A look at Fall

This afternoon I put away the light coats since the weather doesn't seem to be promising the temperatures that we so enjoyed a week ago. The leaves have been beautiful this year. Last week on what may have been one of our last warm days of the season, Coleman and I took a little nature walk while waiting for school to get out. We sat under this tree for about a half hour in the afternoon sun. He played with sticks, leaves, and found a few bugs, while I just enjoyed the quiet moments with him. And by the way I love the way the photo above turned out. I was trying to capture the color of these leaves not noticing the barren trees off in the distance and what a beautiful contrast it makes. I couldn't help but ponder the season that we are in and how quickly the seasons change with our kids. It seems when they are little the days can feel long and then one day you look up and ask yourself, "what happen?" The changes are coming so quickly you can't seem to keep up.





Hunter is in his third year of soccer and still loves it. He played in two tournaments this fall and we were so thankful for the beautiful weather. One day while walking across the soccer field and looking over at a college game being played he said, "when I grow up I want to be a professional soccer player and a pastor."

Kelsey played 7th grade volleyball and loved it. She had a great season! We loved going to her games and even enjoyed traveling to the away games. Her only complaint was that the season was too short. She is loving Junior High and we are loving watching her grow and change.


Theo had an extremely fun year in football. He made some new friends and played really well. He is #54 in this photo. The best part was that he spent the entire season with his dad as one of the coaches. I loved hearing them come through the door at night talking about the game and what they had learned. It was a sweet time. Theo is my kid who has changed the most over this past year. Everything about him is changing. It is also fun to watch. (note to self - I need to write a post about this)

Lauren has been busy with football cheerleading and musical. Thankfully she has her license and now her own car. It is hard for me to believe we are in the final years of high school with her. I feel at times it was yesterday we started Kindergarten.

A lady asked me today what I enjoyed most about being able to be at home with my kids, and I told her, "getting the front row seat in my child's life."

My little Artist

So I don't forget

Eight year old Hunter's Awana teacher called me Wednesday night after church to inform me that Hunter indeed knew the books of the bible. He recited them to her as:

Ezra..Nehemiah..Esther..Job..Psalms..and........Problems


we laughed so hard...it hurt. it was great.

Right In Their Own Backyard

I'm Finished

I finished reading through the Psalms. Back on Memorial Day Weekend I felt the Lord nudging me to spend the summer months reading through this beloved book. I hesitated for a moment, after all it is the largest book in the bible and my past record of summer reading and studying of scripture was very dismal. But I decided to take the challenge. And I am so glad I did.

My goal was to finish by Labor Day Weekend. And today I read through the last few on my list. I did not go in any particular order, but kept track as I finished each one. I kept a journal of my reading and found myself keeping track of certain themes that the Lord was revealing over and over.

At first it was a challenge, the busy days of kids being home, the flood, and all that life brings during the summer months, but as the weeks rolled by I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. I found myself excited to get up in the morning and longing to spend time reading through the next group of Psalms on my list.

It was truly what sustained me throughout the fifteen days my husband was in Bulgaria. I never missed a day while he was away.

Some days I felt as though I was on a roller coaster. One minute I was rejoicing, the next I was weeping. I have a new reverence for His majesty. The word "righteousness" is all over the place and I prayed for a deeper understanding of what the Lord requires for those who seek Him.

He speaks of His great love for us and reminds us that He hates evil. He calls us to rejoice with Him and yet understands our deepest sorrow.

Labor Day weekend is always the close of summer. This particular summer it is the close of a journey for me, one of which I am so thankful for the Lord's nudging.

The kids have finished seven days of school. I have signed more forms, written more checks, and attended more orientation meetings in the past week than anyone should ever be required too. But this is the year with one in high school, one in junior high, one in middle school, a second grader and a caboose of a three year old. It should be fun!

It's the first day of a new school year...

and the new Jr. High student in the home has stated already this morning, "I am so glad we had an orientation yesterday, otherwise I would have died this morning."

Thank you Jr. High principal and faculty for saving my daughter's life.

Lost

We interrupt the mission trip updates to announce:

He finally lost his ONE front tooth!

Don't worry Dad already saw his new smile using Skype and loved it!

a little summer randomness...

This past weekend I splurged a little and bought a large bag of Bing cherries. OK, I splurged alot!
But every last cherry , stem, and seed was completely worth it.


They were fresh, firm, and very sweet. Yum!


Baseball and Softball season is now officially over. Baseball ended this past weekend with my son's team winning their end of the season tournament.

Softball ended last night with my daughter's team winning their end of the season tournament also with a nail biting extra inning 11-10 victory!

Go Angels!

They both played really hard this year! Last night as my husband and I were sitting enjoying our last bag of ball park popcorn with two diet Dr. Pepper's, we were a bit sad that our spots on the bleachers in the warm summer sun would have to wait for our return until next season. After all for the past six weeks, this is where we ate our dinner most evenings, carefully balancing five hot dogs, bottles of water, and occasionally some nachos on the hard wooden benches or the metal bleachers.

And finally, I find it a little strange that the very river which caused so much destruction brought us some pleasure over the weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect and my eleven and eight year old boys tried water skiing on a Ski Skimmer for the first time. They loved it and actually did pretty good their first time out.

Hunter did great and wasn't about to let go of the rope...








Theo was a natural!



And what a better way to start our family vacation. We have been home catching up on so many things...and leaving some (many) things until later. Tomorrow we head out together, just the seven of us for some family time. I did not have a lot of expectations for summer vacation this year other then it must include water, sun, and a place where our primary article of clothing would include a bathing suit and maybe a few shorts and t-shirts. I think we are there....

Two Boys, A Bike, and Five Bucks

Recently my two oldest boys (11 and 8) asked if they could ride their bikes to the pool. The 11 year old has ridden many times, but this would be the 8 year olds first time on his new bigger bike.

They planned out their path in great detail and after receiving some strict instructions from their mom (about their ride to the pool), they were off. Little did I know they had a whopping five bucks in their pockets.

They rode the path from our home to our local public pool along the newly placed sidewalk that now stretches from the entrance of our street all the way passed the high school, through the tree lined neighborhood, along the front of the hospital and ends at the golf course, which is just a block from the pool. They later described their daring and yet careful crossing of the quiet street that the pool is located on. My heart was relieved that they had made it safely, until I heard the rest of the story.

After several hours of sun, chlorine, and the back flops off the diving board, two boys hopped on their bikes for their journey home. But instead of taking the quiet tree lined sidewalk safe path that they had chosen for their ride to the pool, they instead headed through the busy neighborhood streets, crossed the four lane (might as well of been the freeway in my mind) main street in our community to spend the five dollars they had carefully collected and was burning in their pockets.

I can only picture them racing down the sidewalk along Bremer Ave. stopping at each intersection, imagining they stopped and walked their bikes to cross the street (I can hope), and finally arriving at one of our local gas stations/convenience stores filled with everything imaginable for two boys to spend their hard earned five dollars.

After hearing of their daring and adventurous afternoon, I didn't inquire too much about the actual purchase. All I saw was the wrappers and satisfaction that two boys had enjoyed this and this.

They had not given too much thought about what mom may think of their choice to make a quick stop (in their minds) to spend their hard earned money until the door opened from the garage and they entered the house carefully hanging towels and backpacks on hooks and heading to the trash can with evidence in hand.

Eyes red, cheeks sun kissed, and shoulders pink, their faces beamed with excitement and satisfaction as if they had just done something really wonderful and important. Over the next thirty minutes I heard the stories of their big adventure. It started with words like careful, slow, crosswalks, and ended with "it was so cool", "my brakes work good", and "I looked back once in a while to make sure he was ok".

As a mother I knew this was one of those moments where I had a choice. I could ruin the day my two boys headed out together on their bikes and did something they had never done before or I could enjoy the moment, the excitement, their accomplishment and join in on their celebration. I chose the latter.

I knew in my heart that my oldest son (who has traveled a little more on his bike) was careful and watchful of his younger brother. I knew the younger brother listened and followed carefully the instructions of his older brother. I will never know what risks they took, the smiles they gave each other or of the sheer joy only the two of them experienced as they rode along in the sunshine on a summer afternoon.

Treasure

I have intentionally not posted anything over the past week until yesterday. I have had this post hanging around as a draft throughout the week. My mind has been everywhere but here.

One week ago, my husband and I attended the funeral for a little guy we did not know. His memorial service left me realizing once again how precious life is and how easily I take so much for granted. I came home weary and completely sick of all of my selfish concerns, you know all the stuff that weighs on us that has no eternal value what. so. ever. His precious young life, lived so courageously, had impacted so many in less than three short years. I wondered if my own much longer time here so far (life) has had such an influence?

On Sunday afternoon a community not far from us was changed forever by a devastating tornado. My family and I clueless to what was taking place so close, sat and watched the storm roll through. We later realized that most were huddled in their basements waiting for it to pass. We stood stunned at the pictures broadcast that evening and how quickly so many lost so much. My heart has been so heavy this week. I have received several emails asking us to pray for families and extended families who have lost their homes. Sarah has given us a glimpse of the devastation through her blog.


I have spent the week trying to get things caught up in my own home before Summer hits, and yet in the midst of it, I find myself looking at all this "stuff" as a weight. I find myself worried about things that don't matter. I sense God drawing me in close and whispering this stuff is not eternal, don't value it.


My kids have come home this week from their respective schools each talking about how they personally want to help. The school's have provided ways that the kids can give towards helping those impacted by the tornado. Even our little league is asking the players to consider donating equipment.


Hunter (7) sat down one morning looking at his flimsy plastic box which he is currently using as his piggy bank and stared at the crisp five dollar bill laying across the pennies, nickels, and dimes. He looked up at me and said, "mom, I really want to take money to school, but I was saving my money for summer vacation and I don't know what to do?" I told him that it was his decision, but I also understood how hard these choices are. I noticed a piece of paper sitting next to him. After I returned from dropping my kids off at their schools, the piece of paper was still sitting on the table, and the piggy bank was still full of pennies, nickels and dimes.


I heard the Lord whisper, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

What Day is it?

Those were my exact thoughts this morning as I awoke. This week has me totally confused. Yesterday I thought it was Thursday all day, except I knew I had church, but I kept thinking tomorrow was Friday, even though it was going to be Thursday, which is today, right? I told you I am confused!

This week our life has been centered around the school's website. In fact, If traffic to their site was something they were trying to build, we contributed this week in a big way and they must have huge smiles on their faces.

Will there be school today? Will there be a late start? Some were standing in front of the computer refreshing the page over and over praying for the words, "school canceled today" while others were just hoping for the words, "2 hour delay today" so that they could continue to sleep in again for the who knows how many days in a row.

But, this morning the website read, "regular class schedule today." As I went from room to room gently nudging each of my sleeping kiddos, all snuggled in the warmth of their beds, there was a long sigh as I told them we had a regular schedule today.

Everyone slowly crept out of bed and began their normal morning routine for the first time in over a week. We all enjoyed waffles and the morning chaos was at a minimum.

As I drove up to the three different schools, I blessed each of my kids as I do every morning with the words, "the Lord be with you today, may His face shine upon you, and may you learn to the glory of God. I love you! and don't slip on the ice! "

As I drove away from the middle school, my eleven year old son turned the corner on the sidewalk and you guessed it, slide down the sidewalk a few inches on the ice managing of course to stay on his feet, turned around and smiled at me. All I have to say is, "What day is it?"

Best Friends Forever

While driving to the store tonight with only Hunter (7) in the car, he called out from the back seat and asked me if I knew what BFF stood for?


I told him in a very excited tone that I did!

He then proceeded to tell me that I was his BFF!

If only I could bottle this seven year old boy who will still hold my hand as we walk into a store together?

...the rest of our snow day in pictures

after they cleaned their rooms, this is what the rest of our day looked like...






boys working on a snow fort...




a three year old enjoying the path he was carving in the un-touched snow and looking back at his foot prints....


















sitting down to warm up on pizza and hot cocoa for lunch....








listening to a sixteen year old share about her speech competition over the weekend...

peeking into the room where a eleven and twelve year old enjoyed playing together...

observing little hands making play dough creatures...






and guess what two giggling boys came up with all on their own, "daddy and mommy"
Yes, here we are...






And to end our day...my seven year old prepared a box of brownies for dessert while I made dinner. He did everything on his own. I only set the oven temp and of course put the brownies in the oven and took them out.

They turned out delicious! He's quite the little chef.

It was a great day!

The end of the Year..oops I mean hair

Once upon a time my youngest son had a head full of cute blonde curls.









But then he discovered the scissors in his sister's new sewing basket she received for Christmas....



















and yep you guessed it, he did this. It was hard to be upset, because after all it was only hair and he isn't the first child in my household to do this. I was mostly thankful that he did not hurt himself or cut anything that doesn't grow back. :)

So without further delay I would like to introduce you to the new Coleman. He had to call his dad in California and fill him in on his new look.