2 Years Later

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope this finds you safe, healthy, joyful and warm. As I write this it is Thanksgiving Day here at the Newsome House. We have much to be thankful for this year. I could never cover it all in one post. Yet, we are extremely thankful for our parents who constantly support us in every way possible. We are thankful for the amazing staff we serve with at Antioch. We are beyond blessed by the loving church family we have a Antioch. We appreciate all the support from all our friends and family that make everything we do possible.

Fall Carnival Fun!

The nice thing about homeschooling is the flexibility. School is whenever we say it is as long as we get all the work done. We started on August 1st. So we got to take a nice fall break in October including a surprise trip to Great Wolf Lodge! 

One of the things we did for school yesterday is we filled out an A-Z thankful list. They had to come up with something they were thankful for each letter of the Alphabet. They got pretty creative with it including "Obadiah" for the letter O. As in the book of the Bible. It's really that they just think the name is funny but I was impressed they came up with it none the less.

Two years ago I wrote this post.

http://lindseyandglen.blogspot.com/2015/12/reunion.html

It became our most popular post at that time and is still our second most popular post as of writing this. Our most popular one presently is Macho Dad from last year. Unless of course, at least 6 of you have clicked on that link then it is the most popular post!

For those that didn't, or don't remember it. That is the post where we announced our role reversal. Lindsey went back to work as an ED Nurse at both DRH & PMH. I became a stay at home dad who home schools. It's hard to believe that it's been two years. Yet, as much as I don't want to admit it, I can't dispute the evidence.

The above picture is Lucas from 2015 the below one is Lucas from last month. He's definitely much bigger. There's also the fact that he can walk, talk, and we are working on potty training him. Also, another reminder of how long I've been "retired" from Information Technology is how long it took me to line up those pictures properly for this post. The technology has left me rapidly since retiring! For the first 6 months or so of last year I did some random IT Consulting here and there. I haven't done anything remotely like that this year as best I can remember.

I occasionally see people and they ask how things are going and if I'm interested in going back to work. I'm really not. I don't miss it one bit. It was time to move on and the last 2 years have confirmed that in so many different ways.

There is no such thing as a typical day. My homeschooling / stay at home dad philosophy is as follows.

Yes, this is from an episode of The Flash. Yet, it applies so well. This is why I have a Captain Cold Key-Chain clipped to my book bag. It's my reminder to throw away the plan and move on to the next one. 

Now time for a funny Lucas story. I know that's what everyone has been hoping for. I'm usually up right after 6. I hit the shower and try to get in some quite time before 6:30 and all the other kids start moving around. I start working on breakfast. Most mornings that's usually cereal and milk. I try to cook stuff occasionally. One of the kids favorite things (well 3 of the kids) to eat is Sausage. Madison does not care for it. Lucas absolutely loves it. The other morning I'm cooking Sausage in the pan and things are going well. 

Then Lucas finds out about it. He is super excited about the Sausage. He does not yet understand why he has to wait for Daddy to cook food before he can eat it. The following exchange ensued. 

That's him trying to climb my legs. I tried picking him up to hold him while I finished cooking but he just lunges for the frying pan instead. Madison found this hilarious and took photos of it. It was a lot of work keeping him safe while also finishing breakfast. It ended up taking almost twice as long simply because he didn't want to wait for the sausage to be ready. Yet, he would have burnt his hands and mouth badly if he didn't. 

I think that's where a lot of us are at this time of year in our walk with the Lord. There's something we want, and we want it badly. We think we can't live with out it and we have to have it right now. Yet, if we were have it right now we would get hurt and not be able to enjoy the very thing we were trying to get. 

Isa 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint"



I want to end this by telling you how thankful our family is for you! Nothing in the last two years would have been possible without the Grace of our Lord that was demonstrated through you. You have prayed for us, encouraged us, held us accountable, and provided for us in times of need. Keep seeking the Lord in all that you do the remainder of this year and the years that follow.



Love in Christ,

Newsome Family