Ok, so it is so cold here in the winter. I remember my good friend telling me that it was "about 10 degrees hotter here in the summer, and about 10 degrees warmer here in the winter in comparison to SoCal." I actually believed this nonsense!! I guess I forgot that it had been about 12 years since she had lived in Southern California and let me tell you, it is COLD. It was below freezing today and tomorrow we can look forward to "freezing rain " (something I had forgotten about since my days living in Chicago). I know I may sound ridiculous to some in other parts of the country, but I don't do cold very well. I am a hot person.

Enough of my complaining! All is well here and we are hunkering down for a Texas Christmas here with the 5 of us. We have a nice relaxing day planned with lots of games, food, and even a friendly neighborhood football match. It should be fun, but I will be watching it from inside if it is this cold! haha

The kids are finishing their first semester of third grade and still enjoying school. Blake is learning flag football and sort of liking it. Kacie is playing soccer still and loving it. Lauren has performed for the first two times over the last two weeks in 20 degree weather--what a trooper she was! She did a tap dance to "Frosty the Snowman." It was too cute! She did fantastic.

Michael is still working from home and enjoying not commuting. We are planning a day of shopping tomorrow to get ready for Christmas.

We wish our friends and family a great holiday. We wish we could raise a toast to you and with you all. Our love is there with you. Remember the birth of our Lord Jesus this season. What a miraculous and mighty God He is for us all.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year (Happy Birthday Blake and Kacie 1/1 and Michael 1/3).xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

From Oz to Texas!

It has been so long. So much has happened. So much learned, but that is what life is about. We are now in Texas--Keller to be exact and it is a great place. Lots of nice people, a clean and safe area and great schools. We are really liking it here so far. It took us only a few months to turn around and come back here and Texas is our next adventure. I guess I didn't realize that by naming this blog "The Dennis Family Adventures" that we would actually be living them at this rate. It is all good though and we are all together and enjoying the life that God is leading us through.
Missing friends and family where ever we leave. That is the hard part, but living in the moment and appreciating this moment is something that has been learned along the way. I know this last year would not have been as doable if we didn't have our awesome friends and family supporting us all along the way. It was so nice to have you all loving us and listening when times were stressful.
So, life continues to flow and we are going to enjoy our first Fall season in 2 years. I already have the "pumpkin-spice" candles out and the Halloween decorations. I am loving this time of year. Trick-or-treating will be so great here (from what I hear, this neighborhood we are in really goes off!). Kacie is playing soccer with a vengence (on 2 teams) and is practicing outside by herself right now matter of fact. Blake is playing baseball and Michael is coaching him --team name: The Padres xoxoxxo. Lauren is dancing to her hearts content doing ballet, tap and tumbling. Michael is about to embark on a new job with a company based in NYC. I am busy with mom duties and house duties. Life is so good right now. I truly believe that we may live more fully from the experiences we have in life. We will take all we have learned and endeavor to apply it each day. The friends, places and times of our lives are so important to us. Ran across this song at church of all places the other day. It really works for our lives:

There are places i'll remember

All my life though some have changed

Some forever not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments

With lovers and friends i still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life i've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers

There is no one compares with you

And these memories lose their meaning

When i think of love as something new

Though i know i'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before

I know i'll often stop and think about them

In my life i love you more

the Beatles

Moving on!

Life has been crazy for us Dennis's over the past year. We have decided and already moved back to the USA. Seems we weren't cut out for Australia for so many different reasons, but it was sure nice to catch up with everyone on our very expensive extended holiday! We are happy to report that we are in Keller Texas now! We moved back here in March, so as you can see a lot has happened with us.

With our thoughts of Australia now quenched, we are able to move on not only physically, but mentally as we set our sights toward living for today. Enjoying our pool, friends, neighborhood are on the short list of things to do! We are missing all of our friends and family that aren't so close now, but we have some visitors coming this summer and we will make trips back to see everyone.

The kids finshed up their second grade year (again--the first time was in Australia!). They did so well. They have made some great friends and starred in a play at school and even were in their school's spelling bee! They did so well. They have adjusted and readjusted and we are so very proud of them.

Lauren has a new little friend that lives right across the street from us. She loves to play with her. She also loves to play with Lawson Cox who is part of the Cox family here. The Cox family is: Annette, Kevin, Gavin and Lawson. They are our family here in Texas. Annette and I have been friends for 25 years or so. Annette is who told us about how nice it is here and why we even looked to move here in the first place. It has been so nice to have them here.

So much more to write. Better go for now.