Reflection and Change
(the pictures throughout this post are from recent
happenings…rather than giving descriptions I just plugged them in…we are blessed.
When I look at each picture all I see is JOY pure joy.)
I love this time of year! Friends, family,
celebrations, mall Santa’s, gingerbread houses, the birth celebration of our
Savior…the list goes on and on. I also love this time of year because when you
wake up from a late night on New Year’s Eve it is a new year. A New Year! Such
a beautiful time to reflect on the year before and make goals and dream for the
year ahead. It makes my heart so full each and every year. My babies are a year
older, my husband and I have had another amazing year of marriage! So much to
be thankful for in 2014 and so much to look forward to in 2015.
. I love embracing the now and I love dreaming
of the times to come. We are in a stage in this new year that brings a lot of
unknowns, a lot of bittersweet, and a lot of joy. Such a beautiful stage of life
to be in. We are preparing to say goodbye to Canada Kansas
(Hilariously fun date nights! Twice in one month! Thank you Lauren and Mimi and Papi)
. I can’t
say I will be sad to say goodbye to Calgary. That wouldn’t be honest…I mean
really my mom slipping and breaking her elbow on black ice was just like the
final straw for my un-love of Calgary! Ha! But loving the actual city isn’t
what it is about. It is so much bigger than the city you live in. We have been
making moves with Scott’s company since Whitney was an infant…an infant! That precious
baby is turning 8 next month…how is that possible!? We have been so blessed to
see different parts of our beloved country and now even see another country.
We have made the most beautiful friends that
become your temporary family. When you don’t know a soul your friends become like family
faster than you can imagine. Leaving those amazing people behind with each move
is hard! It leaves a hole. I always fret about how that will effect the kids.
This time around it is going to be so hard for Whit. She truly loves her friends
here. Goodbye will not be easy.
And on the other hand Mal is so ready to embrace
home. She is missing her friends so much. She has been so happy and made so
many friends here but it is just time to get here home. Moving around is such an interesting thing…it
makes our family unit so tight. We are so thankful for all these adventures.
They have been amazing and I wouldn’t trade a minute of any of it. Our kids are
best friends, our family laughs constantly, we know each other inside and out. We
have the best game nights, movie nights, make over parties and of course
amazing adventures in new places… the list goes on and on.
(so this is blurry but I coudln't get him to slow down for a picture...I just love that his shirt says "Dear Santa, My brother did it!")
It is also really special to have all of our
family come to visit us. We have made such special memories with all our
visitors. It is really different having solid uninterrupted time just visiting
and having fun. I will miss that part of being gone.
We travel to be with Scotty and that has been
the right choice all these years. The kids adore having all the time with their
daddy and the times we have lived at home while he has traveled they have just
missed him desperately. But we feel the time has now come for us to go home and
find a house to raise the kids in until they head off to college. (that’s what
we say now…what is it they say…make your plans and God laughs) ha! But Mallory
is growing so fast right before our eyes and it is time for her to head back
home and be with her precious friends that have been her constant since she
started kindergarten.
Scott will still be traveling and that will be
hard. It makes me tear up just thinking about it. But like all our adventures
we will make it fun… Our priority has always been each other and the kids with
Jesus right in the center of all of it. We know his plan for us is good. We know
he is already before us and we know he will be right behind us.
.
I am in the thick of worry, anxious, nervous
feelings but I just keep wading through giving them all to The Lord. I am trusting
in his perfect plan. I am trusting in his timing. He will be with us for each
goodbye, he will be with us for each hello, each new beginning. He already has
our perfect home and our kids perfect school…He has got this. I just need to
hang on to that in the coming weeks. Would you please join me in that prayer…the
prayer to just give it all to him. To trust that he is faithful.
Sadly after my mom's broken elbow we didn't get the camera back out!! But I am so glad I have this gem!! The kids LOVED their Christmas morning surpirse of Mimi and Papi at the door!! I do have it on video ;)
(I just have to say this is seriously what Whit put on her plate for Christmas dinner....!!)
(y'all don't care about this picture...but it was after I took all the Christmas down...it ususally makes me feel so blue...but next time I open those boxes it will be in Kansas!!! So I am feeling alright about packing it up!) I will miss our little hearth room though!! One of my favorite spots in the house!!
Y’all I am so excited to get home! I can not wait to embrace
each of you, to bump into you at the grocery store, to meet for play dates, to
worship next to you at church, to meet for a cup of coffee, to celebrate
holidays and birthdays to see your precious faces at the kids activities…I can
not wait. I can not wait to see my parents, sister, and n’laws weekly…or
sometimes daily! I can not wait. There is so much to be excited about it…times
of waiting and unknowns are just hard. And that is okay.
So in closing I just want to give y’all some specific prayer
requests:
- Weather and travel mercies both here over the next few weeks and for our travels home
- House hunting…that I may remain calm. That we find the right house that goes to Frontier Trail…and preferably Blackbob Elementary…
- In addition to the above that I continue to pray for, listen and hear God’s will and not just push for my own wants.
- For the kids transitions.
- Health and safety for all of us.
- Scott’s job as he finishes this project and starts his new project. Transitions are always stressful…pray his project is in the country and preferably close to home!
Psalms 86:15 “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
Psalms 36:5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
Psalms 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?
Psalms 119:90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
I can't go without saying my mother n' law made theses dresses for the girls!!! What!? She is an amazing talent!! The girls were obsessed with them!! Thank you Terri!!
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
Psalms 91:4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
(Carry your own "stuff" my favorite bowling grandparents will totally understand why I snapped that picture!)
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
