My creative side

Some fellow cottage parents and I have been a little "crafty" lately. And I mean that in the literal sense of the word- we have started making crafts. Here are a few of our projects.

"Leafy Garland"- inspired by Pottery Barn, but out of my price range.

Our "Thankful Tree"- the guys put their thankful statements in the leaves that correspond with each day of November. This was $90 at Pottery Barn, but this version was only $20!

Our First Visitors!

We had our first guest to visit while the boys are here a few weeks ago. Tim's sister, Tiffany, and our niece, Karlee, came out in October for a few days. We had the opportunity to visit the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and the beach. Our guys loved hanging out with Karlee. They were very sad to see her go. We were so glad they flew out and we look forward to seeing them at Christmas. Here are a few pics of the trip.

Karlee in the petting zoo at Animal Kingdom

Karlee with Lilo and Stitch

Tiffany and Karlee at the aquarium in Animal Kingdom

Carmel-by-the-Sea

Isn't that a romantic name? Carmel-by-the-Sea? We went to this amazing city last weekend to celebrate a friend's wedding. It has to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It was breathtaking. Here are a few pictures to showcase God's creation. We are already planning our next trip the California coast.

Our Adventures

We have had the opportunity to take a few adventures lately. At the beginning of September, we were able to meet my family at Hilton Head Island for a weekend getaway. The island is beautiful and we had a great time.

We were able to take our guys to a Tampa Bay Rays game in September. We had a great time and our guys enjoyed the experience. They even got to pet the Sting Rays in the tank (the fish not the players).

And this weekend we are going to celebrate a wedding in California. It will be our first trip to California and we are excited to be a part of the joining of two lives as we celebrate our anniversary. October 9th will mark 6 years of wedded bliss, and we are excited to get to witness Jeff and Tricia's nuptials as we reflect on our own vows. Please pray for our guys while we are away for the weekend. I tend to worry when I am away for so long.

Fabulous Fall

After months of unbearable heat, Fall has finally arrived in central Florida. We have enjoyed nice, breezy days over the past week and I am ecstatic. My thoughts on Florida heat is that it is not hotter than home (Oklahoma or Georgia), but it is hotter longer. When we moved here in May it was in the upper 90's and it remained there until a few weeks ago. In honor of the cooler temperatures, I invested in a hammock and have thoroughly enjoyed spending my afternoons curled up with a good book on my new toy. It also means the guys can play outside for longer periods of time without being drenched in sweat or dying of heat exhaustion. And I can lie in my hammock and supervise basketball games. I am looking forward to the next months- everyone tells me this is when it is a pleasure to be a Floridian.

What a week...

It has been an interesting week at McNeill Cottage. One of our boys had to leave the ranch due to behavior. His departure has been an emotional roller coaster for me and our boys. I am angry that he could not follow the rules, disappointed that we could not reach him, relieved to have some peace in our home, and so sad to know he is returning to a broken world. I don't know what the next step in his journey is and I am fearful for his future. I can only pray that God continues to work in his life. Please pray that he finds a school where he can be successful and that he chooses friends who will not lead him into trouble.

I never expected to feel such heartbreak when boys leave our home, but I am realizing that there will be alot of disappointment in this work. I have always been driven by success. As a teacher, I felt like succeeded when my kids performed well on projects, tests, etc. It will be a challenge to work in a field where success is not as easily measured. How do you measure the impact on a child's heart? I will keep you updated on these feelings as the year progresses.

New Treats

By moving to a new city, you get the opportunity to explore new restaurants, new stores, new parks, etc. I wanted to share a few of my new loves in the city of Orlando.

1) Heavenly D'Lites- a low fat, low calorie frozen treat. It has no artificial sweeteners and only 50 calories a serving.

2) Mama Nems- a local soul food restaurant that supports a homeless ministry. They serve delicious mac and cheese, yams, fried chicken, etc.

3) Pei Wei Asian Diner- the smaller, but just as delicious version of P.F. Chang's. It is owned by the same company and serves the same food, but at lower prices.