Here are some of our first pictures of our new home. The first few were taken the very first time we saw the house, the rest when Jonathan came down a month later for some job interviews. All are welcome to view the pictures, but I realize there are way too many for some folks’ taste.
Many thanks
Gifts #437 – 469
~ Weeds pulled and ground cleared
~ A big blooming lilac bush
~ Sweet fellowship and prayer meeting
~ A Bogey’s-inspiring night (even without the Bogey’s)
~ Getting stronger
~ Walking with my love in the KS moonlight
~ Gala apples
~ Some work for Jonathan
~ The faith-journey of waiting for more
~ Rising early and preparing for the day with my man
~ A little nap after he has gone
~ Josiah and Andrew playing
~ Cold brew coffee
~ A beautiful moonset
~ Watching squirrel activity by silhouette in the sunrise
~ Early morning breakfast and chat with J
~ Being up and at ’em before the Blessings
~ A house so quiet I can hear the birds outside with the doors & windows closed (chilly morning)
~ Safety in the crazy strong wind
~ Adventuring children
~ Anticipation to learn what the Father has in store for us
~ Being challenged in my thinking
~ 10 pounds gone since 3/8
~ Memories being made by our children – Remember the time P. smashed the rotten egg with the bat and it splattered all over us? Then the moms wouldn’t let us come inside because we stunk so horribly?
~ 12 miles
~ A weekend retreat for the older boys
~ A singing chapel
~ Birds building nests
~ The intense heart-pain of beloved places in a state of dreadful disrepair*
~ The question – what are we to do?
~ Budding vision… KFM?
~ Time to scratch out thanks and read the Love Letter
~ A season to focus on His life-giving death and resurrection (A simple resource for your Passion Week right here)
*The hard thanks
Multitude Monday
Finally sitting down to scratch out thanks (Gifts #376-436) with:
The Kansas wind in my hair and
The chatter of a myriad of birds around me
“Interruptions” from dog and dear daughter
Sunshine and shade
Cardboard and tape to shelter our stuff
Overabundance and the revelation of need for still more purging
Friends and family to help pack/load
The early discovery of a purse left behind
Mom S’s gracious retrieval of said purse
Returning from truck pick-up to find a clean and packed kitchen
Hard-working Blessings, both ours and others’
Last night there and first night here – in my own bed
Safety and speed for our caravan of moving trucks and personal vans
The absence of dog vomit on a 10 hour drive
Safe transport of (and subsequent egg laying from) our chickens
Blue skies and fluffy clouds on unloading day
Friends, both old and new, to help us unload
The watchful eyes of my husband, being sure I don’t hurt my back
Visit from extended family (with pizza!) our first evening here
An array of new plant to learn about/care for
Fruit trees/bushes
Anticipation of harvesting the fruit
A beautiful rental property
A house with lots of room
Closets with shelves
J taking care of essentials before returning to Missouri
Family picnic and walk
The discovery of sand hill plums
The steadfastness of my man in returning to MO to finish work for Lowe’s and on the house
Sacrificial love from Tina and Sue in cleaning up my homemaking/cleaning failures
That those precious ladies still love me!
A week here focused on unpacking/settling
Kitchen floor found
Internet connected
Several days without distraction
Getting back to serious about losing weight and getting stronger
Companions on my health journey (made close due to the wonder of internet)
Inspiration from a hard-working friend devoted to getting healthier
Strong backs to fill in for my weak one
Visits from friends
Welcome from new neighbors (and food!)
Jehovah-Jireh – He does provide!
Perfectly timed (see above) visit and ride to town from Cheryl
Walks with my Blessings
Their growing appreciation for Kansas beauty
Trip to a “swap” for reconnecting with friends
And afternoon with the Asberrys
Tears of joy over hearing our children laugh and play together
Years of longing coming to fulfillment
The safe return of my man
Not sleeping alone
Walking/talking/planning around the property together
Common goals and interests
A great exercise-walk in the wind of a coming storm
Watching the storm system develop from miles away
The cats recovered and brought to our new home
Fellowship with friends at chapel
Good food deals @ Aldi’s
A long Sunday afternoon nap
Sounds of my man working
A quiet inner call to count gifts
We’re Here!
We loaded up trucks on March 30…
drove to our new home in southcentral Kansas on the 31st…
and unloaded trucks on April 1st.
We were blessed by a fabulous amount of help from loving friends and family on both ends of our journey, and are so very thankful.
Jonathan spent this week back in Missouri, finishing up work for Lowe’s and working on our old house. Tina and Sue had come and cleaned the house, shaving many hours off of his work time there (thank you again, dear ones!). Alan came out and helped one evening, and Dad and Mom Smith made a big contribution to finishing up things at the old place – thank you! Jonathan got home in the wee hours of the morning this morning, and we are all thrilled to have him back.
The Blessings and I spent the week organizing and unpacking boxes and getting a little bit settled – they are wonderful helpers. We had visits from friends several times, and got to meet some of our neighbors (who brought us food!). And we took some lovely walks.
It has been a joy to see the Blessings’ growing appreciation for the beauty of this area which is so dear to their parents’ hearts. For instance, one evening Katie and I walked out in the field to see the sunset. She took a deep breath and sighed out, “I just love the open land.” Me too, sweet one. Me too.
While we all are missing our Missouri friends, it is also a joy to begin to reconnect with friends from the area. Many folks we haven’t yet gotten to see, but it’s a blessing to move and to already have a network of familiar faces, and friends eager to help and fellowship. Becki and I got all teary yesterday hearing our children laugh and play… so many years of missing each other and longing for our children to grow up together.
There will be more pictures in the coming weeks, I’m sure, but here’s a glimpse of our new place from when you turn into the driveway.
Climbing out… with gratitude
I awoke in a funk. My knee was throbbing. My family wasn’t reading my mind and acting accordingly. The sweet of fellowship had somehow fled since the precious hours the night before and left behind only the bitter of farewell. I began the list of negatives in my head and was well on my way to ensuring a horrific Sunday morning for my loved ones. And then the still small voice.
Give thanks?
Oh.
But really? This morning? I seem to be wallowing quite nicely here…
Especially this morning, yes.
I tried to began to say thank You.
From my rut, I could not see the gifts clearly, so I had to begin with what was literally in front of me. Toothbrush… toothpaste… clean water flowing easily from my faucet… a cozy house in the cool of a spring morning… a husband awake… Davey, with his young man intensity… Barak, passionate and dreaming… Elanor, on the cusp of young womanhood… Josiah, tenderhearted and loving-handed… Kate, with her laughter… Grace, face shining in smiles… Stephen, embracing big brotherhood… Andrew, unexpected and treasured
Oh, there are so many more, and as the day goes on, they continue to come to mind…
Friends preparing an evening for us to enjoy fellowship before departing
More friends arriving to fellowship
A dear lady, part of our lives since shortly after we moved to Missouri… friend/doula/counsellor/encourager/more
Big families that love us
Couples that love us
Friends who couldn’t come but who send sweet words of encouragement
A quiet corner to sit and nurse… and listen to the sounds of people I love
Sue, faithful friend, confidante, fellow-traveller
Tina, inspiring, honest, uplifting
Georgia, overcoming
Mama Fay, precious lady of God
Janet, laughing, tenderhearted
Children playing, making memories
Our men, talking, playing golf (in the living room!)
Dad and Mom Smith, encouraging and helping
Papa and Mama, cheering and praying (my Aaron and Hur)
Flowers showing up more each day
Green overtaking the ground
A picnic, walk, and play at Shaw Nature Reserve
A weeping willow on the way to chapel, looking like a fountain of green misty spray
Mud
Pilates
Gifts #340-375
Oh, the Gifts!
Does anyone know who’s handing out the “bad blogger” awards this month?
If only you could read all the posts I’ve written in my head.
My main excuse is a pretty solid one – we’re moving in two weeks, back home to the Hutchinson area! I’m hoping to manage a catch-up/catch-all post sometime this week. We shall see.
In the meantime, my thanks overflow…
Gifts #302-339
Step by step direction
Faith challenges
Spring rain – cold, uncomfortable, but so beneficial
The inspiring determination of a friend to lose those pounds and get healthy
Shared tools for getting healthier
Three days in a row of Pilates (twice, now!)
Friends who care for us
Encouragement as we follow Him
Packed boxes
Bare walls
More and more to do
A husband and blessings who do so much of the work
Freedom to put school on “pause”
Green shoots of spring flowers and garlic
A contract on the Byrds’ Nest (hard thanks, this)
Laundry to do
A repaired-by-my-man dryer door
But God
Blue for the sky – from horizon to horizon
The color green (to fill these fields with praise)
Sunset over the Flint Hills
Tire replaced *before* blow out
Tire in stock
Full van and trailer
Road trip with my man
Happy baby in the next seat
A fun weekend for the other Blessings
Willing muscles – practical love!
Empty van and trailer
New house with pieces of us inside
Planning what goes where
Closets. Lots of closets. With lots of shelves.
A mud room
Sweet neighbors we will be leaving
Sweet neighbor we will be gaining
More boxes filling
A last hurrah for winter
Lovely white snow melting to show gorgeous green grass
Reminders to BE, not just do
a day late…
Praise for the Provisions
This week I used Ann’s gift for jotting down gifts, simply tucked in my Bible. Another great option for counting thanks!
Gifts # 279 – 301
His steadfast love endures forever
The hidden struggles that drive me to His feet
God is for me
Late birthday candles
The warmth of family fellowship
Baby glasses – here and fitting
Coconut Oil
Toy Sorting Progress
Sleepless Nights
Songs mumbled out to a miserable baby
Thoughts re-focused
Our wonderful Dr. Mary
Chiropractic Care
Steam Baths
Practice – the hardest part of learning (p. 56)
7th days of rest
The morning song of birds
My sin-shame born by Him
Remembrance – To Calv’ry, Lord, In Spirit Now
Multi-generational spikey-ball battles
Doggy joy
Sunday afternoon naps
Everything I need