Howdy Family & Friends!
What a memorable summer we had this year! This past spring we began looking around for a slightly larger house to accommodate our little growing family. We looked at several homes we liked, but could not seem to find the one that felt right, so we decided to build. We (meaning Lindsey) put in many, many hours researching floor plans and designs until she decided to come up with her own, which seemed perfect for us. Some friends recommended a builder, we found a fantastic loan officer, and signed a contract making a hefty down payment. The next day, for reasons still not clear to us, the plant manager took Todd aside and "asked" him to collect his personal items and leave because he no longer worked for Mars.
To have paid out the bulk of our savings and then have our income cut off scared us. It was especially heart-breaking to see Ava and Sydnee crying over our situation. Although our summer plans changed, we tried hard to keep life normal for them and treated Daddy staying at home as a blessing. And with the love and support we received from you and other loved ones, our scant "rainy day fund" seemed to always have just enough to get us through each week of the three months of unemployment.
Thank you to everyone that passed on Todd's resume and networked on his behalf. Scott takes the grand prize, though, for helping Todd get a job with Cameron International as an industrial engineer. Cameron services all the oil and gas companies and has seen such a big increase in business as a result of the oil spill in the gulf, the company needs to build a new facility to handle all the work, and Todd will manage the project. He is very excited because he says every engineer dreams of building a new plant. We moved to Houston in August, where we thought we would never live, and are happy to be so close to Scott, Katie and Cash.
Todd relied heavily on his counselors until the end of September when he was released as bishop of the Waco 2nd ward. He now serves as an advisor to the teachers quorum and 1st counselor in the young men's presidency. The last time he had this calling, he only served for 3 or 4 months, so he looks forward to getting to spend more time with the youth.
Lindsey worked very hard with the Primary in Waco as their Music leader. We were disappointed to miss the Primary Program, especially during our new ward's program, but Lindsey had a chance to return to Waco for a weekend visit and got to see her kiddos' performance.
Ava (6) started first grade this year and did so well at a new school in a new city making new friends. She has discovered a love for reading and insists on reading every night to the family before going to bed (taking Daddy's job!). She also recently received a visit from the tooth fairy after pulling out a tooth herself.
Sydnee (5) began kindergarten at the same school as Ava. Like her big sister, she looked forward to making new friends. We went to a local restaurant for her grade's Spirit Night and as we walked to towards our table, children continued yelling out Sydnee's name and running over to say "hi" several times while we ate. She must be our little rock star.
Lucy (20 month) continues to be simply happy. She loves her time with Mommy. They have their daily routine which includes taking walks through the neighborhood, dancing to Backyardigans, and playing in the yard. And she sticks to that schedule. On weekends, she will grab Daddy's pants and pull him over to the backdoor and tell him to take her outside. After several months of using Baby Signs, she is starting to verbalize more. She loves to say "bah bye," "hi," "Ahya (Ava)," "Eewee (Sydnee)," "Mama," "Dada," "Gramma," "Papa (Pop Pop)," and "Happy Halloween."
We love you and look forward to reading the goings-on of everyone without a Facebook page!
Todd, Lindsey, Ava, Sydnee and Lucy
To have paid out the bulk of our savings and then have our income cut off scared us. It was especially heart-breaking to see Ava and Sydnee crying over our situation. Although our summer plans changed, we tried hard to keep life normal for them and treated Daddy staying at home as a blessing. And with the love and support we received from you and other loved ones, our scant "rainy day fund" seemed to always have just enough to get us through each week of the three months of unemployment.
Thank you to everyone that passed on Todd's resume and networked on his behalf. Scott takes the grand prize, though, for helping Todd get a job with Cameron International as an industrial engineer. Cameron services all the oil and gas companies and has seen such a big increase in business as a result of the oil spill in the gulf, the company needs to build a new facility to handle all the work, and Todd will manage the project. He is very excited because he says every engineer dreams of building a new plant. We moved to Houston in August, where we thought we would never live, and are happy to be so close to Scott, Katie and Cash.
Todd relied heavily on his counselors until the end of September when he was released as bishop of the Waco 2nd ward. He now serves as an advisor to the teachers quorum and 1st counselor in the young men's presidency. The last time he had this calling, he only served for 3 or 4 months, so he looks forward to getting to spend more time with the youth.
Lindsey worked very hard with the Primary in Waco as their Music leader. We were disappointed to miss the Primary Program, especially during our new ward's program, but Lindsey had a chance to return to Waco for a weekend visit and got to see her kiddos' performance.
Sydnee (5) began kindergarten at the same school as Ava. Like her big sister, she looked forward to making new friends. We went to a local restaurant for her grade's Spirit Night and as we walked to towards our table, children continued yelling out Sydnee's name and running over to say "hi" several times while we ate. She must be our little rock star.
We love you and look forward to reading the goings-on of everyone without a Facebook page!
Todd, Lindsey, Ava, Sydnee and Lucy
