A bunch of firsts and blah blah blah

Friends, I've been experiencing technical difficulties here with the old blog.  My photos won't load correctly, and I have lacked the brain power to try and correct it.  I THINK that I may have overcome the blip, but still have many photos that I'd like to share, but can't.  Boo to that.

I keep putting off writing because everything just keeps getting away from me.  Too much is happening and it is taking all of my energy to just keep the family from spinning into the ether.  I have thoughts of writing and then my brain doest this: "Oh, I'll have to take a picture...and upload a picture...and type words that kind of make sense and don't have too many spelling errors...never mind, think I'll just read other people's blogs and wish that I could get mine back up and running."

So this post is in homage to imperfection and just getting going even though things are still a bit nutso.

For example, we had these lovely, sweet friends from CTK Cambridge, who now live in Houston, come visit us yesterday and today:

Clint, Lisa and baby Justice! They should be models, right?

Anyway, this morning we were all sitting in the living room after the kids had gone to school.  Lisa looked around and asked me, "So, all the kids are gone.  What do you do?"

My answer?  "I have no idea.  I have no idea what I do." I really don't.  Help plant a church, I guess?!

Anyway, here's the run-down:

Walter started school last week.  They wasted no time in piling on the homework and he is feeling the pain.  He also turned 14 yesterday!  We ate BBQ and I made his favorite birthday cake. If you like to pray, you could pray for him.  This move is really hard on him.

There was a lot of hilarity at dinner.

I love that guy's smile.

The cake doesn't look like much from here, but it is delish. And, more importantly, his favorite.

Then in other news, Theo turned 10 last Sunday.  Here is a picture of him on the day that sums him up pretty well.

Turns out Sunday was an important day in more ways than one as it was also the first meeting of our church group.  Christ Church Presbyterian is just a tiny embryo of a church, but we had a great meeting with 20 adults and 9 kids in attendance.  God is good!  I know the Lord is going to teach us big things in this; can't wait to see what they are. (Shameless plug:  if you want to receive bi-weekly email updates from John about what is going on with the church, let me know.)

Not done yet...got more mundane things to share.

On Monday, the three younger children all started at their new schools.  Clayton went off to the big, scary middle school.  In true Clay fashion, he is completely unfazed.  Everything is fine with him.  He has joined the 7th grade football team, got his pad and helmet and gym locker, and is practicing twice a day.  He finds his way around, and is just all-around the easiest kid you could ever imagine.  I keep probing to see if he is hiding something, but so far, I think he is really doing a-okay.  Except for really missing his best buddy, Mac.

Theo and Lucy are at the same school and trying to adjust to new routines, new rules and a whole new atmosphere.  I feel great about each of their teachers and I'm looking forward to their making friends.  I think it is going to be a great year, once we get over this little hump here at the beginning.  Our neighbors across the street are WONDERFUL and have really helped the two younger ones (oh heck, all of us!) feel at home and welcomed.  Thank you, JESUS!

Theo and Lucy on the first day.  The only way I got Theo to smile was to tell him to make a grumpy face.  Works every time!

The big news is that this weekend Uncle Clay and Robin are getting married!!  John and Lucy and I will go to represent the family.  I am so sad that the boys can't come; we just couldn't make it happen.  But we really look forward to celebrating this long-awaited day with family and lots of friends.  Yay, she will finally be AUNT Robin!  Little Clayton called her that the other day, and it made me so glad.

Other things of note:

*Lucy learned how to ride a two-wheeler in one day.  She is amazing.

*Theo starts football in the next few weeks.

*We have met lots of really fun and interesting people in the last week.  This small town thing is kind of fun.

*The kids and I visited the mall in Kerrville.  It is kind of like Burlington Mall, only if Burlington had three stores in it. Total.  My teen-age neighbor calls it the small.  Hee hee.  But we do have a Belk, which is not too shabby.

*It is really pretty here and I am actually enjoying the heat.  Reminds me of my hometown.

  

I do have some posts in my brain that won't just be family updates.  There really are DEEP THOUGHTS up in there.  Sometimes usually.

Word to your mother.