April 21st Mary Wrote

Hello All!!!

Yes it is me, the long lost missed last turn sister Mary in case you forgot.

Life is good, sometimes I really miss when my boys were 4, 5, 6, and 8 instead of 14, 15, 16, and 18. Back when they were small we had a family calendar full of doctor visits, shots, babysitting dates, band programs for Paul, moms morning Bible study etc. We still have a family calendar and it is as full as ever, only now the boys write in activities as well and some weeks we just do not have enough nights. Paul has always been consistent with preserving our family time together. We continue to spend time 4 or 5 mornings together usually around 7, but sometimes it gets pushed earlier because of a breakfast date or Aaron going to work early and sometimes we just need to sleep a little later. We also continue to have time together at our evening meals having all 6 of us present 4 out of the 7 nights a week. I am very thankful for this, and I know we are way above average.

God has been so good to us, I give him continual thanks for his blessings to us.

The last year has certainly been a time of changes for us. Aaron will be graduating this spring. The home school association that will be awarding him his diploma will be having graduation ceremony in Harrisburg at the capital building. I believe they use the room where the Senators usually meet so the date is July 2 this year while they are out on summer break. It feels late to celebrate this accomplishment but that is the way it will be. We will be having a party on the 3rd for him. I have not finalized all the plans yet.

Aaron has been accepted at Eastern University in St. David's, Pa. He will be a Marketing Major. It takes about 40 minutes to commute down the turnpike as long as traffic keeps moving. Commuting is his plan at this time and hopes to get all his classes in on 4 days giving him a day to work to pay for gas. He will be working this summer for Blum Contractors - they run dump trucks, do paving and concrete work and whatever bulldozing work they receive contracts for. He told Aaron that he can work almost as many hours this summer that he wants to - the work is never done. He will continue to give Aaron work as available through the winter. Aaron has been working for him some in between school work for the last several weeks.

David continues to do well at The Upper Bucks County Vo-Tech School. He has received an A again this 3rd marking period making a total of 7 A's since he began in the class last year. Although he commented to me that this was the closest one to being a B so may be his teacher showed him some grace. David will be traveling with the Skills USA club (previously V.I.C.A) this summer to State competition in June and then to Kansas City in July for the National Competition. He passed the test and has placed for a state officer position for the organization so his trip to Kansas City is paid for by Skills USA. David is not thorough enough to be the best mechanic in his class but his teacher sees leadership skills and has directed David to be more involved in the business running of the organization. David has done very well by being the MC of some meetings and giving speeches. I am glad for the opportunities that Tech School is giving him. He is also being challenged in his Christian World View and I see him depending on God to guide him. We will be looking at some county college courses for him to take this fall.

Nathan continues to amaze people with his musical talents, I only wish he would practice. If he wants to continue with violin lessons he will need to find a new teacher. His teacher is at a loss as to what to challenge Nathan with. He is signed up for a violin camp this summer and I hope that will enlarge his circle and vision for his talents and abilities. I am looking into some County College Classes for him also in the fall. Nathan works in Blooming Glen and has taken to riding bike with Paul to work on Wednesdays. This may lead to more mornings this summer. They take the long way so I think it ends up being about a 15 -18 mile ride. Nathan bought a new bike and riding clothes last summer, and they are talking about some big rides this summer. (to Lancaster and back, the MS 150 etc.)

Life is a barrel of laughs for Nathan, he giggles a lot and is really the life of our party and many others as well. We received an invitation for a home schooler Formal Dinner and Paul and I decided to make it be an event for our 11th and 12th grader. Well Aaron and David were trying to figure out how they could convince us to let Nathan go as one of their dates because Nathan is 1/2 the party. Now I am not sure that David or Aaron are even going. Oh boy we have tried to teach them the importance of doing things together.

Samuel and Paul have also been doing some bike riding. Samuel continues to amaze us with his energy for activity. His reading has gotten much better which in turn makes him a better English student but his spelling continues to need spell check. He has been taking guitar lessons for a while now and sometimes plays for worship at youth group. After several trips to music stores, he and Paul found a guitar for him to buy. They have been looking and waiting for the right one. It is very pretty and sounds great. Samuel is very good at practicing, but sometimes I think it is an easy way to get away from school book work. Samuel would like to find a job this summer, but at this point he has nothing lined up. We will wait and see. With my bus driving, supper often lands on Samuel and he does a good job following instructions and getting the table set and preparing supper for us.

Well I knew I had lots to share but I really did not intend to write a book.

I am really enjoying bus driving. I think I could do this the rest of my life and be happy. Some days the children are a challenge but they are just lost children in a lost world. I try to be what God wants me to be for them in each situation, sometimes it is giving a loving smile, firm instructions, or that motherly look that I have learned to have. I am substituting so I see a lot of students in a week. I work hard to remember different students from the different bus routes so I can be consistent when I return to that run. I have learned to write some notes so that I don't forget some of the things that happen so I can respond to them the next time I am on that bus.

I will be going to VA with Lynn (kidney transplant friend) to visit her sister next weekend. While I am away I am hoping for some quiet time to prepare for a talk I will be giving at our Church Ladies retreat in May. I am planning to talk about "How are we a fragrance to God" and "What do we smell like to him". I plan to look at some Bible Characters and share different times in my life when I was a pleasing aroma and times that I was not. It has been a while since I prepared something like this to give to adults so as you think of me you can pray that God will speak through me and I can be the vessel that he wants me to be.

The same weekend that I am in VA, Paul, David and Aaron will be in New York at Word of Life for a men's conference. Nathan and Samuel will be at Haycock Camp for a youth work weekend. Paul continues to be very active in the boys lives and I am thankful for the relationships that I see being very important to all of them. Some days I think this is the hardest parenting time we have had yet, people warned me about these days having 4 teenagers in one house with one bathroom. God is good and continues to give us just what we need, not always what we want, but provides what we need. I am so blessed .

Have a great day, morning, night whatever it might be when you read this. I hope I didn't make you late for any thing having to read all this. It made me much later for bed than what I had planned, but then that's the life of a mother, my plans are never secure until they are over then I can be sure it happened.

I hope all is well - if this left any of you with any questions feel free to get back to me.

Mary

P.S. Darrell I think you are on this list I have a work related question for you that my family doctor couldn't answer - he told me to check with my pharmacist - I have a mail in prescription plan that is all automated. How do I ask that a real question? Any way I am on Lipitor 10mg for Cholesterol and my foot doctor would like me to take Lamisil 250mg for toenail fungus.

The dilemma; will these two medicines be too much for my liver to handle at the same time. I had a liver test and my foot doctor said it came back OK. What does he know about livers? I am also on Diovan HCT 160mg for blood pressure. What can you tell me? Thank-you for any information you can give me.