The main event this spring was GRADUATION!
What a spring it has been! Spring often means new growth and new changes, and we are in the midst of those all around. We are almost finished with the last new house. We have two new home parent couples settling in and filling up their homes with kiddos. We have LOTS of new kids here and coming over the next few months. For our house we also have had some endings and goodbyes. With life comes change, and with change comes a choice. We can choose worry, anxiety, fear, and negativity, or we can choose joy, peace, excitement, and anticipation.
So, what’s up with our kiddos…….
Well, in May we said, “See ya later!” to Elisha and Ezmae. We will miss them, and they brought energy and enthusiasm to our family group. They have a strong Christian family back home, ready for them to return. We pray they settle in well.
Luke finished up Bible Bowl and has been working on his piano. He has also picked up punch needle and is enjoying that. Luke decided to be part of the summer community musical with us and is excited to be a sailor and a shark. He is VERY dramatic, so this should be perfect for him.
If you know Ezra, you know he always has an idea. Well, he had an idea to play ukulele along with a song they were singing for junior high music class. This turned into him, and four of his friends working for weeks to practice together. They were amazing. It was fun to see an idea grow and be completed.
Hunter has been working in his off season to improve his basketball and football skills. He’s excited for high school sports this coming year as he is going to be a freshman this fall. He got the Cardinal Pride award for P.E., which means he wasn’t just good at P.E. he was a good human in P.E. Being coachable and having good sportsmanship is something we have really worked on through junior high with Hunter. Him receiving that award shows his growth of character, and we are so proud.
“Wow!” is all I have to say for Mirlanda. First semester she struggled at school. She wasn’t necessarily doing bad; she just wasn’t doing much. We were all looking for ways to encourage and motivate her. We offered her a special lunch (at SCS they pack a lunch most days) for every P.A.C.E. she passed. We felt confident in this since she had only passed less than handful first semester. Well, she showed us what she can do. I think by the end of the second semester she had passed 11. We got so behind she will be getting special lunches or treats through summer. Although, we may not offer the same incentive to her next year. Seeing her get to a place of feeling she CAN do it was so amazing to watch.
Gracelynn is excited to begin her first “real” (not working for Dad) job this summer. She had a good archery season. She got to go to state and nationals, which is a fun honor. She is also excited to be in the summer musical. She is a maid and a sea creature in the Little Mermaid. I (Dennae) am doing the production with the kids and am excited to get to create fun memories with them.
Heaven also got her first summer job and is excited to be working in dietary at one of the nursing homes. She is also in the summer musical and is excited to be on stage. Heaven comes alive in a whole new way on stage, and it is fun watching that happen. She got her license this spring and has been a huge help at times getting kids to and from practices. In three months, she will begin her senior year!
The main event this spring was GRADUATION! We had two graduates, which was the first for us. Ashley has been a joy to watch grow and mature in her six years with us. She received several scholarships and highest-in-class awards. She embraced being a senior and has loved every minute of it. She is looking forward to working this summer and getting some money in the bank. She plans to go to Moberly Area Community College (MACC) this fall and possibly pursue a degree in business or accounting. Another first was to watch our first-born walk across the stage.
Titus has been part of our Shiloh story since, well…… almost since the beginning. He has grown into an amazing young man. We both got to go watch him and his golf team take second in state golf, by one stroke. It was a fun but hard two days. It really is like watching kids walk into life. You see them set up in the tee box. You watch the shot, and when the ball hits club sometimes just from the sound you know it was a good one. Then sometimes……well it wasn’t. Then the golfer has a choice. Much like our choices about facing new things and changes. Choose to get frustrated, angry, and begin to really battle to try to make it what you want or choose to chalk it up and move on to the next shot or hole. Titus was great at taking a breath, remembering what he needed to do, and hoping for the birdie but being ok with the par. This fall Titus will go to Ozark Christian College to major in Biblical Communications (a.k.a. preaching). He has been preaching semi regularly at a few small churches and has a passion and joy for teaching others about Jesus.
After graduation the story with some of our kids isn’t necessarily over. Not all stay connected or go well, but some do, and those are priceless. Christy came for a visit over Easter. She’s plugging away at a degree one class at a time, holding down a full-time job, and paying her bills. We are proud of her hard work.
Mercy moved home for a week between leaving Kansas City, where she’s been a nurse for several years, and starting a new adventure in Chicago. Although it is scary, she is excited to live in Chicago and explore all the fun things the city has to offer.
Abigail finished her freshman year of college well. She is set to take one more semester at MACC and then move on to Truman State to finish her degree in English Education. She has made great connections, and it excited to make the move to Truman next spring.
As summer kicks off, please pray for all the new kids joining our homes. With new kids come new opportunities and challenges. May we embrace all the newness with a deep breath and joyful spirit.
Blessings, The Moores