Pausing to write…

It’s busy around here… I know, you are shocked… I have to put the 1,000 things that are running through my mind & on my “to-do” list now that school is back in session, on hold to pause & write…

I am so blessed that people still read, follow & comment here… thanks.  Thanks for loving our family, for sticking through this with us, for supporting us with your prayers & kind words.  Its really amazing. 

James just left for his sophomore year at Bethel.  He was only home for the past week & the majority of his stuff was still at school.  Since he takes his own car, there was no need for me to go to help move in.  That’s kinda sad.  I would have enjoyed going along & being a part of moving them in again this year… but I have enough to do here at home I guess.  (haha)

I took him shopping last week for a few clothes for the new school year.  He’s a character let me tell ya.  Fun to be around & so embarrassing sometimes!  He bought these glasses at Pac-sun…

… I was so dying laughing… he walks into a department store & the clerk is trying to talk to him about what he’s looking for… I had to walk away… it was just too funny…  I asked him to walk on the other side of the mall & to please STOP calling me MOM!!  Of course you know what that did… oh my!!  Later he forgot to put them on after he had switched them out for his sun glasses while he was driving.  He was trying to convinced me to buy him something, & told me that I should get it for him since he had taken off the glasses for me… HA!  Yeah right, you forgot to put them back on!  He just laughed, cause he knew it was true.

It’s a little hard to see him go back to school… I admit.  It feels like he’s finally being a grown up & now he’s not around… but I know he’s where he needs to be & he’s very excited to be going back for another year… so all is well.  It will be neat to see his Spiritual growth this school year too.

I had to text his girlfriend, Brookelyn, to give her my sympathy for the glasses & the way he dresses… didn’t want her to think I CHOOSE these for him!!  (YOUR MAMA DRESSES YOU FUNNY!!)  His take on “style”… he to wear what is just coming in & then when everyone else is wearing it, he doesn’t want to wear it anymore… (get a good job hunny)

ZACH:  Well… Junior year has begun… football is in full swing… he’s been talking to a different girl about once a week all summer… his attitude goes from okay to boarder line most of the time… nothing to wonderful & nothing totally horrid either…

He could always use your continued prayers… safety on the football field… attitude… education… future… God bring Healing to my son… so much anger in this boy… thinks everyone is against him… so hard…

My moment is over… I will try to update on the rest of the family & myself soon…

Thanks for praying…

Pam

Run in Such a way

“’Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

but only one gets the prize.?’”

Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games

goes into strict training.

They do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly;

I do not fight like a man beating the air.

No, I beat my body

and make it my slave

so that after I have preached to others,

I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Finals week at BC…

Two more track meets…

Home in 2 weeks & then back three after that to work in admissions…

Proud of my son & the race he is running… in life & on the track.

Pam

It’s so hard…

This weekend James came home.  He came to watch his brother in the high school musical.  He brought his new girlfriend.  I have met her twice in the past, but didn’t spend very much time with her.

They were around all weekend, but I am left feeling like I didn’t get enough time… 

His friend Alex also came home with his girlfriend.  The guys are roommates & the girls are roommates… funny!

So, they were back and forth between our two houses.  There more than here.  Friday night when they came, Jadon & I went over there for awhile and spent some time.  Saturday James & Brooke were here for while during the day.

Then we all went for dinner at Alex’s family’s home.  Then to the musical.  Then they came to church today.  They were here this afternoon for awhile before they left at about 4:30.

We discovered that her mom went to school at Nor*well… she grew up in Craig*ville. (all just a county over from us)… her mom was good friends in hs with my neighbor, Julie!  Her grandpa went to our church when he was growing up.  Her great-great aunt still goes to our church (BN)  How weird!

They go away to college and meet people that make the world seem so small!! 

Brookelyn is a very sweet, quiet, nice girl… I have no issues with her at all… except I didn’t get enough time with them this weekend!!

It was wonderful to have my oldest home this weekend… Jadon loved being with them and began asking as soon as they left when we would get to see them again.

I am peaceful about where James is in his life… I just miss him.

Pam

Move in Day: College

Well, I did it. 

I moved my oldest son to college 2 1/2 hours away from home.

By Friday afternoon, he had everything packed up & ready to put into the trailer we borrowed to haul all three of their things to the campus.

We wanted it all packed up before the football game on Friday night.

This is what Zach did during the football game.

Even though we won big, he didn’t get any playing time… MONDAY is the first JV game!

Early Saturday morning, James & I, Alex & Andrea (Tim’s mom) headed out for campus.  (Tim went a week before for cross country camp)

The Dorm:

We were met in the parking lot by a swarm of upper classmen who carried all of the boy’s items to their 2nd floor room…

These were hanging outside their room.

Tim & a pretty empty room awaited us…

We had carpet to lay so they lined all their belongings down the hall…

Wonder how long that power-aid will last them!?

Laying the carpet…

Figuring out that none of them were engineering majors, as they try to figure out how to arrange the furniture!

One of their highly intelligent mothers (ahem) came up with the idea that finally worked!  (not my idea to put that desk there!!

 

Furniture arranged, It’s time to bring in the “stuff”

But, maybe we need a break first…

Unpacking it all…

Alex’s sisters “helping”

Done!!!  Trying out their lofts…

And their desks…

The room is all done…

Time to relax before the family picnic… (all the rest of the family arrives)

Checking out James’ loft…

 

Tim’s mom,  Andrea, relaxing…

 

A Bethel cheerleader?

Playing with my camera (aka, why my battery died before the end of the day)

Walking around campus…

This is what the fountain says… The college motto…

 

The back of their dorm… Sand Volleyball courts…

Their room is the 2nd floor on the end close to us in this photo…

The view from their room… it's hard to see, but there is a bridge & a waterfall in those rocks… beautiful…

Family picnic time…

525 incoming freshmen & their families…

Sitting around eating…(making me a face with bbq all over his teeth!!)

Waiting for the next event…(& my battery dies)

 

After the picnic they called the students to go into their blocks.  12 different small group blocks that will be spending lots of time together in the coming semester.

And the families went into the auditorium, where they made us cry.  Talking about our students & encouraging us in the coming days with how to encourage them.

Then we went back out and met with the other families who were in our student’s block & met the teachers that will be teaching the 2 classes the block has together.

The teacher’s gave us all (and our students before us) a marble.  We were to hold the marble and the marble stood for us & our hands stood for God.  They wanted us to keep it with us to remind us to pray for our student.

Then we went back out side and the students all were in their blocks standing around the reflection pond…

We stood with our students while we recited a pledge that they passed out to us.  “A Declaration of our Commitments”

Then we sang a song…

Take My Life, and Let it Be

Take my life & let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my hands and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love,

At the impulse of thy love.

Take my feet and let them be

Swift and beautiful for Thee;

Take my voice and let me sing

Always, only for my king,

Always, only for my king.

Take my love, my God, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store;

Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee,

Ever, only, all for Thee.

And, then I started to cry.

One of those cries where you feel like the dam is going to burst & things are going to get ugly felt like it was coming on… I was trying to hold it in…

The song ended, whew.

And then they said, “now parents put your hand on your student, and I am going to pray with you”

I did, James dad (yes, he showed up), and my parents all did.

They began to pray, and my peace flooded back in… I no longer felt like I was going to lose control & bawl.  It was amazing.  It was an amazing prayer.

When the prayer ended, they said, “you have 5 minutes to say goodbye & students you are report to the auditorium in 10 minutes”

We all hugged & I cried a little more.

We walked back to our vehicle.

The other 5 kids started arguing about who was sitting where.

Dad found James’ ipod in his vehicle & I had to call security to let me back into the building so I could slide it under the door…

Life moves forward…

Pam