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

Kyles Dorm room

Open House

Last night was our new school's open house. I have to say that I was very encouraged and impressed by the staff and the families that were there. One thing that just blessed my heart was the love the audience has for the administration and the teachers. As speakers were introduced, there was great applause and "shout outs" for them. Also, each especially made the point that Jesus and God's scriptures were unashameably (sp.!) going to be taught there. Amen ! The new high school wing was beautiful-all new science labs, band room, and classrooms. We are not used to new facilities-especially high school. (Great bathrooms?! unheard of!) We were there 4 hours, and we still forgot to do things. A big "WOW"!

Meet and Greet

Today was the Jr/Sr High meet and greet at the new school. Taylor got to meet the 3 girls that she had shared e-mails with over the winter. Lindsay was welcomed by a cheerleader or two, and met some new sophomores. Just to illustrate what a small world this can be, I met one mom who moved here from Westerville a year and a half ago. Her daughter went to Genoa Christian and had my friend Tracy R. as her teacher. I met another mom who grew up in McHenry County graduating from Cary-Grove, her daughter lived in Huntley with her dad. The two from Illinois just arrived here too. I told her about growing up in Crystal Lake, and that our daughters were the same age(hers born in NIMC, Lindsay at Woodstock Memorial.) Two high school teachers are recent graduates of Cedarville University. Most of the time I feel worlds away from the midwest, but today it felt closer to me....

Friends hurting

We heard from our friends the Hamricks tonight that Rodney's Dad died unexpectedly and that they would not be able to visit us tomorrow. Please lift them up in prayer as they travel to be with family.

"I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, "you are my God!" My future is in your hands..."
PSALM 31:14, 15

"Florida Hair Cut!" and Fishing

Yes, the day finally arrived where Justin got his haircut. Those of you that know Justin heard him say time after time-"I'm not getting my haircut til Florida!" Even still, he was protective of how much was cut. He allowed most off the sides, but wanted longer in the front and back, (not a "mullet", like Uncle Rick said-business in the front, party in the back!) I had never heard that before..but I wish he would have gotten it shorter.

before:

after:


Dave, as promised, got the kids fishing poles! They were all excited until canal-side when the only things biting were the mosquitos and "no-see-ums!" Long pants, socks and sweatshirts in 80 degree heat were a necessity. Here are some of tonights quotes:

"This stinkin hurts-it's not funny..." -Taylor

"Watch what your doin with that, you can't just whip it around!" -Dad

"There's a Lizard in the house!"

Today will be the first of many I am sure, but when I lifted a pool towel off of the family room floor, there was a lizard under it. I thought it was dead, but when Kyle went to pick it up, it took off. Dave and Kyle took care of removing it-alive, and safely outside to terrorize me another day. Kyle said it was nothing compared to the cockroach/grasshopper freak of nature that he saw climbing the family room wall last night. He hit it with his shoe, and thought he killed it, but heard it walking off. I better not see that thing alive any time soon...

We checked out the house again today...the concrete was poured around the pool. The man working at the house said that the pool cage was going up this week, and it looks like they are ready to pour the driveway and sidewalk to the front door. It seems to be coming right along.

Exploring

Today we ventured out to the area's best attempt at Easton. Coconut Point is a huge oped air shopping center. All of our favorite stores were conveniently located next to one another. Kyle got some clothes for college-his attempt at not having to do laundry too often-and the others got something also. We then ate dinner at Johnny Rockets-hence the smiley face done in the ketchup. Justin's new friends patiently waited for us to get home so they could swim in our pool. they say our pool is warm compared to theirs. They are such cute girls! Enjoy the video of Kyle and Lindsay almost throwing Justin over the edge of the pool-goos thing i wasn't watching the actual toss or I would have freaked...Dave comes home tonight...Yeah!! the pics below are of my two lazy teenagers in the pool, the front of the rental home, and the pool with the canal in the background.

New Friends

Today, in true "Justin" fashion, he announced that he met the girls next door, and asked if they could come over and swim. They had a blast swimming for a solid two hours. The girl are from England, and have lovely accents. Their names are Sydney and Brianna, 9 and 10 years old. Their parents were nice to visit with. Today we went for the kid's "gold forms" to be filled out, which required physicals. $180.00 later, we are all set for school. I caught up with Jeannie today...I really miss my neighborhood and the "boys in the hood." God blessed us today with the sound of kids playing..

The Rental House

Our rental house is very nice. The view off the lanai is terrific. The deep water canal is quiet, and the fish jump like crazy. In the morning, Justin just sits at the edge of the patio and watches for them. I can have my coffee outside and make phone calls, and see the beauty. A ranch is not a permanent solution for us, because it is very hard to keep quiet for all the the nearby bedrooms and teens that sleep till 11 or 12. Our home should be ready October 17th. I will miss the drive over the bridge to Cape Coral-its beautiful, and the atmosphere of being in the canal is so enjoyable. However, it will be great to spread out! We are a close family-but this elbow to elbow will get old!

we are trying to get a video of the flying fish to post, but it is difficult as you can imagine. if we get one I will post it.

shopping

Groceries!!
There have been a few times this move when I have had a true "deer in headlight" look on my face. Not since the movers burst on the scene that first packing day in Ohio has my reaction been as surprised as when i went to Publix with Dave. The cost of food and everyday items is considerably higher. It got to be a joke when I asked the cost, and Dave would say $4.00. A call came in from Amy Long, the guidance counselor of our new high school, on my cell and she said, "you know you are in the most expensive grocery store, right??" Needless to say, that will be the last trip there-other than meat. The dogs are going to get $1.88 green beans this week only (from $ o.44 at good old Giant Eagle)!

Lacey

Lacey is a pest by the pool. Every instinct she has says "jump in" but her fear holds her back. So she just constantly runs one way to the other-panting and licking the water. When she ventures to the tanning deck-(about 6 inches of water) then hair gets all over the water..yuck!

Our Blog

With Lindsay's creative help, we have a blog for those interested in how we are adjusting to our new life in Florida. Thank you for your prayers lifted on our behalf for all of our new experiences. I was praying the other morning that God would write His will all over our new, clean slate. We have new school families between Fort Myers and Kyle's College. The rest has yet to be chosen and we pray for direction in finding a new church, new friends, doctors, orthodontists, even care for the dogs! This is where we feel God with us each day as He answers ever little question we have!