One Year

We've been in WA for just over a year now.  Things have not been quite as we expected.  There have been good times and unfortunately some very dark days.  I confess that we are still wondering why we were brought here.  Was it our own desires running ahead of God?  Hopefully not.  There was a lot of prayer and soul searching involved in the decision.  Which leaves us back to the question of "why were we brought here"?  Unfortunately I don't have all the answers right now.  Sometimes I get bits and pieces but there is no clear picture.  Maybe it wasn't about us.  Maybe it was about someone else's need.  I don't have the answers just lots of questions.  I am going to do my best to trust that whatever it is His purpose is being fulfilled in it.  Our desire right now is to go into a church.  James call is stronger then ever and there is no ignoring it.  We were hoping it would be this summer before school started.  It is now the middle of July and we have no direction as of yet.  Just needing lots of prayers so we follow His plan for us.

Washington

Well here we are. In the wilds of the northwest. It has been 4 weeks now since I arrived and I still wake up in the morning and gaze in awe at the beautiful scene out my window. It is hard to believe I live here. I feel like I should be packing up and heading back. I'm not sure where I should head back to, Kansas or Ohio. Kansas actually feels more like home right now then Ohio does. I think it is that first return when the realization hits that you don't have your own house there anymore that you realize you no longer belong. It is rather funny though. I hated even the name Kansas before we moved there from Ohio and now I miss it. I miss the people, my job, my house, the little country church....many things. I am looking forward to when WA can truely feel like home. The last two years have been very transient and I want some stability. Although I do realize now that kind of stability is just an illusion.

The day we were loading the truck to leave KS I received a phone call that my mom was taken to the hospital. It made the process even more emotional. I was driving west and my mom was east. It seemed so wrong. After about a week she was transferred to a rehab place and is now at one closer to home. There is progress but not enough to go home yet. I just wish she would feel well enough to enjoy life again. To make at least one more trip out here to WA. She always loved it here. I want her and my dad to be able to enjoy their retirement years. Just keep them both in your prayers.

The hardest part about moving is the effect it has on my girls. My youngest really misses her friends from KS. It is very hard to look into tear filled eyes and not be filled with guilt. Feeling like I am a bad mother for making her leave a place where she is happy. I wish I had all the answers to give her.

April 2011

Busy, busy, busy.....that is my only excuse. We've been working hard to bring our time here to a completion and at the same time preparing for our new adventure. James' final day at the Hardware is on Saturday. We made our last trip to Harper Easter Sunday. So I guess what I am saying is the good-byes have begun. James' commissioning service is next Saturday and graduation Sunday. When we came here that day stretched far out in the future but now I can't believe it is here already. I'll only be at the bank another 3 1/2 weeks and as for the nursery.... I haven't given them my final working day yet. I thought I would love quiting my jobs but it is hard.

My sweet little great-nephew Nolan had to have surgery yesterday. Thankfully it is considered minor and he got to go home the same day. There is just something so wrong about a baby having to go "under the knife". I'm just happy all went well.

Jessica was one of the recipiants of an additional scholarship at her college's Honors Chapel. We are very proud of her and how hard she works. Courtney is excelling in school also. She has signed up to take drivers ed this summer. One step closer to getting that license. James and I just celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe we have been married that long. It makes it sound as if we are old. I can't imagine life without him.

Pacific Northwest

We survived another blizzard this past week. I've heard anywhere from 17" to 19.9". All I know is we got dumped on and Courtney and I got to do the shoveling because James was in FL. Although we did have some surprise help on Wednesday. I had managed to clear a skinny path (although I did shovel 3 times) so I could get my car out for work and that afternoon I got a text from Courtney that about 10 guys were in our driveway shoveling. They cleared the whole thing. It was a local church youth group. I don't know how we were picked to be that blessed but I was very thankful.

I wanted to let you all know that we have made a decision where we will be going after graduation. We will moving up to WA in May. James and I are very excited about the move, Courtney not so much. She has made some good friends and she doesn't want to have to say good-bye again. That makes it very hard because we do want her to be happy. At least with this move it will be for an extended amount of time and she won't have to worry about some more good-byes.

My sister has been to Ethiopia again and returned with her new son. Unfortunately I have not gotten to see him yet. He seems to be adjusting well into his new family and Melissa is adjusting to having a little one in the house again. I can't wait till I get to squeeze him.

February 2011

February is here, which means another month is finished! Three months and let the packing begin! Not that I'm excited or anything.

I just received word from my sister approximately 1/2 an hour ago that their adoption process is final and they will be flying home with Micah this week-end. I can't wait to meet my new little nephew. I hope he will never doubt how much we wanted him and how much he is loved.

We have been hit with The Blizzard just like the rest of the country. I had a snow day off at the nursery yesterday and the local school has been closed the last two days. There was a drift in front of our garage door almost to James' waist. He still needs to finish clearing it this afternoon. He ran out of time this morning. It has been nice to have the time off but now it is time to get back to a normal routine.

2011 Begins

We have survived 2010! We may be a little bruised and battered but we made it. The FINAL semester starts next week and we are more then ready for it to start. 16 weeks, but who is counting? What then you ask? I have no clue but I'm alright with that. Once I know I will be more then happy to share it with everyone.

Things are slow at the nursery right now so I am not getting any hours there. After all who wants to buy plants in January? I am hoping to pick up a few extra hours at the bank since we are going through leadership changes here. Our branch president is moving on to a different position and during the transition we might have days of being understaffed. Thats where I hope to come in. No, not as president, what a scarey thought. Although if I suggest that maybe he would just stay.

My girls are doing well. Courtney had caught a bug over Christmas but it was short lived and not passed on to anyone else. Jessica spent a week here with us then went to Ohio with us for a week and to NY with her boyfriend's family the next. She will need a vacation from her vacation. James has enjoyed his break from school but if it would have been up to him he would have skipped the break in order to finish sooner. He needed this time off though to recharge. He has been trying to do so much between full time student, working and preaching twice a month. He is now rested and ready for the final leg.

There has been a horrible accident a few days ago. A 19 year old young man was cleaning his gun in the basement when in discharged and killed his 15 year old sister on the floor above him. Please pray for this family.

End of the 3rd Semester

All that is left of this semester are the final tests which are next week. Yeah! Then it is time for a little break with family and friends, and a time to catch our breath. One more semester to go and we will be off to whatever God has planned for us. Figuring out what that plan is might be the hard part. Any and all prayers on our behalf our appreciated. Where will we be next year this time? I have asked myself that many times. There are so many lasts (probable) that we are experiencing right now. The last fall, poinsettia sale, Christmas open house and the last Christmas banquet with the crazy group I work with. As much as I didn't want to move here it will be sad to leave also.