Helping Mama

Bob, Lukas, and Noah all pitched in to help prepare for a morning seminar held at our home on Saturday. Since I was the speaker, I spent my time thinking and organizing my thoughts, while the boys cleaned up, moved furniture around, and created visual aids.  These guys truly bless me.

Packing Operation Christmas Child Boxes

We continue the tradition of packing Operation Christmas Child boxes. The added incentive this year was the free meal at Chick-A-File for every box brought to the store. Needless to say, we were not alone in opting for chicken sandwiches for dinner that night.

Budding TA's?

Lukas and Noah are finding themselves assisting Bob with several of his work projects. Most recently, they commandeered the dining room table for robot assembly and programming.  Later in the week, as I was trying to school going, I was sternly told, "We cannot do that yet, we have to help Dad with this code, he needs it ASAP." So I retreated to the living room studying my American history book, while Lukas and Noah swapped ideas and codes on the computers in the 'Internet Cafe.'  I guess the principal of SILL Academy has the privilege and authority to establish the class schedule and lessons for each day.

They will be ready to serve as Teaching Assistants (TA) when the head off to college.

Halloween

We stopped at Alex Pumpkin Patch for pumpkins and walked out with arms full of pumpkins and squashes. The owner generously threw in several unusual varieties, and the one that has to be opened with a chainsaw piqued the boys' attention.

Since Halloween fell on a Tuesday, the College Bible study group that meets at our home, decided to join us for carving, food, and fun. For several students, this was their first pumpkin carving.

We opened up the garage and carved the pumpkins on the garage floor. As the evening progressed, it got chilly and Bob and the boys set up our fire pit. Many of our neighbors stopped by for trick or treating, warming up by the fire, and visiting. It was a fun evening and our driveway had an impressive line of lovely pumpkins to show for the festivities.

Camping

Although it is cooler here in Flagstaff, we only need to drive 30 miles south to find warmer temperatures. Last weekend we camped in Sedona with the local CC group. The boys both opted to sleep outside their tent, Noah on a cot and Lukas in a hammock. Noah's only complaint was that the moon was 'too bright' and once it moved out of his sight, the shooting stars were so frequent that it was hard to sleep.
The next morning, while I enjoyed hot drinks by the fires, the boys explored the surrounding areas on a hike. They came back a bit sweaty so a refreshing dip in the river seemed fitting before we packed up our gear.
Since we were already in Sedona, we decided to stop at the famous Rock Chapel. It has an interesting story,

and the view is spectacular.

A quick stop for lunch we headed back home to Flagstaff. A fun start on the weekend.

Washington DC

On Monday we traveled to Phonix so that we could catch an early Tuesday morning flight to Washington DC and attend ‘Back to DC’ with Teenpact.

Since we arrived early, we had the pleasure of spending time with dear friends, and we thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality and friendship.

Teenpact kept us busy for the reminder of our stay in Washington DC. The boys had a private tour of the Capitol, walked through the Supreme Court and attended a lecture in the courtroom where oral arguments are delivered, visited the National Archives, walked the monuments at night, and participated in worship outside the Lincoln Memorial. In addition, we heard several influential speakers, and for the second time this year, the boys heard President Trump speak. This time, they sat three rows from him, as opposed to at the Jamboree where he was ‘one pixel in my photo, Mom’ as Noah put it. They also had the opportunity to participate in mock debates and listening to lectures on leadership, resume writing, and media influence.

The event was attended by about 75 students, and they played Ultimate Frisbee on the National Mall, spent time in worship as a large group, and in small group discussions.

And, we walked, and we walked, and we walked – one day we managed to walk almost 12 miles.

A fun, energizing, and educational visit to our nation’s capital.

 

Lab Assistants

Bob purchased a robot for use in his classroom. Lukas and Noah eagerly accepted the challenge and opportunity to be his lab assistants.