An Anniversary and 3 States in 3 Days

Blog Post About July 2021

After the trips to see grandparents, we returned to our Texas base for two days before moving on. 

While there, on the morning of my 25th anniversary, I headed over to a friend's house. 

When my time with my friend was coming to a close, I got a message from Doug (late at night back in the Middle East) saying that I should go to a certain parking lot in the city where I was.

I texted him when I got there, and he told me to go to James Avery and pick up an order for Doug Taylor.

When I went in, there were two pairs of silver earrings for me to pick up, bought and paid for.

Happy Silver Anniversary to us!

That night, Doug also had three friends take me out to dinner. 

It was fun, but it would have been a lot more fun if Doug had been there.

Thanks Doug!

The day after our anniversary, Keira and I flew to Nashville. 

The first airport we went to cancelled our flight because of lightening. A sweet friend picked us up and drove us an hour and a half to another airport so we could catch another flight. We were constantly blessed by amazing friends!

We arrived late at night, but Kylie was still happy to come get us.

The next day, we looked at some possible houses for Kylie to move into, and then when Kylie had classes, Keira and I did a little sightseeing at the Opryland Hotel and Mall.

Covid made it kind of empty

A large Hungry Hippos game

Riding a ride with a new friend.

When Kylie got out of class at 5pm, we headed to Jackson, Mississippi, with a 6 hour drive in front of us!

The next morning, in Mississippi, Kylie had a follow up appointment with the doctor that did surgery on her knee. Later that night, we went to see Karis dance in her first ballet performance of the summer (she's in the front row, on the right)

Again, kneeling in the front, right.

It was good for all of us girls to be together.

Karis always has a good time at dance camp. 

This year, she stayed for four weeks with a fun roommate.

So many girls got Covid, and many were sent home, but thankfully, Karis made it all summer without being sent home.

Timon and Pumba at camp, ready to do some calisthenics.

Life in These United States

Blog Post About Fall 2020

We had car trouble on our way back from Nashville, and it was just me and the kids. Doug stayed behind to help Kylie finish getting situated with a bank and other details, and he rented a car to come home later (and stop and see more people on the way home).

Thankfully, I was able to stop in Memphis at our friends and let the kids do school for three hours while we waited for the car to get fixed.

It put us on the road late, and we knew we couldn't make it all the way home, so we decided to take a detour and see my brother. We knew we couldn't stay with them because the day before, they had just moved into their new house.

We got a hotel near them and went to see them the next morning, bringing my sister-in-law some coffee. She had arrived the night before, as well, seeing her house with all of the furnishings for the first time. She was away with family because her father had died the week before, but they have some wonderful friends who moved them in.

We took one of their children home with us for a few days until the rest of them came down for the funeral.

These two responsible boys got all their school work done each day.

September 7, 2020

Many days, Keira chose to do online school in pajamas and roller skates. Her French school was 8 hours ahead of her, so the teacher recorded each of the classes, and then Keira just watched the recordings without participating.

However, about 6 times during the semester, she did get up at 1 or 2am just to talk with her class and join in, but it never became the norm.

September 14, 2020

She was diligent about doing all of her projects though.

During the year, they followed a little pigeon named Emma who traveled all over the world, and every time she went to a different city, they studied all the culture, food, and art of the country that city was in.

The first city Emma visited was New York City. We made a crown, found a bedsheet, borrowed a vacuuming tool and a roll of tape and voilà...Lady Liberty.

September 16, 2020

Here, Keira created her own Keith Haring art. We just did the projects. Took a picture and sent them in.

I helped Keira where I could, but I had the added benefit of being connected with a sweet girl named Lucille who attended the university in town. Her mother is French and her dad is American. Lucille spent the first 14 years of her life in France, and she was a wonderful tutor for Keira, helping her memorize poems and reading to understand.

September 24, 2020

Amongst all of our travels, we kept a full schedule when we were at "home." Karis and Caleb didn't travel with us a lot, so they continued all of their activities with VERY sweet people picking them up and taking them to youth group, ballet, and soccer, but the rest of the time, our schedule gave our kids opportunities to make friends with and spend time with kids in America.
 

Here Comes the Rain Again, Not to Mention, My Tears

Blog Post About Summer 2020

The storms didn't stop.

When we left Memphis to drive to Nashville, we still had a lot of rain.

A LOT!

September 1, 2020

Welcome to Nashville, Kylie!  😂

September 1, 2020

We were privileged to be able to stay at the parents' house of a young lady we knew from our time in Africa. 

After a good night's rest, Doug and I got up the next morning to help Kylie get the things she needed to check into her apartment. Caleb and Karis stayed at the house so they could get some school done, and Keira went to the zoo with the children of the young lady (now married) we knew from our time in Africa.

September 2, 2020

The apartment looked pretty clean at first :)

We had never met these girls before and we didn't know anything about them, but we quickly learned one of them liked Vienna sausages (see cabinet), two of them came with jars of Nutella, one of them really liked microwave mac & cheese, and they all liked junk food a little more than Kylie.

Roommates can be an interesting situation. 

Different beliefs, different hobbies, different schedules-kept can cause tension.

It was a good year of growth...maybe for all of them.

How did this Happen??

Blog Post About Summer 2020

And the day arrives that you never thought possible...

Your firstborn is leaving home for college, and all she are taking is what you gave them for the first 18 years of her life. 

What?!?

August 28, 2020

Compared to what I took to college, she really didn't have that much stuff. 

One day after we left the house, my friend Leah sent this picture of our picture from 2007 that she found. 

It twas perfect timing as I was saying goodbye, and I was so appreciative because all of my children's baby pictures are in boxes, waiting for the day we set up house in America.

2007

We took the long, slow way to Nashville so we could see people along the way.

First stop: Waco

We took the grandparents to eat Middle Eastern food.

August 28, 2020

Then we headed to Dallas where we stayed with some friends who were like grandparents to my children while we lived in Africa. Jan and Lynn are like family. We took vacations together, went on safaris together, and spent many nights eating popcorn and playing Uno.

August 29, 2020

Then next morning, early, we went to get Kylie's car inspected, and then headed towards Arkansas.

We met a family for lunch near Hot Springs, and pretty quickly a storm rolled in.

We were also meeting a family from Jonesboro for dinner, but knew we couldn't make it there and get to Memphis (where we were spending the night) in a decent amount of time, so thankfully, this sweet family agreed to meet us in Memphis for dinner.

I can't tell you how glad I am that they made time for us and that it worked out for us to see the Rainwaters on this trip! We met them in Africa, too, and they are always such great encouragers.

On October 17th, a month and a half after this picture was taken, Greg went to sleep, and he didn't wake up. He was loved by so many and changed a lot of people's lives for the better.  What a privilege it was to know him!

Memphis: August 29, 2020

His and Tammy's beautiful daughter started college just last month (August 2021), and she and her mother have been amazing testimonies of what a life hidden in Christ can be.

Needless to say, we got to our friends' house in Memphis a little late, so we didn't meet their kids until the next morning.

Jessica is a friend from our days in Mississippi, and she and her husband let us stay a couple of days while we saw some other people in Memphis, Caleb and Karis did some online school, and before we made the drive to Nashville.

This is one of her daughters greeting Doug the next morning

August 30, 2020

And getting all the scoop from Caleb while he ate his breakfast.

Her older daughter teamed up with Keira for a reading session in a fun tent.

 

 We are so blessed to know so many people from so many places! They make life a lot more fun!