Well good morning & Merry Christmas.
I've started this all sorts of ways.
It's still dark outside.
Rex is gone.
He left early for a meeting this morning.
He really rarely leaves while it's still dark anymore.
I'm even more rarely up at this hour :)
I feel like if I don't sit down & type - these last five months will be lost without any real remembrance.
I've wanted to sit & write out & remember what it's been like.
How life has changed.
And moments turn into hours, that turn into days that turn into weeks, that turn into months.
Months have passed now & the raw and new have passed and it's even now a memory to go back and remember.
I was going to say I couldn't put into one word what the change has been like.
Then sanctifying came to mind .....
That sounds too churchy, actually.
So I'm back to blank on a single word :)
We Christmas-ed up the place last weekend.
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And a lot of weekends before that we went to the lake.
see how far back we go!
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The twenty15/twenty16 school year started.
In elementary school this year we have 5th, 3rd, 2nd & 1st grade.
Jr High & preschool are not individually pictured :)
You want to know the real truth.
It's been an incredibly hard year so far.
Exhausting hard.
Ready to give up hard.
Is it worth it hard.
Frustrating hard.
It's probably on of the bigger reasons why the blog has been silent these months.
If I kept a pen & paper journal .... I'd name names and details.
But in a keyboard & blog journal ..... I won't.
Instead of remembering which kid is this or that ...
Or what kid can't or can ...
Instead of typing out the details of the ugly ....
I'd rather remind myself that Jesus is near.
That the gospel transforms.
That grace wins.
That I've learned far greater lessons than math & history this year.
That when I want to enforce & impart rules & laws & standards to everyone around me, what I'm really desperate for is grace & love & freedom myself.
And the truth is so are they.
In a humbling way this year has not been about them learning to read, or memorizing math facts, or studying botany.
It''s not about logic & research & Latin.
It's been about me learning the gospel .... all over again & fresh.
That I am loved no matter what.
Tears
Fights
I can'ts
I won'ts
Go aways
Loves
Smiles
You did its
Way to go's
Long days
Good days
No days
Off days
Rough days
We survived days
We quit days
I love what I do days
He loves.
He gives.
He rescues & saves
Over & over.
It doesn't make math or words or history crystal clear .... it still takes work and effort and discipline .... but it gives it life & meaning & value.
So we learn on.
We love on.
Fist pumps & grace to #butlerroadacademics
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We made the choice to not sit at desks on Thursdays and instead stand behind tables and serve lunch to high school kids.
Along with some really fabulous men & women.
It's part of this whole new life called ministry :)
This is part of late night studying for mid terms :)
I said last week that I thought the tidal wave of change was finally hitting the beach.
But I think that's a very naive statement .....
I think instead of finally it'll be a lifetime of waves.
Of crashing and surfing and swimming & rowing & laying on the beach.
Of sun burns and storms.
Of fog & clouds.
And that's not all bad.
We love the beach.
Love it.
In real life & metaphors.
This is part of doing life together.
Man, what a sweet gift.
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This post is eternally long already!
But if I stop & say I'll come back .... I won't.
So buckle up ... we go on.
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She's had a really full week.
She spent two different nights away.
Went to San Francisco.
Took blue book exams.
Was in a car accident.
Hosted a Christmas party for her class.
Watched Elf for the first time.
And went roller skating .... like any good home-schooler - lol.
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Before the Andersons left they wanted pictures.
And we can hardly think of anything more fun than lining everyone up & smiling at the same time.
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Really it was about getting a picture with all the kids & mom & dad.
.... or trying to :)
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I forgot clothes for the girls.
Rex & I were not suppose to be in pictures at all.
And yet here we are ....
.... repeating the sounding joy.
Merry Christmas -
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