The Saturday Report (because it's never 7 anymore)

1. I bought a car. It's 10 years newer than my van AND it has handles! So it's a major upgrade, even if it's from 2014. After researching a lot of vehicles that can fit 7 or more passengers, I finally settled on a Honda Pilot. Don't worry - we're not having more kids. I just like having extra space for the extra kids I tend to accrue. We picked it up on Wednesday, but I'm enjoying it so far. It's so clean!

2. My getting a new vehicle means Lucy gets ol' Vanny. She's a good sport and is just grateful to have a vehicle. It was so nice having her available to run kids around this week. Part of me dies a little every time my kids get older, as I watch their childhood slip away, but then I focus on the perks of them aging and it makes it a little less painful. Lol.

3. This was Lena's last week of soccer and it was jammed full. She had home games on Monday and Tuesday. Niki and her crew came to the Tuesday game. I was also watching Nash and Saylor so they got to be there as well.

On Thursday we drove 1.5 hours south for an away game, and then on Friday we drove 1.5 hours north! We literally had to fill up my new vehicle twice in the space of two days - which is such a treat when gas is almost $5 a gallon! 😩💸💸💸 

I'll never be a fan of the travel required for this sport, but it's been such a positive experience for Lena. And these girls - and their coaches - were so sweet and encouraging. I loved watching them grow as a team.

Justin still has 1.5 weeks of soccer, but then maybe we can go back to normal life! 

4. I read two books again this week. The first was Gladys Aylward by George and Janet Benge. We have a bunch of these biographies in the church library, but I've never actually read any of them. Gladys's story was amazing, although kind of insane. I always come away from books like this thinking, "I could never . . ." but then I tell myself that Gladys and Corrie ten Boom and all the other amazing missionaries probably would've said the same thing. There were many times in Gladys's story that she said, "I didn't know what to do." But God provided. I keep telling myself that if God calls me to do some great work I don't feel qualified for, he'll provide what I need to do it in the moment. 

The second was A Light to My Path by Lynn Austin. It's part of an interesting series about the Civil War. The first book is from the perspective of a southern woman, the second is about a northern woman, and the third is about a slave. I've been on a historical fiction kick lately, and this neatly fit the bill.

5. Memes with a theme . . .