HOME SWEET HOME!!

We got home Tues evening at 9:45pm....AAAHHH...10+ hours on the road was enough!! Our friend and amazing dog sitter, KC, brought Charlie back home right away and pure joy broke loose at the reunion of kids and pet! I think the kids were relieved that Charlie remembered them, the house and that he wanted to come back home! THANK YOU, KC, FOR TAKING SUCH EXCEPTIONAL CARE OF CHARLIE!!

We had a nice Wednesday of sleeping in, unpacking bags, lounging around (in between many loads of laundry), going through piles of mail, kids calling friends and making plans, etc.. We had a great vacation but there really is nothing like being home. Yes, it was very hard being on vacation without Bruce, even more difficult arriving home without him and being here without him...I'm certain that will be the case for a long time to come. I will post pictures from our trip when I learn how to download them from our new camera.

Spencer stayed very busy while we were at camp. We enjoyed seeing him every opportunity we could. He recovered quickly from his tooth extraction and there has been no problems. He really enjoys the team he is working with and he loves what he is doing (filming, editing and making a dvd every week along with other creative editing jobs for the two other camps). He does spend alot of time in the graphics office, aka "the dungeon", working long and late hours and is doing a fabulous job! He is ready for a break, though, and will fly home the last weekend of July for our yearly camp out with close college friends from OSU! We are all excited to have Spencer home again, even if for just 4 days!

We have some busy weeks ahead:
~Pearce is in physical therapy twice a week for some knee problems, is being tutored in math twice a week, is trying to get as much play time with friends as possible and attempting to keep up with things at home. I will home school Pearce for the 1st semester of his 7th grade and decide after that what will be best for him. I am looking forward to spending lots of 1 on 1 time with him...and I think Pearce is looking forward to it also! He is excited for football this fall and can't wait to be with his teammates again doing what he loves....smacking guys down!

~Ike is also in physical therapy twice a week for scoliosis, being tutored in math twice a week and doing other academic work in preparation for his freshman year. He will be going to Corvallis High School in September...he has a good dose of excitement and anxiety about his first public school experience. Football camp and daily doubles will be starting soon. I just want his body to be strong and ready for his football season...from a mother's perspective, one is never adequately ready for this type of abuse!

~Mikaela was ready to come home and prepare for her first year of college at George Fox......but it looks like she might be preparing for something else this next school year. When you ask God to direct your steps and lead you in His will......HE DOES!! Well, that is all I can say....Mikaela will have to share the rest. PLEASE PRAY FOR WISDOM, DISCERNMENT AND PEACE FOR MIKAELA AS SHE HAS A MAJOR DECISION TO MAKE WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO!! I promise, she will post something soon...very soon!

~Most days, I have way too much to do and not enough time to do it all. Again, I think it will be this way for some time. I have to take one day at a time, one step at a time, doing just the next thing....and then juggle everything else that comes my way that I didn't plan on! I am working my way back slowly into teaching cycling classes at Timberhill Athletic Club. I have really missed it and it is very good for me to be exercising again....I just need to be able to talk and ride at the same time...please pray that will happen soon!! :) I have joined a GriefShare Workshop this summer and that has been very good, very hard and very necessary! I try to purposefully take time to slow down, be still and process all that I am dealing with in the midst of our busy schedules and the workshop has been one great way for me to do that. It's not the easiest thing for me to do, but it is the best thing for me to do!

Boy, that was an ear full. I do hope that my postings give a little insight into what we, The A Team, are doing and are helpful for those of you who are still praying for us. It is "tricky" sometimes:
~to know what to say and what not to say......
~to make sense "on paper" when things don't always make sense in my heart and my brain.....
~to take the time to share when there isn't a whole lot of extra time......
~to want this all to go away and know that it won't.......
~to be on the receiving end of so much support, love and prayers and not be able to reciprocate in the same way.....
~to be so blessed and filled with overwhelming gratitude and to know that "thank you" just doesn't adequately express all that I feel.........but I say it anyway,

THANK YOU!

MBA