Gracie the Graduate!

Proud is an understatement. 

This young woman has overcome some mighty obstacles to get where she is today. From a girl who struggled to interact with strangers to a confident senior who stood up in front of everyone in church to say the prayers of the faithful during a beautiful, intimate graduation Mass. 

Soon, she will be off to Texas Tech University!

 

Christmas 2020

Christmas 2020 was a true celebration with Drew fully recovered and ALL the kids home!!!

There is nothing more fun than having little ones in the house at Christmastime!!!

NeeNee was able to participate in the gift exchange, and Drew is hugging Pawpee in the background after just receiving his present - a refurbished antique trunk to use as a coffee table in his apartment.

Charlie was thrilled with his new gaming mouse!

Winnie could not get enough of the Minnie Mouse pillow that Aunt Ashley and Uncle Joseph brought!

New Computer for the soon-to-be college student!

 The best gift was having everyone together!

Drew's Birthday Brain Surgery

 Everyone will be very happy to see 2020 come to a close, but as I reflect back, I cannot help but be grateful. This year has been a year of challenges. Challenges that brought us to our knees but that also brought us closer to each other and closer to God. The most terrifying experience being Drew's subdermal hematoma and subsequent emergency brain surgery. This is the post from Facebook that gave everyone an update after we had been in Charlotte with Drew for a few days. I have written extensively about the experience in other places but for now, I will simply share the update from Oct 16, 2020 here - 

I bought this shirt for Drew as a souvenir when we were visiting Joseph and Ashley in Charlotte three weeks ago. I liked the message and it was super soft so I thought he would like it. It’s the shirt he has asked to wear most this week.

We also helped convince Ashley to buy an antique rocker that is now sitting in the room Drew is recuperating in- it’s the perfect size.

We also suggested they invite Drew to spend his birthday here in Charlotte. We were having such a great time, and Drew was pretty bored in Lubbock, all his school was online...so they bought him a ticket with no hesitation.

When the headache that had been plaguing him for weeks off and on got so bad that he needed to go to the ER, his brother left work to bring him, and by the time the helicopter arrived to take him to have emergency brain surgery, his sister-in/law was there as well.

By the time we were on the plane to travel from San Antonio just three hours later, Ashley was able to speak to us briefly, as we taxied out, to reassure us that Drew had survived and the surgery was successful.

All the airline points that we accumulated when our 30th anniversary trip to Italy was canceled? The same trip that would have had us out of the country this very week? All being used to fly his sisters here individually so he never has to be alone over the next few weeks, after his godmother, who just happens to be free next week comes to take care of him while we fly home to see the younger kids.

God is in EVERY detail of our lives. We are so grateful to Him and to all of you who have been praying.

Drew’s recovery is going beautifully and we give all the glory to God.