Packing Up

I'm sitting here tonight in my quiet living room surrounded by packed boxes and the odds and ends waiting to put into boxes that will be labeled "Random."  After 3 years and almost 8 months of living in Utah, we are moving again.  This time the destination is Washington.

As I look back over the past three years and eight months, I just feel overwhelming gratitude and love for my Savior.  These years have not been easy for me.  In the moment, I often felt overwhelmed and just survived on hope and faith that tomorrow would bring change and the positive results I hoped and prayed for.  Nothing has gone as I have planned or thought that it would.  As hard as things were, I only experienced a few days where I broke down and asked "Why?"  But my why was never a "why me?" but rather a "why is this happening; what is the purpose of this?"  Although I still can't answer that question, maybe the specifics don't matter as much as I thought they did.  As I sit here facing this new chapter of my life, rather than wonder why we went through what we did, all I can see are the blessings that have come from the hurt and the trials.  And they are oh so many!  SOO many!

I have seen miracles, things that might not mean much to someone else but that meant everything to me.  Little tender mercies that showed my Heavenly Father was aware of me.

I have learned what it is to have overwhelming conviction in a decision or believe and then how it feels to defend that conviction.

I have felt anger and frustration so strong I shook and then the comfort, peace, and love of my Savior as I handed that anger and hurt over to him and let it go.

I have known what it is to feel lonely.  But I have learned that sometimes it takes opening myself up and sharing my feelings and thoughts to let others in.  

I have felt the healing power of the written word as I have poured my thoughts and heart onto volumes of journals and written poems, and even attempted to write a book in order to express how I felt.  Those writings have allowed me find my voice.  And it has gotten stronger.  It may still shake and I may still fidget, but I am becoming more confident.  But it is also through writing that I have been able to reflect on my experiences and truly see that there was a plan, that Heavenly Father did have a path for me and my family.  I can see events clicking together to create our own Yellow Brick Road that now lies before us.  

I have learned to be patient.  The Lord's time is not always my time.  But sometimes, it is.  And that is a beautiful moment.

I have learned to a whole new level what it is to have faith and trust in the Lord.  Which is why, now, when we are making a leap in location and job, I feel only peace and joy.  I don't have the specific answers to my why's yet, but I do know this.  My path may not be one I would have chosen for myself, but I wouldn't change it for a thing!  Because it is through the trials of our faith that we learn and grow the fastest.  And what a learning curve this has been!  But I feel at peace knowing that wherever life takes me, as long as I listen to the promptings of the Spirit and follow the answers to prayers I receive, I will be led where I belong.  My heart is full of thanksgiving and I am ready to embrace this next adventure.  There will surely be rain but hopefully a few rainbows too!  (And maybe some cute rain boots!)

Would Be Christmas Card

 I'm not good at sending out Christmas cards, but if I were I would have chosen some of these pictures to put in them.  We had these taken the middle of November.  Sorry family, I guess now you know what you are getting for Christmas :)  But I just didn't want to forget in the chaos that is Christmas break to put these up.  I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and that we remember Christ is the reason for the season.

Loose Tooth

This little man lost his very first tooth on Tuesday, the 19th.  He came home from school Monday wiggling it back and forth, back and forth with his tongue.  All afternoon and evening, back and forth.  It felt really loose and this was the first day he had even mentioned it felt wiggly.  Then Tuesday when he came home from school, he could push it almost straight out.  I asked him if I could feel and I put my thumb and pointer finger on it and pop, out it came.  He didn't even know I had pulled it until I said, "Porter, look."  Then he looked down at my palm and a look of surprise came over his face.  He said it didn't even hurt.  I know, I'm good!  Even though he now has a lost tooth, he still keeps saying he has a loose tooth.  The tooth next to it is starting to wiggle now, so I guess he still does have a loose tooth after all.  I love hearing him talk.  SO funny!

Brag time about this little buddy.  He got all 4s on his report card, which means he is doing amazing (4 is the highest).  He is testing above grade level for everything.  Such a smart cookie.  Have to admit I was a little nervous that his teacher was going to tell me he's always bouncing all over, but she said he is doing awesome.  Every mom loves to hear that.  I just love this little guy!

Funny story.  We were out the other day and a girl told Porter he was cute.  He smiled at her, tilted his  head to the side, and said, "I know, right."  The girl about died laughing.  I agree though, he is pretty cute!

Proud

This post is all about Brinnley.  November 13th was the Principal's Pride assembly.  Miss Brinnley was awarded for November, which was First Things First.  I think my dear girl is good at that.  She knows that before she can play there are things she has to do.  Her teacher said Brinnley puts first things first by always completing her work before moving on to other choices.  I am just so proud of this little lady.  She has received a Principal's Pride award every single year, and that is no small thing when only one child is chosen from each class each month.  But she works hard and tries her best and I am proud of her.  This little lady also made the Honor Roll.  She loves school and is doing really well.  I am so grateful for that!  I just love this sweet girl and am so thankful she's mine!

Trick or Treat

 After trick or treating at the mall, we came home to meet Jen and Gran and then start door to door.  The kids had so much fun and they went strong for an hour.  We kept with tradition and went to a new neighborhood this year.  Kind of funny story.  It was our very last street and Brinnley said, "I think we've been here before."  We tried to tell her we hadn't, the houses just all look the same.  But then right next door was a house that was very uniquely decorated and we had definitely been there before.  Oops.  But when we went the first time, only three or four people were home, so we only hit a few houses twice.  

 The grand haul!   Holy cow.  We are still working our way through it.

It was a fun night!

Halloween!

 It was actually really nice to be off track during Halloween.  We didn't have to worry about the kids being crabby at the school the next day and we were able to do a lot of activities.  Monday the 28th we met Oma and Opa at the  Traverse Mountain Outlets for dinner, then we went to a craft/story time event.  The lady was a professional storyteller and she was awesome!  We were laughing so hard.  We listened to stories for 45 minutes before doing the craft.  The kids decorated foam masks.  Then we went back to Oma and Opa's for movies and hot chocolate.  It was a lot of fun and nice to spend the evening with them.

Halloween day things started early here.  We headed back out to Traverse Mountain to trick or treat at the mall.  The stores gave out candy and we had a card that needed stamped by 8 different stores and then we can trade in the card for a $10 gift card.  Opa and Oma met us there.  They looked amazing in their full costumes!

This year Brinnley chose to be a soccer player.  The girl still fits in her soccer uniform from when she was 5, so that's what she wore.  She let me try out a new hairstyle that I found on You Tube.  It looked so cute!

 Ainsley was a Karate Kid and she was ready to go!

 And Porter was Superman who wore a mask.  (This is the mask we made a craft night.)  SO funny, but he wouldn't take it off.

 See, they went all out and looked awesome!  The mall was a great idea.  It was so quick to run from store to store.  By the time we finished at the mall the bottom of their bags was full.

CARS

After almost 2 months of issues with the Volvo, we finally got the dealership to give our money back.  We were able to find something that is perfect for us.  It's a Honda Odyssey and I love it.  It drives so smoothly!  And it is so nice to have some space so the kids aren't all crammed in the backseat together.  Now hopefully we are settled with our two silver cars and the neighbors won't thing we are running a used car lot.

Pumpkins!

 Grandma came for the day Oct 11th.  She brought some branches from her twisty trees at home and we decorated them with all sorts of spooky, creepy things like worms and skeletons.  The kids had a lot of fun getting them to stay in the web.

October 21 Chant had the day off.  We spent the morning carving pumpkins.  (Since we were off track we had lots of time for hanging out in our PJs.)

 The girls were all about it.  They had no problem putting their hands in the nasty, slimy guts.

 Porter preferred to stand back and watch.  Of course he provided lots of inspiration for the carved faces with his own scary faces.

 The finished product.

 Gotta pull up the pants in preparation for the dirty work, which means he held a single pumpkin seed in his hand.

All the scary pumpkins!