January Overview 2019

January went by quickly!  I got my word of the year (SHINE) after some time spent with Jesus.  And one morning I opened my Bible to this lovely verse speaking to me.  

But the verse He gave me on January 1st when He first confirmed it was "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."  -John 1:5

Can't wait to spend more time unpacking this word in my life this year.  

Some New Year's Day Quirkle game playing with my girlies. 

We celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God with a fun dessert.  

Kayla made lovely place mats for everyone for dinner with different depictions of Our Lady.  

And the girls insisted on some dress-up.  They are each a different Mary though I forgot to ask which ones they chose.  It looks like most of them are Our Lady of Fatima to me.  :)  

Kolbe wanted in on the picture fun

We had a special date dinner with Kayla.  We fed the other kids earlier and put on a show for them and ate dinner just the three of us all fancy.  Kayla wanted a Beauty and the Beast theme.  She wore her Belle dress and drew pictures to decorate the walls of the characters from the movie.  We made a loosely French-themed meal.  And we got some wonderful time to chat with our big girl.  

Kolbe is straight up crazy.  He can be found constantly doing the unexpected.  Eating lipstick, smearing toothpaste on mirrors and walls and any other surface, spilling protein powder and packets of energy fizz, putting on ridiculous costumes and showing up right behind you dancing in them, breaking his sisters magnatile towers, singing random songs, putting on other peoples' clothes, reading naked in the middle of the living room,  dumping out raw oats and stuffing handfuls in his mouth, jumping on everything, climbing on counters to scavenge food left there, looking in trash cans for gum, stripping naked and rolling in his sisters' beds....basically anything you could think of plus more.  

           

We got out of this habit, but I'd like to get back into it because we did it for a week or so and it was wonderful.  We gathered our religious themed coloring books and the girls colored while we said a family rosary.  It mostly worked out pretty well.  I am hoping we can at least get back into the evening habit with a decade together each night.  

Oh, did I mention that Kolbe also convinces his sisters to aide in his craziness; sometimes they are so gung-ho that they think of terrible ideas for him and then they carry out the terrible plan together.  This was an Ava and Kolbe conspiracy.  I'm still crying in case you're wondering.  And offering it for souls.  Why though, kids???

Sunrise...

Sunset

Chris traveled for the last time with Oracle the week of my birthday.  The kids did a great job of filling in and making my day special.  And my brother in law, Nick put the kids to bed that evening so I could go out for a glass of wine at a local winery with a few friends.  Thanks, Nick!  

Here are the a few of the girls and Kolbe making Daddy a little welcome home note.  

             

We got quite a bit of snow this January.  The most surprising part is that normally we get warmer temps in between snows so most of it melts quickly before the next storm.  It's been chillier so the snow has stayed on the ground more this January.  But we still got a few really nice days to get out and enjoy the weather.  

And here are a few Linkin' Logs creations the kids made one day that they insisted I take pictures of.  

Great work, kids!

Moving again!

This time the move is just across town and we are so thrilled about it.  For the second time in our marriage, we will be purchasing a home together.  We were only able to enjoy the first home we scrimped and saved for for a year before God had other (good!) plans.  It was all a blessing and we aren't upset with the path God chose for us, but we are thrilled that His plans for us in the present have led us to our second home buying experience.  

I am always, always reminded of the Bible verse from Ruth (1:16) that says, 

"Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay.  Your people will be my people, and your God my God."  

And this song, which has been one that has both crushed me at times and yet, has always been filled with such peace and promise.  

           

 We began to think about the possibility of buying when our lease-ending loomed in the not too distant future.  Our lease in our lovely rental home is up at the end of May and we thought, "Hey why not look around to buy?  Worst case scenario is that it doesn't work out and we stay here another year."

So we did some checking with our finances and talked to a loan guy and our realtor friend.  The market in our area is CrAzY.  Like not much inventory and tons of competition and lots of well above list offers, some of them cash.  So we figured it was a pretty long shot, but weren't worried because we were really just ok with whatever God wanted.  Either scenario would be fine.  

And then, I freaked.  I tried to take back control from God.  I worried.  I despaired.  We'll never have a place of our own again.  We'll never get in this market.  And if we don't get in now, we'll never, ever get in.  And if we never get in, we'll have to move again because we'll get priced out of the Denver area.  And tears.  Lots of them.  

I'm so tired of moving.  Especially big moves.  Moves where we uproot and have to find new friends, new community, new support for our growing family.  It's tough.  Really tough.  

So, lots of tears.  And after some hugs from my amazing husband, and some time spent in prayer, giving it all back to God, peace was restored in my soul.  

That was Wednesday night.  

The following day, Thursday, we looked at two houses.  From the online descriptions, we didn't think we'd like them, but though, "hey, let's just see."  We were right.  Not for us.  

The next day, Friday, we saw two houses that we liked the look of from the online descriptions and pictures. And we did like them.  So we put in offers on both of them that afternoon.  

Saturday we saw three more houses.  One that we liked the look of online.   One that we figured we probably wouldn't love.  And one that looked nice, but was further out than we really wanted to be.  We put in a third offer for the house we had liked the look of. 

And then we pretty much figured we would probably hear back negatives on all three and begin the search again the following weekend when more houses popped up on the market.  Did I mention that there were 6 houses in our price range on the market that weekend?  We saw 5 of them and put in offers on 3.  

And on Saturday night, while we were watching The Return of the King for a movie night, we got a text from our realtor, "Guys! An offer was accepted."  It was our favorite of the 3, the one we figured would be the longest of the already long shot houses.  And it was a miracle.  Truly.  To God be all the glory here.  

And it's been just over a week and we've been moving right along.  Signing stuff, the inspections are done, appraisals ordered, and yes, the packing has begun.  We don't know yet when we'll actually be moving.  We just know it'll be before the end of June, but we're packing and we're excited.  

Got out our boxes...

First box assembled and ready to pack....

One week into the house buying process and we've already got about 20 boxes packed.  I guess there is something rather nice about moving 9 times already....we know exactly what to do and how to do it.  Lots of work to be done, but we're started and moving slow and steady through, filled with the peace and joy of the Lord.  

Our first house key framed was a little gift I gave Chris for Christmas this year...and we talked about our hopes for buying our next home together, thinking at the time that it would still be a few years out.  But God opened all the doors, and moved all the mountains in the way, and now we're headed toward buying our second home together.  We couldn't be more excited and humbled by God's blessings.  

We are closer to all our friends here (except one wonderful family, but we are only 5 minutes further from them, which is still great).  We're closer to church.  Closer to Kayla's ballet.  Closer to the library.  And even a little closer to the mountains.  :)

God's Word-filled Wednesday: Muddy Hike

Week 5 of the #52hikechallenge is in the books.  Challenges, but so worth it.  

(photos by Chris)

"You will have suffering in this world.  Be courageous!  I have conquered the world." 

-John 16:33

"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you face all kinds of trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."  -James 1:2

 (my photos)

 

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God."

-Romans 8:18-21

I love a good (even if it is muddy) saunter in God's creation to lift my soul when it's drooping.  

And Colorado has some amazing views of God's creation, y'all!  

Clouds and colors. 

I can't get enough of it.