Life goes on

Wow!!! Much has happened, a couple months have passed.  When I started this, I initially had intended to keep up with this a lot better and a lot more often.  But as life goes on and time marches on, our bush schedule has taken over and my time is somewhat taken up with day to day life. Trey was on the way to the DMV to get his license, and YES he passed his driving test.  We had a summer marathon of church activities which included choir camp, performining the VBS muical to kick off VBS, a week of VBS, and then 2 weeks of camp in the mountains of NC @ Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly.  It was very well worth all the hard work and preparation PLUS we saw God moving in the lives of our children and youth.

Since Trey passed his driving test, we now have 3 licensed drivers in the house, which has been a GREAT help to us when we needed him to run an errand, pick up or take one of his siblings to an activity, take himself places, etc.  He has spent several afternoons of his time driving back and forth to Shelby to help a lady with her goats, (trimming hooves, shearing, etc.) She has "paid" him for his time in goat milk, cheese, pizza (made with goat cheese), etc.  Artie even made his first attempt at making our own goat cheese, and even though he didn't have ALL the right ingredients, it wasn't too bad for a first run.

Trey and Casey are in the process of preparing 3 of our goats to show at the Cleveland County Fair at the end of this month.  Trey spent his day off school today, shearing and trimming our goats.  Casey has joined her brother as a part of FFA at Crest High School, too.  She did pass her driver's ed class at the beginning of August and will be getting her permit in December after she finishes her 2 weeks of driving this sometime this semester.  She is enjoying her first year of high school so far.  We will see if/when that changes later on, since she has only been in high school for 7 school days.  I am sure she will LOVE it and do just fine.

Trey began his junior year and is still involved in the band.  We have 3 football games under our belts so far and several more to go.  As a matter of fact, this Friday's game was rained out and postponed due to severe thunderstorms that delayed the game and then CLEARED the stadium before the game actually started. We all looked like a bunch of drowned rats as we scurried out of the stadium for cover!

So I got to spend my 40th birthday with my family at the high school football stadium on Saturday night.  Luckily it was full of excitement since it was the LOCAL rivalry with NO score on the board until halfway through the 4th quarter (then we lost in overtime). All in all I had a REALLY nice birthday  Artie and I were able to get away for a couple of hours to have lunch together at Applebee's, where we had the 2 for $20 lunch special and I got a FREE hot fudge Sunde "shooter" for my birthday.  It was really fun.  Artie also surprised me at school on Friday with a chocolate chip cookie cake at lunch AND my lovely Leeann made me homemade waffles for breakfast on Saturday morning.  All in all in was a WONDERFUL birthday.  Nothing big, just a relaxing day spent with my family.  Then last night we had a family movie night at the drive in to see the Smurfs.  VERY CUTE movie.  Great birthday weekend it turned out to be and I even got a day off work for Labor Day. Can't beat that.

Artie has had some exciting news lately, too.  He met with the local Young Life leader here in Cleveland County and was asked to be a leader here at the local high school.  Just amazing how God is opening doors for him to be used to reach more kids for Christ.  I am soooooo excited for him, being a Young Lifer myself in high school, I now what  wonderful opportunity this is for him and for our own children.  We also had 40 children ages 3- 5th grade in children's church yesterday morning.  New families are coming in and visiting, bringing more young children, therefore opening more doors of opportunity for us to serve and minister to children and their families. We also have a friend who is adamant and hard at work to reach the college students here in our area.  Several of our college students are off at school , but we have a GREAT opportunity to minister to the students who attend GWU here in our little town of Boiling Springs.  Please pray for us and our church as we adjust to our "growing pains" and are presented with more opportunities to serve children, youth, college and students in our community.

As for the rest of the gang, they are all doing well.  Faith has begun second grade and has an excellent class and teacher.  Jonathan also had the same 2nd grade teacher, so we know she will have a GREAT year.  I am just thankful that Faith's teacher is back at Springmore, this year. She had to take leave of absence last year when her son was diagnosed with bone cancer, but he is back in the saddle, has returned to school, therefore allowing opportunity for her to return to the classroom!!!

Jonathan is at the middle school this year, loving his classes and is following in the footsteps of his older brother as a member of the band.  They are just now beginning to "play" their instruments, since the first few days of school have been about learning how to take care of them, read music, etc.  He is playing the French horn, and we found out that his instrument is considered a "scholarship" instrument.  So hopefully we will enjoy it enough to keep it up through high school and possibly get a scholarship to attend college!!!  WOW!!!

Leeann is a "senior" at the middle school this year (8th grade).  AND she has a little boyfriend.  Luckily it is a boy she has known for as long as she has been in school here, AND we know his parents/family. Good Christian folks who have the same kind of values/expectations for their children that we have for ours. Leeann and this same boy were somewhat of an "item" last year, but never saw each other so they never really developed a "relationship".  HOWEVER, they have the same exact schedule/classes this year (with the exception of one class), and we found out just last week that they have been "chatting"  ALL summer on Facebook.  Well Artie told Leeann that before she could have a boyfriend, that the boy had to come to him for a little "chat" and ask if he could "date" (if you can even call it that in middle school) his daughter, which the boy did at the ball game Friday night.  So I guess it is official.

Artie has told ALL of our girls that he wants ALL their boyfriends (or potential boyfriends) to do the same thing, just so he knows where they stand and they know where he stands when it concerns our daughters.  We will encourage our boys to do the same with their girlfriends/potential girlfriends.  Respecting themselves, others and other people's families and wishes is something we have tried to instill in all of our children.  I only hope that what we have taught them will stick with them and follow them throughout their lives, especially since we are only 2 years away from potentially sending our oldest out into the world to find his own way.

Wow that is a hard one to swallow.  Can't believe that in less that 2 short years, we will have a high school graduate, and THEN we will have to start the whole process from scratch with our BABY, Timothy.  He will be four years old in just 3 1/2 short months.  Where did the time REALLY go on that one.  He is SO grown up some days and then other days, he is just a mama's boy and wants to do nothing else but sit on my lap and get some lovin'.  Trying to enjoy it as much as I can and keep him little as long as possible.  Every day seems like he is learning something new.  Time will pass so quickly  that before long he will be graduating, too.

Well at least even though I have just turned 40 this week, I still FEEL young, and can credit that to my children keeping me young.  God is soooo good to have blessed me with all the many "riches" in life that I cannot even fathom HIS great love for me.  All I can say is to God Be the Glory, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!!!