A Date? One-stop Shopping? Wow!

Tuesday, September 22

So, Roger, Emma, and I had a date night! I know you are wondering what we did with the other children! Our children were invited to the AWANA program at a church here in town. It's a huge outreach in the community, and another Baptist church in town runs the program. We had seen the signs  on the church, at the post office, at the library, and at the grocery store. Many of the children from the church we are attending also go the AWANA program, and they invited our children. The four boys are old enough to attend, so we decided to take them to look into the program. We were impressed by how well it's organized, planned, and put together. There were over fifty kids there! It's every Tuesday night at 6:30 pm. The boys had a great time, and they are looking forward to going back next week. Roger and I were able to squeeze in a quick date to the grocery store, and it provided us with a much needed date...except of course, Emma came along! 

When we arrived at the church to look into the AWANA program, we discovered that it would be $30.00 a child for the program. We weren't sure if we could afford $120.00 for the kids to attend AWANAs, but we also feel that it's important for them to have something that they can look forward to every week. The secretary suggested that we could pay in increments if that was easier. We put $45.00 towards it, but Roger and I still need to come up with the rest of it. It seems like quite a bit of money since we aren't sure if we will be here past November, but it's also important for the kids. However, God always has a plan and a purpose. When Roger and I arrived back early to pick up the kids, the secretary mentioned that she needed to talk to us. Apparently, the director had discussed our situation with her, and the church will be paying for two of the kids to attended!! Wow! My heart was blessed and my faith encouraged by hearing that. Of course, I also had to wipe away a few tears at how good God is to us. The kids had a great time,  and they are working on their verses for next week. 

Wednesday, September 23

We are half way through another week of school! We spent some time reading books, and we are planning on a library trip on Friday. I was hoping that we would be able to go to the big city either Thursday or Friday, but Rogers schedule is pretty busy. I'm up for a lot of things, but driving 2 1/2 hours to the big city, and then shopping with five children, does not necessarily sound like FUN! However, it may become necessary as this Wisconsin family is almost out of all our cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, and everything else dairy! I've discovered a lot of great savings on some groceries by shopping on Amazon, but that company doesn't ship dairy...go figure! I mean, why not, it's only 86 degrees?! 

Every Wednesday, the church has dinner before the service. My mother has taught me well on many things including bringing plenty of food to church dinners! But, on the other hand, we have yet to come home with leftovers. I haven't decided if that's because I'm a good cook, or because people are very hungry! We made cookies, pasta and meatballs, jello, and bread. Well, Walmart made the bread to be honest. My family is still suffering the effects of my efforts of bread making in Alaska. Let's just say that is not my forte! I was able to play the piano for church tonight. I don't know if anyone else was blessed by it, but I certainly was blessed by playing! Playing the piano soothes my soul, and I feel like the music and the words come alive...I love it! I'd also love to start the boys on piano lessons, but I think I'm going to wait on that for a while. After all what would they practice on? Chandler suggested that we could build a piano out of cardboard and paint the keys on it. I'm certainly not trying to shoot down his ideas and that would be easier on the ears, but I think probably not! 

Friday, September 25

Today I'm just praising Jesus that we made it through another week of school. One of my good friends from back home suggested trying a different method of education with Garett, so we are working to get that set up this weekend. It's more of a computer based education, which might be able  to help me give more time to the other three students in school as well. I do have one question? Why is it when it doesn't matter if something works or not, it works fine; but if you need it to work, it breaks? Case in point is our computer as it has been slowing down over the last few months. However, when I went to try to use it for Garett's education, the thing wouldn't cooperate! Ahh...technology and I are not good friends either! (You're probably wondering what on earth I am good at, right? I'm not good a bread making, or homeschooling, or technology. However, I am very, very good at...ha, when I figure it out, I'll let you know!) But back on track, I will get Garett set up for a new change this weekend, Lord willing! I am willing to continue on with the curriculum that we have, but I am also learning to try other suggestions. 

        Sometimes the living room looks like this when we finish school. But it's  a small space so it doesn't take long to clean up! 

Saturday, September 26

Roger was gone for the majority of the day with multiple flying tours. Emma was up by 6:15 am., so I guess she didn't realize that it's Saturday! Chandler helped me make monkey bread and apple pie enchiladas for the pilot's treat this morning. It gives us a chance to be a blessing to the pilots, and it gives me an opportunity to bake with the kids. (It's a way to practice education without them realizing what is happening.) 

One of the maintenance mechanics came up to Roger yesterday and asked if if he bought a lottery ticket. Roger was suprised and of course replied that he's never boughten a lottery ticket. The mechanic replied that he should have bought one because Roger had amazing luck. Roger was completely confused and asked him what he was talking about. The mechanic showed Roger the rim of one of the tires off of his airplane. Part of the metal rim had snapped off, and the mechanic said that Roger must have had one very smooth landing to be able to land the airplane without puncturing the tire. Apparently, another pilot had mentioned that he had spotted debri on the runway when taking off. So, the mechanics had gone out the the runway to find the debri. They found the metal piece of rim, and as a precaution they had inspected all of the airplanes that the company owned. They discovered that Rogers plane was the one with the metal rim missing, and it must have happened on the last flight of the day. So I am thankful for the Lords every lasting protection over us. It could've been a very bumpy landing had that tire punctured, but God protected everyone. We are very thankful! 

Also today, we did laundry, I've finally discovered where you can do one-stop shopping in Page. It's at the laundromat! On any given day you can buy tamales, burritos, corn on the cob, peaches, baked treats, and jewelry! I've been working on getting some Christmas shopping done whenever I can get a good deal on some Navajo jewelry. It seems like it's mostly the teenage girls and elderly women that make the jewelry. I do better at bartering with the teens than the elderly ladies. While I'll buy some jewelry on occasion if it's a good deal, I don't generally buy food that someone else prepared at their house, although it often smells good. Sometimes the laundromat is more like a flea market than a laundromat, but at least the washing machines and dryers work. Although it does give me a bit of a chuckle when you read signs like, "please insert coins before staring". I believe they meant to say, "please insert coins before starting." Or "this machine accepts quitters only". I'm guessing it's supposed to say, "this machine accepts quarters only." Oh well, it gives my children good practical reading lessons! 

Since Roger was gone most of the day, it was a bit challenging to get the laundry done. However, we accomplished it, and we should have clean clothes to wear for the rest of the week. Yay! 

Emma has completely win over the hearts of everyone at the airport. She hands out hugs and kisses to those she likes, waves hello, and loves to go visit daddy at the airport. Since we live so close to the airport, we can hear the planes fly over. She will often run to the window to wave at daddy in the sky. Of course, Garett is quick to correct her if that isn't daddy's plane. He might not know his multiplication facts very well, but he knows the difference between a 206, 207, 172, the Otters and the Caravans! Ahh...maybe I just need to attach the multiplication facts to different airplanes!

Today was also a little bit of an emotionally hard day as our church back home is hosting their annual ladies meeting. The past four years I've helped in coordinating and working with the 5th thru 8th grade girls, and I've enjoyed it immensely.  While I loved seeing all the pictures from the day, it was a reminder of something I was missing out on, and a reminder that time marches on and change happens whether or not we want it to. But, in all of that, God is still faithful. And for today my ministry is to my husband, five children, and the people we come in contact with today. So, we will bake treats, love people, and hopefully, point them to the Lord today. Maybe someday, I'll get to return to the ministry of teaching and reaching the girls at the ladies retreat, but that's not for today. 

Sunday, September 27

Roger's flights were delayed this morning due to a tour bus breaking down on the road, so it was just myself and the children for church this morning. The pastor asked if I would play the piano since the guy that normally plays the guitar is out of town. I was happy to do it, and it was going well until Emma noticed that I had left the church pew and came running down the church aisle! She probably would have done fine sitting beside me at the piano, but the Pastors wife offered to take her to the nursery. Emma is becoming more comfortable at church, so she was willing to go to the nursery. The other four boys must have done okay sitting in the pew...or at least I think so. I'm mean, no one was crying or hitting on their brother, so I guess it went well! Roger missed the whole service, but he did get home as I was dishing up lunch. 

After lunch Roger, Emma and I walked down to the airport with lunch for the office ladies. They were thrilled to have white chicken chili, so I hope it was good! Since we still had a bunch left in the pot, we took some to the other pilots. It was a good walk for Roger, Emma and I, and we had a good visit. I'm thankful for every moment Roger and I can squeeze in together these days as his schedule has been so busy. 

However, Roger might have off tomorrow, so we might be going to the big city! Yay for grocery options, and dairy choices in the city! It's been four weeks since we've been so the pantry would like to see some groceries.  Roger will probably have a morning flight, but that will give me time to get some schooling in before we go. I think we are going to go to Flagstaff this time instead of Saint George. It will be a change of scenery, and even the kids are looking forward to going! 

Blessings on your day, and our love to you, 

Sarah

                           One of my baking assistants...Chandler 

Flying...Flying...and Life!

As far as I know, Roger and I are still married. But I'd have to be able to see him sometime to confirm that! I'm kidding, of course! Roger has been gone...a lot...with flying tours. I am thrilled that he is building the hours, but I wish that it would balance out a little bit. Roger has been leaving at 4:30am., and not getting home until after 6 pm. He's not flying all those hours continuously that he's gone, but there's not always enough time between flights to come home. 

Meanwhile, we press forward with school, trips to the library, Legos, building forts, and making dirt roads in the front yard. We are making progress, and I am trying to be a little more relaxed and fun. We've been reading a lot of books. We just finished "Snow Treasure" which is a true story about how the boys and girls of Norway got the gold out of their country to America. We all enjoyed it, and the boys learned quite a bit about WWII. Our friends, the Scherzers, sent us some books in the mail, and we are looking forward to starting those next. 

Some of you may know my sister, Hannah. She and her husband are moving to Maine for her husband's job. On their way there, however, their truck was broken into. Several of their personal and valuable possessions were stolen, and this is a discouraging way to start this new adventure. Please pray that the insurance will cover it, and that the police will be able to apprehend the burglars. 

Wednesday, September 16

It was another crazy day for Roger. He was at the airport again by 5:00am., and I ended up taking the kids to church by myself as he wasn't done by 6:00 pm. 

I've been taking Emma for walks in the morning since she has been getting up at about 5:30 am. It's tiring, but it does give me time to think and pray before starting our day. This morning I asked the Lord to help me be a blessing to someone today. I actually have no idea if I was a blessing to anyone today, but I know that God gave me several blessings today. 

One, we completed another day of school. Yay! We are down to 145 lessons left (which isn't very encouraging!) However, we press on towards to goal of finishing. It was encouraging to have one child that was very motivated today and didn't even take a break as he wanted to finish his school work.  I think he might have wanted to play outside by himself and knew that was one way he could make it happen. :)

While at the park this afternoon with the kids, they received a blessing. We have a set of junior golf clubs that they all share, and they often take the clubs to the park. We don't have very many golf balls though, so it's sometimes hard to keep track of whose ball is where. However, today there was an elderly gentleman at the park walking his dog. He mentioned that when he was about nine, he started playing golf. He mentioned that he lives near the golf course and often collects lots of golf balls. He asked if the boys would like a few extra golf balls. He said he had a dozen in his truck that the boys could have if they wanted. The boys were thrilled, and it was a special blessing to my heart to see their heart of thankfulness. At bedtime one of the boys thanked God for allowing them to get some more golf balls. I'm thankful that they are learning to thank God for the blessings that they receive. 

Thursday, September 17

Roger only had one flight today and it was at eight am. I was very thankful for this as we needed to get laundry done TODAY! I started school early so that when Roger got home, I could do laundry. I took Wyatt with me today, and he brought along his reading books. We took a half day field trip,and headed out to Lee's Ferry in the afternoon. Lee's Ferry is about forty five miles away in Marble Canyon. It was a ferry service that operated from 1871 to 1928. It was the safest place to cross the Colorado River for five hundred miles and even then boats capsized and people drowned frequently. It was a good practical lesson in history and geography, and the boys will write about what they learned tomorrow. We had a good time as a family, and it was a good change of pace. 

Friday, September 18

Woo hoo! It's Friday! Roger was busy again today at the airport, but he was able to come home for a few hours. We were able to squeeze in a short coffee date, and I went on a short run. The boys were tired today, probably after all the hiking from yesterday. We finished school- praise the Lord, but we are all very thankful that tomorrow is Saturday. Roger has another busy day of flights tomorrow, so I will need to practice some creativity in keeping the boys from getting aggressive with each other due to boredom. Boys need activity and lots of it! While the weather is about ten degrees cooler this month than last month, it's still a little hot to spend hours outside at a time. Yesterday, at Lee's Ferry, it was a hot hike, so it was a good reminder that we still need to drink lots of water! 

Saturday, September 19

It was a very busy day for Roger! I spent the day making treats for the pilots in the morning, taking the kids to the park, running to the grocery store, reading books, the park again, cleaning, and the other day to day activities that fill up our days. We certainly miss Roger when he is gone all day, but it is what it is. Roger and I are praying diligently about where God would have us to go next. Personally, I'd love a job that would pay enough to put the kids in a Christian School somewhere, but that might not be what God has for me. I know one thing, I'm leaning a lot about my own shortcomings while homeschooling! I think that God has bigger lessons to teach me than I have to teach my children!

Sunday, September 20

I love Sundays!  What a special day to worship together with other believers! I wish we knew people a little better and had a few more friends, but at least we can work on that while growing in God's Word. Sundays also bring their share of challenges along, as Roger has been not able to make it to the Sunday morning services. He was able to come this morning though since his flight was early this morning. The church is a small group of believers, but I'm thankful that they put forth the effort to have a Children's service, and in the last few weeks, they have worked on organizing the nursery better (I like that!). 

After church, we went home for lunch and naps. Our church in Wisconsin is thirty minutes from home, so it's very weird to be only five minutes from church! We were home with lunch eaten and everyone ready for naps by 1:30pm.! I took a short nap, and then went to do laundry. Yes, I did just do it on Thursday. However, Chandler has been struggling with really bad headaches lately, and because of those sometimes, he throws up. And then the other bed mate wet the bed! So, off to do laundry I went. It will be a long time before I take having a washer and dryer for granted again. We spend around $20.00  a week to have clean clothes. So, that's about $80.00 a month...painful, but entirely necessary!! 

On a happy note, I was able to have a lengthy conversation with my dear friend, Jenna, while doing the laundry. I love talking to those back home, but sometimes it does make me feel lonely. Jenna and I have a deep and dear friendship, and it's one of those friendships that we know what the other person is really like...and we still like each other! If I was completely honest, loneliness is probably one of my greatest struggles right now. Roger is gone a lot, and while I love my children, I do also like adult conversation. Hopefully, as we meet more people in the church, we can build some friendships. However, God knows exactly where I am, and He is reminding me that He is all I need. 

Monday, September 21

At the risk of sounding like I'm complaining, I struggle with Monday's. I am reminded that I have a whole week of school ahead of me and working with five little minds to grasp the concept that education is important. I'm working on being more flexible with how they learn, but I wish I could get inside their brains to figure out how they would best learn. We do lots of reading together, but I wish I knew how to make education fun and exciting for them. I realize that it can't be that way all the time, but I am working on trying to figure out new ideas. I am definitely a work in progress! 

I went to a ladies meeting tonight at the church we are attending. The pastors wife has been trying to have a ladies meeting once a month. Tonight five ladies attended the meeting. It was a good opportunity to try to get to know some of the ladies better. I am also not Native American, so it's interesting  to be in the minority. I tend to be a time conscious person, um.,.they are not! So, if they intend to have a meeting at seven, most people will show up around 7:15 or later. It's not a problem, unless you are like me and show up for things ten minutes early. Then you wonder if you have the right day, right place, or right time! Oh well, some things don't change whether I am in the far north  of Alaska and Canada or in the deep southwest of Arizona. 

I also had a special blessing in the mailbox today. I check for mail every day, but most of the time, we don't have anything. I think the ladies in the office have come to expect me to show up at the airport around one o'clock, just in case we might have mail. Today I received a special card from some friends back home telling me that they were praying for me, and they sent a gift of money to put towards a bike. I now have enough money for a bike, we just have to find one! If you think about it, we want to spend our money wisely, so please pray that we will find just the right bike. 

Roger is also seeing some changes take place at his job. These are not necessarily good changes for Roger as they have hired on more pilots. It means that we will be seeing more of him around home, but because they have more pilots, his hours will be shortened. There are a few days a week that they need seven pilots, but on the days that they only need four pilots, it's not a good thing. The company wants to keep everything fair, so they try to give equal amounts of tours to each pilot. It's great for the pilots just hired on, but not so hot for the ones that are trying to finish out the season and get enough hours. Our time is becoming very limited, so please pray that Roger will be able to get the hours he needs. 

Thank you for you love and prayers,

Sarah

                 

Moving Forward...Pressing On

                                                                    Love These Kids!

What have YOU been doing? I know what I've been doing! We are in the middle of homeschooling four boys, and trying to keep an active toddler from destroying the house while doing so! This week she squeezed out a tube of toothpaste into the toilet, put Travis's tractors in there, and then put in the towels (only the clean ones, of course!). Why not just shut the bathroom door, you ask? Well, the handle is broken...it's been broken since after the third week we moved in, so it doesn't latch. Roger fixed it once, only to have the latch part of the door fall out three days later! I will say that she does a fabulous job of entertaining herself while we are busy! 

Last Saturday, Roger had six flights, and since then he has flown at least once every day. While I am loving the fact that he is doing what he enjoys and getting more hours, it does produce a bit of a struggle to get everything done in the homeschooling realm! I need to seriously throttle back a little and become a little more flexible in this area. While it is extremely important that they get an education, I really, really want it to be something we both enjoy...and currently that is not the case! For one child, everything is easy, for another everything is a challenge, for the next it's boring, for the next it's too long...ahhhh! How on earth do moms of mutilple children homeschool their children and enjoy it?! I know, just breathe and one day at a time. God's grace is truly sufficient, but I'm sure my children wish often that God would send more! 

Last Sunday, Roger had several flights in the morning, so he wasn't able to attend church with us. Since I want our children to know that church is important to our family, and we need to fellowship with other  believers, I took them by myself. Although I did it for almost a year by myself in Wisconsin, it's a lot different when it's a new church! Quite a few of the families were gone on a camping trip, so that meant that the pastors wife was needed to do the children's church class. She usually does he nursery on Sunday morning, but obviously she couldn't be in two places at once. Due to a few odd circumstances, I wasn't able to use the nursery for Emma either. So that meant that Emma sat in the service with me, which worked until she ate all the mints, got tired of the pen, and drank all her juice. Then she was not quiet anymore! I ended up sitting in the fellowship hall with Emma so that she didn't disturb the service. I'm not opposed to churches not having a nursery,  nor do I want my child to distract someone else from hearing the Gospel. I realize that children are noisy, and need their parents to help them learn to sit...I agree completely! I just would rather do my training at home and come to church to be fed on Gods Word. Although I was able to spend a lot of time in prayer, I did feel like I came to church to use the drinking fountain and the toilet paper! My spiritual well felt a little dry, but I know I made the right choice, and it has led to a great Bible study for me on the woman at the well. (John 4) Did it ever occur to you what a woman of influence she was? Perhaps not a good one, but when she invited the men of the city to hear Jesus, they came. Because of her interaction with Jesus, and her desire to learn about the Living Water, Jesus stayed in Samaria for two days! Talk about life touching life....this woman had probably wrecked havoc on many people's lives, yet God redeemed her from her sin, and many people believed because of her. Wow! God can use us all! 

Roger was home by the time we arrived home from church, so I was able to go for a short run, do some grocery shopping, and work on getting the lessons together for the school week. Roger also had an evening flight which ran late. I again ended up taking the kids to church by myself. I was a little bit concerned about how the service would work since there wouldn't be a children's service, and trying to keep Emma quiet would be a challenge. However, the pastors wife was able to do the nursery, and Roger was able to come a little bit later. It was good to go to church together as a family again. After the church service, the pastor and his wife invited us to go to Burger King with them for a treat. Burger King also has a play land, so the kids were happy as well. It was a good visit, and we enjoyed getting to know them better. 

Monday was a day filled with errands, flights, and family time. We switched over our cell phones to a company that actually gets service around here, so if you need our new number, please ask. Dealing with phones and technology can be a bit of a headache, but I think we have everything figured out now

 We should also be able to save some money by switching our phone service so that makes us happy!

We also went to the state park and went on a hike with the kids. It was an unsual holiday for us in that we didn't spend it with other family or friends, but it was enjoyable. 

The rest of the week was spent with flights, schooling, Wednesday night church service, and every day life occurrences. I took the two little boys with me to do laundry on Friday, and I was amazed at how much they get along together and act like twins. Wyatt gives the orders, and Travis usually agrees. Earlier this week when I put them to bed, Travis let out a big yawn. Wyatt immediately told him "Travis you aren't tired yet, I want to talk to you." And Travis replied, "okay". I just shook my head and chuckled.  Kids can be a lot of fun...and a lot of work! 

This Saturday, Roger again had a full day of flights. I took the kids to the library and to Walmart to pick up a few things. We were out of eggs, so I needed to get some of those. I need to raise chickens! Wow...eggs are expensive! I went down to the airport to see what flights Roger had today, and we brought down chocolate banana bread and peanut butter cookies for the pilots. The tray was half gone before I even left the airport. It's another way to make friendships with the lives of the people around us. 

The boys have been making friends with a few kids in the neighborhood, so they are currently working on a teepee in the back yard. We have plenty of large weeds for them to cut down! They also borrowed the pasta strainer to strain the sand in the front yard...why? Well, all the goat heads were cutting down on the fun, so they used the strainer to strain the sand and dump out the stuff that didn't sift through into a separate pile. I was pretty impressed with their creativity.  Of course the flip side to cutting down trees is having Roger walk out of the bathroom at supper time and announce, "okay, who cut themselves?" The guilty child immediately burst into tears, and hold up a hand that is wrapped in bloody toilet paper. My heart did skip a few beats, but it's a clean cut. I think...maybe...he learned his lesson about only using the hedge trimmers and not the kitchen knives for cutting down the tree weeds! God continues to protect each one of us, and I'm thankful for His constant care! 

Here's one of the quirky things about this town: absolutely no one is on time for anything! The laundromat doesn't open when the sign states it will be, the coffee shops are open and closed with no rhyme or reason to time, and when LIttle Ceasars offers hot-n-ready pizza, they actually mean in fifteen to twenty minutes! It's been a challenge for my time conscious mind to adjust, and I often have to laugh (because otherwise, I'd scream in frustration.) After church, we stopped at Little Ceasars to pick up a pizza. We ended up coming back to the house, and then Roger going back out to get the pizza. What else is there to do but laugh and move forward?! 

Roger has been looking into a few other job options, but we currently are just waiting for God's clear direction. Thank you for your continued prayers! 

The Teepee! 

             The Workers! 

Back in the Southwest and Roger's Blessing

We arrived back in the southwest late Saturday night. Since Garett's birthday was on Sunday and Travis had had his birthday on Tuesday, we decided to take a little bit of time on the way back to Page. I also needed to buy groceries. :) We stayed in a hotel in Saint George, Utah on Sunday. It was a low-key birthday, but we did enjoy a lot of time with our family. I did Garett's birthday interview while at the hotel and it was interesting to hear his answers. (I'll include part of that in a bit.) 

I really want to write a bit about Roger's experience while we were in Wisconsin. The company was short on flights the entire month of August. Because of this, we decided to leave only one vehicle in the airport parking lot in Las Vegas. Although Roger was coming back a week before us, he could just drive back to pick us up versus leaving the vehicle for another week in the parking lot. However, on Sunday, Roger heard that he might be taking a flight to Reno, Nevada. This would prove to be a problem since I was coming back on Saturday and Roger would be in Reno on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I was unsure how we were going to find a solution, but God had a plan. Roger did the flight training for his trip to Reno, and then on Wednesday he called me to say that he would be able to pick us up from the airport on Saturday. I asked what had changed, and he said that he told the company he wouldn't go to Reno. Apparently, Roger has had trouble with his airplane radio and transponder off and on over the summer. They thought that the problem was fixed, but he still wasn't always getting picked up on the radar. It's not a problem here in Page as those aren't requirements. But Reno is a much bigger airport and radioes and transponders are necessities. Roger said that he just didn't have any peace about taking the trip, and he told the company that he would like to back out of going. They weren't very happy with him, but Roger held his ground and said that he wasn't comfortable using the plane that didn't have a guaranteed working radio. I know that he was disappointed in missing out on those flying hours as he needs the time, but it was his decision. I was happy that he was going to be able to pick us up at the airport as this solved my problem of what to do for two days in Las Vegas with five kids. We arrived back in Page on Monday, and Roger headed to the Airport right away. He had a flight that afternoon so he needed to pre-flight the plane. He came back later that afternoon with a smile on his face. When I asked what was up, he replied, "God works in amazing ways. The planes that went to Reno are grounded because the radio didn't work." Apparently, the radios didn't work when they were supposed to so they planes were grounded until the problem was fixed. I couldn't help but chuckle as Roger proved that he had made a good pilot decision in not going to Reno. I'm thankful for God's sovereignty and His perfect plan. 

I had a hard time coming back to Page. Knowing that we would be entering into a five day school day, lack of fellowship and friends, and the lack of anything to look forward to was a little overwhelming. Thankfully, God had allowed friends to send us lots of mail while we were gone, and we had a whole pile of mail and packages waiting for us. It definitely helped to brighten everyone's spirit. 

                         A great daddy!

It was a challenging week with homeschooling and our tenth anniversary on Wednesday. As much as I love my kids, it would've been very beneficial to get away on a date for a bit. But such things aren't to be right now, so forward we press on. We had the pilots over for dinner, since one of them is leaving for a different job on Thursday. Three of the pilots came over for homemade pizza, a soccer game at the park, and time with our family. I can tell Roger is struggling a bit with discouragement since his friend, Jon, left for another pilot job. Roger is still a few hours short to be ready to apply for another job, but I know that he is feeling pressure to find another job before the contract ends in November. However, God is faithful and He will provide the right job. We just need to be patient...again. 

But in great news, September looks like it will be a very full month of flying for Roger. He has six flights on Saturday, and he is so excited to be logging the hours in his log book. This is an answer to prayer for us, as Roger enjoys flying and this is what he needs to be doing. God is faithful...as always. 

Thank you for your love and prayers, 

Sarah 

      Our nine- year old! Wow!

August is Family Month!

August has been a month filled with a whirlwind of traveling, family, traveling, family, and back to Arizona. 

A little over a year ago, Roger's family began preparing for a family reunion. Since we weren't sure where we would be when the reunion came around, we didn't commit to going or not going. The reunion was set for August 15-22 in the northern part of Minnesota. Since we are in Arizona, we just didn't see how we were going to be able to get there. We prayed about it, checked into the cost of airline tickets, calculated the cost of driving, prayed about it some more and decided that we weren't going to be able to go. The kids were very disappointed as most of their cousins they only see once every three years at the family reunion. I felt bad that Roger wouldn't be able to see his siblings, especially since one of his sisters he hadn't seen in ten years. However, we just didn't see how it would be possible for a family of seven to attend. Our suburban already has a lot of miles on it, plus the cost of hotels, food, and fuel; so it just didn't seem possible. 

But God had a different plan for us. One day I had a few extra minutes, so I was browsing on a few different airline websites punching in dates. I discovered that we could fly with Spirit airlines from Las Vegas to Minneapolis for about $90.00 a person! While that is a great price, there was still the fact that we would need a vehicle on the other end. After looking into vehicle rental prices, that idea went out the window! Apparently, there are no value vehicles for rent for a family of seven! I decided to briefly mention it to my friend, Gretchen, who has two minivans. She and her husband said that if we could get to Minneapolis, they would allow us to use one of their minivans during our visit. It stilled seemed out of our budget though, so we decided against purchasing the tickets. A few more days passed, and the family reunion was approaching quickly. I could tell that Roger was having mixed emotions about missing it, so I suggested that maybe he should just go for a few days by himself. He was adamant about not going by himself, but we just didn't have peace about going or not going. However, a few days later, a check arrived in the mail for Roger. It was a check from a job that he had worked at when we were first married. The check was for his employment earning investment, and it provided the money needed for plane tickets!! Now we had the money to go, but would the tickets still be cheap enough? And we have plenty of other things that need money, so maybe we should put the money towards one of those? However, God gave us peace about taking this trip to the family reunion, so we decided to go ahead and book the tickets. Because of Rogers flight schedule, I booked tickets to fly out with Wyatt, Travis, and Emma, and then Roger, Garett, and Chandler would fly out the next day. 

Our children were so excited about the upcoming trip. Since we were going to be so close to my parents, I decided to see if I could work out surprising them. My sister, Jen, told me that she thought I should tell me dad since he's been working long hours hauling corn. So I told my dad that we were coming, but we decided to try to surprise my mom. Since her birthday was August 11, I told her that her birthday present would be a little late this year. 

                        

    

On August 15, I drove to Las Vegas with the three youngest children. Our plane was supposed to leave at 12:00 am. But on the way to the airport, I received a e-mail saying that our plane was delayed. However, I was already on my way, so we arrived at the airport about four hours before the plane would be leaving. By the time we checked our bag, went through security, and found our gate number it was still only about 9:00 pm. The boys watched a movie for a bit, and I put Emma in my ergo baby carrier. Wyatt kept insisting that he wanted to stay awake until the plane came, but by abut 11:00 pm., all three children were sleeping on the floor of the airport terminal. The flight was delayed until  2:00 am., which meant a long night for this mama! I didn't feel like I could fall asleep with all our carry-ons and children sleeping on the floor, nor could I leave to use the bathroom. I was worried that waking the children would be a huge challenge, but a foreigner to Las Vegas solved that problem. Apparently, he couldn't read the "no exit" sign, and opened the door. At 1:30 am., the door alarm went off, and promptly scared all my children awake. However, that wasn't how I intended to wake them up! Anyways, we made it safely on the plane with three tired children, two backpacks, a diaper bag, and three blankets..whew! There should be an award for that feat! 

We landed in Minneapolis about 7:00 am, and my sister in law was able to pick us up at the airport.   The kids were running on adrenaline, but they were excited about seeing the cousins at the family reunion. My brother in laws drove the minivan from Oshkosh to Minneapolis and dropped it off for us. I am very thankful that we had a vehicle to drive and one that would hold all of us! It was a rather long day, but we did arrive safely in Emily, Minnesota for the reunion. 

Roger flew into Minneapolis on Sunday, August 16, with Garett and Chandler. Thankfully, my father-in-law and brother-in-law, Mark, were willing to go and pick them up. We spent the week with all nine of Roger's siblings, spouses, and children. The lodge was right on a lake, but unfortunately, the weather was cool and rainy for a good part of the week. However, the kids still had a lot of fun visiting with their cousins. I enjoyed a run/walk with my sister -in- law, Rachel, and was able to pick her brain about homeschooling and some ideas. I also enjoyed several good discussions with my sister-in-law, Ruth, about family, spiritual needs, and our children. Roger was able to go golfing with all the guys, and he really enjoyed that. The family reunion was also a time for Roger and I to grow closer to each other and strengthen our relationship. I am very, very, thankful to be married to Roger, and the family reunion was a good opportunity to cement that again in my mind. I think a good time was had by all, and the boys are already talking about the next family reunion! We are only able to get together about every three years as the family has now grown and spread out across the U.S.A and Canada. But it's good to come together and visit as a family. 

                       

   

We dropped Roger off in Minneapolis on Friday, and then I headed to Wisconsin. We were looking forward to surprising my mom, visiting with friends, and enjoying fellowship. We stayed the night at a friends house on Friday because it was a rather late night. The boys were excited to see their friends again, and kids can immediately pick back up on their friendships with each other. I, too, have a few close friends that I can pick up right where I left off as well, and I treasure those relationships. I stayed up late talking, and then we headed to my parents house on Saturday. Since my dad knew we were coming, he came out to greet us as we pulled up beside the garage. The kids were rather noisy in their efforts to tell each other to be quiet, and I had a hard time not laughing! However, they did manage to surprise their Nana! She was delighted to see them all, and the boys were thrilled to have the property that they loved at their fingertips to roam and explore once more. 

My parent also had other visitors that afternoon. The pastor and his wife from Truth Baptist Church in Connecticut were in Wisconsin, and they stopped by for a visit. My parents had worked with Pastor Rowley for ten years before coming to Wisconsin. It was also a good visit for me because even though I was in first grade when we moved to Wisconsin, Mrs. Rowley had homeschooled all five of her children and kept them alive while doing it. :) She has the gift of teaching, so it was a special encouragement to me to ask her questions about some ideas that she tried. 

If I spent time describing each and every day I was in Wisconsin, we'd be here for a week just reading! I'll suffice it to say that it was a busy, full week. The boys were able to go fishing with Papa, I enjoyed dinner at several of my friend's homes, and managed to squeeze in as much fellowship and visiting as possible in a week. I did manage to surprise my pastor's wife on Sunday, which I didn't know if I would be able to do. I only told a handful of people about our trip to Wisconsin as I wanted to surprise my mom. However, I had also wanted to surprise Heather, the pastor's wife, and I managed to do it. Unfortunately, it also meant we were both in tears a few minutes before church started. 

My dad has been hauling sweet corn every night for the past month, so I knew he would be busy. I was happy that each of the boys was able to take a turn riding in the truck with their Papa. I know he cares deeply about their relationship with God, and he does his best to encourage them in the Lord. I'm thankful for the opportunities he takes to spend time with them. My mom listened to the boys read several times during the week, and I was thankful to have a reprieve from all thoughts of school. It was a challenge to balance out the time with my parents, try to visit my close friends, and make sure the boys had the rest and down time that they needed. I wish I had been able to have a one-on-one visit with my friend, Autumn, but time was not friendly! We had a small birthday party for Travis and Garett on Friday with a few friends. Travis turned five on Tuesday, and Garett would be nine on Sunday. It was Saturday before we could blink, time to pack up, say our good-byes, and head to the airport. 

                              

   

I feel like God filled up my spiritual well while in Wisconsin, and it was a mountain top experience for myself and our children. I also knew that coming back to Arizona would be difficult, I just didn't realize how difficult it would be. 

My parents were able to take us to the airport on Saturday. I had spent the morning getting stuff out of storage, printing off our tickets, packing, and running last minute errands. It was a crazy morning! The weather was cool in Wisconsin for most of the week, so we were cold almost every day. I decided to leave most of the boys shorts in Wisconsin and get pants and sweatshirts out of storage. (I realized that I based my decision on being cold now as it is still 95 degrees in Arizona!) So, the boys will be prepared when the weather does get cooler, but they are going to be limited on summer wear! Oh well! 

God constantly reminded me of the verse in Isaiah. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." Traveling with five small children, two suitcases, four back packs, a diaper bag, and a partridge in a pear tree...okay, scratch that one..., is a little daunting. However, we arrived early for our flight, and I put Emma in her carrier. Garett took one suitcase, I took the other, everyone picked up stuff, and off we went to the ticket counter. Because we were early, the line was short. An older gentleman was at the ticket counter, and he was very pleasant to deal with. Our bags were a few pounds over the limit, but he said not to worry about it. He asked if all five children were mine, and I said yes. He then spoke about his own children, and how his son had just recently been killed in a car accident. He challenged me to hug them close, and I told him hat I would pray for his family. He handed us our papers with tears in his eyes and reminded me to remember how blessed I am. And it's true, I am blessed. 

Off we went through security, which went off without a hitch. The people working were very pleasant and handed out stickers to the kids. We found our gate, took everyone to the potty, and the kids watched and waited for the plane. We were sitting across from a grandma and grandpa who handed out snacks to the kids. Emma made friends with everyone at the gate, and hugged all the people she didn't know, which was everyone there! We boarded the plane at 9:30pm., and the ticket agent asked if all these were my children....yes! Because the plane wasn't full, the three boys were able to sit by the window. I'm not sure what the fascination was with sitting by the window in the dark, but it made them happy. I forgot to put a pull-up on the child who usually wears on to bed, so by the time we landed, he was wet. :( The seat was dry because he had been sitting on my baby carrier, but it also meant that I couldn't use the baby carrier to carry Emma. It smelled! Somehow I managed to wake everyone up, hand them all something to carry, and drag ourselves off the plane. We made it past the security checkpoint to were Roger was waiting. At this point, I realized that Wyatt didn't have his shoes on! He said they were in his back pack, and in my hurry to get everyone up and moving off the plane, I didn't even realize that he didn't have any shoes...oh well! 

So...we are back in the Southwest. I have more to write about including our trip back, a wise decision that Roger made and a praise that came because of that decision, and my emotional journey back to Page. However, God is good all the time. Thank you for your love and prayers as we continue on our journey. 

 

Family Visits and Red-necked Help

We've enjoyed having my sister, Jenn, here for a few days. We arrived in Page on Wednesday, August 5, in the late afternoon. Chandler hadn't been feeling well since the time that he woke up in the morning, and I knew it might be a long five hour trip for him. We made it to Saint George, Utah, for lunch at about 1:30. Chandler walked into the restaurant for lunch and promptly threw up on some poor ladies' shoes as she walked out of the bathroom! So, Chandler is trying hard not to throw up more, Emma is crying because Chandler is upset, and the three other boys are standing there with their mouths open. What a circus! Thankfully Jenn helped get Chandler into the bathroom, but he didn't need it anymore as his stomach was empty. I took the other kids to the play land, and we tried to regroup! Although Chandler wasn't feeling well, we did need to do some grocery shopping. It's quite a bit cheaper for some groceries in the bigger city, so I wanted to make sure that we picked up some needed items. We made the run to the grocery store as quick as possible and got back on the road. 

Everyone was very glad to back in Page, but no one was as glad as Chandler! We went on a short hike later in the evening, and we took Jen to see the sights of Page. It was a short ride. :)

                       

   

On Thursday we went to the dam museum, and the boys showed Aunt Jen the park and the airport. It was a warm day on Thursday, so we went swimming in the evening. The boys want to take aunt Jen to all their favorite swimming spots, so we will see how many we can squeeze in. 

Friday was a most unusual day. We haven't had a rain storm that has lasted all day since we've arrived here. However, today is rained all day long. Unfortately, there is not a whole lot to do in Page when it's raining. We had to spend the day inside, so it was a rather long day. We played games, watched "Hogan's Heroes", and did go out to get the laundry done. Jen was able to watch the children so that Roger and I could go out on a date. We had a great time going out to supper together, going on a little drive, and having uninterrupted conversations! I'm thankful that Jen was willing to watch them. 

Saturday, August 8

Today our little girl turns two! I don't know where the last two years have gone, but I'm thankful for the life and laughter Emma has brought to our lives. She is becoming fiercely independent, strong willed, and opinionated, but yet we love her so very much. I don't think that Emma was too worried about presents or cake on her birthday, but the boys wanted to make sure we would have cake! Emma gave us a birthday present by showing us that she can now climb out of the playpen with ease! 

Roger had to replace the battery in the truck. For whatever reason, the truck had to be jumped yesterday and today when we needed to use it. When we left Wisconsin, we knew that the battery level was low, but it still had some use in it. I am so, so thankful that the battery did quit in Las Vegas with five small kids and my sisters! God allowed it to start over and over again while we where out and about. And the battery quit working while we were in Page where Roger could fix it...Praise the Lord!!

We had dinner together tonight down on Antelope Marina. They have a floating  restaurant out there, and it was a special treat for us. Emma has to be carried the whole time though as the restaurant is in 400 feet of water. The houseboats are luxurious and magnificent, and it was a cool sight to see the marina full of boats.

                        

We weren't able to leave for the marina until later in the evening, so my the time we got home Emma was tired. However, the boys convinced her to eat cake and open her presents! :) 

I had two pleasant and encouraging notes in our mailbox this week. One was from friends that I haven't heard from in a long, long time. They wanted to encourage us, so they wrote a very thoughtful note and sent a gift of money. Josh and Joanna greatly encouraged my heart, and I'm working to save that money for a bike. :) I also received a newsy, encouraging note from my friend, Erica, in Wisconsin. It's always nice to hear from friends and family. And now I have some notes to write! :) 

Sunday, August 9

We left this morning around nine for Las Vegas. Roger wasn't able to come with us as he has some flights this evening. We drove through Zion National Park in Utah. It was beautiful, but very crowded this weekend! 

About three miles from the Nevada border, traffic came to a dead stop. It was 104 degrees outside, and people had put their vehicles in park to sit out the wait. Apparently, about seven miles up the road there had been a three car accident, and the highway department had shut down the highway. However, God always has a plan. After it became apparent that we wouldn't be going anywhere for a while, we turned off the truck to wait it out like everyone else. Thankfully, we had bought water at the last rest stop we had taken. As we were sitting there waiting, a guy walked up to the truck. We had all the windows down and the kids were unbuckled as we weren't even moving. He was a red-necked hillbilly from Wyoming, and he was impressed with Jennifer. :) He was also missing his two front teeth, and smoked to which the boys pointed out was bad for his health! However, I think God sent him to our truck for a reason. He said that his phone showed that if we made a u-turn at the highway crossing and went back to the exit behind us, we could go around the whole accident on an old frontage road. Guess what was about four car lengths in front of us? A u-turn intersection! Shortly after he told us this, traffic moved forward about three car lengths but there was enough room on the shoulder of the road for us to move by. A few other cars had already taken the u-turn, so we decided to do it also. We back tracked about four miles and then took the frontage road. We would have sat in traffic for hours if God had not parked us right next to that traveler from Wyoming. 

Because of the traffic delay, and the trip through the park, we didn't arrive at the hotel until about 5:30pm. The boys were delighted to be out of the car, and Emma was happy to get out of her car seat. Jenn and I were glad to have some space from five small children! We spent the evening swimming, and it was an early bedtime for all. My sister, Jen, took the shuttle to the airport since her flight left pretty early. I took the kids for an early morning swim, but we were on the road by nine. It was a long day of traveling, with a few shopping stops in Saint George for a few needed items. 

We are looking for a bike for me, so we stopped at a few pawn shops on the way home. We didn't find a bike for me, but we did find a bike for Wyatt. The chain has been impossible to keep on, and the wheel bearings are a recipe for disaster. He's had several bad accidents when the chain has fallen off and he's flipped over the top. It was becoming painful to watch! There was a very nice boys bike at the pawn shop and it was in our price range...cheap! :)

We arrived in Page around 3:30, and we were all glad to be home. We unloaded the truck, took a walk to the park, gave everyone baths, and went to bed. I'm thankful for the Lord's safety in all the traveling we did in two days. It's about 600 miles round trip to Las Vegas. I'm glad to be back in Page. 

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 

We've been busy the last few days as we are getting back into our school routine, Roger has been flying, and we are enjoying a few days of lower temperatures. Roger's flight hours have picked up some, but he still needs a lot of hours before the job ends in November. We are praying about what direction God would want us to go, the right job, peace of mind, and wisdom. 

Thank you all for your prayers. 

No More Mold! (And a trip to Las Vegas)

Friday, July 31

Praise the Lord for brand new days! (Of course, I do sometimes ruin my brand-new day within a few minutes of getting out of bed!) 

Since all the kids slept in the living room last night due to our mold issue, everyone was up early. Roger had to be at the airport for a flight by eight, but by then we had all eaten breakfast, done our morning chores, played at the park, and organized the trailer! Did I mention that the kids were up early? 

After Roger left for his flight, I started the boys on another day of homeschooling adventures. Travis has a desire to learn to read, but I just find myself out of energy by the time I finish with the other boys. Somehow, I need to work on meeting his needs as well...somehow. 

We knew that the people were coming to look at the carpet this afternoon, but we weren't sure of the time. However, by around noon, it was apparent that five small children and one tired mama needed a nap! We organized the kids so that no one was sleeping in the "mushroom" room as the boys call it. Two were on the couch, Emma was in the pack n play in our room (in the closet), and two boys were in our bed. We had just managed to get everyone settled down, when guess what happened next? Oh yes, the carpet cleaner people arrived. (It should be a requirement to ask if small children live in the household before coming over in the afternoons! This mama likes quiet time.) 

Because Roger had fixed the leak yesterday, and the carpet had been able to dry out, the suggestion was given that the carpets be cleaned. We were anticipating that to be an option. The company seems to think that will be a satisfactory solution to the mold since it hasn't been there long, and the water issue is resolved.  So we moved around furniture and stuff while they unloaded their cleaning supplies. When Roger mentioned that the swamp cooler had also leaked unto the living room carpet, they offered to clean all the high traffic areas and the "mushroom" room. We are praying that it is a problem that never returns! However, the carpets do look a lot better, and it does smell much cleaner in here. We will spray down the walls and closets with another layer of the bleach and water solution, but the boys should be back in their room tomorrow night. 

Roger also had an evening flight, so I was unable to find time to fit in the trip to the laundromat. Doing laundry has never been a favorite household chore of mine, but it does give me a sense of satisfaction to know that we have clean clothes and bedding for another week. This week is a bit more overwhelming since everything that came close to being in contact with the mold needs to be washed. My sister, Jen, is coming to visit for a few days next week. She's highly allergic to mold, so I want to be especially clean for her. So far Chandler's eyes have not improved, but I'm hoping and praying that we will see much improvement this next week. 

Saturday, August 1

Because the boys slept in the living room again, they were up with the sun this morning! Roger and I had plenty to do today as we are leaving in the morning for Las Vegas. Before you wonder what in the world we are doing taking our family to Las Vegas, let me remind you that it is the one of the closest bigger airports. And my sisters are coming to visit!! 

Travis and I did the laundry this afternoon. We had eighteen loads of laundry! We are very thankful for the washers that can wash six loads at a time! :) On one wall at the laundromat there are twelve dryers in a row, we used all twelve of them to dry the clothes, and I am thankful that the laundromat was not busy! I am also determined to not complain about a few loads of laundry that might get stacked up when I get a washer and dryer again someday. :) Anyways, we have less money, but everything is clean. Blankets, sheets, pillows, clothes, we washed it all. Praise the Lord that we have finished job! 

                     

    

Roger spent the morning checking over the truck, cleaning out the swamp cooler (that was a nasty job full of very, dirty water), and washing and vacuuming out the truck. While I don't always enjoy the tasks that I must do, I am very, very thankful that I don't have to deal with smelly swamp cooler water. :) The boys went along to help vacuum and wash the truck, and they were delighted to find some Legos in the trash can. They also found .46 around the vacuum cleaners, so they had a successful afternoon. :) 

The house is cleaned, the vehicle ready for tomorrow, and the bags are packed. We've never been to Las Vegas, and it's not on my bucket list of things to do, but I am very, very excited to see my sisters from few days! 

Sunday, August 2

We left Page this morning about 7:30. The gps said that it would take about 4.5 hours to get to Las Vegas, but those gps devices do not account for five small people riding along in your vehicle! My sister, Hannah, arrived in Las Vegas at 12:30, but we were not there. :) We arrived about a half an hour late, but we made it. It was a rather long, boring, trip across the desert. Las Vegas is literally in the middle of a desert with nothing around it. I am so thankful that God provided the opportunity for my sisters to visit for a few days. Hannah was only able to stay until Wednesday, so we found a groupon for a family friendly hotel for a few days. The hotel was one of the few in Vegas that doesn't have a casino with it, so it most people that stay there are families like ours. The hotel offered three swimming pools, and we were very thankful for that. As one blogger put it "most of Vegas and kids go together like milk and Pepsi". The city doesn't offer very many free or cheap activities for families, however, we found a park with a splash pad, took a field trip to Target (we don't have one of those close to us) and spent time visiting with my sisters.

                          

   

On Wednesday morning, we dropped Hannah off at the airport and headed back to Page. Since Jenn is able to stay until Monday, we are bringing her back with us for a few days. The boys are very excited to show Aunt Jenn their favorite swimming spots, the hiking trails, the dam, and where they live! We are looking forward to several fun days together. Roger and I will get to go on a date one evening since we have someone to watch our kids, so that's the part I'm looking forward to! :) 

Family is so important, and I'm thankful for cheap flights into Las Vegas. I'm also very,  very thankful that I don't have to live there! I'm sure if a person could live on the out skirts of Vegas it might not seem as bad, however, there is a reason that people compare it to the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet Christ died for all those people that live in Las Vegas also. There seems to be a spirit of darkness that comes upon the city at night and for me that was an oppressing feeling. I'm perfectly content to go to Las Vegas to pick someone up from the airport or to drop someone off, but it's definitely not a place that I'd chose to visit...especially not with my young family. But going there made me more aware of working to protect my children, train them to love God, and stay committed to their spouse. Roger and I came away for a renewed sense of awareness for things we need to work on with our children. All the time, God is good. 

So we are back in Page for a few days. I'm looking forward to a great visit with my sister, and can't wait to see my little sister again whenever that might be!