Joyful June

The kids and I have settled in to summer vacation.  We've enjoyed the slower pace.  Because of changes to my gym, I no longer have a membership so I have been waking up around 6 am and walking.  It's so much cooler and really helps me set my days.  Because of the arthritis in my knees, I was told to cut down on running and not do strenuous exercise (stuff with a lot of jumping, stair climber etc) but I have slowly started running.  I am running slow and am only up to a half mile but I am trying.  The medicine my doctor gave me really isn't helping.  I could try steroid shots but I am not sure if I want to do that.  Most days I feel ok, but there are some days that I can really feel them and if rain is coming it gets really achy. 

I also started working babysitting the boys I do every summer.  Last year it was only three days a week (T-TH) but since the youngest boy went to kindergarten this past year, she increased her hours so I have them M-Th this summer.  They are good boys and it is usually 6-6.5 hours a day that I watch them.  I ask for prayer as in July I start my new adventure of keeping a 4 year old and a 1 year old.  It will be an adjustment for me.  I will be watching them M, W, TH every week so just pray for the both me and the kids/parents as we get adjusted to this.  I'm always very nervous starting new children for the first week or two.  I really prayed for something to open up as I was going to get out of the child care business, but God was not opening any doors for me an this opportunity came up.  I prayed God would shut the door to this if it was not meant to be and that he would change my heart, if I was supposed to do it, and it just opened up.  God did exceedingly abundantly what I could ask or think.  We really needed money to send Joshua back to Southside, but not only will we be able to pay for Josh but all three of them!!!  I will also be keeping Chloe. 

The kids are at the Wilds this week.  Jack and I could not get away this year.  Jack's boss is off for two weeks so he HAS to be there.  I don't think $$ would allow us to right now either.  I've enjoyed the quiet mornings before the boys come.  I've cleaned their closets and drawers and washed everything on their beds!!  Jack an I are enjoying night time walks and dinners so it's been good.

Vacation

Jacob turned 13 last week.  Wow..two teens in the house.  Since his bday fell on Memorial Day weekend, we let him choose what he wanted to do for vacation and we waited until Tuesday to go.  He chose to go back to Carowinds and the Great Wolf Lodge.  Josh and I tore up Carowinds.  We rode Fury 4 times, once in the front car.  We rode every other roller coaster twice.  Most of the time we walked right up or just had a 5-10 minute wait.  There was one coaster that took 40 minutes but still that wasn't bad.  Jenna made Jake's bday cake.  We also got to do Ikea and I already can't wait to go back.  Maybe I will take a day trip by myself this summer.

We finished school and had the awards banquet.  I always love to see everyone dressed up.  Sometimes I hate hearing the same child called up for every subject (they give awards to the top person in each subject).  I always enjoy the other awards like the spiritual ones or the leadership ones or the ones that show the Southside spirit.  I got a notification that Jenna would receive an award.  I wasn't sure what it could be.  I know she usually gets straight A's but I know there are kids in her class that have a higher average than she does.  I didn't tell her about it but she thought she could possibly get the Latin award for highest average.  We wondered what it could be once all the spiritual/athletic awards were done.  But then came sports and that is what she got.  She got the most Christlike for her bball team.  Thankfully when I was getting pictures, Jack was able to get the video of it. I wish I had Jenna's heart sometimes.

 Jenna's coach, Mrs. Penley.....love her

Jacob's bday cake

more of her friends

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