God's grace

                         

Today, September 30, 2014, 

I'm so thankful that God does not allow us to all be discouraged on the same days! While yesterday was an incredibly rough day for me, today was much, much better. We were on time for Travis's school, and we are on lesson 40 with the other boys...yay! 

My dad was able to listen to the boys reading so that really helps move the schooling day along. While Wyatt seems to be feeling much better, Chandler hasn't been feeling so great today. He found blankets in the "mother's room" at the church building, and he wrapped himself up in the blankets. He was running a fever shortly after we arrived at school, so I ended up taking him home early with Wyatt, Emma, and Travis. After we picked up Travis, we headed home. I know Chandler isn't feeling well when he is asking to take a nap! Since Garett was still having school with Nana, I laid the other boys down for rest time about 11:30. Travis staunchly declared that he wasn't tired, but he was asleep within ten minutes. :) It was nice and quiet in the house for over an hour, and I even got to lay down for a few minutes. (I've not been feeling 100% either, but I simply cannot be sick!) Thankfully, Garett was very quiet when he was dropped off after school, so everyone was able to have a little quiet time. 

Some very dear friends came by about 1:30. Anna and Elizabeth Mayo, from my dad's church family, came over for the afternoon and evening. We were able to get so much done! Both bathrooms are clean, the laundry is done, the beds have clean bedding, the boys have haircuts and baths, floors are swept and cleaned, the summer clothes are put away, and Emma's next set of clothes are in her drawers! Whew! We also spent hours looking for that ridiculous key to the car! Drawers have been emptied, furniture moved, bags and shoes searched through, and even the trash; however, the key is still missing! This is super frustrating for me, but I'm positive that God still knows where it is hiding! :) I had a great time visiting and working with the girls, and the house looks so nice and clean. (Now to keep it that way until Roger comes home!) 

Today Roger is discouraged. It's disheartening to not have this instrument training done, and in know he feels like he is letting our family down. However, out of the fifteen students that were in his class, none of them are done either! It is discouraging to see how far we have yet to go, and it's easy to let the devil talk you into second guessing yourself. I know Roger is feeling down, but nothing lasts for forever...we will get through this too, Lord willing. Roger moved out of the room he was renting, because he expected to be done by now. Today was the date that he had given the landlady that he would be moved out by. However, it means that Roger is currently homeless in Florida. Thankfully, he's coming home in two more sleeps for the weekend. When he returns to Florida on Monday, he should have a place to stay. A man in the church that Roger is attending has said that he will have a place for Roger to stay on Monday. So I am praying that it will all work out! 

                                          

October 1, 2014

I should just dub Wednesdays as "wacky Wednesday". It always seems to be a little on the crazy side...maybe because I try to squeeze too much into the day?!

We made it too school on time; however, I forgot that Wyatt was supposed to have a speech lesson at 8:30. Well, we missed it! I remembered about 8:45, so I called his speech teacher, who graciously understood all about schedules and small children! 

I took the little ones home about 11, while my mom finished up with the older boys. Emma fell asleep on the way home, which usually isn't a problem. But today she decided that she didn't want to take a nap when we got home. :( So, I fixed lunch, clipped coupons, worked on a grocery list, (which I forgot at home), and tried to think of new places to look for those car keys!

We left for Oshkosh about 1:30, and we went to the YMCA first. It was nice to get a work out in for this week, and to know that the kids were supervised. Wyatt has been having an especially rough time lately. He seems to be moody, aggressive, and very emotional. He announced to me today that he was tired of me, and he wanted dad back. I probably didn't respond with the most grace and tact; but I told him that we were stuck with each other and that I was getting tired of him too to be quite honest! I think he needs some time to go on a daddy date, so we will have to work that into our schedule. 

After the YMCA, I took the kids to a friends house to play. Gretchen offered to watch the kids this afternoon, so I could do errands. I haven't gone back to plasma since I got that staph infection. It's looking much better, but I think it needs a few more days to heal. I had several places I wanted to go, but I decided that I should get the oil changed in the truck. Gretchen had a coupon, and the oil change place could fit me in right away. Travis became a leech at Gretchen's house, so he came along. Thankfully, the oil change place offered cookies and soda, so he was quite content on his outing with mom. :) The oil change took longer than I wanted it to, so by the time we were done, I didn't have very much time to run errands. We picked up a few items at Target, and then headed back to Gretchen's house. Gretchen graciously invited us all for dinner, so we ate dinner before heading off for church. 

When we arrived at church, I realized that the boys had forgotten the bag with the. Kings Kids shirts, books, and Bibles. I was a little upset that they hadn't remembered, but hopefully next time one of them will remember! 

We are so looking forward to Roger coming home for a few days! Each time he comes and goes, it gets a little harder. He did look into a job today...in Florida! It's not in my plan to move there, but each day we are apart as a family, it makes it easier to not be picky!

October 2-4, 2014

When Roger come home, life gets a little crazier, a lot more fun, and the days go by much faster! So, while I have more to write about when he's home, I have less time. 

I took Emma and Wyatt along to the airport today to pick up daddy. Wyatt has been aggressive, emotional, and challenging to deal with lately. One of Roger's brothers was supposed to pick him up today, but he backed out of the job. Then my dad was going to pick up Roger, but dad got called to work. So, I worked out the schooling schedule with my mom for the older boys, dropped Travis off at his 4k class;  and Wyatt, Emma, and I drove to Milwaukee. Thankfully, Emma slept on the way down. But by the time we got to the airport, she wanted out; and Wyatt needed to go potty. We parked the car, rode on the moving sidewalk, and we got to take the escalator...Wyatt was thrilled! Roger was waiting for us, but  he thought that we would be driving through the pick up passenger area. I hadn't called him to tell him that I had parked the car. Wyatt spotted Roger way off down the side walk, and he took off like his pants were on fire! I only wish that I had video taped it! It was so refreshing and awesome to watch Wyatt launch himself at his daddy and wrap his arms around his neck. Emma went to Roger immediately, and she has been giving him voluntary, wet, slobbery, kisses non stop! :) 

We stopped for a quick lunch, and then headed back to my parents house to pick up the other boys. As soon as we arrived at my parents, the boys came spilling out of the house to talk, hug, and kiss their daddy. They obviously miss him! Everyone was anxious to go home, so we all went home and enjoyed an evening of fun as a family with lots of talking! Roger spent some time looking for the car key, and asking me about all the places I had already looked. To each question he asked me, I replied, "I already looked there." :) Roger went outside to look in the car again, and under the tire wheels, and I'll admit, I didn't help him look much. After all, I had already torn apart the house and put it back together, and I hadn't found the silly key! However, Roger came back in the house...with the car key! What?! Where did you find it? He said that he had looked under the tire wheels, and as he stood up, he looked across the roof of the car; and the car keys were on the roof of the car! I must have put them up there for safe keeping, and then they were hidden from short people! :) Praise The Lord, the keys have been found! It's just another reason to be glad that Roger is home!! :)

         

Friday was a hard schooling day. It's hard to motivate children who just want to "go with dad". Roger needed to fly in the airplane that he will be flying tomorrow for the Wings as Eagles open house. So he left to go to Oshkosh, while I tried to finish up the school day. We also had a wedding to attend in the afternoon, so time was tight. I laid Emma down for a nap as soon as we got home. I made lunch for the boys (leftover bacon and potatoes) and got ready for the wedding. It was a "no kids" wedding, so my friend, Gretchen came to my rescue for the second time this week. While I was showering, Emma woke up, so the boys fed her lunch. Yeah, they gave her three pieces of bacon and a cupcake! She was happy, but she didn't have the most nutritious lunch! :) oh well! Trying to hurry up small children, is like telling them to pretend to be turtles..."hurry up" just simply isn't in their vocabulary! I ended up meeting Roger in Oshkosh since  flying took a little longer than we planned. We did make it to the wedding on time, and it was a nice date with the two of us! :) 

The originally plan was for us to pick up the kids and take them to my parents before going to the reception. However, when we picked up the kids, it was apparent that they needed daddy. Three of the boys were asking to go home and play with daddy. So Roger stayed at home with the boys, pizza, and a movie, while I went to the reception. To be honest, it was hard for me to go to the reception with out Roger, but I did have a good time. I'm thankful for a husband who recognizes the needs of his children, and doesn't hesitate to do what is best for them. 

Saturday was a crazy day where we left the house at 8:00 am and came home about 7:00 pm! Roger flew the cessa 173 for the Wings as Eagles open house. (Wings as Eagles is a flying ministry out of our church, and it was a special treat for Roger to be able to fly people on a short plane ride) Garett and Chandler had qualified for a special trip from Kings Kids. They had said enough verse cards,and they qualified for a special trip. The trip was a field trip to the hanger...which Garett was thrilled about, and Chandler...not so much. :) Since the boys were going to be spending most of the day at the hanger anyways, I don't think Chandler was thrilled that it was a place that he was already going. However, we had a talk on being thankful and content, and that not everything in life can be exciting and awesome! 

We spent the day at the hanger. It was good to have fellowship with friends, meet some new people, and to be together as a family. The weather was kinda crummy in the morning, but it cleared up in the early afternoon enough to fly. Roger took multiple trips up in the 172, several with people who had never flown before. It was good afternoon, even if it was a little crazy! I was able to get away to Target...by myself...for about an hour. One of our college kids, Lydia, was willing to watch the boys at the hanger. It was so nice to go somewhere ALL by myself!! 

After the open house, I took Chandler and Emma to the grocery store and to run a few errands. After we got done with that we met up with Roger and the other boys for a treat of frozen yogurt (aka. Supper!) By the time we arrived home, the boys were showing signs of fatigue and major grouchiness! It was time to unwind and get ready for bed. 

We had a special treat in our mailbox. It was a gift certificate to Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce businesses for $25.00! Basically, it is a gift certificate that we can use anywhere in Oshkosh. It was completely unexpected surprise, and we have no idea who sent it! The piece of paper simply said, "we have been praying for you." We, Roger and I, were completely surprised, and it was a blessing to our hearts. I'd love to save the gift certificate for a date when this is all over, but knowing how life goes, I'll probably need it for car repairs, gas, or shoes for one of the kids. :) And that's fine, it's a special treat to have a gift certificate...I love those! I'm really quite the "hoarder" when it comes to gift cards. I have been saving all my gift cards that I get from Target for buying certain items. (At Target, they often offer like a $5.00 gift card when you buy certain items like diapers, shampoo, or other such essentials. I then combine these deals with coupons to get the items free or cheap, and then save the gift cards for Christmas shopping.) If I get my free birthday drink gift card for Starbucks, it takes me the whole month to use it...because I want to save it for a day when I'll really enjoy it! So, to whoever made my day...we love it! We are looking forward to using it for something special...and thank you, you were a blessing to us!

It's been wonderful, great, special, and awesome to have Roge home for the weekend. We've enjoyed our time together, treasured our memories, and thankful for God's never ending provision for our family. To all who pray for us, pleas continue to do so! :)

Having "Fun" yet?!

September 29, 2014

To give you all fair warning...this post is full of raw, unfiltered emotion and feelings. I'm writing what I'm thinking and since this is my life journal, I'm comfortable with that. (You can stop reading now if you so wish. After all, this may change your complete and entire opinion of me and my spiritual walk with God.)

Frustration, irritation, confusion, and tears of fatigue are all crowding in my mind. What good reason could there possibly be for the truck breaking down last night on the way home? What good reason is there to have a sick child in the truck? (I'm guessing I need to be thankful here on this one that Wyatt didn't throw up in the car.) What good reason is there for losing the car key, and spending several hours looking only to still not have it found? What good reason is there for this flight training to have taken WEEKS longer than they originally told us it would? What good reason is there to have a replacement key cost $300.00?...oh, because it has a computer chip or something like that in there! What good reason is there for the baby to be up multiple times last night when I didn't even get to bed until after 12 am?

I'm tired of trying to be up beat and positive. I'm tired of trying not to take out my impatience and frustration on the small people around me. I'm tired of waiting for God to do something great, and it's not happening...at least not in my timing! I'm tired of worrying about money, always debating in my mind if I should spend this money on something or not. I'm frustrated with myself for being so incredibly emotional. I'm frustrated with my lack of faith and dependence on God. However, as I write this and listen to Pandora Radio, I can still see God's hand over me. The songs that were playing as tears streamed down my face were "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "Simply Trusting". How absolutely fitting and a balm for a my weary soul!

                       

UPDATE: later today

It's amazing how getting a nap can refresh my mind, make the world a brighter place, and reestablish my mind to think on things that are honest, true, lovely, good report, virtue, and pure.(Philippians 4:8). My dad came over about 10:30 to pick up the older boys for school. Wyatt didn't  have school since he was still running a fever. Travis missed school since it was such a late bedtime last night. I'm so incredibly thankful for my parents. My mom taught the older boys today, while my dad worked on tracking down a tire for the truck. They brought the boys back around 2, but by then I had turned the house upside down for the key to the car. I've searched through trash, under beds, the refrigerator, the stove, in bags, shoes, washed all the laundry, checked in the washer and dryer, and every other place imaginable! I have no idea where else to look! I'm super thankful that Wyatt, Travis, and Emma all napped at the same time today, so I was able to squeeze in a twenty minute nap also. Shortly after my parents arrived with the boys, my dad had a new tire on the truck...woo hoo! At least I now have a vehicle to drive!

To my great surprise, the florist came by about 2:30, with flowers...and they were for me! :) My husband thoughtfully sent flowers today knowing that my day was rough, and that I was very tired and discouraged. I'm blessed by his love for me, his faithfulness to our marriage, his desire to achieve a better job for our family, and the hard work he puts into raising our children.

I'm thankful for friends. Friends that pray for me, cry with me, encourage me, and lift up my burdens before the Lord. After texting several friends a picture of the truck last night, and knowing my frustration with not being able to find the key to the car, one my friends texted and said, "We love you, and we'll be bringing by supper about 5:45." God knew...in His sovereignty...that I needed some encouragement today, and He provided that through a friend's thoughtfulness. I'm thankful for the sacrifices in time and effort that Autumn and Phil have gifted to our family.

After checking my sorry attitude, and asking God for strength, forgiveness, and His grace, I can again come back to the statement..."I am blessed."

One: No one was hurt last night when the tire shredded itself. And although the spare tire was soft and the rim rusty, the tire did get us home last night. God did not allow my thoughts to run away with me while we were waiting beside the road. (Just that morning, there had been two murders in Berlin, so it would have been easy to let my imagination run away with me!)

Two: My parents didn't even hesitate to come out and rescue me and the children.

Three: The Bruski family stopped and helped get the tire replaced. I really didn't even know where to start looking for the spare tire.

Four: God made it abundantly clear that I needed to pull over the truck. I'm not very mechanically inclined; and since all the gauges looked normal, I needed the smell of rubber and a grinding sound to direct me to pull the truck off the road. God allowed me to pull off the road where there were lights from the granary and at the corner of a fairly busy, lite intersection. If I had pulled off when the truck first  started running "noisy", it would have been in the pitch black, lonely stretch of road. 

Five: God provided an opportunity to cement in my mind how much I need Him. Wyatt told me after church that he wasn't feeling well. He didn't want any of the snack on the way home, so his brothers eagerly ate his share. I'm thankful that my mom brought her car to pick us up, so she took home the kids (except Emma...she was sleeping in the truck) Wyatt threw up as soon as he got home, but he made it to the toilet! It was after 11, by the time the boys were in bed. Emma had a hard time settling down, and I spent almost an hour holding her. However, this provided a chance for mind to unwind, and to thank God that we were safely at home again.

Six: Although this day was full of frustrations and discouragements, I'm still alive and well. Although Wyatt isn't feeling great, he isn't deathly ill or anything terrible.

Seven: Friendships make my life so much more enjoyable. God is so good to provide good friends for me. 

So, all that to say, that in spite of a weary, long day, where I had to battle through my emotions and fatigue, God is still sovereign. He still loves me. He's still providing grace for me. 

Roger is getting very anxious about getting these last few flying hours in for this instrument rating. Please pray that the weather will cooperate. He is moving out of the place he's been living the last few months, so pray for God to provide the right place for him for these last few weeks. 

Many, many thanks for the prayers,

Sarah

                    

Church activities

You know...I'm coming to the place where I'm actually starting to enjoy journaling our daily lives. Sometimes I'm disappointed because there are many, many things I'd like to write about, but my time seems to run away from me! However, I know that I'm not going to regret these days of recording memories and life experiences. 

Today the boys were talking about getting married, which always gives me a chuckle. Chandler has decided that he is not going to get married because he doesn't like all that mushy, sloppy, "stuff". I think he's referring to kissing. Garett, however, has decided that he will get married. His reasoning? He hates shopping, and he says that his wife can do all that stuff. (Good thing they both have several years to mature and grow!)

I slept terrible last night, which always makes for a long day. Emma was also up several times last night, so I had a hard time getting up this morning! We were a few minutes late for school, but that's not terrible considering that no one was out of bed at 7:15 and we have to be leaving by 7:40! The boys had math and phonics tests today, so that did speed up the school time today. By 11:30, we were all home. Emma was already sleeping, so I decided that we would all lay down for rest time. I put the two little boys in our bed, and I gave the bigger boys books to read. I also told them they could play on the Kindle, but they were not to get out of bed or ask me for anything! (I have never let the boys have the Kindle at rest time, but I was in desparate need of a nap!)

The house was quiet for almost two hours! :) We had lunch, picked up a little bit, and then went to a friends house. One of our friends had some children's clothes for me to look through for Emma.  When we left their home, Chandler managed to forget his shoes! (How do you even do that?!) And I didn't even notice! We had a few things to get at the grocery store...milk again! Chandler didn't tell me he left his shoes at our friends house, instead he found a pair he had left in the car from a previous day! 

I had briefly thought about going to the YMCA, but my better side of common sense told me to come home and keep working on things for the ladies meeting. The boys played outside, while I tried to get some things together. However, I feel like as fast as I gather my thoughts, they are flying out the other side of my brain. It's time to make a list, oh wait, I lost the list! 

Since our lawn mower is back, I feel like I should mow the grass so that it's one less thing my dad has to do for us. But when I went to start it, I realized that I have never, ever, driven our lawn mower. Oh well, how hard can it be? Yeah, I could read the instructions, but it's easier to just call Roger! :) We managed to get part of the yard mowed. It will probably take me about eight days to mow it, and then   I'll need to start all over again! :) 

One of the dear families from my dad's church, the Mayo family, brought us a meal tonight. It was delicious, and I ate way too many home made cookies! The boys had a great time playing nerf gun wars with the children...and I found a nerf gun with bullets hiding in my bed tonight! :) 

Rogef wasn't able to fly today due to weather conditions. That makes for a long, boring day for him, so please pray that he can get this flying done...soon!

Friday and Saturday...

Saying that "I'm exhausted" doesn't even come close to expressing how I really feel tonight! My heart is full with all that God did at our ladies meeting. 

Friday was a crazy day with satan trying to discourage me at every turn. I started off my day late, so I didn't get in my daily Bible reading. I proceeded to burn breakfast, ruin my coffee, drop a cup on my foot, and lose the car keys...all before 7:30 in the morning! Since I couldn't find the car keys, I had to switch around the car seats; and I proceeded to make us all late for school! I was flustered and a little irritated. I know that God is sovereign, and I wanted Him to make my day go smoothly! However, I believe that God was testing how I would respond to the situation. School was a little rough, and I kept thinking of all the things I still needed to get done before the ladies meeting at seven pm. We managed to finish school, and we headed home. When I get tired or stressed, I tend to see all the things that I need to get done...like cleaning the garage, sweeping the floor, or looking for car keys. But none of those things are the things I need to be doing to get myself ready for the evening session. I ended up calling Roger to talk my way through the things I needed to get done. Thankfully, he provided a listening ear and some direction for my scattered thoughts. He reminded me that I should be thankful that we have a different vehicle I can drive, and that losing the key to the car is not the end of the world. The garage cleaning can get done another day, and the grass won't mind not getting cut today! I'm thankful that Roger's logic could help me eliminate the unnecessary things that were crowding my thoughts. 

I dropped the kids off at my parents around two, and headed to church to help decorate for the girls session. I was helping with the 8 to 12 year old girls, which is always interesting and fun. :) We decorated, organized, and talked through the Friday night session and the days activities for Saturday. I  have worked with an amazing lady, Amy Sousa, for the last several years, and we always have a great time! We make huge messes, play some crazy games, laugh a lot, and have great Christian ladies to speak to the girls. 

During the Friday night session, my friend, Autumn, gave her testimony. I absolutely love hearing how God can use our mistakes for His honor and glory. Autumn's life is a reflection of how much God loves us and desires a close relationship with us. It was a great testimony for the girls to hear, and I'm sure that God will be glorified through it all. 

By the time I left for home on Friday night, my parents had already brought my kids home. My parents graciously put the boys to bed for me, but Emma refused to go to bed without seeing her mama! (Stinker!) I visited with my parents for a bit, and  I thanked them for their willingness to take the kids for the evening. By the time I went to bed, I was exhausted...but determined to get up early and get my devotions done in the morning! 

I was up about 5:30 this morning, and my feet hit the ground running. I did drink 1/2 of cup of coffee before I set it down and forgot it somewhere! I also got my Bible reading caught up, and finished up a game for the day. Thankfully, my mom came to get Emma, so I didn't have to make a separate trip to my parents house to drop her off. I managed to get all the boys in the truck, and we headed to the Hammonds home. Autumns husband, Phil, was taking the boys for the day! I'm also thankful that they offered to feed the boys breakfast, so it was one less thing on my to do list. 

I dropped the boys off, gave Phil our truck to drive for the day, and Autumn took me to church so I could finish trying to get my act together! :) The day started promptly at nine. We knew that 39 girls had already signed up, but when it was nine am, we had 59 girls downstairs! We quickly realized that we didn't have enough papers, chairs, and folders to go around, so it was an emergency trip to walmart! I also was in a singing group with some dear ladies from our church, so I went to sing. The Lord really helped us all sing together, and it was truly a blessing to sing about Gods Grace...He's been amazingly good to me! 

We had a fun day downstairs with the girls. The craft time was a disaster, but the girls seemed to have a good time! :) It was a huge mess! Gretchen Schillder made lunch for all the girls, and she also made home made carmel for apples, which the girls loved! :) Over all, it was an amazing, exhausting day with some great speakers that challenged the girls to grow in their relationship with God, lots of fun and laughter, and games. I'm hoping that each girl went home knowing that God loves her, and that we love them too.

                         

After the ladies meeting, I helped clean up, went to pick up my boys, and headed home. The boys had a fun day at the EAA air museum, and Garett even got to take a flight. :) They were tired! My mom brought Emma home, and the kids played outside, while I looked for car keys. Yeah, I still haven't found them!  I really missed Roger this afternoon. I really could have used a walk or a short run to decompress and think through the day  but that just didn't happen. But I did get to visit with my mom for a bit, and then the neighbor brought over her two little ones. She needed someone to watch them, while she baled hay. It was a way I could be a blessing to someone today, and the boys were delighted to have little ones to entertain. I was super tired, so we ate a highly nutritious meal of cold cereal for supper tonight. :) Oh well, it's probably not going to hurt them! Shortly after our visitors left, I had the boys get ready for bed. I could tell they were tired from all the whining that was going on while they were brushing teeth and getting ready for bed! 

Tomorrow is a new day. Its a day to worship The Lord and to fellowship with other believers. Roger flew last night, but storms have been throwing off his flying schedule. Please pray that he will be able to get in the hours he needs, before he comes home this weekend. Also, we'd like to see God provide the perfect job for our family, so we'd appreciate your prayers as we are approaching the days of applications. 

Details...I love how God works in my life!

I absolutely love how God is involved in the details of our lives. Although at times it seems as though I'm stumbling through life, I know that God has a master plan for my life. I was just reading in my Bbile reading how God works all things together for His good and glory. (Romans 8:28) 

We have a ladies meeting at our church this weekend, and I've been frantically trying to get my act together...as usual. :) I'm helping out with the 6-8th graders, and I'm looking forward to it. We've done some pretty crazy games and we always have a lot of fun. However, Roger watches our children! That's a problem since he's not here this year! There is a session on Friday night, and I asked my parents to watch them for Friday afternoon and evening as I need to help decorate and participate in the session. But I don't want to ask my parents to watch them Friday and Saturday, as that's a lot and they already help me out often. However, who wants to take on five additional children for eight hours on Saturday?! I've been praying hard for God to answer my prayers, and God has done just that! A very dear friend of mine mentioned to me that her husband was wanting to take the boys on Saturday to be a blessing to me. Although four boys is fun, it can be overwhelming and exhausting, so it's a huge blessing that someone actually WANTS to take them for the day! My mom has agreed to keep Emma on Saturday, so I think I'll have all the bases covered. I have many, many things to get done before Saturday, but it's such a blessing to know that my kids will be watched and taken care of while I'm not available for them.

So, I also decided what I'm going to do with the gift of money I was given on Sunday. Our church has an overnight ladies retreat every fall. I've had my doubts about being able to go simply because our funds are starting to become limited. But God in His infinite mercy and grace has provided a way for me! (Now all I need is the big miracle of Roger finding a job around here, so I'll still be in the area in November!) 

If there is one thing I've learned in my parenting experiences, it's that children need naps! The more a child whines and cries about how much they "don't" need a nap the greater the need for a nap! One child has been particularly out of sorts today. I'm thinking it probably has to do with daddy leaving again, not enough sleep over the weekend, and too much excitement. This child struggled with school today, and I knew he needed a nap. I came home with the little ones, while my mom finished up school with the other boys. Emma was asleep by the time we reached home, and thankfully she stayed asleep while I carried her in the house. I tucked Travis into our bed, and Wyatt in his own room. Travis was asleep in less than five minutes. Wyatt was hoping I would let him get out of bed...no way, kid! Instead I grabbed my pillow and laid down in his bed with him. He talked with me a bit, told me how much he loved me and daddy, and fell asleep holding my arm...I love these moments! All the kids slept for about 1 1/2 hours, so it was a good chance for me to rest my leg and gather my thoughts for this weekend. My mom brought the boys home after everyone woke up, and serenity disappeared into the abyss of boys with nerf guns, Legos, and choas. You know what though? That's okay! 

Roger and I have to make a few decisions concerning the rest of his ratings. He needs to get his commercial  rating yet, and we are contemplating whether or not he should try to find a place to finish up his ratings up here in Wisconsin. Originally the school in Florida said the average student took 12 to 14 weeks. However, out of the 15 students in Roger's class, he is the one that is the closest to being done and it's been closer to 17 already and he isn't done! (How they arrived at that average number of weeks, I'll never know!)

Anyways, we continue to need your prayers as we seek wisdom and direction. 

Wednesday, September 23, 2014 (aka...crazy day)

No matter how hard I try to plan out my Wednesday and prepare ahead of time, it always seems chaotic and overly full! Since we've started school, that's only added to the craziness. Today was a rough homeschooling day. Travis didn't have four k, so he came along to school, obviously! Usually, Travis and Wyatt are best buddies...not today! Whatever Wyatt was doing for school, Travis wanted to do as well. And Wyatt didn't want Travis doing his school, and Travis was sitting too close to him, and Travis stole my pencil, and Travis is sitting where I want to sit, etcetera. (Can you tell Wyatt needed a nap?!) Emma didn't want to be a school either, and it felt like a three ring circus! At least my dad was able to listen to one of the reading students. It was one of those days where I wondered, "I wonder what sending them to school would be like?" But praise The Lord, we survived it! 

I took the three very grouchy younger children home, and left my dear mother to finish math with the older boys! We went straight home, after we stopped at the pumpkin farm. :) I've been telling the boys that we will get pumpkins, and we drive right past the pumpkin place every day. So today we stopped quickly to pick out two pumpkins. At $1.00 a piece for the big ones, I think it's a pretty good deal. They want to carve the pumpkins. Yeah, that's a daddy job. Knives, small children, and slimy pumpkins does not interest me!

I laid the kids all down for a nap, and it took Travis about two minutes to fall asleep. Wyatt laid in bed quietly, but I don't think he ever fell asleep. :( After the big boys came home, it was lunch time, pick up time, and gather up the items we needed for church and Kings Kids. (It was also "dress like a farmer" night for Kings Kids, so we had to find overalls, plaid shirts, and farmer hats!) 

We left for Oshkosh about 1:30, and we made a quick stop at the YMCA. I got in three miles, picked up coffee for my friend, and headed to drop off my children! My friend, Gretchen, had graciously offered to watch the boys again while I did plasma donating. However, since I'm taking the antibiotic for the staph infection, I can't donate plasma. :(  (The antibiotic is working; but it makes me sleepy and gives me insomnia!) Thankfully, even though I couldn't donate today, Gretchen was willing to watch the kids while I did some errands for our upcoming Ladies Meeting on Saturday. I'm really starting to feel the crunch of time as I'm desperately working to put together games, object lessons, craft materials, and get all my ducks lined up for Saturday!

I had three beautiful, glorious amazing, wonderful hours to myself this afternoon. Even though I ran around like crazy, I was able to go more places in far less time than when I have five small children in tow! I went to Aldis, Target, CVS, Walmart and Office Max. I'm feeling a lot better about having the stuff picked up, now to just get it all together. :) Gretchen and her husband, Sean, even brought the kids with them to church, so I really had an afternoon free! 

I'm working on a power point presentation for the music I want to do with the young girls on Friday night. Unfortunately, technology and I are not friends! I can barely make my iPad do what I want it to do, and I know that it could do so much more; but I need a tutor to teach me! :) However, when we tried the presentation tonight, it actually worked! Amazing! I had only typed one song onto the presentation because I didn't want to waste a bunch of time on something that wasn't working! So, now I'm ready to go back to it! (Hopefully, it will still want to work on Friday!)

Blessings...a date, money, and a message!

Big  blessings!!

Whenever I'm feeling discouraged, I am reminded of how much God loves me. When I stick close to Him, He gives me comfort, peace of mind, and grace for every moment. But sometimes, God chooses to show me how much He loves me through other people! I'm thankful for those who are willing to let God use them to bless us. 

1) On Friday night, Roger was told that his golf outing with the church men was paid for by a friend! This was a totally unexpected surprise and such an encouragement to us! 

2) On Sunday morning, a friend at church came up to Roger. She said that she had a gift for us, and she wanted us to go on a date. She generously gave Roger $50.00 to take me on a date! Yay!

3) Pastor Brenenstuhl preached on not giving up on dreams. He reminded us of Joseph and how God gave him a dream, but it was years before God fulfilled that dream. Roger and I have both been particularly discouraged lately, and this message was exactly what we needed to hear. Thank you, Lord!

4) Following the morning service, a lady came up to me. She said she didn't know why, but God had impressed upon her heart to pray for us on Saturday. She said that God wanted her to give me something, and she was praying for us. I hardly know this lady, I'm not close in age to her, we don't chat, but she was willing to be used of God! She tucked a bill into my hand and gave me a hug. Of course, I was all teary eyed, and I couldn't speak. As I walked away, I looked at the bill she had given me. This dear lady had gifted me with $100.00! I could hardly believe it...wow! Since I don't have a specific plan for it, I'm half expecting the mail man to bring me an unexpected bill this week! :)

What a weekend it was to remember! We had a fabulous weekend, but it went by way too quickly! :( 

Thursday ... I took the three younger children to Milwaukee with me to pick up Roger. By the time we arrived, he had already landed and was waiting for us. But of course, two of the three children needed to use the bathroom, and Emma just wanted out of the car! :) After parking the car, we walked towards  the baggage claim area. We stopped at the first bathroom. :) As we walked toward the baggage claim, we saw Roger looking out the window with his back to us. Wyatt took off running for Roger and practically took him out at the knees! The boys were delighted to have "scared" daddy, and they all wanted to talk about ninety miles an hour! Emma was a little hesitant at first, but she quickly warmed up to daddy. 

We stopped for coffee on the way home, and to let the kids out for a bit. I had called the clinic earlier this morning to see about getting a different medication. The clinic called back and said that I could pick up my changed prescription in Oshkosh. However, when we went to the pharmacy, the prescription wasn't ready. Knowing how anxious Garett and Chandler were to see daddy, I decided I would just come back later and pick it up. We headed to our house first, and Roger stayed with the three younger children, while I went to pick up Garett and Chandler. My kids are not usually anxious to leave my parents house, but those two couldn't get in the car fast enough! :) 

Back home, everyone wanted to talk to daddy, be by daddy, sit by daddy, wrestle with daddy, work with daddy, etc. The boys were determined to soak up every minute! I had a special ladies get together to go to tonight, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave our family. But, Roger reminded me that I still needed to pick up that prescription, and that he was home to try to give me a break too. So, I left a little early to pick up the medication, and run a few errands. I can't believe how emotional I've been since Roger is home! I spent a good twenty minutes crying in the car..why? It's such a relief to have the person I trust the most watch our children, to not have to worry about inconveniencing someone, or to wonder if I should pay someone and how much for watching our kids. I haven't really noticed the strain it's been until Roger has been home to relieve that burden. It's like I'm free to release all the emotion, tears, and weariness I've been holding at bay. I'm sure to be a basket case all weekend! 

On Friday, I took the boys to school with me, while Emma stayed home with Roger. She hadn't slept well the night before, so she was sleeping when it was time to leave for school. For whatever reason, she was up screaming from one to three in the morning. She wanted to nurse, but she didn't realize that once she quit nursing, she couldn't go back. 😟 So, I spent some time cuddling her and convincing her to try a cup! Finally, she fell asleep...praise the Lord. But the boys were up early to spend time with Roger. School was hard for everyone and no one wanted to concentrate...but my mom and I decided that the boys would not have school on Monday. 

Roger and Emma came over to the school house after Emma woke up. Roger listened to reading, and then took Wyatt home with him while the older boys finished up school. The boys were more than ready to leave school, and they were very anxious to get back to dad! The boys were more than happy to help when they got home from school. They worked on cleaning out the pool, scrubbing gutters, cleaning the garage, and picking up the yard. We gave them the option to take a nap or help work...they picked working. 😋

We headed into Oshkosh about 3:30 to get the key for the church van. (We had a college activity that night.) The boys and Roger stayed at church while I picked up a few groceries for the Deacon family night on Sunday night. At six pm, we gathered at the church with the college kids. We went to play laser tag up in Appleton. Normally, we don't take our kids with us to college activities as they aren't for them. But since Roger is only home for a few days, we took all the kids with us. Garett was the only one old enough to play laser tag, but the other boys were able to play on the inflatables that were there as well.  It was a super late night for us all, but the kids did pretty well about not falling apart. It was 11:30 by the time we were home and in bed. 

Roger was up early on Saturday to play golf in the Pastors Cup outing at church. While I know that he really wanted to spend time with us, Roger also really needs adult fellowship as much as I do. I'm glad he was able to play, but it was way longer than either of us anticipated it being! Roger was also a little bummed as he had really wanted to spend time with one of his good guy friends at the golf outing, but it just didn't work out. I could tell when he got home that he was kinda frustrated with the way the day went and how long it took. It also meant that there wasn't enough time for me to go out to coffee with a friend, so we were both a tad disappointed. Know what though? Life moves on. 😬

My parents came over for supper, so we had a good visit with them. We are so appreciative of all their help this summer. And guess what? Our lawn mower MiGHT be fixed...I guess we will find out when I cut grass this week! Of course, we only have a few more weeks of grass cutting anyways,  but either way, I'm glad it might be working again. 

I had wanted to go out my myself after my parents left, but since it was already 8 pm, I decided to stay home. Roger and I rented the movie "Mom's Night Out", and we had a good time laughing together. 

Sunday was a day spend with church, cooking, baking, talking, church, Deacon family night, friends, and not much rest! Since Roger has been away, we are kinda "out of the loop" sometimes about what's going on, so we were both thankful that our deacon families were combined with another deacon family. However, we definitely want to help out as much as possible, so I made two pans of brownies, two pans of gluten free brownies, two pans of Rice Krispies, and Roger cut up seven pounds of cheese to serve with crackers. I also made a meal for one of our families in our deacon group, and one for our pastors family, since Heather was sick. Shall I admit it was a busy afternoon?! However, it was a lot of fun too. The kids played nicely while making a huge mess with Legos while Roger and I talked and made food. We had to leave for church by 4:30 so that we could help set up chairs for our deacon families, and I was practicing some music with a ladies group. I'm so thankful for a good church to serve in, families that love God, ladies to fellowship with and accept me for all my failures. 

Roger was up early on Monday morning to meet up with someone from church. I'm thankful for all the people that have supported us, encouraged us, and loved us. I'm especially thankful for those who have recognized that while things are difficult for me, life isn't a walk in the park for Roger either! He desires fellowship with believers just as much as I do, and he needs friends to help encourage him and ask him how is he doing. 

It's going to be a rough day...no one wants to see daddy go back to Florida. I'm thankful it's not for forever. Ever time Roger comes for the weekend, it's a reminder of how blessed I am to have a great man for a husband and a daddy. I'm looking forward to being together again, no matter wherever God may choose to put us. Roger and I both recognize the fact that we are coming to an interesting place in our relationship. Not that I've been hiding things from him, because I haven't, but I also haven't wanted to "unburden" on him when he's 1600 miles away! We both realize that when we are back together as a family for good, it's going to take lots of talking, date nights, and communication to reinforce those ties in our marriage. We both have the need of fellowship, probably me more than him, simply because I like to talk. :) However, Roger has the needs of needing his wife, interacting with his children, and battling of the discouragement attacks of the devil. 

Well, as I predicted, it was a rough day for the kids. We left early to take Roger to the airport, and had a pizza lunch before heading dropping Roger off. The kids wanted to get out of the car for a bit, so we parked, walked Roger to security, and said good bye...again. The boys are getting used to the airport, but these moments are always going to be tough. They did well, with minimal tears, but it was a quiet walk back to the car. 

On the way back to Oshkosh, Travis and Emma took a nap. :) I cancelled my plasma appointment since I'm taking an antibiotic for my infection on my leg. The clinic called me this morning to confirm that it was a staff infection. It's a good thing that they called and told me that, because it's looking a bit better, and I was tempted to quit taking the antibiotics. However, I'd like to keep running, so I'll take the antibiotic! I did decide to go to the YMCA and walk for a bit. I'm learning to quit when my body starts squawking about pain, but I need a little activity. I needed to pick up a few things at Target, so we went there first. While at Target, I told the boys that next we would be going to the YMCA. Chandler asked if we were going home first. I replied, "no, why?" Well, my crazy six year old son had locked a pocket knife to his pants and the key was at home! Why you would do that, I have NO idea! I didn't think it would be a wise idea for him to go to the YMCA with the knife on his pants, so I bought him some pants off the clearance rack at Target. (I love that boy, but he does some crazy things!)

Home again! My leg is now bothering me just a bit, so I'm putting warm compresses on it, and the boys are playing outside. Back to school tomorrow, so it will be an early night! 

New week...crazy start...hives!

Monday, September 15, 2014

School done...check. Plasma donated...check. Kids fed...check. Laundry, outside play, naptime...check, check, check. So, why then can I look around my house and say, "wow, I have so much to do?!" I feel like the day was productive, for the most part, and yet it's time for bed and the house needs attention. Oh well!

Mondays are usually a challenge to get out the door, to school on time, and everyone fed with teeth brushed! However, I'll tell you a secret of mine...my children rarely sleep in pajamas. (I know, it's terrible! :) When I have the kids get ready for bed in the evening, I have them put on the clean clothes that they will wear tomorrow. It saves me so much time and headache  in the morning! Emma sleeps in pajamas, sometimes, because those are warmer than her play clothes. The boys started the habit on their own years ago, when they didn't have very many pairs of pajamas. Now the boys choose to put on the clothes for the next day, and they usually wear pajamas when they aren't feeling well! 

Travis went to school with minimal hesitation today, so I'm delighted at that progress! My dad was able to find time to listen to the boys read, so that saved us a lot of time today. I took Emma and Wyatt with me to pick up milk and Travis. After we got home, I made chili for lunch (and supper). My mom brought the boys home, so I gave her chili for supper too. :) 

Everyone needed quiet time today. The weather was a little dreary, and I think dreary weather makes everyone a tad more crabby! So, I told Garett and Chandler to get in their bed with some books, put Emma in her bed, and took the two little beds to our bed. It didn't take long and the whole house was quiet...ah, blissful! (It ended much too soon!)

I had a plasma appointment this afternoon, so we accomplished that also. However, I'm not sure that I'll be able to donate plasma on Wednesday, since the girl had a hard time finding my vein. I think I'll be ending up with a bruise on that arm, so we will see. However, I did catch up on most of my Bible reading while at plasma, so I feel like I used my time wisely. I am still behind, but not as much as I was before my appointment! :) 

I was planning on trying to go to the YMCA also, but by the time I was done at plasma, my arm was kinda hurting. So instead, we cashed in on our reading program certificates from the library. The boys each had coupons for a kids meal at Hardee's, so we did that and came home. The boys played outside  while the sun was still up, and I got Emma ready for bed. She seemed tired, so she was in bed by seven,...hopefully, she won't be up at four! :)

After I laid Emma down, Chandler came in to ask me to play volleyball with him. (I like volleyball, but I feel like I do a lot of running and waiting for the ball when I play with the boys.) :) However, they all had a good time, we picked up the yard, and came in to get ready for bed.

I did have a "mommy" moment tonight. Chandler went to get clean clothes out of his drawer. However, the clothes smelled like urine! I was like what is that awful smell! Well, someone had wet the bed during the night, and instead of telling mom, this person just shoved the wet underwear into the closest handy thing. Chandlers drawer happened to be open! Mom was not happy! Let's just say that we have one child that will be doing a lot of laundry in the next few days!!

We are looking forward to seeing daddy this weekend. The boys are counting down the sleeps until he gets here. I'm counting down the sleeps until I get to share the bed with Roger instead of a small boy who sleeps the wrong way in the bed! 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

You know what I'm thankful for today? That God created a time for our bodies to rest and that every day will eventually come to a close!

After teaching Wyatt school this morning, and listening to the older boys read, I headed to my monthly house cleaning job. I wasn't feeling that great today, as I have some sort of weird infection on my leg that is red, painful, and swelling...not fun. However, I did want to get this house cleaning job done today, as my mom was available to watch the kids while I cleaned. :)

I did get most of the house cleaned before it was time to pick up the kids, but I did still have several loads of laundry I needed to get done. So, I put the laundry in my car, picked up the boys, and came home to start laundry. (I'm also thankful for a washing machine!) Emma did take a nap, but by the time we got home, it was a little lat to be laying the boys down for rest time. So, I tried to rest my leg (as much as possible with five children). I finally finished the laundry around six,so we headed back over to the house cleaning job to finish up there. I also remembered that Travis has treats for his class tomorrow at school...so off to walmart for a few items. 

Finally home again, to make supper, make treats for school, Bible time and bed. It doesn't seem like that crazy of a day now that I'm writing it all down, but it definitely was a crazy day! 

Two more sleeps until Roger comes home! We are so excited! I'll be taking Travis, Wyatt and Emma with me to the airport to pick up Roger, while my mom makes sure the older two get in another day of school. :) Actually, Garett and Chandler were not disappointed to find out they weren't going, but they both said it was too long of a ride! :)

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

It was supposed to be a crazy day but it ended up being that way! Travis had treats for school, so I was up at five to get coffee, Bible reading done, and treats made. He brought home made granola bars and apple teeth (apples with peanut butter with mini marshmellows between the slices) For the first time, he was very excited about going to school. :) 

After getting everyone up and rolling, we headed to school. But, we swung by McDonalds after dropping off Travis. Why? Because it's free coffee this week! :)

I've been battling some type of infection on my leg right below my knee. So I spent a good part of the morning teaching with my leg up and warm compresses on it. However, I also made an appointment at the doctors office for 11. I ended up taking Travis with me to the appointment since he was done with school. It was a short appointment, and I was half thinking that the doctor might lance it and drain it; but the last time that happened, I fainted! Instead I was prescribed an antibiotic, and she did a culture swab. 

After the appointment, it was time to pick up the other children and head home for lunch and nap time.  Emma fell asleep in the car on the way home, but she stayed asleep while I brought her in and put her in her own bed. :) The other boys tried to sneak outside before I called them for lunch. :) 

After quiet time, we packed up the Kings kids bag, the stuff we needed for supper, and all the other items we "needed" to bring along. I dropped the kids off at my friend, Gretchen's house, while I ran an errand. When I came back to pick up the boys, they were having a great time playing with their friends. :) And although this would have been the perfect opportunity to pick up the antibiotic...I forgot!

We had supper with the Shuberts again this week, and the boys all adore their daughter, Story. :) It was nice to have some adult company at the dinner table. :)

Time for Kings Kids, so off we went to church. I was reminded that my leg was uncomfortable from all the walking I had done, and the redness was coming back. So, while the kids were at church, I went to pick up the antibiotic. I don't know why I didn't take a pill right then, but it never even crossed my mind! 

Back to church, pick up kids, drive home, bring in sleeping children, fed non sleeping children a snack, put away a few groceries, and took a pill. Thankfully, all the kids were asleep, by the time the pill was having its effects. About twenty minutes after taking it, I had hives all over and I felt like scratching my way out of my skin! I was reminded of when I had an allergic reaction while in labor with Emma...not fun! A call to the doctor, confirmed the fact that I shouldn't take any more pills (yeah, wasn't going too!) I was told to take Benadryl, so I did. I'm hoping the kids feel like sleeping in a little later tomorrow morning, because I'm going to be tired! 

Emma has officially weaned herself. I tried nursing her last night, and she refused. I put her in bed and she laid down without a fuss. While she nursed longer than any of the boys, this is harder than I thought it would be for me. Emma is most likely our last baby (Roger says, "for sure") :) However, I'm just not 100% sure. I enjoyed this year with Emma so much, and it was a lot more fun having a gap between Travis and Emma than having four boys in four years. I don't mind being pregnant (for the most part), God has blessed us with five beautiful children, and I'm just not sure... I guess we will wait and see what God does and continues to do in our family. 

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!! Yay! We are going to get Daddy (aka...my husband!!) We are all so very excited, and looking forward to soaking up lots of time together! :)

Thursday, September 18, 2014

We picked up Roger from the airport...so good bye until later! :)

Friendships

If there is one thing I've really learned this summer, it's how valuable and irreplaceable good friends are in my life. Although many hands have helped me over the last fifteen weeks, I'm thankful for friends who look behind the cheerful smile and upbeat words. Honestly, I don't feel like a hypocrite for smiling and saying the "right" words (at least not most of the time), because who wants to hear a 15 minute dissertation on what I might really be thinking! :) However, I do have a few close friends that really do ask what's going on, how they can pray, and what I'm really thinking. I try not to unload too much, and I do have to be very careful about what I say in front of the boys as I don't want to hurt their feelings or make things rougher for them. Usually, if I'm emotional, they also become emotional and life quickly becomes a basket case scenario! We've survived thus far, so no quitting now!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Busy, busy day! We left home about 8:15 this morning, and we met up with a friend, Autumn, and her baby, Logan, at church. We all piled (quite literally) into our station wagon, and headed up to Kaukauna to support the Women's assurance Center's walk/run for life. It was a rather chilly morning, but at least it wasn't raining! 

I was a little worried that we weren't going to make it to the park in time for the run/walk, but I needn't have worried as we had plenty of time. I signed up for the race, and asked Autumn to watch my kids. :) Thankfully, my sister in law, Allison, was there too, so she offered to help watch the kids too. There was a fairly good turnout for the event, and I heard that more came this year than last year. The Center had organized a few games for people to play, a pie and chili contest, a bounce house for the kids, a silent auction, and the walk/run. 

At 10:30, the walk/run started. There were fourteen runners with that being males and females, so it wasn't a big race crowd. :) There were about five of us that started out together in the front, and and quickly put some distance between ourselves and the other runners. However, when the trail split, we weren't sure which way to go. :) We ended up picking the wrong direction, which we realized after we had gone about .2 of a mile and ended up at the steps to a baseball field. So we turned around, and then everyone who had followed us turned around as well. However, that meant that I was now not nearly as close to the front! Oh well...extra steps on my fitbit. And since I don't give up easily, I was determined to try to catch back up. So myself and another guy passed everyone back up, and then kept pace to the uphill before the turn around to come back on the trail. We both made it easily up the hill, but all those years of hill training in cross county came back to me. :) I got a good lead on the downhill, and I was determined to try to keep it. :) It was tempting to slow up when I couldn't hear anyone breathing behind me, but again memories of our cross country coach repeating, "never look back, don't slow up" kept resounding in my head. So, I did end up first across the finish line, which is a first for me. I ended up running 3.42 miles instead of the 3.1 race that everyone else ran, but oh well, it was a lot of fun. My favorite part was listening to the boys tell Roger about the race. :) you'd have thought I had won an Olympic medal, they were so proud of me. They are my biggest fans, outside of their daddy, and they are the number one reason I'm fighting to get in shape and stay in shape. (Okay, it's for Roger too!) :)

By the time the race was wrapped up, and the kids had played in the bounce house, Autumn and I decided it was time to go. Emma was looking for a place to lay down, and Logan wasn't far behind. So, we gathered up the kids, and found a few yard sales to stop at on the way back. (We didn't have great success finding any treasures, but it was fun) We stopped for lunch at a McDonalds with a play land, so that made some little people's day! 

After lunch, we stopped at Sams Club for a few things, and of course, the boys ate all the free samples! (They had just finished lunch!) 

By the time we dropped Autumn and Logan off at the church again, it was almost 3:30, and the boys were getting tired. However, I needed some iodine for my object lesson for Children's church. We went to Fleet Farm first, but I didn't want to buy a gallon! I was a little disappointed that I couldn't find it in a small bottle, but we needed to stop at the grocery store before heading home. On a whim, I decided to look in their band aid aisle, and I found a little bottle of iodine. God is so good! 

Home again, home again...yay! The boys dragged stuff out of the garage to play with while I made supper.  My parents came over for dinner, and we had the feast of fresh corn, fresh coleslaw, fresh potatoes, fresh green beans, and chicken sausage. It was delicious home grown food...yum! 

The boys were tuckered out, so it was an early bed time immediately following Bible time. I was able to Face time with Roger so that was really nice. The boys always want to talk to him to, so it's hard to find time that not interrupted. I went to bed early enough, about 10:30, but insomnia followed me to bed. :( It was after 2:30 when I finally fell asleep, which can make for a challenging morning! I was up at 5:50 to make a breakfast dish for the teens at church. Chandler came out of his room about 6:10 and asked if he could help me cook. It always takes three times as long, and about four times the mess, but God graciously filled my mouth with "yes" instead of "no" like my flesh wanted to say! He had a great time cracking eggs and whipping them up, and I have no regrets about spending time with him. 

Sunday, September 14

Oh yeah, it's bedtime! I have a terrible headache, and I was grouchy at the kids tonight. :( I prayed with them, but then didn't kiss them good night. However, my conscience was severed, so I had to go back and kiss them all good night. 

We had a good day...the breakfast was inhaled by the teens, the object lesson worked out beautifully in Children's Church, and I was able to take a little walk and get some laundry folded this afternoon. :) 

I did have one disappointment this morning. Since next Sunday will be Deacon family night after church, I was passing out flyers to those in our deacon group. I happened to be in the church office when I handed a flyer to someone. He asked what it was for, and I replied it was for deacon family night. He replied, "whose my deacon?" I think he was trying to be funny because he laughed after he said it. However, my feelings were a little hurt, actually. This was a person to whom I talk to often, I know Roger has talked with, and while he thought it was a funny comment, no one else in the room knew if he was kidding or not. If there's one thing that puts me on the defensive, it's comments directed at my husband of children. But moving on...it's behind me now. 

After church, I had a quick errand to run at Target. We happened to drive by A&W. Chandler read their sign to me..."99 cent cones". He immediately replies, "Mom, what a rip off!" I was like, "what?!" Chandler states, "who in the world would pay .99 for just a cone?" I couldn't help it...I laughed out loud, and cleared it up for him that they did put ice cream in the cone. :) 

I had such a bad headache this afternoon, that I allowed the boys to watch Curious George while Emma was sleeping. I told them not to get up, and that I was going to lay down for twenty minutes. I felt much better after resting, so I sent the boys outside. After Emma woke up and ate her snack, we went out side for a little walk. We didn't get far, but something is better than nothing. 

Pastor Brenenstuhl preached a good message tonight on balance. I need to hear that. Sometimes, I feel all muddled, and that I don't have good balance. However, it's something to work on...not throwing out the baby with the bath water. :) 

The boys were able to face time with Roger tonight, and tell him all the things that they have planned for this weekend  when he's home. :)

I know Roger is looking forward to being home for a few days, so please pray that he can get done what he needs to before he leaves on Thursday. 

I'm going to bed....good night, all!