Sports

I don't think I've mentioned it yet but my kids are very active. We do several sports, dance, show choir, youth group, and whatever else they can find to participate in!

This week is the start of official fall games. K is 13 and in 8th grade. For three years now he's been on his school's White (varsity) team for soccer. They had their first game Monday and won 2-1, he scored both goals! Soccer is his passion and he makes it fun to watch.

D is 16 and playing soccer for the first time this year. Well he played when he was 5 but I don't count that. They had their first game last night. With it being his first year he's officially on the junior varsity team. Surprisingly though they put him in for 40 minutes of the varsity game and he even scored! Then during the JV game he got his foot stomped on 😕. A quick trip to the ER this morning assured us he's fine and will be back to running in no time.

Friday is the first Varsity football game of the year! S is my 17 year old SENIOR. I'm still not sure how I could possibly have a senior. He's the starting wide receiver this year and I can't wait to see him play Friday.

I'll write more about the other 3 kiddos soon.

Full day of serving!

In my hopes of become the Children's Director I've decided to start volunteering for children's church. That way I can get experience, let the kids get used to me, and help my church. Today I showed up bright and early and greeted the kids as they came in. There was some miscommunication with the interim director so she was late, glad I was there! I helped her through first service and after it was over the minister said the nursery staff for second service called in. So I was asked to fill in. Between services there is Sunday School and that's a break for me. I went into the kitchen for more coffee and a doughnut and was asked if I'd be interested in teaching 1-2nd grade Sunday School! By this time classes had started (all grades together) so I snuck in and listened the introduced myself at the end. Then it was down to the nursery where I got to spend time with 3 toddlers and a baby! I spent a little over an hour on the floor playing, feeding and rocking a baby, and even shared a bible story! What an awesome God filled morning!

Ministry

I'm loving my job! I genuinely feel blessed to get to spend time caring for and ministering to so many kids. Aside from my 6 I babysit 3 during the day and then have up to 24 in my after school care! I was afraid it'd be chaotic and I wouldn't know how to keep such a large group of differing ages happy, but it's working. I wasn't sure they were truly learning from my bible lessons but I had a parent tell me they were happy they were included and her daughter tells her about it during prayers at night. I'm able to help one of my kids' coaches who has helped with my son. It's feels right to be doing it. Helping my church is very important to me and the benefits I'm getting from it are amazing.

Ten years is a long time

Ten years. That's how long I was a stay at home mom. Previously I had always had a full time job and being a stay at home mom wasn't something I saw myself doing. sometimes things are kind of decided for you and you just have to go with the flow. That's where we were.

Anyway, maybe I'll write more on that later but for now let's stick to the topic at hand. After 10 years of staying home with my children (and other people's children) I am back to work! Part time anyway. It wasn't something I planned to do nor was I even looking for a job. 

Our wonderful Youth Minister at church got a teaching opportunity and decided to pursue it full time. Him leaving left a couple holes in our church: the minister for Sunday and Wednesday and the after school care director. So as of last week I am the After School Care Director at our church!

The program has doubled in size from last year and we have 26 enrolled! It's amazing that I get to spend time caring for and ministering to so many children. If I had my teen years to do over the only thing I would change would have been to go to college and get a degree in education. Now I get to have a little taste of that and I love it. I even get to write a lesson plan for Bible time everyday.

It's been an adjustment since I started a week ago. We're now gone until 7:30 at night and then have to do dinner, chores, homework, showers, and unwind before bed. Bedtimes have gotten a little later :/ We're getting used to it though and the happiness of the job definitely outweighs the hard parts.

I can't wait to see where the opportunity leads!