How God Provides

Wow, having a full time job seriously takes everything out of me, and I can never seem to find time for blogging!  It seems I have more things that I want to write about than ever, yet never have enough hours in the day, energy to write, motivation to focus, or to do lists done to get to it.

But in the craziness that has become my life these days, there is one thing that I truly want to share, and that is the many, MANY ways I have seen the Lord bless and provide for my family in the past two months.

As excited as we were to move here, and as ready as we both were for my husband to go back to school, it was somewhat a leap of faith.  We felt that this was were God was leading us, but we had never been here.  Never visited.  Never looked at apartments or seen the campus.  We had no friends or family here.  And we had no jobs.  Once we made the leap, however, we secured an apartment close enough to campus for my husband to ride a bike to school.  It was the very last apartment available in this complex.  (This meant we could sell one of our cars, and I have to say, it is pretty fantastic having only one car!).  We then waited patiently and trusted that God would continue to work out the details, and provide income as well as other odds and ends that we needed.

After moving in and trying to get settled, I was offered 4 different jobs (including some I did not even apply for!) and God made it clear where He wanted me.  As hard as it is for me to be at work, I am learning a little more each day why God has me there, and I feel incredibly blessed.

But then there are other things that God has provided, that I was not even prepared for or expecting.  For example, when we were moving in, it was just us and all our stuff in storage.  Through a mutual friend in a different state, God provided a man who grabbed a few of his friends to help us unload all our boxes, beds and washer and dryer into our new home.  At the time, it didn't even occur to me that we would need help moving in, but looking back, I have no idea how we would have done it without them.

And then, God began to provide tangible things.  Our plan was always that we would have the one car for me to drive to work, and my husband would ride a bike to campus.  Great plan, except that we didn't actually own a bike.  Well, after moving in, we mentioned the need for a bike to some new friends here, and they said, "Oh, there's a guy!  He repairs bikes, then gives them to people who need them!"  They made a call, and two weeks later, he had a bike ready!!

And then there's "The Attic".  It's a ministry on campus for seminary students and families.  People make donations (clothes, household items, furniture, TVs, etc.) and everything is organized and available for families to take for free.  So far a few of the things we have gotten at the Attic include: a microwave, a (very nice, like new) printer, a wicker basket, some dishes, two storage bins that we use for toy boxes, some clothes for the kids for winter, a couple of clothing items for me and my husband and some other odds and ends.          

In addition, God has provided the most wonderful and supportive neighbors.  Their children are all around the same ages as ours, and they love to play together.  We are greatly enjoying getting to know them, and have been blessed by them, even in our short time here.  One friend even made us dinner one night because she heard I was sick!

Honestly, I could go on and on with stories of God's provision, but I'll stop there.  I'm looking forward to sharing more of our life here, and of God's plans for our family!
 

Fall Fun!

I was informed by one of my students today that it is not technically fall yet.  Not until September 22.  Well, that's ok, we are having tons of *Fall fun* already!!

Last weekend, my husband's seminary hosted their annual Fall Festival.  This is a HUGE deal, and I don't think we could have really prepared for how big it is if we tried! They go all out, down to the very last detail, and everything was FREE.  :)

The theme this year was Narnia, so everything was focused around the characters and stories from the Chronicles of Narnia.  We even walked "through the wardrobe" to enter the festival.  

There were tents surrounding the quad filled with all kinds of yummy treats, as well as thirty-plus bounce houses for kids and adults of all ages.  The only thing that got my kids out of the toddler bouncy house was telling them that we were getting some sweet treats, haha!

Bounce House Fun!!

There was also free Chick-Fil-A!  That's all I needed to know, ha!  

Is this not the CUTEST picture you have ever seen?!?  She's so laid back, she just hung out while we ate our chicken.  :)

After dinner, there was and face painting and crown making...

And after dark, there was a Narnia-themed jousting show.  We only saw a little, because it was already way past the kids' bedtime as it was, but man, it was spectacular!  Here is one of the horses that we got to see...

And on our way out, my daughter got a magic wand and my son got a sword.  I can't even tell you how much fun they had!  We had planned on having dinner and then heading out, but the kids were so good and having so much fun, we didn't leave until almost 9 pm!  Plus, I saw several of my students, and we saw a girl that we knew in college with her husband who is also a student here!  It's such a small world, and we are loving it here so much.  :)

Where We Are Now...

After spending some much needed time at home, and after my kids were sufficiently spoiled by their grandparents, we were finally on the road again and back to real life.  It was time to unpack, get settled, and start finding our way around yet another new city.

And where exactly is this new city?  Well, after much prayer, we felt like the time was finally right for my husband to go back to school.  So we are now living in Kentucky so he can attend seminary.  For so many reasons, and in so many ways, we are a perfect fit here, and although it has not all been easy (what move is??), we are completely confident that this is where God wants us right now.  How long will we be here?  I have no idea.  I have given up trying to figure out God's plan, because just when I think I know it all, He throws me a curveball.  So instead, I will walk in faith wherever He leads us.

There have been so many changes and adjustments that have come with this move and this new phase of our life, that it was a little overwhelming at first.  Because my husband is now in school, we made a lot of changes to how we live and where we live.  Before we left New Mexico, we sold a HUGE amount of stuff, including most of our furniture.  That has helped us settle in here, because we are living in a 980 square foot apartment.  It's tiny.  Really tiny.  But there are a lot of closets, and we totally make it work!  And I have realized that we often think we "need" things and space that in reality, are not needs at all.

Another major life change has also come as a result of my husband going back to school.  With him being a full time student, we had to figure out how to pay the bills.  All summer I applied for jobs, but mostly heard nothing.  We finally moved in and got settled, and still we were both unemployed.  About a week after settling in, however, I began to receive calls, and had four job offers in about 48 hours.

After being home with my kids for almost three years, I did not want to go to work full time.  I fought it, and wrestled with it, and came up with a hundred reasons why I should still be at home with my kids.  But ultimately, God made it clear that He had a place for me, that He was providing for our family, and that my babies would be taken care of.  And I truly want to support my husband, and give him the opportunity to grow as an individual as well as a follower of Christ, as I know he will while we are here.

And so, probably the biggest reason for my lack of blogging the last two months is that I have been teaching Algebra 2 and College Algebra to juniors and seniors at the most amazing Christian school I have ever seen.  They are truly focused on seeing kids come to know the Lord, and it is so nice to be in a work place who shares my focus and priorities.  I love that we can share prayer requests with each other, and if I want to, we can set math aside and pull out our bibles to study God's word together.

Plus, they have a wonderful preschool, so on Tuesday and Thursday, while my husband is in class, Punkin and Bubba come to school with me, and Baby Doll goes to the babysitter right next door.  The preschool director went out of her way to shift classes around to make room for my kids, and found a babysitter for Baby Doll (you know, since I know no one here).  And then on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, they get to stay home with their daddy.  :)    

It was really really hard to get used to being back at work (and getting up and out the door on time every morning), but things have settled down a bit now.  We have all gotten into a routine (as much as possible, anyway), and my kids are absolutely LOVING school.  As I knew that they would!  

So that's where we are now!  Whew.  I have so much more to share, but I think I'll just leave it at that for now.  After all, I have to get up early tomorrow, and Baby Doll is still not sleeping through the night!     

Things...Are...Happening...PART 2!

So after leaving Little Rock, we headed into Tennessee.  Tennessee is a very long state, and we have a lot of friends and family there, so we took our time driving through.  First stop, Nashville!

The Parthenon and playing in Centennial Park:

After we left Nashville, we were able to spend some wonderful time visiting my family.  My kids had SO much fun with GiGi and my cousin's son Luke!  When we were at the mall, Luke decided to try a bungee trampoline jump thing (what is the actual name for those things??) so of course my daughter had to do it too!

She was so proud of herself.  After she got started, she said, "Mama, look at me! Look at me, Mama, I'm jumping and I'm not even crying!" :)  Such a big girl!!

After we left my Grandma's house, we went to visit our friends in east Tennessee.  We were able to spend some much needed time together, and were shown such tremendous hospitality!  Here are the highlights:

Riding the rides at Dollywood:

Playing at the park:

After we left, we finally, at long last, 12 days after our journey began, crossed the border into Virginia.  We took a slight detour on our way home to visit our beloved alma mater, James Madison University.  It had been so long since we walked on the campus and ate a delicious Dave's lunch, we just couldn't pass it up.

When I told my kids this is the "Kissing rock," my daughter bent down and kissed it.  HAHA!

**Side note, if you are in Harrisonburg, I am very sorry we didn't get to visit with you.  It was really just a walk on the quad while we eat some lunch and then get back on the road kind of stop.**

So then, we finally made it home.  Where we spent the better part of July.  It was fun and relaxing, and I read a book (beginning to end!) for the first time in years.  (Well, maybe not years, but it has been a REALLY long time)  :)  So where are we now??

Come back tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!!

Things...Are...HAPPENING!

Oh my goodness gracious, friends!!  I cannot believe I neglected my beloved blog for so long.  There we were, right in the middle of one of the most fantastic/crazy/joy-filled/INSANE road trips ever, and I just stop posting.  Leaving you all completely hanging.

Rude, huh?

To give up this blog was never my intention.  What has happened in the last 2 and a half months, however, is a very long story.  So I guess I better start at the beginning! :)

Obviously, our road trip was off to a shaky start (to say the least).  But rest assured, the remainder of our journey was significantly better!  We learned what works (and what doesn't) when driving cross country with three babies under three, visited with tons of family and friends, relaxed as a family, did lots of sight-seeing, and eventually (a week and a half later) arrived home in Virginia.  

And all the while, I was taking pictures and preparing to relay one fun and hilarious story after another here on my blog.  Unfortunately, after leaving Texas, we were without internet access.  And THEN, I left my computer at my Grandma's house!  And THEN, when I finally got my computer back and accessed working internet, well, I got lazy.  Hey, I was on vacation!  Lots of things have been happening around here since our cross country adventure, so if you want to know what ELSE is up with my life (and where we have finally settled this time) you will have to tune in tomorrow for PART TWO!  :)

Until then, here are some highlights from part one of our vacation!

Fun times in the backseat:

Impromptu afternoon in the park:

Birthday dinner with some of our favorite Texans!

Picnic lunch, somewhere in the middle of east Texas (and boy, was it HOT!):

Texas is such a HUGE state, I feel like the majority of our trip was spent just driving across Texas!  Slowly but surely, we made our way and eventually said "good-bye" to Texas, and entered the state of Arkansas.  Our next stop:  Little Rock.

Visiting my Aunt and Uncle:

Exploring one of the COOLEST places for little munchkins that I have ever seen, "The Wonder Place":

What comes next??  I will share the rest of our trip in pictures with you tomorrow... woohoo!!