On the road to Cincinnati, OH

We successfully made the three hour trip to Cincinnati this evening.  That's a milestone compared to the 20 hour journey we will be taking in a couple of weeks.  I'm not a fan of road trips.  Especially 20 hour trips with three kids in tow.  But. Now more than ever, I want to be with family.  And the sun. This is going to be a long winter, for sure, especially when I want to be out running (did I just say that?) And riding.  Right now I'm swimming, which I love, but there is nothing more cathartic than 20 miles of pure adrenaline. On the bike. I would never run 20 miles.

I'm rambling, or "webbing" as Scott would say.  I do have a point. If Scott and the kids weren't with me, I would have had to make this trip alone - and I  hate being alone. Being away takes so much energy, and I draw strength from my family.  I'm very thankful they could come with me.  Even though they drove me crazy for 3 hours. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tuesday - More Basketball!

Zach started for the 9th grade basketball team tonight! He played great and I had so much fun watching him play. He played great defense and got an offensive rebound and put-back. I can't imagine how nerve-racking it can be to go into a new school and play a sport you have never played in a school league before, and he does it so easily! I am so proud of him.

Then I went over to watch the High School girls varsity team play with the kids. Scott was already there. It was fun watching them have some success! They all work so hard.

I'm looking forward to spending time with the Gregorys tomorrow. The kids are so missing each other! Then down to get my hair worked on on Thursday. Maybe we will get to spend some time at the mall :)

Hello??? Anybody out there?

I was just checking around on my accounts and wondering if anyone still has this on their list? Please reply if you do!!!

Thanks,

Cara

Too Long!

Boy has it been too long! We got busy with track, I got busy with work and the world just flew on by! Well, Zach's track season was quite enjoyable. It made me realize how much I miss coaching track. He improved so much during the season. It is amazing how much they grow in just a couple of months! I am so proud of him stepping up to that starting line.

Dylan is finishing his last year in elementary school. Although he never told me when they were having their "graduation" because he didn't want me to take any pictures, I am still proud of how well he has done in school.

Seth still considers himself an baseball-artist, but has added "DJ" to his list of descriptors. He is convinced that he is a "cool dude" that will one day produce music. I hope he does!

Lukah is as crazy as he could ever be. I told him to ride on the sidewalk instead of the rode so that I knew he was safe, and he told me, "Mom, I won't get hurt, because I'm a bear!" So we talked about how bears can get hurt too!

Alayna is quite the princess. She has an amazing gift for singing, dancing and cheering, that she must have gotten from her father. (She don't tell him I said that.) Right now she chooses her dresses based on how much they "move" when she twirls around. I think she got switched at birth! LOL!

Scott is very busy teaching middle school, and online classes for college, finish his administrative license and he will be coaching 8th grade football in the fall. Quite a load! Plus he still does the laundry :)

We are switching our foster care license to a new agency, which means Dominic will be moving after school is out. Cyle is now 18, and is planning on moving out later this summer to pursue his dreams!

That is where life has taken us lately. We have planted a garden this year, and pray that God blesses us with some fruits of our labor! We have also been blessed with some wonderful plants from my mother-in-law and Cyle has a talent for knowing just where to plant them. Only God knows what is in our future, but all I can say is that I love my life and thank God every day for everything he has blessed me with. I know there is no way I deserve it!

Zach Starts Track!

We have been lucky to enjoy a lull in the sport season runaround for the past couple of months. But, alas, it starts again tomorrow! Zach has joined the track team, and has his first meet tomorrow. I called him after his first practice, anxious to hear how things went. He said they ran alot! (Big surpise!) I then asked what events he practiced, since there is quite a wide variety to choose from. He said he went with distance, because he didn't what it was and not many people went to do it. What a way to decide! He has always been one to choose the road less travelled, though. Two days later, he said he was also going to try pole vault. Now, if you know Zach, you will remember that he has his grandpa's coordination, which is not an asset. He is also built like his dad, with the bulk of his mass settling in the middle. This is not a combination you would look for in a pole vaulter. That being said, much can change in the physique of a 12 year old over the next few years, so I encouraged and applauded his adventurous spirit. I mean, what boy wouldn't want to learn how to sail through the air and land gracefully in a 3 foot bed of styrofoam? So our family will bundle up and venture to Mansfield Malabar Middle School to watch Zach take off with the crack of a pistol in the 400 m dash, which by the way is my LEAST favorite event to run! I spoke with him tonight about the impending event, and I found myself being the consumate coach, delivering last minute advice that will be forgotten as soon as the starter says, "Runner's take your mark!" Good luck, Zach! We will be waiting for you at the finish line...

Time Revealed

Today, as many of you know, is a special day to me. Not only is it the day that I entered this world, it is also the beginning of the end of winter. Sharing my birthday with the rebirth of the Earth after a long cold winter has alway seemed to escape my attention. I have known for quite some time that winter is my least favorite season, eventhough I do respect and ackowledge it's importance in our ecosystem. But this year, I feel like my eyes and heart have been opened to experience this day from a fresh perspective. For the past year, I have noticed all of the signs that time has been catching up to me physically (i.e., laugh lines, sprinkled gray hair, general aches and pains). This has been a gradual process, but it seems like this year I have taken more notice (and offense) at the accumulated affect. But today I am reminded that while I am one year older, like the Earth, I am also one year closer to experiencing perfection. Our Earth is also experiencing the accumulated affects of age, wrecklessness and selfishness. Every winter, the Earth attempts to renew itself, but falls just a little bit short year after year. But there will come a time when the Earth and everyone who believes in Jesus Christ will be renewed to their God-created, perfect state. On this day, I believe that, while my body may be growing older, my heart has inflated infinitely by the Holy Spirit. The short time I will spend in my earthly body does not compare to eternity as a heavenly vessel. My birthday prayer is that God would renew your spirit and grant you a glimpse of perfection today, as he has done for me.

God's Blessings

For the past 6 months I have been wrestling with some very big issues. It is amazing how God brings about the answers in His time, and it all happened in ONE week! I feel so excited about the future that I can't hold it in!

First of all, I have been trying to decide if I was going to be able to pull off homeschooling Seth in Kindergarten, when I know nothing about educating early grades. (Plus keep Lukah and Alayna busy so we could work!) In the past two weeks, God has shown me that He has given me the ability and confidence to work with Seth and Lukah and Alayna. Itall started when I bought the Leap Frog learning video collection (Letter Factory, Talking Words Factory, et.). Within 2 weeks, all three of them are reciting the sounds and names of all of the letters. Seth has also been working with Headsprout for a few months. Just recently I've see it all come together as he has started reading and writing words all over the place! I also picked up a math curriculum, and since doing just 2 lessons AND watching the Leap Frog Math Circus, he is doing addition and patterns easily. I don't mean to boast my accomplishments at all. On the contrary, we could not have done anything without God's help. But it hasn't just been Seth's progress that has given me confidence. I set up a "school" table in the dining room, and since then, Lukah and Alayna have been "working" right along with Seth. Lukah doesn't like to be helped or taught, but he listens all the time and catches everything that I do with Seth. He has been cutting out all kinds of shapes, writing his name, sounding out letters, drawing pictures of people and houses (which he wasn't doing before) and doing math with Seth. Alayna sits and colors with us or cuts out "pictures", but she is picking things up too. All of this to say that I am confident that this is what God wants for us.

Secondly, ever since Zach and Dylan "switched" so they could be with their dad during the week and go to school in Marion, I have prayed that God would give the situation direction, and that I would follow His will. For 3 years now, they have gone to school in Marion, but they have decided they would like to switch the situation back, so they could go to school here again. I'm glad they had the time with their dad, because I think that is so important, especially for boys, to bond with their dad. But I won't lie, I missed them like crazy all week! It will be an adjustment for everyone to get used to busy weeks, and missed rec time on the weekend, but I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Finally, God opened the door to financial opportunities that have allowed us to relieve some burden from our lives. Granted, these are burdens we have brought on ourselves, but God has shown endless grace in helping us remove these burdens once again. Knowing that I will be able to stay home through next year in order to provide the education my children deserve is beyond thrilling to me!

I hope God is also showing his endless mercy and grace in your life as well. It is so hard to accept sometimes, because I am so undeserving! Have a blessed week!