September update

This will be quick! Our internet service is down more than it is up! One of the down sides of living in south Texas is the slooooow pace of getting things done. No one ever gets in a hurry. I realized recently that I had seen only 2 car accidents since we arrived...we see 2 a day in Nashville!

All is well. School is keeping us all busy...the kids with going and me with checking to make sure we are all on the right track... The teachers down here are so accessible and they are so grateful when I call and let them know we are on their sides! With one playing volleyball, one in soccer and one training along with myself for the half marathon in San Antonio in November, our free moments are few.

Love to all of you. Nancy

Since Last Time

Well, here I go trying to catch you all up on a hectic summer. We have been here a little more than a year . We are set to have eight girls at a time. We have three of our original girls and we have had twenty go thru he other five spots. June was a month that we had waited for in eager anticipation. "Our First Cottage Vacation" That"s where we take our 8 girls on a week long vacation. Now, to begin with...7 days with ...9 women in...2 motel rooms ..is no vacation. I found myself checking my makeup every morning and have you ever gone to the bathroom for 6 days with your eyes closed? Nancy planned a great trip...it was very economical...the motel was being redone so it was not crowded and the pool was fine...we did alot of free stuff...went to the Alamo...the hemisphere...Oriental gardens...parks...and our pool...alot. We did the river walk and shopped...even! We had two genuine "fit" throwers so some time when you have a few hours ask and I will tell.

July was a good month for the most part...NOW!...the most part was hit by the first hurricane in 40 years. The whole place was in about 10 inches of water at one time...electricity off 5 days...lost all the food in the houses and commissary. They are still looking for the playground equipment...We had sandbags at our doors on the out side and mattresses on the inside. It was unbelievable....at least that is what they tell us. Nancy and I were in Nashville on "relief" so we missed it all. TOO BAD!

August is hot...I had another birthday but at least my kids did not surprise me this year. WHAT A DEAL!....I like it because there is light at the end of the tunnel...school starts the 25..and they are gone...yes gone to school from5:30 til 4:00...Yah--ha==ha! There is much more to tell but I will let Nancy...ask her about the two year old that stole our hearts....Y"all come see us now you hear??????

I am downtrodden!

I had no idea that it had been so long since we posted...................Please, let me put some thoughts together and I will get back soon. All we have done is ...had 20 different girls...a vacation...a hurricane...a two year old...yeah...I need to think about this. I will attach a few pictures ...o.k.?

Tea anyone?

As girls in training as we call our young ones, an opportunity to entertain was a must. So a tea was planned, invitations were sent, goodies were planned and prepared and role play was done. We were ready! They behaved beautifully for the most part (a little jockeying over the guests and maybe a few too many chocolate dipped strawberries consumed), but the afternoon was a success.
The day before the tea we suddenly lost 3 sisters. An unexpected court date and they were gone out of our lives. That is hard on the girls and us. But we pray that all will go well as these girls return to their town and live with an older sister. What a difference 3 less children make! Less mess and noise and planning time, but also an emptiness in both our home and hearts. We know that just as quickly we will get a call and will again be welcoming a new little one who has been taken from her home.
So such is life in a childrens' home.

Please continue your prayers for us and these little ones. Our quiet days our coming to an end and the evidence of children in residence will be apparent day and night.

Nancy

Countdown to summer fun??

Our girls are anxiously counting down till the last day of school! We are anxiously counting down to the last day of peace!!! Lots of activities are on the docket for the summer. We begin right off the bat with cottage vacation...everyone tells us this is fun. We admit we do have reservations (those too, but, more the concern type). Let's see we drive 4 and 1/2 hours and then spend 5 days seeing various attractions and then coming back each night to a motel room (we did opt for 2 though, last year the cottage used 1 - just how do you do 10 people and 1 bathroom???).

As we were told when we came - "life is never dull".

Blessings to all of you.

Nancy

They have (grandson) misled us again.

Case the title did not make sense...this blog would have been written a few days ago but my angry thoughts at Texans were interupted by a new Grandson.....yep Chaz and Echo had a 8 pound 13 oz. boy named Granite. Side note! He was born on my Moms birthday and the grandkids always called her Granna. He was named months before birth. Interesting?

Texans! They'd walk ten miles barefoot to tell a lie , especially to a Tennessean. It was not bad enough that you had to kneel down in the "Hill Country" before anything looked like a hill, and it was bad enough that the "Alamo" where so many Tenns died trying to save Texas from Cheech and Chong was smaller than some of the closets Nancy had........BUT! Did you ever imagine in a million years that there is not now, never was, and never will be a "Yellow Rose of Texas!.....I am beside myself, can't write no more, if they call again from the Alamo...I ain't volunteering...............that's what I'm talking about.....gone

Spring has blown by

We need to tell you that we try always to be grateful for wind...if it wasn't for a nice breeze all summer, we would cook! But it is hard when the temp drops to 50 degrees in the winter because that "breeze" reminds us too much of real winter. These March breezes have been humdingers! I went to Walmart yesterday and had our newest 6 year old with us. She was helping load the cart and as we went out the door, the sacks she put on the bottom blew off and away they went...I quickly told her that she would have to hold the cart and off I went in pursuit of some really nice items. What a sight I am sure! I did prevail and caught up with the runaways. Next challenge was keeping the van door open while I was unloading the cart. We are talking serious wind here.

This area set a new record for the date when the temperature hit 100 degrees on Friday. It felt good to me...of course, we had the wind fanning us.

Hope you all are enjoying spring wherever you are and whatever weather conditions that come your way. Ray and I wish you and your family a blessed Easter as we count as our greatest blessing God's gift to us almost 2000 years ago!

Leap what?

Idon't know what all the hype was about having an extra day this year....WE NEEDED IT!!! With 8 girls going 8 directions at the same time that is 64 possible directions that two adults have to go and when you consider that half the time the direction changes or is wrong or you get there and you have wrong kid or the wrong day......that adds 32 possible directions for a total of 96. That is per day 7 days a week thats 672 directions a week or 34944 directions per year....YEAH! an extra day every now and then is nice.



Well, I knew she would not tell so I will....Nancy had a nose job....It crooks to the right a bit but I still love it...Actually she had the big roto=router on her sinus. I did make a deal with a dentist to clean her teeth, do the surgery and a slight face lift all for one money. Nancy refused to have her teeth cleaned so we had to go elsewhere....



Nancy is teaching a ladies class at church , also..................WHAT A JOY ! to watch her serve....HIM.

A General Update of Josh's Cottage

Things change so fast around here for us that thought it was time to make sure you all are caught up with us. Our latest census is 8 girls ages 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 8, 10 and 15. We can hardly believe that this school year is passing so quickly. The girls will be off for spring break the middle of March and then April and May and another year under their belts. As you remember reading our hallelujah blog in September, there are things to be said for no school.

We begin our day at 5:30, waking the girls at 5:45. They do a great job dressing, making beds, straightening rooms and a bite to eat and off to the bus at 6:30. All children in this county eat breakfast and lunch at school, but ours like a little something before they go. We do have one in head start that Ray runs to school at 7:30. Then they begin getting back in about 3:15 with the last one home by 5:10. We take care of homework as soon as they get home and try to have supper by 5:20-5:30 because 3 nights of the week some have counseling and/or tutoring here on campus from 5:30 - 7:00. Of course, then its off to bed and start again the next day.

With 8 girls I spend a lot of time on their clothes. It is hard to get everyone's wardrobe complete at the same time. One is a growing and one is tearing holes in her knees, and off I go to find clothes. Our sizes now, we do lots of hand me downs. We have a clothing room where I can at times find an odd piece, but usually its off to Walmart. They are typical women and are so "thrilled" with any "new (to them)" clothes. The Valley does have a winter and many of the girls clothes they were given at Christmas are not going to work long when spring/summer arrive.

Is Christmas over yet?

I am truly sorry that it has been a month since "last blog" but the "twelve days of Christmas" is no longer my favorite. Would you believe -30- do your head up and down 'cause thats what it was. I will collect all my thoughts about the happenings and report later but for now I must relay Christmas Day.

It was about 75 degrees so we took our tree, turkey,trimmings, treats,towels, trunks, and eight kids (4 to 15) to South Padre Island Beach. We stuck our tree in the sand, decorated it and carved our turkey to the amazement or disbelief of everyone else on the beach. Evidently that has never been done. It was trully a crazy day.......................then the blessings started coming in....in the form of people from everywhere wanting to take their picture with the tree. Stories of Christmas past , mostly smiles, silliness, some tears, many thankyou. From a couple from Canada who was going to use the picture nx year for cards (they came by three times) to a guy in a wet suit and surf board whose mom took the picture .(he was about 28)...................makes me want to go back tonSPLASH!!!!!!