I LIKE TO MOVE IT MOVE IT.

     Wow moving! Amazing. We have done it 7 or 8 times in our 8 years of marriage! Before that I moved 8 times in my 3 1/2 years at Head Waters Lodge (Youth Camp were Paul and I met and went to Bible College). Growing up I think we moved 5 times. I believe it is on the top 10 list of most stressful life events. Rightfully so! I have been over whelmed this move with God's love and care directly to my heart and tangibly though other people. We were so blessed with gifts to help make our new home wonderful and beautiful. Gifts of money and time. We received a $500 Kroger (Grocery Store) gift card for Christmas. We were able to bye cleaning supplies, much needed toiletries and other gift cards. We got a gift card for Lowe's and bought paint for our new house. The new house was an awful shade of peach up stairs and had a powder pink room down stairs. If you know anything about Paul and I we are not pink people. This new house is a wonderful opportunity to save money and build a better budget. We COULD have lived with pink walls of course! Beautiful colors on walls is far from a need but man we were so blessed to have nice neutrals. Not only did we get paint but my Father and Brother in Love did all the painting! What a gift in this crazy time when Paul doesn't have free time to speak of!
     7 moves as a married woman. I have learned and finally executed one valuable lesson. Before the move God and I did business on the subject of submission. I know what scripture says that my husband is the head of our home, leader of the family. Its one thing to know it and another to live it. In past moves I have caused extra stress. "Meaning well" but not creating "well." My man and I are two very different people. We have very different styles. Something I have notice God do with many other couples as He pairs them up! I love to have a plan and make sure everyone is on the same page. He is more go with the flow work hard and it will work itself out. It is worth it to do moving in his style and his pace. If I were the head of the family it would have gone so differently. Different not better. Of course in the thick of it, its easy to think your way is better! Right? I have learned that peace and unity between Paul and I during a stressful event is so much more valuable than my way.  To nag my perspective or great idea one more time when he has made a decision and is ready to move on to the next task just isn't helpful. I am called to be helpful! I don't mean to paint a picture of Paul being a hard master that I door mat to. That isn't our relationship at all. We both have great ideas but some one has to make the final decision on big and little things and that's his role. There is a style and flow of every person. I believe it is part of our privileged as wive to figure out how to best support, honor and love our man in the style God gave him.  If you are married I trust you get what I'm talking about. If you aren't you will!

Mamo and PaPa sent us a care package with moving supplies!
This tape gun saved us so much time and allowed Troy to help.

Abi packed this entire cabinet by herself! 

Photo by troy! 

     It was an emotional thing moving out of our first home. We moved out of the upstairs of Paul's parents into our wonderful first house. This time was less glamorous. It was a practical move. Rent is $400 less and we need that kind of savings in our season right now. I was also extremely hormonal right at the time of moving. Paul took such tender care of me. I know that I would have for fitted some of that if I fought for my style. Its fun when you have an intense something happen and you are surprised at the growth God has done in you!
     We were also surprised and blessed at how our crazies handle the last few weeks. We have all been very sick then Christmas then the move! Its been a wild rid and our babies have just gone along with it! They were helpful with packing and cleaning and excited with us for the adventure of it all. I was so blessed. My Father in love was telling me about how a wise man (of course I don't remember the guys name) said, "It isn't a right statement to say pressures or trials make us stronger. The pressure and trials show us what is already stored up in our hearts. Sometimes its wonderful and we handle things well some times God is taking the opportunity to show us areas we need to grow in." He (My Father In Love) encouraged me the reason the kids are handling the move well is because of the investment we have made in them and its coming out as fruit in this high pressure time. To which I of course responded with tears and rejoicing! It can so often feel like all the discipline and training is going in one ear and out the other but we got to see some concentrated fruit during those big move days. That being said, we are right back to training! My Bear keeps walking out of the kitchen with food! Like its totally normal to grab himself a snack. When I say, "Hey bud, you didn't ask if you could have that food and you may not get it with out asking," He replies, "But I was so hungry." Oh man! The boundaries and standards that were set in place and fallowed at our old house seem to all need to be tested by all 3 here at the new house.
     Troy said to me last night, "Mom, I am a little miserable." I responded, " I bet buddy is it from all the consequences you have been getting?" He said, "Yeah," Just as despondent as could be. I said, " that is how the foolish man's life is. The foolish man makes bad choices and there is always something that comes next. A reward for good choices or a consequence for bad one. The life of a wise man is not perfect or always fun but he has a whole lot more rewards from Jesus!"
     So we press on! We are working hard to put this new wonderful house together and maintaining some sort of structure with out kids. I am so very blessed!