Our crazy summer!

This is a letter I sent to my Bible Study group updating them on our lives. I hope to finish posting about Ethiopia soon and get back to blogging!

Dear sweet friends,

I just got home from Bible Study at my new church. It really made me miss all of you. We are doing the Ester study again. You are a very special group of women and you all mean so much to me. Thanks so much for all the love and prayers during the adoption of little miss Ella.

Most of you probably know by now that we are not coming back to Doha. Bill told me when we met him in the airport on the way home from picking up Ella Grace that we were moving to Houston. What a surprise! We later found out that the job would eventually move us first to Australia (we were happy) and then to Papau New Guinea. Because there are no schools for our older children in PNG, Bill ended up turning that job down.

The plan was for us to stay in Doha until December and then move on to his new job (where ever that might be). Two weeks before we were to travel back to Doha, Bill called and said he was offered a job in Sabine Pass, Texas. There is a new LNG plant starting up there. The job was actually a blessing because we had not been able to get Ella a US passport and she was denied automatic citizenship upon entering the US because we were living overseas. Up to this point we were unsure how we were going to get her into Doha.

We thought initially that he would be working out of Houston, and we would be returning to live in the Woodlands Texas. A few days later, we found out we needed to live near Sabine Pass, Texas. Sabine Pass is a tiny town that was nearly blown away by Hurricane Ike. Only 5 houses remained livable after this hurricane. It feels like coming home to me, since I grew up in Southeast Texas in the small town of Spurger, which is only about an hour from where we will be living. My mom is thrilled that we will be so close.

I had two weeks to figure out where we would living and what schools our children would be attending. I believe God led me to a nearby small town. It is a rural community outside of Beaumont, Texas. The school district actually serves 4 communities. The schools are highly rated and have alot of school spirit. It is funny, I remarked to my sister while we were in Ethiopia that someday I would like to live in a town like the one portrayed on Friday Night Lights where everyone goes to the football games on Friday nights and that is exactly the kind of place we are living. I have a sister and niece living here. We are living with my sister until we close on a home. It is working out really well. We have a contract on a house, and are waiting now for the appraisal.

The kids have started school and like it. It is a huge change from ASD. There are a lot more rules to follow. Cole, our 8th grader, is playing football for the first time. It has been fun for him to learn a new sport. Abbey is hoping to take horse riding lessons. Will is just happy to tend his farm on Farmville (a facebook game) but I suspect he will play soccer when it rolls around.

We are still waiting on Daddy to come home. He is supposed to arrive mid Sept, right around the time we will close on the house (god willing).

Ella is doing amazingly well. She is a HAPPY, healthy baby girl. She will be one year old tomorrow, but they goofed on her birth certificate and made her birthday Nov. 3. We will wait and celebrate then. She has been a JOY to our family. She is pulling up everywhere and I hope she waits for Bill to get here to take her first steps. When we go out she smiles and waves and says "HI" to everyone. She sleeps good, which is nice for this tired mama. She says "mom", "bye bye" "hi doggie" She really is the sweetest baby girl! I wish you could meet her. If you are in Texas next summer or over Christmas, please contact us and we will get together.

I just wanted to fill all of you in...I pray for God richest blessings on you today!

Much love, Lynn