Time for a Little Catching Up

So...how've ya' been? It's been a while; almost a month since our last post. No blog. No vlog. Nothing from the Higham house since April 17th. So where have we been? What have we been up to? Today, we want to take a few minutes and do a little catching up with you. Welcome to Life in the Higham House!

Today is May 14, and we're coming to the end of what has been a pretty crazy season in the Higham House. We've been juggling a boat-load of activities for the last couple of months. And, while we had a little break in the busyness about four weeks ago, this last month has been the final sprint to what we hope is a possible finish line.

​So let us catch you up with some of the happening of the last couple of months. we'll try to keep this short.

The Kids

Most of our busyness has centered around the kids and their sports schedules. Nate, Aiden, and Asher all played basketball through the months of December, January, February and March. Asher played on most Saturdays (with an occasional weeknight) for the 6th grade travel team. This was his first year of playing competitive basketball. It turned out to be a great season for Asher. He played well and really enjoyed the game.

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He finished as the lead-scoring point guard for his team, first-team all section and second-team all district.

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Aiden and Nate played for the high school varsity team. While a thumb injury sidelined Aiden for the first four weeks of the season, it didn't stop him from having a really good season as a freshman starter. He still has somethings to learn and some work to do, but we're excited to watch him grow and develop as a player.

​Nate had one of the best seasons as an athlete, and he did it on the court. Nate has always been a talented athlete, doing well at just about any sport he plays. Basketball has been one of his loves, but after moving back to Canonsburg, he spent most of his time on the bench.  Then we moved to FC and got the chance to play. This past year we finally saw what we knew to be possible. He finished as the lead scoring point guard for his team, first-team all section and second-team all district.

You can see some of their games on our YouTube channel: LIFE IN THE HIGHAM HOUSE.

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From basketball we rolled right into the track season, with both Aiden and Nate participating in events on the track and on the field. Aiden spent the season learning how to throw and jump, while Nate demonstrated his athletic ability once again. Nate did very well in high Jump, triple jump and long jump; events that he will compete in at the championship meet for individuals. If he can place in one or more of these events, he will have a shot at going to states.

Just this past week at the school's Spring Sports Breakfast, Aiden received his second Varsity letter. His first letter was for basketball. Nate received his third-year varsity letter and an award for Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year, quite an honor.

Community College

After Christmas, Logan decided to come home. Things at school weren't clicking, so he started considering his options. You may remember that one day before he graduated he learned that he was accepted into his first-choice school. But it was too late to do anything, and since he already to committed to another school, he determined to stick to his plans.

Well, as time passed, to entertained the possibilities of transferring. But, after a campus visit and meeting with the financial aide department, Logan made the decision to come home and attend the community college. We think this is a great option allowing him to get all of his gen-ed credits done and out of the way without accruing the debt had he completed the work at his first choice school. Once the gen-ed work is done, he will be able to transfer and finish his degree and come out the other side with a whole lot less debt. We're proud of him for making this decision.

Greek. Pneumonia. Youth Ministry

For Jay, the new year started with great hopes of exciting ministry related activities. Jay returned to seminary to attempt to complete his course work and hopefully and finally get his degree. He also stepped out to deepen his relationship with youth workers from around the Presbytery as they work to build a network for support and encouragement.  But while the year started well, it didn't take long for it to spiral almost out of control.

Around Christmas, 2017, I developed a little cough.  We weren't too concerned as Jay has had an year end before. By mid February the cough was subsiding. By the end of the month it was gone. However on March 9th, for the first time in a long time, Jay got sick. Fever, chills, aches, sweats...the works. Fortunately Jay was only down for about 4 days, working 3 of those days. Unfortunately, the cough was back, only this time it was a wet cough instead of the dry cough at Christmas. Jay wrestled with the cough for about 4 weeks feeling more and more run down with each week.

Eventually, Amy, said something that made sense. She grabbed Jay and said, "You know, I was thinking...you have the same symptoms I had when I had pneumonia." DING, DING, DING! She was right. So off Jay went to see a doctor, and sure enough, pneumonia. This led to a week of antibiotics and working from home while resting up. Three weeks later, Jay was feeling better, though there were plenty of days where he felt completely exhausted, a sign that he was still not quite 100%...yet.

​Needless to say, it wasn't the first quarter Jay had hoped for. But Jay pushed through it the best he could. As we jump into the month of May, Jay's finally feeling more like himself. And while there were some real set backs, he's looking forward to the summer season as an opportunity to reconnect with his students.

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"You know, I was thinking...you have the same symptoms I had when I had pneumonia." DING, DING, DING!
​She was right.

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Back to Work

In the middle of all of this, Amy has been continuing to work outside the home. Along with subbing, she works at a local golf course as server during the spring, summer and fall seasons. After enduring a cold, rainy, and sometimes snowy spring, the course finally opened to golfers in late April. She has be a rock during these last couple of months. It takes a lot of energy to care for 5 kids, maintain the house and serve in a restaurant. And yet, she does it amazingly!

As we transition into the summer months, Jay and Amy will juggle work schedules, kids schedules, family activities, and ministry. Together they have made the strategic decision to limit our traveling so we can focus more on the ministry at the church, while spending more time with our owe kids. They are hoping to make a few new memories in the weeks ahead.

Another One Graduates

As the school year comes to a close, the reality of Nate's graduation looms ever closer. In just a couple of weeks he will put on his cap and gown to walk across the stage and take his diploma. Another chapter in Life in the Higham House will close. Nate will move on to college in the fall. He has decided to pursue graphic art and design, a field that we believe he will do well in.

And What About Breya?

Well, Breya, has proven to be a real trooper. She has endured more than her share of basketball games, track meets, and youth ministry functions. As we come out of this crazy season, we have plans to do more vlogging, including a new series that we're calling Breya's Place. Breya continues to show a real interest in fashion, make-up, and all other things girl! So has often expressed some interest in have a special place where she can share what she likes. We home Breya's Place will serve as an outlet for her creativity and interests.

​We will start shooting videos in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for Breya's Place on our YouTube channel!

Watch for Breya's Place coming soon!

Yeah, life has been a bit busy, but I don't think we would change a minute of it. We have had so many great moments that we are so thankful for. As we get ready for the summer, we are looking forward to sharing our adventures as we get back to vlogging and regular blog posts here on the site. We think it's going to be a great summer! We hope that you join us!

- the higham family

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