Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life
Scott picked Emma up from school today. Even that sentence is so much different than last year’s first day of school. The simple fact that I didn’t go with him to pick her up should tell you how not worried I was she had a good day. But of course the first question I asked her was how it was. She gave me a hug and a big smile and said “Wonderful!”
So there you have it. First Grade is a hit.
Holy cow, look at my kitchen. It’s not even grouted yet and I’m ecstatic. Apparently it’s very hard to take a good picture of glass tile but I did what I could. I can’t believe the difference.
In other not nearly as exciting news, Scott caulked our bathroom and wired the lighting. I think he’s going to measure the mirrors and get them cut tomorrow.
So do you think it would work if I relocated my desk into my kitchen?
Do you get the feeling she was happy? I hope so because she was. So. happy.
We counted down all of yesterday. Counting hours including and excluding sleep time. I’m not sure how many times I heard “Can I go to school NOW?” She told a few people she was excited and wasn’t scared at all. Such a different story than last year. She says she was excited because her room looked like so much fun and indeed it did have many little centers.
We bought an alarm clock last night at Target. She wanted to wake herself up and get ready before I woke up. And of course it was not a digital clock and I don’t think I set it right. I woke her up and the first thing she says is the alarm didn’t go off. So she says “Ring, ring. Time to get up for school.” She was up and at ‘em, complying with all requests to get ready.
At school, she was happy to see the principal and I heard no complaints or nervousness. She hopped out of the van with her bag and lunch. I didn’t even walk her in.
Hopefully her first day will go well. I’m sure it will. I just can’t quit smiling when I see that picture. So. happy.
Since we found out the meet-the-teacher date, Emma has been counting down the days. And not in the going to the gallows kind of way. She actually was looking forward to it. Today, we counted down hours and then literally, minutes the last hour. Emma and I walked hand in hand through the busy hallways but it wasn’t a death-grip-I-can-feel-her-shaking type of thing. And then in class, she actually answered the teacher’s questions (albeit quietly without looking her in the eye) and took completed papers across the room to the bin the teacher requested. All by herself. When we left the room and talked about how to find her class (her hall wall is the only red one) she didn’t want to make a practice run down the hall to find it. And she didn’t flinch when I said I wouldn’t be with her Wednesday morning. And then she couldn’t wait to tell everyone about her visit. Trust me when I say Emma’s excited about school on Wednesday.
And ya’ll have no idea how excited that makes me.
Scott had the weekend off and has been SO busy with the house. He started Friday morning and really hasn’t stopped until about an hour ago.
He prepped the counter top Friday and Saturday had a coworker come over to install them. They worked all day on it. I see now why people buy them preformed. It is NOT for the faint of heart.
So Friday night the kitchen looked like this:
And then tonight….
I wish I would have featured that new sink and faucet better because I LOVE it. It’s much deeper and then spout is much taller so it’s so much easier to use. You can also see I moved my rug into the kitchen. I have one more store I hope to find a rug in. After that, I’m buying the same rug. I’ll just have the same rug in my dining room and kitchen. I love it so no issue for me.
I think I need to add hardware to the doors. It feels like they are empty now where it never bothered me before. I don’t know everything just feel so brown. Feels like it needs some contrasting colors in there or something. We’re having a family friend install the tile backsplash this week I hope and then I’ll decide on the hardware after that.
Also? I found a color for the bathroom cabinet. I wouldn’t call it perfect but it’ll do. Much more dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. We also added hardware on the doors and changed the faucet as a last minute decision that I think is awesome. I smile every time I see it.
I’m thinking I’ll be changing the other decor in the room but the floor and cabinet is all ready to shine!
So yeah, I feel like a lot of the big hurdles are over.
What’s coming up:
Saturday night we went with our youth group to a member’s lake house. We had a great turn out and a lot of fun. Scott spent the whole time on the boat and you might be surprised to know it was Emma who was beside him the entire time. She loved riding on the boat.
She says she loved watching the people tube and especially when they fell off. Scott said she loved when the boat went fast and she talked the entire time. Scott did get out and tube but never could talk her into it. Maybe next year.
Lexi on the other hand? Wanted to get in the water but refused to put on a life jacket because she was scared of how it would look on her. I went through a little speech with her, ensuring her that she didn’t and it wasn’t important anyway. I got her to try it on but it was a tad tight and she lost it, refusing to wear it anymore. So Lexi didn’t get on the boat. And I had to stay back with her. She did important things like watch Spongebob
Eat watermelon
And swim a bit
But my favorite moment captured bar none was a minute with Emma eating a smores at sunset.
Goodbye, Summer. It’s been a good one.
This was written Sunday a week ago but didn’t feel released to post it.
Scott and I have contemplated leaving our church on and off for years. The church we attend now is the same church Scott has attended since he was two weeks old, his mother since she was a child. So it’s a huge deal for him to leave. Most of the time I mentioned leaving to him he would put it off. Once, before we had kids, we visited a church in Charlotte but never actually felt the push to make the move. When I asked God about it, I’d hear No, No, No. Things got better at church, things got bad, better, bad, better, bad. We were always on a roller coaster but I never felt released to leave.
This past year both Scott and I were beginning to see more things we didn’t like. Honestly? Inside I was more than ready to go. Him? He seemed torn. He knew it was bad but wanted to do what he could to make the needed changes. But about June his mind was made up it was time to go. We visited a friend’s church. Both of us agreed it was a great church but we didn’t feel the pull to go there again. We continued to attend at our church.
Things got horrible at church. We both felt like it was the writing on the wall. It was really time to go. But we still didn’t want to leave when it was bad plus we had our positions we’d agreed to fill until September. After lots of prayer and conversations between ourselves and mentors, Scott realized he could do no more.
And finally in July, I heard God’s No, No, No turned into a Go, Go, Go.
Same for Scott.
Trust me, it’d have to be a God thing to move Scott from that church. I had long since (as in years) given up on pushing. He knew where I stood but he also knew I would stay at the church as long as he wanted. And truthfully? That church was family to me. I got married there, I had my children there. I became a Choir Member, Sunday School teacher and Youth Leader there. My kids adore it there. I’d been there since I was 18 and it was home. We saw some people in that church more than the majority of our family.
Last week we visited another church and again today. Wednesday we took our names off of “the list” of leaders for the coming church year beginning in September. Apparently word had already gotten around that we were leaving because someone mentioned it to us right after Wednesday’s service.
Some people are upset. sad. mad. confused. disappointed. hurt.
I feel pulled in so many directions.
Emma had a breakdown in the car yesterday. She put her head down on her legs and cried. She just wanted to go back. I searched deep, wanting to make sure if my child had to cry, it was for a divine purpose. I still heard Go, Go, Go.
It hurts to be hurting people.
I was somewhat depressed for a lot of the afternoon today, still uncertain exactly where we were going and yet knowing I couldn’t go back. And disappointing so many people I loved in the process. How could I get through this?
Today I was getting the vacuum cleaner out for Scott thinking, Lord, maybe I’m just not strong enough for this one. And I heard Go, Go, Go again. And I just wanted to say, I know! That’s my problem! But then I listened again and it was more like a Go! Go! Go! And I had a picture of God standing on the sidelines of a race cheering me on Go! Go! Go! You can do it!
I still don’t know what’s ahead of us exactly. Emma will still complain about going back. Others will still be disappointed. Who knows, maybe we’re being led away just to be led back. But knowing God is cheering us on makes the race a little easier to run.
We had a great time at the game/concert last night. Jake and Jill went and then another couple and their daughter. Also, Darian tagged along with them. We had a great group of folks, a great game and a really great group NEEDTOBREATHE to entertain us.
A few highlights:
The deluge of rain 2 hours before the concert. AFTER I read the forecast and there was a TEN percent chance of rain and Heather said it would rain just because it said that.
The beautiful weather we had since it rained and cleared up.
The food of course…dippin dots and funnel cakes.
Darian’s cousin Logan as the Chick fil A cow
Jake and Scott rearranging seating while I was gone so they could sit beside one another.
A guy proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes!
NEEDTOBREATHE was amazing in concert.
The girls spending the concert on the hill rolling.
I think their clothes speak for all of us when we say it was a great summer night.