We HAVE arrived...and are three days from Impact 195!!!

Hello friends and family...hopefully you're still there. I am sorry this has taken us so long to update. In the midst of our move we have thought about when we would update everyone...and here and there we have tried to post minor updates on Facebook so people knew we were ok. So...here's what's been happening. After Aaron's last day we moved forward with packing every single day and trying to get everything figured out with our move and housing here...and saying goodbye to everyone. In the middle of that we also had had a family retreat we had planned a year ago for both of our families(The Taylors and Manfreds) in Estes Park and it was great! We were a bit frazzled here and there with knowing that after that weekend we would have 2 1/2 days left to finalize the home for closing. The day of closing a great group of friends and family showed up to clean our home and load the Uhaul! It was such a blessing! You would have never thought we got rid of anything because the Uhaul(the largest they make) was full from the front to the top to the back...NO KIDDING! Aaron and his great friend, Lakin, are very good at the game Tetris...helped out a lot with loading. We literally left our house a few minutes late mopping out the door and headed straight to close. We were filthy and they were all dressed in business attire! Ha! It was humorous. But it was so good for me during our closing to see the people who are blessed with our old home. I had prayed that they would love the Lord and would continue to bring His Truth to our neighbors. Carol and Roy both love Jesus and it just blessed me when the lady in charge asked if we were related in any way(a question on our paperwork.) Roy answered that "we are brothers in Christ".  It is so good to know that the Lord is in every aspect of our decision to follow Him. Yes, it's just a home. It wasn't terrible to leave it. It didn't leave me utterly broken or so sad that I thought I couldn't breathe. But we had taken care of it and grown plants and made changes to it that we loved. And most of all, our neighbors had been really placed on our hearts this past year and now to know that this family would be there really encourages me. Please pray for them to further the gospel there. We left closing and went to pick up the kids. They had stayed the night at my sisters house with their cousins and hung out all day while we cleaned. Saying goodbye to my sister was the worst....

     It broke Aaron and I and little Rachel to weeping in the car. When we drove away on our way to the hotel little Rachel and I were sobbing. In that moment I cherished the fact that I had never had such a tender cry with my daughter. A cry out of true sadness because we loved someone...or some people so much it just hurt badly. I wanted to hug her so much. I just kept telling her it was ok to cry and we wept. Then I turned the radio on and the song on KLOVE was by Unspoken called "Lift my Life". I was stopped at a stop light and could see Aaron in the Uhaul  behind me and saw him weeping and I wept more. Here are the words;

You brought me this far
So why would I question You now
You have provided
So why would I start to doubt
I’ve never been stranded, abandoned
Or left here to fight alone
So I’m giving You control

Chorus
I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord,†I leave it in Your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up
Have Your way in me
Have Your way in me

If peace is a river let it sweep over me
If I’m under fire I know it’s refining me
When I hear You calling out I follow now
Wherever the road may go
I know You’re leading me home

Chorus
I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord,†I leave it in Your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up
Have Your way in me
Have Your way in me

Bridge
Take my life let it be
All for You
Take my life let it be
All for You

Chorus
I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord,

I leave it in Your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up
Have Your way in me
Have Your way in me
Have Your way in me
Have Your way in me

Take my life and let it be all for You

 

 

 

This was the beginning of our travels. We went to the hotel that Aaron had received from a customer. It was amazing! Such a blessing for us and the kids. A great gift! Then the next morning we headed to Grand Junction to stay with my folks for a few days and enjoy some Grandpa Bob and Grandma time! It was super fun. The kids got to enjoy the Dinosaur Museum and splash park and of course the pool. They really were enjoying this great adventure of moving. Then on Sunday morning we got up super early and left at 4am to drive to Victorville, CA where we would stay one night then be in San Diego the next day by noon. The drive was interesting to say the least.

Probably some of the highlights would be the kids got a free helicopter toy and a Christian coloring book from the man who worked at the first gas station we stopped at in the pitch dark of the early morning hours. Also fun times were always had trying to find places to eat and of course when we were in Utah on a Sunday restaurants are not open till night...so we finally found a Smashburger and it was so empty..kinda nice! Then on our drive through Las Vegas(my first time there) I was really praying that God would protect my sons eyes from many of the billboards there because Malachi was trying to take it all in. Such a blessing...he said, "Hey Mom. The sign says "who is Jesus?" Mom I feel it in my heart that these people need me to tell them about Jesus. I just know they need to know Him." AWESOME! Thank you Lord. Well we got right out of Vegas and hit major traffic. We had never driven this so we just assumed it was some sort of agriculture check going into CA. No...it was literally a stand still or roll into CA traffic for 1 1/2 hours. No potties and absolutely no water for a long long long long time. Yes...we did have potty accidents with Isaiah...fully expected.

 It was great to get to our extended stay hotel and rest and eat. The next morning we drove into San Diego and arrived at 12 at our rental home. Soon we were greeted by Cisco and about 6 or 7 people from Impact who helped unload the Uhaul and one wife played with the kids and they even stayed to build furniture! It was awesome.

It was a super super super busy week unpacking. We literally were up at 6 every morning and unpacking till 9pm. We both really pushed ourselves to try to get the house settled mostly for the kids to feel normal. And in the midst of us thinking that was good we hit a day four days in where tension rose and it was not fun. We both realized that we had lost focus on why we were here and hadn't even prayed together in a few days. It was a great reminder that we didn't just leave our life of "security" to just have a normal home. The kids have been great. Really excited for this place and new adventure. Isaiah is a normal 3 year old and we are praying through dealing with his temper. And they all have moments, but some great things have come already from this move with them. Malachi and Rachel are very close and it is so great to see their love grow for each other.

So this past Tuesday Aaron and I both had our last panel interview for the school. Yes...we moved here without actually fully being accepted to the school. I know...sounds nuts. Let me say... nothing we have done in this move has sounded normal to most people. Following Jesus just isn't always normal. Leaving your fishing nets, your family with no goodbyes is not normal. "Follow Me." The interviews were awesome. It was so great to give them insight into our lives and our marriage and our desire to grow and be challenged. It was super fun to start to meet people from the school and have them welcome our kiddos with so much love and family feel. Just the past two days have been more relaxed. We finally have all boxes and most everything put away and hung. As far as the kids home school I have been stumped. I have heard from probably too many people ideas of what to do...and it seems to be the first question from everyone who talks to me or the kids..."Did you start school?" Yes...it does weigh heavy on my heart. I am learning to lean on Jesus and seek Him in this decision. I know we will figure it out and it will bless us all and just having Aaron home has truly been amazing.

 Rachel turned 6 today and it was a full and wonderful birthday...I will post more on that tomorrow or Monday. One highlight for me of having Aaron around for the fully birthday experience was last night. I overheard him asking Rachel for her last 5 year old hug. It just touches me to see the dad he is created to be come out more and more as he is home more. I love it and I know they do too.

We start our school on Tuesday and it's a week of Rock the House. It will be so much fun! They have free food for all three meals and encourage all families to come for all the meals to fellowship. Should be amazing and we will keep you posted on that and our crazy...crazy...wilderness backpacking week we have in 3 weeks!

 

Love you all! Please keep praying for us!