Wrapping Up the Year...August-November

 Let's start with some comic relief...

• Riley while watching a TV show called "Floor is Lava" sees a guy slide down a fake volcano and clossed captioning happens to be on. He says, "I hope the subtitles say (disoriented laughter)."
• Maggie having fun with rhyming words and thinking of her walking cane that she found: "I think this should now be called my acoustic bamboo stick." 
• Maggie after not feeling well and staying home from school one day we decided to try an at-home COVID test for the first time (even though she only had a few symptoms and no fever): "Mom, this feels like a pregnancy test." Oh goodness...let's hope that we don't need one of those ANY time soon. :)
• Chris came home with a real-life funny story where a first-year teacher was told to "turn in receipts for any educational purchases to the BOOKKEEPER." So the teacher showed up at the Media Center and handed them to the librarian. 
• Maggie while in the van: "Can you turn up the velocity of the air back here?"
• Riley while remarking on how cold he was inside the house and comparing the different levels of warmth: "Well, outside it is so sunny, but inside it is just so light-y." 
• Maggie while walking through Windy Hill apple orchard: "WOW! Look at the hygiene of these plants!"

SHH....I have a secret...I'm behind AGAIN on uploading photos. So here they are in a final post before I publish and I'm going to dump them all together and highlight 10 GIFTS that I feel like I got to UNWRAP this Fall!

1) I'm thankful for FAMILY! These two precious kiddos have worked really hard in school this year to tackle challenging academic and social challenges! Their presence is a GIFT to our family every day and I truly thank God for allowing me to be the one who gets to parent them and love on them and learn from them! 

2)The GIFT of FRIENDSHIP is so incredible! Friends teach us new things, bring fresh perspective, encourage us and comfort us. We got the blessing of having Jacquel, my roommate at school, live with our family for a few weeks in September and October. She continues to be a blessing to us. Riley continues to be close with his buddies (John Howard, Caleb, and Parker) and they have plenty of opportunities to hang out at school, band, youth group, Scouts, and card trading stores like Grand Slam. Maggie got to experience her first concert (Danny Gokey) with Maria nearby and plan fun playdates for her friends like Ellie. Chris enjoys fellowship with his school buddies and our QCP peeps and was able to spend some extended time with Clay this year as they accomplished a Bike Across South Carolina event in October. 

3) My job is a GIFT! I was able to walk in the doors at Oakdale Elementary this year and I knew exactly what to do and how screen and plan my groups accordingly. I have a great support system and am so thankful for a team of people that LOVE to meet students' needs and grow their heads while we touch their hearts. I know it's cheesy, but it's true. I work really hard to close the gaps in math, but it's not a one-woman show...it takes a village and I'm so thankful for mine! 

4) Another blessing  is Friends that are like Family! We love the GIFT of going to Ocean Isle beach with our QCP buddies each year and we love being able to hang out with friends like Roger that we've known for a long time. 

 5) I'm thankful for the GIFT of technology! Through the app Marco Polo, I have gotten to have a much closer relationship with my "Soul Sisters"-Kyra and Rachel! We get to pray for each other, talk through daily hurdles, and share our hearts and everyday moments. The app lets us listen to the videos whenever we have time and we've found a rhythm where we can respond to each other daily at different times. 

6) The GIFT of TIME is so precious! I love getting to spend extra time with Maggie at our Mother Daughter Retreat this year in September. I love sitting around a fire pit in the fall with Chris. I like being able to eat tacos as a family and go to Miracle Park on Election Day. I even appreciate the hard moments of helping Riley with algebra homework amidst frustration and tears. Because at the end of it all, I know...the days are LONG, but the years are SHORT. And I want to make the most of the time I have. The gift of the PRESENT moment is what matters most!  

7) I'm thankful for the GIFT of change! As much as it is hard to see Riley grow taller than me and his Daddy, we know it is part of the process and the transition from childhood to adulthood. Change isn't always easy, but it's necessary. Change is what helps us not grow stagnant and keeps us sharp. I don't always like it, but I know that it does make me better. I can only imagine if I was forever stuck in the 1990's (like the Rock Hill Education Foundation fundraiser picture above)...while some parts would be fun, there would be so much more progressive pieces that we would miss out on if we didn't allow for change to happen. So I'm preaching to myself....change is good...try and embrace it! 

8) The GIFT of marriage is one that I don't get to talk about enough, but it is one that truly is designed to be a blessing. I'm thankful for this guy walking through life with me and challenging me to the best version of myself that I can be. His influence over our years together has widened my perspective in so many ways and while we don't share the exact same passions, we do have similar views on the values that matter most-compassion, love, and unity. 

9) The GIFT of music is such a powerful thing! Even though I don't experience and probably appreciate it as much as Chris does, it doesn't mean I don't enjoy or realize it's value and importance. Creating music, listening to music, responding to music is such a beautitful thing that sets us apart from other creatures. This creative arts gift is fun whether we are listening to Willie Nelson and his bluegrass buddies or getting a trombone concert in the living room. 

10) I love the GIFT of GIVING BACK! Better than any re-gifting experience is the gift of service and love. Through sacrificing our time, talents, and treasures, we are able to give others a better place to live. I LOVE working with my church to feed those in need through House of Agape and I LOVE that one of the requirements in Scouts and Beta Club is service hours. In an ego-centric world, we need to remember that the best gift we can give is thinking of others before ourselves. 

As we "KISS" this year goodbye in just a few more weeks...I just want to say how much I LOVE the GIFTS that I have been given. "Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17