Seems like a lot is still going on. Thinking I need one of those trips to Florida to clear my mind!!!
Josiah & the Allstars. (Sounds a bit like Alvin and the Chipmunks!) Well, practice has been going well. Coach had him get a longer bat. So, I thought this wasn't going to cost me anything :) We found out that the tournament is in Oak Harbor this year (rotates yearly...). Hmm. Yah. So we'll see how that goes. The most we could drive over there is six times... Minimum I believe is four. Double elimination tournament. Honestly, we just didn't know what we were getting into when we signed him up. Excited that he made the team.. a little concerned about the process. It should be fine... But what's wierd is that I feel like i'm supposed to put 10 evenings on hold between July 6 & July 16.. and life doesn't happen that way.
Rod's work.. well.. his job ends friday. I can tell you that I feel anxious. Not because I'm afraid of him being laid off... but because i've waited about 6 weeks for this date and I just want it to be over already! Tired of the goofy corperate stuff... like his boss getting chewed on because the store isn't selling anything.. ummm duh, on that one. Like Rod's getting the cell number cut off after 8 years of the same number (most likely anyway) because they won't allow him to change it from a dealer to a non dealer line. Yah. Tired of this type of stuff.
Wondering what we are going to be doing with the severence money. I'm thinking that we'll probably hold on to it, or a significant portion of it, until we figure out what is really going on financially.. job-wise.. etc.
This last friday, we lost a family friend. The guy that died in a hamilton construction accident was a friend of ours. Rod and I weren't terribly close to him per se, but I've known the family since Kindergarten. We've done thanksgivings with them, family parties, and so much more. My friend, my age, Erica, lost her husband. He was 34. They have two young kids. My heart really goes out to her. On our anniversary, we found out about what happened to Caine, and Rod and I went and spent time with the family. I may have sacrificed an important evening of my relationship with Rod, but she'll never get another one on this earth with Caine. I was so glad that we did. Interesting enough, it's made the whole job thing seem so much smaller. A job is a job. It's not the loss of someone you said that you want to spend your forever with... The funeral is tomorrow, ordered flowers tonight. I really wish I could help... I'm going to pray pray pray that she makes it through this!!! I told her that if she EVER needs me to watch the kids, for any reason, that I definately will. Rod asked if he could get the funeral off. I didn't think his boss would let him... but she said yes..
On a different note... when we took the kids rafing... one of the parents suggested a missions trip for the teens... hmm... so I looked into doing a missions trip with Alternative Missions (the people that Jay & Faith work with)... and it looks like it may be a Go. We've only talked with a few of the parents, and allll of them have been positive. I didn't expect that at all. We are hoping to plan it, if it goes, for Sept of 2009. So we have plenty of time to get the money together.. as well as go right before friday school starts.. so that the kids are all amped up at the beginning of friday school. I'm hoping that this works.. but we need a fundraising coordinator. I'm willing to plan it, but we need someone who will step up to do fundraising. I've got tooo many irons in the fire to do that part!!!
Ok, well, that's all for now folks! Zindra
Where do I begin? June has been crazy! Rod has found out that he is getting laid off. I think i'm finally out of shock into accecptance on this one. He's had an interview, but it's not one he would take. At the moment we really are considering him working from home doing Advertising for FCHM. Even if this doesn't become a full time job, FCHM needs the support so... either way he'll be doing their advertising!
Josiah is on the All Stars baseball team for Mt. Vernon. It started today. Here in June, it was pouring down rain... so I didn't sit on the bleachers until the end of practice to meet the coach (I sat in the car.) Garrett had bmx practice at the same park, so Mom ended up bringing Josiah home. I guess Josiah gave the coach our number, so I hope to hear from him soon, but next practice is saturday morning (when i'm supposed to be at a baby shower :?)
Jedediah has a friend, Xavier, who has played soccer for the last couple of years. His friend's mom, emailed me the other day and told me that soccer registration is happening. So I signed Jed up. I think they don't do anything until the end of august... so we'll see what goes on there. Haven't done soccer before.
Lately, my parents have had a lot of outside work that has needed to be done. So Rod and I set up a service project for our teens group to come work out at Mom & Dads. That was today! We are going to be providing the teens a service project completion letter for their college portfolios (which I guess is a big deal..). We had so many kids we finished early and the kids got to hang out.
My parents needed a ditch dug for the propane line to the house, the wood pile moved, the big outside windows washed.. rocks taken out of the front and back yards so that grass can be seeded, and last but not least, they moved the blocks for a retaining wall for the front yard and then built the wall, and filled behind it. They got a month's worth of work done in ONE afternoon! How much did it cost my parents? They bought the fixins for a bonfire BBQ. What was so cool, was that the kids earned respect.. and my parents saw Christian kids in action, showing Christ's love! Now, that was a cool way to use the influence Rod and I have in our group. Since the parents are all interested in service projects... i'm looking for another one to do later in the summer. I'd like to get the kids into the habit of doing them quarterly or something.
One of the parents of the teens had some free paintball tix. So Rod, Josiah, me and some teens are going to get to go paintballing (sp?) for the cost of the paint in a couple of weeks. Never done it before, got to try it at least once! I hear i'm supposed to wear layers!!!
One other friday school thing that is interesting... some of the parents want to do school bags & letterman jackets & rings for the older kids... Yet we hadn't decided on a mascot. Our colors have always been blue & white.. but today we talked to the teens (a parent said that the teens should decide, and we've all gone with that suggestion) and I think we've decided that we are going to be the First Class Skagit County Eagles. Skagit Valley has a history of eagles and then there is strong biblical references to eagles. It just seems to fit. So we will take that before the board and get final approval next month. (it helps that we are on the board). So, when Josiah and Jedediah are ready for a school bag or a class ring, we will have school colors and a mascot.. so all that will be ready when they are old enough to understand all of that stuff. This has been one of the things Rod & I have discussed, as homeschoolers, that our kids will miss... and now, they won't have to!!!
Me? I'm trying to hold things together, like usual. Money, time, kids, friday school stuff, FCHM stuff, friends.. It's one huge balancing act. Yet, it's rewarding. Some days I'm wondering what i'm doing, other days I've never felt so alive! Well, that's all for now.. Zindra