Merry Christmas from the Cash Clan

Holiday Greetings From the Sunshine State

What an eventful year it has been for all us. We have had many life changing events this year.  Many of these events have been posted on Face Book so for some this is a review.  The Cash clan is happy to say we had many more ups than downs this year and acknowledges the Lord has been very good to us through each of our experiences. Instead of writing out all the details of the year, I much rather share the year in pictures. Feel free to ignore, scan, or look intently at each picture and read the captions.   

The beginning!

David helping

Most of the family is still involved in Awana.  In January we had a snowman night.  Many of the leaders were blessed by being wrapped in toilet paper.  Maybe we should have called it Mummy night.

Carley gladly participating!

We spent most of the first part of the year planning for a heap of graduations.

 

Just a few of Carley's senior pictures.

Carley and Colton both participated in the Pensacola State Spring graduation on May 4.

After Carley graduated from Pensacola State, she graduated from high school in June .  

What dual graduate does not deserve the graduation party?

Right after all the hoopla of graduations, most of the family decided it was a time to travel.

Terrie goes off to Tennessee with the youth from church.

A week after camp, Terrie and Carley head to NC to see grandparents and go to the Biltmore House.  

Upon their return, David, Terrie, and Carley head up to up state New York with 22 others from their church on a mission trip to have their lives changed forever.

Yes, they actually did let David play with real power tools.

Carley learned how to maneuver studs.

Then there were times Carley just needed a Star Bucks coffee.

We discovered mission trips can grey the hair prematurely.

Either they are resting or just admiring how God uses every day people to accomplish His work.

Terrie was head of the kitchen staff.

We had the opportunity to go into the city for a few hours.

Upon are return, the family began to prepare to send Carley off to college in Mobile.  She is studying accounting and doing extremely well.  Her first day there she won a Kindle Fire.  God has away  of sending us little nuggets to remind us we are exactly were we are suppose to be in life. 

Carley and her daddy.  She may never be to big for this.

This is typical.

So is this.  My three sons, Colton, Vincent, and Josh.

We had to say good-bye to a very dear friend to the entire family.  Levi died of cancer in September. He will always remain as our wonder dog.  

September the 27th, David and I celebrated our 26th anniversary.  However, McKenzie's parents gave us the best gift ever.  Madisyn Page Mott was born on our special day.  Now we have two M&M's to play with.

She is a beautiful as her sister, McKenzie, and cousin Carley.

McKenzie

Colton and a few friends headed to Universal Studios for seven day in September.  This was his first vacation that he paid for with his own money.

David's job sent him to Maryland for a few weeks and Terrie went also to spend time with her BFF.  While they were there, they took in  some sightseeing and visited the Antietam Battlefield.

Terrie is still leading and or hosting ladies Bible studies in our home on Thursday evenings.  She always has a special helper.

Not sure if Gideon gets the Word or not.

Vincent is still going strong with his music. He was on tour for many days in October.  It was quite difficult keeping up with his busy schedule. 

Some of you may be wondering what about Colton.  He is one busy dude.  Colton stays very busy working two jobs, keeping up with volunteering at Pensacola Little Theater, music, and his friends.  There are days we never seen him.

When Colton is here, he lends a hand, especially if there is a M&M involved.  He loves those girls as much as we do.

Game night

Colton with his new uniform.  Rave Motion pictures was bought out by Carmike Theaters.

Colton has gone from acting to directing. Colton directed his first major production, The Christmas Story.  His next big project is.........

Colton will be directing the Hobbit at PLT in September.  Directing the Hobbit has always been a huge dream of his.

We do have a very new member of our family and he goes by the name Hezekiah.

  

He was born October 30 and we drove up to Georgia December 16 to get him.

The difference in size.

From our house to yours, may all of you have a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.  May you always seek God's direction and know who you are in Him.  

August was a roller coaster ride

Well it was going to happen and it has happened,  my baby girl has left for college.  Actually she left  weeks ago, but was blessed that she came home her first weekend.  Many of you may wonder why such an independent girl who is determine to be as independent as she can be would come home so soon.  It's amazing what a concert will do to intise a young person to return home.  God was so good to send us a tropical storm that caused USA (University of South Alabama) to shut down for a few days.  As soon as I kissed my girl good-bye, it was less than 24 hours before she drove back up to the her home and family who loves her with everything they have.

Her first few hours at USA were quite the roller coaster ride for her and this momma. Moving Carley in and saying good-bye was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  Who knew moving one girl into a dorm room would be so exhausting.  I was ready to call it a day at lunch, but instead Carley, her daddy, and I chose to go to Fire House Sub to eat lunch.  We could have chosen to eat anywhere, but the Lord directed our path straight to Fire House Sub.  He is so good to us.  As we were leaving, Carley decided to ask if FHS was hiring and the manager said he wasn't sure but asked her to fill out a application and interviewed her right there on the spot.  I guess she answered all his questions in such a manner he liked because he talked to the other manager and she was hired on Monday to begin her new job.

Before Carley knew she had the job, God had her travel a road she probably would have chosen not to walk on and me too, but we don't always get to choose what we want to do.  It's amazing how God provides everything we need on the journey He has placed us on.  Even before Carley moved into her dorm, Jonathan, her youth pastor had introduce Carley to a very sweet girl, Amy, via Face Book. Carley went to Amy's church on Sunday morning, met Amy's family, and then Amy and Carley went to lunch.  From what I am told, the two of them have a lot in common down to liking the same foods.  After lunch, as the two girls were pulling out into traffic, they were hit by an SUV.  The accident caused only minor bruising and with the air bags deploying, there was some minor burns.  Amy's family was there within minutes to help both girls through their time if distress.  I will be forever grateful to a family I have not even met yet.

This brings me to Hurricane Isaac.  I may be the only person on planet earth thankful for Isaac.  See, Isaac caused USA, Pensacola Little Theater (Colton's employment), and the military school house where David works to shut down for Tuesday and Wednesday.  Many would think it is because I can sit and enjoy my family as long as I can due to the fact my peeps are growing up.  When the chicks grow up, they flap their wings and fly off.  We did enjoy our Tuesday together and had no way to prepare what Wednesday would bring our way.

We own two very sweet Corgi's by the name Levi and Gideon.  Levi has been battling something, but I could never get a vet to tell me what he was battling.  I took him three different vets and all three told me Levi has a parasite in is digestive tract.  Somewhere deep down I knew it wasn't a parasite, I knew he had cancer.  I did my own research and everything I read pointed to cancer, but I could get a vet to agree to test Levi for cancer.

Wednesday morning we are woken up by Carley banging on our outside bedroom door letting us know she needs help.  She gets up early to begin to catch up on homework to discover blood all over our house.  Carley lets the dogs out and notices Levi's backside is all red with blood.  Immediately David gets up to see what Carley needs and discovers his dog is bleeding very abnormally.  Carley begins to try to clean the tile floors and David calls the vets.  All our vets are closed due to the storm, but one vet that we have never been to is open and they agree to see Levi.  David scoops up the dog and Carley travels with her dad to find out this day will be the most miserable day in August for all of us.  The vet told them that Levi has a large mass and it had burst.  Levi would be gone within a few days and his quality of life would deteriorate very quickly.  We were left with no choice but to tell Levi good bye and remind him what an excellent dog he was to all of us.  The Lord blessed us to all be together in that little tiny examining room with our precious Levi.  All of us shed more tears that day than we had in years past.  We miss Levi and I know there will be animals in heaven.  I for one am hoping there will be a little Corgi by the name of Levi waiting for me.