Coming Home

Ready to go!

As you may be aware, Jeff and I recently moved back to Oklahoma. I say "back" because we were both born in this central state. While I hail from the opposite side compared to where we are located now, and only lived there the first few years of my life, I have always called it one of my homes. Jeff, on the other hand, was born and raised in the very town we have moved to. He knows much more about the community, people, and where things are located than I do. Needless to say, he has faired the transition best when compared with myself.

Loaded up!

So far, the move has been, well, stressful. It was beyond helpful to have movers load and move our stuff for us; something we have never had before (even in all our moves)! The most stressful part seemed to come the night before, when we had to pack up our necessities into a little trailer we had hitched up to the back of our Jeep. The rest of our stuff went with the movers into storage here in town. Long story, short: Jeff and I differ in the way we let our stress escalade. Jeff was very worried (completely overwrought, to be truthful) about fitting everything into this little trailer... while I was suggesting we add more stuff. Guess what. It didn't all fit. No big deal. We just had to leave a few things in storage I had hoped to take with us. I am wishing I had some of those items right now, but we aren't exactly roughing it. We survived the eight hour drive with a trailer, two large pups, and an eight-month-old... and now we are living out of suitcases and boxes. Our life is in disarray and I can't wait to actually get settled here.

We left Colorado with our home on the market and unsure of when it might be purchased. We also had a contract on a home here in Oklahoma with the contingency that we sell our current home first. Thirty days came and went and we were still praying for an offer on our home. We were about to lose the house here that we love! Last week we looked into the possibility of Jeff being eligible for a VA loan. The very same day he received his Certificate of Eligibility (last Thursday), we got a call about an offer on our home! Our house is now under contract, the closing date on November 1st, and we are in the process of setting up the closing date for our new home. God's timing can sure be stressful and ALWAYS reveals my impatience, but isn't it perfect?!

really going to miss this lovely view...

Bennett is as crazy as ever and will be nine months old on Friday! Time has really flown, but I am enjoying every moment of it. He cut two teeth just this last week and is walking around, holding onto the furniture! I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about Christmas and his first birthday party.

I celebrated my 28th birthday a week ago. Yay. I'm older. Birthday celebrations definitely dwindle down significantly as you age. I suppose your focus just moves to your children's birthdays from here. I'm okay with that. Tony treated us to dinner and then we went to the high school's football game on my birthday.

Jeff has shifted very well into his new position as the Youth Pastor at First Baptist Church. He loves it and we are so excited about our future with this church and this community. I know that not everyone can say that they are in a job or career that they love or that they were made for, but it is so rewarding to watch Jeff fulfill the calling on his life and to really love what he does. I have to admit that I have been jealous of him these last five years. After graduating college and getting married, I have always just been working to pay the bills, you know? It was great to be living on two incomes and able to eat out a lot more (of course that was before we had to worry about a babysitter, too), but it really burns you out waking up each morning and dreading your day, counting down the minutes until you get to go home or go on vacation. It took us a while to get here, but I am so blessed to say today that I am fulfilling my current calling to be a full-time mommy. I never thought I would be one of those stay-at-home moms who felt so fulfilled, but here I am! And I'm loving it. There is definitely a tighter budget with less eating out and movie going, but it is exactly where I want us to be. This season of life is so precious to me.

I don't plan to stay home forever. Unfortunately, babies do grow up. :( So, in preparation, I am FINALLY going for my Master's degree. I just applied for the new online program through Wayland Baptist University and I am a little nervous, but ecstatic at the chance to get started. I believe I get to begin this winter.

Please pray that everything goes smoothly with the sell of our CO home and the purchase of our new home here. We are so, so ready to set up our new home and life here (and get our of Tony's hair)!