Following Him

Nearly five and a half years ago I walked into the James Avery store in Tulsa and bought Brandon a ring. Things were beginning to shift for him at work and he was at a crossroads. Pursue the new road? Or flee altogether and try something new? Whatever he decided to do I wanted him to know I was with him 100%, so I bought him this ring.

The Hebrew inscription comes from Ruth 1:16 and translates "Whither thou goest, I will follow". I meant it that day I bought it. I just had no clue I was about to back my words up with actions.

Within a week Brandon was offered a job in Little Rock. I scoffed and laughed. Me? Leave the comforts of Oklahoma and my family? Me? Give up my dream attending OU College of Nursing? Me? Really? And then I looked at Brandon's hand and it was a visual reminder that's it's not all about me. He is my husband. He is the leader of this house. And wherever he goes, I will follow.

Within a few months we were being packed up and heading southeast to the Little Rock area. I will never forget the circle of prayer at our little house in Oklahoma. The hugs, the tears, the goodbyes. It rocked me to the core. But then it was time to leave and followed my husband I did. He drove off in our black Ford Explorer and I literally followed him in my ruby Oldsmobile Alero. I cried for two hours straight.

And with that we began a new chapter in our book. We said goodbye to Oklahoma and hello to Arkansas. Bye-bye Sooner state, hello Natural state. And the Hogs. Oh, those silly hogs. They are EVERYWHERE here. There's no escaping those pesky little characters. ;)

It took some adjusting -- including a couple of years I refer to as "the pits". It was hard. A lot harder than I expected. I missed my family. I missed my church. I missed the familiarity of everything around me. I even missed going to Wal-Mart and running into people I knew. I never in my life felt so unknown. I grew up in a town of 1200 where everyone knows everyone. Now I was in a town of 25, 000 and lost in the ebb and flow of it's booming school district and traffic issues.

But you know what? I made it. We made it. Not only did we survive those hard times, but we thrived. We found a church - our church. They became our family when our family wasn't here. Our girls have grown by leaps and bounds and they both accepted Christ as their personal Savior here in the natural state. Brandon and I have grown closer to each other and closer to Christ. This move, the move that I thought was going to tear me apart, turned out to be the best thing for our family.

So here we are again. Almost exactly five years after we left Oklahoma we are about to leave Arkansas. We weren't looking to leave - just as we weren't looking to leave Oklahoma. Instead, God opened a door and we are walking through it. Although this time He's taking us a little further east. He's leading us to Charleston, South Carolina. Exactly one year to the date when we first stepped foot in Charleston, Brandon was offered a new job. And the next day he accepted.

The last two months have been spent in a lot of prayer. Yes, we fell in love with Charleston last year when we spent a month there for a "working vacation". But we never thought we'd be living there a year later. Was God really leading us to the east coast? Or were we just in love with the thought of living near the beach? And then over and over again, God made it known this was His direction for our family.

The thought of moving any further away from all our family in Oklahoma is almost too hard to bear. It pains me to think of the separation and the hurt we will all experience when we move further. But you want to know something remarkable? There's been a peace about this move unlike I can explain. Yes, it is scary to move across country and there are times I get overwhelmed, but at the very core of me is peace. A peace that passes all understanding. And that peace is from Him. I can look back five years and see how He walked right beside us when we moved to Little Rock. And I know He's right there with us as we move yet again. That doesn't mean things are going to be easy. It just means we don't have to do it alone.

We're at another fork in the road and we are about to step out on faith and trust where God is leading. Because wherever He leads, we will follow.

Stormy night!

I've always been a sucker for a good storm. Of course, I hate the destruction they bring, but they still fascinate me. To me, they are just one way God shows His power. I'm always in awe of how a house can be reduced to rumble in a matter of seconds. Or how a tornado can demolish one house and the neighboring house is untouched. Fascinating, I tell you.

Growing up in Northeast Oklahoma I had my fair share of hiding in a cellar. Or the hall. Or a closet. Thankfully, all we have had to endure was a major hail storm (which produced a tornado just miles from our house). However, last night was a little too close for comfort.

We had plans to meet some friends at a local restaurant. It was looking like our town would be facing the brunt of the storm right as we were meeting to eat. We watched the weather, but decided to go on ahead and meet up. As we ate the lights inside flickered and the sky was lit up with lightning. We enjoyed some good fellowship and decided to head back to our house where I had made a strawberry pie for dessert. (It was delicious, by the way. ;))

We don't live inside the city limits that has tornado sirens. In our little community our volunteer fire department goes through neighborhoods blaring their sirens. We had no more got home, scarfed down a slice of pie, and the fire trucks came through. Brandon and our friend Chris were outside watching the sky (because isn't that what you're supposed to do when a storm rolls in?) and were instructed to get inside. "You are under a tornado warning. Take shelter inside you home" is what the fireman said to them as he passed our house. Chris and Misty headed home and we began making preparations.

Our girls are terrified of any storm. The slightest sound of thunder sends them to a pallet in our room. Lightning gives them the heebie-jeebies. They can't relate to my fascination of storms at all. So when they saw me beginning to clear out the laundry room they knew it was serious. Brandon turned into protector and watched the weather like a hawk. I grabbed everyone's important folder and zipped it up in a bag along with my purse and camera. (Our folders have birth certificates, marriage license, etc... & my camera happened to be on my coffee table so I just threw it in the bag. Ha!)

Caylee began to cry and said, "I want to go home". I told her we were home and she said "No, my home, home. Oklahoma home". Rip my heart out, sweet angel.

But the sweetest thing of the night came through Baylee. She gathered everyone's Bible & our family devotion book. As we sat in the laundry room with shoes on our feet, dogs in their crates, and the radio on, Baylee quietly opened her Bible to Philippians 4:6-7 & read it aloud.

"⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

She went on to say "Satan is causing us to fear, Mom. God is with us. But Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy". Umm... WOW! I wish I would've taken her picture. She sat cuddled up with blankets and pillows, her heavy winter coat on for protection (her idea), leaned up against the dryer and comforted us as we waited out the storms. I thought about grabbing my camera (it was in my bag, ya know!), but something seemed so special at the time that I didn't want to ruin the moment.

We sat in our safe place for about an hour. Once Brandon gave us the all clear we called Mom and Dad back home and relived our past hour. Before we got out we did learn that a town 15 miles from our house was hit hard. It was on the national news this morning and we've yet to learn of all the destruction. How scary to have been so close to a storm that took four lives and ravished a town.

There's another, even more severe, chance of tornados tonight. I've been working on cleaning the laundry room today since it's cleared out and I'm keeping it that way until after tonight! ;) If we have to take cover again, I will remind the girls of a verse that's on our Seeds Family Worship music every morning.

" ¹ God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea."

Psalm 46:1-2

TEN!

They're TEN!!!

Two Whole Hands!!

Double Digits!!

A Decade!!

Happy birthday, my sweet girlers!

Healed!

July 8, 2009 - A day we will never forget.

(You can read the entire story here.)

(Sorry it's blurry. I was driving & looked back and had to snap this with my phone.)

We had traveled from LG to Baylee's orthopedist in Little Rock. Through divine appointment Brandon had talked to Dr. Matthias early that morning. When we checked in to ASO the front desk phone rang. It was her doctor wanting to know if we had arrived. Coincidence? I think not. He left the hospital and ran across the street to meet us. No appointment scheduled. He dropped what he was doing and made a spot for us. So, a four hour car ride, doctor appointment, CT scan, full arm cast later and this is what Baylee looked like. Beat up and exhausted.

I'm happy, thrilled, elated, ECSTATIC to announce as of Monday, February 28, 2011 Baylee was officially released from the doctor. Unfortunately, Dr. Matthias left ASO in August (we had said our heartfelt goodbyes then and yes, I shed some tears) & so he left us in the capable hands of one of his colleagues. In her words, "Based on today's x-ray I wouldn't be able to tell she ever had an injury".

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Baylee has come a long way since that summer day.

(Bless her heart. She was beat up!!)

(She bit completely through her bottom lip and had 14 stitches in her chin.)

(This is what Bay referred to as her "rotten peach". I've never shown this picture before. When she landed she must've landed on a rock. This was an area they were concerned about some internal bleeding. Praise the Lord there was nothing. Just a nasty, NASTY bruise. To this day it's still raised a bit and there's a scar, but we can handle that.)

(Our God send, Dr. Matthias, and Baylee. He had a special connection with both of my girls. When he left ASO he took with him cards the girls had made him. He packed their cards along with special items his own children had given him. Precious man & we miss him.)

We are happy to put this season behind us. It could've been a lot worse. And for that we are thankful. So very, very thankful.

Here's our sweet girl two days ago being silly at the optometrist. What a blessing she is.

Missed opportunity

It's almost five o'clock and about time to start dinner. It's white chicken chili tonight. In fact, it's been a chili/chilly week. Chili last night. Chicken Chili tonight. And the temperatures outside are mighty chilly as well.

As I type I hear the girls banging around outside. They just bundled up (again) to go frolic in what's left of the snow. I assume school will be back in session tomorrow.

It just dawned on me that Caylee wanted to make snowmen sugar cookies this week in honor of the four inches of snow we got.

I forgot all about it. She said it once. At Wal-Mart. I think it was our third trip to gather necessities for the impending snow-in. She said it & I forgot it.

Until now. Now that it's too late.

I wonder if she even remembers wanting to make them? I'm sure she does. I wish I wouldn't have been in a hurry to fill the buggy up with goodies so we could create memories.

I wish I would've slowed down and created those memories that weren't necessarily part of my plan.

Love you, my sweet Caylee

Hello, 2011!

I'm back! Blogging will be a priority again in 2011! Are you ready? ;)

I suppose I shall start this new year off with some resolutions. Ideally, here is what I would like to accomplish....

1. While a stay at home mom, do my part in saving money.

*I don't have a job that pays monetarily, but I can learn new ways to stretch our dollars. And if I'm paid to make a cake or two or some sugar cookies here and there, then that'd be great too! :)

2. Lose 50 pounds.

*In all honesty I have about 150 pounds to lose. I'd LOVE to lose all of that this year. But let's be real. That's just not a reality. If I buckled down right now I could probably get close to 100. But I'm going to stick with a manageable 50 pounds. I'd rather lose more than fail, ya know? :)

3. Establish a daily cleaning routine with assigned tasks for each week day.

*I'll have been married for 10 years in August. You'd think I'd have the cleaning regimine figured out by now. Well, I don't. But I will soon! :)

4. Have "The Talk" with Baylee and Caylee.

*Umm.... this one makes me NERVOUS!! I've got butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it! But, they will be in fifth grade come August (Ahhh!! Where'd my babies go?!) and it's time. I am NOT looking forward to it. Oh, we've already had the period talk, now on to s-e-x. :/

5. Consistently have family devotions each night.

*We bought the girls a new devotion book for Christmas. This one will just take discipline to stick with.

6. Put my phone down in the evening.

*When the girls get home from school I only have five hours with them before it's bedtime. I don't want them to remember me as constantly playing with my iPhone every night.

7. Make "Fantastic Friday Family Fun Night" a priority again.

*Pizza delivered from Papa John's and a Redbox movie is okay every now and then. But it's time to make FFFFN exciting again! I'm thinking bowling! Game night! Wii night! Craft night! :)

8. Be a better wife

*Focus on meeting Brandon's needs -- not expecting him to always meet mine.

9. Be a better mother.

*When I'm frustrated, take a second to breathe before I yell. Yelling is ugly. I want to be gentle & patient. And kind.

10. Above everything else, improve my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

*Seek Him first, in all things. When I do that, I believe everything else will fall in to place.

Do you have any goals/resolutions for the new year?! I'd love to hear about them!

Happy New Year!

Silly girl

My girls are quite hilarious. Most people, sadly, never get to hear their silliness because they are also quite shy. But I'm here to tell you people, they are a riot. Here's one of the latest things to crack me up...

"Hey mom, did you know a (insert certain animal that I forget and should have written down. It was probably a horse or something like that.) can weigh 400 pounds? That's as heavy as the world's fattest priest!".

What?! Who knows how much the world's fattest priest weighs? Apparently Caylee does. And she wasn't trying to be funny. She was dead serious. Hilarious.

:)