So here is what's going on....

I realized I haven't blogged in a week or so.  Things are a little crazy here.  So here is what's going on...
1.  Dan and I had a wonderful vacation in Hawaii.  It was truly wonderful, but I am a sucker for the ocean and palm tree...or coconut trees.  And time with just Dan was needed.  With our crazy schedules it is good to find time alone to come together and reconnect.  But now we are back into full force with life here.
2.  Leila, our sweet foster baby girl, is making the transition to being with Grandma full time.  This we knew this was coming hopefully sooner than later and we are happy that grandma has finally made this leap of faith with her.  We will still have her a few days here and there, but it was time for that transition.  But even though you know it is coming, it is still hard and my heart hurts a little.  I miss her smile and laugh and her sweet curls.  And what I have learned from foster care is it is ok to feel that way.  Grieving is part of life and when you invest so much of your life into a little life, it is hard.   Working through it is healthy and makes you grow a little bit more.
3. We are starting home school in a week a half.  Because I have been so busy this summer I didn't get last year put away nor did I get a lot of planning done.  So this week I have been on full force to get my planning done.  I am hoping to blog about our homeschooling days on my other blog.  Hoping is the key!!
I stumbled upon a blog called homeschoolcreations.  It was great because it took many of my ideas I was trying to use and made them work.  I had read about workboxes last year and thought I need to use this system but not like it was laid out, adapted.  I started reading the way this family home-schools and a light bulb went on.  I have been working hard trying to get this all into place.  As I get more into place I will blog about it on my homeschooling blog.  I also have been organizing my homeschooling area. And since I have an extra student at home that brings me to 4.
4.  Due to certain circumstance which I don't want to blog about, as of yesterday we have withdrawn our 10th grader from Sparkman High to do home school.  While this was not in my plan (of course nothing is in my plan) it has thrown some new planning techniques into play.  I spent  a bit of time researching best options, curriculum and items needed.  Now I have to wait for things to get in so I can plan and organize them.  In the mean time, he is antsy. (Robby is antsy too!) So my goal is to find some things for him to keep him self occupied.
5.  Of course Dan is traveling again, which means we move back into the routine of him here and not and here and not.
6.  And as always the house doesn't clean it self and I need to get things rocking and rolling here.  It is time to get back into a schedule of cleaning for everyone, and since everyone is home all the time it is a constant event.  One day I will get that under control....ummm maybe when the kids leave!:)


Well just a little of what's is going on.  So for now I keep moving a long!!  Pray for me as our journey continues!!!!

National Youth Gathering

Every three years our synod (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) or LCMS has a National Youth Gathering.  It as been every three years in many different places...Washington DC, Denver Co, San Antonio, New Orleans, Atlanta, Orlando... I have been to many of these both as a youth, a college student, a DCE and now as a volunteer (Since I am not working as a commissioned DCE).  It was easiest to go as a college student, just had to go and not worry about anything.  It has been the hardest going as a volunteer (oh the lesson's God is teaching) but I don't have the time blocked to to work on the nitty gritty details.  Yesterday I spent over 7 hours working on odds and ends for this trip while interacting and yelling at children.  It was very frustrating.  But I got what I needed done and now look forward to next week.

This year our National Youth Gathering  is in New Orleans.  It was suppose to be there three years ago, but a certain hurricane came through and well you all know the rest of that story.  But this year it is back.  This year over 30,000 youth and adults will invade the streets of New Orleans to show them God love and Grace for them.  They will walk the streets boldly to stay this is what I believe in.
So next week Tim and I (Tim is my most trusted fellow youth leader here.  He and I have been through thick and thin with our youth for the last 12 years. ) will leave our families behind and head to New Orleans with 5 amazing youth.  Each with our own stories, faith and questions.  Each one looking for something to clam as their own, each looking for what they Believe in.
Leaving our families behind, yes if I take one, that still leaves 4 of my kids behind!  And all is taken care of.  Even though my husband has know about this trip for a year, and was told no traveling allowed for those two weeks, some how traveling snuck  in and he has to be gone 4 days the week I leave.  But thank goodness we are able to fly my dad up to help.  Leila will be with her Grandma and my dad will have the three younger ones.
So when my husband travels, he packs his bag, and leaves.  There is not much in terms of kids or house preparation he has to do or really think about cause that is my area.  But when I have to leave, there is a lot of work. . So when Dan has to travel too and you bring in someone else to help there is even more work.  So not only do I have to get my self ready, and Jeremy ready, make sure my group is ready, I also have to prepare my house for my dad to be here.  And while the kids love him and love being with him, he doesn't know the ins and outs of our house.
But I can't change my husband's travel schedule and I am not giving up my National Youth Gathering.  So I now finish my preparations for the National Youth Gathering.  I get ready for my Dad to come up (Which I am very excited about, just wish I was here for more of the visit!:)) Then Jeremy and I adventure off to the wild blue yonder!

Husband traveling...again

I know a little bit about a husband traveling.  Maybe a little bit too much.  Two years ago he took a new position in the his job as Chief Engineer  for the DOD.  I knew when he took it that there would be traveling maybe twice a month.  Well the traveling has been much more than twice a month.  This month we look at three weeks of traveling with the possibility of 4 weeks.  We are use to it now.  We have life with Dan and life with out him here.
When we got married 10 years ago (well in Aug it will be) I knew he traveled about 8 times a year.  But I also traveled maybe that too with my job.  When Robby was a year, Dan had to be gone for 6 weeks.  I was working so I couldn't travel with him.  Robby and I were in the process of weaning of of breastfeeding  when he got sick.  And then all he wanted to nurse.  I had no one there to help me with him because Dan was traveling.  Working and trying to take care of him was hard.  But a small lesson in being a single parent, a lesson I didn't think was going to be such a part of my life.
Most of Dan's travel was M-F long, and we just trudged through it.  But then one year doing the summer he had to travel over extended weekends to judge robotic competitions.  That was a terrible summer.  Things that we normally did we couldn't because not only did Dan have to work doing the week, but he would leave for the weekend also.  Camping became a thing of the past (anyone want to buy a trailer?).
So when this job came up it was to only be for a year and I though I can handle this traveling scheduling for a year.  Within 6 months he had already signed on for another year.  Traveling wasn't as terrible yet.  In fact he went almost 3 months with little travel, it was nice.  Then is seemed like my pop-pop died, we got AnQuenette and her sister Mia as Emergency foster care placement and Dan started traveling alot.  As summer approached I had just moved into survival mode.  I wasn't sleeping at night, my hand was in pain.  The girls were very had to deal with and much was going on with them.  It was a very hard time.
We did take two summer vacations to Disney World, which we all enjoy very much.  But the in between time was crazy.  We only get two months for summer vacation here, but the big thing we were looking forward to was the boys being adopted and then that weekend the big party and Isaiah's baptism.  But between the adoption and Party/family Dan had to travel.
And so now we have gone a whole other school year of Dan traveling more than twice a month.  He does take off when he knows it is best for him to be home.  And he does help as much as he can when home.  I purposely send children off with him, and he takes Leila to daycare when here.
And how does traveling effect a marriage?  It is hard and takes constant communication.  It is hardest to have him gone in the evenings and on weekends.  Times that we would normal talk and be together.  Sometimes it is hard to always talk on the phone, things are happening with the kids, or he is busy on the other end.  But we always talk, at least once a day, but every day.  And when he is home, we find times to go out, do things and be together.  It just takes work, but don't all marriages take work!  Lots of it!!  And little trips to hawaii is so bad either!!!  (a perk of all the traveling!)
I think Dan's traveling is hardest on the kids.  While he and I talk everyday, it is rare that he talks to the kids.  First some nights by the time he can talk they are already in bed.  I wish he traveled with his own lap top or he could text!  Then the kids could skype him or send pictures and video to him.  He does face book, but for some reason videos don't work on his phone.  I do believe this is one area we need to work on being better.
So how do I do it with so many kids at home.  We just do.  It gets easier every time.  This summer I know I just have to do things with out him just so the kids have fun!!  We probably wont get a summer vacation with him so we do what we have to do.  But there is the pool for him to take them to and $1 movies.  And lots of other fun things to do!!
I had a army mom tell me that the first two weeks that their husbands are gone and the last two weeks are the hardest.  Once she told me this it all made sense.  Talking to her made me feel better, that the crazy feelings I was having were normal.
And so summer begins with three weeks of travel.  What can I paint in the house????