Catching up

I hardly ever write blogs anymore. I have a difficult time sitting still long enough to express my thoughts in words. I used to be great at this as a child but somewhere along the way I have lost the will to write and have found the will to "do" instead. This past year has been full of new and exciting things. I am sorry I don't share more photos but if I had waited until I had those photos available, I would have never posted this blog, lol! Here is a quick recap.

Having spent time with family in California and returned home to Bastrop, Texas, I continued some research I had been doing regarding home schooling the girls. Lillian had been having difficulty, not with academics in general, but with bullies. (Including teachers.) Liberty had been in school (Headstart and Pre-K) and was still practicing the same things as she has the first day of headstart. The frustrations were high for everyone and I was looking for something better for my children.

I was still spending lots of time at Devons barn working with my horse, Virgil. He was turning two and we were working him under saddle for the first time. I was also learning to ride english on a big beautiful paint named Jewel. We went to our first show and received first place based on how well we work together.

A close friend of the family who has been like a sister to me since I was very young lost her daughter this year. It is a type of devastation that I cannot begin to fathom and we will always remember her. You are in our thoughts and prayers, Meagan Kandis.

Adams mom, Sue-sie came to visit and as always we had a blast with her. The girls love hearing about California beaches and dolphins from her. We spent time playing games such as Mouse Trap and I showed her how my guitar playing was coming along.

Adam was still working over seas and we began to think he was coming home for good by summer time so I had to get realistic about finances and I sold my horse, Virgil. It was very hard for me as I had had him since he was a baby and we learned he was deaf and worked with him using sign language to train him. He turned out to be a wonderful horse who loved me and the girls. He always new when we were coming to see him.

Before school was even finished, the girls and I had sat down and discussed home schooling as an option. After doing careful research and speaking with Adam, we decided this was an option we'd like to take as long as the kids were on board too. Both girls decided they wanted to try home schooling out for a year and see how it goes. So after school let out for the summer, we embraced the homeschooling community and found that it is a thriving one in our area. We met a few other home schoolers at swim lessons and the girls began making new friends. Swim lessons turned out to be the best thing we ever did as the girls really enjoyed going to the Bastrop State Park pool. We spent lots of time with Liberty and Lillians friends as well as family. Bonnie, Jimi and Ryder, Nana and Papaw all got to enjoy swimming. We were there practically EVERY DAY.

It turned out that Adam was not going to be coming home for good during the summer and that was a bittersweet for me. On the one hand I was upset that I had sold my horse but, was aware that it was for the best ultimately. We now had more money we could put towards savings and our ultimate goal of buying a house. I was also upset that he wouldn't be home but again, it was ultimately the best decision for our family and I will forever be grateful to him for his sacrifice to provide for us all we could dream of. He came home in July for his R and R and we took the kids to San Antonio Seaworld. We stayed in a nice hotel with a pool and the girls showed off their swimming skills for Adam.

While Adam was here, Papaw Jim came home for his R and R as well. The girls and I had a blast painting his toenails while he slept off his jet lag. Other than his obvious irritation at their "grand" idea, we enjoyed our visit with him. He even brought gifts from over seas.

One night, Lillian went to a friend to spend the night (as both girls have been doing this more and more this past year, they grow up so quickly) and knowing that the rodeo is not her "style" Liberty and I made a last minute decision to go to the local rodeo in town. It was so much fun sharing that with her. She loved the carnival rides as well as the break-away roping and even participated in the youngsters games such as chasing the calf and trying to pull the flag off it's tail. We have great memories from that night. Liberty keeps asking when we can go to another "radio". Hahaha!

The girls began gymnastics lessons at Star Center Gymnastics in Austin Texas over the summer as well and are still going strong. Liberty goes twice a week and Lillian only once. (She loves gymnastics but once a week is her limit she says, lol.)

We began home schooling late in August and the girls and I took to it wonderfully. They did everything I asked and we had so much time to spend together learning things. Of course, the newness began to wear off and we had a few hurdles to get over. The home schooling community is hugely supportive and when I would become discouraged I would find wonderful words of wisdom coming from these experienced home schooling moms and I would understand that God wants us to teach our children. He never said it would be easy.

On September 4, 2011, a wildfire swept through our town and surrounding areas and over 1600 homes were lost. Ours was included in this. It was a devastation I cannot describe and you could not possibly understand it unless you had been affected similarly. Of course, our family, our pets, were all safe. It was our HOME that was lost. Our comfortable, safe haven we had come to love and cherish. the birds that woke us with their singing and the squirrels that amused us with their play, were all gone. As well as countless items that can never be replaced. These are just things and are not necessary to live by but, we loved them the same, and they will be missed. We had to move to a new neighborhood but have met so many more of our community as a result of the disaster. I have so many wonderful friends that have emerged because of this and great support team for my home schooling. God has blessed us in the midst of the destruction and I try to be humble and accept his way of helping us as it is not what I would've wanted but what's that they say? God works in mysterious ways.

All that's left of Grandmas musical jewelry box... : (

Needless to say, we were in a hotel for weeks and had lost all of our home school curriculum. The girls were "out of school" for over 6 weeks and I began to get discouraged again. However, with my new found friendships and the support of my community, we were donated enough to get started again with our lives and get back to some sort of normalcy. I learned during that time that my kids were experiencing life and learning first hand how community, government and friendship work. there is no better way to teach some things than to live it. Accidents happen and it's good to be prepared as best you can.

In trying to get back to some sort of normalcy, we had a birthday party for Liberty and attended several friends parties as well. Many donations were continuing to pour in and while grocery shopping one day we saw a bunch of puppies for sale. Of course we HAD to stop and look at them. We learned the lady who owned the mother was a breeder who had 3 females all due around the same time. She had been affected by the wildfires and could not keep the puppies at home right now so she was trying to sell them off as quickly as possible. Normally she would sell them for a pretty penny but in her haste and after hearing me explain about my own loss, she gave us the puppy at a reasonable discount. And so there it was, we now had a new puppy. Liberty has her very own dog. She is an American Pit Bull Terrier and we named her Autumn for the time she was born and the leaf shaped mark that covers her eye.

I stumbled onto a type of t-shirt cutting tutorial on youtube one day and have since then been experimenting with different ways to do this. It has been fun and I have had several people ask me to make them shirts. I think I would like to do more but am not quite confident enough to charge people for what I have learned to do so far. Maybe in time.

Thanksgiving was spent with family in my new home. I have had to learn to deal with the smallness of it. The cramped spacing is not something the dogs are used to and it has been a challenge to figure out the best "flow". However, Thanksgiving is about thankfulness and I am thankful we were able to find a place so close to the town and community that we have grown to love as well as family.

We went to the home school christmas skating party and Liberty met a new friends there. She even spent the night at her house and her friend came and spent the night here. It was her friend, Harley's first sleepover and they are so cute together! We saw the Christmas parade in town and were excited to see the Extreme Home Makeover Special Edition truck was part of the parade. My sister, Bonnie, and I spent a night volunteering to work on the home of one of our firefighters who had lost their home in the fire while fighting to keep others' homes safe. It was nice to be able to help.

Christmas was spent in our new home with donated items as well as purchased ones. The girls received a gymnastics bar from Santa and a trampoline from Nana and Papaw. they spend lots of time practicing. I got a new camera and plan to get back to picture taking seeing as how I lost so many of my pics in the fire, I want to begin doing everything digitally and backing it up so that if we ever lose things again, I will not lose those! Lol!

We had another Christmas at my mothers, Diane, and Jimis sons were out for a visit so we all enjoyed more holiday cheer together, eating, opening presents and just enjoying each others craziness.

The year was bitter and sweet. We are looking forward to what is in store for 2012.