Things are FALL-ing into Place

 

Each Labor Day we get the special opportunity to go to the beach with our QCP peeps and it is one of my favorite weekends of the year! The kids play hard. The adults play hard. And everyone gets to relax and have fun before starting the true grind of the back-to-school year. My favorite moments this year were getting to take the kids to the inflatable bounce park on the water, playing Bocce ball on the beach, having heart to heart talks, matching swimsuits, and drinking coffee with jazz music playing in the background. 

Aw...sweet snuggles!! Riley is almost as tall as Chris now!! And Maggie and Roxie were "twinning." 

We got to fit in some fall farm fun as a Fisher family (how's that for some fantastic alliteration??) a few weeks ago. I really cherish the fact that the kids still want to go to a festival, ride on a hayride, do a corn maze, and pick out pumpkins. It makes my heart happy (even if the ride there and back was full of bickering and not so fun moments). The good times really do outweigh the bad! 

One of my goals this year was to spend some intentional one on one time with each of the kids. So when I asked Riley what he wanted to do together one recent Saturday, his immediate response was sushi and laser tag!!! So off to Lake Wylie Bowl N Bounce we went and we had a "blast!" We got to play two different games with a bunch of 6 year olds, so we felt pretty good about our scores at the end! :) And the highlight of the day for me was getting to sit at a picnic table (because the Japanese restaurant we went to only had to-go) and talk with my boy. I grilled him with a Mother-Son questionnaire and also just checked in with his heart to make sure he was feeling okay and handling the change to middle school. 

This sweet, sensitive fella has amazing smarts in his head and a wonderful natural curiosity! He is caring and kind and compassionate. I know that he will one day use his natural knack for learning to lead others in awesome ways. And I also know that is growing up way faster than I am ready for. I know God is grooming his heart and helping shape his character now. I love that he loves going to youth group, being outside in nature, and playing video games with his buddies. And I especially love that he's not too old yet to give his momma a hug still! 

I believe he is going to use his engineering, mathematical mind to help blend faith and facts together! I feel strongly that he will have a powerful testimony of how God has always pursued his heart and how He will continue to do that for others. Riley is going to build a kingdom-builder and it's not just going to be in creative mode in Minecraft! :) 

Speaking of gaming, we got to enjoy some great game time at Player 1Up with Kelly and Dustin while they were in town visiting and celebrating their 4 year wedding anniversary. I took a day off school and was able to go do a submarine-themed Escape Room with them and even though Mom and I aren't the strongest links on the team, we still had a great time. I loved being able to connect with Kelly about counseling and find out some tools that have really helped her navigate relationships, especially within marriage. It's so cool that we can not only have fun together but also really get down to heart matters as well. I sure do miss my West Coast siblings! I am so thankful for the times that we do have together though and love that we can make goofy Marco Polo videos or send quick messages on text too when we aren't together. 

Riley started 6th grade band and we made the decision to go ahead and purchase him a trombone (hoping that he may stick with it for more than a year). Chris was able to pull out his brother's old trombone for he and Maggie to practice along with Riley on. Boy, Roxie and I sure are in for some "unique" concerts and practice sessions in the days ahead. :) Kidding aside, I am grateful that Chris does understand instruments and music so much more than I do and is able to help guide Riley. He pulled out his phone the other night and got a tuner app that helped Riley learn how to play his B flat scale. The joy of music is being passed on beautifully to our kiddos and I love that they are excited about sharing in this experience together!

I changed churches in August and joined Vineyard Rock Hill and I absolutely adore their house church model. It truly reminds me of what churches were like when Paul was around and how people gathered, gave testimonies, worshipped, and prayed (really believing in God's healing power and presence). My favorite part is how we, as a church, share the study of Scripture each week in a very active learning discussion. Instead of hearing a sermon preached, our pastor Ben, just facilitates questions and insight and guides our conversation. And the kids are welcomed to share as well. It is such an amazing thing to see God at work and I love how the heart of this church is built around serving others in our community, especially the homeless and elderly. 

My friend, Erin, gave our family four tickets to the Gamecocks game, so we got to take the kids back to William Brice Stadium. The last time they went, they were probably 3 and 5 years old. They still didn't last the entire game (we ended up catching up with my other friends Mike and Kimmy in Lexington after half time), but at least we left on a high note and the Gamecocks actually ended up winning the game. 

We got to celebrate Connie on her wedding day-- September 18th. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with a sweet ceremony and a really fun reception afterwards with delicious barbecue and even some line dancing! :) 

Maggie and I got to spend some intentional Mother-Daughter time at a retreat where we got to bunk in beds at Camp Canaan, hear an amazing testimony from Tiffany Johnson about how God has used her shark attack as a platform to share the Gospel, bond over interview questions, paddle board on the lake, and remember that how blessed we are to have each other! 

I am so proud of this spunky, silly, smart, and somewhat sassy girl that God graciously "loaned" me for a short amount of time. She is headstrong and strong-willed, but I know that God will use that tenacious spirit for His good! This gal has such a big heart for others and is incredibly thoughtful and kind. She is artistic and creative. She has an absolutely voracious appetite for words and writing and she makes me laugh and smile so many times during the day. She feels things very strongly and I believe that she will be able to use these feelings and her creativity to impact so many others around her. I see her as a bold leader, speaker, author, and influencer. World--watch out...Maggie Fisher is going to make her mark! 

Whoops, these next photos are out of order, but it's 9:40 at night on a Friday and I'm ready to wrap up this blog. So these are just going to have to stay out of order. :)

Proud of Riley's scout accomplishments! 

Riley has started middle school and is learning to survive some rather tricky situations with peers. He's being exposed to a lot of negative behavior and has to work really hard to keep up with all 8 of his teachers and their assignments. It's A LOT of hard work and there have been quite a few tears and frustrating moments, but there have also been texts from my former co-worker, and Riley's GT Math teacher, Mr. Small, that remind me that he is going to be okay. This is what Mr. Small said:

"I just want you to know that Riley is such a joy! He puts forth 110% every single day! Love this kid!"

Me too, Michael. Me too! 

Here are our annual back to school pic and signs! I love seeing how some of the favorite things change (and also how some things are starting to stay the same...like friends and sushi). :) 

Maggie Pie is rocking 4th grade this year. She has Mrs. Preston (just like Riley had) and even though she has to navigate when to go to the bathroom and friendship drama at recess, overall she is happy and thriving. She made the A-B Honor Roll for 1st Quarter and even got a perfect 100 in Writing! We are doing a Mother Daughter Book Study called "Braver, Smarter, Stronger" though and it talks about how to handle worries. Even though outwardly everything appears fine, Maggie still struggles with nightmares and anxiety at night. So we're checking into counselors and finding ways that we can make sure she has all the tools she needs to find peace all throughout the day! 

This is my tiny corner of a classroom that I share with 2 other teachers (Mrs. Symons and Mr. Brevard who are teach Resource small groups). Because it's so hard to have 3 classes going all at once, I've found a book closet to go to or I work out in the hallway. I don't mind too much. I really have enjoyed being able to specialize in just the area of math and really dive into supporting K-2 students. They are so sweet too! And I love feeling like a celebrity in the hallway. Other students besides the 36 that I work with, kind of know me and call me all kinds of names like "Hey, Mrs. Fisherman" or "Hey, Ms. Fishie". It's too cute, so I can't correct them! 

 We LOVED having Nan and Pap come visit the week before Riley and Maggie started back school. They were a big help to Chris and I while we attended our Teacher Workdays. They took the kids shopping and on special trips like to Adventure Air. We are so thankful for their willingness to spend a week with us!

WELL Family, this concludes another book. I wanted to get this typed up so that I could get it ordered this weekend and place the book under our tree as my annual gift to you. I know you may not read every word of this any time soon, but my hope is that you'll feel my love when you leaf through these pages. I LOVE being a Fisher and I am so very thankful for each of you! I know I don't tell you enough...but I am so glad I get "to do life" with you guys. You are my little rays of sunshine and I love you so very much!!