Days of Sunshine!!!

This week has been full of sunshine and spring-like temperatures! I haven’t been blogging the last two days because we’ve been busy with school and outside play! And when bedtime comes around, we are all tired-very tired. Travis’s hair has been turning into a very light blond again and his arms have been a bit red from sunshine. The boys have been out riding bikes, golfing (in the front yard) and just enjoying being outside.

Today (5/21) Garett had the opportunity to go with Roger up to Greenville, Maine. There is a DC3 on floats there and Garett and Roger were excited to see it. None of the other boys could be convinced to take a five-hour (round trip) car ride to see an airplane! I think Garett was thrilled to get to go by himself, and he even finished up his school work early to be able to go with Roger. Emma had a google meet with her teacher this morning. I told her that if she could focus and do her very best, we would get a happy meal from McDonald’s and go to the park. Her teacher said that she did very well, and Emma was happy to earn a treat. And today I did it...what is it? I forgot a Google Meet! We have not missed one yet, but today was the day. I completely forgot to have a Google Meet with our preschool class this morning. It just never even crossed my mind- oh well!

I took the kids to a school playground after we stopped for a treat from McDonald’s. We met up with  some friends at the park, so that was nice for the kids and for me! It was a joy to walk and chat with Ashley, while the kids entertained themselves on the playground. Today was such a beautiful day (actually this whole week has been lovely).

The CDC has come out with guidelines for school in the fall that absolutely have my head spinning. Yesterday our governor came out with guidelines for summer camps, day camps, large gatherings, and non-professional sports. I sped read through the material, but it all seems like a basic repeat of what was already in place. No one seems to know if we are supposed to be staying at home or are we a “little bit free”. The campgrounds are open to Maine residents (only) in time for Memorial Day, but yet we are still in a “state of emergency”. The inconsistencies in this whole thing has my mind all wound up like spaghetti! In our governor’s guidelines for swimming yesterday it states that a face covering is not required for swimming...why is that even necessary to state?! Have we lost all sense of reason and common sense that people would be so dumb as to swim with a face covering?!

Maine has seen an increase in Coronavirus cases this week due to the greatly increased testing. I personally, don’t think it’s anything to get alarmed over, but clearly that is just my opinion. I did have a conversation with Roger yesterday about how I am so over the word “safe”. It’s almost a four-letter word in my house right now! I know I’m derailing on a rabbit train right now, but I am very much over the fact that in the name of “safe” we are sacrificing our liberties. I am very, very concerned for our future generations (our children). Our Founding Fathers sacrificed much so that we could have liberty and freedoms. Sometimes, I get defeated and overwhelmed by the situation that is in front of us, but I have courage and hope in Jesus Christ. There is nothing that has happened or will happen that is not allowed by the Ruler of the Universe. God is in control, and nothing can change that! Be not weary (that’s specifically written for me!)

Life feels a bit more “normal” by the ocean

So very thankful for this dear friend! 

                                                      Memory Games before school work this morning

Bike Rides outside 

Almost done with school meetings...by 9:00am they are ready for a second breakfast! 

Blond hair and red arms! 

Sunshine, Walks and Thoughts!

Welcome to another Monday!! But the sun was shining with warmth, which helps make everything seems a bit more bearable. 

Roger had the day off today, so I was able to get away to walk with my friend, Allison. It’s been way too long since we’ve been able to just chat about anything and everything, and it was the highlight of this week (probably this month!) It was like a birthday present, and I treasured the moments. 

The boys and Emma are working on wrapping up the last nine days of school. Whew! We are so  close! This week is going to be a challenge as the week is supposed to be full of beautiful weather. We put our kids on a “media fast” again as the weather is beautiful! They don’t spend a lot of time indoors when the weather is nice, but just setting the guidelines that no one will be on any type of media helps us all. Travis is anxiously waiting for his frog eggs to hatch that he has growing in a tote in the yard. He’s been monitoring their growth for the past little bit now, and he’s thinking that the eggs are going to hatch soon. Roger bought me a bike for my birthday, but the boys have been riding it practically non stop! We are looking forward to the day when we all go on a bike ride together, which might even happen this week. We will see. First...the school work....then the fun! 

I am including a link to an article that I found very interesting.  Here The longer that this pandemic drags on, I hope that you are asking questions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having questions. Our founding Fathers certainly did not  follow all the rules that the  Brits wanted to impose on them willy-nilly, and I don’t think we should either. Remember we want to be cautious, but we do not want to be fearful! 

I don’t have much to report on Coronavirus in our state. The news all sounds so blah, and it’s made to sound worse than it really is, in my opinion. Guess what happens when testing is increased? Yup, you guessed it! The number of cases will also increase! I just am kinda tired of it all. But I’ll keep praying, and so should you! God is still faithful and true! We still need to praise our Heavenly Father for His bountiful blessings that He pours out on us. 

 This is one of my favorite hymns...enjoy

Day# Quarantine Birthday and Blessings!

Happy Birthday to me! The sun was brightly shining, and we were able to attend church at the drive-in service at church. It was a good day.

Thank you all for so many wonderful birthday wishes and greetings. I feel so very loved, and thank you for each one that wrote a note or wished me a happy birthday. Quarantine birthdays are not ideal for anyone, and that does not  change if you’re turning seven or thirty-seven! We miss people!

After the drive-in church service, we went out to the airport to have lunch with Roger. Since Roger was working today, we took lunch to him. It was a quick lunch as I needed to be back at the church by one pm. We still have preschool lessons to record  for another two weeks, and we needed a lesson for tomorrow. The kids all played outside while Renee and I recorded another two preschool lessons. It’s not ideal for anyone, but we are just trying to keep the boat floating! Renee made me a cake, brought coffee ice cream, and a gift card for my birthday! I am so blessed! I certainly wasn’t going to make myself a birthday cake, so it was a special treat for all of us to have birthday cake this afternoon. It was a delicious apple cake, and I tried coffee ice cream for the first time. I had never heard of coffee ice cream before moving to Maine. I’m sure it’s around, and I just wasn’t tempted to try it. I have to admit it was remarkably good! Our children thought so also, and we polished off the rest of the cake and ice cream when Roger came home from work!

Before the drive-in service this morning, I was able to get in a run on this beautiful day. It was not an overly long run, but I was so thankful to soak up the sunshine and to just pray with my Heavenly Father. This afternoon, I took the kids on a hike. We had no idea where we were going, so we just kinda started driving around our area. We ended up on a hiking trail by an ocean inlet, and it was muddy! Oh my! Travis lost his boot in the muck, and Emma got stuck and started yelling for Garett to help her. The boys had on rubber boots, and they boots were completely covered. By the time we got back to the van, I had the kids all take off their shoes and put them in a box in the back of the car. I told them that they would all need to take showers when we got home to which two boys replied, “Oh mom, we took a shower yesterday!” Um...if you tromp through the muck, you are taking a shower!

Tomorrow we get back to the school work. I know it’s going to be a bit of a hard week as the weather is supposed to be beautiful this week. But we will get it done! Roger and I have been encouraging the boys to work hard at it and just get it done. These are the last two packets, so once the requirements are done, so are they! (I’m pretty sure that I am just as excited about being done as the kids!) As we look to the fall as a school, please do keep us in prayer.  Our world has gone crazy around us, and we need the wisdom that only God can give in order to make wise and right decisions!

Roger and I were having a discussion tonight on “fear” versus “caution”. It went right along with our Pastor’s message from this morning. He has been preaching on the book of Nehemiah which has been very fitting for this time in our lives. The people were prepared, but not afraid. They were doing something that might have been out of their comfort zone, but they kept going. I wish that I could’ve “heard” more of the message this morning. It’s a bit distracting having five children behind you! I want our children to not be fearful in their lives. God asks us to do hard things, and regardless of what God’s plan is for the future, we cannot be a fearful people. Our world is filled with “fearful” people that are griped tight in the clutches of fear. Fear prohibits us from making wise decisions, and it cripples us. I’ve been fearful in my life, and fear is not pretty. The Bible tells us that we are not to be fearful and that God does not give us the spirit of fear. So if fear is not from God, then it can only be another of the devils attacks. So instead...Take courage! Be brave! God gives us strength for today! I don’t know what the future holds either, but I KNOW WHO holds the future!

Music, Musings, and Mice!

I don’t think anyone really knows what  day number we are on for this whole quarantine thing. I do know that I am thankful that the sun came out today. I am thankful for the opportunity to get in a quick run this morning. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to get together to sing with a few other ladies this afternoon in preparation for church tomorrow. I am thankful for a sweet email note of encouragement from my friend, Damaris. I am thankful for the birthday cards that I received in the mail today. I am thankful that our children remain healthy, strong and happy (for the most part!). I am blessed indeed.

While the day began with overcast skies, the sun did come out this afternoon. We are so thankful for Vitamin D! Somehow everything seems a bit brighter and cheerier when we can get out in the sunshine.

Roger was working today, so Garett and I did the dump run today. The dump is back to sorting everything out and everything has to be recycled again. It was very nice when it could all be dumped into one dumpster! Garett and I then went to get the van vacuumed out. Ironically enough, we can still use the vacuum cleaners. Honestly, I see a lot of inconsistencies in this whole Covid thing about what’s acceptable and what’s not...please tell me that I’m not the only one?! After we vacuumed out the van, I bought Garett an iced coffee. He was happy with his treat, and I wanted him to know that we do appreciate his efforts to help with the trash.

We don’t pay our kids an allowance (gasp), and they seem to be surviving just fine. We will pay our children for additional chores done around the house, or if they are working to earn money for something. Chandler has had a goal of earning $1.00 a day for the entire year. He was doing really well at finding ways to make $1.00 a day until corona came along. However, we’ve recently had a lot of mice and moles running around the house (outside the house!) and Roger told Chandler that he would give him $1.00 for every two mice or moles that were killed. Guess what Chandler spent $1.00 on at the dollar store? (This was a while back when I went to the dollar store, not Chandler). Chandler spent $1.00 to buy four mouse traps. He sets them every day around the outside of the house and around the yard or in the woods! (Nothing is safe around here!) Then every morning, he goes out and checks on his trap line! He’s made about five dollars so far! Who needs a cat when we have Chandler and his trap lines?!

This afternoon I had the rare opportunity to sing with a few other ladies at church. I have very much missed singing together for worship on Sunday mornings. I like to sing, and we often have music playing at our house. However, it was so good to sing together, and to lift our voices in praise to the King! The second song we practiced was “America, the Beautiful.” I did not make it through the practice run without tears. This was one of the songs that I had chose for the Patriotic Program, and secondly, just singing the words “America, America, God shed His grace on thee.” He’s given us so much grace! He freely offers grace to all of us, and I am so thankful for His abundant grace  and mercy.

“The Lord is My Salvation”

“America the Beautiful” 

I’ve been blessed to grow up in America, and that is something that I do not take lightly. In a time in our lives where freedoms seems to be disappearing, and the values that our Founding Fathers fought to preserve seem to be slipping away, take heart! Rest in the promise that God goes before us. That is not to say that I think we should just casually give up all our freedoms in the name of “safety”. I do think we need to protect those that are vulnerable, but be watchful that in the name of “safety or protection” we are not giving up our liberties and freedoms! You are free to form your own thoughts and opinions, and please do so! We can even still be friends even if you disagree with me!

Day# Disappointments/ Life!

Disappointments and sadness are just as much a part of life as joy and triumphs. Sometimes, these days, the disappointments seem to be winning, but I know that God is still just as faithful. It’s so much easier to praise Him in the good times, but I know that I learn so much through the hard times. I knew that May was going to be a difficult month for me as it would be Mother’s Day, the Patriotic Program, my birthday, and also the trip to Haiti. All those things are things that I normally look forward to, but this year it just feels like wave upon wave of disappointment.

Tonight would have been the night of the Patriotic Program. Oh, how I wanted the students to have the opportunity to honor our veterans, our country and our Lord! I’m thankful that God does not allow us to see the future because if we had known way back in March all the things that would be coming down the pike, I think I would have been severely tempted to throw in the towel and become an ostrich who burns his head in the sand!  Our students had been preparing and working hard on presenting their Patriotic Program, and I’m disappointed that the opportunity is gone. (I doubt the students even remembered that today would be the day, but the teacher sure did!)

This morning I had a hard time getting ready to call my prayer partner, Mrs. Wheelis. I felt depressed and teary before I even called, and I was tempted to text her and say that I wouldn’t be calling. Although I cried through much of the prayer time, It was still the right thing to do. She reminded me that God gave us emotions, and that He is not surprised by our feelings or intense emotions. I am thankful for the opportunity to pray, and to pray often. I often struggle with feeling that perhaps God is not moving through all of this, but the truth is that He is at work! I may not see things happening that I would like or as quickly as I want them to, but God doesn’t operate on Sarah’s timetable.

The rest of the day was a blur of craziness! I had several emails to respond to this morning, as well as trying to get a video lesson to upload to YouTube. In the middle of my frustrations, Garett reminded me that we only have two weeks left of school. I am happy about that, I really am (both for me and our children) but it’s not the way that we expected the year to end. However, it does mean that we only have two more weeks of recording lessons, and for that I am very, very thankful!


Renee and I got our pre-school packets together, and we prayed as a staff team. I greatly appreciate each of our staff ladies, and one of my favorite things about packet pick-up days is the opportunity to pray with them. I didn’t plan on crying my way through that prayer meeting either, but I certainly have had fountains of tears today!

However, in spite of tears and disappointments, God also provided a few special blessings throughout the day. The PBA group had made up gift bags for each of the staff ladies, and that was a special treat. I ate the wonderful homemade bread while still at school. Our administrator gave each of the staff ladies a balloon, a flower, some chocolates (yum!) and a sweet card. I was also blessed to receive a few notes and cards from some of our students. I always look forward to seeing the faces of our preschoolers. We never know which parents and students will come through the pick up line, but we sure do enjoy seeing their faces. Oh, how we’ve missed our students!

When I checked my email this afternoon, some dear friends had sent me an e-birthday card a few days early. It was just a reminder that God knows exactly where I’m at today.

Know what though? God is still faithful, loving and kind. I had my share of struggles today, but God is not surprised by today. He isn’t making a “to-do” list or figuring out His plan. He already has a plan. He has had a plan. He will continue to fulfill His plan. I can rest in that, even when my soul is restless and longing. He gives peace. He gives grace to trust Him more. We serve a big God, and I’ll continue to put my trust in Him even when my spirit is weak.

Take heart. Love Jesus. Do the next right thing for today.

Day# Some date some time in May!

Our book! 

The boys are enjoying looking through the memories!

Big changes are happening at the lot next door!

Loved seeing this sweet baby today! 

Wednesday, right? It was a busy day (for a Coronavirus Quarantine Day. We tackled google meets. I had a meeting to try to make plans for a year-end gathering. We had small (very small) group prayer meeting tonight.


Roger had off of work today, which made it easier for me to get all the things done that needed to be done. They have been busy at the lot next door clearing the trees and getting ready to build the house. My kids have been fascinated by all the machinery.

Today a package came in the mail that I have been waiting for a while! I printed our blog into a book! Well, actually, I was only able to get the first three years that I was writing put into print. The book would’ve been over 900 pages, so I have to break it down into volumes. The children have enjoyed looking through it all afternoon. It’s not edited, and it is very, very far from perfect, but its a journal of our lives. The boys have been reminded of many memories while looking through the book. Emma is not in the book as the last entry in this volume is July 2013. Emma is anxiously waiting for volume two! (I’m not sure when the next book will happen as its not exactly cheap to get your blog turned into a book!) However, I do plan to try to get another volume printed someday. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

What a blessing it was to go to prayer group tonight! Roger had most of the boys outside again, and I was able to read the Bible and pray with a small group of prayer. In a time in our lives where evil and fear seem to be running wild, it’s a balm to my soul to know that God is still in control. I don’t know about where you live, but it almost seems to be that if you aren’t fearful then you just must not care about people! Well, it’s not that at all! I very much love people of all ages, but I’m also not comfortable with swallowing everything I hear - hook, line and sinker! My confidence is not in mankind, but in Jesus Christ! If you do not have your confidence in Christ alone, I encourage you to settle that today.

Our governor extended our “state of emergency”. I’ll be honest, it makes me sad. I realize that I am not an expert. I mean, I don’t even have the news in my house! And I’m not exceptionally bright, but I hurt for all the small businesses of our state. We have had 66 deaths from the virus, and we have just over 500 active cases, and I am concerned about the actions of our governor. I wonder (and this is just my small little brain) if this is more of a tactic to get more government funding than concern for the people of our state. And you are certainly welcome to disagree with me...I just ask that you do that politely and pleasantly. I think I know of more relationships that have been ruined by this virus than have been killed or made sick from it! You can read more about the governor’s extension Here

I’m not going to give up praying with fervency and passion. I’m not going to quit doing the next right thing which is to be faithful to what God has called us to do today which is to walk after Him.

Day# Fixing Emma’s Hair? & Clearing trees

Watching the action at the lot next door! 

Emma’s haircut

I think we are to the place in this quarantine and “at-home” schooling that we are just putting one foot in front of the other. One of my friends mentioned to me yesterday that her son told her, “Mom, every day is the same!” Yes, yes we hear you!

Today’s excitement included lunches being delivered, and they began clearing the trees in the lot next to us! The boys sat outside for a long time watching them work at cutting down trees until the black flies were just too awful. I also cut Emma’s hair. The chop out of it was just getting to me, and she has no hope of going to get it cut professional anytime soon, so mom it is! It’s not perfect, but it’s better than it was!

Renee and I recorded two more preschool lessons today. Whew! It’s always good to visit in person, prepare packets for our students, pray and record lessons, but it’s tiring! Emma and Garett both had google meets this morning, and I spent a good chunk of the morning answering some emails, and trying to find a balance between being a mom or teacher or wife! I don’t think I succeeded very well! I finally sent my friend a text and said, “I’m going on a walk!” It was good to clear my head, or at least try.

On Friday we will have our last packet pick-up! Hooray! The students and teachers have all worked so hard at finishing up the school year, and we are coming down the home stretch. We need to finish strong!


Maine news: Fifteen new cases. The number of active cases is at 499 compared to 389 two weeks ago. A bit disheartening if you only looked at that perspective. However, many cases have stemmed from an outbreak at a Tyson food plant or several nursing homes. Read this part: 41 more people have RECOVERED today!

I choose to rejoice in the fact that the Lord is with us today. He goes before us and beside us. He surrounds us, and He blesses us with new mercies. We have much to be thankful for in our lives.