We Moved And Lived Thru The First Year!

It's been 1 year exactly since we drove out of our driveway of 14 years and away from the community of our lifetime.  

It's been a year of great blessing and great trial.

I am thankful for both.

This family is stronger and more resilient than I thought.  I have watched the kids struggle and adjust to a new norm.  Even though we moved our kids out of everything familiar and comfortable to them, the move has made them stronger and surer of who they are and where they belong.  It's been hard on them, I'm not gonna lie, it's been hard on us, but it has strengthened us and shown us some weaknesses we need to work on, and some strengths we need to celebrate.

Moving doesn't necessarily change anything, it just brings out what was already inside.  

Moving is like an intense exercise - it brings out the sweat and tears, and that either makes you glisten and glow or it makes you stinky and sticky.  Either way, it was there in the first place, and whatever is in you, will move with you and affect the people around you; either the glow that draws people closer or the smell pushes them away.

I'm so thankful for this year!  We have been BLESSED.  Our family has grown in number and in strength.

There are many people we miss in Oregon.  The people we had a close connection to, we remain closely connected.  We may not see one another or talk often, but when you are connected at a heart level, closeness is not measured in miles but in love.  

There is a lot that has happened this year that has brought joy to our lives, and a lot that has happened that has broken our hearts.  I believe the heartbreaking things were going to happen no matter where we lived and God just moved us to a place that would allow us to handle the heartbreak and heal healthily.

One of the hardest parts of this year has been, to be closer as a family, and yet separated most of the time from Charlie.  He has been rock-solid support and leader and provider, and traveler to this family, even more so with greater intention and conviction, in the miles of separation, than in times of closer living.  Charlie has been the "contact" parent for all school and sporting communication.  Anyone who knows me knows this is a BIG BLESSING to my life and to the people trying to make contact.  When we all get back to living in the same household fulltime, I have no intention of adding myself back to the "contact" parent in school and sports.  Sorry Charlie...you are WAY too good at it.  We all do better when Charlie is the first point of contact, and then there isn't need for a second, if you know what I mean.  :)

The highlight of this year has been our trip to Israel.  This move created the opportunity and put all the necessary pieces in place for us to jump at the chance.  If God has moved us to this place for the opportunity to go to the places we have been, to learn the things we learned, with the people we went and learned with, then I would say this year has been well WORTH THE MOVE. 

I'm thankful for this year, and I'm thankful it's over!

 (at least the first year.)

This was a note Maezie left on my bed last night: