Oh my!

I just realized it has been over a month since I last posted! Yikes! Believe me, it is not for lack of things happening!

So, where to begin...

Well, the second weekend of April we made a trip down to Milwaukee/Racine. Steve and I had Red Cross Instructor Trainer Training in Pewaukee (our classes to train instructors). I'm already putting mine to use in the month of May by upgrading an instructor at Crescent Lake Bible Camp from being able to teach CPR for the Lay Responder to CPR for the Professional Rescuer. This is what their lifeguards need to renew every year and in the past Steve and I have had to teach it for them. It will be great for them to be able to train all their own staff, not just part. We are very busy getting our staff trained at the same time. Definitely pray for rest and strength for Steve and I June 4th - June 7th. The 4th - 6th we will have our large class of lifeguards and because we do the program in one shot rather than over weeks, it is tiring for us and the kids! On the 7th, I will be taking over the teaching portion to give Steve a rest and doing the First Aid and CPR. Hopefully it will all go well once again.

For the rest of April, it seems to be a blur of activities. Our AWANA finished up on April 22nd with Award Night on April 29th. I had 5 in my small group at the end of the year. We had more leaders this year which was nice. In the past, I had 7-10 kids in book time! This year was those 5 AND a helper!!!! Three of my kids move on from Sparks to T&T. Two finished their books and the third finished his book and book review. I had two other kids that didn't attend every week and were younger and they ALMOST finished their books. Kyle finished his first year of Cubbies and learned about 25 verses for the year. He also can say Psalms 23:1-3 so far - not bad for just turning 4. He loves to learn verses! Sammie finished book 2 in Sparks, her book review and part of her workbook. It was a little behind her pace of last year, but they do a lot of memorization and Bible lessons in school and she also has taken piano lessons this year which she didn't do last year. A six-year-old can only do so much. I want her to enjoy childhood not be pushed and hate it. She did a WONDERFUL job and has a lot of verses in her head. Last night she even tried to witness to a neighbor about a mile from us. She has asked what Sammie learned about in school and the first thing out of her mouth was, "God". She then proceeded to tell her that you need Christ in your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins to go to Heaven. The lady brushed her off saying, "Well some people believe that stuff." She tried to change the topic, but Sammie repeated it to her at least twice before she got the topic changed and tried to push Sammie aside. Sammie was very polite but direct. It was pretty neat to see...and I noticed others paying attention and smiling in approval.

On the weather front here, it has been slightly miserable. A week ago we still had snow flurries and we are supposed to get even more tomorrow. Despite that, we've had a few days get almost to 60 and with the downpour of rain all day yesterday, the grass seems to be perking up finally and starting to green. The deer are out and about in full-force along with TONS of turkeys this year. We also have at least 5 black bear around again. One already carried off a plastic container of mine... I had 2 bird feeders up for the last month, but they may have to come down before the bears may their rounds back through here (about every week or so). This will be about the third year straight of no bird feeders, no garbage sitting out in a can, it has to be inside and nothing with ANY food scent left around. They are quite destructive if anything smells like any food. They've crushed garbage cans, bird feeders, and gotten into our garbage. At other area houses they have wrecked tents, screen doors, feeders, gardens, you name it... Being only 3 miles from camp, it also isn't too fun if they go that way!

Well, there is a small glimpse of April. May for us consists of the last month of school for Sammie (Kyle is SO excited to play all day with her), a piano recital for Sammie, school activities, Fort staff coming and getting trained, and camp getting ready for summer (Steve had to retrieve part of the dock from out on the lake since the water got high and carried it off). We also have to make plans to repair some leaks in our roof in the next month or so and re-shingle it. We are trying to save every penny for materials and will hopefully do the labor with people from camp or friends helping us. Our roof has some leaks starting in late March so we have to repair it soon. The plans to replace the carpet that is 14 years old will have to be postponed until next year now.

Well, off to do the laundry since it is rainy, cold and gloomy outside. Hopefully, we'll all see lots of sunshine soon!