No excuses!

Well it has been almost a year since Kara and I last blogged.....not that it was for lack of anything happening here! Since my last post, yes, almost a year ago....our family has grown! For those of you that know us, this is likely no surprise. 3 yr old Aidan, has come to live with us for 4 or 5 or 18 years. Just kidding about the 18 years....he will be with us while his mommy is serving in the US Army! Tara is a wonderful single mom, that we consider one of ours also. She decided to make hers and Aidan's life better in the long run, by
serving her country, getting an education and building some long term security for she and Aidan. She has finished her first 2 phases of training and is at present, just relocated to Ft Benning, for Airborne training! Yes, she will be jumping out of airplanes and helicopters! When she does things, she does them in a big way. She is incredibly disciplined, fit, buff, healthy, dedicated and fit, healthy and buff! We are so proud of her. I think an Army career is in the making.

Jim and I took Shelby to Denver to her first year out of college, last weekend! Yes....Denver....long way from home, out there with no car, and living and working with those living on the margins of society. All of this Kivu Gap Year stuff ( that's what the program is called) started last year after she returned from one of her favorite places in the world, Camp Kivu, in Durango, CO. We could not be happier for her decision to have this opportunity to see what others, all over the world, live like. Briefly, she will be living in Denver the first semester, working in an inner-city ministry, during her internship, and taking classes in urban studies. She will put into practice some of what she learns, in Haiti before Christmas, then head to Rwanda, Turkey, Mt Kilimanjaro and the Phillipines next semester. I'll let her update you, if you'd like, by following her blog at www.shelbycrenshaw.tumblr.com. All I can say, is I am JEALOUS! But in a good way...I am so excited to see how God chooses to grow and stretch her, to be more like Jesus! And, then, hold on for next year...Kara will also be doing Gap Year.....yep, her big sister admitted that she would be a little envious, if she didn't do Gap Year and then read about Kara's year there!

Our year has also been full of lots of trips to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital- otherwise known as Vandy Children's spa, because, Jim thinks I come up here for some rest and relaxation!! Mae, Coop and Mac have all had surgeries for their previous cleft issues. Everyone is doing well and God has been good in the healing process!

A big hallelujah! Nat is off our payroll! Well, more or less....he has completed the pre-licensing portion of his aircraft mechanics studies and he has taken a job in Marietta, GA at Lockheed Martin. He is still taking classes, online, to complete his AS or AD and then will vi sig with his bacelor's studies! We're quite proud of him and hope to see him in Knoxville quite a bit this fall at some UT games!

Everyone is doing well....and we remain , busy, busy, busy.....but we are looking forward to a wonderful God-filled autumn with some cooler weather and some fun family time. Kind of a boring post...but it catches us up, a bit! Love to all.......

It's Volleyball Time at Trinity-oh...and It's Football Time in Tennessee

It has been....well, let's say, way too long since I have written. I can't say it is because nothing has been going on...because ALOT has been going on. The kids all started back to school. We're in about our 7th week of this homeschool year with the boys, Mae started 7th grade, Kara is a junior and Shelby is a senior! Yes, we are in the midst of trying to figure out where she will land for college next year. I must say she has made some pretty stellar selections so far. University of Tennessee-Go Vols!-would absolutely be her daddy's first choice. She also wants to visit and has already applied to Baylor University in Waco, TX-my girl, a cowgirl?? And, she is also planning to visit (and in the midst of completing an application for) Colorado Christian University! She is much like me, in that, the mountains have always had a spell on her. Nothing much more majestic than the beauty of HIS creation of the mountains, in my opinion! I think the one thing that has her a little scared of CCU is the distance to Lakewood, CO. Mind you, I don't think she'll be missing her mom nearly as much as she will miss her very best little buddy-Leah! So, we will pray, visit, and pray some more about where GOD has her to be. Kara will be traveling with Jim and Shelby to visit CCU, as this has always been one of her top choices also. Can't believe we'll be sending both of these girls off, back to back. That could make a mama cry, if she thinks about it too long. Kara mentioned in her earlier post that she turned 16 last month and Shelby turned 18 this month! Wow! We would almost have an empty nest, if the good LORD hadn't brought these other precious knuckleheads (as Leah calls everyone, now) into our family! Boy, HE knew that I wasn't ready to retire from chasing kids at this precious, very young age of 30...21, okay 30+21! Funny story about all the little ones and Shelby.....last weekend I was at an adoption conference and Jim was on call, so Shelby and Kara had the little ones for the day. Shelby took Mae, Mac, Coop, Ross and Winter to watch a v-ball tournament that the TCA jv team were playing in.....one of her friends told her that one of the friends teammates asked, why Shelby had all those little Asian kids and black kids hanging around with her! The friend explained that those were Shelby's siblings......OH!

Kara and I had a fun night earlier this week. I had built a fire in the firepit out by the pool. I invited Kara to come out and play her guitar and sing for me. Wow! I am so impressed at how much that sweet daughter of mine has taught her self on that guitar! It was such a beautiful evening! KB-we need more of those nights. You sing like an angel, sweet girl!

Jim, Shelby and Kara have gone to Knoxville to watch some ball games. They caught a Lady Vols volleyball game last night, they are at present cheering on the Vols against Florida and then they'll hang around for another volleyball game tomorrow! What fun! The little ones and I are holding down the fort, here at home. Leah has had some seizures today, so we're laying low and I am enjoying not cooking! It will be a junk food weekend for them and salads for me! we may even do a little school work later today. Crazy as it is, they ask to do school. Even on the weekends! Isn't that how learning should be! I do admire their excitement about learning. I want to be that excited about learning about my Creator, Master, Savior!!

Okay...this was likely a little boring. I really did this only for me. The boys are asking to go swimming, so I'll run and try to write sooner next time. Amy

Well Then

So it's been a really long time since I have posted anything. I would say that it's only because I've been busy with school and volleyball (which is part of the reason), but it's mostly just because I've been lazy. Lazy and uninspired. That's pretty sad. Anyway, nothing really exciting has happened in the Crenshaw house lately. Shelby's 18th birthday was yesterday though. That's really weird to think about. She's going to college next year. How odd. I remember when I was 4 and she was 6 and I had just started gymnastics. She had already been doing it for a little bit, so I had to start off in a different class from her, but I was too shy (Kara? Shy?) to be in a class with people I didn't know so I begged to be in her class. I can't remember if I ended up staying in my class or what. But yeah, it's weird to think that next year she won't be around all the time. I've already been through this with Nat, but it feels different this time for some reason. Or maybe I'm just in a weird mood...

Oh yeah, I started driving a few weeks ago too. I got my license. I'm sixteen. That's weird too. Also, Coop turned 10 a few days ago. He's getting so big. Well, not physically big, since he's still a shrimp, but you get what I mean. Whose birthday is next? hmmm... Mae's. But that's a while from now.

The weather outside is... Indescribably beautiful. I love when it feels like this. It's still warm enough to wear short sleeves during the daytime, but it's not scorching hot and ridiculously humid anymore. And nighttime, oh my goodness. It gets almost cold. It's amazing. It reminds me of camp at night. Except for the stars. The stars here don't compare to the nighttime sky in Durango. But it's okay.

I'm feeling really restless lately. I feel like I just need to go. My guitar is the only thing that is keeping me sane.

Home For Good...

Well, it's Kara. And I'm home. Summer is almost over even though it feels like it just started yesterday. I guess I'll tell you about my adventures so far.

First, St. John was gorgeous, as usual. It was just the Crenshaw clan and Granny for the first week but then Aunt Kim and cousins Michael and William came down too. We had a blast. It was great to just get some time to relax and calm down for a while. But, I left by myself on the 6th to go to Tulsa for a night. I stayed with Uncle Rob and Aunt Tony and Haley Bug. It was really great to see them and just talk. I don't get to see them much so it was nice to catch up on everything. Early the next morning, I flew to the Durango, Colorado airport and headed to Bayfield, CO, where there is a little piece of heaven on earth. I was at Camp Kivu for twelve days and I absolutely loved every minute of it. I got to do all the outdoorsy stuff that I can't do here at home all while making new friends and catching up with old camp friends. I adore the mountains and the views there were epic. Oh, and there was absolutely no humidity. It really was amazing. All the kids are so accepting and the counselors are encouraging and pushing you closer and closer to Christ. I learned so much there. On the last night, I got to lay under the stars (which are stunning up there in the mountains... You can even see a band of the Milky Way!) with some of the best girls in the world. Very early the next morning, I went back to the Durango airport feeling bittersweet. I was happy that I was going to see my family again but I didn't want to leave all the new relationships I had made or leave that awe-inspiring place. However, we got to watch the sunrise over the mountains in the back parking lot while we were waiting for our flight. It was breathtaking. And I got to share those last moments there with some really cool people. I got back home that afternoon, only to leave that evening to go to volleyball camp in Nashville. I came home a couple days later and felt like I wasn't really home, that it was only a temporary thing. But, I'm still here and I think it's starting to sink in that I am in fact, home for good. I still sort of feel like a guest here though, haha.

I miss camp like crazy, but it is nice to see all my home friends again. Now I'm just dreading school again. I really think that I might go crazy this year. Hopefully I'll be able to last a couple more years.

I had a really awesome moment on the last night at camp. It's called "Veritas" which means "truth" in Latin, and the oldest guys and girls cabins teach us through their testimonies and other stations all evening. Their testimonies were really eye-opening because I think I went there expecting everyone to be perfect, happy Christians, but it showed that they weren't. They were vulnerable and therefore people could relate to them easier and we all realized that we are not the only ones who struggle. We realized that everyone has imperfections and that no one is perfect. Anyway, the last station we went to was a "celebration of life." One of the older guys got up and talked to us about laying down our burdens and eating up the Word. At the end, he asked us to yell at the top of our lungs, "JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!" and so we did. And in that moment, it was like I could feel God smiling down on us, and laughing in the happiness that some of His children were so unashamed of Him right then and there. It was like He was pleased because for at least that second, His kids had put away all of their cares and fears about what the world would think about them, and did something purely to praise Him. It made me realize that scarcely any of my time is spent caring only about praising God, and that too much of my time is spent caring about what the world thinks of me. It makes me sad that I am too ashamed of God to put away my silly fears more often. I stink. The end.

Packing, packing, and more packing......

Packing, packing and more packing......and we're not even moving to Africa to be missionaries, like our sweet friends JD and Lori Thompson. We're just going to St. John for 2 weeks vacation, for Heaven's sake!! And, now if you are reading this for words of inspiration or even for tips on how to pack for 11 people, yes, I said 11, then stop reading. This is just my mid-packing break and probably will be totally boring. Although, I'm sure if you were actually here, you would be amused and entertained, as I get things out to pack, turn my back and someone has added to or taken away from the pile. Leah's new pink flip flops-you know the ones that cost $2 at Old Navy-they are her new favorites. You see, she has a shoe obsession. And while they are not going to be worn by Leah on the plane-she'd walk right out of those at the bustling airport-well, they likely will be on her feet the rest of the vacation. And they keep disappearing as I put them in the pile to pack! I should have known the child would have a shoe obsession, when the first night she spent the night with us in China, she screamed to sleep in her shoes, the whole first night. Duh, me....I didn't know that what she was screaming in Mandarin, was "SHOE"!! She slept with those shoes ON the next night! And, we all rested better! Okay-and back to packing, you see I'm not really packing for 11 people....Jim packs for himself-thank you Daddy, and Shelby and Kara pack for themselves-good thing, cuz, if it was up to me, they'd be wearing turtlenecks and baggy sweatpants on that beach-not the things they call bathing suits!! and Mae even does a decent job of packing for herself-with a once over by MOM! Nat, since he brought dirty laundry home from Tulsa, and he keeps telling me that he will wash it, well....he may be taking dirty clothes! Hope he remembers a swim suit or 2. He usually forgets them and conveniently, has to go buy one! Okay-so really, I ONLY pack for 5 kids and myself....and all the stuff that needs to go down to the house to refresh what the renters have used-linens, towels, shower curtains, kitchen towels, etc, etc, etc! I even tried to pack the dog this trip-but couldn't get a rabies shot verification from the vet today-he was closed! Oh well, next time, little Jed! Jed is the cutest little 5 lb. Morkie, that found me last year in front of the post office in the pouring rain. He has barely left my side since then. I think I'm having a harder time leaving him that I do when I leave my kids. Okay, back to packing-I told you this might be boring.....and then when we return, I can unpack....and then I'll need another vacation from unpacking! ;-) I have read some good books this summer. I read Charles Martin's newest, The Mountain Between Us. It's a good read-although my favorite of his is still Catching Fireflies. I also read a Jodi Picoult, that I can't think of the title of. It's about a teen that is affected by Asperger's that is falsely accused of a crime. I read it, because of Leah's autism. Boy, I got a few chuckles from his behaviors in the book. And, I also just finished Priceless by Tom Davis, If you have not read any of Tom Davis' books....you need to! That's all I'll say about his books. So, maybe the book recommendations were worth reading this blog for! Now, what to read on the beach???? And my quote of the day-"Autigm is my stuper power" by Leah....and yes, said just the way I spelled it!

What Is This?

I haven't blogged in a while... I mean it's summer. I'm supposed to be relaxing and enjoying no school time. Also, I just haven't had much to say. I'm not good at coming up with ideas for what to write about. And since this summer has been pretty slow so far, I haven't had any inspiration either. I'm not complaining though, I've enjoyed this summer.

Anyway, I just finished the book Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller, who also wrote Blue Like Jazz, which I plan on reading soon. This book was about the time when Don took time off of college to go on an epic roadtrip in a hippie van with one of his friends. They drove from Texas to Oregon, making different stops along the way. At one point they stopped at the Grand Canyon and even got to hike all the way down into it. All this time, Don is realizing how glorious God's creation is and admiring the beauty of it all. He is such a beautiful writer. He is just so good with words and describes things in a way that makes you feel as if you are actually experiencing them. And he is really funny actually. Needless to say, I'm ready to hop in a hippie van and go. It doesn't even have to be a hippie van. I'll fly. Bike. Walk. Whatever.

I've recently recognized a fear of mine. I say all of these things about just giving up everything and serving God no matter where that may take me someday, but how do I know that when that day comes that I won't be too comfortable to go? How do I know now that I will still be willing to do that? How do I know that I won't be too afraid to risk everything by letting go? I guess I have control issues. I like to think that I can control what will happen to me and that everything will turn out fine and go according to my plans. Well, maybe my plans aren't lined up with God's plan. That's a scary place for me, because I like for things to go my way. I really need to learn how to fully lean on God and let Him lead me, without me trying to butt in and lead my own perfect life. I'm scared that I'll be too caught up with chasing after that perfect life that I will miss the oportunities God gives me to truly go out on a limb and experience His love in a whole new way. I'm scared I'll be too scared to just go. I really hope that I get over that fear and just let God take me where He wants me, because if not, I might miss the best thing that could ever happen to me. At one point, Don Miller is talking about the roadtrip that he and his friend took and says, "Trips like ours are greener grass left unknown for fear of believing trite sayings, sayings that are sometimes true." I don't want to miss out on the greener grass.

This book also reminded me of how much I love the mountains. Speaking of which, I will be in some in less than two weeks. Sigh.

"These mountains, which have seen untold sunrises, long to thunder praise but stand reverent, silent so that man's weak praise should be given God's attention." -Through Painted Desesrts

what were we thinking??

Okay-School is out....and the kids are all home....all day long. Okay-well all except, Nat, who goes to school year around in Tulsa. However, we wouldn't notice if he was home, as the noise level at our house at any given moment of the day, is well, let's see, that of an F-5 tornado, or of a freight train moving through the living room, or of a herd of elephants stampeding! You get the idea! It's loud around here! And, WHAT WERE WE THINKING when we started adding all of these boys to our family? We definitely weren't planning for the future....I'm not talking about college and retirement and all that, I'm simply talking about feeding all of them. These 4 boys-ages 10 (almost), 9, 7 and 4 can EAT! and I mean EAT! One day several months ago, our oldest daughter, Shelby, who doesn't like the cafeteria food at school asked if I could start preparing a double batch of dinner, so there would be left overs for her to take to school!!! I laughed, as I told her, "honey, I already make a double batch at every meal!" She said, "then can you make a triple batch?" So, not only has the noise level increased, but now they are home all day long...and very active and very hungry, and my grocery bill has gone up. Can you imagine what it might be like when they are teenagers?? Maybe the laundry has decreased-no school uniforms. Only shorts and t-shirts and a swim suit, at worst! This may be the silver lining to the cloud...however, God did know when HE placed these boys in our family. He knew I needed these little guys that think my fat is muscle-hahaha! And HE knew I needed someone to make me laugh at any given moment....these boys can make me laugh! HE knew that I needed to brush up on my math skills, as I homeschool these boys. He knew I needed a break from the drama that girls can bring (I love their drama). HE knew I was tired of taking the trash out, when Jim isn't home...and I wonder how long they will ENJOY taking the trash out for me??? And, oh yeah...HE knew I needed someone to eat all of the left overs-because everyone knows, boys eat anything....if there were left overs! Most of all though, HE knew that we needed them to make this family complete! More later.......
and Kara-you are sounding just a tad bit spoiled, with all your fun travels.....oh to be KB!

It. Is. Summer.

I am out of school. In 29 days I will be enjoying the view from our porch in St. John. In 39 days I will be in the mountains getting to know the coolest people ever (while thoroughly enjoying weather with 0% humidity) in Durango, Colorado. In 51 days I will be practicing my volleyball skills in Nashville with my team. In 66 days I will be getting my license.

I think I'm going to enjoy this summer.