Adjustment

I have people ask me all the time how our family is adjusting to Texas. Here is my reply.....with a few random photos from our recent family picture photo shoot added in.

The summer was great! We hung out at the pool, we hung out at home, we hung out on vacation. You get the picture?

Then school started. Life was brutal those first few weeks of school as the kids had to figure out new schedules and systems. We had to face the reality that our move to Texas was not just an extended vacation. We actually had to LIVE here.

The girls adjusted well. They had girls in their classes invite them to play out at recess. Vanessa found a couple of friends she knew from church out at the playground. Savanah decided shortly after school started that she would rather play soccer with the boys than do girly things. She doesn't care if she is the only girl out on the field. She shows those boys how it's done.

AJ has 25+ boys his age at church. He had at least one of them in every single class at school. He has friends on the football team and cross country team. He is a friendly kid who makes friends easily.

Ethan had football for which I am so grateful. Football helped him make friends and build confidence. We worried a little bit about his adjustment to a new high school. He has done really well. I LOVE the school here! They called us into a meeting a month or two after school started with his counselor, vice principal, and a teacher just to make sure he was transitioning well. I really feel like this school respects us as parents and respects our opinion as to what is best for our student. Like I said, he is doing great!

Este came home from school on the second day and told us that he stepped into the cafeteria and didn't know a single soul. He sat by himself the entire lunch period. He hated his classes. He either had class with freshman or an AP class (each of which promised to be the hardest class offered at the school). He also has his soccer team class where he learned they would be having try-outs the first week of school.

You know when my boys were little and upset about something I would simply pull them into my lap and hug and kiss away the pain. Now that they are bigger than me, I can't do that anymore. I found it heartbreaking and I felt completely helpless. I told him that I promised it would get better. That sounded shallow even to  me so I didn't mind when he simply rolled his eyes. Then, I reminded him that each of us felt that it was right to move to Texas. I explained to him that just because something is right does not mean it will be easy. On the contrary, a lot of the times the "right thing" is very difficult. It doesn't mean that it wasn't right. It just means that sometimes, even when you do what is best, life sucks.

Life did get better. He not only made the soccer team, he will be starting varsity and was asked by the coaches to be a team captain. He learned how to survive his classes and has maintained his 4.0. He has made friends in class and on the team. He has learned to accept his responsibilities and soar.

Both Ethan and Este have had the opportunity to answer questions about our church. Being the new guys and from Utah, they get asked all the time if they are Mormon. They answer in the affirmative and any other questions that come their way. It's usually not just one kid asking one question. It's a group of kids asking several questions. I have been proud of the way they have handled standing out. I have seen them take the opportunity to stand up. Stand up for what they believe

And so it is.....we are adjusting well. I realize it will take even more time. I am grateful that I can be home to help my kids settle into this new life. It is a good life and I can honestly say we are happy. I don't know what the future holds for our family here in Texas. I just know that if we stick together and stay strong to our beliefs, we will be just fine.