Beautiful, Sweet November

Its November people.  Do you know what that means?

This is the month I get to go to South Carolina and watch Matt graduate from Chaplain school.  This is the month we get to reunite as a family and sleep all under one roof.  This is the month that we move to California.

I cannot believe its already November.

When the kids and I moved out to Fort Collins I had all of these expectations for things I would do, people I would visit, myriads of ways I would try to fill the time so that it would go quickly.  Somehow I didn't hardly get any of those things done... but the time managed to FLY.

Looking back over the last few months I have realized often just how crazy blessed we are.  I am so grateful, and so overwhelmed by the blessings.  At some point I'm going to have to write a whole blog post dedicated to my parents.  Expressing somehow just how amazing they are.  They have made our little tribe feel more loved and welcomed and appreciated than would be necessary or normal.

Papa running in the school walk-a-thon with Ali.

Yes they did hold hands the whole time.

Maybe the cutest thing ever.

I was welcomed into their church like a rockstar (seriously, there were days it was exhausting chatting with all of the people that wanted to meet me... its so hard being popular).  Ha!  But really, there's a deeper reason why everyone wanted to meet me that has nothing to do with ME.  Its my parents.  I'm not the only one who thinks they are pretty amazing...

Gramma reading a birthday card to Caleb.

Her love for these two runs deep and wide...

Anyway, in my reflections of the flying time these days I am reminded of how this adventure all started.  

November.

It was almost exactly one year ago that God put this desire in our hearts.  One year ago that He stirred a passion in us to reach out and serve in an entirely different capacity.  Actually, last Thanksgiving we traveled to Arizona to spend the holidays with Matt's parents.  Much of that time was spent sharing our new crazy vision and getting their perspective and thoughts on it all.

This Thanksgiving we'll be in Arizona with Matt's parents again... But this time it will be a pit stop on our way to our first duty station at a marine base in California.

Is that not cool?

Sometimes God works in crazy ways... and this year has felt like a wild, unbelievable and insanely exciting roller coaster.   Ups and downs along the way, but He has been faithful and constant in it all.

And hey, did you know that two of my sweet friends from Wisconsin flew out to visit me last weekend?  I don't know how I managed to get so many awesome people in my life.  I don't deserve it - but once again, I am grateful.

April, who is filling my shoes in Wisconsin.

I don't think the shoes I left were big enough.

This girl is amazing...

Junia, my sweet Wednesday afternoon friend.

Can't tell you how I miss talking about kids and food and faith

with this girl.  I might also miss her yummy treats.  But mostly her. ;)

In 10 days I'll be at Fort Jackson with Matt.  To say that I'm proud of what he has done over the last few months would be an understatement.  I may not be there, but it is so obvious that he has taken the challenges that come with this new life and run with them (literally, friends, like in crazy fast 10 mile work outs...).  He's still Matt, which means there's probably a good amount of laughter along the way, but he has pushed himself farther and harder than ever before to do this thing well.  He has shown grace, worked his butt off, made friends, and somehow kept his wife and 2 kiddos feeling like we're part of it all.


10 days.

Hallelujah.