Record setting

It's not one I'm proud of, but I think 2 months between posts is a new record for me.  I must say, the month of May was crazy-insane, and June was spent decompressing from that.  Now that we're in July, it's starting to feel like a summer.

In May, we had the end of school for the kids.  Jason finished his classes for his Masters in Administration, (well, so we thought...his advisor missed one of his classes before Jason's exit interview, so he is in the process of taking that one...last...class.)  He also transitioned out of his Principal job, caught up with scheduling and stuff in his Athletic Director job and now started his Area Faith Director of Religious Education, which is a fancy way of saying he's in charge of catechesis programs for Catholic kids not in Catholic school for the 4 parishes in our area.  He's done this job in the past, but just not for several parishes.  It fits into his schedule better and we are hoping it is something that will work out for a while.  Transition is not always easy.

AJ was cleared for normal activity 4 months after his ACL surgery.  He went through the rehab program wonderfully & he's now working hard with the school strengthening/weight lifting program to get to his top strength.  Even though his knee is as strong as the other, he was told that even the good one is lacking in strength, so to protect from further possible injuries, he needs to work on certain muscles that protect his ACL.  (That information would have been beneficial to me back before I had 3 ACL surgeries myself!)  He is looking forward to football season, which will be here before you know it!

Laney has been busy immersing herself in books, time with SuzyCat and friends.  She is mesmerized with cooking shows and has taken many opportunities to cook meals.  Yesterday morning she made pancakes from scratch and used fresh blueberries to make smiley faces in them.  She definitely has a creative side and I love to see that come out in her cooking.  If I need anything artsy, I just call on her.  She also blesses us often with her piano playing.

Faith is right where AJ left off regarding sports and activities.  She went to an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) basketball camp, played softball, and has volleyball camp this week.  She enjoys spending most of her time playing with friends or being at the pool.  Her tan lines can prove that!  Both girls also attended a week-long girls camp at Schoenstatt.  It involves spending time with the Sisters there and growing in friendships and faith.  Many of their friends from church and school went as well, and they made new friends and connected with old ones.  It's a camp that I think they will continue to be long-involved with and I really like that.

Ian is also a busy bee and will be a go-getter like Jason.  When he's not with Jason when he's playing for the Mudhens, he's either hitting or throwing a ball.  I joke that he would sleep on the baseball field if I let him...he never tires of being out on the diamond!  He never misses an opportunity to be at any of the home games, and is usually there from the moment Jason gets there to get ready (usually and hour or 2 before the game) until the last light goes out (usually an hour after a 3-hour game).  When most people are tired and ready to go home, he's out there running the bases and sliding into home.  Of course he played on his own team, but they didn't get any games in with other teams, so he probably got more experience playing with the Mudhens during practice.  He also, like Faith, enjoys playing with friends and being at the pool.

Noah is starting to come out of his shell and finally let me leave his side at the last ECFE class.  He enjoys going to the pool, but doesn't get too wet yet.  He finally started putting his face in and blowing bubbles and doesn't completely lose it when he gets water splashed on his head.  He loves being around Daddy and has enjoyed just-the-boys fishing trips.  He actually caught the biggest fish the last trip.  He loves playing with his brothers, but they usually get crazy and he ends up getting hurt, so he usually plays with Faith.  She has a great imagination and they can play for hours.

I have been trying to keep up with these 6 and still find some time to clean and have some quiet reflection and prayer time.  I need both to keep me somewhat sane.  With Jason's new job, we needed a little income to replace, so an opportunity came up for me to help part-time with the preschool program for the upcoming school year.  This will be the first paying job for me since I left my vet tech job over 10 years ago.  I have certainly kept busy with volunteer opportunities, but they don't require resumes, applications and interviews.  It has been months of discerning God's will for me and He has definitely put the pieces together for us.  It hasn't always been easy waiting for Him to open up doors, but the peace that comes from allowing Him to present His gifts to us is so rewarding. 

Noah will have one more year at home before he starts preschool, so this opportunity filled my desire of being able to work but not have to put him into daycare.  Jason's new job gives him the flexibility to work from home, so we will be at home in the mornings while I work.  I will be home by lunch time and after that, he will start his workday at the public school.  Since his AD job has him working mostly afternoons and evenings, this shift in jobs and schedules will work out nicely, (at least it looks like it will on paper!  We'll see how this year goes!)  But, either way, we trust that this is the path that God has put us on for now and we look forward to starting a new school year...that is, after we enjoy the last few weeks of summer!