An Update from Paducah!

I thought I would update you on life here in my super-quiet house, while laying on the couch, feet propped up, eating chocolate-covered sea-salted almonds from Trader's...

Ummmmmm..... NOT!

While I have much enjoyed a quieter house and have over-indulged on chocolate- covered almonds (to the point that my stash is gone!), laying on the couch with feet propped up hasn't happened yet, nor does it appear to be close on the horizon!

First, I apologize for being MIA in regards to phone calls and texts...it has been a giant whirlwind of changes. Moving houses and enrolling ALL FIVE children into public school after choosing to homeschool for nine years...well, it's been quite a lot to take in. And quite a lot of physicals to get, forms to fill out, school supplies to buy. And my right hand utterly refuses to write my address, phone number or emergency contact info one more time. REFUSES. Yes, it is having a severe case of writer's cramp. Typing is a welcomed relief, so be advised. I'm about to get carried away.

Not only has it been change galore, I don't do more than one thing at a time well, so alas, texting or talking on the phone always seem to take the backseat....AND my battery on my phone is shot AND my wall charger mysteriously disappeared so my phone is way too often sitting in my van taking a charge. I know. That was way TMI. But I told you my typing was about to get carried away.

Anyway, if you are even able to follow this and haven't given up yet, let me give you an update!!!

Secondly, I have written about our entire move in a series of three posts on this here blog.  You can read about it here, if you feel so inclined:

http://www.makingmorethanmanna.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-move-leaving.html

http://www.makingmorethanmanna.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-pitstop.html


http://www.makingmorethanmanna.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-move-arriving.html

Thirdly, we are settling in nicely here on Old Farm Road. Heather, Sheila, Michelle & Debi moved like lightning and had our place looking like home in no time! I mean, I helped and all but I must give them most the credit...because I was kind of walking around all looney for the first few days.

Here are some pics:

This is the kitchen area...my manna making space :)
 

Here is the den that flows out of the kitchen (very uncanny how much it is like our old house, isn't it?):

Here is the room in front of the den that I call the homework/play area.  (I thought we would do homework in here but it seems to happen in the kitchen or dining room. But O & Jerry do play with their toys in here):

Now, this is Sophie's room. Heather, Michelle and Debi can attest to the fact that Sophie got here room unloaded and decorated in exactly 30 minutes. It was like on a cartoon where someone opens up a suitcase and out pops a room complete with everything. Yep. In thirty minutes time, it was like she'd been here for years. 

 

 This is Joshua and Wes' room. They are my neat freaks, so they should room together just fine. And their decorating tastes are very uniform...notice their decision to line the top of their rooms with the racing numbers from all the races they have ever run. Just the fact that they still had them and could lay their hands on them was impressive enough to a mom that can't lay hands on her car keys. 

 

And here is Jerry and O's room. They are my not so neat peeps...I still have a little bit of work to do on their rooms. They also need some work on their bed making skills. 

 

And since we don't have a basement, we have created a spot in our garage. An old love seat with an old tv sitting on some cardboard boxes.  Look, he even posed for you!

 Eric thinks he can get a free box to hook up cable and we will be set. We can play ping pong and watch football/baseball out in the garage, Paducah-style.  We're just gonna fit right in.

Last Wednesday evening the youth pastors in the area came together and had a back to school rally at a local park. All the youth groups in the area came together. They asked Eric to speak at it. Eric would tell you that this is not his gift; isn't it like God to put you in a position where you need God to show up?  God did, in fact, show up that night as a couple of hundred youth worshiped and prayed together, breaking up and praying together by school. That small person upfront is Eric:

This is Joshua and Sophie's middle school group praying together:

Transitioning to public school after eight years of homeschooling has been such a smooth transition that I keep waiting for some type of bomb to drop...for something to not go well. I guess that is just God's grace. That's all I can figure. God's grace. I am going to blog soon about our decision to go to school after all of these years and our experience thus far. It's coming.

One last sweet story before I close out. Without any prompting by us, Joshua decided to start a prayer group at their middle school.  They meet once a week fifteen minutes before school starts.  They had their third meeting this past Tuesday.  Joshua was worried no one would come because he hadn't reminded anyone. Guess what? Ten students showed up.

And....this is at the middle school which is situated right behind (so close I think they might be connected) to the high school. The same high school where twelve years ago a student open-fired on a student led prayer group.

But what the enemy means for harm the Lord will use for good. The fact that so many students would show up for prayer on a venue with that kind of past stirs my heart. All I can say is God sure is up to something and I love that my children get to be a part of it.

Thank you for sticking with my update...and I will be posting many more updates on my blog since I have all the time in the world now (HA!).   But I will definitely be trying to write more.