Friday night Uncle Mike came for a visit. We had a lot of fun visiting, and Justin was quite entertained. He got to swim, play basketball, wash Mike's Hummer, go "4-wheeling" on the property around here, and in general not give Mike a second's rest! We had a bonfire last night-it was a beautiful, clear, warm night. Kyle played one on one basketball with both Dave and Mike-and beat them both. That was fun to watch. We only lost one basketball in the pond-to my knowledge it has not been recovered. Last night I heard a loud thud and it was poor Taylor-she walked into the sliding glass door thinking it was open.(we leave them open on nice days) She was a really good sport and laughed about her poor nose! This morning we heard our air conditioner kick on and something was obviously the matter. Dave looked out the window and a frog was in it and did not win it's ride on the big blade-yuck! That's life in Florida!

Lindsay got a new webcam for christmas so she could talk to her friend Bethany, so they recorded a video just for you guys! (: Merry Christmas!!

Merry Cheesemas!

Thank you Gary and Michele for sending us a treat! The funny thing about that is that my brother sent us CHEESE! I am not sure of the meaning because anyone who knows my brother, knows he hates cheese :) Like he can barely be in the same room with it! I think I will go have a lovely snack now! Thanks again!

Christmas Party

Last night was the Christmas party Lindsay planned for her sophomore class. It was a great turnout-we had about 25 kids there. Dave is a great master at getting events ready. He built a huge screen for the back lanai so the kids could play guitar hero outside with the image projected. That was a huge hit. He also built a fire pit and had a big bonfire going that they all enjoyed also. By the end of the night we had 3 basketballs in the pond from the driveway pick-up games! We had to order pizza 2 different times, and the chocolate fondue was a huge hit. We made Dave's mom's hot chocolate mix, and had it going in a big crock pot. It got pretty chilly, so they enjoyed that too. At one point the singing from guitar hero was pretty loud-I thought the authorities might show up-but I guess we didn't bother anybody! Taylor was the guitar hero "go-to" person for setting up what they wanted, and Justin was vocals when they needed it. He also played basketball with the guys and had a ball. I always thought that if I had a pool and if we had a party, that it would be great to have floating candles-so Taylor, Justin and I lit lots of them and set them free in the water. Unfortunately, I did not turn the filter off, and Dave noticed that there were not many candles and he saw the lid to the "catch" glowing! It was too hot to touch so we had to get something to get it off. It was pretty funny. All night the rest of them made their way in there!

"Happy Birthday" Dave!

Here is the view from our table that we enjoyed at a restaurant called "Turtle Club" in Naples. We all went to celebrate Dave's 45th birthday, and our anniversary. It was a beautiful night, and we made sure we were there for the sunset. Our table was actually on the beach!

Concession worker!

That will be $.75 cents!

This past week was just a blur....here is a quick update. We received an e-mail that Lindsay had won an award for her science fair project, and that if we wanted to see her get it we needed to be at the chapel service. She had been saying all along that she hoped she would not win anything because she would be so embarrassed! Dave and I hid along the back wall of the dark room, but that stinker looked around and saw us. She did a "double take" and then started shaking her head as her friends hugged her! Her comment to us was that she is officially a "nerd" now!
Justin has taken on a new responsibility after school-he likes to work the concession table. I had Taylor take a picture of him-I will try to get it posted. He works there for hours. Kyle came home last Thursday. He is off until the middle of January. He had a successful first semester-Praise the Lord! He is headed to Columbus to spend a few days with friends starting tomorrow. He was freaking out tonight because he said a snake chased him into the garage-and when Kyle freaks out-he makes us all freak out. In my "happy place" the snake slithered away into the grass and not into the garage. Last Friday Taylor got to cheer with the Varsity cheerleaders for pack the gym night. She was one of three middle schoolers who got to do that, and the only 7th grader. I was proud of her, she really kept up, and in some cases was more energetic than some of the high schoolers. I hosted a breakfast birthday party for a new friend this morning. Seven ladies came, and we had a nice time chatting and eating. It was a lot of hard work getting the house ready for company because I had gotten lazy about some things...but Dave and I worked like crazy over the weekend. I wish I was the "ultimate housekeeper" that always had the perfect house at any moment. Not happening! :)

This weekend was very busy! On Saturday morning we worked as a family at a housing authority complex with other volunteers from our church. We weeded the landscaped areas, and then mulched them. It was very warm-in the 80's. Dave and I were proud of everybody-the girls and Justin did a great amount of hard work! When the kids in the complex saw the fruit, chips and coolers that the church had set up for the volunteers they came out to have some! Of all of the residents, one man came out and grabbed a shovel to help-which I thought was nice. One thing the girls noticed was how most of the kids were dressed really well-they wondered how they afforded such nice clothes. ?? Kyle called us that morning to tell us that he was in Tampa for the Boston College vs. Virginia Tech game. He had great seats, in the military section. I don't know how he snagged those tickets for free, but he loved being there. That is one thing he misses about his college-there is no football at Southeastern. Then Saturday afternoon we were invited to a football party-Alabama vs. Florida Gators. We were told we had to root for Alabama-which is fine with me, because I don't know anything about either one of them! All I learned was that Alabama's mascot was an elephant "big Al", and something about "roll, tide roll....". It was fun, even though Alabama lost. It was a good game, and nice people were at the party. We were all tired today. A big shout out goes to my little god-daughter Emily who I hear set her hair on fire when blowing out her birthday candles this afternoon in Chicago. Poor girl! Fast action averted disaster....

Brave Boy

Today Justin had his endoscopy to see why he has had so much stomach pain for the past month and a half. He was a very brave boy. He didn't flinch when he got his IV. It was very scary to be wheeled into the room and have something put in his mouth to keep it open. That's when the tears flowed-both his and mine! He has gastritis at the top of his stomach and some irritation of the stomach walls. He is on new meds for the next 30 days, and a restricted diet to let his stomach heal. Kyle was very helpful by going with us since Dave had to work at 3:3o a.m. for "Black Friday". He (Kyle) made some pretty funny comments as Justin was waking up-but I will get to do the same when he gets his wisdom teeth out over Christmas break. This afternoon was the much dreaded "Christmas Picture". We tell the kids to dress in a certain theme and meet us at a certain place around whatever house we are living in, and they fuss and crab that they don't want to do it, blah, blah,blah. So when you get our Christmas card, please appreciate the pain endured to get it taken :) !!

An "Ostrich" in our yard!

Lindsay and I were leaving for the mall when she said, "Mom, there are two huge birds by our driveway!" I swear these are the biggest birds I have ever seen aside from going to the zoo. They were about 3 feet tall. This is the best shot of one of them, but Dave took lots of pictures.

It is another beautiful day here-I can't remember when it last rained. It is a high of 76-which is my kind of weather. It is going to seem weird to put up the Christmas trees this weekend. It really doesn't feel like Christmas when it is summer. I have to say it will be nice to Christmas shop without a coat on! Unfortunately Kyle has been sick with the stomach flu. It started with Dave, and I hope it is ending with Kyle. Kyle wants me to make cheesecake for him for Thanksgiving-so I hope he can eat it! Taylor wants apple pie...the others have not made requests, and I am not asking!

First Cheerleading Competition!

The girls participated in their first cheerleading competition yesterday and did very well! Taylor was a brand new flyer an she hit everything just right! Lindsay posted the video up on youtube! The link for it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4qLjzc_V3Q or you can search for "Kings State Championships!" Taylor's stunt group in the beginning is the farthest from the camera and she is the one in the air. Lindsay is the base for the stunt group closest to the camera and starts off with her back facing the camera. The team did an awesome job and got 1st place--while only competing against themselves, though, but they are incredibly excited for Nationals 2009 during the New Year! Go Kings!

p.s. the video looks the best on youtube if you click the option "watch in high quality" that is under the video.

The pictures from the past weekend are of our former neighbors and us. Glynnes looked beautiful as the mother of the groom. Dave and I were standing with Kevin and Lisa Bohan and Glynnes. Kyle was goofing around all night with his buddies Kevin and Ryan. Glynnes somehow managed to snag Kyle out on the dance floor. (That was funny!) The wedding was held in "Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral". (that's a mouthful!)

Wedding Weekend

Weekend in Ohio

This past weekend we made a whirlwind trip to Columbus and then to Akron for our former neighbor's son's wedding. It was really great to see the people that we were able to run into! Special thanks to dear friends Cheryl, Jeannie and Suzanne who once again housed our children so they could spend as much time possible with their favorite friends. I hope to have some pictures up from the weekend on the blog soon. We were able to go out to dinner with Cheryl and Doug just like old times on Friday night. On Saturday morning I had breakfast with Melanie and Tracey, which was really fun. After all, we are the "triangle of gossip" according to our respective sons(who didn't get away with much once we all compared notes)! Then we were off to Akron to see Brandon and Andrea get married. We got to see the Bohan's, and it was really fun to see the boys and joke around like old times. The wedding was beautiful! Dave told the girls to "not get any ideas" as this was quite the affair!

Lindsay & Taylor SFCA Competitive Cheerleading

Feliz Cumpleanos Jose!!

Today was Pumpkin Day in the 3rd grade. The eyes were radishes, nose was a brussel sprout, pupils were grapes, marshmallow for teeth and licorice for bangs, eyebrows, lips, earrings, whatever the student wanted. Everyone had to bring in a silly hat. All of the pumpkins turned out so cute! It has been like Ohio here this week. We have been waking up to temperatures in the 40's and highs have been in the 70's with beautiful sunshine. All that is missing are the changing leaves! Volleyball is now over, and we have more time in the evenings for being home. We do miss it, but it is nice to be home also!

Pumpkin Day

Here are pictures of the newest addition to the family, Cameron. What a cutie! Congrats to my nephew Nicholas and Brittany!

Fun with sports and friends

These are pictures from Justin playing football(taken by our friend Diane). I love the sideline shot! Taylor is shown with her friends Carol-Ann(on her awesome pool rockwall that her Dad made),and JoJo. We tried to get them mid-air, but only Taylor was taken-notice the splashes on either side! Top picture is of Taylor and JoJo. If the video below works, it is of the summer competition where the girls and their team were number1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4itsYBrnyvE

The girls had a fantastic time in Columbus this past weekend. Thank you to the Miller's and the Homoelle's for their hospitality and airport runs! It was fun to look at their pictures.

Here is a crazy moving story....I received a call from our vet in Westerville last night. She said that a woman had contacted her and said that she was unpacking from her move to Kissimmee, FL from Cincinnatti, OH, and noticed things that weren't hers. She came across Lacey's heartworm medicine,and called the vet to try and track us down. So I called her, and she said she had my scrapbook photo albums, games, candles, dog medication etc. So far, three boxes from my built-ins and my kitchen. We compared notes, and her household belongings were going into storage the day that our things were coming out. So we shared our moving horror stories, and numbers to try and straighten things out. I have close to 100 boxes left to unpack with lots of things missing still. I have no idea at this point if I have lost some things forever. I am currently keeping my eye out for her tapestry sheers that she is missing....I am grateful that she made the effort to call me. I don't scrapbook anymore-so what she has are old photos of my kids-irreplaceable!

Micaela Madness!

What have the Miller's done to my daughter?! :)

Taylor 7th Grade

Justin 3rd Grade

At the Tampa Airport

Today the girls left for Columbus to visit their best friends and go to the homecoming game at WCS. They were very excited! I hope Dave can get the airport picture posted of the two of them. He had to drive them to Tampa so they had a direct flight. When I texted Lindsay, she was at Graeter's ice cream with the "Fearsome Foursome"-Bethany, Matt and Matt plus herself. Taylor got to enjoy Donato's Pizza with the Millers. Fun times!

Living in the Country

This is my first experience living in the country and there have been little things that have blessed my heart by being here. There is a huge white crane-like bird that is by our pond each day. He is massive when he is flying, and just plain silly when he is walking. Lindsay has named him "Billy"-? Whenever I am in the lanai, especially letting the dogs out in the morning, a rooster is crowing. I don't know why, but I really enjoy hearing that. Our subdivision is between two churches, and church bells ring during the daytime hours on the 15. I love that. The little friends of Justin told me the other day that they can hear my grandfather clock at their house...A house down the way has a horse and I saw them visiting with it at their front door...kind of a Mr. Ed thing...I am dating myself, but that isn't something you see everyday! The neighbor picked up his boys the other day on his 4 wheeler...Dave saw a bald eagle perched on a big dead tree. Isn't this random?

The thing we don't like are the frogs. There are lots of them. Sometime I will tell you about the Cuban frogs that are an aggressive species. They don't bite, but I am told they might jump at you. Some people say no, some say yes. All I know is I was in the driveway by Dave's car and I heard a thud, and this frog had jumped from the roof to his car right by me. Was it a potential frog attack....who's to say :) I am thinking of giving Dave "license to kill" on the Cuban ones.

Here is one story about last week that I forgot to post. Justin and his two friends, Nelson and Luke, were swimming in the pool after school. I was sitting on the lanai reading the paper when I heard them all laughing hysterically. I asked them what was so funny, and they said that Lacey fell into the pool. I jumped up because I knew that I had not shown her how to get out. She was half in and half out by that point, but could not get her footing. It was like she was hanging on the side. I said to Justin, "help her!", and so he proceeded to pull on her collar. (So by now she was clinging and choking to death). I had no choice but to go in fully clothed and pull her off the side and have her swim to the stairs so she would know the next time that is where she had to go. Then all of the kids were laughing at me because I was soaked!

The same two little boys came to my door on Tuesday afternoon. They held up a dead, long snake that they had found. Awesome. It was actually very cute, (not the snake, the boys) but I asked them if they could maybe take it back to the street.

Kyle's visit

It was fun to see Kyle this weekend. He arrived in time to meet us at the new school to see Taylor play her volleyball game. Things ran late, and we went out to eat. He was in the mood for an "Outback salad with ranch dressing". We enjoyed stories he had to share about college. For the most part he is enjoying his experience. He has made friends and is on an intramural flag football team. They are serious about intramural sports at that school, so there is a website that will track the records. They are also provided with the equipment and hold practices several times a week. There are some things that are getting old for him. He says the weekends are getting boring because no one wants to drive their fair turn-so he always has to (which is expensive) or not go at all. No one wants to spend money to go to the movies. (he loves to do that). Mostly he has a bunch of guys in his room watching sports and playing video games. At home this weekend He loved being in his big bed and watching tv with a stocked kitchen. He also got to see Justin play football in his league. We stocked his truck with water, pop, ramen noodles, snacks and other grocery items. Hope to see him sooner than 6 weeks this time...

Hard Week

I realized that I had not posted for a long time, and that is because there has been no time to sit. We had two half days of school, and one special afternoon for "Johnny Appleseed" day. Dave was gone all week for his new store openings, and when I wasn't driving, I was trying to unpack a few more boxes. I don't know why, but some of God's answers have hit me hard this week as I have thought about this past year. I have been burdened by some realities, and to be truthful have struggled with His sovereign plan and the "why's " of things. In church today I was reminded of David's response to God's answer 2Samuel 12:20...it was simply "he worshiped". So the Pastor had us reflect on our response to God while singing the song posted on my playlist called "revelation song". It was a blessing to me, and so maybe you can try it too...

"Johnny Appleseed Day"

Here is Justin at school as "Johnny Appleseed", yes that is a pot on his head! Later he is at home with his two new neighborhood "buddies" Nelson and Luke.

Prayer request

I forgot to mention to ask for prayer for Grandpa Lora in Michigan. He is very sick with cancer, and is in hospice care. Grandma (Dave's Mom) could use some prayer right now as she goes through it all with him. She has been such a wonderful caregiver throughout his illnesses. We love you both, and are thinking about you!

It's hard to believe it is Tuesday. The past few days have been a blur. We are up to our waist in boxes, especially upstairs. I let Justin "unpack" his room, and it is like a bomb went off in there. I have not had time to try and fix it. I went to dress for Bible study today, and I had to pick my least wrinkled thing because I have no idea which box the iron is in! Tonight we drove to Sanibel Island for Taylor's volleyball game. It is a $6 toll to go over the bridge, but what a pretty view and an awesome place. I see lots of little shopping areas that would be fun to go to. The public school there was very nice. Our school had a big pep rally for the fall sports today, and the girls' competitive cheerleading team did the opening cheer. They have lots of polishing to do, but it was fun to watch. I did a horrible job videotaping it, but I will ask Lindsay to get it on the blog. She has a very bad cold right now and is pathetic. Kyle did not come home this past weekend because his college had a carnival for the town, and he had to volunteer. He is coming this weekend, and that is better because it would not have been "home" to him to be in chaos. He said that he bought pancakes for a family that asked him for money(I guess it is a depressed area). I hope he wasn't scammed-he doesn't have money to do much, but he said he felt that was what he was supposed to do. I look forward to seeing him!

Moving Day

We knew this morning that we were going to have to hit the ground running. After yesterday's fiasco Dave told them that he wanted the truck there at 8am. I took the kids to school and he went on to the house. When I arrived there was so much going on that I had to laugh. The moving company had sent 8 guys. Our Brinks salesman was there also with 2 tech guys because we told them that ADT said that Brinks will do a sloppy installation job. (The salesman was so upset by that he also had two of his bosses come review our houses' needs -and he brought coffee cake and fruit-NICE GUY!) The company that wired our house had to come out because of issues-so 1 Embarq guy was there. Then the Dish Network guy arrived, because the guy who came the day before did not know what he was doing. The Crystal Springs guy made his delivery. So 16 people with different agendas were all over the place! At one point the 3 company's had reps in our master bedroom closet looking at the same smart box. All were gone by 2:15 pm. Dave and I were so tired and hungry that we went for a quick lunch up the road. Taylor had a volleyball game, and on the way to that I got a speeding ticket. 51 in a 35-a definate speed trap area. He took some pity on me since I had a Florida license, Ohio plates, and an expired insurance card! It was still over a hundred bucks, but it could have been double that for all I had going on:( I should have just jumped on 75 like everyone else and done 90 mph! I would not have wasted time and money. Taylor is spending the night at a new friend's house tonight(JoJo) and Lindsay is at a party. Justin went on an all day field trip to the Mote Aquarium in Sarasota. He had a ball there. He took Dave's camera, and about 150 pictures-mostly of kids ears on the bus! There are a few good ones, if I get time I will post them this weekend. Thanks for the prayers-we survived the day. Thank you Jesus!

Just a quick post to say that the movers did not show yesterday as scheduled. They said they thought they could pick Thursday or Friday. Needless to say, it was upsetting to lose and entire day. Now they are sending a crew to just dump on us in one day. Please pray for things to go smoothly and for patience!

Ike

I forgot to comment on the fact that my WCS friends are now experiencing "hurricane days". Isn't that just crazy?! Power still has not been restored from Ike's winds that hit Ohio on Sunday. I guess our old house lost some trees-I am sad about that. Just goes to show that you can live anywhere and anything can happen...My kids are jealous that you don't have to go to school!

Big Day

We get to finally close on our house today! There is a lot to do before the movers arrive at 8am tomorrow morning. Dave loaded up the truck with the "least ugly" ceiling fans we bought. He wants to get them up before beds are in the rooms. My job is to begin sealing the endless grout that is in the house. Our entire first floor is tile except for the office and the guest bedroom. Then I need to move on to the bathrooms. I may need to borrow Taylor's volleyball knee pads! Kyle left me this text message: "I am coming home this weekend madre". It will be fun to see him-but he said that he was bringing plenty of laundry. We exchanged some funny "you'll have fun with that..." comments.

Cute Justin moment...

Just before we left for church I went in Justin's room and found a coffee cup with a disgusting array of liquids and solids. It was milk, goldfish crackers, chips ahoy cookies, water and I think that's it. I was irritated so I asked him what the cup was all about. His face immediately changed to that "busted" look, and he quietly replied "it was a science project." All witnessing the exchange had to chuckle and look away-while I asked him not to make a mess like that without my permission. I am sure that he and the neighbor girls had a great time mixing the concoction on Saturday!

After church Lindsay went to a surprise birthday lunch for a boy in her class named Jamal. For some odd reason, someone in the group gave him three mice that were three different colors. Three blind mice or something like that....I don't get it? Anybody?

I heard from Kyle...he is coming for a home for a visit in two weeks. I told him I would pick him up some pop on sale. He asked if I would pick up Ramen noodles because they are cheap and tasty. The classic college staple! What about the meal plan we paid for.....?

Saturday

Today Justin got to go to his first birthday party in Florida. It was for a girl in his class named Mary. Most of the boys in his class did not choose to go-but Justin is always up for a fun party! Another boy named Willy arrived and that was enough for him...It was a swimming party, today was a beautiful day and his face got some color today. (As usual he is really dark brown everywhere else).
We are trying to get some things for the house that we did not have the builder put in for us because of their ridiculous prices. For instance, ceiling fans. Have you ever noticed how extremely unattractive ceiling fans are? It is not something you look at and say: "That's pretty!". It is more trying to pick the one that is the least offensive. I try to remind myself that once it is up and spinning I won't pay it any mind anymore. Our rental house has some real "doozies"(sp)-I can hardly believe someone fell in love with them and had to buy them...Oh well, when you come to visit, make sure you notice our hours of looking up at a couple hundred choices and saying"this is not as ugly as that one..."! So far we have bought 7, we still need 3 more...
Taylor went to a volleyball clinic today from 11-3. When Lindsay and I went to pick her up, she was playing a practice game. She smiled at us when she went to serve-she made 3 points on her new overhand serve! That is so terrific. I never got my overhand serve, but my sister Linda was born with one....Taylor has really come along!

Volleyball in Florida

We arrived at Taylor's away game and were surprised that they were playing outside! I guess the Sanibel game is outside as well. Kooky. Taylor does not get a lot of playing time, but tonight she was in for a whole rotation and she hit two balls over the net (backwards) and got three points on serve. Pretty great for a girl who didn't know a thing about the game a few weeks ago!

9-11

I have been talking to various people about 9-11, and what they were doing when they found out that something terrible had happened to the World Trade Center. I was driving home from Dublin after dropping Lindsay and Taylor off at school. The Christian radio station I was listening to asked for prayer for what was happening there. The details at that point were few. I remember thinking it was a small plane. I called a neighbor's house, and he said that he had it on TiVo, and that it was no small plane. The rest of the morning I sat in front of the TV in disbelief. I had called Dave-he was in Milwaukee. All flights were canceled,and I remember looking up at the sky, and how odd it was to not see a single trace of a jet at all. (I remember that it was a beautiful fall day). When the first tower fell, I remember hoping that there would be survivors. The second tower fell, and other events were happening with other planes. I remember going and getting the kids from school-maybe my nesting instinct. Silly-I suppose-but I wanted them to be home as the rest of the day unfolded. It's hard to believe it's been 7 years.

Busy 24 hours

I was dreading Monday/Tuesday this week because they were so packed with activities. Dave and I had the final walk-thru on the house at 10:00. Some of you have heard already that our pool heater was stolen some time over the weekend. It was a unit larger than an air conditioner, it actually was next to them on the side of the house at the top of the driveway. Needless to say, I am calling the alarm company out the first day we are there to have some security. Dave had to fly out at 2:oo. Does the rest of my day/night sound like other busy families that I know??

Justin: out of school 3:00
Taylor: Volleyball practice 3:15-6:00
Justin: Upward football 5:30-6:30
Cathy: Mandatory jr/sr high meeting 6:00-7:30
Lindsay: Walk to softball fields to get Justin at 6:30 because of Mom's meeting, and then wait with all kids(including two girls spending the night with us) til meeting over...
Cathy: Take all kids to get pizza for a late dinner
Cathy: 5:00 am wake up to get four girls to cheerleading practice by 6:45 a.m., then take poor Justin to breakfast because he had to go with us!

The top picture is a picture of the trees I'm asking them to replace with a palm trees. The rest looked fine on the final walk through day...

The new groomer went a little over board!

Catching the Moment

The girls have to learn a portion of a u-tube cheerleading dance this weekend for their competitive squad. Lindsay took the time to study it, and then began to teach Taylor. I found them practicing in the reflection of the family room picture windows....It's great to have two girls that enjoy each other-I love my sisters, and they will be best buds all their lives!

Oral surgery bites!

Lindsay's oral surgery took a little less than an hour. She was very drowsy from being under, and was a handful when I got her home. It was a little hectic there for a while-but after a long nap she woke up feeling a lot better. In fact, she was frustrated that I wouldn't let her make plans last night. This morning she is sore and tired. I guess she had a hard time sleeping. Thanks for your prayers for her! I guess that "Ike" is potentially an issue for us next week...you get to know about storm cones and spaghetti graphs when you live here. Dave is "in the know" because of the preparations his stores have to make-and he is giving me the look like"sorry...", so I know it must be a threat-so stay tuned as we watch the weather reports....

Taylor had her first Volleyball game tonight. She actually got to start-which was a surprise. She played enough to get to serve and make the whole rotation before having to sit. Turns out that two regular players went to see the Jonas brothers, so she was able to get some playing time. Unfortunately they lost two games, but the great thing was we were out of there at 5:45! Pretty painless for a school sport! Kyle called last night. It is funny because he has no sense of time. He asked if he woke me up(it was 10:45) and then said "my bad" when I said yes. He then proceeded to tell me his stories for the week. It's good to hear how much he likes it, and that he has a group of guys he hangs out with. They have been visiting churches on Sunday mornings. They really welcomed them this past Sunday-Kyle said they were all grandparents and were thrilled when young boys came in! Lindsay has oral surgery at 9:00 in the morning-so please pray for her!

Taylor's Desk

Taylor's room has a niche for a desk...and she wanted it pink and green, so we had to order it unfinished...

Justin is helping Dad paint

The finished project!!!!

Back to School again

The weather has been great since the bands of the storm moved on. None of Dave's stores in Alabama were damaged, although one is still without power. Now Hanna is the next threat for his stores on along the east coast. Taylor's first volleyball game was canceled tonight. They had practice instead, and they fabric painted their knee hi socks for some reason, and she came home with blue sparkly (sp) legs! Lindsay spent the night at a friend's house last night so she could go to a free concert at a church in Naples. How can I say"no "to her going to see a band named "Christaholic"?! ;) I'm getting old...We visited a great church on Sunday. We were encouraged to find one that was more contemporary than what we have had for the past 9 years. One is not better than the other, we just need something new...The girls will visit the youth group tomorrow night. I have met such nice ladies at my Bible study on Tuesday mornings at our school's home church. Most of them have moved to Florida within the past 1-3 years, so they are able to understand me. Two have lost husbands since arriving(retirees), so when I think I have it rough I think of their stories and realize I am blessed. There is always someone with something harder going on... when I take the focus off myself I see that. I came upon a horrible car accident one block from our rental house. Two cars had been crushed by a semi. Here it was, a beautiful afternoon and this terrible thing had happened. I wonder as I am writing this how all of the people involved are doing. Yes, I am blessed beyond measure...Thank you Lord.

It's Almost Finished!!

Sod and Landscaping mostly done. This was the first time we couldn't get in...

the fort myers beach

the clouds that ruined our beach time..

lindsay and taylor at the beach.

Jose's jumbo hot dog.

We decided to go to the beach today, because it was supposed to be the nicest day of the weekend. We were not able to enjoy the sun for long-dark clouds loomed in the distance. We decided to go to the restaurant on the beach, and the waitress pointed to the "wall of water" headed our way-so we chose to eat inside. Good call, because within a few minutes the rain reached us. It was fun to watch the waiter rescue the ketchup on the outside tables! We enjoyed pool time once we got home. There is a TV outside, so we could watch the Michigan game in lounge chairs. That's when Lacey spent the afternoon getting the balls out of the pool. Don't ask why we didn't get them for her-she actually will put them in herself!

Lacey Torturing Herself

Our neurotic dog can not relax until she rescues every ball out of the pool! This went on for an hour!

Traffic!

This is a 2 mile bridge that is bumper to bumper every school morning...ugh. A big reason NOT to live in Cape Coral....and the "snow birds" aren't even back yet!

10 "Weird" things about Florida

1. The tap water never gets cold!
2. The grass...it's pretty much the crabgrass we tried to get rid of back home.
3. The weather...it's always raining somewhere...then it's nice out.
4. Ants...they don't respond to "Raid", it's like spraying Kool-aid!
5. Hurricane Days-there are no "freebies", you miss a day-you make it up.
6. Legal U-turns( I still find it bizarre they are necessary around here)
7. The speed-people are either 30 mph over or 30 mph under the limit. Mostly over!
8. Roaches are called "Palmetto bugs"!
9. Those people that stand at intersections with store signs...they are everywhere. Election week even candidates and supporters were there in force waving...big distraction since I am cruising with everyone else over the speed limit!
10. The stop lights...exceedingly long in Fort Myers. I was warned people run red lights because it's a good 3 minutes before they change. When you need to get somewhere it's the longest 3 minutes of your life....

"Me llamo Jose"

Justin is very excited about his Spanish class. He chose the name Jose, and he keeps trying to practice what he has learned. Aside from the fact he calls us all "senor"(i don't have a key on my keyboard for the thing over the "n")-he does fine. Lindsay thinks she did well on her Spanish 2 quiz, which is a big praise. I got to see Justin and Taylor after my first Bible study at the church today. It was a nice surprise to see them. At lunch, I visited for a moment with Taylor's home room teacher, who also is her Bible and History teacher. She is one of Taylor's favorites-and I can see why. Very nice, warm and funny lady. Justin was evaluated for the Upward flag football program tonight. It had been put off due to all of the storms, and finally tonight was the night. He did his drills just in time, the skies opened up and it just poured. (The sun was out too, so we got a nice rainbow)! Dave is stuck in the panhandle-there is still bad weather from Fay that is hitting Atlanta-so no connecting flight home. This storm has hit just about every store he has at some point this week!

We have a "volleyball player"!

Our big news last night was that Taylor made the volleyball team. No pressure, now she needs to learn how to play! They must have decided that she was willing to learn... Thank you Jesus for this new opportunity! It is picture day for Justin tomorrow-I was surprised they let us choose the background color and the pose. We also don't pay a dime until we see them and decide if or what we want. (Are the WCS people smiling at this?) Taylor gets to dress up (no jeans allowed) on that day.

On a sad note, please pray for a friend/co-worker of Dave's named Tony. He lost his 21 year old daughter in a car accident this morning. She leaves behind an 18 month old daughter....

New Pics

Grandma's visit!


1st Day of School-1st time Kyle is not in the picture

First Drive with Lindsay

I decided to take Lindsay to Coconut Point to get jeans that she needs for "jean day" at school. (I love having to buy uniforms, and then paying to wear jeans on Wednesdays-$1 toward the athletic department). Oh well, the kids like not having to wear uniforms one day a week. We had some luck at Delia's, and then Lindsay drove us home. She has only driven with Dave, so today was my first time riding with her. She did very well. In Florida making legal U-turns is a necessity-unlike Ohio where it was pretty much not allowed. Her very first U-turn was pretty funny-you will have to ask her about it! By the time she had to do another one, it was much better! Justin and Taylor spent some time swimming today-for the most part it was sunny today. Lacey seems to be feeling better-but she is still limping. It doesn't stop her from pacing the pool. My mom thinks she is doing that as an act of protection for the kids that are swimming...

TGIF !

Well, we got thru the first week of school-tropical storm and all...We are giving kudos to Taylor for trying out for volleyball when she has never played it before. That takes courage! About 20 girls tried out-so she said she is prepared to not make the cut( and not be upset about it.) Lindsay gets a big "high five" from us for wanting to be bilingual and therefore requesting Spanish 2 when the rest of her grade is only in Spanish 1. (She is finding out fast that WCS was way behind in the content taught in Spanish 1 compared to here-so she has a big challenge ahead of her). She is in her room making flashcards so she can catch up. Justin aced his spelling and Bible verse-a great start for him. Two family members that don't seem to be adjusting well are our dogs. They hate the grass here, and the weeds in the vacant lot next door have burrs that really hurt. They walk through the grass like they are walking on hot coals. Lacey has been limping off and on since we arrived. She hates storms and that is all we have been having here this past week. I can tell that she is not feeling well tonight. Maybe all can get some rest this weekend and be ready for more challenges next week. Thanks to the Severances for the gift of popcorn that was on our front step when we arrived home tonight...it cheered everyone up!

Everything's New

It sounds obvious that we would be adjusting to new things, but sometimes the sheer amount of new things gets the best of us at different times. Today I was frustrated turning too soon for a street I needed for Lindsay's oral surgery appointment. Traffic is always heavy on the main drag, and a mistake like that is costly. The kids are adjusting to new teachers, hallways, schedules, friends...and sometimes they get overwhelmed too. Thanks for the prayers...getting used to all of this is going to take time and patience(two things I don't have an abundance of!) We went out to our house tonight because Dave said the pool cage was up and the pool filled with water. Also, the carpeting was installed. Sorry to Jeanie for not calling you after dinner, I decided we would run out there before dark! As much as Cape Coral has new shopping and pretty views, now that I have to drive over the bridge at rush hour to and from school-I really can't stand the bumper to bumper stopped traffic for miles....

A Big "to-do" about nothing

Well, we have topped an Ohio snow day(calling school for 2" of snow)...we had a day off of school for a rainstorm. No thunder, no lightning, not really even a heavy rain. The wind was strong, 30mph with 60 mph wind gusts. We never lost power, so it was a day to catch up on laundry, sign school papers and actually take time to read a book. Dave's stores were open, so he went to work after making sure we weren't in any danger. Thanks for prayers for our safety. Today was the first "send money" call from Kyle. That must be some kind of record! :)

Hurricane's a comin....

I didn't know I would get to meet a girl named "Fay"! Lot's of speculation of exactly where she is going to hit landfall, but schools are already closed for tomorrow. We will be closing the hurricane shutters tonight and I bought essentials at the store today(water, candles, flashlights, food that doesn't have to be cooked). Fay is predicted to arrive around 8 am, and right now is said to be no more than a category 1. Winds will be high and lots of rain. The Cape Coral bridges close during high winds, so we will be staying put. No evacuations have been called for. We will let you know as soon as it is over how we did thru it all. Most of the locals call it a bad rainstorm. I call it one of the top 10 reasons why I didn't want to move here:) ! I owe many of you phone calls, between today being a half day first day of school, and getting ready for the storm I have only had time to sit and do this....talk to you soon...

College-WOW!

I had to split Kyle's college weekend into 2 parts because one part of me was sad, but the other was so excited for him and his new opportunity. The campus was beautiful, what a facility. Kyle's roommate Devin is so nice, and he has a small group assignment that do planned activities together. We spent Saturday unloading the trucks in the rain, setting up his room, running to Target for things we forgot(pillow?! razor?!)...going from table to table in the "Sac" (student activity center) to sign up for various things. It was exhausting. Sunday morning we went to an awesome worship service-great music, awesome message. Lots of laughing and some tears...what a blessing Dr. Rutland is to those students. Once again, the existing students and parents absolutely love the leadership and staff. Afterwards we had brunch at the campus restaurant which was gorgeous. You can pick from lots of types of foods-this is no cafeteria. There were mandatory meetings, which on one hand you wanted to have end-but knowing when they do you have to say "See you son, be good, study, don't leave your room a disaster, lock it, don't leave food out, do your homework right away, watch your language, pick Godly friends, blah,blah, blah, he has tuned me out!

Year of sad "See you laters...."

This has been a year of being separated from loved ones. The most painful have been the loss of Ryan and "Grandpa Tom". Though they are in the glory of God in heaven, there is a big hole left here for all of us who loved them. We also had to leave our neighbors whose kids have grown up with ours. We miss our Christian brothers and sisters from church and school. Friends, I still think I see your car when I am at school or shopping! Now we have dropped Kyle off at college, and his room is empty. Hard things...We were told to remember this verse as we left our sons/daughters at the university..."I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day....2Timothy 1:12 Our children are not ours, but God's. Kyle, we are praying for you and this opportunity that God has for you!

Campus

picture 5- the campus restaurant
picture 6-Kyle and his roommate Devin
picture 7-Bauer Hall-Kyle's dorm