It's been how long?

Wow, close to four years since I posted on this blog. Our beautiful Ethiopian kids are now beautiful adults. Abate is in College, his senior year. He will still have to attend classes this summer and do his student teaching next autumn. He will then start on his masters degree with the goal to coach soccer at the college or pro level. He has been very successful in college and studied abroad in Salzburg Austria last year for the spring semester. He loved it and it really helped to shape him into becoming a more responsible confident man. He is quite handsome and has too many girlfriends to count. He is still a long way from being ready to settle down as he is having way too much fun being the bachelor.
Fantu has had her struggles and took a break from her college courses last spring. She is now looking to change her major before returning to school. She continues to work at HEB where she has worked for nearly four years now. She is a very strong independent young lady and still has men chasing after her constantly. I think if she met the right guy she would settle down in a heartbeat. Several of her friends are married and having babies of which she spoils rotten. She still has her great laugh and is always a joy to have around. Her and I have spent a lot of time supporting each other emotionally over the past year. I don't know what I would do without her.
The past year has seen its share of hardships and struggles for all of us. I won't go into details but let me say I'm glad we are still standing and working on a path forward. We still have some tough times ahead, but I feel we will someday be able to look back on this and know we are stronger because we persevered through these hard times.

I am still working at the Convention Center, doing the same job. We got a new manager last autumn and it has been a difficult adjustment getting used to the changes. I hope that once the kids get through school (or possibly sooner) that I can retire. I had hoped to do so this year, but I know that it is not yet the time to do so.

For those that remember me talking about Elmer ( Abate's best friend) He graduates from HSU in May with a English Education degree with a minor in coaching. He already has a teaching /coaching job offer that he is going to accept.

My grandson Caleb is now a teenager. He is growing by light speed and passed me up last year and passed his Mom. He is a bean pole. He is a typical teenage boy.

We have new dogs. Bonnie passed away 3 years ago and my beautiful Schindler 19 months ago. We still have Sadie and have added two tiny mutts to our pack. Enys arrived a few weeks before Schindler died. She is a Min Pin cross. Great personality, odd looks, but she is a brilliant little dog. 9 months ago we added Uisce (ish-ka) a tiny little chi-weenie. She just oozes cuteness. Her and Enya are best friends and have so much fun together. They were both rescues.

Well that's my life in a nutshell. Maybe I won't wait so ling until the next update.