So much has changed in our lives since April. We have moved from San Diego to Illinois. Overall we love it here in Illinois. We wanted to move to be closer to my parents who had moved here after my dad retired. Plus there was the bonus of the cost of living is cheaper out here. That being said though it has been a struggle that we never expected. Things have changed so much and everything has not gone as we had planned them to go. We are struggling to get by right now, but holding our heads high and doing lots of praying. Some days it looks like things are going to be better for us others it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.
The kids are doing great. They really seem to enjoy being in Illinois. School has been great for them, they love their schools.
Chilly-Dog is a sophomore and could not be happier in school. We had a lot of struggles with school in San Diego but those have all seemed to disappear. Chilly-Dog goes to a very small high school. Actually the town we live in is a very small town just east of St. Louis MO. Chilly-Dogs school only has about 200 students total. Back in San Diego his graduating class consisted of probably at least 500. After the first of the year he will be starting drivers education and he could not be happier. Dad and I on the other hand are scared and in disbelief all at the same time. Chilly-Dog is also starting to think about his long term future. He seems to be showing a real interest in Law. He seems to be leaning towards being a lawyer and anyone who knows Chilly-Dog knows he can argue til the cows come home. It seems to be looking more like he may join the Navy right out of high school. They seem to have a pretty good program for legal aids and that would be a perfect start for him.
Chilly-Fry is also doing well in the fourth grade. She loves being at school and is such a little social butterfly. She has made lots of new friends and seems to really like the closeness of a small town. I do know she loves that she is able to go out and play with her friends and ride her bike. She has a friend that she is always hanging with that she has been best buds with since day one of school. I am so happy that she has found a close friendship and has someone she can have sleepovers with and just do the thing normal nine year old girls love to do.
Chilly-Pie OH my little Chilly-Pie she is such a bright light in our lives.She is 3 going on 30 and she knows it. Every day is an adventure with her and I love it so much. You never know what she is going to say or do next and there are multiple boughts of laughter with her around. She absolutely loves to be outside playing. She is also an extreme animal lover. Chilly-Pie usually isn’t far from some kind of stuffed animal or animal figurine. She has an imagination that blows me away.
We have really enjoyed watching the seasons change. Fall was so beautiful here. We are now into the cold of winter but it has been fun. We are expecting to get our first snow over the weekend. When we were here last year for Christmas we had a little snow and the kids absolutely loved it. The cold and snow has been a bit of a change for Chilly-Pepper he grew up in California so he is use to the beaches and the warm.
That should be about it for now.....
Oh I did want to add that anyone who had been here and seen the story of the
Parkers on my blog who were adopting two little girls from the Ukraine. They went and got the girls and their adoption has been finalized and Bethany and Hannah are now officially Parker girls.
Please pray that our struggles will get easier for us and we will see that light at the end of this looong tunnel. Christmas for the kiddos this year will be extinct. But I am happy for their health and happiness. We are working on getting a Christmas tree for them right now since ours seemed to not make the move. I have had a wonderful friend help out and I am just so grateful for the kindness in people’s hearts. I hope anyone reading who need blessings right now get them. God Bless
