Showing posts with label Tennessee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tennessee. Show all posts

Saturday, September 18, 2021

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.

Thursday, September 16, 2021

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!

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Texas and More

I had the opportunity to take the girls back this summer so they could attend ballet camp in Mississippi again.  This camp is so instrumental to their spiritual life and dancing skills, so we try to make it a priority for them to be able to attend. 

This year, we went a month ahead of time so Kylie and I could visit colleges.  

But first, "Hamilton."

Kylie had a doctor's appointment for her knee in Austin, so we took advantage of the fact, and ordered tickets for the musical we had all been dying to see for quite some time.


June 9, 2019

We educated my mother on the musical on the ride there.  It was nice to share this experience with her.


Second need, a driving permit.

Kylie had completed the necessary hours online to apply for a permit, so off we headed to the county seat.

And wouldn't you know it, Texas had a gift waiting for us beside the road in true Texas fashion.


The rest of the ride was beautiful, though.


Mission Accomplished!

 June 11, 2019

Next, Karis reunited with her oldest friend and stayed with her for a few weeks while Kylie and I visited campuses.

June 13, 2019 



 June 14, 2019

Kylie and I headed off through northeast Texas, across Arkansas, and on to Nashville, with Kylie driving!


In Nashville, we stayed with a friend we met at our training 10 years ago preparing to go to Africa.

Since Kylie has decided to go to school in Nashville, it makes me happy to know our friend is there if Kylie needs anything.



After touring the school in Tennessee, we traveled ALL the next day back to Flower Mound to stay with my brother and sister-in-law for one night before touring North Texas (my sister-in-law's alma mater) the next day.


After one more night, we traveled to West Texas, where we were met with this stunning sunset driving into Canyon, Texas.


The next morning, they were expecting us for our tour.


After the tour, we headed down to Waco where Karis met us, and we spent a couple of nights with Doug's parents.


Then, we drove back to my hometown for two nights.

The girls finishing an afternoon run/stroll.





Seeing friends one last time.


Seeing some cousins one last time.


Then back to the airport so the girls could fly to Mississippi for ballet camp.



I stayed with my parents four more days before heading back over to the Middle East.

It was the fastest month of my life!