A Year of Surprises

2013 brought many surprises and blessings. 

July 2012 we learned 2013 would bring a big surprise.  Owen arrived healthy and beautiful in March. We were so grateful that his heart murmur went away quickly without medical intervention.  He is so affectionate.  He loves his brother and sister and they adore him, most of the time. 

 We had an amazing trip to Florida for Gospel Coalition and a quick trip to Disney World in April.  It was wonderful to have Mimi along on this trip. 

 Six weeks in Kentucky this summer provided lots of fun in the pool and at the baseball field.  


I also got to celebrate the engagement and upcoming wedding of my childhood best friend Kelley.  We had a southern style shower for her in July. 

My first born turned 5 in September.  He is as hard headed as his mother. 

 In October the kids and I made an extra trip to Kentucky to attend Kelley's wedding.  She was a beautiful bride. 

The biggest surprise of all was God calling us to a church in Owensboro.  We are thrilled to be near family and back in the south. We love our new home and it was a pleasure to celebrate our first Christmas here. 

Sadly, I have seen a few mothers suffer this year.  Some I knew personally, but others were friends of friends.  I pray for these ladies daily and the suffering they are experiencing as they grieve the loss of thier sons.  

Over this year I have listened to two songs almost daily.  Many days these songs played on repeat throughout the day.  

"Lord, I Need You" and "Though You Slay Me," http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyUPz6_TciY

As John Piper speaks of suffering in "Though You Slay Me," I continually pray for Erin and Jodi as I listen to this song. 

 

This year has certainly been a year of blessing for my family.  Although the pain of losing Daddy still hurts, I finally feel more peace and rest this year.  Much of this peace comes from being closer to my mom.  It was thrilling for her to be able to drive to Owensboro in just a few short hours to help us unpack at our new house.  We have grieved deeply the last few years.  Yes, God does allow us pain and suffering, but only for His glory, but he blesses us daily with His unmerited grace.

                 These three beautiful children are amazing blessings. 

Our Big Move

Living Room

Dining Room

 

December 8^th was our last Sunday at Oakland Evangelical Free Church.  That afternoon our home was on the Women’s Club Tour of Homes.  It was a privilege to open our home to show all of the hard work that has been put into it. 

On Monday the movers came and began packing up our house.  They continued to pack on Tuesday and began loading the moving truck on Wednesday.  I spent the last few days visiting with friends and saying goodbye.  It was painfully hard to leave my sweet friends.  We enjoyed coffee and breakfast with Lisa and the other library moms on Tuesday.  It was a sweet time.  Lisa and I soaked in every minute together that we could.  It didn’t matter if we were cleaning, decorating or snuggling babies, we enjoyed our last days together. 

Audrey's Room

Over the past week we had read Alexander Who’s Not, I Mean it, Going to Move, many times.  Alexander was struggling with the transition.  Although he knew he was moving closer to his family he was going to miss his Cubbies teacher Ms. Tracy, his best buddy Alexander Timm, and his blue room.  His behavior was certainly a reflection of his grieving, but Mommy was trying her best to be patient. 

Wednesday afternoon the moving truck was full and our hearts were heavy.  After many hugs and lots of tears we pulled away with Lisa and her family waving goodbye.  We headed towards Kansas City. 

We spent the night in Kansas City and drove the rest of the way to Kentucky on Thursday.  We arrived in Owensboro early Thursday evening.  That evening we were to have the walk through at our new house.  The furniture would arrive Friday morning and we expected to stay with Adam’s mom until we closed on the house.  We knew we were truly blessed to be able to move our furniture in before closing, but a bigger blessing came when we learned the sellers wanted us to move in before closing.  This certainly made the transition easier. 

Audrey's Room

Alexander's Room

Owen's Room

Friday we worked all day moving furniture and unpacking boxes. My mom arrived late Friday afternoon to help.  We got lots done, but it was non stop work.  Today , Tuesday, is the first time I have sat down at my computer to write or do other work.  Things are coming together, but there are still plenty of boxes to unpack and pictures to hang.  I hope to paint the kids bathroom and Owen’s room this week.  We did get a new Christmas tree, ours was too tall.  The house is decorated for Christmas.  I couldn’t have done this without my mom or my mother in law.  The kids stayed with Tami while we worked on the house.  This is such a blessing to have family nearby. 

Adam will begin work on December 22^nd.  He has been working hard on his DMin class work.  He has class in Louisville, January 6-10^th.  We are excited to host Christmas Eve for Adam’s family this year.  We look forward to many holidays in this house near family.  We are anxious to begin serving this community and Bellevue Baptist Church. 

1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart.  For consider what great things he has done for you.”

I Know the Plans I Have for You

It is so amazing how God changes our hearts.  Fourteen years ago when I first visited Adam in Owensboro, my only idea of this town was the place where I went for cheerleading All Stars when I was in elementary school.  As Adam and I dated, got engaged, and married we somehow developed an unspoken competition of whose home town was better.  Yes, I am crazy competitive.  I seemed to think everything in Owensboro was weird, especially how they pronounced their county: Daviess and the main street in town: Frederica. 

Through the years as we visited Adam's mom, we attended church with her if we were there.  We never envisioned ourselves serving there.  After we moved to Nebraska Adam reached out to other pastors for guidance and advice.  The pastor of Bellevue proved to be a great asset and encouragement to Adam.  Adam even spent a week of his sabbatical with him this summer. 

Whenever we visited Owensboro we enjoyed running there and rollerblading because it is so flat.  As I explored new streets and neighborhoods I began to fall in love with the town.  It was strange.  I could envision us living there, raising our children there, and serving this community. 

This fall we were approached and asked to apply for a pastoral position that was available at the church.  Last weekend, we visited Bellevue and were tremendously overwhelmed with the encouragement and support we received.  We found a house where we hope to raise our children for many years.  We are thrilled to be back in Kentucky near family.  We are anxious to begin forming relationships with new people and rekindling relationships with people Adam grew up with who do not attend church.  

After my Daddy died and we were moving to Nebraska, my mom told me how she would often say to Daddy, "I am worried Hope and Adam will move away to Owensboro."  Once we moved to Nebraska she prayed that we would just move to Owensboro.  Distance is so relative. My family is thrilled for us to be just 2 and a half hours away.  I am so thankful for my children to have the opportunity to grow up with their grandmothers.  I am eager to have their help and assistance with the children.  

I have developed several wonderful friends here in Nebraska.  It is going to be difficult to leave these wonderful ladies.  When we told Alexander we were moving to Owensboro he was initially thrilled.  After a little thought he realized what this meant.  He began to cry saying how much he was going to miss his Cubbies teacher and his friend Alexander.  We reminded him of the wonderful family and friends he will be near in Kentucky.  

It is amazing how God can mold our hearts, soften our strong wills, and prepare us for the next part of his plan.  We know our two years in Nebraska has been a necessary and vital part of preparing us for our next years of ministry.  In spite of some difficulties and many miles away from family we are thankful for our opportunity to serve this church and community.   

 Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Reid's Orchard

 We began our visit to Kentucky in Owensboro with Nana.  We had fun celebrating Alexander's birthday and visiting Reid's Orchard. 

The kids enjoyed feeding the animals, playing on the slides, and riding the choo choo train.  Audrey and Alexander loved their apple cider slushies. 

There were all kinds of pumpkins to see. 

 Alexander loved rolling in the apple barrels. 

       

We had a great visit with Nana.  Audrey was sad for Manny to go back to school, but she did enjoy sleeping in her bed once she was gone. 

Kelley's Wedding

Kelley and I have been best friends for nearly thirty years.  We lived next door to one another for fifteen years.  After my family moved a few miles down the road, I still spent many days, nights, and weeks with Kelley and her family.  Her parents were, and still are, my other family.  They fed me breakfast many days before we left for school and had snacks for me before I went to work after school.  They had a special seat at our wedding and I even stayed at their house the night before Adam and I were married.

On October 12th, Kelley married her new best friend, Randall.  I am so happy for her, but I do miss my best friend. 

 

Alexander thought Kelley looked so pretty and Audrey said she was a princess.

Kelley and her Daddy.

               Mommy and Audrey had fun dancing at the reception. 

 

Poor Owen was exhausted from a long day of wedding 

                                     preparations and festivities. 

     We pray God's blessing of a wonderful marriage and Happily Ever After for  
                                           Kelley and Randall. 

We Celebrate Again

 

After the wedding festivities were over we celebrated Alexander's birthday with my family. We had a Lego birthday party, but Alexander received Jake and the Pirate gifts, clothes for his Build a Bear Bears, and lots of UK gear.  

He loved his UK sunglasses from Kiki. 

Alexander and Audrey were thrilled to see Jessica and Addie Mae.

Alexander requested blue balloons to release for Daddy Bob. He had it all planned out and informed us he would count to three and then release the balloons.   He was very serious and watched them intently until they were too high to be seen.  It was the most precious sight. 

Even Audrey watched the balloons like she knew what we were talking about. 

Alexander's Lego cake was certainly not my best work.  I was a little rushed and didn't have help from the cake master, Kelley, since she was on her honeymoon. 

Audrey certainly enjoyed the colorful Lego block cakes even though they weren't very pretty. 

                          She insisted on trying all colors of cake. 

Pirate Party

Our little pirate is five.  Alexander loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates, so we had fun planning a pirate party.

We encouraged Alexander to ask his guests to bring food for the Oakland Food Pantry rather than bringing gifts for him.  We have so many toys and it is a difficult task to find a gift for a boy who already has so much.  We are thrilled to contribute all of this loot to the church Food Pantry.  

We had a true pirate dinner of chicken legs, golden macaroni and cheese, green bean swords, and ocean water.  

 

The best treasure was the chocolate treasure chest cake.  It was quite yummy, especially since it was filled with jewels and good doubloons. 

 We had a nature scavenger hunt, walked the plank, and had a pinata.  We all had a great time celebrating our biggest boy.  We are so thankful for our precious family.