Leaving

This evening Shannon, Chase, Bryce, Colton and I left Iowa for a mission trip to Canada.

We began planning this trip months ago. I have been going back and forth deciding whether or not I was going along. The original group was around 20 people interested, but as the date arrived, our number decreased to just 10.

We planned ahead and got passport cards for the kids. We made arrangements for the little kids while we would be gone. Everything seemed to fall into place.

And then I got cold feet. Could I really leave the country for nine days and leave my littles behind?

Yesterday I was ready to stay home. There seemed to be just too much to get done, and not enough hours in the day to complete each of the tasks.

It just didn't seem like it would be worth the hassle.

But we are on the road.

Katie, Naomi, Hudson and Macklin are at Grandma and Grandpa's house this weekend, and will be with Alex and Moriah the rest of the week. Although there were tears last night, our hugs goodbye this afternoon were handled pretty well.




Nine days.

These are the things moms long for. Peace and quiet. No cooking or cleaning or laundry. Beautiful scenery. Time to recharge and refocus.

And yet I miss them.

We won't have phone or internet service at the camp we will be working at. That worries me.

Nine days.

I won't hear Katie chatting incessantly. I won't get to brush Naomi's hair. I won't get to see the evidence of Hudson's imagination, whether it be a new game he has invented, or a picture he has drawn. And Macklin. EVERY morning he climbs in bed with me and snuggles. We sing 'our song' to each other.

Nine days with no Mommy-Macklin day.

Chase's car broke down and he is thinking of transferring colleges. Bryce was at camp. Our car needed to get to the body shop for repairs. Jackson rented a house and is moving out this weekend. So many things are going on.

And I am leaving the country.

I am confident that big changes will happen this week. I pray that I will be a blessing to others. I pray that I will come back a better mom than the cranky, harried one that left. I pray that I will come back a better wife, because Shannon deserves better than what he has been getting.

Nine days.

Please pray that lives will be changed. Pray for my babies, both those that are with me and those at home. Pray for those caring for my babies. They have a lot of fun things planned, and the kids will likely wish we would go away more often.

See you in nine days.

"For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man." Proverbs 3:2-4




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19 Games and Counting

What a way to end the soccer season!







1-2-3  The Rebels competed in the IHSAA State Soccer tournament on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.  They were able to win two of the three games, securing a third place finish in Class 1A.  Bryce's team stayed in Des Moines, while we had the pleasure of making the trip three times.  It was a great opportunity for the boys, and an awesome way to represent our school district.



Colton, Katie, Naomi and Hudson each participated in the Cedar Valley Cup soccer tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Cedar Falls.







4-5-6-7  Hudson played on a team with some friends from Grundy Center.  They won three of their four games, earning silver medals.  They are super fun to watch at his age.  They played hard and had a great time.  I suspect they will play together again some day.




8-9-10-11  Naomi's soccer team, the Hurricanes, played four really tough games this weekend.  They hustled and gave it their all, but were not able to secure a medal.  They played hard and had fun along the way.

12-13-14-15  Katie's soccer team was riddled with injuries throughout the weekend.  They earned bronze medals, and played some really close games.  Shannon takes these games and these girls very seriously, and mourns each loss.  He was proud of the girls and the way they played through their pain.  They're confident they'll bring home the gold next year.




16-17-18-19  Colton's team, the Runnin Rebels, placed third in the Cedar Valley Cup.  He had some hotly contested games, and some not so competitive ones.  They are a great group of guys, and he is looking forward to moving up to high school soccer next spring.



We appreciate all of the time and effort each of the kids' coaches puts in.  They sacrifice their time away from their families to practice and coach each week, and spend many hours on the road and on the soccer pitch.



Yesterday I packed away all of the soccer shoes and shin guards for a couple months.  We'll start up with league ball again in August.  I'm sure there will be many backyard games played in the meantime.



We love soccer, and cramming 19 games into a 3.5 day span really isn't such a bad way to pass the time. 


"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise" .Proverbs 11:30

Papa Joe Turns 90 Years Old

On Wednesday Papa Joe turned 90 years old. We celebrated by having dinner with the family. Shannon's brother John flew in from Virginia, but the rest of his family were not able to come along.

Today we had cake and ice cream at Papa Joe's house. Several of Papa Joe's nephews and their wives visited, as well as my parents. I did not get a photo of the entire group, but did get one with the great-grandkids.










Papa Joe passed his driver's exam,so he is legal to drive for the next two years. We're trying to convince him to stay within city limits.










Jackson was in charge of cousin patrol. What could possibly go wrong?

Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. ". Proverbs 8:18


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So Many Things...

This time of year we have so many different things going on.

Of course, it's FOOTBALL season.  Jackson and Chase play on Fridays.  Bryce plays on Mondays and Thursdays.  Colton plays on Sundays. Whatever day they're not playing, they're practicing.  I'm helping out with the Varsity Spaghetti Dinners each Friday afternoon.  The Rebels have qualified for the State Playoffs, and have one more district game this week before Playoffs begin on the 24th.  Jackson has had a short season due to knee surgery last month.  He only played in 3 games, but has done very well.  He had his first college recruiter come to his game last Friday night.  Chase has had a successful year.  He's within striking distance of the school record in rushing yards, despite a burst bursa sac in his right arm which has caused him some grief.  Bryce just played his last JV game last night.  His team won all but one game this season.  He will continue to practice with the Varsity team until the season ends.  Colton played his last game on Sunday at Wartburg College.  He did a great job as running back, too.

 It's also SOCCER season.  The girls are on separate teams this year, so we have different schedules and games for them.  They practice twice a week and play on Saturdays.  Colton also practices each week and plays on Saturdays. We will finish up games and practice within the next week.

Oh, and there's school, too.  The public school group seems to be enjoying it and they are all doing very well.  I miss my time with them, though.  My home schoolers are doing a great job this year, too.  Several people have asked me how the transition to public school has been.  I like to think of it in terms of childbirth.  I delivered two babies by c-section.  I delivered five babies naturally with no medications.  I delivered two babies with epidurals.  All of the babies were healthy, perfect little creations.  Same result, different means to the end.  The no-med deliveries, much like home schooling, is difficult and hard work, takes a lot of discipline and self-control, but is very rewarding.  My epidural deliveries, much like sending the kids to public school, is less painful, easier on the mom, a bit selfish, but still results in the desired outcome.  Clear as mud, right?

Sunday was Jackson's 18th birthday.  We celebrated with our friend Conrad.  He turned 21 on the 12th, and is an avid COD player.  The boys like to have COD marathons on the weekends and waste tons of time and miss out on their beauty sleep.  After Colton's football game and Naomi's soccer game, we finally got the opportunity to bake a cake.  It's not much for decoration, but it tasted good!  We took Jackson out for dinner Sunday evening for his birthday dinner.  We also did a quick shopping trip to get him some new clothes for his senior pictures, which he had taken on Monday.  It was a beautiful Fall day, and like Jackson says, how could they possibly turn out bad when he's in them?  I'll post some as soon as I get permission from our photographer to do so.

Alex and Moriah spent the day with us on Sunday.  Aren't they cute?  We enjoyed the time with them, and they were good sports about sitting out in the rain and cold through both Colton and Naomi's games.  It meant a lot to the littles for Alex to be there and see them play.  Alex continues to play soccer at Faith and will be competing in his conference tournament this week in Kansas City.   Regionals are next week north of Minneapolis, and if they continue on, nationals will be in Florida.  We've not been to as many of his games this year, but have still seen the majority of his home games. 

As our sports schedules wind down a bit, we've had the opportunity to get up on the roof and we are just about finished shingling.  Yesterday was a perfect day to be up there working.  I wish July and August had been so nice!

Yesterday was the anniversary of Alex and Hudson's car accident and subsequent air flight trip to Iowa City.  We continue to thank God for the blessings He has given us, and are thankful for the complete healing for both of our boys.   I read through the post regarding all that happened last year, and I am so humbled.  What a difference a year makes!

  

"The man's heart plans his ways, but the LORD directs his steps."  Proverbs 16:9

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful...

~for my husband.  He's bringing home lunch.
~for my children.  They are quite helpful at cleaning up the messes they create.
~for my mop.  It's getting a workout today.
~for my Dyson.  It too has been busy.
~for Macklin.  Without him, who would I pull off the kitchen counters, wipe up after, and duct tape diapers to? Oh, and he's napping right now.
~for Bryce, Naomi and Hudson.  I can hear them cheerfully chatting in the other room.
~for my friends and family.
~for a good first day of school.
~for FOOTBALL!  The first game of the season is tomorrow.  We're anticipating great things from our boys.
~for cooler weather.  I love having my windows open!

Gotta go.  Macklin is awake.

"Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife."  Proverbs 17:1

August 2011 Recap

August in our household means FOOTBALL.  Practice generally starts the first week of the month.  Jackson and Chase played varsity ball this season.  Bryce played on the middle school team, and Colton played his first season of tackle football with the 5th & 6th graders.

The boys all had successful seasons.  Jackson was honored with a 2nd Team All-District selection at tight end.  He also played outside linebacker on defense.  Chase was also selected to the 2nd Team All-District team as running back.  He was the leading rusher for the team.  They each sported a new hairdo for the season.  Jack started with the mullet, then changed to a full fledged mohawk.  I cannot locate a single photo of the mohawk.  I'm sure I took some, but they've disappeared.  Chase was a little more reserved in his football hairdo.  The Rebels once again made it to the State play-offs, but were unable to advance as far as we would have liked. 

It was fun watching the boys play.  We had great weather most of the season.  Once again I helped organize the Friday afternoon Spaghetti Dinners for the team.  We have a great group of ladies that prepare the meal and serve the guys.  It's my treat after a long week of school!





















Bryce played on the line for his team.  They went undefeated for the second year in a row.  Bryce works hard and takes his job seriously.  His team is fun to watch.
















Shannon had the privilege of being part of the coaching staff for Colton's team.  Colton enjoyed hitting guys and running the ball.  They had a winning season as well.










Colton, Katie and Naomi also played soccer during the fall season.  We were constantly running to practices and games.  Shannon co-coached the girls' team again this year.  I'm thinking it's time he retires, as the only games the girls won were the games he wasn't able to be at!



The biggest change for our household occurred when Alex left home to begin college at Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny.  He was excited to head out on his own, and was especially excited to have the opportunity to play soccer for the Eagles. We made many trips to Ankeny and throughout the state to watch him play.  We even went to Canada to see him play in their regional tournament. 







We also started our school year at home in August.  I love brand new books, nice neat schedules, and eager students.  Someday, maybe I'll have that ;)  We continue to persevere, and really do love the flexibility it provides our family.  Jackson and Chase continue to work their garbage route on Tuesday mornings.  This keeps them in gas and date money.

As I try to recreate some of the events that happened last fall, I've found that I have missed taking TONS of pictures.  Perhaps that's because Macklin is a little whirlwind, and it's hard to hold a camera and keep track of a little dynamo at the same time!

Note to self:  Take more pictures!

"Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth."  Proverbs 5:7

Katie's 7th Birthday, Naomi's 6th Birthday, and Bryce's 13th Birthday

As I looked back through the labels for my blog posts, I realized that I failed to post pictures of Katie's, Naomi's & Bryce's birthday...back in January, February & March.

No good excuses for the lapse, other than the usual ones. Better late than never!

Maybe by the time she's 17 I'll have mastered the art of making layer cakes that don't tilt to one side.

Such a sweet 6 year old!

Finally a teenager!

"He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he."  Proverbs 16:20

Fall 2010

I have done a miserable job blogging this year.  There just never seems to be enough time--or motivation--to sit down and get the job done.  Pregnancy and new baby just kind of put a stop to all normal activity.



I was able to help out the boys' football team by organizing their game day spaghetti dinners.  Before each varsity game a group of moms get together to make spaghetti, garlic bread, pickles, bananas and white cake for the team and cheerleaders.  On long-distance away games, we also make sandwiches and bars for to the boys to have after the game.   We had a lot of fun this year, and no one left hungry.

The Rebels had a successful season.  The Varsity team made it to the playoffs, but unfortunately lost in the first round to DNH, who is scheduled to play in the state finals this weekend.  It was one of those games that could have gone either way.  We just didn't get the job done at the right time.  

Alex was honored to be selected to the Second Team All-District Special Teams team.  He was also selected by his teammates as Special Teams MVP.  Alex played on the offensive line all season, which doesn't attract a lot of stats or attention, unless you're not doing your job.  We're very proud of him and the job he did this season.


Jackson saw some Varsity defensive and special teams playing time this season, too, and earned his Varsity letter.  

Both Jack and Chase played on the JV football team.  Jackson played linebacker, and Chase was running back.  Jack led the team in tackles, and Chase had over 1500 yards rushing.  Between the two of them, they scored over twelve touchdowns, and a myriad of PAT's.  I don't know the exact numbers, but I'm sure the boys could fill you in on the details.  You might also want to ask them about a couple hook-n-ladder plays they cooked up.  

Chase played on the Freshman team, too, as running back.  Two games on back-to-back nights made for a pretty tired boy, but he delivered and worked hard on both sides of the ball.  

Bryce debuted his football career as a lineman for the 7th grade Rebel team.  He worked hard all season, and shows great potential for the upcoming years. 

In his first month and a half of life, Macklin was able to go to 21 football games.  Colton and Katie each played four flag-football games, and Katie and Colton played soccer, as well, for a total of 12 more games on the weekend.  Add in church responsibilities, and we didn't have a whole lot of free time.

We wouldn't have it any other way.

Basketball practice has begun, and our first game is November 29th.  Go Rebels! 

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The biggest news of the day:

IT'S BRYCE'S 12TH BIRTHDAY!!!



He's smart.

He's funny.

He's easy-going.

He's agreeable.

He likes video games.

He likes writing songs.

He likes music.

He smiles a lot.

He is great at memorizing bible verses.

He makes awesome cookie dough.

He'll always be my little Boo.

WE LOVE YOU, BRYCE!!!!!


"My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands;" Proverbs 3:1

Christmas 2009

Better late than never, huh?

Here are a few pictures from our celebrations. We went to my parents on Christmas Eve, opened gifts at home Christmas morning, then met Shannon's family on Christmas afternoon.











The family finally convinced me to put up a tree again this year. I'm a bit of a Scrooge, and hate the mess and clutter of getting Christmas decorations out. But alas, I complied. Shannon and the kids did the decorating. I didn't get any pictures of the tree, though. After decorating the tree, we turned out all of the lights to admire our work. I was in the living room reading a book, and suddenly heard Colton, Katie, Naomi and Hudson singing 'Away in the Manger'. I glanced into the dining room, and they were standing arm in arm, swaying back and forth as they sang in front of the tree.

I guess that's why we should decorate a tree each year.

This year, because we were running out of time and the weather was less than desirable, we bought a once live tree at Home Depot rather than picking one and chopping our own down. It wasn't ideal, but it worked. I even managed to have all of the gifts wrapped a couple days before Christmas.

We hope you all had a blessed holiday season.

"The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him." Proverbs 20:7

Thankful Thursday

What more appropriate day is there to post a 'Thankful Thursday' post than today?

* I'm thankful for my God, the One True God. He alone is worthy.

* I'm thankful for Shannon. He is an amazing man. I love him thoroughly.

* I'm thankful for Alex. He's growing up too fast. It seems he's gone more these days than he is home. I miss him when he isn't here.

* I'm thankful for Jackson. He makes me smile. He's got freakishly long arms. I love him anyway.

* I'm thankful for Chase. He's a smartypants. He's snarky, and has a great sense of humor. He still tells me he loves me.

* I'm thankful for Bryce. He's spending Thanksgiving with my sister's family. I miss him like crazy. He should be here with us.

* I'm thankful for Colton. He's crafty. He's flighty. He's always thinking about something. He still sits on my lap.

* I'm thankful for Katie. She helped me cook all day yesterday. She chatters nonstop. She walks through the house on her tippy-toes. She likes to dance. She's growing up too fast.

* I'm thankful for Naomi. She really, truly believes that she is a princess. She wears a purple tiara. I'm not about to tell her any differently.

* I'm thankful for Hudson. I love the way he says "Yeah," when I ask him questions. I love it when he pats me on the back with his little hand. He's silly.

I have so incredibly much to be thankful for.

I have been blessed.

What an awesome God I serve!

"The rich and the poor have this in common, The LORD is the maker of them all." Proverbs 22:2

Time Away

We were able to take a little bit of time recently to spend a night away with the family. We went to the Wasserbahn Water Resort in the Amana Colonies. We also did a little shopping at the Tanger Outlet in Williamsburg.

It wasn't huge, but it was fun. The kids enjoyed the time away, and Shannon and I did, too.

















Basketball practice starts November 16th. Games begin November 30th. There won't be much time for get aways until the season ends.

"For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD." Proverbs 8:35