so this is the second round of this blog post....not by choice but I never learned that once you loose a blog because it didn't save that you should type it some place else because it froze while I was trying to upload to pictures and its still not working...I'm still not I'm still typing this on blogger...its just easier. oh well. It is amazing how much life has changed over the last seven years. Seven years ago today was a Saturday and the hubs and I were newly weds, not even 24 hours married, we were preparing to move from Missouri to Colorado, preparing to start new jobs and I was getting ready to start the spring semester of my sophomore year at Colorado Christian University. We went shopping for Christmas stuff. We were outcasts in some ways but welcomed with Love in others. On December 14, 2007 I married my best friend, I loved him so much the incredible thing on that day seven years ago I never would have believed I could love him any more and as cliché as it sounds I love him so much more today than I did then and not because life has been sunshine and roses.
Life has been full of tough spots/valleys but also mountain tops, some days are choc full of both. Over the last seven years we have moved five times, two of those moves were within a year of each other with a 1.5 year old and pregnant with our second little boy, the last move was to where we are now with J 20 months old and C just 2 weeks old. We started in Colorado with no friends, in an awesome 1 bedroom apartment we found online in beautiful Lakewood Colorado. I couldn't imagine our first 5 years anywhere but Colorado, we had such an amazing adventure there, we found some life long friends and great experiences. I mean that's where both of our little boys were born, we can tell everyday that they are true Colorado natives because every morning they wake up in the winter they look for snow. Too bad they are growing up in Texas where snow is sparse at best most winters.
The biggest blessing in the last two years was our church First Baptist Arlington, to say its unexpected would be an understatement, we drug our feet when it came to visiting, we actually visited out of obligation...but God knew after that visit there would be no turning back for us. We knew people going in because most of our neighbors go to FBCA, so they encouraged us to find a sunday school class, and boy have we enjoyed that nudge too...We have made lifelong friends in that class, in a lot of ways its our Acts 2 church. I love living life with our friends, to know that there is always someone who has your back and can help.
It's an example of how our marriage has worked so well, we are able to both work together, to lean in on each others strengths and just help fill needs as needs come up. Building up each other, its so cool to see when we are working together because things just happen. I'm so thankful for my hubs who helps me out in so many ways, in all the ways he is blessed.
This year has been...in one word...raw, real, unexpected. ok maybe three. You see a year ago I would have never thought we would be having Upma, a traditional breakfast for India, for breakfast and almost daily talks about India and what God is doing there, I never would have thought that India would be on our minds and hearts. This past year has greatly impacted our worldview as a family in an incredibly humbling way, I think the reason words have been harder over the last few months since India is because its hard to say how much something has impacted your soul. There are no word to fully describe the way raw life its you right smack dab in the middle of our abundantly distracted American lives. Words are hard because my brain is tired, overwhelmed and surrounded by mommy stuff. Words are hard because life isn't just clear cut, its not sunshine and roses, its not as great as our governments portray, its not about Santa and being good to acquire gifts that we will get rid of within the next year. Words are hard because our souls, brains and lives are trying to communicate the supernatural and abundance that is God, how do you put that into words?? I don't think you can...I think that's why our actions are important, and why are hearts break out into tears because words just cant fully encapsulate what our hearts long to say. India has hit us, it has shown us where God's heart lies and where he wants us to dwell, how he wants us to love and live. In so many ways we are processing all that India is and stands for in our lives and I'm grateful for that especially this Christmas that make us thankful for the things we have like healthy boys and our amazing seven years of marriage. Those are the things we are blessed with abundantly.
Wow how life has changed in seven years....I'm grateful for every change, every valley and every mountain top. For the anniversaries spent at dinner, bed and breakfasts, a cruise, a small cottage in Stockton Missouri, one in downtown Dallas as the hubs prepared for his 6th marathon pacing our friend on her first marathon adventure with our two boys in the pouring rain. You can just never tell what that year will hold and man am I looking forward to so many more celebrations with the hubs no matter what that day may hold.
