Sacred Spaces

 Five years ago, after contemplating leaving ministry all together, Zach and I made the decision to seek a new church appointment in another conference of the United Methodist Church.  We got offered an appointment in rural Montana, pastoring three small churches. As scary as it was we jumped at the chance to try something new. Within two weeks I had us packed and we loaded a truck, two vehicles and a trailer and began our two day drive north from Alamogordo, New Mexico. Neither of us had been north of Denver so we were going sight unseen to a new adventure.

As I drove, with two kids, a dog, and a fish, each mile that was new to us built the excitement, we eagerly ate up the new vistas that we passed through. I remember driving over the Montana border and taking in a deep breath.  Home. This is our new home. 

We pulled into our new town around sundown. The house had been left unlocked and when we entered we were greeted by an array of local gifts, food, and greetings from our new church. Next door at the church the church administrator was working in the garden, greeting the dogs and us with open arms and excitement. The next few days were busy with unloading, unpacking, and exploring our new home. 

Excitement. Anxiety. Joy. Uncertainty. All that and more but we had made that leap and now it was time to make the most of if.

Our first full weekend there we were given entrance into Glacier National Park so we loaded up the kids and drove up to a part of the park called Two Medicine. There were people there but not overwhelmingly so. We were able to find a parking spot and throughout the day we snacked, hiked, skipped rocks and breathed in the slightly smokey air. For a good while we sat on the beach of Two Medicine Lake and gazed out at the water. It was just what we needed. Later I learned just how meaningful this time was to my husband.  He preached about this day on his first Sunday here in Bozeman.

We left an extremely toxic and unhealthy situation in New Mexico. As I previously stated, Zach was so burned by what was happening in the church that he was sending his resume out to other organizations. He was hurt and exhausted in the worst way. Unknown to me at the time, as he sat by a lake in Montana, listening to the kids play, the birds chirp, and the wind blow, a sense of calm reassurance washed over him. He knew, without a doubt, that we were just where we needed to be.

Zach centering himself at Two Medicine Lake in East Glacier.

Though that time and space holds a certain sacredness for all of us, for me another place tops Two Medicine. Not long after this trip we once again loaded in the car and went to explore our new home. We followed a road past a reservoir and into the mountains. There's a place, not too far in, where you can cross a bridge over a small river. We pulled off and spent a good amount of time playing, sitting, and taking deep breaths of slightly smokey air. 

This place was it for me. This place amongst the trees and by the moving water became integral to my own healing and acceptance of our new existence. This place would be where we took my parents on their one and only trip to Montana to see us. This is where I would watch my mom, weary in both body and soul from fighting cancer, stand and breathe in her own healing breaths. This place would be were Zach would take me whenever I was feeling overburden by life. This is the place we would go to right before we left Montana to move to Wyoming. One last breath.

When we found out we were moving to Bozeman we promised our oldest that we would try our hardest to make a trip back to Choteau so she could spend sometime with her friends. We made that trip this weekend, loading up the camper and making that three hour drive.

It was a lovely day, visiting with old friends, visiting our old haunts, enjoying some of the best ice cream. We then started the short drive up to our favorite little bridge into a small campsite where we quickly parked and set up. Soon we were walking down the hill to sit by the river. I sat with a huge grin on my face, so content watching my silly husband and kids laughing and playing together. I went and stood on the bridge and watched my family enjoying a place so familiar to them. Unexpectedly I became overwhelmed by emotion as all the memories of that place and the feelings attached to it washed over me. 

It amazes me how places, nature in particular can become such sacred, meaningful places as we are living our lives. We have moved around quite a bit, lived in four states, explored and enjoyed many wonderful and beautiful areas, but there is something about this place in particular that was exactly what I needed at a pivotal point in my own growth, and because of that, some place that many may see as insignificant is, to me, holy ground.

There are many wonderful places that can be found all over this great creation. Have you found healing in nature? I'd love to hear about it. As always, thanks for reading.

Most recent trip to my sacred place.

Last trip before we moved.

Soaking up some Montana before leaving.

Introducing my parents to some of our favorite places. It was cold and windy but still so special.

First trip. Smoke filled the air but it didn't bother us.

Reflections

 It's been so long since I sat myself down to write something that I almost don't know where to begin.  I imagine most people forgot I even had a "blog" (is it even considered a blog anymore if you haven't written in it for years?).  There have been moments throughout the past few years that I thought to myself that I should sit down and pen those thoughts to paper, so to speak, but have either lacked the discipline, motivation, or thought that some things were better left unsaid.  So here I find myself, not knowing for sure what has made this moment any different than before. 

I read over my last blog post, in which I discussed our big move to Montana, and all the emotions that went with that transition.  Now, here I am again, months after another move, this time to Wyoming, having experienced many of the same emotions, only now coupled with this year being, well, it being 2020 (you guys feel me).  

This morning I have spent time working on my calendar.  Every year I create a calendar on Shutterfly with all our favorite photos from the year before.  I will hang it in my kitchen and use it almost as a journal, recording important, and not so important, moments that happen.  I always get nostalgic when I am looking through all the photos I have taken but this year I felt something akin to sadness.  Why?

Just a couple weeks ago I was having a conversation about this year with someone.  She made a comment that was something like,"I haven't done a thing this year!"  Of course we did acknowledge the big election which was...something. And, of course, I understand what she was saying, many people didn't have a lot of activity happen.  Most of us dutifully stayed at home, we quarantined, we refrained from travel.  However, that doesn't mean things didn't happen to you.

As I looked over my year in picture form, starting with January, I noticed many things.  I had literally no pictures for the month of January.  For one short moment I questioned this.  How can I have no pictures? Me? Then it hit,  I was in mourning.  I don't know that I could tell you anything that happened that month.  I remember going to therapy once a week, and that's about it.  February was better, we took the kids skiing and being in the outdoors, even in the snowy cold, did (and still does) wonders for my soul.  Spring came and with it so did COVID and the shutdown.  We tried our best to make the best of this new reality we were living.  We powered through at-home learning, played outside when weather permitted, did our best to celebrate three birthdays in the most meaningful ways we could, and spent a lot of time as a family.  Man, it was hard.  In the midst of all that, we also learned we were moving.

Moving was NOT on our radar.  It was scary, and sad, and frustrating, and exciting all at the same time.  We had to buy a house!  We had to buy a house a state away in the middle of a pandemic!  We had to say our goodbyes, pack, and try to get in as much of Montana as we could, in the midst of a pandemic.  I wouldn't recommend it.  Once more, as with every move we have made, we had to face the hurt and pain of being immediately "removed" from peoples lives.  We had people immediately unfriend us on facebook, others just ignored us if we say them in public.  Others were much more upfront, and told us how angry they were, and still others, said they were angry but understood.  Even now, months later, I mourn those relationships.  It's never easy to move.  All of our moves have been difficult, but as I looked at the pictures, capturing our last moments in Montana, I grieve all over again.  Zach and I both have found that we call Montana "home."  I also grieve what we had, the memories we made, the adventures we went on.  It's another byproduct of this year, our adventures have all but screeched to a halt.  Those activities we did, the places we visited during our time in Montana were meaningful for a number of reasons.  They helped us heal from a bad situation in New Mexico.  They helped distract us from not being able to help out with our families in Texas.  They gave us moments of clarity and cleansing when the world became too much to bear.

Now, I don't want you to think the move was all bad.  It hasn't been.  Wyoming has its own beauty and we have lots of plans to get out and adventure more when the world calms down.  The church here has been very welcoming, even with all that is working against us.  The kids love their schools and have found ways to get involved and fit in.  We love our new home and the fact that it is ours. We have found joy here in many ways.  

But still, sadness hits today.  I know I'm not alone in mourning what once was.  I think it's okay to have those emotions, especially this year.  I am grateful for each of you, for allowing me to process through those feelings.  So often we force ourselves to push through, without proper reflection and commiserating. Im a big believer in feeling your emotions and then choosing not to dwell in the bad ones.  This year has been harder in practice, I've lost my mother, I've lost my home, I've lost relationships, but I know I am not alone.  This year has be wrought with divisions, arguments, political strife, death, illness, anger and so much more.  I hope that for many of us will come to realize that if nothing else, we are not alone in our many emotions. 

Now, I will pack up that sadness and lay it down.  I'm going to find joy and excitement in what is to come for us.  I will find hope in the unknown and peace in the knowing that we are never, ever alone.

Thanks for reading.

The best is yet to come...

Well, Ryann has been here for a little over a week and I'm not going to lie, life has been hard.  Living far away from family has made this new baby experience different and a lot more challenging than the other two.  It's easy to take that extra help from family for granted!

Zoe and Noah getting sick, the sickest Zoe has ever been, on top of having a new baby and recovering from surgery, made last week the longest week I have ever experienced.  Nights seemed unending and our minds turned to mush.  Trying to keep Ryann from getting the plague from the other two meant Zach was on throw up detail, bless his heart.  He changed sheets, did laundry, wiped up messes, made trips to the pharmacy, and did Doctor duty.  Thank the Lord that he was able to be home all week!

However, despite the trials of this past week, we have so much to be thankful for!  So far Ryann has avoided getting sick, Praise the Lord.  We only had to stay in the hospital one day, which is unheard of for a c-section, Praise the Lord.  We have a baby who is easily content and so, so precious, Praise the Lord!

It's easy to get overwhelmed, and I admit to more than one occasion where I just had to put my self in time out and "cry it out."  The knowledge that there are people who love us, who have been praying for us, has been incredibly helpful.  It doesn't hurt that I can look down in to the sweetest face and relish in this little gift that we have been so blessed by. 

Ryann at one week.

 

We are still adjusting to this new addition to our family.  Some of us are adjusting better than others.  Noah was asked yesterday if he liked his new baby sister.  He simply said, "No."  Well, at least he's honest folks.  Before Zoe got sick she was always asking to hold Ryann.  She even mastered the jiggling maneuver to calm Ryann down if she started fussing.  She's a great big sister.

 

As for me, I feel like she's always been a part of us.  Our family is now complete...

Thankfulness

I haven't been blogging much lately.  I have no real reason for this other than I've been so sick and exhausted that my mind has pretty much turned to mush.  Most of the time I don't feel I could even tell you the day, let alone communicate something worthwhile. 

Thankfully I am beginning to have more times during the day where I feel almost human so I am hopeful that we are on a uphill side of things.  I have been humbled recently with the amount of inquiries about my health that I have received these past few weeks.  Humbled and thankful for the prayers.

Earlier today I was on Facebook and was astounded by all the negative comments and just plain displays of grouchiness on display from some of my facebook contacts.  As usual, this got me thinking...

As I did last year, I am doing the 30 days of Thankfulness, thinking of at least one thing each day that I am thankful for.  Some people may think doing this is "lame" or whatnot, but honestly, sometimes we need to be reminded to think of something each day that we are thankful for.  Otherwise we can easily be wrapped up in our own pity party and forget how blessed we are.  I love writing these each day and I love reading what others find to be thankful.

Reflecting on this thought, it hit me: I am happy.  I have a wonderful and blessed life.  Yes, lately things have been hard on me and my family because of my physical limitations, but that hasn't changed anything.  I have a wonderful family, wonderful friends, a lovely home, and food on the table.  What more could I possible want? 

It's easy to let our day to day burdens drag us down.  But just think how much happier we would be if forced ourselves to be thankful for our blessings each and every day.  Let's band together, stop the negativity, and be a beacon of light and goodness for the world to see.

Matthew 5

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

 

 

Where's your sparkle?

I often find myself in need of a certain reminder, things aren't usually nearly as bad as I think they are.

Those moments that I find myself incredibly discouraged with work are eased when I am able to clearly see that, it spite of it all, things could be worse.  When I am able to make myself see that, I am also able to see all the blessings.

The same goes for parenthood.   It's no secret, with two young children with two strong personalities, that the going gets tough sometimes.  I've made countless phone calls to my mom where the first words out of my mouth are, "Your grandchildren!"  It helps me to hear her chuckle, even if I don't completely appreciate it at the time, and realize, these are the moments that are few and far between.  These are the moments that I won't remember a year from now.  I have a great family, I should never take them for granted.

It helps to have someone to vent to.  I am lucky that when it comes to work and ministry issues, I have a great pastor/friend that will allow me to come to his office and "download."  I am lucky that my husband doesn't mind me crying on his shoulder when I just don't know what else to do.  I am lucky that my mother is able to bring my back down to reality when my kids are driving me batty.
I am lucky.  I am blessed.

I am also lucky that these wonderful people around me, my kids who depend on me, my family that supports me, do not allow me to wallow in the "poor me's."   I am not afforded the luxury to wallow too long in whatever woes I feel are irrepressible, and instead, am encouraged to be proactive about the things I can change and accepting of the things I cannot.  

Bechtold News:
Zoe is LOVING school, which is no surprise, she's always loved school.  She has gotten in trouble for talking, which is also no surprise.  I had a dear woman at church ask me the other day if "Zoe was born talking."  YES! she was. 

Noah has started back two mornings a week at preschool.  He's also enjoying it, and only cries a little when we leave him.   The past two weeks he has been in bed before 7:00, if he makes it that long.  It's hard work being such an active little guy.

Zach has started back in gear at Wesley and is as busy as ever, and as exhausted as ever.  Even with how tired he is, I know he is so happy.  He is so fortunate to do what he loves and get paid for it!

I have been busy with trying to get our family into some sort of schedule.  I am getting back into our "School" youth schedule along with starting a Life Group at church and volunteering weekly at Zoe's school.  I love that I am able to do these things. 

I will leave you with a quote from the bedtime story I was reading Zoe tonight, from The Very Fairy Princess:  "Even a fairy princess needs a break, to keep her sparkle from sagging!"

Do what you need to do, to help you keep your sparkle!

Oh Barney...

Reflections...

The Bechtold family had a great Father's Day.  Saturday was a late night and we had to get up early the next morning for church, so I was expecting many meltdowns.  I was proven wrong and the kids were great all day!  VBS was last week so on Sunday Zoe got up with the other children to sing in two of the services.  She did so well.  After church we took Zach out to lunch.  I was telling Zoe how proud I was that she is so willing to go up in front of the church and sing and dance.  Zach made the comment that that is something that I wouldn't have done when I was her age (which is true).  Zoe looked at me and said,"Don't worry mom, we'll practise and you'll get better." Thanks kid.

After I got a comment similar to Zach's from my mom when I was bragging to her about Zoe, it got me thinking.  When I was entering middle school I chose to follow my sister's footsteps and elect to be in band.  Like my sister I chose to play the flute.  Mom immediately enrolled my sister and me in private flute lessons.  Instead of the normal recital,s our instructor had us play before the service began at church.  I made it through only because we were able to "hide" a little in the alcove of the sanctuary while we played.

The church she had us play in was the church we sometimes attended.  Most Sundays that we went Mom would take us to Sunday School and then we would leave before worship.  When we did attend worship we would sit in the balcony away from the rest of the congregation.  I remember waking up many Sunday mornings hoping that Mom wouldn't want to go.  I hated going.

On the day of one of these recitals my Dad came to listen.  I remember this being one of the only times I had seen my Dad in church.  It was after this service that my Dad decided our family was going to be regular attenders.  NOOOOOOOO!  After my sister and I objected vehemently about having to attend this church, my parents made a choice to attend another, smaller church in town and we were promptly baptized and joined the church as a family.  We've come a long way since then.

As I was reflecting over this story I was struck with the idea of how different life would be if my dad hadn't come to listen to the flute performance.  It's obvious that God had been working in my Dad though I have no idea how.  It reminds me of that song "It only takes a spark, to get a fire going."

My Dad is one of the most amazing Christian men I have ever met.   I know that he has touched so many hearts, by his actions and his words.  He is a man that so many others can look up to and respect. 

My kids are very blessed to have this man as their "Riley."  No man has loved his grandkids more and it's so evident in every action and every moment he gives them.  Dad never hesitates to get down on the floor and put a puzzle together with them or to give them a boost into the tree outside.  Acts of love that they will carry with them their entire lives.

We are all blessed to have him in our lives and I know that he will continue to be one that my family and other will look to for guidance.

Thank God for flute lessons! 

Riley listens to Noah.

Zoe loves Riley cuddle time.

YOLO

YOLO. I know most of you are very familiar with this acronym.  It's very popular with the younger generations.  I first saw it popping up in my facebook news feed and, being more unhip than I thought, had no idea what it meant.  I actually had to Google it to find out it means "you only live once."  It's a great life motto, if you use it correctly.  Unfortunately, many people choose to use this saying as a justification of doing anything that they want.  "You only live once so what if I do this incredibly stupid thing?"  "You only live once so what if I do something that hurts another person?"  Yeah, you get the idea.

For me, and I assume many others, this is simply a reminder to not take those things/people/experiences in our lives for granted.  It's trendy, and to certain hipsters it's probably taboo, but, to remind ourselves that we only have this one life to live can encourage us to make better choices.  Something that I came across while teaching Confirmation (in fact it may have been quoted once in some sermon here recently) is that if you leave this place without having made at least one change to make it better then you did not live up to your life's purpose.  We all have a purpose in life, to love as Jesus has taught us to love.  We never know when it's our time to leave this world, or, for that matter, when it's time for someone else to leave this world.  Why should we put off for tomorrow the good we can do today?

There's a news story floating about that I'm sure has many others like me reaching for the tissue.  It's the story of the little baby who's parents were told she didn't have long to live.  They created a bucket list for her short little life which, unfortunately, ended much too soon.  Here's a link to the article if you haven't seen it.  It's a heart breaking story and I can't imagine what her parents must be going through.  I know if it were me I would probably be wallowing in "what-ifs" and regrets over every wasted moment I had with my child.

Disaster can happen at any moment to any one of us.  Each moment we have with someone we care about could be our last.  What regrets would you have if something happened tomorrow to one of your loved ones?

My sweet little girl is going to be five on Friday.  I can't believe how quickly time has gone and I know that before I know it I will be posting pictures of her Senior Prom on Facebook (or it's equivalent in 12 years).  Already I have regrets of time wasted with my little girl.  Weeks go by and I haven't used the time with my family wisely.  We let our lives go by in a blur of business and have nothing to show for it.  We spend our days working, cleaning, running around crazy, and when we have the chance to just "be" with our family we spend it sprawled in front of the tv or snapping at our kids who are vying for our attention.  Opportunities to be with those we care about are wasted.

Tonight after an evening of Zach and I going our different ways for work we were able to meet up at McAllisters for supper.  There we were, sitting outside on the patio, eating as a family, enjoying the perfect weather and watching the sun go down behind the mountains.  It was perfectly peaceful and I fully appreciated that moment with my family.

You Only Live Once.  Are you wasting your life or are you making the most of the gift of time that has generously been given to everyone of us? 

May you always see your blessings for what they are and never take them for granted...

Never Alone

I am a Christian.  I am also a member of the United Methodist Church.  I am a Methodist by choice.  Yes, I was brought up in the Methodist Church, but that is not the reason I am one today and choosing to raise my own children in the Methodist Church.  There was a time, most of the years I was at McMurry actually, that I was completely lost.  Searching for my place in this world, searching for something that was true and worthwhile.  I remember one night in particular, kneeling on the floor of my tiny dorm room, pleading with God for answers.  My last two years at McMurry was spent with me on a mission.  I needed to find out what it was I believed.  I researched, wrote papers on topics that were, at the time, mysteries to me, all the while trying to discern for myself what was real and what was not.  I questioned all facets of religion, not just Christianity, starting with my beliefs on the very basics, starting my faith journey at the very beginning.

I can not pretend to have all the answers.  What is truth for me may not be truth for someone else.  That's okay.  I have particular beliefs about certain issues which is why I am still a member of the United Methodist Church.  The Methodist church best aligns with my own beliefs, once I decided what they were.  I am fully comfortable raising my children in this tradition, but hopefully equipping them with the ability to one day discern for themselves what they believe to be truth.

I have been blessed to be able to teach Confirmation to 12 youth these past few weeks.  I have learned alot myself.  Last week we discussed a tool for discernment known in the Methodist tradition as "the Wesleyan Quadrilateral."  For those of you unfamiliar with this, the quadrilateral is a way to prayerfully discern what God's will is for you by using scripture, tradition, reason and experience (the four sides of the quadrilateral).  I earnestly want my youth and my own children to have the ability, the tools, and the maturity to go prayerfully into Scripture, and through what they already know through their own experiences and what they have been taught in their church tradition, use their God-given gift of reason to discern their own path in this world.

We have also been teaching that even though this is a tradition in which we have chosen to live our lives, it is not our place to judge what someone else believes.  I may disagree, that is my right, but I may not judge. 

I have blogged before about certain beliefs that I consider false prophecy.  Though I do not judge those who may be misled (in my opinion) I do pray for them and encourage everyone to never believe something just because someone you trust tells you that is truth.  Ask God for wisdom because wisdom is something He never withholds.

One last thing, there is a reason they call it a "Spiritual journey."  We are forever learning, always questioning, always listening, and always teaching.

In other news Zach is spending his week in Denver with a crew of Wesley students doing mission work.  Today they are painting a house.  He texted me,"Caulking with college students is worse than with Jr. High kids."  Having experienced caulking with junior high kids, I can only imagine.  At least I know that they are enjoying themselves.

I am spending my week with my kids who are on their Spring Break.  The weather has kept us indoors for the most part and we have a case of cabin fever that has resulted in lots of screaming, tears, and a mommy about ready to tear her hair out.  Thankfully, my trusty weather man tells me the rest of the week is going to be beautiful so I hope to spend much of our time outdoors in the coming days.

I hope the rest of your week is overflowing with blessings of your own.

"I'll hold tight to what I know, You're here and I'm never alone" - Barlow Girls

Finding your joy...

When I was young I remember December being the longest month of the year.  It seemed as if Christmas would never make it, and then on Christmas night I would feel a sense of mourning for the season that was now over.  Now, as an adult, I find that the month passes so quickly I struggle finding time to actually enjoy it.  We rush around, trying to fit in all of our various obligations, finish our shopping, bake untold amounts of cookies for parties and before we know it, it's Christmas night and once again I mourn for the season I didn't get to find much joy in.  I love Christmas, always have.  It's not the gifts I love but everything else the holiday encompasses.  I enjoy giving to others but our tight budget and long list of people to buy for have replaced the joy with stress.   I miss the childish anticipation of the day that I felt in my youth.

Last year I instigated a new tradition of watching Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol with the kids.  This year I'm trying to figure out a time in our schedule to fit it in, along with other Christmas activities to do with the kids.  I have my house decorated, I've seen Santa, I've read Zoe the Christmas story, and yet it doesn't feel like Christmas.  How do you get yourself in the spirit?  What brings you joy this holiday season?

The closest I've felt to being in the Christmas spirit this year was last weekend when my parents came to visit.  We went to eat supper and then drove around to look at Christmas lights.  When we returned home we lit a fire in the backyard and roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate.  There were a few moments of peace that I was able to just sit back and enjoy.

My mission for the next week is to enjoy this holiday, the season and everything about it, not only for me, but for my children.  I want them to look back to their childhood with fond memories of traditions with their family.  I want them to know the true joy of the Christmas story.  I love Zoe's excitement everytime she sees a nativity scene, "Mom, that's Mary! She's Jesus' mom and Joseph was his dad, well, God is his dad, but Jesus is God, too."   I don't want her to lose that excitement.

Below is a picture of Zoe having a chat with Santa at church last night.  It's a little blurry (our nice camera is broken so I'm having to resort to using our cheap one) but I still love it.

Here's hoping you feel overwhelmingly blessed this season.

Blessed by a miracle...

Hello all.  I wanted to devote this blog entry to my wonderful husband, Zach.  Last night, after a delightful night out, just the two of us, I reflected on how very fortunate I am to have Zach in my life.

For those of you who don't know, Zach is fortunate to be alive.  He was born 3 months premature and spent his first weeks in the NICU.  His twin, John David, did not survive.  By some miracle, Zach did, and I am so grateful.  I am grateful for my miracle, my healthy, happy, crazy, funny, smart, wise, and loving miracle.  I can not imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have this man in my life.  I know for sure, I wouldn't be half the woman I am today without him.  Thank you Lord for blessing my life and countless others with this man.

I hope Zach enjoyed his birthday.  It was a low key affair, no presents, no grand celebration.  Last night we had our date night, and even though it wasn't exciting by any means, it was calm and quiet.  Thankful for Wesley kids who are willing to babysit!  Today was a busy day for Zach.  We had church, then Zach had to prepare for a hike up "Aggie" Mountain with Wesley.  Unfortunately, rain kept them from hiking so they chose to worship at the Wesley instead.  Soon after that we hosted the Wesley Leadership Christmas Party at our house with "Methodist" burgers and a cake I baked for Zach.  They are a great group and I hope everyone enjoyed it, I know we did.

I also hope that Zach knows how much he is loved. Loved by me and by his children.  Zoe is certain that the sun sets and rises on her daddy, and what a great daddy he is.  May we never take him for granted.

LOVE YOU ZACH!!

School Daze...

Hey, did you guys know that it's November?? Crazy, isn't it!  This momma better get on her Christmas shopping!

In other news, today was Noah's first day of "school."  He is going every Friday morning (it's the only morning they had available).  There are roughly 8 kids in his class and I'm excited to see how much he learns.   School starts a 9:00 and Zach had agreed to take him this morning.  At 8:25 I was having to wake both of them up so they could get ready.  Noah got dressed in a daze, not really knowing what was going on.  I'm pretty sure he would have slept till nearly 10:00 if left alone. (Zach too, for that matter)  Here's a picture of my little man getting ready to leave the house:

 

"Why am I awake?"

I got his bag packed and tried to put it on him but the weight took him straight to the ground.  For some reason, he didn't appreciate that.

Can you tell Zach just woke up? 

 My big boy walking to school. (With his high water pants, poor kid)

Daddy tried to get a picture by the sign but Noah wasn't feeling it.

Noah and Daddy! 

"What am I supposed to do here?" 

So unsure...

When Zach left Noah was enjoying his breakfast and looking forward to a morning of play with other kids his age.  Sadly, that's not something he has really experienced before.  What a blessing we are able to at least give him one day a week at school.

We are going to be leaving soon to pick him up but before that we will swing by Hobby Lobby.  I have a new craft to do so be looking for that on my other blog!

Blessings to you!

I am finding that lately it is hard NOT to be happy.  I used to find trying to be happy as a chore, a task I tried to force my self to do.  The past year has had a lot of challenges.  It was a year ago this weekend that Zach moved to New Boston, leaving the kids and me in Plainview.  I have a difficult time believing it was just one year ago.  In this past year we have moved twice, both times to homes I had never seen, gotten pregnant, then lost a pregnancy and had the task of acclimating to new home, new town, new jobs, new church, and new friends...twice.  Wow, just typing that makes me weary.  Yet, even while reflecting on all the trials we have faced, I know that we have been so blessed.  I know, without even the shadow of a doubt, that we have gone where we were supposed to go, done what we needed to do.  I can also say that I am probably at peace more now than I have ever been before.

On another note, life has been trucking along as usual.  We are trying still to get used to some kind of routine.  With our busy schedule I have to remind myself to have fun too. Saturday, even though there are about a million ongoing projects at the house, we chose to delay them a little longer and enjoy the beautiful day with our children.  We drove up to the Organ Mountains and enjoyed a hike and picnic at Dripping Springs.  Once we got it through to Zoe that the hike wasn't about the destination or about the time it took to get there, we had a nice afternoon, relishing in God's mighty creation.  Zoe even claimed to have seen "Baby Jesus" in a rock formation. :)

Sunday was Wesley Sunday at our new church home.  I was very impressed with the services put on by these students.  I know that Zach was very proud, which he should be, he has some amazing kids in that program.  The Wesley student president gave the message, reminding us to not wear our religion as an accessory.

Catching up on cleaning and laundry today.  We are planning a trip to Plainview on Thursday and it would seem prudent to have clean clothes to wear. ;)

Wishing you all peace and happiness...

Late Night Thoughts...

Recently, it seems, there has been a serge of scripture based status updates on Facebook.  Never a bad thing, however, I find myself basing my thoughts on said scripture on my personal feelings of the poster.   I know, I'm a horrible person.  It got me thinking, if I'm so biased and unwilling to "listen" to what others have to say, regardless of content, but based entirely on my own opinions of them, then what kind of witness am I?  In other words, is other people's views on how I am, as a person, hindering the ability of God to use me to reach out to others?  I know I'm not perfect, obviously, so why do I harbor such feelings of doubt and criticism when other people wish to relay their spiritual views via Facebook?  I guess I need to continue to look inward (it's a neverending quest surely) and make sure I'm making myself available to hear the Word of God wherever it may be and also, to make sure my personal behaviors aren't inhibiting my witness.

On less serious matters, we have been enjoying ourselves here in LC.  Last night we went to NMSU and heard the marching band play on the green while eating frozen custard from Caliches.  It was a nice way to spend the evening and the kids had a ball.  Yesterday ended my babysitting job and we are now trying to get ourselves into a good and productive schedule.  Wish us luck.... :D

Remembering how truly blessed I am in every single moment...

Getting Settled

Hello all! Well, we are finally settled in our new home in Las Cruces...well, we are working at getting settled rather.  Our first few days here were spent without electricity then for the past two days we have had no water or gas.  Today marks the first day that we have had the use of all our utilities at the same time.  One thing for sure, I definitely have more of an appreciation for the "little" things.

We are absolutely in LOVE with our new town.  It's amazing to these folks from west Texas to be able to see mountain ranges in every direction.  The other night Zach and I sat out front watching a lightning storm in the distance.  The sky was a turquoise color I have never before seen in the sky.  Breathtaking...

We were very fortunate to have come across our house.  The size and layout are great and we know we are extremely blessed.

Zach started work on Monday and that night experienced his first board meeting.  The board wanted to meet the rest of us so we enjoyed a meal and a "pounding" as well. We received our first batch of green chile among many other useful items.  Can I say again that we are extremely blessed??  :)

There is still loads of unpacking and decorating to go but we are enjoying what we can.  We are working on getting Zoe into preschool and figuring out our daily routine again.

Lots of love sent to everyone!

Don't you just love that feeling of coming off a great, productive weekend? It's a kinda "high on life" feeling. It seems as most of my weekends leave me feeling "high on life." I am extremely blessed, and even on my darkest of moments, I realize how lucky I am to have a wonderful husband and two lovely children, not to mention a host of great friends and extended family. I have the sense of security enough that even when faced with uncertainty of the future, such as moving to a new state to a new job, I know that I have all I could possibly need, right here, in my arms...

On the news front today was the last Sunday for the kids at Tapp. Zoe got a stuffed kitten from her SS teacher name "Mr. Whiskers" after a character in their curriculum. She loves it. This afternoon she had a friend come over to play and they had the best time. Big goodbye hugs were given at end. I'm so proud of how well Zoe is handling this move, even if she doesn't fully comprehend what is happening. Both kids will be heading to Plainview sometime within the next week. I am so going to miss them but am looking forward to having sometime to myself to devote to cleaning and packing. I get overwhelmed when I go over my mental list of "to-dos" and will need that uninterrupted time to get everything done.

Time to log off now and get the kids down for bed. Blessings to you all...