Memorial Day Weekend and Days Before

Some weeks seem more busy than others and this past one was one of the busy ones.  There were many blessings mixed in with the busy-ness!  

The craziness started on Wednesday.  I drop the boys off for piano, get the groceries and head home.  Mark picks up the boys, we quickly eat, change and then head to church.  This past Wed, I dropped the boys off, got the groceries, and started unloading the groceries at home.  The phone rang.  UGH, it was Mark.  His truck died (the story of the last few months!!! Vehicles can be a blessing but such a trial too!) so I needed to run back down the mountain and go to town and pick the boys up.  He was waiting for some former students to help him fix it.  I rushed back and got the boys, we came home, quickly inhaled our oatmeal (I didn't have time to fix the supper) and went to church without Mark.  It always feels strange to go places without my Mark.  Blessing:.  Mark used this unexpected time home to prepare for a message he was speaking on Sunday night.  He's been SO super busy, this "extra", unexpected time was such a help!  Another Blessing:  Mark has gotten especially close to 3 of his former students who are all now in college.  He goes out to breakfast with them every month.  One of them, helped Mark fix his truck.  He's a very giving, thoughtful guy and he was such an encouragement to Mark when he could of been down and frustrated!  God's faithful blessings!

Thursday.  A normal day at home.  That evening we went to Mark's school program.  Mark leads the junior highers in their music program in the spring.  They did a great job!

 

Friday.  I finally got a load of mulch!  I've added a huge new garden and it was overgrowing with weeds so I needed to get it covered with mulch.  Every time I went to get it, the trailer hitch was on Mark's truck so we couldn't get it.  Blessing:  While the boys loaded it, I went into the shop to pay.  I got "stuck" talking to the owner for about 20 minutes!  We've been getting mulch there for as long as we've lived here.  Jordan also got all the lumber to do Aunt Rosie's house there so we've had alot of contact with her.  Only the last year has she really opened up and become a "friend".    This location is the longest we've ever lived and we're finding it truly is a blessing to stay in one place for a while.  You get to know the people in your community well and make good friends!

That evening, Mark and I had our date night.  We rented a movie and watched it together.  Such simple times but yet so bonding!  After the movie, we heard a bear and her cub stomping through the woods, after getting into our trash cans.  Paw prints were all over our can.  

Saturday.  Mark's school's high school graduation.  Another "date" time for us.  We left the boys home with a list of jobs to prepare for company coming that evening.  Such good fellas!  The graduation was long but exciting for the kids (they seem sooo young!!!,,, maybe I'm aging!).  The speaker was the church's youth pastor.  (The school where Mark works is not through a local church.  It's got a school board that over sees it.  The school "rents" a church building.  The youth pastor was from this church).  He was very good and gave a great challenge.  Blessing:  During the cake and congratulations time after the ceremony, Mark introduced to me the speaker's wife.  She also home schools her two sons.  We had alot in common.  She was very encouraging and fun to chat with!  Always such a blessing to share with other Mom's trying to do their best for our Lord!

After the graduation, we all got ready and loaded up to head to the softball game.  Our company was going to meet us there!  What a fun day.  Dave and Martha met us at the ball game and cheered "my fellas" on!  They brought their grandson with them, so our younger boys, especially, had fun with David!  After the game, we had a picnic with the softball team and then headed home.  Together we hiked in the woods, sharing our fun property with our friends.  We gave the younger boys a bath (you should of seen the DIRTY water!), tucked the kiddos in bed and stayed up chatting together.  Such a blessing friends are!

Sunday.  We met together with our church family.  After, we had pizza and ice cream pies!  Yummy!  Our company left that afternoon (boo-hoo!) and we headed back to church for youth group and then the church meeting.  Another fun night,, Mark preached!!  He's always so good and I so enjoy hearing my husband speak!  God has truly gifted him and I feel so honored to share our lives together!

Monday.  I frantically got up and began cooking.  We had to leave at around 11am so Mark could do some windows before we had to meet for the parade at 1:30.  I needed to bake and make some food to take to a friend's house for a picnic after the parade.     We made it out on time, Mark got two window jobs done and we went to the parade.  What a FUN, memorable time.  I'm always so happy to see our boys enjoying while serving.  Jordan and Brendan gave out stacks of tracts!  I love seeing them handing a lost person the GOOD news of Jesus!   Hunter and the younger ones rode the bus and threw candy out the windows.  I walked along the bus and Mark handed out water bottles our church provided to give to the parade goers!  It was very hot and that added to the wonderful memories!    We ran home, quickly grabbed our food and pool clothes and headed to our friend's house.    What fun we had there!  Yummy food, swimming in the pool, hiking on their property, playing volleyball,  talking, laughing and enjoying being together!  God is sooo good to us and what a fun week we had! 

 

Today.  Frantically trying to clean up the house on a rainy day.  God's so good, my gardens need water so badly and I'm not tempted to go outside so I can get the house picked up! :)