AFTER-SCHOOL activities/Weekend Update

Is anyone else finding that in place of after-school activities, more and more activities are taking place BEFORE school?

No?

Just me?

When Abbey came home and dramatically begged me to be in drama club, I was not about to deny her that privilege.  I responded with an enthusiastic 'yes!' because she was SO excited and said it with such FLAIR.  Additionally, it is FREE.

Here is my problem.  It starts at 7:30 (AM!!!) on Tuesday mornings.  There is no MORNING bus, like there is an afternoon activity bus at Katherine's school.  So that leaves it to parents to take the kids.  Abbey went ahead and signed Livvy up with her, so they both have that on Tuesdays.  Well, Katherine gets on the bus around 7:30, and Kaleb doesn't get on until 8:10.  So...I have this dilemma.  I have to somehow juggle the bus with driving the other kids.  And if I take Kaleb with me instead of having him ride the bus, what am I supposed to do with him until he can be at school, which isn't until 8:20am at the earliest???

And then...Kaleb signed up for student council.  He had to write a short essay on why he wanted to be in, and he got in!  I'd just like to point out that when I saw he had to write why he wanted to be in student council, I asked him.  His response was "I just want to."  I explained to him as non-sarcastically as I was able that there was no way he would 'get in' if THAT is what he wrote.  He reread the 'application' and then came up with a pretty good paragraph outlining his reasoning for wanting to be in student council.  Apparently a friend of his who 'signed up' didn't get in, so I guess that's pretty cool, and it was definitely exciting for Kaleb.

But because the girls are in drama on Tuesdays at 7:30am, they have to be in choir also (though they both keep calling is 'chore' which is both amusing and annoying at the same time), which meets on Thursdays at 7:30am.  Kaleb's first student council meeting was also today, but not until 8am.  You can't drop kids off earlier than 8:20 unsupervised, so I had to wait with Kaleb between 7:30 and 8am.  It was somewhat annoying-the annoyance could possibly have also been due to the fact that I had 2 hours of sleep and then had to get up at 6:30am.  Fortunately, I found out that student council will only meet once a month, and on Fridays so it won't be TOO bad.

As far as an update on this weekend, Kris and I shared our testimony out at Family Camp at High Hill Christian Camp.  There were about 20-ish couples there, and a spattering of individuals.  We had the children otherwise occupied, so they wouldn't have to listen to topics that were beyond their understanding.  I think that it went well.

Kris and I make a good tag team.  I cried, of course.  Several times.  It is hard to tell that story, and then to talk about God's abundant love and grace without being completely overcome by emotion and tears.  We kept within the hour allotted, naming our 'workshop' Loving When It Hurts.  We talked to a few people afterwards and prayed with one hurting lady.

Our alliance was a topic that drew people in; and it was cool explaining in more detail how the alliance Kris and I have with one another helps to not only keep us accountable, but it also steals the enemy's power almost immediately.  It is a wonderful and amazing thing to confess a thought or memory to Kris, one that doesn't make me proud, or one that Satan is trying to use to distract and discourage me and then find that in just speaking it, the enemy has to flee.  We have become this tag team of praying for one another and supporting each other in a way that I never imagined possible.  Every couple needs this.  I believe that it is essential for a strong, Godly marriage.

When everything was drawing to a close at our workshop, we played the following song.  It is a song that means a great deal to me and Kris.  It is one we heard early in our reconciliation, and one that has a lot of significance.  I thought since I NEVER give you any music to listen to ;-) I would share it with you here.

While preparing for our workshop, Kris brought a verse to me that I had forgotten about.  It embarrasses me to admit that.  You see, this was a verse that was very meaningful to us before we got married.  We even have a picture from our wedding day with our ringed hands underlining it.  How could I have forgotten it?  Yet, sadly, I had.  When I read it, all these years later, I realized how perfect it was for Kris and I.  Prophetic even.  So it continues to be a verse that Kris and I cling to and thank God for!

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.  It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame.  Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away..."