I have had a huge deposit in my bank the past two weekends. I was able to go and see Mallory and Rob for Labor Day.  We were all worn out for various reasons and totally enjoyed just being together and hanging out in Galveston. I was able to stop by and see their new home. It is very exciting to see your kids grow up and watch their lives unfold. I loved getting to visit with them and hear about their lives.
     Austin and Laura came in for a wedding this past weekend so I was able to spend some time with them. God knows what I need and being with my kids is such a blessing for me. We enjoyed time on on the deck and I actually remember how to cook! I never cook for myself but somehow when my kids come home I feel like I need to do the things I  use to do and feed them well.
     Price is busy at the University of Texas studying hard and attending UT football games. He has moved to a new apartment this year and I was able to help him get settled. It was bitter sweet for me as I realized this was my last little bit of mothering I would do for by youngest child's first day of school for the last time. It was also a feeling of great accomplishment as I have had the "first day of school" for the past 24 years with my three children.
     I absolutely love my new job! YouthBuild is a fantastic program and I am excited about the impact it will have on our community. I have my new marching orders and my new duty station and it is challenging but great rolled into one. It has been a very busy month for YouthBuild as we pioneer a new program. We  started with our clients this week and I have to laugh as they love calling me "Mama Max." I have a bunch of new young people that are hungry for a better future,  and need someone to reveal to them their value and worth. 80% are young men ages 16-24 who are working on their GED and  into college while they learn the construction trade. I surveyed the group the other night and none of them were over 6'4 so I figured I could handle them since that is the size of my sons. I work with a team of 5- a program director, case manager ,construction manager, assistant manager and GED teacher. It is an awesome team and we  have fun working together.
     I continue to oversee my parents. They are doing alright. My dad just joined Facebook at 84! He recently had a 5" skin cancer removed from his head and it gave him a face lift! Mother on the other hand struggles more with dementia...she beats the odds with her disease but it makes me sad that her quality of life continues to decline.
     I have a new adventure that I have been asked to take. It is beyond me but I know it is God. I will announce it after it hits the paper. The other day I looked at a card I have sitting by my sink. It says, "You never know what you will discover around the corner." As I read that Saturday, I had no idea what was "around the corner." I love walking with God and seeing what he has for my life and how he uses how he uniquely made me. I belong to Him. It is not my life, but His.

Jeremiah 31:17 rings in my ears..."So there is hope for your future," declares the Lord.

Discovering my new life-