Servant of God: August 2024 – So Many Emotions Continue...!

It is hard to look back at August and remember the trials we faced. In the midst of the blessings, we were thrown some curve balls to try and knock us down. Out of respect of others I am not going to give all the details, but it was definitely a month where God had to hold me close and comfort me when things got hard.

Matthew and I had been looking forward to our trip to Montana all summer. It was the only break I had all summer, and he had to pry me away from the house remodel to get me to relax and spend a week not working.

My favorite time of day... sun is down a bit, and I can do my Bible study.

We stayed with our good friends Jim and Josie. Since we got the truck days before the trip, we were not planning on bringing the trailer and we just kept our original plans. Of course, Matthew had a blast showing off our new truck to all of our friends in the area.

Truck looks beautiful in Montana...

Love the church and connections we made!

There were very few people that we planned on seeing when we were in town. One of the families was Levi and Jen. We decided to meet up with them at the town Rodeo on Sunday evening. It’s crazy how big their kids have gotten since we’ve watched them grow throughout the years. It was a fun evening out just visiting and enjoying a local event. They stay so busy they rarely get out themselves.

Watching the rodeo with friends...

The only other person that we made plans with was Brandy. On Tuesday evening we went over to her house to visit after she was done with work. I love catching up with Brandy and hearing what is new in her life. She also stays crazy busy and is always working on a project around the house or preparing for a family reunion when we are in town. We only stayed for a few hours, but it was a good visit.

Always good food to eat...

The rest of the trip, we sat around and visited with Jim and Josie. I had lots of time to write in my blog about the house remodel and get caught up (at the time). I also was able to spend lots of good time with the Lord which was much needed. Jim and Josie were a great support when Matthew and I found the news online that shook our world. Sometimes looking up names on the internet can have a devastating effect and catch you off guard. I often wonder if it would have been better to not have known what we found out… but God allows things to happen for a reason and I have to trust that He is not only walking with us, but everyone involved in the situation. We may never know all the details and how the story is going to end but God does… and I have to trust that He will continue to work in the details as they unfold. I am grateful that Jim was able to speak into Matthew’s life and share stories about raising his children and the pain they experienced throughout the process. God knows what we need, when we need it.

Writing my blog

and doing my Bible study...

Also, enjoying the sun sets...

Processing tough news with good friends around!

Jim and Josie are the best!

The trip ended way too quickly and soon we were headed home. I was excited to get back and see the progress on the house. We did make a quick detour to my Aunt Judy’s on the way home. She made us breakfast and I was able to visit with Kyla and her boys too. We only stayed for a couple hours before continuing on the rest of the way.

A bear that crossed the road in front of us....

Spending time with my cousin and her boys... they have gotten so big!

Mate for the drive of course...

I didn’t know what to expect when we got home but was excited to see what was accomplished. Our entire driveway was taken over by the remodel… and turned into a painting station. German was busy trying to finish all the last-minute details before we arrived. After touring the house, he was ready to pack up and clean things up. There were only a few small things that still needed to be finished besides the kitchen cabinets and touch-ups, and he was behind on other projects he needed to start.

What we drove up to...

So much recycling...

Time to check out the house...

My Mom was happy to have us back...

Over the weekend, Matthew and I went shopping for a new couch and bed for our room. I spent the next few days organizing and cleaning so the house would be ready for the furniture to be delivered. I wanted my house back in order and ready before the school year started and I was running out of time.

The furniture was delivered on our anniversary, which was our goal… it was like a mini-anniversary present to each other. He picked up pizza and wings for dinner, so I didn’t have to cook. We then enjoyed some cobbler in our new bed. It was the perfect way to spend our anniversary.

Happy Anniversary... first night in our new room!

Enjoying the new couch...

Alyssa and the kids moved in over the weekend, now that the house was completed for the most part and safe. Lily was super excited since I was watching her for the weekend and she really wanted to be able to spend time with the kids.

Lots of time with the kids...

Building forts...

Cuddling for movies...

Boys checking out the truck again...

More cuddle time.. it doesn't get old..!

The month was filled with so many last-minute details before work officially started. Matthew and Cooper had to collect Dail’s ashes and find a time to spread them at the Ocean. We wanted to get the house sold before we head to pay another month’s rent. We got started on the paperwork for the will and estate. I also had to finish up the final “graduate” IEP meetings and end of the summer doctor appointments.

Summer camp started the Sunday before school started and ended the day before I was to go back to work. It was a mixed blessing when Matthew and our time at camp ended early. Matthew had a disagreement with one of the main leaders in his role as camp nurse which escalated, and we ended up leaving. It was a whirlwind of an experience but thankfully Matthew was able to convince the cop to check in on the girl and she was able to get the medical treatment she needed but did not want to leave camp to get.

Too much rain

First time back to Lake Retreat in forever....

All day with a migraine... no fun!

After the experience at camp, I made the hard decision to step out of youth ministry for a while. Camp was a miserable experience for me. I had a migraine most of the time and it was cold and rainy. I love youth ministry but at the same time this year, I have not made the deep connections with the youth yet. I know that with more time some of those connections will grow but it just is not the time. I did build some amazing friendships with some of the other leaders that I will forever be grateful for. I know my limitations and this year I am going to be swamped with working on my National Boards again and helping out with the twins living with us. One day Matthew and I may return to youth ministry but for now he is going to focus on Men’s Ministry, and I am going to focus on the people God has placed in our life during this time period. Both of us need our hearts to heal from all the difficulties we experienced over the summer.

Work started back up and I got back into the flow of things. Of course, we had the family gather to celebrate Jimmy and Seth’s birthday since my parents were still in town.