Mothers Day and Poison

Mother's Day weekend was beautiful.  Sometimes I get my mind on something and can't stop.  That was the case last Saturday.  It was a beautiful cool Saturday and I was working in the yard when I noticed how badly the weeds and stuff had grown up between our fence and the neighbors.  It was ugly and making it difficult to mow.  It had overtaken our fence.  I put on gloves and proceeded working on getting everything off the fence.  Joshua came out to help and then Jacob.  After dinner we went back to work on some stuff that had been there for several years and I was so happy to find that we accomplished it.  I wasn't so happy when Jacob and I ended up with poison ivy....and we both get it very severe.  Jack and Josh just had small patches, but Jacob and I got it good!!  Finally Thursday morning I took Jacob to the doctor (we started breaking out Monday night/Tuesday morning).  He was so good.....took one look and then gave him some medicine.  He looked at me and told me to go get seen.  I ran to CVS to get Jake's medicine and NO ONE was in line at minute clinic so I got seen immediately.  Jacob is almost done with his steroids, but I have another week of them.  I am still itchy but doing much better.  At least this time it doesn't look like Jack punched me in the eye!!  I enjoyed a nice mother's day with the kids on Sunday.

 This is just one small patch on my leg....there were many more patches

May Madness

I don't know about you, but sometimes May seems like another December.  Maybe because of so much going on with school.  Here is what is going on in the McLean household

 

• Josh finished homeschooling.  He is spending the week helping the principal over at the elementary campus this week.

• Jacob and Jenna only have 14 days of school left!!  That means I only have 13 days left of work (I am taking off one day to help a friend)

• Jacob officially becomes a teenage at the end of the month.

• Awards banquet at school.

• Mini-mission trip for the boys for a weekend

• Mini-family vacation at the end of the month

• Did yard work on Saturday and loved every minute of it, however it didn't like us.  Josh, Jacob and myself all have poison ivy......ugh!!

• Praying for guidance about next year with what I am supposed to do next year job wise.

 

And that is just a quick summary!!

Daily Reminders

I saw this on the Proverbs 31 ministries web page today and I wanted to put it down in a few places where I could come back to and get reminded. I read this today and like so many times I felt like I had conquered this difficult situation that keeps lingering, and then I go to a place where there should be no reminder of the situation only to find it "thrown into my face" once again.  I guess I have to realize from now until forever it will be there.  Sometimes I wish God would just "do something" but I guess I just need to re-read this every day;

1. God loves us and He will not leave us.
2. This battle isn’t ours. The battle belongs to the Lord. Let Him fight for you. Save your emotional energy and use it to dig into His Word like never before. Our job is to be obedient to God. God’s job is winning this battle.
3. The battle might not be easy or short-lived, but victory will be there for those who trust God. God is good even when the circumstances are darker than you ever imagined. God is good even when people are not.
4. God is good even when things seem stinking hopeless. God is good and can be trusted when you feel suspicious of everyone and everything around you.
5. Lastly, God is good at being God. Don’t try to fix what He hasn’t assigned you to fix. Don’t try to manipulate or control or spend all your emotions trying to figure it out. Let Him be God. Free yourself from this impossible assignment -

The zoo

We spent one of our last days of spring break at the zoo.  It was so perfect.  Overcast....and not hot.  It was good to get out the house and the last time we had been to the zoo was two months before Josh started kindergarten.  I enjoyed making more memories with the kids.

Spring Break

Spring break is finally here.  We won't be doing much and I actually will be working two days, but it is so nice that we have a week of rest.  Friday night we went to winter jam.  Total chaos!  Seats go so quickly, but thankfully Josh and Wes ran ahead and up to the second level and was able to grab us seats.  My favorites were Lauren Daigle, Matthew West, Sidewalk Prophets and King and Country.

 stars go dim

 Lauren Daigle

 Matthew West

 Sidewalk Prophets

King and Country

Life

Sometimes you hit a curve ball in life.  I have to say this has been the most difficult month I have had in a long time.  I can't tell you how many tears I have shed.  I can't begin to tell you the hurt we have felt.  It has gotten a little easier, but the reminders are constantly there.  It is something that will be continual reminder.  While I don't understand why this has happened I know that God is still God and I have to let him be that instead of trying to make it right on my own, even when it is constantly "thrown into my face".  One of the first songs I thought of for some reason was the words to the updated "Just as I am" which says " I come broken to be mended, I come wounded to be healed, I come desperate to be rescued, I come empty to be filled, I come guilty to be pardoned by the blood of Christ the Lamb and I'm welcomed with open arms praise God, just as I am" What was ironic is that Monday night we sang this at church (special services). Psalm 56:8 talks about God putting our tears in a bottle.  Wow....and then the other song that comes to mind is "when friends betray us, when darkness seems to win we know, the pain reminds us that this is not our home!!"  I'm grateful for the love and support of my family throughout this journey.  I must admit that it has definitely brought Jack and closer together.

Talent show

The junior class at Southside is taking a trip to Colorado this summer.  It is some type of summit conference for a week.  For the first time, Southside had a fundraiser and put on a talent show.  I thought this was a clever way to earn money.  It was $7 for adults $5 for kids plus they had a concession stand of candy and popcorn.  Kids who wanted to participate had to tryout.  They had over 50 acts tryout and narrowed it down to 19.  Jenna and two of her friends went to the tryout and made it.  I was and am so proud of her for trying something new once again.  Here are some pictures of her friends.  Janelle is in the middle and Neeley is on the end. The video may or may not play but if it does, this was rehearsal. I love the way the girls are swaying in it.  They also had spirit week.  First day was red/white/blue day, Tuesday was generation day, Wednesday was camo day Thursday was wacky tacky day and Friday was SCS school color day.  Jenna won for her class for generation day (80's).  I thought she also looked cute for wacky tacky day.