School

Katie (kindergarten), Madi (2nd grade) and Ally (4th grade) attend Stephen F. Austin Elementary. 

The school is only two blocks from home, so we enjoy playing at the playground quite frequently.

Abby (7th grade) attends Mann Middle School.

Seth is a freshman at Abilene High School.  He hates getting his picture taken.

Ah hah! Caught him off-guard!

Zac is a junior at Abilene High. My little boy is all grown up!

Getting Settled

And.....I'm back.  Hello, readers! It has been a busy three weeks here in Abilene! Week one was spent moving and spending precious time with Matt's parents; week two was spent enrolling 6 kids in school and chasing down shot records; week three saw the commencement of the school year.  All has gone well albeit a few minor hiccups along the way.
I confess that I was a bit skeptical of this house when we first moved in.  There are glaring issues with damage from previous tenants, along with the fact that this 50-year old home has shifted off its foundation somewhat.  But overall I'm very happy here.  The layout of this house is perfect for our size family. The landlord has been most accomodating in getting things repaired. I think they're just happy to have a family live here instead of college students who own 5 dogs. Yikes! (As I write this, the "tub guys" are getting ready to reveal our refinished bathtub! We've had only one bathroom to use for three days.  Think about it: 10 people, one bathroom. Let grace abound!)

My last look at our house in OKC.

Our first stop in the 5-hour drive: lunch!

Home sweet home!  I have always loved Texas!

We have a great screened-in sunporch! It also served as temporary storage as we got boxes emptied.

We have a big fenced backyard where the kids made a rope swing.

 

If you know Matt's mom, you won't be at all surprised to know that she vacuumed our driveway.

But she definitely made sure to spend quality time with the kids.

Moving Right Along

It's been a summer of surprises and anticipation so far, but now we are seeing the unfolding of God's plan for us.  Matt has spent the summer in Abilene getting acclamated to his new store. The kids and I have been here in OKC without our husband and father and without a vehicle.
However, this time next week we'll be together for good in Abilene!  We found a great house that's walking distance to Matt's store and the younger girls' school.

We've had our fill of this heatwave in Oklahoma City.

Did I mention that the air conditioning has been getting worse and worse and eventually quit on us?   This was the house temperature at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.  Can you say "stifling"?

But after several phone calls to various a/c repair places, I found one who could come Wednesday to fix it. Thank you for favor, Lord!

So while we waited for the house to cool down, I took a few kids to our favorite grocery store for the last time to buy enough supplies to last just until we move.

And today, after sleeping in a cool home, we woke up ready to work and get this place packed up!

We're in for a busy weekend. Matt will come home from Abilene on Monday to get the moving truck.  His parents will arrive Monday evening, and we'll pack the truck on Tuesday.  Then...

Goodbye, Oklahoma!  Hello, Texas!