Corey & Christi

In thinking about how to best catch up on our family happenings, I thought I would do an separate post for each family member...but Corey and I will count as one!  :)

In the past two years, Corey has continued to build his business brokerage.  It has been such a blessing for our family. Corey's skill set is a great match for his profession, and he has had many wonderful opportunities to help people as they transition into and out of businesses.  He has had a personal interest in possibly purchasing several of the businesses he has listed, but so far has not taken the bait.  He is an entrepreneur through and through, and I don't think that he will ever stop looking for new opportunities!

Never a dull moment with this guy!

Over the course of the last couple of years, Corey has added road biking to his list of interests.  He rides locally, and has even participated in some bike events.  At first, he challenged himself to be able to ride up a long, steep hill close to our house.  Once he accomplished that, he was out and about, tackling hills and trails all over the place!  This picture of us was taken bright and early in the morning...right before he started his first 50 mile bike event.

We were all very proud of him!

A big piece of my recent news is that I am now working in the junior high office at my boy's school.  I absolutely love where I work, what I do, and the people that I get to work with!  It will make me so happy to also have Cati Beth attend the school in a couple of years!

Having never been a full-time working mom before, this is a different experience for me.  It has been kind of  a strange adjustment, but our family is working together as a team to make things flow in this fun, new season of our lives.

Two Years In One Post

After a long break, I intend to be back more often.

So much has happened since I last blogged.  I will do my best to fill in the biggest events that I have missed recording.

Caylie is now a junior in college, and has transferred to UCA.  She has been dating Tim for 4 years now, and he is also a junior at UCA.  Carson is in 2nd grade, Christian is a junior in high school, and we are now in the process of adopting a new little blessing.

We welcomed Cati Beth into our home when she was 10 months old.  After a long battle with her health, my precious sister, Jeanna (Cati Beth's birth mother), had just passed away.

 Jeanna loved her beautiful daughter with all of her heart, and could see how very much our family loved her too.

As a single mom, Jeanna was aware that her health would always be a challenge, and had asked if we would raise Cati Beth if something were ever to happen to her.  We were touched, honored...and couldn't have imagined having any other arrangement.

The picture below is a treasure.  It was taken on Easter, just weeks before Jeanna passed away.  A large group of family and friends had all attended church together in Conway, and then eaten lunch at a restaurant. Following lunch, we spent some time just relaxing and visiting at a park.  I believe that this is the only picture of my mother, my sister, myself, and our children.

When Jeanna gave birth, she named her newborn baby Josie Beth.  After Jeanna passed away, we carefully considered if/how we should change Josie's name.  Each member of our family has a name that begins with C, and we wanted wanted Josie to always feel fully included in our family. In the end, we decided that we should change her name.

Below is how my father recorded the process that we went through.  He sent this note out as an e-mail to family and friends to announce/explain the change...

A New Name

The happiest days in Jeanna Beth's life came with the birth of her beautiful daughter, Josie Beth, into our family.  Jeanna would have only ten months to love, nurture and adore this miraculous, breath taking bundle of joy, but what a wondrous gift she has bequeathed to her family.  Above all, Jeanna wanted baby Josie to be raised in a loving, safe and godly home, and had asked Christi and Corey to raise the child in the event of her death.  Christi, Corey, Caylie, Christian and Carson have welcomed Josie Beth into their family, and into their home, and she will be blessed with all of the hopes, dreams, possibilities and love Jeanna had stored up for her.

God's beloved children are often blessed with new names, and to mark this occasion forever Josie will be given a new name, a name honoring Jeanna's legacy, and identifying Josie with her new family.  Catherine Josie-Beth Gillum, to be known as Cati Beth, will be the child's adopted name.  There will be joy in heaven as my mother, Janie Katherine, my little sister, Frances Katherine, and my grandmother Catherine Smith (Mama) celebrate their namesake in this tiny baby girl.  And, I just imagine Mama, in her inimitable style, will smile mischievously as she reminds us all, my name is Catherine with a "C."  And, so it shall be henceforth!

Christi and Corey have been granted permanent guardianship by the court, and will become Cati Beth's adoptive parents at the end of Arkansas' six months waiting period.

Peace, Love and Joy
Paul

We are a little bit more than 3 months into the process at this point.  In November, we look forward to being able to start the adoption process.

My Funny Little Guy

One of the things that I regret about having fallen off of the blogging wagon is the memories that I have failed to record.

I WILL DO BETTER!  ;-)

This little guy DID make me laugh yesterday...

We were practicing his kindergarten sight words, and he got bored with the whole thing and said,
"I want to work on MANLY sight words...like rocket and motorcycle"!

Can't blame him for trying to add a little excitement to the list, can I?

Also, when I picked him up in the carpool line yesterday, he tripped over his own two feet and fell down.  He was totally fine, but looked up to see how his "audience" was responding.

He was deciding whether to create a big show or not.

His teacher (a wonderful, spunky 20 year veteran teacher),  told him that he was fine, and to "hop up". She then laughingly informed me that he was the most dramatic boy that she had ever had!

Wow...

We sooo know that he is dramatic...we experience this on a daily basis...but to have it confirmed...and to that degree...just wow!

Never a dull moment!

Back to School, Back to Work!

Aaaannnddd again...it's been too long!

Fast forward to this year!  :)

Caylie is now a freshman in college at Ouachita Baptist University.  Corey and I, my mom and dad, as well as various aunts and uncles have all attended OBU, so the OBU legacy continues!

Carson began kindergarten this year, and Christian began high school.  I am substitute teaching at the school that they attend (the school that Caylie and Christian both used to go to before we started homeschooling), and so far, so good!

Just to be clear, I absolutely LOVED our homeschooling experience, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but with Carson starting kindergarten in a family without other young siblings, we decided that going to school would be the best thing.  That decision then led to the decision for Christian to return to school, so I just followed along as well!

So...that brings us to where we are now.

Rush week at OBU was a couple of weeks ago.  Caylie is pledging EEE...the same social club that I was in.  As predicted, last week (pledge week) was a hard week for her, with so very many tasks to accomplish, but this week is already proving to be drastically different!  Corey and I, as well as my parents were all in social clubs at OBU, and we all have lots of great memories and continuing friendships from those days!  We hope that she will have similar great experiences!

Christian is doing well in his classes at school, and is also in off season training for football.  He works out with his football team constantly, and it is a good thing, because he eats like a horse, and is growing like a weed!  He and Corey are getting so close to being the same size!  AMAZING!

Carson just started his first season in Upward basketball.  Corey is his coach, and Christian is the assistant coach.  Their team is called the Mighty Hippos...fierce, huh?  So far he only had one game.  We have high hopes for a fun season!  :)

In other news, Corey has become an avid cyclist.  He has ridden in several different events (including one in San Antonio, Texas), and he loves it!  He has accumulated lots of bike gear, and when he's out on his bike, he is the real deal!  This picture was taken after he did "The Big Dam Bridge" 50 mile ride here in Little Rock this past spring.

Writing the Waves,

Well, Hello Again...

And again...it has been way too long.

I'm just going to act like it hasn't, and write about some of our most recent activities.  :)

We spent last week in Springfield, MO at the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Tournament.  There were thousands of homeschoolers there, and we had sooo much fun!  Corey's parents were able to attend with us, and that made it even more fun.

Christian's team did so well!  They ended up placing first in the 5A U14 boys division!  We were so proud of them, and soooo enjoyed watching the games and cheering for them.  It was so exciting!

On our way home from Springfield, we stopped to squeeze in a little bit more fun in Branson before calling it quits for Spring Break.

 The weather here has gotten so nice recently.

Yesterday, I took the boys to the park to do some school and have a little picnic.  I just love how fresh, green and colorful everything is in the spring!

Although it is really still too cool for the kids to start swimming, they always start wanting to jump in the pool and play around as soon as spring comes around.  Both boys have already played around in our pool, in very short little spurts, several times!

Our Summer Vacation

Yes, I know...I have again fallen off of the blog wagon, and have lots of catching up to do...hopefully soon.

However...

We just returned from a fun summer vacation to California last week, and I am proud to say that I have already ordered a photo book with our pictures from Snapfish!

Yea for me...that NEVER happens!

Here is the link if you would like to check it out.

It is well with my soul

Today, as I think about Easter, I am just so thankful for the hope that Christ has given us through his death and resurrection.

This is one of my favorite songs, and I love the story behind it.

So powerful.