confusing times...at times

You long time followers know I'm always open and transparent with our lives(at least up to the point of where we need to protect privacy).  Some of you may be dealing with these same things, or have walked through them.

Our kids are growing up.  We are in uncharted territory regarding girlfriends and such.  Hard to see your kids become young adults.  It is easy to make black and white rules...but does that really help?  Is there a place for being a little bit fluid when you kid has great character and love for Jesus?

We are praying through vehicle ideas.  Carter is 15 1/2 and will be driving soon.  Mike and I drive old cars--but Mike's is really beat up.  Hard to know when to bite the bullet and buy a newer vehicle.  We hate debt.  We love mission trips.  We need a new vehicle, but that would mean no mission trips for good while.  Hard to know what is the right thing.  Praying for wisdom and patience.

Sometimes you realize a child with special needs will likely always have special needs.  Dillon couldn't tell someone how old he was a few weeks ago.  He wasn't upset about not knowing his age, but it cut my heart open that at 8 and a half, he can't answer that.  No healing.  Hurts like crazy.  Makes me so mad that he doesn't get any schooling or speech services all summer because he "doesn't have documented regression."  ARGH, special ed stuff is hard to navigate.


When do you decide it is time to cover the gray hair?

And yet, life is great.  My schooling is going well.  I have straight As.  I've begun learning about couponing and, with my friend Jenny's help, expect to knock 30-50% off of our grocery bill with just a little creativity and time.
Our children haven't been sick in a long time(big praise! I bet our pediatrician thinks we moved).   Summer camps begin soon and Abby is so excited to attend GA camp with her cousins again.  Carter will go to Student Life youth camp.  Dillon will take swim lessons.  Mike will put to bed his 11th year at the Christian school were he works.  He has also gotten so svelte by losing nearly 30 pounds with the help of "Lose it" app on his phone.  Hudson--well, he's a party waiting to happen, talks ALL the time, sings Jesus Loves Me and David Crowder's Oh How He Loves.  So cute.  The little challenges don't really matter do they?