The Side Family

Our life is full of change right now.  It seems everytime we turn around we are having to make adjustments to keep pace with the whirlwind around us.  Whether it's swapping day for night shifts so that Chris can manage his work and school schedule at the same time or moving the contents of our basement to the upstairs living room to accomodate the water pouring in from the duct work.  Life is about flexibility.  The kids are resilient thankfully and have weathered the tos and fros with us before.  They keep pace masterfully never minding the day to day micromanagement of our routine.

With climbing gas prices and a growing conviction towards conservation I have learned to drive the Dodge ram quad cab 6 miles to work and Chris is zipping around town in my petite VW jetta.  I've even got him taking his own canvas bags into the grocery store.  Abby (our recycling queen) ensures we rinse and sort if we are not able to reuse.  I've always had a green thumb but I think she's green up to her elbows.

More adjustments are coming as we plan to dig out around the foundation of our home to repair damage from the 1/07 ice storm that continues to haunt us everytime it rains.  The backyard will get an overhaul as we remove the shed and build a retaining wall to keep the patio and garage from being submerged under 6 inches of water running off the neighbors land.  This means mud will replace our current lush crabgrass and we will be coaxing seedling grass this fall. 

Summer school which was proposed as a good idea for beating off summertime boredom turned out to be a means for an 8 month pregnant beast to cash in before maternity leave and a newly certified know-it-all to try her techinques on unsuspecting springfield students.  I've never been one to allow my kids to "quit" anything but I pulled them from the program and we've been happily adjusting to quiet mornings and afternoon dips in the pool.  Lesson learned!

Even our food preparation has experienced some adjustment.  Due to my climbing BMI and Cholesterol levels I have eliminated most meats from my diet.  I now partake only of an occasional portion of fish and consider myself to be a lacto-ovo vegetarian.  The results have been encouraging.  Of course I do not expect Chris or the kids to maintain my diet choices but we have found a way to make our meals together with a little creativity.  I will say that I am proud to see my husband and children steering clear of processed items and opting instead for fresh produce and home-cooked dinners. 

I'm not one to shy away from change and I would even claim to enjoy the growth brought about by a fresh challange.  I am thankful though for one thing that has been a constant for me and will continue to be so.  July 16th Chris and I will celebrate 11 years together!  It's nice to know we've still got that!

So this may seem random... because it is.  I was just sitting here on my day off and thinking (pondering actually) about why I love Wednesday so much!  It's silly really, but the mind wanders where it pleases when given the chance! 

Wednesday is the perfect day!  My life has come to this... everything that I enjoy in life is played out perfectly balanced on exactly Wednesday.   Let me explain.  I love my job as a nurse and I love working with heart patients but the days get long sometimes and the work can be stressful.  Wednesday however is an exception to the rule.  I only work and8 hour shift on Wednesdays and it is so nice to wrap up my work in a moderate amount of time.  It is simply lovely to walk out to my car after handing care over to a fresh, rested nurse and still see sunlight!  It makes me happy to see my children's faces as they arrive home from school and to hear their cheerful chatter about their days work!  We often compare our busyness and tell our favorite parts of the day to each other!  This is only possible on Wednesday because any other day I see them well after the excitement of coming home has wanned. 

Wednesday also brings a chance to enjoy my fellows at our weekly church dinner (which gladly I do not have to cook!)  I love the buzz of friends catching up on midweek happenings, the cheerful giggles of children eating their desserts before their main course.  We eat as a family even with our crazy opposite schedules and those few moments of seeing Chris before he is off to work put stars in my eyes and lighten my step.

After a hearty meal (did I mention I didn't have to cook) the kids are off to their activities and I to teach 3 year olds about giving back to the peoples of the earth.  It's a dirty job of paint and glue and glitter and much childlike prayer but it is so much fun!  My evening is not done however... it reaches a climax of happiness as I sing my heart out in preparation for Sunday morning worship.  My heart can barely contain the pleasure of blending vocals with some of the best musicians I've met to date not to mention our rock solid band.  (you know I adore those guys!)  We wrap it up with prayer and encouragement for each other and I drive home soaring. 

Wednesday is just perfect! 

Once again time got away from me and our busy life has left me with hardly a moment to type up an update!  Still... I must keep you all informed!  So here's the latest. 

On Feb 26th Spencer asked me, "Mom, am I saved or not?"  he was very upset at my putting him off and he decided once and for all that he was going to go to heaven!  You should have heard him professing his faith... it was a wonderful sermon and I can only imagine the shouts in heaven as angels scrambled to find Aunt Sue and Grandpa (Papa) to tell the news! 

The following week I got to see Chas actively witnessing to his friend Wes and he too decided to give his life to Christ!  It has been exciting to see our kids growing in their faith and not just personally but with a burden for others!  The missionary blood runs deep! 

The boys (all the boys) are active in Tae Kwon Do now.  Chas has advanced quickly to yellow belt and seems to really embrace the art.  Chris and Spencer started together and will have their first testing soon! Abby hasn't made up her mind yet about sports but she's interested in trying tennis this summer so we are going to make that happen!   Abby will have her last Brownie girlscout meeting next month and will be bridging up to Junior girlscout next year!  I have TONS of new patches to sew on to her vest before the last meeting... and of course we'll have to take a picture for posterity's sake! 

Chris is doing well in school... even though he hates every minute of his A&P class he has been diligent and with just three weeks left he is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  He received his acceptance letter to the Paramedic program at OTC so we know he has a secure spot but we are still hopeful for news from the Joplin fire dept. as they will not only send him through the paramedic program but they will pay for it as well.  We are unsure of how to finance his schooling otherwise so keep this in your prayers for us! 

I am currently studying for my PCCN certification exam to gain a raise at work and some more letters to add to my credentials... LOL... it's just a way for me to continue to keep ahead of the nursing game even while I'm not in school.  (the extra $$ won't hurt my feelings though).  I continue to be active at church teaching 3 year old "mission friends" on wednesday night and singing on the worship team.  This summer I will have the chance to do my MK thing again during our vacation bible school.  I will be a part of our "mission mall" and will be telling children about Taiwan, life as an MK, and current prayer needs for missionaries serving there! 

So we remain busy as ever... dogs, cats, and fish still thriving under our loving care! 

Love to all!  I'll try loading pictures soon... it seems they have changed the uploading method so it's more difficult now... augh!