We've plunged!

God will sometimes walk a pastor through  a sermon before they preach on it.  This years MOPS theme is "PLUNGE; love as if your life depended on it." from 1 Peter 4:8.  Since the last time I was here my family has plunged in to a lot of new things with many more just beginning.  It's kind of been a tidal wave of stuff, mostly good.  The best part is that no matter how deep the water I'm in, I hear the lifeguard walks on water. 

We have a new church that D is the youth pastor of.  .  This one is in a nice suburb close by. (The last one was rural and therefore stuck in the middle of nowhere.)  This one is on  our way to everywhere and that helps.  It is still the same denomination although more conservative than the last.  Great pastor.  Most importantly we ALL go to it.  Last time we didn't and that didn't work out.  The boys and I still go to the Baptist church on Wednesday nights and that IS still working.

We have a new pet or two.  Mr. Crab came home with us from Florida about a year ago.  Some people go to Florida and come home with nice souvenirs and a tan, we came home with crab(s).  Much to our surprise he's still alive.  We also got a dog.  A Treeing Walker Coon Hound named Rosie.  She looks like an overgrown beagle.  I'm pretty sure she's been good for the kids, except for when they argue about who's turn it is to clean up after her. 

We've travelled some.  D and I went to Branson MO in the spring.  Branson needs to be seen to be believed.  D took his youth group on a missions trip to Warrensburg NY for a week this summer.  Last weekend we finally got to Michigan to visit a couple of extraordinary families.  The big news of the summer was that I FINALLY got home.  D surprised me with a trip for and on my 40th birthday.  3 weeks in beautiful BC with NO kids.  It was heavenly! 

I've added a couple of volunteer positions to my schedule this year.  I'm the coordinator for a MOPS group at our church.  After 15 years of helping in one way or another this is my very last year.   Today I started volunteering with a new hospice.  This time I"ll be going in to nursing homes to visit clients.  This hospice is family friendly so I can bring the boys with me.

We've started  down a couple of new roads I didn't think we'd be on this time a year ago or even this time 3 months ago.  Last December D was diagnosed with Aspergers.  Yes, it's autism.  Yes it's rare in adults.  Doesn't mean that many adults don't have it, just means they're not diagnosed. 

Annnnnnnnnnd we're homeschooling.  That one's a shock to me.  I didn't think I'd ever do it.  I admired those who could but I didn't think it was for me.  In fact I KNEW it wasn't for me because I spent many an hour arguing with H over why I couldn't home school her.  And now here we are.  On line schooling kindergarten and second grade.  People keep asking me how long I plan on doing it for and I keep saying "for about the next 5 minutes and then we will go from there." 

So there you have.  The tidal wave of what we've plunged in to this last year.  Obviously lots of topics to write about so stay tuned!