Family Update

Boy oh Boy has it been an adventures summer or what!?!?

Man Alive, we have been traveling NON STOP.

It's been GREAT since all four of us LOVE to travel but I am so ready for NORMAL.

This summer we have been to...

 Lancaster, PA to see the Amish

Gettysburg to see the battle field

Hancock, MA to see the mountains

New York State to see Niagara Falls

Tampa, Fl for the Cooperative Baptist General Assembly

AND

Jekyll Island, Georgia to enjoy the beach and beach house with my side of the family.

WOW

CRAZY

But so much fun!

Our first day back to NORMAL was Sunday after we got home from the Island on Saturday night.

We had church (Roger preacher the sermon he wrote in the car on the drive back), met a church member for lunch, Roger had a meeting at the church, then we had fellowship dinner and a business meeting.  

By the end of our first NORMAL day back we were all four EXHAUSTED.

But then MONDAY came and Mr Paul started kindercamp.

Tuesday was full of doctors appointments to get him READY for kindergarten.

The rest of the week has been a blur.

Currently the dish washer is going, the laundry is sorted, Paul is playing in the bathroom (don't ask), Anna and Roger are at the grocery store.

My husband is a BRAVE man to take that little BOMB of a child grocery shopping with him.

Anna has been CRAZY this week.

She is either REALLY happy and sweet or a MAJOR pain in the butt.

Her mood changes with a snap of the finger.

THAT fast.

It is so exhausting.

I'm thinking she is going to need another set of ear tubes.

She was like this for the first year and a half of life.

CONSTANT SCREAMING

I thought she was a colic baby.

I cried with her.

Between taking care of the two year old Paul and the SCREAMING Anna, my life was a living HELL.

Then we had ear tubes put in little miss Anna and VUALA, she was a HAPPY child.

With that said, Anna's ear tube in her left ear has fallen out.

She has had an ear infection for the past 3 months that no amount of meds have been able to kick.

My life is BACK to the living HELL.

She SCREAMS that come from that child are deafening.

I feel so bad for her but I also feel VERY bad for myself.

"Roger, I just want to run away. I can't handle the screaming ALL OF THE TIME. I just can't do it."

He took "the bomb" grocery shopping with him to give me a break.

LOVE HIM!

Speaking of Roger.

He has been partaking in the most romantic thing he has ever done for me.

Not only is he reading one of the books that I love by Wendell Berry but he has also taken to getting up early in the morning for a run!

He says he wants to LOVE exercising like I do and get in shape for me.

HOW SWEET IS THAT?!?!?!

I'm not a big wine and chocolates kinda gal. 

And I don't care much for getting flowers unless they have been picked from the field. 

But I am moved to tears by the mere fact that my husband is reading Jayber Crow and running in the morning.  

I can't keep my hands off of him it is so darn sweet.

That is like the BEST anniversary gift ever!

Maybe one day, when the kids are old enough to watch themselves, Roger and I can go for runs together.

That is if my heart doesn't tucker out on me by that time.

On Monday, Aug 1st, Paul has his open house at his new elementary school!

I am so excited for him.

Kindercamp was such a wonderful experience for him and he is so excited about starting Kindergarten.

On the second to last day of kindercamp my shy little Paul Calvin stood up in front of his whole class, with the teachers permission, and sang the song Help by The Beatles (he LOVES the beatles).  

Everyone clapped.

His teacher was quite impressed.

I was SHOCKED that he was comfortable enough to do that.

His only complaint so far has been that he has to share a table with kids.

He would prefer to have his own desk because he says "the kids at his table wont listen to the teacher and be quiet so he can hear her instructions."

I want to pat him on the back "son, I feel your pain. Welcome to the world!"

He is sooooooooo excited about learning to read.

I am so excited about him learning the art of productive communication and interpersonal skills!

That is something I can't teach him at home but that he NEEDS in order to make it in the REAL world.

You have to learn how to work with people that are different than you or the world is a VERY VERY VERY depressing place.

With that said, life is about to get a bit crazy.

Paul starts Kindergarten on Aug 3rd and Roger starts back to Seminary shortly after.

Roger has already sat me down to inform me that this semester is going to be CRAZY.

He'll be gone most of the week days and afternoons and the afternoons and days that he will be home will be full of studying, paper writing and reading.

Basically, I'll see my husband as we pass through the hall on the way to and from.

I'm trying to prepare myself for this drastic change but at times the semesters can be frustrating and lonely.

Just one more year. He has just one more year before he graduates.

ONE MORE YEAR

We can do it!!!!!!

WE CAN DO IT!

Life, at the moment is HARD but FUN.

The kids are driving us CRAZY but they are such a joy to have.

The nonstop chitter chatter of a 6 year old and 3 year old leaves Roger and I little time to talk but we sure do enjoy sharing a giggle off to the side whenever the kids say something absolutely HILARIOUS.

We've also started having mini dates with coffee on the front porch after we put the kids to bed or early in the morning after his run.

It is crazy how hard you have to work to keep a good relationship with your spouse once you have kiddos isn't it?

But it is oh so worth it!