Fall Break 2024

We just had a whole week off for fall break. We were not able to travel due to the conference being on Saturday, but we still managed to have some fun while staying home.

Documenting the growth

Monday we made a trip out to Surf City to clean the beach house and do some fun things: searching for sharks teeth, Daybreak Donuts, and we hit up the new skate park that is just off of the island.

We had originally planned to come out to Surf City and stay for a few days, but when Jake's back went out the week prior, we decided it may be best to all sleep in our own beds this week. Tuesday, I experienced vertigo for the first time. Jake & I are getting old - ha. We spent the day at home Tuesday playing outside.

Wednesday, we made a trip to the Fort Fisher Aquarium.

Watching them clean the alligator habitat... while the alligators were in there was very entertaining.

Thursday we started the day with dental appointments. Then in the afternoon we made a trip to Peaceful Pastures for a "cuddle puddle with the donkeys" that Ella won in a drawing.

Friday the kids helped me and a crew, with set up for Rooted in Hope. We also got ready for Aunt Lindsay, cousin Kate & Kristy's arrival.

Lindsay's Visit

As previously explained HERE, my sister Lindsay, also a foster/adoptive mom, flew in from MINNESOTA to be here this weekend. Next to her is her friend Kristy, a single foster mom, who drove from MN. My cousin Kate, also a single foster mom, who drove from Greenville, SC for the weekend. So special that each of them came for the inaugural Rooted in Hope Conference.

Lindsay & Kate were also a HUGE help to Jake & me! They drove kids where they needed to be Saturday morning. And then Saturday evening they took the kids to a movie while Jake & I had a Bridge Church leaders & elders dinner with Jason Johnson.

Brunch after the Sunday gatherings

On Monday, Lindsay & I visited Wrightsville Beach in the morning and downtown Wilmington in the afternoon before Lindsay's flight home. It was so meaningful to have her here this weekend.

 

Rooted in Hope: A Conference on Foster Care & Adoption

 

Ashley & I have been planning for & praying over this day for months. Excited it is finally here and expectant of how God will use this weekend to catalyze our city and our church body! 

Jason Johnson was our keynote speaker and he was incredible. Our goal was to have content that would be encouraging, equipping and inspiring for all attendees, no matter where they are at in their foster care and adoption journey.

An interactive Mini Session with Ann-Maura Hinton. She got the attendees involved and smiling.

After lunch we had a Panel Q&A. 

Attendees could submit their written questions by lunch. Brandon & Ashley were the conference MC's.  Jake & I were not supposed to be on the panel, but the other couple could not make it since one of their children needed surgery in Ohio. This family takes on medically fragile children. Next to us we had a couple that has adopted 5 children through foster care. On the end is a single foster/adoptive mom. Really thankful for how God brought this panel together. Each of their stories spoke specifically to different attendees.

Group photo with Jason Johnson. 

My sister Lindsay, also a foster/adoptive mom, flew in from MINNESOTA to be here this weekend. Next to her is her friend Kristy, a single foster mom, who drove from MN for the Saturday conference. My cousin Kate, also a single foster mom, drove from Greenville, SC to be here this weekend. So special that each of them came for the inaugural Rooted in Hope Conference.

The conference was great. We have received a lot of positive feedback. Jason Johnson also spoke to our church body on Sunday at all three gatherings. We had "next steps cards" on every seat with a big call to action. We are thrilled at the response from our church body.

ILM kitchen progress: tile

 

Unfortunately Jake's back went out on Saturday, October 5. It was a very rough & painful week. He is feeling better and healing. After much rest, meds, a PCP appointment and multiple chiropractor appointments, the tile floor & backsplash are in!

ILM Kitchen Progress

We paused on projects for a week while we had family here visiting but we are back at it. Paint happened on Monday & Tuesday. Hoping to lay floor tile this weekend.

Rooted in Hope 2024

I realized that I haven't put anything on this blog about Rooted in Hope and it is probably time that I did. This conference has been taking up a lot of my free time and mental space.

Over the years my friend and fellow foster & adoptive mom, Ashley, and I have day-dreamed about have Jason Johnson come to Wilmington. Back up to last summer, I approached our church leadership asking that if I did the work to get Jason Johnson here, would the church support the event. My original thought was to ask Jason to come speak to our group of foster and adoptive families at The Bridge Church and also ask him to speak at all three gathering's on Sunday. Church leadership had a broader vision of doing a Saturday conference for our church and our city.

And here we are, 3 weeks out from the inaugural Rooted in Hope Conference. This event is designed to bring together foster parents, adoptive parents, social workers, Guardian ad Litems, advocates, and anyone passionate about supporting foster and adoptive families. Our goal is to make this a yearly event, offering encouragement and practical support to all who are involved in the foster care and adoption community.  

I could take up lots of space telling of how God has knit all the details together for this conference. How He has gone before Ashley & I in a lot of the planning. How those God calls, He equips. I love event planning, but not all of these conference details are within my realm of gifting's. God has been faithful in helping us write and produce a promo video, connecting and networking with almost 200 churches and organizations in Wilmington and the surrounding areas, writing a press release, contacting businesses for donations for giveaways, etc.

We are expectant of how God will use this conference to catalyze churches and believers in our city to step into serving vulnerable children. Pray with us!

HIlary & I shared about the conference on Life 90.5.

BURN Athlete Games

I did something very hard today - physically hard and mentally hard. Our Wilmington gym hosted their own, and first ever, Burn Athlete Games. It was originally supposed to be held on August 3, but then ended up getting moved to Saturday, September 28. We had a huge turn out and 57 athletes competed! The games began at 8am and were completed by 12 noon. I was in Heat 2 all day; 6 heats total. You could sign up for Fire or Modi-Fire and then it was divided up by age group. I was in the 35 and older FIRE group. There were three different workouts. 

TODAY, my goal was to do my best, finish and have fun!

My inspiration & my cheerleaders.

In the middle of Humble Pie

Modi-fire workouts did the same amount of reps but a lighter weight and they could use the bands for the chin ups. Then men had the same amount of reps, except for double the chin ups, AND a much heavier dumbbell weight.

The FIRE workouts for the women were:

HUMBLE PIE (8 minute cap)

5 unassisted chin ups

 *THEN* 3 rounds of:

10 push ups (on your toes)

20 dumbbell swings at 35 pounds

 *THEN*

5 unassisted chin ups

DEATH DROP (10 minute cap)

*10 reps down by 1 of each until you get to 0

Full burpees (on your toes & thighs can not touch the ground)

Snatches with the 30 pound dumbbell (1:1)

KEEPIN' IT 100 (15 minutes cap)

 *5 Rounds of 20 reps each

20 Goblet Squats with the 50 pound dumbbell

20 Double-Under's or 40 single jump rope

  I can not do double-under's so I had to modify to the 40 single's.

20 Irish pickups

I worked hard, I finished, I did my best and I had FUN! Here are my final times in minutes:

HUMBLE PIE - 2:24 

DEATH DROP - 6:18 

KEEPIN' IT 100 - 8:00

BURN will be announcing the winners this week. I think I am disqualified because I had to modify and do single jump rope's and not the double-under's that were required for the FIRE category.  I knew that and I am okay with it. So, until next year.....

Grandpa & Grandma Flaming's Visit

Grandpa & Grandma Flaming were here this week for a visit (Monday afternoon thru Saturday morning). The kids had school, unfortunately Lily & Ella did not have volleyball games, but then Friday we had a virtual learning day and we were all home for the day.  

Tuesday, the guys hit the golf course.

The girls hit Wrightsville Beach

Thursday Night Dinner at Blue Surf Cafe

 

Wren reading to Grandma

Virtual Learning Day on Friday due to Hurricane Helene. 

Grandpa took over the math lesson.

School Pictures: Fall of 2024

 

Benjamin Lee, T E N

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY, Benny!

We started the morning with chocolate and almond croissants. The yummy and easy ones from Trader Joe's that you just proof overnight and then bake. Benny opened gifts and then he was off to school.

Drumroll for the final gift..... deodorant!

We had a 1:30 dismissal for Parent Teacher Conferences. Benny had his friend, Maverick over to play for the afternoon. Wren & I baked Benny's chocolate cake that he requested. We headed to Lily & Ella's volleyball games at 4:30pm. After the games we grabbed pizza, from Italian Bistro, and headed home for a movie night.

Friday was a full day plus our new countertops were installed. So we finished icing Benny's cake on Saturday morning in between three trips to Lowe's for the correct PVC pipes for plumbing the new sink. Benny requested Chocolate Cake with cream cheese icing. He made a storm trooper face out of mini chocolate chips and red sugar.

Happy 10th Birthday, Benjamin Lee! 

We can not imagine the last 10 years without you. What a gift!

 

Update: Kitchen Renovation in ILM

We started our kitchen renovation in Wilmington back on August 10. We are moving right along and I decided I needed to post an update.

Week ONE: demo

Week TWO: rewiring of the electrical, adding more lighting, new insulation, also leveling the kitchen floor from underneath the house

Week THREE: remove popcorn ceiling, new drywall & mud

Week FOUR: Labor Day weekend in Surf City

We ordered cabinets from cabinets.com, same place we got the cabinets for the beach house. We were expecting them early to mid September but they came in early! The cabinets delivered on Friday, August 30. We decided to keep with our original plan and go enjoy Labor Day weekend in Surf City. This was our last weekend of the summer and we enjoyed the sun and surf. The kids caught so many waves and had a blast with all the neighborhood crew. Jake's been surfing a lot too. I also tried surfing for the first time. Very fun!

We came back to Wilmington and got to work. Unboxing cabinets. Installing upper cabinets. Taking up some of the damaged sub floor, leveling the interior floor and installing the cabinets. We have also painted KILZ on the old ceiling and new drywall. 

Tomorrow the last of the original cabinets comes out which means we will be without a kitchen sink and dishwasher until the countertops are installed. It will be an adventure!