Yesterday, I had to attend the driver training for our department.  It is much like the old class (EVAP-Emergency Vehicle Accident Prevention), but now is called EVIP -Emergency Vehicle Incident Prevention.  It also has some of the changes that the state has made. 

One change is we can now run code with just lights and only use the siren when we're in traffic.  This is a welcome change.  Our little town is 20 miles from the closest town and we have very few people who live between us and the closest hopital (about 30 miles). 

In the afternoon, we had the driving portion.  They closed down the airport for the afternoon and set up on the runway.  We had to drive through different cone marked paths.  I always dread them mostly because I hate backing up.  I survived though.  Then, when everyone had finished, my husband and his friend, fellow officer (both in the department and in the Sheriffs office) took their patrol cars through the course.  They had fun with it and even chased each other through one round.  

The best part was we were able to leave the kids home for a couple of hours alone.  We did check up on them by calling, but with us both needing to be at the airport (less than 1/2 mile from the house) for awhile.  It was nice not to line up a babysitter.  Sam didn't need to take the class because the driving class he takes with the Sheriff's office is more involved and much more advanced than what we do for the fire department.  He did however need to help with course set up and watching everyone go through. 

The kids did fine,  they mostly followed the instructions we gave them and didn't make a mess of the house.  I'm glad, but it's a scary step and don't plan on using it very often just yet.

Here are a few Quotes I heard recently, some of them are from the women's retreat:

Abide with him (Jn 15:1-12) there is no formula to it and it's different for everyone.

If you're going through hell, don't stop.

Write your sorrows in sand. Write your blessings in stone.

We are never exiled permenatly.

The trouble with oppurtunity is that when it knocks it is wearing overalls and looks like work.

We need the valley to understand and have (increase) faith.

Last weekend I attended a woman's retreat.  The first I've been able to attend as money, the kids, or timing were always a factor before.  The theme was renewal and the messages were centered around Ebenezer, Ezekial, and Emmanuel.  I know it sounds intriging.  I did to me as well.  Well.......

Ebenezer - stone of help.  In other words our foundation.  Those things that keep us grounded Christ.  One thing we did was spend so time thinking of things - our "stones of help" -  in our life.  The times we can point to and say God did that.  Here are some of mine.  

• His placement of my family in many different churches, (different communities), giving me a chance to learn skills and lessons I needed.  I learned music, not just piano, but eventually flute, piccolo, and voice and organ.  Music became so much a part of my life that I studied it in college.
• Our house - We would not have this house if God had not wanted us here.  We should never been able to afford it, but God worked all the details and today we have been here exactly 10 years. 
• The community we live in - My husband received the call that he was hired by the school here to take care of their building maintenence and grounds the day I was in labor with our oldest.  We were in the hospital when the school called to tell him he was hired (the only phone we had at the time was a cell phone)
• Food our first winter of marriage - Sam shot a bear that fall and we had meat for the winter.  I may not sound huge, but it was to us.  We were living in a used travel trailer and I was pregnant with lots of morning sickness.  I got sick every time I smelled hamburger cooking, but the bear meat didn't bother me.
• The numerous times our gas gauge has gone up while going down the road.
• The many times when we have come home with more groceries that we should have been able to buy, for the amount of money we had to spend.  We spent about 4 years feeding a family of 5 and one dog + tolietries on $250 dollars a month, without government help. Only God could have made that possible.  By the way we ate well. God doens't do anything half way.

I could go on and on and on.  One of the most recent for us.  Sam's new job. The one he's wanted to do since he was in his teens.  He's a deputy for our county now.  And looking back I can see God leading us to this place all the way.  When I got pregnant with our first it made me rethink going back to college for my final year.  I didn't think I could do my senior recital  at 6 months pregnant and have a baby in the middle of student teaching.  If we had gone back so I could finish, we never would have ended up getting hired at the school.  If Sam hadn't worked at the school, he wouldn't have had the chance and time to join the Sheriffs reserves.  If he hadn't been in the reserves, he wouldn't have had the chance to to get hired when and how he did.  You see the snowball effect. 

Ezekiel - preached renewal to the Israelites at a time when they were exiled and captured from their land.  God wanted to restore them.  He wants to restore us, also.  Resore our hopes, dreams,  hearts, lives.  Whatever part of you that isn't whole. 

Emmanuel - The Savior, The hope of the world, The Messiah, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Redeemer, Friend, Father, Alpha, Omega...............His titles are endless.  He wants our whole attention.  He wants us to be whole.  He loves us no matter what we've done, no matter where we've been, no matter whats happened to us.  It doesn't matter.  He wants to restore the brokeness of our fleshly lives and transform us into a creation fit for heaven, but that's not a one time occurence.  It's a continual creation.  Just like the Hebrew word used in Genisis 1:1 for creation is acturally means God is continually breathing creation.  If he stops the world would cease.  He is continually molding, shaping and breathing life into his creation - into us. 

Then tonight I heard a message on restoration.  I seemed to me just an extension of the retreat last weekend.  God wants to restore us, but we usually think of going back.  Do we really want to go back to what we were last year? 5 years ago? as a kid?  I know I don't.  God's restoration is entirally different.  His restoration fixes whats broken, but that doesn't mean going back, it means we move foward. 

My fourteen month old has an ability to climb that defies reason.  Some of it is simple climbing while some is the ability to find ways to get where he wants.  Baskets, stools, toys, chairs, stools on benches (new today), balancing with toes on the arm of the rocking chair and hands on the counter (his favorite it seems) - the list seems endless.  He seems to have a driving need to be as high in the air as he can get.  On Monday, I rescued him from almost-on-top a stack of folding chairs leaning against the wall at church and today it was half way up my loom. I can't say much as he came by the climbing ability honestly. I delighted in sitting in trees as a kid.  It was a hide-out, a commanding view for what was happening, a refuge.

Now the real task comes not in teaching him when and what can be climbed, but in the right way to 'climb' in life.  To teach and train him to find what God wants more important than the world's idea of being 'on top' is the ultimate goal and with God's help we'll accomplish it.

Well, gradutation is done.  The kids and I went to Riverfront park for the day, the day before.  Then we went out to eat with Sam and one of his roommates and his wife.  We really enjoyed both.  Then the following morning we went to graduation.  We watched as the class marched and did flag detail.  We then listened to Sgt. Anderson as he spoke about life in law enforcement and how we can better support our officer.  I was very good.  Some of the students had been filming the training and had put together a video for everyone to watch (including deleating certain comments). After that we went to graduation and the dinner.  We ate and listened to Spokane's police chief speak.  Then we watched as the class lined up and mached foward to receive their certificates. 

Now we establish our new routine.  He working nights and off in the middle of the week.  I'm grateful for Homeschooling.  We are now moving into our 7th year.  When we started, we didn't anticipate it being so handy.  This year I'm looking at major changes in our routine.  Things like taking one day off when Sam has his days off.  This means school on Saturday, but one day a week we have a light day (mostly Art) and that will be Saturday.   This still allows me time to prepare for Sunday.  I usually prepare a meal I can place in the oven with the timer, allowing us to eat when we get home.  We also started having our bigger meal at noon instead of in the evening so Sam still gets to eat with us. 

We're done for now.  I know that as time goes on, there will be more training where he will be gone again, but I pray for not right away.  I also thank God for bringing us all home together again

Last evening didn't go well.  I talked to my husband (on his last week at academy).  He had spent the day in his shared apartment sick.  I didn't realize just how much that bothered me until later.  I think the combination of I didn't know, I coundn't do anything, and I still couldn't do anything was part of it.  Then a couple of hours later the evening went south fast.  I was sorting through some clothes for our five month old, doing the everything's getting to small and I have to find to bigger size among the pile of hand-me-downs from older siblings and cousins.  I heard a funny sound ( I was in the basement), then a couple of minuets later I hear " Mom you're going to want to see this"  I tried to ignore it, as I really wanted to finish with the clothes while Hans was still cooperating.  After the third repeat I went to investigate. 

I found all three older childer in the bathroom surveying the damage.  Julia had decided to climb to my small shelf where I keep some decorations (a doll my grandma made me, a cat figurine I really like, and a porcelain doll).  I had just changed the porcelain doll to a different one earlier in the day and she wanted to hold it.  In trying to get the doll from the shelf, she had also knocked the cat down.  The cat now lay on the floor minus three legs and the tail.  I wasn't angry.  Looking back I'm surprised at my actions.  I sent Julia to sit on a stool I keep in the kitchen and the other two out of the bathroom so I could inspect the damage.  I then proceeded to punish Julia and explain to her it wasn't because of the cat, but because she climbed up to a shelf that has been off limits always. 

Seth and Addy decided to just get busy on the chores they were already supposed to working on and had been playing at.   Addy climbed up to put a dish away and when she opened the cupboard door a glass fell out and shattered on the floor.  She immediatly began crying.  I saw it happen, she had done nothing wrong.  The glass didn't get put away correctly (a shortcut I'm don't know who took and I don't care yet).  I grabbed the broom and began sweeping the glass so, she could get down.  After I cleaned up the mess, I went back to the bathroom to pick up the cat pieces. 

I was so disappointed, because I really liked that cat (I know it seems silly to be so attached to some things).  The clothes still needed to be put away, so I went back downstairs.  About a half hour later Julia was packing around a salt shaker that belonged to her great grandma and she kept with her toys.  I thought the globe was plastic until she dropped it on the floor of her berroom.  Another mess to clean up. 

I was gald to be able to send the kids to bed shortly after that.  I then sat on the couch trying to put Hans to sleep and feling slightly irritable, but mostly just tired of everything.  I didn't want to do anything.  I tried to tell God about it, but I couldn't even figure out what was bothering me. All I could do was say "you know what is wrong"  How God does it I can not say, but after a couple of hours I no longer felt tired in my soul.  I was physically tired, but my soul felt happy again.  Everything was well.  I could rejoice again.   I was also marveling at God's healing.  I know he heals. He's healed me before.  It still is amazing however. 

I picked up the Bible when I got to bed and felt like reading a Psalm.  I glanced at a couple they didn't quite fit my mood. I then say the beginning of Psalm 89 

I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through  all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.  

God is faithful.  He just proved it again.

Awhile back I was asking my five year old some questions (school related):

Me  How would you correct this sentence?  There are two mouses in the field.

Julia (with a look of "mom I can't believe your asking that)  Set two mouse traps.

So much has happened.  Five months ago our youngest, Hans, was born.   A couple of weeks after my husband started police academy.  Not my idea for timing.  I've had to keep reminding myself that God's timing is always perfect. Someday I'll be able to look back and understand why this time was perfect.

A month and a half ago, the kids and I went to visit my family.  It was a great trip.  We survived the plane and airport.  Going through the airport and flying with four kids had me nervous.  Seeing my parents was great.  I was like takeing a break for me.  I had help with the kids and I didn't have much to do.  I helped Mom, but really didn't have to many decisions, like what to fix for meals, etc.  I also drove to my sister's and spent part of a week at her house.  I also got to help my other sister and her family load their moving van ( sibling bonding).  We had fun.   The four of us worked fast, but we visited and watched the kids play at the same time. 

Since we've been home, it's been busy.  We had yard and garden to catch up on.  The weeds in the garden are still out doing me. Now we're down to one week.  One week from today Sam graduates and will be home again.  I can't wait.  We've only got to see him for about a day and a half a week.  Now he'll be home (except for work).  

Next week will go faster since it's a short week.  I'll also be trying to put the fininshing touches on the house and yard without making everything look suspicious.  I have a surprise party planned for the Sunday after.  With help from friends at church, we should be able to pull this off. 

Looking back it's gone by fast even though at the time it seemed to drag.  It's been good also.  We've had the help and support from friends.  I can say that we have some great friends.  Without them this last five months would have been much much harder to bear. 

For about a month and a half my husband has been at police academy.  We get to see him on weekends.  This means late Friday night ( by the time he gets home) to late Sunday afternoon ( when he has to leave).  That leaves me at home with four children (ages 10 down to 2 months) the rest of the time.  It wasn't to bad until last week.  Last week the kids started to really react to the reality of Dad being gone.  School work almost went out the window ( I'm glad were almost done with regular work!!!!!!!!!).  It probably didn't help that two days we had chickens that kept getting out.  My oldest would much rather chase chickens than complete an assignment.  So much for school work. 

The house became a mess, even with the daily pick-up.  Somehow they forgot that we don't use jackets and shoes like carpet, not to mention the clothing they put on then took off, in trying to decide what to wear for the day.  Also somewhere they got the idea that they shouldn't have to help with any chores.  Their motto for the week seemed to be "we should only have to play." 

I really feel for single moms and military moms.  For me this only lasts until the end of July when he graduates and then he'll be back to his regular (for him) shift plus the shifts he has to cover while others finally get some vacation time. 

It's a new week and hopefully some of the attitudes of last week have been fixed (a good dose of Dad can make a big difference).  This week I have to get ready for our local Ambulance training meeting.  For me this means being ready to evaluate the other EMT's on their skills.  If we have a repeat of next week this could be a challange. 

Now off the the fire hall to begin to get ready.   

Recently we began to learn about Hermit Crabs with our school work.  We read the first lesson the same day we went shopping.  During the shopping trip (we only go once a month, since it's over an hour drive to be able to shop) I purchased a couple of new lamp shades. The next morning our youngest daughter, Julia, came down the hallway into our kitchen dragging her legs with her bottom in the air and covered with one of the old lamp shades.  It was a comical sight.  We watched her as she scooted about half way across the kitchen.  As she reached the middle of the room, she looked up at us and grinned saying "I'm a Hermit Crab." 

I often wonder how much she picks up since at 5 I don't require her to participate in the Science and History lessons.  She is usually playing nearby, but is she listening and understanding what is being taught? This was one case where she obviously was listening and retaining the information.