A Promenade through the Trees...

It's truly been a whirlwind week...lots of ups and downs 

but God has been so unbelievably faithful to our family. 

We found out a week and a half ago that we would have to move out of the house that we loved so much.

We had been renting for the last year and it had come up for sale in the last few months.

We put a bid on it but through a long chain of events, did not get the bid.

We were grieved to move.

It has felt like home to us this past year.

It's where we fell in love with Arizona.

Where our church was birthed.

Where Emmy learned to walk.

Where Gracie learned to potty!

Where Ellie learned to play soccer (and baseball, and basketball, etc!).

Where our girls fell in love with the water.

(go figure, in the desert!)
Where we made our first Arizona friends.

Lots of parties.

Lots of meetings.

Lots of laughter...

and a few tears.

In my mind, the house has been perfect in every way.

But the doors were not opened for us to stay...

so last week we searched for a new house.

Praying, pleading, believing God would come thru.

Come to Me (Bethel Music and Jenn Johnson) was literally on repeat in my house for days.

The words of that song became my anchor.

They steadied my heart and kept me grounded

as we went through what felt like the fire. 

They were like words straight from heaven to my heart.

He was near. 

It was a painful journey for me to lose my house.

But he was near.

He has been working (forcing) an adventurous spirit in me for a few years now.

And on this side of things, I can say that I am finally giving in to it...

and I don't want to turn back.

 

What's ahead is always better...better for our hearts and what he wants to work in us, 

but maybe not better by what we can see.

After three solid days of looking at tons of houses, He, at the 11th hour, came through.

On Friday morning we began packing,

On Friday afternoon signed a lease.

Saturday moved from E Riviera to E Alameda.

And on Sunday a friend was over and said, 

"This feels like your home already.  How does that happen so fast?"

Supernatural grace from God...

and my dear Sandra.

When she found out we were having to move on short notice,

she and my sister schemed behind my back to get her here.

She worked like crazy.

 She helped get us packed AND unpacked--which included organizing and decorating,

And laughing over late night Sonic shakes...or course.

Life to my soul in countless ways.

So here we are...home...on Alameda.

Which happens to mean: a promenade through the trees.

I'll take it!

I had to go by the old house for a minute today and I was laughing in my heart at how much 

it didn't feel like home.

This place I thought I could see myself in for years to come.

The place we had asked God for over and over again.

But He had other plans--better ones, for us.

I'm learning--again--that home for me is where my family is and where the spirit of God dwells.

No matter the size (though it's almost half the size of our old house)

No matter what the backyard looks like (though right now it's just dirt...).

He spoke a word to my heart as we were searching for a house and finding nothing...

He said, "Joy, I know what you need."

And in so many little ways already, this is what our family needs for this season.

He will always come through (Always by Kristian Stanfill is another favorite in this season).

 He will glorify himself.

He will love us along the way.

Someone was asking about how the kids were dealing with the transition...

So here's the run down on my girls.

Ellie:

So sweet to see her choose joy on this journey.

We have chosen to bring them into the process of praying and believing that God would give us our house.  We have waited on the Lord, asked for it, believed for it, talked about it...but in the end, didn't get the result we were praying for.

Ellie, multiple times, said, "but Mommy, I really like this house.  Let's stay in this house." 

It has been a teaching moment to say the least.

She was also on a lot of the journey of looking at the houses online and in person.

She always made her request known--Let's get the one with the pool!

So at the end of the day when the one God clearly highlighted for us didn't have a pool,

I overheard a conversation she was having with Kiki...

Kiki:  Are you excited about a new house Ellie?

Ellie:  No, I'm not. 

Then she listed a couple of reasons why.

When she came out of her room I asked her, "what were you saying to Kiki, Ellie?"

And she said, "Oh, nothing, Mom.  I was just complaining."

 Then the next day at the new house,

I watched as she stood on the patio looking out over the flat, boring, dirt backyard and then I said to her, 

what do you think?

And she paused and said, "Well, there's a lot more room to run around.  And a lot more room to ride my jeep.  And kick the ball."  And I haven't heard her say anything else about our old house or backyard.

We've been talking about a happy heart for years with her...and in one of the harder moments,

I watched her chose it.  

It's a moment I'll never forget.

Sarah Grace:

Her daddy says she like her mommy.

But we all know her tender little heart came straight from her daddy...

but when it comes to change, she's her mommy's girl.

From the time she was tiny, any time we had the suitcases out she was a basket case.

All the way until we left the house with her, she would be falling apart.

She's gotten much better over her two years of life, but big moves like this are rough for her.

She basically walks around crying and the littlest things send her over the edge.

As the day wore on she got better, but she still needed some moments where she was comforted.

Like this one with Reedo!

Gotta love treasures you find in the garage!

 

And, a fudgesicle break!

Emmy:

Whoa.  We'll just say, rough week for separation anxiety to reach an all time high.

I think I've been carrying her on my hip for a week.

I've been carrying babies around for 4 years now and my arms and hip have never been so sore!

She too, was finally better today but packing and unpacking has been rough with only one hand!

I knew I'd look back and see the sweet fragrance of the Lord throughout this journey--

I just never expected to see it so soon.

I am changed.

My kids are changed.

Our church has found deeper community.

And we are settled and blessed!

 The adventures continue!

                            Ellie: April 2011                                                                           Ellie: April 2012

           taking the space heater out of the trailer                                                         putting it back in!