Summer 2016 Status Updates

Time always goes quickly around here, so I thought I'd bring everyone up to speed on what's happening in our neck of the woods.

The kids at AHUMC VBS. They had so much fun!

Paul finished second grade and is headed to third. He also wrapped up a great baseball season. He excelled at first base and at batting. His hand-eye coordination is remarkable and one of his coaches was surprised to learn that he just turned 8 during the season.  Paul's favorite activities this summer include building with Legos and reading books. The series he's passionate about right now is How to Train Your Dragon.

Claire has finished fourth grade and headed to fifth grade, her last year in elementary school. This fall we will be applying to various middle schools across FWISD. Claire currently plays volleyball at the YMCA. She is amazing at writing and crafts a new story nearly every day. She likes making family newsletters as well. She also loves reading and is currently rifling through the collection of books I accumulated when I was her age. (Tip: Don't get your daughter hooked on Sweet Valley Twins because they are incredibly hard to find now.)

Adam still enjoys his work as a structural engineer. He has been enjoying the kids' love for roller coasters and all three of them ride together while Sarah waves from the ground. He's great at origami, fixing and building "stuff" with the kids. He loves reading Mark Twain and science books. He also teaches the kids how to rock at video games.

Sarah is still in seminary at Brite Divinity School. I can only go part-time due to family and work, but I love it. At this rate, I have four years left to get my Master of Divinity degree. This last semester I changed jobs and currently work as the ministry assistant at the TCU Wesley Foundation. I'm still also a Fort Worth ISD tutor. I'm also in the ordination process to become a UMC deacon. After graduation/ordination, I'd like to work in pastoral care/counseling and write curriculum for churches.

Cpt. Midnight Sugar Dot Express has enjoyed being the lone dog on the range. He enjoys snuggling and lying in the sun. He does not enjoy Claire holding him like a baby. He's iffy on enjoying Paul wrestling him. Postal employees are threatened with their lives when they deliver mail to the house, but cats are only scared away if he has space in his agenda for chasing them.






Overall, we're all doing well, working hard and having fun.

Captain Midnight Sugar Dot Express Boyette?

Yesterday I was driving the kids and Kaa and Big Paul (Adam's godparents) home from basketball practice when we saw an elderly lady standing on Granbury Rd. crying.  That's a major road in Fort Worth, so we were trying to figure out what was wrong.  Then we saw a tiny black Chihuahua dodging cars.
The dog was running fast, and we followed him with the car, but when he crossed the street, I pulled over and started chasing him.  Kaa said it looked like I was a track star.
Traffic stopped and I chased the dog across Granbury and down the railroad tracks.  I finally cornered him under a bush and then Big Paul appeared to help.  With the help of a leash from a neighbor, and a few bites, we got a hold of the dog.  I was so happy to help a little old lady get her precious baby back.
Panting as if it was our last breath, we walked the dog back toward the elderly woman.  Turns out, she was gone.  Apparently it wasn't her dog at all, but she was the first one to nearly hit the dog with her car and she was upset.
So now we're hunting for the owners of a precious black Chihuahua, whom the kids have named Captain Midnight Sugar Dot Express Boyette.  We've been to Petsmart and verified he does not have an ID chip.  We've been to the local vet who doesn't recognize him.  We've posted signs around the neighborhood.  I can't say that we are looking forward to finding his owners, because we've grown attached.  If there's a family looking for him, we'd be glad to return him, but if there's not, he's got a home here.