Huckabee Happenings: Wrap Up of 2011, a little Late :)

Hi Everyone,

Since I had a such a difficult time getting caught up with my blog, I decided to just put our 2011 Christmas letter on here to update you about our year of change/transition. . . .This just about sums up our year!

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy New Year from our family to yours! We pray that 2012 will be an exciting year for all of us. 2011 was definitely a year of transition and change for the Huckabee family

In April, Austin (our oldest) and his wife Brittany finished their 5 years with the Army and in May, left for Kenya to serve as missionaries with Mattaw Children's Village. Austin and Brittany sold most of their belongings and stayed with us until they left in mid-May. Just a few days before their departure, Brittany and Austin found out they were expecting our first grandchild, due in December!

Georgia (our daughter) and her husband, Jordan prepared for transition also, as Jordan began his deployment to Iraq in May and Georgia moved in with us. She was able to find a nursing job at Community Hospital and we all mentally settled in for his year-long deployment.

In August, after much prayer and waiting on the Lord's direction, Todd and I made the decision to move to San Marcos, Tx (which is located almost halfway between Austin and San Antonio, and about 4 hours southeast of San Angelo in the Texas Hill Country)

Todd had spent much of 2011 traveling to this area, developing business for the bank, and the traveling was taking a toll on all of us. Changing locations after 30 years in the same area was a stretch, especially for me, but the Lord prepared the way for us in many different areas. We felt led to be near Texas State University, so that we could continue our involvement with college students. And within a few weeks the Lord led us to a church, Riverstone Community Church which regularly meets on the campus of Texas State, and also brought several staff members of Campus Crusade for Christ into our lives. The Lord has certainly paved the way.

We truly miss our San Angelo friends, church family and our relatives, but God has done some amazing things in Todd's business relationships and our spiritual lives here, so we know without any doubt, that we are supposed to be in San Marcos.

Georgia moved with us to San Marcos, and was a huge help in getting us settled here. Unexpectedly and thankfully, Jordan's deployment was cut short, and he returned back to the states a few days before Thanksgiving! Georgia continues to live with us here in San Marcos until Jordan gets out of the Army in March, so he drives here on the weekends from his base at Ft. Hood, TX, which is about a 2 hour drive.

August (our youngest) traveled again with WorldView Academy (worldview.org) for the third straight summer . This Fall, he returned back to Texas A&M as a Junior and helped lead Bible studies with Grace Bible Church, which he really enjoyed. During the Christmas break, August flew to Cuba, to take in Bibles and visit pastors with a ministry called "Vision Beyond Borders". . It was truly an eye-opening trip for him and he loved being able to encourage pastors and Christians there.

Austin and Brittany arrived back in the US in October to have their baby after almost 6 months in Kenya. They settled back near Killeen to be near their church family and friends, and now they were less than 2 hours away from us. After being 15 days late, Seguin Obadiah Huckabee, our first grandchild, arrived on Jan 4th, weighing in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. We had forgotten what life with a newborn is like, and we have so enjoyed him (and his parents :) . .Austin and Brittany are looking to settle in either the Austin or Houston area in the coming year.

So that's the update on our family. . . We pray that 2012 will be a wonderful year for you, and we would love to stay in touch! Blessings to you!