Schedule

I know many of you have asked what's happening when, so here's the latest.  All prayers for productivity, sanity, comfort for the boys & scheduling are much appreciated. :-)

(Sunday, May 22nd):  Jason's last Sunday @ BBC
(Monday, May 23rd):  Jason's last day of work @ BBC
Tuesday, May 24th:  PACKING like crazy!!!  Boys taken care of by friends @ Ashley's
Wednesday, May 25th:  Mom takes boys to Nashville, Moving Van arrives at 9 A.M.  (Ahhhh!)
Thursday, May 26th:  Clean, paint, clean some more
Friday, May 27th:  One last yard sale?, M & J to Nashville
Saturday-Tuesday:  In Nashville
Wednesday, June 1st:  fly to Seattle
Wed-?:  stay with Nicolle & Mike
Sunday, June 5th:  1st Sunday @ MLB

So there's the quick version of our life for the next week & a half.  (Audible sigh).

Blindsided

I fell in love with the movie, The Blind Side, like most everyone did, last year.  Immediately after watching it, I got on the Internet looking for kids to adopt. :-)  My family would whole-heartedly agree with this fact because I've been talking about it since I was a little girl.

I regularly have this conversation with friends & acquaintances that goes something like this:  Them:  "Wow!  Three boys.  Are you going to have any more/try for a girl?"  Me:  "Yes, eventually.  We'd like to adopt sisters."

This past weekend, we got to do just that.  Without going into too much sensitive detail, we had the honor of having our teenage neighbor girls move in with us.  Today, because of those aforementioned details, they are leaving us.

I'm not sure why this happened now, just days before us moving, but I'm counting on God and his timing.  All I can feel now is broken-heartedness.  Please pray for these girls & our family.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  Romans 8:28

Just Breathe

I think I'm like not unlike much of Generation X in that many of my thoughts contain movie/song quotes.  Just the other day, Gideon tried to help me with the laundry by picking up my bleach pen.  Instead of saying "No" or "Leave that alone", I started singing McHammer's "Can't Touch This." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otCpCn0l4Wo).

So it should be no surprise that the thought that is playing over and over in my head right now is actually a quote from a movie.  At the climatic moment in the Cinderella movie "Ever After"  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcEkiXm_r3I) , Drew Barrymore thinks aloud "Just breathe."

Here are some examples of the past few weeks when I have been to the point of having to remind myself to just breathe:

• I realize at the farewell party that my Sunday School class hosted that this was the last time I would be in the home of my dear friend.
• As I'm taking the sheets off the mattress (because I just sold the nursery set), I realize that I may never have a baby in a crib again.
• Anytime Jason says something like "Did you know that in xx number of days we'll be doing such & such?" and I have to shush him because I can't think about how many days it really is.
• Every time a piece of furniture leaves and my home is more and more becoming a house again.
• Saying "See you later" to a Christian friend & realizing that I probably should have said "Goodbye.  Have a nice life.  See you in heaven."

Just breathe.

Jonah & Gideon (in orange) with their buddies at our last playdate

Crazy

All four of my boys are asleep & I am enjoying the quiet.  The past 4 days have brought alot of changes/next steps for us.  We had a yard sale on Saturday that emptied 3/4 of our attic (see http://serving-in-seattle.blogspot.com/2011/04/tutus-tornadoes.html).  We had a glorious, farewell party with our Sunday School class on Saturday night.  Sunday was May 1st, meaning exactly 1 month until we are on a plane to Seattle.  And over the past 2 days, 6 major pieces of furniture have left through our front door.

How does all that make me feel?  Scared.  Uneasy.  Nervous.  At peace.  A close friend recently asked if we really knew what we were doing.  Nope.  Not even a little.  But as much as this move doesn't make sense, I am totally at peace with it.

Remember that wishy-washy, unreliable, akward discipline Peter?  I was thinking today of probably his most courageous act during his time with Jesus.  During a bad storm, he got out the boat he & the disciples were in & walked out to Jesus.  He didn't stick one toe in to test the water or ask the other disciples what they thought he should do or tell Jesus that he needed to know how deep the water was before getting out.  He just got out of the boat.  He trusted that Jesus would either make him walk on water or keep him from drowning.  (If you're not a Christian & would like to read this awesome piece of history, you can look up Matthew 14:22-32 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q7cLmZY6xM, at about minute 3:00).

That's what I'm hoping to do on this crazy & life-changing adventure we're on.  Just step out of the boat in faith.  And as I go to sleep tonight (eventually) on our air mattress, I will try to remember this verse:

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9