It seemed that the weather heard football season was scheduled to begin Friday night and produced the cold, rainy weather we are accustomed to later in the season.

But it certainly did not deter the athletes. They came out strong and finished well.

Derek’s – and now Peter’s – loyal fan club was present. Aiden found Derek’s senior poster.

It was a packed house, despite the cold mist that fell all night. Let the season begin!

Another first day of school is in the books!

Derek 12th grade
Peter 9th grade
Jeremy 7th grade
Ruth 3rd grade
Jake (1000 miles away) College Junior

With Peter starting his freshman year at WA, we are doubly thankful for our proximity to the school. The boys have been walking together every morning.

Peter’s attendance at WA also means that our homeschool numbers are down this year. I’d say we are adjusting well, however.

This week, we worked on Geography and did a paper mache project.

We’re also studying physics and chemistry in science.

In the first week alone, we had several experiments, including this one on density.

We occasionally have neighbor kids come over to pet our menagerie of animals, and I’ve jokingly thought about charging admission to our personal petting zoo.

The guinea pigs continue to amuse us with their squeaks and chirps. They’re also showing an interest in sports, both football

and softball.

Not only that, but they are learning to read,

and have helped Ruth occasionally with English work.

On the canine front, we discovered that poor Molly had two abscessed molars. She had surgery to have them extracted last week. She was still a little loopy when we picked her up from the vet after the surgery, but she was definitely eager to get home.

The vet said that after they wake up from the anesthesia, most dogs lie down and sleep. Not Molly. She refused to close her eyes completely and watched through droopy lids as the technicians walked about the room. I diagnosed her as having FOMO (fear of missing out).

She finally gave in to sleep once she got home, and has been recovering well since.

August was a big month for Jake. After returning to school, he marched in the Acceptance Day parade. Only this time, instead of being the one accepted, he was the one accepting the doolies into the cadet wing, pinning shoulder boards onto their shoulders.

A few days later, he attended the Commitment Dinner, where he committed to remaining at USAFA for the next two years, and serving after that. It’s official!

We celebrated with him from afar, thankful for the way God led Jake on this path and continually walks with him. Jake sent a couple pictures from the night of the dinner.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him (Psalm 37:23)

The football team decided to serve brunch to all the moms a few weeks ago. Someone (ahem) had the idea to do a crepe bar because he knew someone who knows a thing or two about making delicious crepes.

The night before their scrimmage, Peter was up late making 200 crepes. And those crepes did not disappoint, especially when filled with fresh fruit and cream cheese filling; and served up by the senior boys.

The senior boys also taught the moms a few things about football. We learned about A gap and B gap, gap defense, and trips right, among other things.

Ruth joined the fun.

Over the past three years, Derek has benefitted from wonderful coaches. They have helped him grow not only in the sport, but also as a young man. I am thankful for their influence in his life. Here are some of them:

On another note, I found this picture of Derek being interviewed about the season ahead. Ever since last October, he has been counting the days until the start of his senior season. He intends to savor every moment of it.

Jake’s unexpected time at home was just under two weeks, but it went by so quickly that it felt like two days. The four brothers did a lot of bonding–usually late at night. I would see the light still on at 11:00, make my way downstairs to tell them to get to bed, then see this:

They spent hours sharing memories from years past, mostly laughing. How could I put a stop to that?

We went to Great America for a day.

Seeing these guys walk around together

reminded me of another group of four guys.

The thrill rides did not disappoint.

Ruth hung with her brothers for almost all of the rides, though she opted out of Giant Drop. You either love the drops, or you don’t!

The next day, Jake got to spend time with Sam. They came back and played some pool,

and made s’mores. Grandma and Grandpa came out to see Jake one more time before he left for school.

Jake had bought a one-way plane ticket home, with the goal of finding a car here that he would drive back to school. That goal was accomplished, and after spending an afternoon at Uncle Dave’s learning how to detail a car, he returned with a sparkling clean automobile.

The first thing he packed into his new car? The telescope…leaving a bare corner in the front of the house. Now when I sit in my quiet time chair in the morning, this is what I see–a constant reminder that my oldest is out of the house and on his own.

He left long before the crack of dawn on Friday to make the drive back to USAFA. While Jim and I brewed him some coffee for the road, Molly headed out with him for one last goodbye. It was no surprise to come out and find him gazing up at the stars.

I was so thankful to God for the time Jake was home, realizing that these times with the seven of us are dwindling.

One of our primary goals during the time Jake was home was to head up to Michigan and visit with family on the other side of the lake. Since Jim couldn’t take much time off, we chose to make it a day trip.

Once we arrived in Holland, we stopped off to see the popular Albert K’s Cafe, started and run by my Aunt Ellen. I found this picture of Aunts Ellen and Chris:

After observing the steady stream of customers and the bustling work in the kitchen, we made a pit-stop at Chris’s to change into swim suits and pick up the tray of brownies and almond bars she had made for us to take to the beach.

Then we met cousins at the beach!

They had fun being goofy,

building castles,

and spending lots of time in the water.

The giant raft was a main attraction, and appeared to hold up under the weight of all the kids.

Another attraction was the Sea Doo. The kids (and adults) went out two-by-two and had a blast.

We ended the day by joining my Grandpa Barker and Aunt Chris for dinner at Bob Evans. Grandpa posed for a picture afterward with the kids.

As we drove back home, one of the kids commented that “it was a perfect day!” I had to agree.

Derek registered for a football camp at USAFA months ago. At the time, we did not think Jake would be able to come home for the summer, so they planned to connect while Jim and Derek were out there. As it turned out, Jake did come home–at the same time Derek and Jim flew out west.

They were trading places.

So while Derek was touring the locker rooms,

the field,

and having his picture taken in front of a green screen,

Jake (and the rest of us) went into the city for dinner at my mom and dad’s and swimming in the pool.

It was a good day for all.

Last Thursday was a busy day. It started out with Derek and Peter competing in the final day of summer football. The teams had been competing all summer: weight room competition, earning points for attendance, among other things.

The final day was the softball tournament. Last year, Derek’s team dressed in a Polish Christmas theme. This year, they went with a more monochrome theme: Blue Man Group.

Because costumes weren’t enough, Jim went to Menard’s to get materials to build a prop. Proving that you can learn just about anything online, he printed out instructions on how to make a Blue Man Group drumbone. The kids practiced.

Then Derek and Peter picked up some blue leggings, and I sewed a bunch of masks. It was truly a family affair. Here’s the team.

These guys contributed…

toward a softball tournament championship!

And because they won the tournament as well as the costume contest, their team won the overall summer competition. Way to go!

But for these guys, the day was far from over. They, and a couple teammates, joined the rest of our family at a golf course in Grayslake to volunteer at the annual Cru golf outing.

It was great to have the kids there to help. Ruth was my helper at the Square cashier station, while Jake and Jeremy greeted golfers and chatted with them. Before we even arrived, Ruth had been asking to drive a golf cart. Jake gave her her first driving lesson.

After taking the wheel with Jake in the passenger seat, she was eager to show me what a good driver she was.

Let’s just say it’s a good thing she is not legally allowed to drive for another 8 years. After I ended this video, she sideswiped a huge rock. Thankfully, no damage was done to the hearty golf cart; however, that was the end of her driving experience for the day. She later renamed the rock the “ruthless rock”. At least she had a sense of humor about it.

The course was beautiful,

and it was a neat sight as the golfers all made their way to their respective tees for the shotgun start.

Derek and Peter arrived with teammates in their jerseys to stand at one of the holes, representing WA and greeting golfers as they played through. The boys got some time at the driving range too.

A common sight was Jeremy putting on the practice green. I kept telling him he looked like a short adult man all day.

At the end of the outing, all the golfers gathered under the tent for dinner and a message. The gospel was clearly and compellingly presented. We were happy to have been able to participate in this special day.