HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
We have been in our new home now for ... hmmm... it will be three weeks on Tuesday!
Although we have many boxes still left to unpack, we are quite settled, and even got to do a few full days of school last week!
This was our first Thanksgiving ever with just our family. We had a wonderful day! Let's see... there was parade watching, air soft wars, games, facebook, Skype, giggles, a few tears, phone calls, dancing, resting, cooking, snuggling, movie watching, exploring... etc...
Each of the children picked a dish to help me prepare so I has special time with each of them throughout the day. Of course, that means we ended up with a turkey and 8 side dishes! Good thing we are invited to a "Left Over" party today, the day after Thanksgiving, so we can share our bounty!
The drive to Arkansas was fun... mostly. The children did really well. Gotta admit there were a few tears on and off as we got closer to Little Rock and our move began to feel more and more real. A little comic relief helped though... like the children dancing on the trailer!
We are content and happy... that Peace that passes understanding...
It is a wonder to me that we can be grieving, and even healing from all the change we have had this past year and a half, and deeply celebrating as well.
Each of us has had our set of losses...
Losing my dad, Heidy and Andres losing all that was familiar to them - then losing all that was sort of familiar to them..., changing jobs - homes - churches - co-ops, communities...
The second week here both Pete and I had a few days of emotion that seemed at times like it was all too much. This past year has been a lot... and we were, and still are tired. God has brought us to a place of rest though. It feels good to not have any big changes on the horizon; to be peaceful, and spending our time bonding, nesting, cooking... moving towards the still waters... Experiencing God's restoration...
As we got closer to our home, Pete started to getting worried that I would not like the house.
( He put in an offer without me seeing it... except in pictures.)
I was ready to be dissapointed... I think I stealed myself to be dissapointed. I knew we would be ok. I believed this house was God's provision for us, but my stomach was turning as we got closer and closer. Pete had told me we had a pretty drive to our house, but when I asked about a post office, or a bank, or a pharmacy, he consistently said our home was about 15 minutes away from anything! I was getting nervous. However, to my delight, I love the drive and I love everything about our new home! Really, everything! Of course, there are things that need to be fixed, like anywhere, but the layout, the color, the setting... for us, is simply amazing - and even in these past 3 weeks, I have not once wished we lived anywhere else!
This is a picture of what I see in the morning when I walk. From our home, to here, the top of this hill, is .5 miles. From home to here and back is a beautiful, peaceful, life giving mile!
Our neighborhood is hard to explain. Each house has a few acres around it. Kind of like our home in Mason, but not on a busy street and more homes as we drive into our neighborhood. We live on a culde-sac at the end of the neighborhood at the top of a hill. The children could be outside all day biking, scootering, playing basketball, exploring, getting to know a few friends.
Beginning the first evening we were here, and straight through till the day before Thanksgiving, neighbors and friends from Family Life have brought us dinners, breads and cakes. People here outwardly value people. Our driveway is a bit long and up a hill, yet sometimes we look outside to see a new neighbor, whom we have not met yet, walking up to our door, often with their families, to welcome us. The other night a lady from Family Life called. Pete does not even know her, but she wanted to welcome us to Little Rock and phoned to pop over and bring us a few loaves of bread she had made.
God has taken care of all of our needs... before we even knew we had needs. We did not have a refrigerator for over a week. Neighbors offered for us to use their fridge in their garage, and brought us a small fridge too. There is a delightful home school family that lives down the street. We have not had internet until this past week, and they invited Peter and Olivia down to do school at their house so they could keep us with Pep. Emily and Rachel went and did school too. Our family was invited to a new freind's home for cookies and games. We learned a new game with them that we now play almost daily at our house!
From Neiva, Tenjo and Bogota, Colombia, to Mason, Ohio - to Little Rock Arkansas -
Gods' people are truly everywhere... ready to love and serve!
Thank you!
Joshua found a way to protect the grill before it rained b/c we had not yet found the grill cover!
In Arkansas the field trips come right to your house!
As we drove into Little Rock that first night, and stopped to eat, Heidy and Andres noticed theses three cars, parked next to each other - the colors of the Colombian flag!
Three cozy girls!
Thank you ALL...
We sincerely love and appreciate all of your prayers, kindness and pratical help this past year and a half.
It has been a journey we would of never predicted just 2 years ago!
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