welcome to west texas... yes, we miss the trees, the rain, and some variations in the elevation... but longview doesn't have this scenery every morning looking out the front door...
it's a daunting task to put the first post up after a while. especially if you just can't find the time... and you've become more friendly with the fb world (so much easier!). but here it is and these are some excerpts of a letter to our youth group here as cindy and i and our 3 monkeys and this church continue on our adjustment to each other.
The past few months have been filled with different experiences for me and my family. For the first time in 10 years, and in our lives as a family, we are in a different city, different church, different school, and different house. Not to mention different job, different families and teens, different neighborhood, different stores, different friends, different mechanic, different doctors, and at the top of the list – don’t forget - different Mexican food restaurants! There’s a lot of things that are different, and honestly, different doesn’t always feel good. There were some good things that used to be a part of our lives that are no longer a part of our lives… and we’re faced with the reality that things are different now.
What if instead of the word “DIFFERENT” we substituted it with the word “NEW”. What would that do to change our perspective? Think about it. My attitude gets pretty down about “all the differents” we face in our life. But what if I look at it as a “new city, a new church, …” you get the idea. It gives my mind and heart room to think of great possibilities.
When I was 12 years old, my favorite bike of all times was stolen from outside our house. I was so sad, mad, disappointed, and – don’t forget - left with out a bike! You’ve got to understand that everyday after school I rode my bike and played soccer with my best friend and his brother. I was devastated. After a few weeks, my Dad took me to look for a new bike. I couldn’t find one just like the grey one I had – and yes, my old one had a banana seat. The best one we could find was a kind of green/gold color and the seat wasn’t as good as the last one. It was different. It didn’t feel the same. I had lots of reasons I didn’t like it as much as my previous bike, but I guess at some point I just got on the bike and decided to start riding it. Everyday. I made some great memories on that bike just riding with my friends. Yes, it was “different”… but it was also “new”.
As I think of all this, I know that this ministry in Abilene is going to be “different” for me. I know that the yearly SHYG routines and summer schedules will be “different” for teens and their families. But what if we decide to use the word “NEW” instead of “DIFFERENT”. What if we give our mind and heart room to think of great and new possibilities? I think it’s worth a try, and trust me… there’s a lot of things we’re going to call “new” around here.
so... here's to a better attitude, and a renewed effort at beating "culture shock".
don't know why it's hyper texting... but the picture above is one of the "trees" in our back yard.
here are the girls playing on the air mattress after amy and grandmommy and grandaddy spent the weekend, while cindy and i were at winterfest with the youth group.
checking the mail in our soon to be populated street (apple blossom road!)
lolo... doing what lolo does...
the girls have done well here for the most part. school is going well and they really are each other's best friend... even if they argue 1/2 the time. it's fun to watch when they are friends... which is a lot lately. they miss their friends and just haven't found that "buddy" yet...
wearing coats and getting bundled up has been a new routine too... the wind is just ... arghhhhh!!!!!!
coop getting bundled up for the "tundra" that we moved to.
here's coop and me after a morning jog. coop at home warm... me in the WIND. wow. so far, i'll take the wind to the humidity in east texas... but that doesn't make it any more fun.
cindy and coop getting ready to head out on the town! with cindy being able to stay home... well, with us making the choice for her to stay home this semester and the summer, she's gotten to get that first year to year and 1 & 1/2 home with our baby. she's gotten to do that will all the kids while they were really young. it's so cool. they become best buddies, and it's draining on cindy sometimes (because that buger is a little time demanding) but we both see such a great benefit to her bringing stability to our home routine... and to coopie while he's still so "little"...
this was duct taped to a minivan at the bank cindy and i had chosen to get our morgage and do our banking at. nice. i think i'll fit in here...
aubrey using my pearl snap shirt in a... creative way...
our routine has been blown out of the water and this is what we've seen more than once as we roll in late from someone's house, going out to eat (when we can ... it's hard with 2 morgages!), coming in from longview... you name it.
we have a great little route that we can walk around and get some exercise... or jog. it's 1 and 1/2 miles... coops didn't make it completely through this round!
grandaddy came to town and brought us our table that we bought in longview. we can put two leafs in it and it sits 10 people easy! awesome! we love it! now, ya'll come see us!
my senorita at a local restaurant called "los arcos". cindy and her roommates found it in college and its still there on ambler. we like it... just don't eat the fajitas - no bueno!
don't know why it's hyper texting... but the picture above is one of the "trees" in our back yard.
here are the girls playing on the air mattress after amy and gra
