IRENE!

Well, my last post talked about the pace of life picking up a bit for our family; what I did not expect was to experience an earthquake and hurricane as well this week. To be quite honest, I can't really say that I experienced the earthquake because I personally never felt it. Many others in the office felt it and it woke Aaron up from his nap, in fact the kids even said they felt it. I guess I just don't shake too easily. :)

I can say that we all experienced Irene. In fact we tried to prepare for her arrival and everything. You will see in some of the following pictures that preparedness does not always produce the hoped for results. But we are all safe and that is what matters the most.

 These were the clouds that came with the first outer bands of Irene. This was at about 4:oo pm on Saturday. At this point the rain was intermittent and the winds were not too bad.

 These clouds were as the rain began to intensify. This was approx. 6:30 pm. By this time the winds were picking up in intensity along with the rain.

As we watched the track of the storm it went from an almost direct inland hit of our area to being slightly more off towards New Jersey. We knew that we would experience the effects of the storm no matter what track it took, so we began to prepare as much as we could. We laid down all our outdoor furniture  protecting the cushions and pillows. We always have our trampoline anchored and due to the surround we couldn't lay it down, so we added some weight (approx. 200 pounds of cinder blocks). While in the picture the basketball hoop is upright against the garage we eventually opted to lay it down to avoid it being knocked over. (Looking back we probably should have left it, but then again, who knows if that would have changed anything.) These pictures were taken around 9:00 pm and by this time the wind and rain were a bit more extreme. I did not get much sleep Saturday night as the storm passed through. We never lost power, in fact we actually never lost our satellite connection either. We have friends though who even now are still without power. As I drove through town you can see trees down and lots of smaller sticks and leaves lying around. There were areas that had to deal with flooding. Speaking of which we did have a minor amount of water in our basement, but nothing to cause a huge fuss over.

I took this picture from almost the same spot as the above picture of the trampoline and basketball hoop. As you can see the trampoline is not even in the picture.

We think that the trampoline caught the basketball hoop a bit as it flew over, causing a severe bend in the backboard. We later discovered the only reason the trampoline stayed where it was in this picture was due to the fact that it was embedded between part of the frame of the barn and the roof. 

We had some damage to this tree which is at the opposite side of the house as the trampoline and basketball hoop were.. We lost a few limbs, but fortunately it isn't a huge tree.

(All of the above pictures of the damage where taken during the backside of the storm, so the winds were still very high and it was still raining at this point. They were taken at about 7:30 am Sunday.)

As the storm moved out the sky cleared and we could begin to see all the leaves and sticks that littered the ground, much like a salad shooter had gone through. We ventured outside to fully evaluate the damage and do a lot of cleanup around 3:30 pm Sunday afternoon.

What you can't see in this picture is that the barn the trampoline was pinned to, it is to the left. The cinder block that is at the base of the fence was actually on the other side of the fence in the neighbor's yard. This block probably weighed about 40-50 pounds and flew from the original trampoline site, over the barn probably about 150-200 yards. (I am really bad when it comes to measurements so this might be a little off, but it was a much longer length of space than we ever expected to find it. And yes we had to search for it.)

We were very thankful that the winds were blowing in such a way that the cinder blocks did not travel toward the house.

Well, after we pried the trampoline off the barn we began to disassemble it to see what might be salvageable. As you can see, it is most likely a complete loss. The backboard was definitely questionable when we got it upright. But it is now fixed, as it seems that one of the back joints is all that was bent. 

I am not entirely sure why this is so blurry, but this was the night sky on Sunday. Amazing how quickly the weather can change. It is so very amazing to me the strength and intensity of nature. God's power is definitely evident in moments such as these. But after the storm there is such beauty to be seen as well.



Gentlemen, start the chaos!

Well, the noise level and messiness in our house has risen over the past few days. The kids are home!! It has been wonderful to see them, hug them, and listen to the stories of the adventures they shared with their grandparents over the past few weeks.

School is just around the corner and the calendar is beginning to fill rapidly. School starts on the 29th of August and so we are looking at fall clothing and supplies and determining what is needed and what can wait. Ah, the joy of fall. The kids are excited to start at the Christian school and meet their teachers and make new friends.On the flip side of what seems like a building of chaos is the reality of the normalcy that the school routine brings to our lives. For that I am excited.

Alex started preseason soccer practices this week. He is so excited about the season. There are only 12 boys on the team and since 11 are needed on the field, he is sure to get lots of playing time. He has started running over the past few days in preparation for the season. It is fun to see him self motivated to work on his skill and endurance.

Along with school getting ready to kick off, there are fall kickoff's for the church as well. My schedule is full of meetings and preparations for some upcoming changes, as well as with the organizing of room shifts and class changes for the kids. This building chaos will slow down after a few weeks, so for that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

But until then, we are off to the races.

"How are you holding up?"

I have had a fairly large number of eerily similar conversations over the past week. The conversation is usually started by the fact that our children are in another state, and when it is all said and done they will have been away from daddy for close to 3 weeks and away from mommy for close to 2 weeks. Then the question that has come from every single one of these conversations, "How are you doing?"/"How are you holding up?"/"How are you surviving?" 

I am fine! I am beginning to miss them more and more, but I can honestly say that for the first week I had days where I rarely thought of them. For some that statement may have produced a gasp and the thought, "What kind of mother wouldn't think of her children every day they are apart?"  Maybe to some I am a terrible mom, but the reality is this:

I love my children dearly, but I am not IN love with my children.

(I actually first heard this concept very early in my parenting life on none other than the Oprah show. I couldn't even tell you who said it or even what the show was about that day, but that concept stuck with me.)

You see my children are a big part of my world, but they are not my whole world. As a mom, I make sure that they are well loved and cared for, I do my best to raise them and teach them, I nurture and encourage them, I discipline them, but I do not buddy up to them and befriend them. (At least not at this stage in the game.) My goal is to raise three godly men and one godly woman and then at the appropriate time set them free in this world; to be their own person, who still loves to come home to mom and dad occasionally. My purpose as a parent is to raise them, not hold on to them.

You see I am IN love with Jesus and my husband. Those two relationships are ones that I have chosen and pursued over the years, they are one's that I do want to hold on to. I never want any relationship to become a hindrance to my first love, Jesus. Even my relationship with my husband. He knows this and understands this. Then after that, my next relationship priority is Aaron. No other earthly relationship comes in the way. Honestly though there are times and seasons where these priorities don't flesh out perfectly, but it is where I always strive to be relationally.

In a few short years (and it's happening way too fast) my children will move on. They will go off to college and begin their own lives. I want them to be free to do life on their own and succeed. I also want them to know without a doubt that they are loved. Our arms are always open for them to find safety and acceptance. I also know that when that day comes I will be more alone with my two "IN love" relationships than I have ever been before. I had better be sure to still enjoy those relationships so I strive to pursue and strengthen those relationships along the way.

Two weeks is a long time for a Mommy's heart. I honestly am looking forward to those hugs and the noise of them talking over each other in an attempt to fill me in on all the things they did. But until then, I am soaking up and enjoying the quiet and time to reconnect with my priority loves.

Last week the kids and I were in Indiana to spend time with family and await the arrival of the newest family member. While we waited, we spent quite a bit of time with my sister's family in their pool.

 Lucas Matthew came on his scheduled c-section date, Friday, July 29 at 2:05 pm. He was 8 lbs. 10 oz. and 20 in. long. He is absolutely precious.

The kids stayed behind in Indiana as I returned to Pennsylvania. Aaron and I are currently enjoying a quiet house and hours to reconnect uninterrupted.

Another quick update!!

Wow!! The last few weeks have been CRAZY!!!

Two weeks ago I ended up really sick. I haven't been that sick for a while. In fact I missed two days of work that week. I still am having trouble regaining my energy levels, which really stinks!

That was also the week Jack was at camp. He LOVED it, in fact he wasn't too sure he wanted to come home. Once I opened his bag, I think it is safe to say that had he stayed he would not have been too welcome. There was some serious stink in that bag!!

Last week, we got the heartbreaking news that Alex's dear friend from Indiana had passed away. We had already planned to make the trip back out for the funeral, but due to no water at our house that morning we quickly packed, I wrapped up some things at work, and the kids and I hit the road. It was a very emotional week. The boys showed amazing moments of true child-like faith. They rejoiced in the fact that Austin was in Heaven with Jesus and that he was no longer suffering. But they also dealt with a wide range of emotions and feelings that are difficult enough for an adult. It was difficult for me to watch my friend walk through the pain of burying her son as well as sitting with my own sons as they dealt with a loss like this. The week was draining as it was highly emotional, plus we spent so many hours on the road in such a short amount of time. Yet ultimately the week was so reflective of Austin's faith in God and the impacting legacy he left here on earth. Just a few days ago, Alex was once again rejoicing in the fact that Austin was in Heaven.

This week has been HOTTTT!!!  I know that the heat is very oppressive for many across the country right now and here is no exception. I am so very thankful for air conditioning. (And I typically LOVE the heat!)

We have been busy this week trying to get back into a normal routine, however on Sunday it's all going to change as the kids and I head back to the Midwest once again.  This time it is for a week with my sister (and other family) as we all anticipate the arrival of her second son. I am so very anxious to meet this little man (and if I am this anxious I can only imagine how my sister feels).

Then the kids are staying for an additional two weeks while I return to my husband and job. Aaron and I are really looking forward to getting quality time for just us. I am sure we will spend plenty of moments where we catch ourselves talking about the kids and eventually missing them and anticipating their return; however we are sure to have some great time of just reconnecting with each other. We have never spent more than 2 (maybe 3) nights without all the kids. It will definitely be different.

It is hard to believe that August is almost here. And in just over a month the kids will be heading back to school. In fact, when the kids return from IN, Alex begins preseason for soccer at the school.  WOW!!! Summer always flies by so quickly. This summer though is one we will not soon forget. There have been many firsts and a few lasts, with many more memories to be made. And no matter whether the memories are of good times or difficult ones, God is faithful and good all the time.

Summertime (in pictures)

Church Softball.

Softball with Daddy.

Slip-n-slide fun!

Daddy sticking ice in Alex's shorts.

"Suntanning" which only lasted about 2 minutes, so no skin damage done.

This was the small meatball sub. We visited an old family favorite from my childhood while parents my were here last weekend.

What could be so fascinating?

...Bailing the hay.

Summer haircuts.

The mohawk returns.

Getting ready to watch the fireworks from our backyard, in pj's.

Off to find Jack's "home" for the week.

It is actually a tent on a platform.

It's Been Awhile...

Just a quick "catch-up post" with a promise of pictures to come soon.

Alex participated in soccer camp last week here at the school. He was supposed to be a part of the middle school camp but due to low enrollment they had to cancel it, thus bumping him up to the varsity camp with a college coach. He was so tiny out there, but did really well. I think we will see the payoffs as soccer begins this fall. He had a fun time which is great, since we were a bit concerned about him being overwhelmed by the "older" kids.

Jack will leave this afternoon for a week long church camp.  It is the same church camp I went to when I was his age. He is really excited. It should be a great week for him.

We celebrated the 4th of July last night with some of our PA family. We had a great time of food and fellowship. They all headed out to other places (or bed), and we headed out to our backyard to watch the fireworks. It was great. We actually could see two different locations. So we watched fireworks from about 9:15-11:00.

We are anxiously awaiting news from IN about the arrival of the newest member of the family. (Another nephew, YIPPEE!!)  While the scheduled date is further out, we all seem to think it will be sooner rather than later.

On the other end of the spectrum we are trying to keep up to date on a dear friend as he enters the last few days of his life here on earth. Please pray for the McCleary family. They are a wonderful family walking a very tough road right now. Also, keep Alex in prayer, he and Austin were close friends and being so far away is hard on him right now.

We continue to be reminded that we serve an amazing God. He is faithful in so many ways.

I promise a picture post will be coming soon.