August is a great opportunity for new beginnings with the start of a new school year! Emma is off and running in 4th grade and Eli is loving Kindergarten! We are so grateful for lots of teachers, coaches, and friends who have partnered with Clint and I to invest in our kids and prepare them for this next step. The start of the year is fun with the “Meet the Teacher” day, Senior Whitewater Rafting Leadership trip, and all the “firsts” of a new year. Emma is excited to be in the 4th grade as that is the highest grade level in our Lower School at NCCS and the 4th graders have some fun leadership opportunities (safety patrol, etc.).
On the last weekend before school started, we took the kids to Build-A-Bear just for something fun and they had the best time. I love seeing them just be kids! Emma and Clint went to visit Clint’s Uncle Billy and Eli and I spent a whole fun afternoon together riding bikes and eating ice cream. It is such a treat to be able to have this one on one time with our kids as they are growing up. I once heard Andy Stanley say “Build relationships with your kids when they are young in a way that will cause them to choose having a relationship with you when they are older.” Praying that God would continue to give us wisdom as we invest in our kids!
Emma and I worked a triathlon the last weekend in August and had a great time with our friends serving the triathletes. Members of the Kyle Pease Foundation…including Kyle himself…participated in this race. They are an inspiration in the way that they are pushing their bodies past what most people would assume is possible. There were a lot of wet eyes as those athletes crossed our finish line! Emma was a trooper as always jumping in and helping wherever there was a need. I’m loving the front row seat to seeing her work ethic develop.
Eli is off and running with his friends at school. Computer is one of his favorite classes this year and he has developed a real interest in art. He is also thrilled to finally have homework. I’m sure he will feel the same way when he hits high school one day!! Eli loves having some more responsibility this year.
Emma and Eli are playing soccer this fall in the YMCA Rec league and that is off to a good start. We determined early on that both of our kids need to stay busy. We try to expose them to lots of things as they learn more about the talents and gifts that God has blessed them with. We don’t have visions of World Cup soccer players, but we do pray for kids that love meeting new people, serving in the groups they are in, and learning what teamwork is all about!
The highlight of August 2018 definitely was the opportunity for Clint and I to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Wow! What a blessing! We had a great evening celebrating at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and then Clint surprised me with a chance to shoot guns at Governor’s Gun Club in Kennesaw. That was super special because I had mentioned wanting to try that several months ago and he remembered. We had a great time trying something new together! Clint is truly the glue that holds our family together as he leads and loves us so well! Here’s to many, many more years of adventure together!
