Changes

Life is full of changes. Sometimes they are welcome changes, and sometimes they are dreaded. But we all have changes. So many changes have happened in my life in the last couple years. In the summer of 2011 we bought a trailer and moved from Utah back to Virginia. The plan was to homeschool Tyler and travel with Erik while he worked. We were tired of being separated so much. So we set up temporary camp in my father-in-law's backyard. We were doing a job for NASA when we found out that my mother-in-law was in the hospital in Pennsylvania. She had been diagnosed with cancer and they weren't giving her much time.

We left the NASA job in Alabama and drove up to Pennsylvania. Most of my mother-in-law's side of the family is in Pennsylvania, so it was wonderful to get to meet them. We got my mother-in-law's belonging packed up and got her and her stuff to Missouri. My sister-in-law was living in Missouri, and my mother-in-law wanted to be back there with her.

A short time after arriving in Missouri, my mother-in-law passed away. Because we had no permanent place to be, we stayed in Pennsylvania for a few months, living with family. It was great to get to know them better, and I am looking forward to the day we can go visit again.

After Pennsylvania, we ended up in Missouri. Erik's other kids are in Missouri, and we decided we wanted to be closer to them. So we loaded up our stuff and headed to Missouri. My sister-in-law wasn't living in her house, so she let us move into it. We lived there for almost a year, getting to know people, making friends, making a life. And then the house fell out from under us.

We were offered a job opportunity in Virginia Beach, so again we loaded everything up and moved back to Virginia. It was an amazing opportunity, but after just a few short months, we realized that job wasn't right for us. After some praying, we felt that we needed to move back to Missouri. Something was calling us there.

Tyler was ecstatic to be going back to Missouri. He had friends there he was missing. Over the summer of 2013, I started back to school. It had been 14 years since I had stepped into a classroom on an academic basis.

But Springfield wasn't the part of Missouri we were supposed to be in, because again, our housing fell out from under us. Much prayer and pondering led us to Branson. We have been in Branson for 6 months, and we are still not sure why. I am still attending school. My plans are to become an RN.

This ward has been absolutely amazing. It is the most welcoming, friendly ward I have ever been in. I have been given a calling as a Young Women's advisor. Right now I am the Mia Maid advisor, but in the end of February I will be moved up the the Laurels. We currently have 2 Beehives, with one of them turning 14 in February, so instead of having one lone Beehive, we are going to move them both up to Mia Maids along with the 1st Counselor. Because there will be two leaders in that group, they will move me up to Laurel's so that there will be two leaders with that group as well.

I am loving the calling. These girls are amazing! They are so incredibly friendly and welcoming. This ward has even gotten Erik going back to church.

So now I attend school full time, Tyler is in 6th grade, and Logan is in kindergarten. Next school year Carson will start kindergarten. All of these changes in my life have led me to an incredible place. It has been full of trials and hardships, but it has also had some amazing moments too. I know that the Lord has been guiding us (even though sometimes we took our own path). I can't wait to see what changes the next several years brings.

Update Coming Soon

It has now officially been just over a year since I last blogged. Life has been super busy and chaotic. I promise that a new update will be coming soon along with more frequent updating in the future.

Christmas Time

christmas time again. the year has just flown by. but with all the moving we have done over the last year, i can't say i'm surprised. this year i kept things pretty simple. hardly any decorations (actually nowhere near what i wanted to do), but more time with my boys.  

we baked and decorated sugar cookies, 

 

 

and just spent time together.

 here is our simple, uninspiring stockings waiting to be filled,

and here is our little tree after santa visited. tyler officially no long believes in santa, so he got to help play santa this year. he really loved putting the presents under the tree.

this was the best money we have ever spent. logan absolutely loves this castle. he has been asking it from santa for a couple months now. logan and carson spent HOURS playing with it (it was the first time in a long time they weren't begging to play on the computer or the ps3). tyler even got involved in the play. they even spent most of the day playing with it today.

 and see that thing leaning against the wall by the tree in the background back there? shannon made that for me for christmas. it is a calendar/to do list. along the left side is a chalk board, the top has a place for pictures, and the rest is the calendar (you change out the month and rearrange the dates). there are even these cute birthday and holiday themed circles...and the best part is they are even chalkboards. once we get moved AGAIN (trust me, you don't want to know), and i get it hung in place, i will try to remember to take a picture of it all set up. 

merry christmas everyone!

It Has Been Way Too Long

I know it has been forever. So here's a quick recap. In September we moved back to Virginia Beach. The job we came back for fell apart, and we cannot afford to live here unless Erik travels all the time or works 80 hour weeks. Neither of which we are okay with. So the first week of January, we are heading back to Missouri. Where we should stay. One of my younger sisters and her family just moved back, so it will be fun to get to see them more often. I just wish we could see the rest of the family more often.

On December 3 we fed the missionaries. It is something I have always enjoyed doing, and Erik always seems to enjoy it, no matter what his current spiritual struggle is. One of the two missionaries we fed has been through so much in his short life. I can't even imagine having to go through it all. He now carried a poem with him to help him out when he is struggling. I made a copy of it, and thought I would share it here. It is one I will keep in my scriptures and will refer to it often, because I know I definitely need this reminder quite a bit.

He Has Been There Before

The alarm rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet.
I grab my companion's bedding and pull off his sheet.
A groan fills the room. Is it already time to arise?
It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes.

The morning activities follow: study, prayer, and such.
When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much.
"We have a super day planned," my comp says with a grin.
I lowly utter a faithless breath, "Yeah, if anyone will let us in."

With the word of God and my faithful

Schwinn

, we ride off in the street
Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat.
It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through;
My companion and I are riding home, not accomplishing what we thought to do.

We ride up to the mailbox hoping to receive a lot,
Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "Air Box."
We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete.
The only thing to show for our work is a case of

blistery

feet.

It's past 10:30 pm, my companion is fast asleep.
Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep.
In the midst of sadness I kneel down to pray,
I need to talk to Father, but I'm not sure what to say.

"Oh, Father," I begin, "What happened to us today?
I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away.
My hands, my aching hands - worn, hurt and beat;
If our area was any smaller we'd have knocked every street."

"Why on missions do the days seem so much alike?
The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike.
Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me.
I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes. It's very hard to see."

"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?
People always laugh at me and call me stupid stuff.
Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack;
I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back."

"And what about my family? They don't have much to say.
I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day after day.
Oh, Father, why am I here? Am I just wasting time?
Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind."

"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?
The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see.
Now you have it, I can't go on. I don't know what to do;
That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you."

My prayer now finished, I stand up then jump into bed.
I need my rest for tomorrow; we have another long day ahead.
Sleep starts to overtake me, I seem to drift away.
Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day.

I'm standing alone on the hill, the view is very nice;
A man walks toward me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ."
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to his feet.
"Arise" he states, "Follow me to the shade - you and I need to speak."

My attention's toward my Savior, total and complete,
He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me.
I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through;
In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you."

"Even know how you felt when no one listened to you.
At times I felt not quite sure what else that I could do.
I know you don't like to ride a bicycle for a car would be sweet;
Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds."

I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate;
I remember when I sweat blood from every pore, oh the agony was great!
I see you don't like your companion - you'd rather have someone else -
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth."

"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you.
I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews.
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack, I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back."

"Your hands hurt from tracking and knocking on doors all day,
I guess when they pounded nails into mine I ached in a similar way.
It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see;
I lost communication on the cross and cried, 'Father, why hast thou forsaken me?"

"We have a lot in common, but there's a difference between us you see.
I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me."
He embraced me with his arms. His light filled me with his love.
With tears in my eyes I watched as he went back to the Father above.

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head.
I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed.
My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"
I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"

No matter what we go through when we feel we can't take more,
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, he's been there before.

Photo of the Day #11

Current read...total fluff, but with my crazy life I am too mentally exhausted to read anything that might make me think.

Sorry for the rotated picture...phone won't post it flipped upright.

Photo of the Day #10

A day behind a dollar short...maybe I can get caught up someday. Here is yesterday's picture. I would say this is a sure sign kids are in residence at my house.

Photo of the Day #9

The little guys decided they needed to play in mud today.