Summer's Gone?

It doesn't really feel accurate to say it was a short summer; but, it doesn't feel accurate to say it was a long summer, either. Gone are the days of the boys doing work all day one day, fishing all day the next; of hours spent at the lake; of Watermelon Wednesdays with our relief parents; and of constantly losing and ruining socks (actually, that part will probably definitely never end). School has been in session for four days now, and we are re-learning our rhythm, but I think it has been good for everyone. Each of our boys seem to be enjoying school so far (of course, it is really early); however, they are counting the days until our trip to Florida. CS and IG have literally every single class and two-a-days in football together, and on top of being roommates I was sure this would mean they would get sick of each other. So far, it only gives them a million more things to talk about (including talking about girls way too much. Pray for us). We have been really impressed with and proud of how TJ is handling things at school already. We think it is really going to be a great year!

We are now eleven days away from our Ranch Family vacation to Florida. The fact that we are going on this vacation when summer is technically over makes it sort of feel like we are caught in a summer-time-warp; I am dying to start making pumpkin everything, but it feels like I need to wait for the vacation to be over. I think it'll help the boys feel like summer isn't really gone just yet, and maybe that's good for them. Having the boys in school has helped us plan for the vacation, but it also feels a bit like, "only eleven days to make sure we have everything ready to take fifteen people to Florida?!"

If you are counting and realizing we are not including two in that head count, it's because Adeline and Henry are going to stay with grandparents while we are gone. I know Addie will have so much more fun with her grandparents--and she and everyone else would have hated her being stuck in the car for fourteen hours--but this will be the longest Addie and I have ever been apart: ten days. TEN DAYS. I will probably spend the entire night we are packing and the first half of the drive in tears. I'll definitely spend most of the drive sleeping considering we are leaving at 4:30 am.

When it comes to money for the trip, we are so thankful for God's provision--we have everything we need for the trip. This includes rent for the condo, money for groceries, and gas money. If you are still considering sending in money, we would gratefully accept it! Just know that it would be used for fun family stuff--going out to eat one night, buying some snorkeling gear for the boys, or maybe using it to get the boys some souveniers to bring home, like a t-shirt or a hat or one of those big conch shells with glued-on googly eyes.

As we have had time to take a breath now that the boys are settling into school, and we are on the big push toward vacation, I wanted to be sure to let all of you friends of WSBR know some things you could be praying for us about:

• You know how sometimes when you are really, really busy you don't realize how worn out you are until you sit down? That is how we feel. Big time. Please pray for God to use this time to help not just Blake and I, but for all WSBR staff to have some time to "fill up." 
• There are significant changes going on back home for one of our boys that are definitely heavy on his heart. Please pray for him to learn to really lean on Jesus in this time, and that Blake and I would be able to remind him of this. 
• WSBR has caught wind of a young boy who may be able to find a home at the ranch, and he would be in Blake and I's house. Please be in prayer for this boy, his family, and for us, that God would give us wisdom and discernment as we navigate the process from here. This is in very early stages, so this is the only information I can share.
• Please be in prayer for us when we travel to Florida in just eleven days--for safety, for no issues with the vans, for good attitudes, etc.  
• When you are living life and living in discipleship, relationships can become strained. Please pray that the enemy would gain no foothold in our staff-staff relationships and our staff-boy relationships. 
• Most of all, please just pray for the constant peace of our God whose presence so obviously rests on WSBR. When life moves fast and we are working so hard to do our jobs well, it is really easy to look right past what He has already done perfectly. 

Thank you all for your faithfulness to us here at WSBR. We covet your prayers and encouragement.