was a strawberry party in the field…with lots of little boys!

Busy Boys!

My helping hands

What fun memories we created! The boys had a great time, and I’m so thankful for each one of them!

Boys, Boys, Boys!

Travis

Strawberry Hands

                                                                                           


And now for the most exciting news of all! I received a wonderful gift this week as the result of lots of prayers, faithful teachers, a wonderful church family, and a special little boy. This week Garett asked Jesus to come into his heart! He woke up on Wednesday morning, June 13, 2012, and the first thing he told me was, “Mom, I got saved last night!”. I asked him if he had asked Jesus to come into his heart at Vacation Bible School, and he replied, “No, but they talked about it, and when I came home and got in my bed, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and take away my sin”. I asked him if he knew what it meant to ask Jesus to come into his heart. He gave a very clear response in replying that he knew he was a sinner, Jesus had died for him, Jesus lives in heaven, and when Garett dies he’s going to Heaven to be with Jesus! How I’ve prayed for this day, and it is with great rejoicing that I give glory to God.

Catching up in a nutshell!

I never seem to have the time to write on here like I'd like to, but I consider this blog like my online journal of my family life. Hence, I am playing catch-up! The summer is officially here, with Garett finishing his year of 4K, a family camping trip over Memorial day weekend, plus a canoe trip with friends, running a 5K, and Chandler's surgery (tonsils and adenoids removed). All that to say, I've been very, very busy! And next week starts Vacation Bible School at our church. I'll be teaching the 3-4 year olds, and I definitely feel out of my comfort zone here! I have my own children in this age group and know how much time and effort is required to help them grow, so I'm a little overwhelmed. I do not want to waste 2 1/2 hours every night for five nights, I really want this group of little people to learn something!

My awesome husband and Travis

On May 19th, I ran a 5K in our local town. It was a very warm day, about 90 degrees, and the race was at 11:30am. Another friend from our church, Jared, ran as well. My husband walked around with the kids and cheered me on. I placed 6 out of 215 women and third in my age group. I ran a time of 23:54, which in college, would have been awful for me, but 7 years out of college...I'm very happy with that! 

The friend that also ran in the race... he's lost over 100 lbs.!

Also, on May 19th, we took a canoe trip with some close friends of ours, the Longsines and the Schuberts, and a family from my dad's church. It was the perfect length for children as the water was high and moved along quickly. All of our kids went and seemed to have a great time!

The final week in May wrapped up school for Garett, followed by a camping trip with other families from our church. We went to a little campground in the Dells, and we had a great time! Saturday was a little rough as it rained off and on, and the mosquitoes were terrible! But, Sunday was beautiful! After church, we went down to the water and played water games. The mosquitoes were not nearly as bad making the day much, much better!

Getting ready to go swimming!

Loved the water

Travis has lots of little mothers!

Following the camping trip, Chandler had surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids. I was really dreading the whole affair...not necessarily the surgery, but the aftermath of the sore throat and a possible very whining child! He came through the surgery with flying colors. He had the surgery at 8am, and we were home by noon. That was with a stop to Wal-mart to get Popsicles and ice cream, and McDonald's for french fries...yes, he ate french fries the day of his surgery! We are now on day five following the surgery and other than acting a little more tired and asking for extra fluids, my boy is the same! We are supposed to try to get him to rest and relax, but also let him take the lead in activities...so he's been riding his bike, climbing trees, and eating more Popsicles...I think he'll be fine!

Before surgery...he didn't want to wear the gown, "It's a dress!"

After surgery...resting, cuddling, and drinking

Already the summer is looking full with lots of fun family times planned. First is Vacation Bible School, then I'm taking the kids to North Carolina to see my sister and other extended family. Followed by one of my best friends from college coming to visit for a few days, then special meetings at our church. After that the family reunion with all of my husbands side, plus a few camping trips, canoe outings, and whatever else we find to do in the summer! I'm looking forward to the future, and all that God has in store for us. I know that the summer will be busy and full, but I treasure these moments with my family and the memories we are creating for a lifetime!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my 29th birthday! It is still hard to believe that this is my last year in my twenties. It was a beautiful day weather wise for my special day, but birthdays aren't nearly as exciting when your twenty nine as when you are nine! I spent a good part of the day spending time with the kids...we played outside, went to the park, cleaned the house, and all the other things that are part of every day living. I had a few minutes to myself while the children were napping and I spent some time reflecting on my life! I AM BLESSED! I have a wonderful marriage, and while not without struggles, we continue to work though life together, enjoying each other and the memories we have created. I have four, handsome, healthy children! While they are a lot of work, I wouldn't trade them for anything this world could offer. Each day is an exciting adventure that brings new challenges, new memories, and fresh hugs and kisses. I was amazed at all that God has given me and the experiences He has allowed me to have in this lifetime. I am looking forward to many more life experiences,but I know that if I died tonight, I'll be seeing my Saviour! I'm looking forward to that time, but until then, I'll just enjoy life to the fullest surrounded by my loving husband, and four boys who make life so exciting! Happy birthday to me!

MUD??? Oh, yeah!

All boy!

Love this one!

A little like a little pig!

MUD? Yes, please!

Our county received four inches of rain last night, and then probably about another 1 1/2 inches today. So, suffice it to say, "It's really wet!". My boys were esctatic to see the mud puddles in our yard, and went through several outfits  of clothes before I got smart, and told them they could come in the house in their underwear and put the wet, "used" clothes back on to go outside. We've had two baths today, and now everyone is fed, clean, and dry and off to bed in a little bit. YES! They loved it!

WET and MUDDY!

He was pretending to be a polar bear!

Not quite sure...



Over and done!



This is me..about 2 months before giving birth to Travis.
Running a 1/2 marathon was even a thought in my mind!

My sisters all think I'm crazy, because I do enjoy running and I actually don't mind excercising. The hardest part is getting going, but once I'm in my workout clothes and doing something, I generally enjoy it. I like the way my body feels after a hard workout, and my competitive nature makes me want to try to beat someone else's efforts (that can be a blessing and a curse!). But in training for my first 1/2 marathon, I lost track of how many times I doubted my ability to finish or wondered if I was crazy to even try. It's been 7 years since my running years of college cross-country, and 6 years of marriage, plus 4 kids in five years...let's just say, I had my doubts! 

On Saturday, April 28, 2012, I ran my first one-half marathon! It was harder than I anticipated it being, and to be honest, I don't know if I'll ever run another...maybe someday? I think part of the problem of it seeming longer than 13.1 miles was the fact that there were only 107 runners in the whole 13.1 miles! So, everyone was pretty spread out and it was hard to feed off of other runners enthusiam. Usually, in a race, I have this great desire to try to catch "just one more person", but in this race, everyone was so far spread out that I just didn't have the energy.


My friend and neighbor, Carolyn. Since the above picture, I've lost
57 pounds!

I was thrilled when my neighbor and friend, Carolyn, agreed to run with me. She's run many half and full marathons and kept me encouraged and moving forward. She also carried a camel back and pulled something out about every two miles and ate! She ate an apple, fruit snacks, mints, gum, granola bars...and kept asking me if I wanted anything, "um, no, thanks. Pretty sure I'd be throwing up beside the road!" I hadn't trained with eating anything and on mile 7 the race assistants offered us some energy "goo". It was the most disgusting thing ever! I think, if I ever run another, I'll try training my body to eat while running, because I'm sure it would help my energy levels.



This was about mile 10

The weather was overcast and about 38 degrees. Then about mile 3 it started sprinkling, then about mile 5 it was sleeting a little bit. It did go back to just raining, but it was a long, cold run. On one hand, that was good because it kept me from walking! After I had already been sweating, I knew if I stopped and walked, I'd be freezing!

My two happy boys!

My amazing husband and the boys cheered me on from start to finish. They followed the roads to various parts of the race and would all get out and cheer me on...I loved it! I have so many people to thank in the parts they played to help me reach this goal on my "bucket list". First of all, my husband, who is awesomely supportive and loves me even though he may think I'm crazy! And my parents, who watched the boys on occasions so I could get in another run. Also, my friend, Rebekah Longsine, http://myweeklymenus.blogspot.com/ who also put up with last minute phone calls and almost always agreed to watch my kids so I could continue to stay on track. My wonderful friend, Jessica Gardner, http://jessandrichard.blogspot.com, who trained and competed in a 1/2 marathon the week before me. I was challenged and inspired by her hard work in running a 1/2 marathon in the mountains of Colorado! And to all my friends, who encouraged, prayed, and strengthened my faith...from the bottom of my heart, THANK-YOU!

But, without Christ, I am nothing and ultimately the praise for this accomplishment goes to my heavenly Father, Jesus Christ. I have pushed my body farther than I thought possible, yet Christ gave me the strength to finish.

THE END!!!

And how did I do? I was pretty please with the end results. My goal was under 2 hours and I finished in 1:54:50. I had a pace of 8:46, and I place 32 overall in the race, and I placed 8th out of 51 female runners. All in all, I was happy with the end results.



My amazing family...I am blessed!

Ready, Set....STOP!

Ever have those moments where you feel like maybe you attempted a little too much? Well, this week has seemed to run along that line. I've signed my name on the dotted line and I'm committed to seeing a goal accomplished this Saturday (Lord willing!). I am planning on running my first 1/2 marathon on Saturday and am feeling way outside my comfort zone! Yes, I've run many, many miles (310 miles since February 1st to be exact), and I've tried to eat healthy, but I'm still second guessing myself. "Can I do this?"

I ran cross-country in college for four years, but the races in college are only 5k races, not like a 1/2 marathon which is 13.1 miles! Not to mention, college is 7 years behind me now, as well as having four kids in four years! Yet, when one of my friends from college decided to train for one, I was determined to at least try. And, so here I am three days from attempting something I've never done before in my life. I've run in snow, wind, through knee pain, mild shin splints, and now I'm pumping up the Vitamin C in an attempt to not catch this cold/sinus sickness my children have managed to aquire! I'm excited, nervous, and feel a tad overwhelmed. But, I've seen God give strength when I've had none, He's given rest when I'm weary, blessed me with an amazing husband whose support has been phenomenal, and I know my confidence and strength come from Christ alone!

Wyatt and Mom

Musings from Madison, WI

Four excited little boys!

     Last week, my husband needed to take a class for work in Madison, WI. Since he was already going, and planning on staying overnight, I decided to go along…and take all the kids.  Staying in a hotel is a HUGE treat for our kids, and they were so excited to go along. We picked a hotel with a pool, of course, and a free breakfast, of course!  We left on a Monday night, and arrived about 7:30pm. We saw our room, looked at the breakfast place, and of course, sought out the pool! I knew I was in for a challenge as soon as we saw the pool. There were no steps, just ladders into the pool, and the shallowest depth started out at 3 feet! The kids wanted to go swimming right away, but since it was already getting late, we went for a walk and put everyone to bed.
        Tuesday morning: Everyone was up early…and the first question was “When are we going swimming?”. We went and ate breakfast, dropped Roger off at the hotel down the road for his class, came back to the hotel and prepared for swimming! Thankfully, I am fairly confident in Garett and Chandler’s swimming abilities since they’ve taken classes at the YMCA. Since I was taking all of them, however, I had all the boys put floaties on their arms. Travis did not appreciate that! I gave the children instructions about staying close to mama, looking out for Travis, and listening, and off we went. Well, I didn’t have to worry about Travis, since every time he looked at the water, one of the boys was grabbing on his arms! Garett could touch the bottom, and Chandler is part fish, so I really had just two little leaches…Wyatt and Travis! Wyatt wasn’t crazy about the pool since he likes to touch the bottom, but as long as I was holding him, he loved it. Travis fussed about the floaties and since I was holding him, we took them off…much better! We played in the water for about an hour, and then I told the boys that we could go to the zoo if they wanted to, and everyone hopped out of the water!
        Dressed and in warm clothes, we headed off to the Henry Villa Zoo in Madison, WI. I highly recommend this zoo, as it’s free and perfect for families! It was cold, but the kids loved it! The polar bear got in the water to play and that was a highlight for them. The monkeys were playing in their cages, and the boys were fascinated by that as well.  We spent a few hours at the zoo, and when everyone was getting cold and tired we headed back to the hotel. Everyone took a 3 hour nap and then it was time to get daddy-YAY! After we picked up daddy, we ate supper and then went swimming again…it was  much easier this time around!
Wednesday morning, Roger had class until noon. We had to check out of the hotel by 10, so I wasn’t sure what we would do for two hours. We were ready and checked out of the hotel by 9 and the Lord allowed us to find a McDonald's with a play land! The boys played for a while, and then asked if we could go back to the zoo. I was surprised that they wanted to do that again, but they had had a really good time…so off we went. The day was warmer, and it made it a little easier for Travis and Wyatt. We were able to see the giraffes and the rhinos (they weren’t out the day before as it was too cold), we saw the tiger up close through the glass, but Wyatt did not appreciate that tiger at eye level! We were able to ride the little train there and of course, visit the monkeys again! Then it was time to get daddy again.

Wyatt at the pool

Ready to see the zoo!

Train time

Kids and giraffes

The friendly lion...Wyatt wasn't too sure!

Orangutans ...fun times!

Garett

My amazing husband and Travis

        While it wasn’t a relaxing vacation for me, I wouldn’t trade the moments with the boys for a relaxing time. Seeing their delight about swimming and the animals at the zoo,  brought great joy to my heart. I only have a few short years, so I’m soaking up the memories!