Falling

Fall Break turned out to be a much longer break than I anticipated!  In fact, mine started last Tuesday.  The kids returned home from our church youth retreat the Sunday before and were filled with stories and overflowing with excitement, but they were also fairly exhausted.  So when I heard Audrey had fallen asleep at the end of the day IN CLASS, I attributed it to exhaustion.  However, she woke the next morning with headache, stomach ache, fever and so I ended up being home with her Tuesday and Wednesday.  She rested and I spent much of the day catching up on household chores and decorating for fall.  I used to always decorate at the change of seasons, but had kind of quit over the last few years, but being home unexpectedly and with Audrey's persistent encouragement I made the trek to the attic and actually really enjoyed decorating.  We even lit candles!  I love being home.

Audrey started to feel better on Wednesday and we probably would have made it back to school, but school ended up being canceled for the impending Hurricane Michael on Thursday.  So we were all home and Thursday, we did NOTHING except sit around and talk and eat and watch TV and chill and nap and it was a fantastic day.  Friday, would have probably been a 2 hour delay, but since our fall break was slated to start on Friday and we were only scheduled to have a half day, school was canceled on Friday as well!  Friday was a fun day!  I took the kids to breakfast at Grub.  We ate on the rooftop.  It was great.  Then we ran to get Lydia a prop for her halloween costume.  Sophia was anxious to take some pictures on her new camera, so we walked around downtown and took pics of Lydia and Audrey.  Jackson had all the fun he could handle so he pleaded to be dropped off at home first.  We had to get home because I had a doctor appointment.  It was a pretty low key day.  I enjoyed being outside with the kids, just enjoying them.  We got home and I fixed dinner and we had a nice quiet evening.

Saturday we slept in a bit and then I ran Sophia over to the Caring Center at church where she is volunteering.  While she was there I made a quick trip to Costco and washed my van and cleaned it out.  After I unloaded the car and finished cleaning, I went to pick Sophia up and dropped her off at home to grab some lunch and a shower.  While she did that I gassed up the van and vacuumed it out at the car wash.  Then I picked Sophia up and we headed to the Starbucks in Wake Forest.  Sophia was meeting with a friend of mine in Wake Forest that is advising her as she works towards a Congressional Award.  While they met I sat outside and enjoyed an iced latte and my current book.

SIDENOTE: I'm currently reading a book by a guy named Cameron Cole.  It's called Therefore I Have Hope: 12 Truths that Comfort, Sustain, & Redeem, in Tragedy.  I'm only on Chapter 3, but I like it and I wish I had read it before Matthew died.

ANOTHER SIDENOTE: While I was sitting there reading I was also inadvertently eavesdropping on the 2 people next to me. As the guy shared about his search for a church, I continued to think he would LOVE our church.  As I sat in Wake Forest listening to this 20 something seeking church in Durham....I felt compelled to tell him about mine.  I think I must be officially old.  I butted into their conversation and admitted I had been eavesdropping and proceeded to encourage him to checkout FBC.  I NEVER would have done that even a couple years ago!

After Sophia finished her meeting we raced back to Durham and  on the way back I got to talk to ANDREW!

LAST SIDENOTE:  I MISS ANDREW SO MUCH!  I have not seen him since he left for school in mid August and I still have to wait another month to see him!  I love to hear from him though.  He had a one day fall break and was able to spend it in the beautiful Shenandoah National Park with his Campus Outreach Group, so I know he had a great time.  He is a Junior at American and studying finance.  He is doing very well in his classes this semester and really enjoying his studies.  He is in leadership with Campus Outreach and he loves the Lord and this brings such joy to me.  I truly love to see him walk with the Lord.  I am so thankful that he is not wasting his college years.  I LOVE that he spends time in the word, and that he meets with other guys to study God's word, and that he witnesses to the lost and disciples and is discipled.  I love that he goes to church.  I love that he is in small group with people of various ages and stages of life.  I was not doing that at his age and I am so thankful for the work of God in his life!  It is so encouraging to me.  I just want him to come home, so I can see him!  He is currently working for Door Dash a food delivery company and he really likes it because he creates his own schedule and that gives him flexibility with his school, church, Campus Outreach, etc.  He also plays lots of cards.  He plays poker, and bridge, and spades.....lots of cards and movies.  He loves movies.

ANYWAY.......As soon as we got back to Durham, Randy, Sophia, her friend, and Jackson headed to Lynchburg.  They spent the rest of the day at SCAREMARE.  They loved it and Randy wants us to all go next year!  They all agreed that it is legitimately scary.  Randy's only suggestion is that at the end of the house they have a sheep and goat exit.  Randy!  While they were at SCAREMARE, Lydia had a couple of her friends over for dinner and ice cream and Audrey had her cousin over for a sleepover.

Sunday we went to church, grabbed lunch, I cooked for Home Fellowship, and I read and talked with the girls about the BOYS chapter in our Girl Talk book.  Then we headed to Home Fellowship.  I love Home Fellowship and this semester we are working through the book of Philippians, which I also love.  Home Fellowship ended with Jackson having an impromptu sleepover.  It was short but sweet.  The girls and I headed home and watched Switched at Birth while Randy headed to bed early, still exhausted from his day trip to Lynchburg.

Monday and Tuesday were our actual planned fall break days.  Monday Jackson had an early morning dentist appointment and then he and I ran a couple errands.  He needed pants that fit.  I also treated him to breakfast at Chick fil a.  It was free!  He got a biscuit, hash brown, and lemonade all for free!  I enjoyed my morning with Jackson.  He is growing into such a kind and thoughtful guy.  I sure am proud of him.  He was anxious to get home and get outside, so I took him home and picked up Audrey and Lydia.  They were both in desperate need of pants that fit.  They have grown a ton since last year!  So I took them to get jeans and leggings.  Our trip to Kohl's proved successful!  Then we headed home to get ready for Sophia's volleyball game.  The game was in Cary and they played a very evenly matched team.  They were able to pull out a victory winning 3 out of 4 sets.  This team has been such a sweet blessing.  The coaches and the girls....it has been a fun and drama free year and my girls are all super sad that today is their last game!  Most of the team was able to go to dinner at Chick-fil-a last night to celebrate the victory!  It was fun!

Today is our last official day of fall break!  I woke up a little sad.  I think I'm mourning a little over volleyball ending.  It has been such a sweet and fun season.  I think I'm a little sad over a relationship that is painful and I'm not sure how or if to pursue, because it hurts.  I like to fix, but sometimes I think maybe I don't need to fix things.  Sometimes things break for a reason.

OKAY REALLY THE LAST SIDENOTE: I read this quote yesterday and could really identify with it, "I have a happy personality with a heavy soul.  Sometimes it gets weird."  Cracks me up!

And I think I'm a little sad, because I don't think I invest enough in things of eternal value into my kids.  I think I get swept up in the dailiness of life and I'm not sure how to do it better and more on purpose with so much that needs to be done.  So today's plan is that we are going to spend it cleaning up the mess we have made!   I see a day filled with laundry!  We are going to get ready for our week ahead. However, we do have one last volleyball game to look forward to tonight.  It's Charlotte's senior night too, so that will be fun!  I'm looking forward to celebrating that sweet girl.  Dinner tonight will be leftovers and alarms will be set.  I do want to do the Girl Talk chapter on Modesty with the girls today too.  School starts early tomorrow.  We have 2 days and then we are cutting out Friday and heading to the fair! We plan to spend the morning as a family at the fair and then to let the kids spend the evening running around with friends.  It's been a good break.  It's been nice and rejuvenating.  I'm looking forward to seeing my work friends and the sweet kids at school.  I'm thankful for such a great place to work, where my kids are learning so much and enjoying such sweet people and have such amazing teachers.

I am blessed.