My time in Texas was short, but sweet. I arrived Thursday night and was greeted by my Dad and Mom at the airport. The first weekend I was there we were able to have my Nannie and Nikki and Brian over for dinner and I was also able to celebrate my Mom's birthday with her at La Madeleine and the Cheesecake Factory. Seeing Sydney and giving her the wedding gift we picked out for her was so nice, it is hard to believe 
that she is getting married in 4 days. Another thing I worked on throughout my time in Texas was finishing the book, What the Bible Says about Healthy Living, which I HIGHLY recommend - it has caused me to reconsider many of the things I consume (including pork, processed meats, scavengers, shellfish, white flour and anything altered by man in order to "improve" it). Recovering my European pictures was another task that I embarked on and completed while in Texas.
Seeing family was my main focus while back in the Lone Star State, but I was also able to visit with some great friends like Ashle
y and James and to visit Caitlin and my friends down in Houston. From spending time at Mimi and Granddaddy's with the Carolina Wade's to stopping by to see Nannie, it was great to see them all. Our family reunion, which was held in Abilene this year at JA and Stephen's house provided even more opportunity to visit with family. 25 family members ate, played games, visited and played some more. We are only able to get together as a big group once a year, if even that, so I truly valued my time with everyone. It is a blessing to have a large, supportive and Christian family that not only loves God, but also loves one another.On Monday, August 17, 2009, Caroline and I headed out early in the morning from Magnolia as I h
elped her drive her vehicle out to Malibu. The first day we drove roughly 18 hours to Phoenix and stayed with our good friend Sandy in Paradise Valley, AZ. The second day we made the trip through the desert and LA to Malibu in 6.5 hours for a grand total of 24.5! There was only one problem on the way and that was when part of her splash guard came loose, but I was able to pry it off and it only lost us around 30 minutes of time. It was a long trip and so nice to complete it and be back here in Malibu.NSO (New Student Orientation) training started the night of the 19th and that is continuing. It has been tiring, but fun and exciting as we anticipate the arrival of the new students TOMORROW and welcome the International students today. Before I know it, a week from now, I will be starting my first class of Junior year. Hopefully I will have time to write something. Take care of yourselves! Be blessed,
- Wade
