Chaos...

My life revolves around chaos. I think I thrive on it. By the end of the month I will have traveled all of the place both by car and plane. I flew to Oregon and then California in the middle of the month, I drove to Pennsylvania on Friday and home on Saturday, and at the end of this next week I will be driving to North Carolina.

There is definitely never a dull moment in the Burch household. I think we live to have our heads spinning around in circles. I guess that happens when there are six people living in a household and school is out for the summer. I know my adventures don't come close to the many places Charles has visited, but we have adventures still.

The great thing about all of the chaos in my life is that God is the center. I know that he is going to protect my family and guide us to make the wisest decisions. I am grateful for every precious moment I have whether it be in California spending precious moments with the Barker family, driving the long trip home from Pennsylvania hearing the kids bicker in the backseat, or picking up the phone and hearing my moms voice on the other end. There are so many things I think we don't sit back and appreciate throughout the chaos of daily life. I am learning to see each moment for what it really is...a gift from God.

Missing Charles...

It's the little things...

I miss him for the way he teaches the children how to ride a bike...and tie their shoes.
I miss the way he gets the kids ready for bed, tucks them in, and prays with each of them.
I miss the dimples that appear when he smiles.
I miss eating cinnamon rolls late at night because he has had a craving (so much for my diet).
I miss his soft embrace, the brush of his lips on my neck, and our late nights having Quiet Times and then praying together.
I miss so many things...

School Pictures...

Wow, the school year is almost over and the kids are ready for summer. How fitting that the school pictures from this spring are a beach scene.




Victoria is excited to move on to second grade next year.



Julianne is finishing up her first year in Kindergarten.



And Jacob promotes on June 14th. He will be attending Great Neck Middle School next year.

Swimming Lessons...

We joined the YMCA in January. That was one of the best things we could have done. The children take swimming lessons twice a week and have improved in leaps and bounds. When lessons first started Nate would not get into the water and none of the kids could swim. Both Jacob and Victoria can swim almost half the length of the pool now, Julianne is working on swimming a shorter distance, and Nate will put his face under the water. The three oldest are learning to dive as well. I look forward to seeing how far they are by the time Charles comes home in November. I know he will be astounded by their progress!

Love...

This is one of my favorite pictures of Charles and I. We took this picture during our trip to Virginia in October before we moved back here. It has been difficult with him away, but we are learning to communicate amazingly with email. We have been married now for eight and a half years and have definitely had our ups and downs. Our relationship now is stronger and deeper than it has ever been. I am grateful to have such a wonderful man in my life!

The friendships God gives us are such a treasure. I am grateful for the many true friends that I have. Charles has been gone over a month now and I don't know where I would be without the love and support of my friends.

This is a picture of Nate and his best friend Timmy at the beach. Even at 3 friendships are important!