Life Update

The Walking/Running Thing

I intended to walk on Tuesday, but my knees disagreed.  So I took a day off, and Wednesday I took a short mile walk with our dog Simon.  I am eagerly yearning for the days a week or two from now when this gives me energy and doesn’t make me sore and tired and weak feeling.

Mark’s Work

Mark has been home more working on his writing projects, and that has been nice.  He is working on leads for other writing projects, and he continues to work at a couple part-time jobs.  Our hope and prayer is that I will continue with my one part-time at-home job, and he will be able to bring in the rest of the income we need to manage our family.  As always, we covet the prayers of anyone who is willing to offer them for us.

The Kids’ Stuff

The kids are all doing pretty well.  We only have one playing a sport right now.  Calvin is playing with the local Catholic parish’s baseball team.  Their pre-season tournament games have been rained/snowed out, so they haven’t played yet.  If we have a dry couple of days, they are slated to play the first of the pre-season tournament make-up game this Friday evening.  No matter how Calvin really does at baseball, it is good for him to be out there with the other boys.

Evangeline just finished a year with the Kirkwood Children’s Chorale. Participating has really improved her singing voice, and they performed two major concerts, one smaller concert, and at a couple of off-site venues.  She had her “re-audition” to see if she will move up to the next choir on Tuesday evening.  We are waiting to hear how it went.

All of the 3 older children participated in a drama workshop last weekend.  At least one of them, and possibly all three are planning to audition for a summer production of a local Christian theater group, and this workshop was to help them prepare for the audition experience.

Nevin played indoor soccer through early March.  He is still my biggest reader, and he will spend as much time as we let him reserving new books to check out from the library.  He hopes to play baseball on the Y’s spring instructional team starting in May.

Charis is about to finish K.  It is hard to believe, but she will be 6 on May 8!  She is reading, and playing, and happy.  Here’s a picture that her K teacher took near the daffodils outside their school last month.

The children’s school is considering its options for next year.  It may have to close if its leaders can’t find a new meeting place.  Updates from the leadership sound hopeful, but no details have been given.  With the school’s uncertainty about next year and the question of affordability,   I continue researching all the homeschooling possibilities available to me because it seems likely that is the direction we will head with school next year.

Overall

I am satisfied with life and God’s grace that is evident in it.  I have many blessings, and I see God’s hand in everything and every circumstance around me.   Yet, I feel a little restless and I am not really able to verbalize exactly what I am feeling and thinking about.  I am praying for peace and a more content spirit and the courage and faith to keep moving forward.

6 thoughts on “Life Update”

  1. That’s such an encouraging update, and the picture seems to fit right in. How we would love to be close enough to regularly attend some of the children’s performances, games, etc. Know that you guys are always in our prayers, and I’ll concentrate on the things you mention for yourself.

  2. What a fun update, and we continue to keep you in prayer about many things. Your walking efforts make me think of the “Couch to 5K” program several friends have done. I haven’t gotten brave enough to try it yet myself, but have investigated the notion. I like to “think about” working out a great deal before actually ever doing anything!! 🙂

    There are a number of podcasts out there for free download which are timed to help a starting walker/runner complete a set goal for each workout. Don’t know if they are totally applicable, but just maybe they might be helpful to you in your efforts?

  3. Just in case we have not told y’all, we pray for your family regularly. We will surely continue. Peace and a contented spirit, courage, faith- it seems like we have to ask for that again and again, and it seems to get harder and harder. (Didn’t I learn this LAST time?!) Honestly though, you amaze me. I feel like I could learn so much from you. I would bet on your measure of peace, contentedness, faith, and courage far surpassing that of practically anyone I know. Just that those things are your heart’s desire and not “make it stop!” (like me) ministers to me.

    As for running/walking, keep it up. And you are right to take it easy. I find myself wanting to do what I did at 19 and 130 lbs and it just doesn’t translate. Plus, then you get injured! So keep being patient with yourself, taking a day off when you need it, stopping when you need to, etc. And perhaps it will inspire me to get back on the treadmill for the first time since my pneumonia!

  4. Mom,

    Thanks for the encouraging words and your faithful prayers. Knowing you and Dad pray for us regularly is a real boon to our lives.

    Tricia, I will have to check out the podcasts you mention. I confess that I haven’t done much with the podcast technology, so I might need to get some help from Mark. If I were you, I would have very little motivation to exercise, but I know it can give you energy and strength, and every mom, no matter what size they are, can use that!

    Abby,
    Thanks for reminding me that you pray for us regularly. I think you have mentioned it before, but it is encouraging to me. I appreciate all that you said, and I feel very humbled by your comments.

    Re: the running, yes. I would love to go out there and do real mileage, but my old, out of shape body will not allow it. When we lived in OK, I exercised regularly for about 2 years, and i was pretty strong because of it. However, I didn’t lose a lot of weight (although it kept me from gaining a lot when I was pregnant with Charis). So I am not weighing myself as I start walking. I am also not going to diet really hard–just drink more water and watch it a little. I really want my goals to be health, more energy, and the ability to keep up with my kids.

  5. Glad to hear homeschooling is going well and you’re a little less stressed.

    Yay you! on the running/walking! I had similar goals when I started out: health, energy, etc. (hoping weight loss would be a nice side effect, though not obsessing about food or the scale) After 3 months of hanging in there and trying to increase my mileage/intensity I’m happy to say I suddenly noticed i don’t get winded nearly as fast! So … hang in there, it does eventually get better, though you may not notice it at first. I think the trick is to take it slow and have reasonable goals – which I think you do. You should already be proud of getting over the hardest part …. getting started! (and yes, I’ve lost 6lbs. woo hoo)

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