July 29, 2007

Sunday, and church today. It is tough going from a smaller church home, where you know almost everyone and everyone knows you, and your kids and various details of your life, to a large new church were you are looking for any connection to anyone who might know you from years gone by.

We visited Richland Hills Church of Christ this morning. This is not the first time we have been there. In fact we have visited there several times but today was the first time we were looking at the church as a possible place to worship and raise our children. The welcome center was great and the children's ministry help desk was wonderful and when we were taking Blake to his class we happened across an old friend of Shar's from college who married a guy we both knew and he was in the class that we were headed toward, and she also helped get Anna Jo settled into her class and she was very friendly and helpful. But it was a real bummer being a visitor. I hated it. I hated not having people to talk to and not feeling comfortable with Blake taking off and running the isles looking for old people to give him hugs and candy. It was an uncomfortable feeling. Church was great, worship was strong, message was powerful, visiting was a bummer.

We've moved, and that is a fact. We love our new house and the neighborhood and the community pool, and I am really excited about my job and the upcoming season, and all the extras that come from living in the Ft. Worth area, but being new and uninvolved and unconnected at church is an awful feeling.

Shar cried in June of 2000 when we accepted the job at Belton and made plans to move to Temple. She never thought she would live there again and she did not know what she was going to do. She cried today after talking to her mom, not because we left Temple or her parents, but because we are in a new place and it is tough. Now don't worry or get sad for us. This is such a little thing in the grand scheme and Shar is tough and strong and she can handle far more that I can and after a month or six all will be fine, but for now, today, we miss being in a comfortable place.

Blake's prayers have been very interesting these days. He is praying for things he remembers from Temple life, and even though his time table is off, his thoughts are pure and genuine. Today at lunch he prayed for the regulars (mimi, paw, nana, grandon,......) but then added Shar's remaining living grandparents pawpaw, memaw, Aunt Pauli, and granny. This is the first time he has prayed for them. At dinner tonight he got really creative and prayed for "Ms. Waltina and Mr. Allen who lives up in heaven, Mrs. Jo (McKinney), Big John (Bowen) and thank you for Mr Rex's party that we got to go to" (the party for Rex Senior that was over a year ago?). Don't feel left out if Blake didn't mention you in this prayer. He talks about his friends, young and old very often. In fact, that is another major concern of Shar's and why this move is so emotional. Shar is constantly thinking about how this is impacting the kids. She wants to make sure that they can benefit from church and friendships in a similar manner to what they were receiving in Temple. We can't replace it but it is important to make sure they are compatible with the decision we make in regards to church.

Anyway, this is more than most of you will read. I start work tomorrow, officially and will be busy from now until November (playoffs!!). God bless you all and we willingly accept your prayers on our new lives here in Keller.

Finally, today is my dad's birthday. He is older than he wants to be, but still in great health. I miss him and my mom very much, and I cherish the time we have together. Happy Birthday Dad. We love you and look forward to seeing you soon. Have fun getting old, you only do it once. Byron.

Welcome to Keller

We are here and partially moved in. It has been a wild and crazy week, but God has been good to us and we are all doing well.

5 Coaches from Keller High and Mario from college came to help us unload the truck. Only one item was damaged; 3 slats from Anna's bed. Everything else was in really good shape, for moving. It is nuts that you spend all this money buying stuff, and then try to keep it in good shape, and then when you move you throw it in a truck and hope for the best.

My parents grew up in Dallas, and hundreds of my childhood vacations were spent in the DFW area. When I am back here I feel like I'm a kid again. Dallas/Ft. Worth just feel different to me. Shar and I were watching the news last night and I got a weird feeling of "childhood Dallas". I told here about it and she swears I'm crazy, but it just feels different up here.

This is going to be a good place for our family. We are anxious, but excited about what will happen here in Ft. Worth!!!! Thank you all for your support, prayers and advice these last few months, and years.

Byron

Last Blog From Pappus Ct.

This is my final post from our house at 7301 Pappus Ct. in Temple. It is very late so this will be short and random.

This morning I did the yard for the last time. It looks really good, but after 27 inches of rain in the last 9 weeks I'd be a moron if it didn't. I am going to miss this yard, and the trees that we planted have really turned out to be cool.

Blake and I got haircuts this morning. We go to the Ponderosa Barber Shop on 25th and Ave. M. It is owned by Barbara and two of her 4 daughters work with her. Blake likes going to see "the girls" and getting his hair cut always involves gum and candy.

Lunch out in Heidenheimer with Hal and JoAnn. It was good to visit with them and they love watching the kids tear up their house. Really good that Blake and Anna get to be with their great grandparents.

Packing and box stealing during nap time. I love sneaking into the back storerooms of HEB and Wal Mart and looking for boxes like a spy searches for hidden secretes. It is fun to be in places that say "employee's only".

Dinner with Dana and Brian and the kids at Pizza, Wings and Things. This was a favorite of the Citty family while they lived here. Good food and some good memories.

Back to the house after a quick run in at Ron and Diana's, and more packing. The house is thrashed and I am so tired of boxes and tape that I can hardly stand it. Moving really bites. I am so excited about the new adventures in Keller, but getting there is a real chore.

Blake decided tonight that his stomach would start to hurt. After about 4 false alarms he finally said "I'm going to throw up"! We headed to the bathroom and he did. Hopefully this is nervousness about the move and not a poorly planned stomach virus.

Blessing and to you all and I will let you know how the move goes when ever Shar gets our computer hooked up in Keller.

It's Official Part 2

We are moving to Keller. If you did not know that then we have not communicated in a long time. The process began with a change in the Athletic Director position at Belton High, who asked for my position. The details of that side of the story can be found here.

At the end of June I was officially hired by Keller I.S.D., but it really had not fully hit us that we were leaving. As we began to try to sell the house and then sold the house and began to pack boxes the move seemed more real, but not actually something that would ever happen but instead some far off task that might not ever be reached. But as of tonight the move to Keller is finally very real. Tonight we said goodbye to our church.

Here is how the day went.

I got to lead worship at church this morning. It was fun for me because I got sing all of my favorite songs. Here is the order of worship. I am not known for being emotionally strong, so it could have been a real mess for me to lead singing on the last Sunday we are here, but I made it all the way through church until I had to read the closing scripture before the closing song. I chose Numbers 6:24-26 and then lead The Lord Bless you and Keep you. I barely made it through the first line of scripture, and then chocked my way through the song. It could have gone better but it happened.

The church was really alive this morning. Singing sounded great and the energy of the congregation was very easy to feel in their songs. I love being apart of powerful worship and this morning the church and praise team were so great.

The afternoon was typical, with minor errands to run and kids naps, and I took a nap. The evening service at church was to be followed by a going away party for Shar and I and the kids, and it was going to be an emotional evening that I was already nervously anticipating.

The church part was good. Scott shared a few thoughts on praise from Psalm 146 and on christian life from 1 Thessalonians. Larry Mathews prayed over Shar and I and the kids and then we headed off to the FLC for a pizza dinner. It was a nice environment in the FLC. Light conversation and jokes and no crying. Our good friends the McClendons from Austin came to be with us. All good things.

Neil Haney then called the attention of the room and began to speak concerning Shar and I and the kids and the things we had been involved with here at the church and gave some very eloquent blessings. Then he opened the mic up to allow people to speak if they wanted. A handful of people said things. Henry Browning said "if all I had to do to get Bundy to leave was buy some pizza I would have done this a long time ago." The crowd liked that one. Henry and Evelyn have been very good to us and have loved our kids in special way these past years. Farrar Keetch spoke about how much he liked my dad. Farrar is an old Marine and my dad is retired Navy, and I swear when my folks come to town dad and Farrar will be late to church because they are outside sharing old war stories. Farrar and Barbara have been a blessing to us, and they have loved my kids and my parents. They are true saints. Randy Pittenger shared his appreciation for our work with the youth group and sweet Sherry Caffey, who is not known for public emotional speeches, made some very tender comments about our relationship with her family and son Kyle. The Caffey family is very special family to us. All in all this was not too difficult of a event and I was very happy with the mixture of humor and tears. Neil then asked us to come up front for a prayer and blessing and gift from the congregation. A money tree and painted scripture from Jeremiah 29 was presented from the church, and Randy and LaGay got Blake and Anna some cool Noah's Ark books.

Well, from there it was hugs and goodbyes and thank yous, until the praise team began to form around us. I knew something was up, but I was hoping it was a prayer or blessing from the praise group. Instead Jim Boulter began to sing The Lord Bless you and Keep you. I lost it before the work Lord was finished. The remaining people gathered around and blessed us with their voices. It was very special to us.

The praise team at Western Hills is very special group. Godly men and women who love to serve the church in leading worship. It has been a blessing and honor for me to be associated with such talented and humble servants and I will miss them dearly. Jim, Syree, LaGay, Laurene, Jenna, Sharissa, Rhonda, Julie, Todd, Randy, Mike, Richard and Matt. You have been so wonderful to take a coach and help him learn to sing. I am grateful for your patience and forgiveness and I look forward to hearing you again.

We have really loved our time here at Western Hills in Temple and the church has been a blessing to us. Great things are in your future and I am proud to say that I was able to worship and serve with you. May the Lord Bless you and Keep You.

Bundy Family

Guess That Movie...

Here is a quote from a favorite around the Bundy house. If you can guess the movie then you will win a special prize, that is yet to be determined. Good Luck!!!

July 4th Fun

The 4th of July this year was a wet one. It has rained off and on since about March and this typical outdoor, hot day was soggy and cloudy and mild. Above is a pic of wet kids at the church wide devo and fireworks at the Smith's house. The rain was a factor but the evening was really enjoyable.

Shar and I took our kids to the Belton 4th of July Parade. It was fun and the kids did really well. The band played and the fire truck came by with the cheerleaders on it. Typical small town parade except for two little items that you might not have seen in your parade.

This was the first little tid bit. I was really not expecting the stars and bars to show up and the invitation to celebrate your Confederate Heritage was interesting. I even feared that some would start singing "The South Will Rise Again".

The HEB people put together this cool hot rod of a shopping basket. It was real and sounded like a drag racer. Nothing better than a guy driving a shopping cart down the road.

Southern Heritage and drivable shopping carts. I am really going miss Belton.