Long Time No Post! Sorry!!

Hi everyone! Sorry its been an embarrassingly long time since I've updated our blog!  There have been a lot of changes going on around here so I'm going to give you the quick bullet version of what's been going on....

• We got our Green Cards!!  This means we are finally finished with the stress and waiting and being on USCIS Travel restriction!  This means we are Permanent Residents in the US!  This means we can cross the border whenever we wish!  This means we can go home for Christmas! This means (baring any illegal activity on our part) we cannot be deported!  This is good news!  It took 12 years!
• Ty graduated from Elementary School and is now a Middle School Student!  He's a few weeks into 6th grade and its quite a change from 5th grade.  The adjustment has been a bit of a struggle but he'll get the hang of it!  He's a smart kid!
• We played All-Star ball all summer with Ty's 10U team.  They had an awesome season and played great!  They made it to the Championship game of the Southeast Regionals where sadly they lost in the bottom of the 7th inning and did not get to go to the Cal Ripken World Series.  It was a devastating loss but we're already back at it and playing travel ball this fall and have 6 tournaments between now and November!  We had a tournament here in NC this weekend and TY HIT HIS FIRST HOMERUN!!!! So exciting!  It was a bomb!!!
• I am still watching Kaley and Elise but only until the end of the month.  They will be moving on to bigger and better things - traditional public daycare!  This is going to be great for them as they need to be challenged socially and have a more structured environment.  This will give me a chance to look for employment on a more professional level especially since I have a Green Card now!  The options are a little overwhelming but I'm excited about finding the perfect job!
• Donnie is transitioning from High School Pastor to Campus Pastor at Hope!  This was an unexpected change for us and we are adjusting to the idea.  Donnie will be the lead pastor at our West Cary Campus for Hope (we have 3 campuses).  Its a great opportunity for him.  We will be staying involved in High School Ministry as volunteers and still hosting the Apex Small Group at our house!
• Donnie and I just found out we're going to Uganda in a few weeks!  We will be going with the Campus Pastors/wives.  We have partnered with a church in Uganda and are going to spend a few days with their campus teams.  We'll be spending a fews days in London, England on our way to Africa which will be so much fun!  We'll be gone for 10 days and we're SO excited about the trip; we've always wanted to go to Africa!  Ty will be in school so he won't be going with us.

So that's whats been going on in a nut shell since the spring.  Things have been a little crazy and we never know if we're coming or going but I guess that's pretty normal for us!

 Donnie and I ran a 5K race called the Rugged Maniac which a race with obstacles set up by the US Marines!  We're filthy because most of the obstacles were through NC mud!!

 Sweet Charlie is never far when the girls are at our house, he might be a little jealous!

 We were in Daytona Beach for our Anniversary! Not a romantic trip but camp with 120 High School Students!  Happy 16 years!

 Kaley (left) and Elise (right) are getting so big!  We love them dearly, they're like part of the family!

 Ice cream at Skinny Dip - Ty's favorite.

 Where we spent most of the summer, at the ball park.  Donnie decked out in his West Raleigh gear.

 Hmmm, someone is going through a growth spurt and its not Nana!

 WR 10U Blue, Ty's team.  He loves spending time with these guys!

Road trip to Charlotte to meet friends for dinner, we had to stop at Ikea while there.  The boys were thrilled!  They went straight to the restaurant while Steph and I shopped.