Have Not Fallen Off the Face of the Planet...fyi

Yikes. It's been a while since I put much effort into posting here. We're in the home stretch of this crazy moving business. In fact, in less than a week we'll be starting our new....everything in Denver. Double Yikes!

So here I am just to say, I have not fallen off the face of the planet. Nor am I trapped in a ball of packing tape and bubble wrap. (Which reminds me I H.A.T.E. our tape gun. Or it hates me. Either way...) Just busy trying to keep up with school work, remaining committments at church, spend time with friends, (and friend's new babies!) and of course pack.

But soon enough this page will be flooded with posts about adjusting to our new normal, and I'm sure many many many posts about me getting lost downtown. So hang in there, it's about to get interesting!

Chaos & Mixed Emotions

I'm resigning myself to the fact that until the move (which is in like a week..ahhhh!!!) we'll be living in various stages of chaos.

Not that I'm a neat freak by any means, but visual chaos makes me feel chaotic. We've packed quite a bit, and got rid of a TON at our garage sale last weekend, but it still feels like there is so much.

Between church stuff, Parker, and my school stuff - there's not a ton of time to really dig into an area and get it sorted and packed, but we're making progress a little bit at a time.

The reality that we're leaving is maybe just starting to sink in for the first time for me. I mean, I've known we're leaving, but it never felt real. Tomorrow is our last night of Youth Group with the teens...that's gonna be rough.

As excited as I am to go & start this new phase of our life, mostly it's just hard to say goodbye. These last few days should be interesting...and I don't quite know what to expect, but we are just taking it day by day and looking forward to the future!

We Have An Apartment!!!

So as of now we got the apartment! (woo-hoo!!!)

I'm a little skeptical that it will all work out perfectly, but for now we for sure have an apartment waiting. I'll feel better once we're actually moved in, but we are SO beyond thrilled that this has worked out!

Yay for building managers willing to work with our less than typical situation! :)

Thanks to everyone who's been praying for us. I guess the next big thing to pray for is that Brent will be able to find a part time job to supplement the support quickly & easily!

Moving Update

When we made the decision a few months ago to move to Denver & serve in downtown with Providence Bible Church, we decided to start journaling all the ways God provided for us. It started with printing our support letters. We unexpectedly got a HUGE discount at the printer & only had to pay for the paper, envelopes, and postage and were able to have them printed for free.


It's been difficult to find somewhere to live from out of state. But we couldn't justify the cost to travel down to look, so we've been working on that from here using what we could find online. Couple the distance with not having a set income when we're there, and most landlords weren't too excited to give us a second look. We don't have a place 100% nailed down quite yet, but we're in the process of working towards an apartment that's cheaper than anything we've seen & in the most practical location of anything we've seen. It looks really promising & we're hoping to find out for sure on Monday. There were times I wondered if we'd have to settle for something farther away from downtown that we had hoped to be, just because it was all we could afford, but God had something just right waiting for us all along.



And already we have had people let us know that they'll be helping with the monthly support & we are just blown away by not only their generosity, but also the amazing ways God is already meeting our needs! Not only is God blessing our step of faith, but I truly believe He will bless those who have committed to give financial support in their step of faith as well.


Getting out of the comfort zone & taking that leap of faith is a little scary and we sure don't know everything the future holds. I know there will be times of joy and times of discouragement, but it's only when we open ourselves up to what God has for our future and trust in Him to take care of the details that we can truly experience God's provision. That doesn't always mean moving to a new city or undertaking a new ministry - but it does mean moving forward and growing in the Christian life! Whether it's befriending someone you don't know well or committing more time to spend in prayer, God will provide His strength & guidance if you ask Him to.


I hope you'll keep praying for us as we spend our last few weeks in Gillette and prepare for the move. (Please pray we get that apartment I mentioned!) We're already amazed at the ways God has provided and blessed & I can't wait to see what else He has in store!

Spring Fling

Last week we went to the "Spring Fling" put on by the school district's HR department (where Brent's mom works) for all the district employees & families. It was a really cool thing they do for their employees & employees' families! They had a raffle for awesome gift baskets, live band, food, and tons of stuff for the kids.

Parker can always count on Papa's pocket for 3x5 cards & a pen to entertain him!

Parker did the hula hoop to win a basketball (which we thought he wanted) but it turned out he mostly wanted the hula hoop & kept trying to steal it the rest of the night.

Papa even climbed up the air bounce slide with Parker.

(We were really hoping he didn't fall backwards going up the steps & take out those 2 kids!)

Nana did the cake walk with the little man.

(There wasn't any cake, it was fruit & other prizes but I still called it a cake walk.)

Parker loves his Nana & Papa!

By far the highlight of the night was watching Parker enjoy the music! He LOVED the band & danced everytime they played. I have a little bit of video I'll have to get on here at some point. He was a riot!

Bizeeee

We thought last week was crazy busy! We squeezed in a one night getaway to Spearfish Canyon Lodge in South Dakota on Friday night of last week before a busy Easter weekend. And I thought once we got through the weekend we'd settle down a little bit, but not so much.

Thursday night we went over to the "Spring Fling" with Earl & Sheri. (pictures to come later) It was really fun & Parker had a blast! I was gone all day yesterday working on stuff for a ladies thing at church. And then gone last night at said ladies thing. Brent is gone all day today at seminary class & when he gets done, we'll shoot over to his parents for dinner with his family & his aunt & uncle who are visiting. We'll come home, get Parker in bed, then I'll retreat downstairs to do the MOUND of homework I have waiting for me. Brent will be gone before I'm up tomorrw & then I'll see him at church later.


Oh, and I can't forget - I DID get to go to the big garage sale this morning & snagged a few good deals! And I even got to do it sans-stroller woo-hoo! Gotta get in all the Nana babysitting while we can!

Lifestyles of the Young & Cousin-less

This is what Parker got in lieu of an Easter basket from his Nana & Papa....

And he wound up with an Easter basket from them too haha! :)

This is the joyous spoiled little life you lead as an only grandchild! Sheri (aka Nana) asked a few weeks ago if they could buy Parker this slide we'd been talking about getting him, for Easter. She & Earl (aka Papa) had been looking at the Easter stuff at the store & didn't see a ton that was super appropriate for a 17 month old.

So obviously the next option was a climber/slide! Haha - Sheri & I laughed that someday, years down the road, Parker will tell stories to all his cousins about how back in the day he got playground equipment from Nana & Papa for Easter. None of this jellybean business!

I hope I'm not sounding ungrateful or something - that's SO not the case! We really wanted to get this for Parker before summer, but it was going to be a big 'maybe' with the move and all the expenses related to that. So that was a HUGE blessing, plus - Parker LOVES it! We just had to chuckle at the rough life this kid has.

He decided he really likes to take a couple of his little mini Tonka trucks up there and drive them around or sit up there & read too. And he's getting better at climbing up there too. Hopefully he doesn't get too brave with this climbing business though!

And now, here's a little Easter re-cap......

Basket from Mommy & Daddy

Baby Toupee

Basket from Nana & Papa

Open, please.

His one piece of chocolate - definetly a fan!

My favorite!

Opportunities Dressed as Annoyances

Here's something I struggle with (this seems to be a common phrase in my life!): when I need to do something because someone else who should be doing it, can't or won't for (what I think) is no good reason, it gives me a bad attitude about whatever I'm doing. Does that make sense?

(I know it's wrong, but does it at least make sense? haha)

It's something I'm really working on, and with God's help I've actually gotten alot better with! I've finally realized that God gives us opportunities dressed as all sorts of things to be a blessing to others. And I don't get to choose what my opportunity comes dressed as, but I do get to choose how much joy I receive from fully seizing that opportunity & how much of God's love and glory I share through it.

This week I've had this little song stuck in my head, and it's one of those if you grew up in church you probably know frontwards & backwards. But sometimes when I really stop to think about the words I'm overwhelmed by how undeserving I am of all the patience that I require from my Heavenly Father!

"He's changing me, my blessed Saviour

I'm not the same person that I used to be.

Though it's been slow-goin

There's a knowing,

That someday perfect I will be."