Life Has Been Life: Part Two ...

I can't believe I haven't talked to y'all in like two weeks. I am ashamed. In my defense though, I'm sticking with the same slogan as the last post:

Life has been life. 

It goes something like this: Life has been Kruz in a cast. Life has been football and karate. Life has been homeschooling. Life has been dreaming of cooler weather and craving fall. Life has been watching my summer garden die off and dreaming of a winter one. Life has been the husband taking Biology and Physics in the same semester. Life has been enduring some tough situations. Life has been all the little extra things that are too many to mention. 

We are coming up on the completion of week three with Kruz' cast and are staring down the next three weeks. I guess I'm he's doing okay with it all. Really y'all? Lets face it. I am the one needing to have eyes in the back of my head in order to watch him and quite frankly I'd like to have a little pity party for myself and just decide that the child isn't getting bathed for the next three weeks. Nope. Instead I'll suck it up and keep on a goin'. Kruz on the other hand runs around like a mad man and is not phased a bit. He was just doing flips on the couch today. Oh Kruz.

Kollin is getting ready to receive his next belt in karate. As he continues to move up, his forms are getting tougher and require more work at home. He's been practicing more here and is getting ready for his last stripe test before the next belt ceremony. If all goes as planned, he'll have a solid green belt by the end of this month. He's been practically begging to be a part of the Black Belt Club - Travis and I are waiting on a little more maturity at home before we sign up for such a commitment. Until then, Kollin is just as thrilled to be have the new all black uniform that only comes to solid green belts and higher. We're so proud of him! Kolt is our padded up kid who loves him some football. He has learned so much this year about the technicals of the game and I love to watch him play. He has so much heart out there. His team so far has won one and lost two. Winning or losing, I don't care - I just love to watch #8 tackle a kid twice his size with no hesitation. 

School so far is going pretty good. I'm still getting a true feel for how to set up our mornings. This past month or so has been one trial run after another. I'm learning what Kruz likes to participate in and what he could care less about, what subjects I can work with Kollin and Kolt on together and which ones I need to separate them for. Overall though, I'm happy with what we've accomplished so far. We're planning to explore a different continent each month and right now we're digging deep into Africa. 

I have been itchin', itchin', itchin' to make a new fall wreath and put out my pumpkin candles. I'm still waiting until October though and praying by then it's cooled off a little bit. I'm ready to cozy up on the couch with a fire and a good book. Okay, so maybe not a fire in October - but I can think happy thoughts, right?

Onto a greener note, our garden is pretty much a goner these days. We did get tons of zucchini, cucumbers, bell peppers, sweet peppers and had okra coming out of our ears (we still do actually). For the first go 'round at having a garden, I was pretty impressed. We still have a few late cucumbers coming in and I'll be snipping the last of our okra this week I think. I have the makings of a fall/winter garden in my mind, I just have to put those thoughts into motion - and I'm running out of time. 

Biology. Physics. One semester. Do I really need to elaborate? Lets just say the husband works, the husband goes to school and we cherish every bit of our time with him. 

Over the past week, I have watched the Devil use one of my kids as a playground. I am a firm believer that God is real - and so is Satan. As I have grown in my spiritual walk, I have watched the Devil entertain himself in my life more often than not here lately. I have withstood trials in my extended family and friendships over the past couple months. Recently though, Satan has put upon us a situation regarding one of my kiddos. Toy with me and my emotions, I can handle that. Mess with one of my kids and something strikes in my heart that I didn't even know could. Like the love you feel when you first hold your kid ... its a love you didn't even know you could feel. I have felt anger in my heart that I didn't even know existed and Satan has become more real to me now more than ever. I guess you could say when I saw Satan using one of my own as a means of attacking my spiritual walk, it gets real. Like the kind of real as in Satan has no filters and it's time to hunker down on praying for protection in this cruel world. Through God and only with God has my family been able to handle the situation gracefully. And to my close friends that lifted us up in prayer, thank you. Once again - Romans 8:28.

Life has been life. 

And no, no photos of my sweet, glorious children ... can I make another promise to get them in next time?