Travels, Family & HOME!

Two weeks have passed since I’ve written about our family, but it’s not because I haven’t thought of it! We (myself and the five kids) spent five days visiting my parents in Wisconsin.

 

 

The days were full of adventures with Papa for the four boys! They were able to go fishing off a pontoon boat with a man who visits the church my dad pastors. The man graciously gave each of the boys fishing poles and a small tackle box, which the boys are anxious to have Nana and Papa bring to them the next time they visit Maine! The boys caught a lot of fish that afternoon, and they enjoyed a fish fry for supper. The boys also went camping with Papa, drove the four-wheeler around the yard (many, many times), helped pick and eat food from Nana’s garden, and spent the majority of every day outside!

I was able to catch up with several of my friends while I was there and although it is never enough time, I am thankful for the time. Jenna came over to my parents house on Wednesday morning with her three little ones, and Emma greatly enjoyed having her friends to play with! Jenna and I spent the morning talking and visiting like it wasn’t two years ago that I moved away. It’s a deep frienship that continues even when I don’t get to visit  very often. I am so thankful for her. She also met me for an early morning breakfast on Saturday morning while the boys were camping with Papa. I’m thankful for each opportunity to visit with Jenna. She is a dear, dear friend to me.

Another dear friend, Gretchen, was also able to visit with me. We have the type of friendship that I can come over to her house to pick up one of her sons for a fishing trip with the boys, and while there I can open her fridge, announced   I’m hungry, and make myself lunch! Gretchen has children that are similar in ages with ours, and her son, Ben, had several adventures with the boys while we were   visiting. Gretchen is my friend with the gift of hospitality. She is always willing to open her home,  have our big family over to visit, and we pray often for each other. She’s a friend that God brought into my life when I didn’t even know I was looking for a friend. Gretchen and Sean opened up their home to have us all over on Saturday night. It was also my mom’s  birthday so my parents, my sister, Jen, and several other families came over to have supper at Gretchen and Sean’s house. It’s amazing to me how much her kids have grown and changed in a year, but I’m sure that our kids appear the same way to those that aren’t around them too!

We attended the church my dad pastors at on Sunday morning. Jen had come home for the weekend, and she was heading back to South Dakato on Sunday afternoon. Roger was also flying into the area on Sunday afternoon, and we were headed to South Dakato on Monday morning. Chandler and Wyatt   wanted to go with Aunt Jen and since we would be staying overnight at her apartment on Monday night, we decided to let them go with Aunt Jen. My uncle, aunt and cousin had come down from  Wausau to visit with us. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen them, so it was good to have some time to spend with them. Roger’s flight was late, but we did make it to church on Sunday night. We went to our home church and it was so nice to see so many familiar faces. It felt good to connect with people, and to have a chance to visit with so many. We were actively involved in that church when we were in Wisconsin, so it was good to visit with those that we worked with in Childrens church and other ministries. I had a short time to visit with a friend, Star, who is now the mama to teenagers. The older I get the more I realize that I don’t know! It was good to have a brief but encouraging conversation about the upcoming years of boys in the teenage years.  Some friends I only had time to share a brief hug with or a few sentences, but I’m thankful.

After Sunday night church, we again went to Gretchen and Sean’s for ice cream and pizza! Several  of our friends were able to join us, and it was a good time for Roger to be able to reconnect with some of his friends. Friendships are important to me, but Roger also needs good, Godly, guys in his life,  and those type of friends seem to be hard to come by! It was a late night of fellowshipping and
laughing, but I’m thankful for the opportunities that God provided to encourage both of our hearts   and the hearts of our children during our days in Wisconsin. My parents graciously allowed us to interrupt their lives, fed us willingly, visited with us, invested in the lives of our children, and we  created memories to last until the  next time.

 

 

We headed out the door for South Dakota early on Monday morning. It’s a twelve hour drive to Jens house, and we wanted to get there before it was really late. We left my parents house about 6:00am, and we made good time to Rapid City. Travel seemed so easy with only three kids in the van! We arrived early enough in the evening that everyone could spend some time out of the vehicle before settling down for bed. The boys and Emma were excited about the family reunion the next day, and Roger and I were making lists of the things we would need for a week of camping in a cabin at the reunion. I don’t think we would’ve been able to make the family reunion work without the help of many people, but especially my sister, Jen. She allowed us to borrow bedding, towels, camp stove, pots and pans, camp chairs, and anything else we needed for the week. She had already bought some food for us, and while we ate well at the family reunion, the boys made the comment that we ate very random stuff. Yeah, hotdogs for breakfast is not what we normally have! But no one complained, and everyone was fed.

Roger headed out to the family reunion in the early afternoon on Tuesday with the kids. I went grocery shopping and then Jen drove me out to the family reunion. When I got there about three pm., the kids had already been swimming in the pool. Emma had made a fast friend with her little cousin, Charis, and they were already playing “house” in our cabin. It was a busy and fast week at the reunion. About thirty of us climbed Harney Peak on Wednesday. Emma climbed about 75% of it herself, and I carried her in the carrier for the other percentage. It was a long hike, but the kids did great! We ended up at the top with our five kids and about seven other kids and Roger and I. Everyone was hungry at the top, and Garett said we didn’t bring enough food! Too bad son! The only way to more food is to get off the mountain and back to the vehicle! So down we went, and that is  much harder on the knees than going up. Roger twisted his knee, and Travis got a blister on his toe. They walked a bit slower while I continued in with the other 13 kids that came down the mountain  with us. They all did very well, but I made it very clear that they needed to be within eyesight of  Roger or I. It’s one thing to be responsible for our own kids, but it’s another thing to feel the   responsibility of other children! Hurray! We made it off the mountain! Chandler said that he didn’t plan on taking that long of a hike again for a very long time! We headed back to the campground for     swimming and supper.


My sister had given us some tickets for a local rodeo so we had thought about doing that. It would’ve  been relatively cheap as children under ten were free and adults were $10.00. We had thought that other members of the family would join us, but when it was time to leave, it was just us. We headed down the road for about ten minutes, before we talked through our decision. The purpose of the family reunion was to spend time with other family members, but this wasn’t working as it was just our family. We had some very disappointed kids, but the older ones understood why we were making a decision not to go to the rodeo. We drove back and Roger and the older boys got out of the van. I turned back to head into Rapid City as we accidentally had a phone cord that belonged to my sister. Travis and Emma rode with me and Travis was in tears for almost the entire ride. It sure is hard on a  mama’s heart when you see your child/children upset. We dropped off the phone cord and headed  back to the campground. I was thankful that my little ones fell asleep in the car. Roger called me to say that much of the family was headed to Mount Rushmore to see the light show, and I could meet him there. We headed to Mount Rushmore and met up with much of the family. I had never seen the light show, and it was not what I was expecting. I think I was envisioning fireworks, perhaps strobe or multi colored lights, but it was a plain white light on the faces. The honoring of the veterans and those in service to our country was neat though, and I certainly can appreciate the patriotism of the program! It was a bit of a late night, and we had some kiddos that were happy to get in bed.

On Thursday Roger went golfing with his brothers and Chandler was able to go along. Chandler didn’t golf, but he happily went along to look for golf balls! I think the other boys were a bit disappointed that they couldn’t also go, but Chandler had asked many months ago, and it seemed like it might be a bit much if all four of the boys went. The other kids stayed at the campground and played games with Grandpa and Grandma while the ladies headed to town to eat, shop and we did an Escape Room! I had never done one before, so that was a new experience for me. It was fun, a bit challenging, and it’s hard to separate needed information from just information! It was a good  challenge. Wyatt told me that he had such a good time playing games with Grandpa, and Emma stuck  like glue to grandma in the pool as Grandma would throw her in the water!  We had dinner that night with Rogers parents and sister, Linda, and her son. It was another busy and full day! I also went for a walk with Rachel (Rogers oldest sister) in the morning. It was good to talk about many things from  schooling to churches to our lives. I enjoyed the moments to catch up with her.  Sometimes it’s hard  not to feel like outsiders as we live so far away from everyone and I’m an in-law.

On Friday morning it was a quiet morning at camp. Most everyone had gone horseback riding, so there were only a few of us at the campground. The boys played frisbee with Grandpa, and Roger and I visited with Nate and Ruth for a bit. We decided to see about going to get coffee together, and Robin  and Rachel came along also. It was a beautiful morning for coffee and talking, and I’m thankful that we had the opportunity to do that. Ruth and I had several longer conversations about everything from churches to raising children and I was thankful for the opportunities to visit with her. Friday evening found the entire Robertson family reunion on a chuck wagon dinner ride! That’s twenty three youth and children, and seventeen adults...I think! It was a lot of people! It was an opportunity for everyone to eat dinner together and have a horse drawn wagon ride.

Saturday dawned the last full day of the family reunion. By this time we had five tired kids, and it     was family picture day! I’m thankful for the work that Audrey (our niece) and Dale (Roger’s brother)  put into finding a spot for the family pictures. It’s a big deal to coordinate pictures for that many people, and I was thankful that it went as smoothly as it did. Chandler wasn’t very excited s out pictures to start with,  but he did a good job cooperating...until he was chastised by someone who thought he was misbehaving and wasting time. He may have been, but with that child, it certainly wasn’t intentional! I can’t think of a single person who would want pictures to be done sooner than he would! It went downhill a bit after that with that son and Roger had to speak to him about correcting his attitude. However, it was a perfect opportunity to point out that life isn’t “fair”, and sometimes  you just have to deal and move on! The day did improve for him though as he greatly enjoyed the afternoon activity. We went on an outing to the wildlife loop in Custer State Park. We saw buffalo, deer, burros, and goats. Grandpa rode with us first, and the boys have enjoyed visiting with him. Grandpa rotated vehicles at each stop and we enjoyed the time with aunts, uncles, nieces and  nephews. Garett had the opportunity to ride with one of his other cousins, so he enjoyed that. Garett had a great week with his cousins, but especially with Landon and Jeffrey. Chandler struggled to find a playmate his age that wasn’t a girl or too little. He’s not old enough to fit in with the older cousins, and the younger  boy cousins are quite a bit younger, so he did shed some tears...growing pains.

Sunday marked the last day of the family reunion, and checkout was at eleven. It was a rainy, cool,  morning, so it didn’t take us long to pack up. Roger really had to pack the van carefully though as we had two extra ice chests that I had brought when Jen had dropped me off. We had dirty clothes, camping gear, ice chests, five tired kids, and it was time to get ready to head home. The campground offered a pancake breakfast, so we ALL (as in the whole family) trekked up to eat pancakes. The lady helping serve pancakes was a bit overwhelmed by all of us, but we are nice people, (we try anyways).  and she calmed down. Nate and Ruth and family needed to make it to Minneapolis to catch a flight to Georgia,  some were returning to Wisconsin,  some to Canada, some to Iowa, and some to Maine. We only needed to make it to Rapid City on Sunday as we were staying overnight with Jen before heading to Minneapolis on Monday. It was hard to say goodbyes, and I know Roger misses his family greatly. These are the brothers and sisters that he grew up with, the parents that raised him, and the  bonds that will last a lifetime. Three years until the next family reunion seems like a long time away!

We got on the road to Rapid City about ten, and began the unloading process at Jens apartment. We had so much stuff to put away, laundry to do, and wow, did we have some tired kids?! Jen came home from church and offered to take the boys to lunch with her. We had been invited to join up with some of Rogers family that were still in the area for lunch. Emma wanted to come with us, while the boys  wanted to spend time with Aunt Jen. We went our separate ways, and then came back for rest time in  the afternoon! I’m thankful that Roger and I were able to have one more dinner with some of the family, as it’ll be a while before that happens again.

We enjoyed the afternoon with Jen, and then she had a fun adventure planned for us in the evening. In   Rapid City there is an indoor water park. It is one of our kids very favorite places to go, and we often try to squeeze it in while we visit Jen. Jen had purchased evening water park passes for our family, and those kiddos we so excited! For four hours straight they tubed, and slid, and waded, and swam,  and swung at the water park. Emma kept us on our toes as she now wants to do the waters slides with the boys, tube in the lazy river, and jump on the lily pads! It was a fun way to end the week.

Roger and I had planned to get on the road to Minneapolis fairly early in the morning, but by the time     we got our act together it was already 9:30am. We had a hotel in  Minneapolis and a flight scheduled for Tuesday afternoon back to Boston. Since it was an afternoon flight back to Boston, we were able to show the kids the Mall of America in the morning. Roger had taken Garett and Wyatt to return the car, and I walked over to the Mall with the other three kids. They were just in awe that a place could be so big! It was fun to see their expressions as we walked around, showing them the roller coaster, the mini golf, the LEGO Store, and so much more. I mean, the best part is that it’s free! Yeah, you could spend a lot of money in there, but it was free to get in and walk around. Emma wanted to go in the doll store, but her brothers told her that there was not enough time for that! We headed back to the hotel around noon to checkout and take the shuttle to the airport. We made it through security and to our gate and sat  down in time to discover that our flight was delayed! Originally scheduled to take off at three pm, we eventually took off at about six pm. It made for a long day as we didn’t land in Boston until around ten, which meant we had missed the bus to Portland. There  was one more  scheduled bus to Portland at 11:25pm. We did get on that bus, and made it to Portland at about 1:45 am. Then we had to take a taxi from the bus station to the airport to get our vehicle (it was free to park at the airport), and by the time that was done it was 2:00 am. It’s still about a 1.5 hour drive to home, and I knew that neither Roger nor I were in  any shape to make that drive. God allowed us to find a hotel that would give us a bit of a break since we were only staying part of the night. The first room they gave us had a big industrial fan blowing on the carpet that smelled like mold! Two of the boys had already crawled in the bed, but I asked roger to go see if a different room was available. The hotel was able to find us a different room with two double beds...and seven of us! The boys crawled into the bed horizontally, while Roger, Emma and I slept in the other bed. It didn’t matter as we could’ve all about slept anywhere at this point! I was the first one awake at 9:10 am! Thankfully the breakfast went until ten, so we were able to get everyone fed before heading HOME!! We walked in  the door of our beautiful home in Maine at about one in the afternoon. Oh, how wonderful to be home! The yard may look like a hayfield, the laundry needs doing, the bathrooms need cleaning, but we are home!

I am so thankful for all those that made it possible for us to travel to the reunion. My parents, Roger’s parents, friends and family made sacrifices so that we could make it happen. It wasn’t easy, and at times it seeemed impossible. However, we serve the God of the impossible and I was reminded of  that again on these adventures of the past two weeks. God is so good! I hope that you know Him as your personal Savior. Eternal life is not a gift just for me. Christ died for your sins too. (Romans 3;23; Romans 6:23, John 3:16). If you have any questions about how you can know Jesus, please ask. We love you,
Sarah

    

 

 

 

 

Parades, Birthdays, and Adventures!

It was a busy week! So busy that I had to look back over the pictures I took to even try to remember some of the things we did! To summarize....we were in Maine last week and this week we are in Wisconsin!

Roger has worked some crazy long days, but we are looking forward to him joining us next week for the family reunion in South Dakota. The kids and I took the bus to Boston on Tuesday morning, then got on a plane to Minnesota, then a taxi to pick up our rental van, then a four hour drive to my parents house! Did I mention that I was a bit of a long day?! Truly we are so thankful to be here for a few days. I only wish that I could make myself be in two places at one time as I try to spend time with my family, but also connect with many friends that I have here in the area. It’s a struggle to be sure, and sometimes it’s hard to know what choices to make. I miss Roger!

Last week was hot in Maine so we spent a few afternoons at the lake with Allison. These days of summer are flying by, so we are trying to make the most of the time. I also took the kids with me to church one morning to clean the music room. I’m preparing for another year of teaching music which both delights and challenges me. It’s a lot of work to make lesson plans, pick out Christmas programs, prepare music, organize handbells and notes, and it’s a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. The kids did a great job helping me, and I was thankful for their willing hearts.

We went to the Lobster Festival Parade last Saturday. Emma was very excited about going, and the boys weren’t as excited! However, I did have a good time with the kids. It’s hard sometimes to make the effort to do things without Roger, but I am working at making memories with the kids too. On the Sundays that Roger has been working, we’ve been eating lunch at the airport. I pack a lunch before  church, and then we head out to the airport to eat together as a family. It’s important to me that our kids see their Daddy as much as possible during these summer days, and they certainly do enjoy spending time at the airport. Rogers boss is great at making the kids feel welcome, and on Sunday afternoon three of the boys spent the afternoon there. Chandler has been struggling with headaches probably due to the heat lately, so he came home with Emma and I.

We celebrated Emma’s fifth birthday today. She was very excited to have her birthday in Wisconsin, but sad that Roger had to miss it. Nana gave her a very pick dress up princess dress, so Emma thought that was wonderful. She also received a book and doll from some dear friends of ours, and Nana made her cupcakes with pink frosting! This birthday was hard on this mama. Five seems like such a big number when it’s our baby girl we are talking about. Five years has passed by in the blink of an eye! I was pregnant with Emma when we came back from Alaska; Roger was away in Florida for flight training during her first birthday;  we celebrated her second birthday in Arizona; she turned three shortly after our move to Maine;  and now she’s five! Wow...I could just cry! We are so blessed to have a daughter and the deepest desire of my heart is that she will accept Jesus as her Savior and love Him with all of her heart for all of her days. She is truly a gift from our good, good Heavenly Father, and she belongs first and foremost to Him. He loves her more deeply that even I do, but I’m thankful that He blessed our family with our sweet daughter, Emma.

I’m wrapping this up and bringing you some pictures of our adventures the last few days!

Birthday Girl! 

   

Picking potatoes 

  

   

  

 

Ready to travel!

Summer Break! Bountiful Blessings!

 

 

 

The last day in July has arrived!! I only want to know how on earth did it get here so quickly?!  Summer break is flying by, and we realized today that we have 35 days of vacation left! And for fourteen of those days we will be away from life in Maine. I am flying out with the kids next Tuesday to head to Wisconsin for a few days. Then Roger will fly out to join us and we will head to the family reunion in South Dakota. It’s going to be a fast fourteen days! The kids are excited about seeing Nana and Papa in Wisconsin as well as a lot of friends that they remember there. Then we will be able to spend time with Roger’s parents, siblings, and lots of cousins. It’s sure to be fourteen days to make memories to last a lifetime.

Last week after we dropped my sister, Jen, off at the airport, we did a few days of nothing. The weather was a bit dreary last week, Garett was gone to camp, and Roger was working. The kids and I hung out at home a few days, took a trip to Goodwill, and did get to go out to the lake with friends on Friday. Generally we don’t find any treasures at Goodwill, and it’s a quick in and out stop. However, we did find a bike for Emma last week. She figured out how to ride a bike earlier this summer, and then her bike broke. She’s been asking for a new one for a while, but bikes are way out of the budget. However, she spotted a bike at Goodwill, and although it is red, it is her size! She told me that she asked God to give her a pink bike, but God must want her to have a red one instead! (Sometimes kids can just amaze me!) Travis told her that if God was giving her a bike she better be thankful no matter what the color might be! Yes, thank you, Travis! The bike was $8.00, and Chandler carefully  inspected the bike before buying it. He examined the wheels, the tires, the chain, and then declared  that “For $8.00, it’s an okay bike.” Well, alright then! We’ve had one happy girl as she has ridden up and down the driveway several hundred times a day!

Chandler has been collecting scrap again, and he even asked my sister, Jen, to stop at a free pile on the way home from somewhere. He collected a few chairs from that free pile, took the seat cushions off and put the metal in his pile. He found a few cords in a free box at a yard sale, brought them home, stripped off the plastic, and took out the copper. His pile has been growing, so when Roger had a day off last week, Chandler wanted to go take in his scrap. He and Roger took it to the scrap yard, and then Chandler took the check directly to deposit in the bank. He made $14.87! He was very excited, and he certainly has an entrepreneurial spirit!

Garett came home from camp on Friday. Emma asked every day when he was coming home, but none of the other siblings asked! I missed him, but I was certainly thankful that he had the opportunity to attend camp. He had a great week at camp. He said that the food was great, the preaching was good, the games were fun, and he would love to go back again. That’s a good report! Another family had driven up to pick up kids from camp, so I only had to drive to a local pick up point to get Garett. When I picked him up and he climbed in the car, I immediately smelled an unpleasant scent. Being his mother, I asked him if he had changed his socks and underwear during the week. He looked appalled that I would ask, and Immediately replied, “Of course, Mom!” I knew that something smelled! When we arrived home, I sat at the table making a grocery list, and he sat at the table and talked to me about all his adventures. Then...he took off his shoes!! Oh wow!! Yup! That was the nasty smell! He had forgotten to bring another pair of shoes, so he had worn those shoes all week! They had probably gotten wet, and along with stinky feet, the smell was over the top! Emma  came into the kitchen and immediately pinched her nose. “Somethin’  smell in here! And it not good!” Uh, yeah! I told Garett to put the shoes outside to air out, and told him to go take a shower  and use lots of soap on his feet. He did take a shower, but he came back wearing a set of clothes that I had sent to camp in his bag! When I asked him about his outfit, he replied, “I didn’t have time to wear these.” What?! How on earth?! You know what, I didn’t even ask! My stinky, smelly, wonderful son is home, and he is clean again, and I love him dearly! I’m so glad that he had such a good week at camp.

As you know, we are heading to a family reunion in South Dakota. This was a big commitment for   our family and a huge challenge to figure out how to get a family our size out there. God provided tickets to fly to Minneapolis at a decent price, and although not cheap, we could make it work. God provided some additional funds through a few people that have helped us, and Roger has been working extra days (a tiring feat) to try to make this trip feasible for us. Roger and I try to operate on a cash budget as much as we possibly can, so we have been diligent to try to make things work.  However, there is one event that the whole family (as in all the siblings, parents, cousins, etc.) wanted to do in South Dakota during the family reunion. I did the math every which way possible, lost sleep over the matter, prayed about it, and we just decided it wasn’t going to be feasible for our family to do this event. Roger is working, not just for our immediate expenses,  but also to be able to send the kids to the Christian school, and replacing the suburban is looming directly in front of us (before December). We just couldn’t come up with the extra money for our family to do this event with the rest of his family. I know it was hard for Roger to call his parents and tell them we couldn’t do it, but he did it. Although at peace with the decision, it wasn’t an easy one. However, God is so much bigger than my feeble mind can comprehend! The next day Roger called me from work to say that our family was going to do the activity! I was wondering why he had changed his mind about it. He said that someone (I have NO idea who) had called him to say that they were going to pay for our family to attend the activity with everyone else in the family! I, of course, wanted to know who paid for our expense, but Roger said that they wanted to remain anonymous. They wanted to help out our family,  they knew about this activity, and God,  in His sovereignty,  chose someone to bless us! So, God has provided yet again for our family, and I’m sure that we will enjoy making memories with Rogers family in South Dakota!

We appreciate your prayers as we head across the country on a trip next week. Also, please be in prayer for the upcoming school year as the students, staff, and school board all need our prayers. And please pray that Roger will continue to be safe as we hurtle through  the last few weeks of the very busy summer season.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” 

We love you, 
Sarah 

Family, Memories, and Camp!

 

 

 

I’m sitting here writing this post after a wonderful week with my sister, Jenn. The boys and Emma were sad to say good bye to her this afternoon, but it’s nice to know that we will see her in a few weeks. In just two weeks we will be heading out to Wisconsin, and then on to South Dakota for Roger’s Family reunion! The kids are very excited about all these exciting events, and I am too, but it also signals that summer is coming to a close way too soon! All the back to school displays are out, and I feel like an ostrich wanting to bury my head in the sand! Emma is already looking forward to going back, but the boys are not ready, not ready at all! Travis told me that he thought he would be done with school now that he’s finished first grade. I gently pointed out that he has a few years to go yet in School, to which he replied, “I’ll just let Wyatt learn it and then ask him!” Sorry to disappoint, my man, but off you go to school in about five weeks!

Garett is at camp this week! He was very excited to go, but it was made even better by the fact that his friend, Josiah, was also going to camp. Roger had off on Sunday (the first Sunday all month), but we had to leave before church was over. It’s a bit over three hours up to the camp, and registration was on Sunday afternoon. God worked out all the details in perfect order as only He can do. Jenn and I sang special music on Sunday, and then Jen stayed for church with the other kids. Roger, myself, Garett, and two other children headed off to camp. We took Roger’s little Honda car, which isn’t much to look at, but it did get 42 MPG on the trip! Garett sat next to one window, and Josiah sat next to the other window. The girl that came with us to camp sat in the middle, and she chatted most of the way to camp! I had to laugh because when had traveled over an hour, she was still talking while Josiah and Garett had said about fifteen words each! Roger and I were impressed with the camp, the organization (I like that part!), the staff, and the way things seemed to be run. I’m praying that Garett will have a great week, and that God will work in his heart. Roger and I both have a love for camp ministries as we both grew up either going to camp or being a part of camp. And then...we had the whole trip back with just us in the car! I think we had more conversations on that trip than we’ve had in quite a while! I’m thankful that Jenn was here this week as none of our other children were eager to drive up to camp. Someone else is picking up Garett and the others on Friday, so that is a blessing.

Also this past week, we spent over five hours at the beach one afternoon! Roger was working, but Jenn and I took the tribe! We packed a whole bag of food, and figured it was time to go home  when there was nothing left but crumbs! The kids were in and out of the water (ocean water), playing in the sand, having water gun fights, and playing cards. It was such a relaxing and fun afternoon!

We also went on several walks with Aunt Jen, ate at the fancy dining establishment of McDonald’s, enjoyed playing games together, and just having a good time together. On Saturday we went up to Hannah and Josh's house for dinner and fireworks. Their area town was celebrating its anniversary, so they had a firework display. It wasn’t as good as last years fireworks, but maybe they blew their budget for this year as they did light the woods on fire last year! The kids were tired, and it was a long day, but it was an opportunity to spend time with family. These are important moments.

Yesterday I played the piano for a funeral. The mom of one of our teachers at our school had passed away last week. I had been asked if I would play the piano and it was an honor for me to do so. I had never met this woman in person, but after listening to the testimonies of her life, she was truly a Proverbs 31 woman. It was a good reminder to live my life for His Glory. I’m not going to care what people say at my funeral as I’ll be in the presence of the Lord, but wow...I certainly want to leave a testimony that points to Jesus and a legacy behind! The church building reminded me a bit of the church building where my dad is the pastor. It’s a small building, tiny congregation, but clearly a church that preaches Jesus. It was an honor to be a part  of that very special service.

Yesterday afternoon Jen, Hannah, and I were able to get away for a few hours by ourselves after the funeral. We enjoyed our time out together, eating supper and visiting together. Family is such a blessing, and I’m thankful for family.

It was a full, but very good week! The time with Jen passed by so quickly, but I’m thankful that she was willing to make the effort to come out here. I’m sure she is looking forward to getting home to sleep in her own bed, and not hear footsteps in the morning of little people at 5:30!

In closing, I have much to be thankful for this week. It was a fun and full week! What are you thankful for this week?

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

Lake Days! Family Time!

Last week we were able to get away for a few days to a cabin on a lake. We are blessed to have wonderful friends who allowed us to use their cabin for a few days. Hannah and Josh were able to come to the lake also, along with my sister Jenn. There is no television, no internet, and minimal distractions at the cabin. We visited, played games, spent a LOT of time outside, went tubing, waterskiing, and used the paddle boards. Roger drove the boat, and we found some water skies in a  closet. I told the boys that I would try waterskiing, and their mouths dropped incredulously. I have water skied before...um, a very, very long time ago. But since the boys seemed to think it highly unlikely that their mama could do it, I was determined to give it my very best shot! I got in the water, put on the skies, waved to Roger that I was ready, and away we went! And....I did it! I got up on the skies on the first try!! I have to admit that I even shocked myself!

It was a wonderful few days, and we truly treasured our time there. The kids made memories that they will look back on as they continue to grow, and we invested in their lives in an important way. We went up on Wednesday afternoon, and we came home on Saturday afternoon. Roger had to work on Wednesday, so Jenn and I went up with the kids. Roger was exhausted from seven straight days of work, so he decided to come up on Thursday morning after a good nights rest. He brought up the boat with him, and we had such fun! We took a trip on Friday afternoon in the boat to get ice cream, and that was a special treat for our children. I soaked up their dirty faces, delighted eyes, and sun-kissed skin. I sure do love these children that God has entrusted to us!

I had been asked to play the piano at a different church on Sunday, and when the secretary sent me  the list of songs, I wasn’t familiar with some of them. When we arrived home on Saturday afternoon, I went to get the music and then headed right to our church to practice for a bit. Anything that is in a     hymnal I can usually figure out fairly quickly (and I generally know all of those). However, the newer  contemporary choruses can be a bit trickier for me. I wouldn’t say that I’m an overly talented piano player so I actually have to work quite a bit to figure it out all correctly. That was a bit of a challenge as I was short on time! However, the church was very gracious and kind. I enjoyed the Sunday morning and Sunday night service. Roger was working so he was unable to come with us, but the messages were very good. My heart was blessed and encouraged. The pastor spoke on one of the fruits of the spirit on Sunday night. He spoke on the fruit gentleness. These fruits of the spirit are evidences of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and I was convicted of how much I need to ask God to give me the spirit of gentleness. Sometimes I am not gentle in my dealings with my children, my spouse, or  around me. Yet this is a fruit that can also help point people to Jesus! I need to be gentle as it is a reflection of Christ in me. It’s easy to get sharp with my kids, respond grouchily to the 100th question, or be irritated at what they are doing. But...do I respond with gentleness? It was a good message. I’m glad God brought me to church to hear His Word preached. And I am thankful to be asked to play the piano and use whatever ability God has given me for His glory.

Okay, enough writing...I have lots of pictures to share!

 

     

    

 

 

 

Summer Break & Upcoming Fun!

Last week we celebrated the Fourth of July, spent some time with friends, and spent a lot of time outside! Roger has been working long days as of late, but we are getting away for a few days at the end of this week with our family along with my sisters.

Last Tuesday the boys had some friends over for the day. Wes and Levi attended the boys school two years ago, but the boys have maintained the friendship. It was a good day for the boys and they enjoyed tromping around in the woods, nerf guns, being loud, and getting in the water at the park.

Wednesday was the Fourth of July, and our family was up early! A local town hosts a kids fun run (a mile long) and a 5k race. The boys and Emma all wanted to do the fun run (and it’s free), and the race started at 8:00am. It was already starting to get really warm by 8:00am. Chandler placed sixth last year, and he really wanted to try to do better this year. He was off like a shot with Wyatt and Travis not far behind! Roger had walked down the course a bit, and by the time Emma reached him she was crying! She wanted to be done with the fun run, and it wasn’t fun anymore! But you know, when you start something, you need to finish it! Roger refused to carry her, and she cried for most of the mile. She kept saying that her tummy was hurting, which it very well could have been with the heat and her anxiety! However, she did finish...and she wasn’t quite the last one! That might be her last “fun” run for a while, but she did do it! Garett was towards the end of the pack as well, but he doesn’t get too bothered by people beating him! Chandler finished second in the race with a time of 5:36! He was a little bummed that he couldn’t quite catch the first place runner, but he gave it his all. Wyatt finished sixth with Travis right on his heels! I had decided to run the 5k race, which isn’t a very long race, but  it was hot! I usually try to run right away in the morning, so by the time the race started at 8:30 the temperature was already getting uncomfortable. I finished fifth in my age group with a time of 25: 42.    I am about 30 seconds slower than I was two years ago, so maybe my age is catching up to me?! In the last two hundred meters there was a lady ahead of me that I wanted to catch. I did manage to catch her, but by the time I crossed the finish line my head was pounding and dizziness was closing in...it was too hot for me! I told Roger that I was glad I managed to catch the lady at the end, but then when I looked at the results in the paper, I realized that she was 52 years old! I mean, she was right behind me and she’s 52! Suddenly, I feel like I have a lot of work to do to be where she is when I’m 52!!

After the race, we went home. I needed to pick up a few groceries for the Fourth of July dinner wenwere having with my sister, Hannah, and her husband, Josh. We had originally thought about going to the parade, but no one (except Emma) wanted to sit in the hot sun and watch the parade! Instead I went grocery shopping, and then we headed to the lake. Our friends, Allison and Jason, invited us to their cabin on the lake for the afternoon. I don’t think the boys really got out of the water the whole time we were there! I even got in the water, so that tells you that the weather was hot! We came home around four, and we had dinner with Hannah and Josh around six. It was a low key evening, and a time to just relax and enjoy family. We didn’t make it to the fireworks much to the disappointment of our children, but Roger has had some long days! There will be an opportunity for us to see some fireworks later this summer, so the kids will look forward to that.

It felt like summer break last week as the responsibilities were low, the weather was beautiful, and it was a good week for just some down time. I took the kids to a cabin on a lake for a few days. I went with Teri (Kevin’s wife and Kevin is Roger’s boss). They have a cute little cottage on a lake, so the kids and I headed there on Thursday afternoon and stayed until Saturday. We had a good time ojust.  relaxing. The boys practically lived in the water while we were there, and Emma got in and out of her bathing suit like five hundred times! I told her she could just leave on her swimsuit, and then she would be ready to get in the water whenever she wanted to again. But she doesn’t like to be wet, so  she would get in the water for a while, change to dry clothes for a while, and then back into the     swimsuit! But since she’s mostly capable of doing it herself, I certainly didn’t see any need to    change her mind. I enjoyed my time getting to know Teri better, and I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to do this with the kids. We made lots of memories and soaked up the time together.

On Monday I took the children with me down to Portland. My sister, Jen, is coming in for a visit! The children are so excited! It will be good to have her visit with us for a bit, and it’s one of the signs that summer break is here. We don’t have any major plans except to spend time as a family with aunt Jen, and I’m hoping that Roger and I can squeeze in a date together! We look forward to these visits, and I’m thankful for the time and energy that Jen invests in our children.

Roger has been working more days than usual this month as we will be going away next month as a family! Roger’s Family is having a family reunion ...out in South Dakota! It’s a 33 hour drive from here (one way) so earlier in the summer we just didn’t see any possible way that we would be able to go! Obviously, family  is important to us, but so are time, finances and the  desire to put the children in the Christian school again.  We just weren’t sure how we would be able to manage to get our family all the way to South Dakota, but by God’s amazing grace and provision we are going, Lord willing! I will be flying out with the kids a few days early so that we can visit with my parents in Wisconsin. The boys are very excited about flying on a jet and seeing Nana and Papa! Roger will stay and work a few more days and then fly out to meet us to drive the rest of the way out to South Dakota. God has worked out hundreds of details for our family to be able to make this adventure work, and it will be good to see all of Roger’s Family. The cousins are growing up and these family reunions become a bit harder to coordinate as everyone spreads out, grows up, and has more responsibilities. I’m thankful that God provides this opportunity for our family. I certainly wish it was closer in our direction,  but God has proved Himself strong once again! As a family, we are looking forward to spending all that time with Roger. He enjoys his job, and we are extremely thankful for his job. He works with a great group of people (for the most part) and we have truly been blessed by the friendship of Kevin and Teri. God provided this job for Roger in His perfect timing, and also provided a Christian school for the children to attend. I am so blessed! I am reminded once again of  the verses  in Ephesians 3:20-21,  “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that workers in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” 

 

  

 

VBS...Vacation Bible School or Very Busy Season?!

Summer break is here!!! It’s week three of official summer break,  but with Vacation Bible School in the rear view mirror, we are ready to relax!

Last week was so busy, tiring, and exhausting! It was also exhilarating, exciting, and awesome! Every day brought about new challenges, and those challenges consistently pointed me back to my Heavenly Father to cry out for guidance, strength, energy, protection, and a passion for Him. Last week, I was reminded of the verse in Matthew. Matthew 19:26 states, “ But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” I realize that Jesus was closing a parable here, but this encouraged me last week. Vacation Bible school is an event that requires many, many hours of preparation work, prayers, planning, etc. But truly, it is God who brings the children. We can invite and encourage, but it is God who brings those dear little ones to us each day during VBS.

We started off our week last Sunday with a church picnic that included two other area churches. It was a combined singspiration service with a picnic following. Also, our church had a group of seven people come from Canada on a missions trip to help us with VBS. It was nice to have extra hands to help set up for the picnic as the work went faster. We had a quite a few people attend the service and stay for the picnic. Roger and another man in church grilled the hotdogs for lunch, and I am so thankful for Roger’s willingness to help out. He has interests and ways to serve that he enjoys too, but he never hesitates to pitch in wherever needed. He painted and prepared both the backdrop and a moose for me this week. I could’ve never have done all the work I needed to do without Roger’s willing heart and capable hands. I am blessed to have him by my side. We finally left church about three after cleaning up from the picnic, having a short meeting with the team for VBS, and doing some last minute final touches to a few things. It was a quite a long day to head into an equally tiring week, but God’s grace is always sufficient.

I greeted the dawn on Monday morning as I was up early. The first day is generally the hardest. The kids haven’t yet learned a Bible lesson, they don’t know what’s on the schedule next, and they are the hardest to excite on the first day. Roger left for work early, but not before taking the time to pray with me over the day. He knows the work and heart that has been poured into this, but also that our desire is to see God glorified and to point the children to Jesus.  I arrived at church with my kids early. It looked like rain and it was drizzling just a little. We set up the registration table inside due to the drizzle, but thankfully, Allison (one of the ladies from Canada) was willing to take some of the kids outside. We definitely wanted people to know that we were still having VBS, and that we were prepared no matter what the weather was like! Thankfully, God cleared the skies a bit so that the children could go outside at game time. God brought us 76 kids that first day!! One of my friends, Hannah, had come from another church to help me with the preschooler class. I had not originally planned on teaching, but one of our teachers had to back out. Hannah agreed to help me, and I am so thankful for her! She has three little ones, but faithfully showed up each day of VBS and rotated teaching days with me. We averaged about eighteen kids every day in the preschool class, so we needed lots of extra hands! Jocelyn (one of the teens from Canada) also helped in that class and was a help also. We didn’t lose any of our kids all week (except for that one time when one of Hannah’s little ones went to her car to get a water bottle). It was a great week with that class, and that age group is a lot of fun. Although tiring, it was a good class. Also on Monday a dear friend from church gave me a gift of money. She knew that I would be having several of the team members stay in our home, and that I would have a bigger than usual grocery bill. I was so blessed by her thoughtfulness and generosity!


I came home on Monday afternoon more tired than I can remember for a very long time! The kids   were excited about VBS, and I worked hard to keep them excited. I do love and enjoy working with kids though, so it’s not hard to be excited about this week! I think the adrenaline rush was over in the afternoon, and I needed a nap! Thankfully, I was able to take a quick rest which gave me time to be still and pray. It was a good day.

Tuesday was day two of VBS! We had three teen boys staying at our house this week, so I asked to borrow a van from Rogers work. Kevin graciously gave us the use of his big van, so that I could get everyone to church every day. God brought us over 70 kids again on Tuesday! Praise the Lord!

Okay, I realized that if I write an essay on every day of VBS, this will be a very, very long post! I’m going to hit on some highlights and praises of the week instead.

1) On Wednesday, Allison, Hannah, our pastor’s wife, and myself made lunch for the team, and a few others. I wasn’t sure exactly how much spaghetti I would need, but God made it stretch enough to feed everyone.

2) God provides a meal for our family and the team from Canada on Wednesday. After VBS and lunch, the Canadian  team was talking over their plans for the rest of the day. They didn’t have a place to go for dinner so I invited them to come to our house for supper. I certainly enjoy having guests in our home, but as I walked away I immediately started thinking about what I would make for supper. I walked outside to check on my kids, and a lady from church (Robin) was walking in to pick up her grandkids. She said, “Hi, I made you supper.” My mouth about dropped open as I realized that God had just answered a prayer that I hadn’t even prayed yet! She had made chowder and fresh bread and enough to fed all of us! God is just so good!

3) After  cleaning up from lunch, I gathered my tribe to head home. Poor Chandler had a migraine, and he hadn’t even eaten lunch. I was going to head right home, but realized that I should take Roger some leftover spaghetti lunch. We headed out to the airport to give him lunch. When we arrived at the airport, the paparazzi was there interviewing Roger. Okay, I’m kidding! Two guys that were taking a media class had to make a video on a small local business. They had come out to see Roger’s  work, and had followed Roger around for the day to interview him. They wanted a few pictures of our family with him at the airport, so we all climbed out of the vehicle. Chandler wasn’t too crazy about having anyone take any pictures, but he did well. I will be excited to see the video these guys will make.

4) Allison invited us down to the lake to swim on Wednesday afternoon. Although tired, I wanted to just sit, relax, and fellowship with my friend. The kids were so excited to go to the lake, and even Emma got in the water. They also had the opportunity to go tubing, so that was so fun for them. Poor Chandler missed out as he wasn’t feeling well, but these headaches really knock him down.

5) Thursday was a rainy day, but God still brought us over 70 kids. The teen guys from Canada did a great job with games all week, so even though we were inside, the kids had a wonderful time. Roger had off on Thursday, so it was nice to have him around. After VBS, he helped me make supper for the team that came over for dinner. Roger made enchiladas which were delicious! We also had fruit, chips, salsa, guacamole, and Oreo dessert. I had originally thought that I would need to make lots and lots of popcorn on Thursday evening for the closing program on Friday, but Allison beat me to that job! She had it all done before I could even offer to help. I’m so thankful for her thoughtfulness.

6) Friday morning dawned beautiful and sunny! I was so glad to wake up on Friday morning and spend time with my Heavenly Father rejoicing that He had helped us through the week. The kids   commented at breakfast that they wished that VBS could go for another week! Meanwhile, I was singing at the top of my lungs “Praise the Lord” and “This is the Day”!

7) We had a good turnout of parents and guest for the closing program. It ran a tad bit long,  up it’s hard to squeeze everything in that is important! The children had brought in over $400.00 in the  penny offering! That’s a lot of pennies! The offering is going towards a VBS that will be happening  in Mexico in a few weeks. I was thankful that the penny scale never broke, and that Allison and several others were willing to count all those pennies every day! One little girl brought in about five dollars worth of pennies every day. She told Allison that her dad had gotten them from the bank. The pennies had been in rolls from the bank, but she had opened them all up and put them in a baggie! I got a good chuckle over the little girls face as she told Allison how hard it was to unroll them all!! And every day, Allison would re-roll all those pennies after the offering! Ah, I love these kids!

8) After the closing program, we had root beer floats and ice cream on the back church lawn. It was good to interact with all the parents, and to try to make connections with them. Then it was clean up time! I’m so thankful for many hands that made light work! It’s a big job to get everything put away, but many people stayed to help. The back of our van was full of VBS stuff that I would need to put away, but the church building was back in order for Sunday.

9) On  Friday afternoon we went down to the lake with the team and many people from church. The kids were excited to play with their friends, and I was thrilled that the week was behind us. God had certainly shown Himself strong by bringing us children, protecting us from harm, giving each worker energy and strength. VBS is an opportunity to interact with all kinds of kids, church kids, unchurched kids, great kids, naughty kids, rich ones and poorer ones. Yet this week they were all able to learn about God’s Forever forgiveness. They memorized 1 John 1:9 that they will hopefully remember all of their lives. I am thankful that I was able to have a part in this week. We surely serve a great God! I’m thankful for each person that was willing to have a part in VBS, and for those who prayed, gave financially, and gave of their time and efforts. My prayer was that God would be glorified  and to point the children to Jesus. I do believe that God answered those prayers.

10) Saturday morning - Roger took the team on a scenic flight before they left for home. I’m thankful that Roger had the opportunity to take them, and that his boss was willing to allow it to happen. They all seemed to have a great time on the flight, and the morning was beautiful weather. They all came to our house for breakfast before packing up and heading out. I made blueberry coffee cake, egg casserole, and fruit. God has blessed us with a home that allows us to have guests, and I was very thankful that our kids were able to see teens that had a desire to serve God this week.

Although a busy and tiring week, I just cannot help but sing the praises of my Heavenly Father. He brought the team from Canada to help us. He brought children to VBS. He gave strength and energy when I should’ve had nothing left. He truly is worthy of all our praise!

I am going to include a you tube video that was made from Rogers interviews. He is such a hard worker, man of deep faith and convictions, great dad, and wonderful husband. I truly enjoy watching this video as it is a small picture of what Roger does every day.  https://youtu.be/4n0VIvt2TQE


This week is over. Summer break has officially begun! I have a low key week planned, and a few fun activities for our children. I’m looking forward to some down time and for sitting still. The verse I have claimed for this week is  Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.