Weeks away from paradise...

What a weekend! Today is the last day of our moving frenzy...after today we can start focusing on unpacking and making the rental more home-like. It'll be the best feeling to be settled and to know where everything is - finding things we use on a daily basis has been a challenge.





I'm really looking forward to beach days soon - tourist season is finally coming to an end and cooler weather is not too far away (hopefully). Paradise is just a few steps away from my front door....

Thanks so much for the prayers and help for all those who spent their weekend helping us move! We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends!

Lots of love!

d

Venti Caramel Macchiato Please?

Less than 24 hours till moving day....what a mess this place is! Trying to find something you need is a nightmare! I've had to work all week, so finding time and energy for packing has been difficult. Tonight is my official "get it all done" night, and my cousin and dear friend, Maggie, has been kind enough to spend her Friday night helping me. I'm so thankful for the wonderful people God's put in my life.

I will be very thankful when all of this is over. Well, I'd better get back to work. Thanks for all the prayers!

Much love,

d

Fond Memories & New Beginnings

As I pack up my life again, I'm combing through so many things that bring back such sweet memories of growing up. It's amazing how much stuff one accumulates over a life time. I've always felt my storage space was small, but now that I'm tearing it apart, I'm realizing how much I've had stowed away all along. I've come across some pretty funny things - things and photos that remind me of my childhood, my awkward tween years and my high school days. Good laughs have been had, I assure you.

While it's sad to leave my beautiful room (which I put so much time into decorating) and bathroom (maybe I'll have some pics to post soon), it's exciting to know that fresh things are ahead. Sure it's my parent's house and I knew I wouldn't be here forever (at least I had hoped I wouldn't), but something about coming back to visit a place that holds so many memories is just nostalgic. I know I'll be moving on to new things within the next few months - but the thought of coming back to visit my family in an unfamiliar home is less than exciting.

On the upside, I've cleaned out so much junk and rid myself of things I had no idea I had held onto. It's somewhat freeing. I'm looking forward to a fresh start for myself and my family - since we'll be free of a house and it's maintenance, we've decided to take this time and do some traveling together as a family one last time before my sister and I officially "grow up." I'm so excited about this! I've been dreaming of traveling since I was a kid, and here's my chance to finally do it! I know big changes are around the corner for myself, so this last bit of quality time with my family will be cherished. We aren't too sure exactly what our destinations will be, but at the moment Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand are on the table. Believe it or not, I don't have a passport - so that's on the top of my to do list as soon as we settle in the rental house next week. I've been to Canada and Mexico and at the time, neither required a passport to enter, so now I'm on a mission. How's that for a little update? (I'm getting better at this :)

Much love!

d

Sleepless Night #2 - I'm on a roll.

So I'm moving again. This time it's only a few miles distance...actually my whole family is moving. We put our house up for sale a few months ago and after much prayer, house cleaning, and showing - we've found a buyer. Passed the home inspection and completed the appraisal - at this point, all that's left is the boxing up and moving out. This frenzy begins tomorrow. Due to the quickness of the sale, we've decided to make an extended vacay out of the transition and rent a fun house on the beach for 6 months or so. The only down side to this is we have to store just about EVERYTHING. Because the house is a beach rental, it's completely furnished - therefore we won't have room for the many pieces of furniture we've acquired through the years. As much as I just adore packing (smell the sarcasm?), sadly my end of the prep will have to be done throughout the late afternoons and/or evenings after work.

It's a bitter-sweet season for all of us. As we're all very excited for the things God has ahead, we're so sad to leave behind this beautiful home we've been so blessed to live in over the past 5 or 6 years. We've made so many good memories here, it always stings to shut the door on those.

Aside from that major endeavor - I've been nannying throughout the summer. The boys go back to school in August and I'll be out of a job once again. But not to fear, I have some things in the works that will keep me quite busy (I'll get to that in a moment). My best friend and dearest sister is also leaving me next month. :( As excited for her as I am, I'm terribly sad we'll be so far away from each other once again. She's moving to Lynchberg, VA to study communications at Liberty University. That too has had God's fingerprints all over it, so I know I can't be selfish - I'll just have to share her with LU for a season. I assure you, she will be dearly missed.

So my plans once the kids return to school?? Traveling! I'm so excited! Traveling is what makes me itch! I'll be heading to VA with my sister for a week in late August and then will head to the beautiful coast of California for a while in September - it gets better - with my DAD! :) He's been promising me a trip to California since 8th grade and I'm so excited, we finally have the time to do it! I believe we'll be traveling from San Francisco to San Diego and everywhere in between. California has had my heart for a few years now - probably since my first mission trip to Mexico 7 years ago. Needless to say, I'm thrilled to be returning to my favorite state. Beaches, shopping, sight seeing, visiting some of my favorite churches and hopefully seeing old friends - oh and can't forget that sweet father/daughter time! When I was little my dad used to take me on sales trips all the time (he's a rep for a sunglass company and travels up and down the East coast frequently), it was special one on one time with my dad that I so eagerly looked forward to. We haven't taken a trip together in years, so I'm really looking forward to this one. After California, Brenton and I are going with my parents to Tampa for a U2 concert (yay!) and then hopefully, if things work as planned, we'll be taking a trip to Ohio to visit his homeland. I have yet to see the places he grew up and meet the faces he speaks of frequently, so I'm looking forward to meeting his past. The trip is still in the planning stages, but we're hoping to go to Ohio and Michigan and then to Chicago to visit his sister Katie. While traveling, I'm really hoping to be journaling, writing, and breathing fresh air as I pray for this next season of life. Lots of new and exciting things ahead. My aimlessness seems to temporarily have a pause in sight - that is truly a relief.

Sorry I'm so bad at updating - maybe these sleepless nights aren't so bad after all....they're productive. :)

Love and blessings,

d

Change sweet change...

It's 1:42 am and I'm absolutely insane for even attempting to explain all the recent events at this hour, considering I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. But as tired as my body is, my mind won't let me sleep - I might as well make good use of this sleepless night.

If you've been following my blog, you've probably guessed by now that I've been a little desperate for change. It's amazing how restless my heart had grown, if only I had known change was just around the corner. Let me back up a bit - About two weeks ago on a Sunday evening I laid it all before Him. I gave Him my hopes and my dreams, my frustrations with where my life is currently headed and confessed every nasty thought and/or action that had followed as a result of all my frustration - brutally honest to a God I was convinced was listening to everyone BUT me. I made a deal with Him (you know - throwing out the fleece, testing to see if He's really there. Of course I know He is, it's those human limitations that blind me from time to time. I need to be reminded every once in a while.) - if He opened a door, I would follow no matter how crazy it looked as long as I had peace and plenty of confirmation it was of Him. Exhausted after all my venting, I put aside my journal, hit the lights and fell asleep just as I would have any other night.

Monday morning arrived faster than I would have liked it to. My day began to unfold just as any Monday does, but this time it was filled with several thought provoking conversations. The first was with my cousin Jenny, who's currently living in the DC area. "How are you REALLY doing," she asked. "I'm restless if you REALLY want to know." And thus it began - a couple minutes into the conversation she boldly stated, "I think you should move to Nashville, TN. Go and pursue your music. Give your relationship some space to figure things out." Absurd - I'm not just picking everything up and moving to TN for no reason. I went on with my day. That afternoon I spoke with my old roommate who's currently living in Franklin, TN (just south of Nashville). We joked and laughed about old times and then agreed we needed to plan a trip to see each other and catch up. The memories made me miss her, hearing of her latest adventures made me slightly jealous (in a good way of course) - "Lord, I want adventure too," I reminded Him. That evening just before a practice, I sat down at my computer to check my email and what not and received a message from my friend Cait (who's currently living in Franklin, TN). "Come and visit," she said. "Better yet, move in with me! My roommate left and I need someone to fill the room by January. Think about it, pray about it, get back to me." Stunned I sat in silence. "Lord, is that You? Are you really speaking to me? Surely you're not answering my desperate request this quickly," I thought. Putting the offer aside, I went on with my night. By the time practice was over, all I could think about was that empty room in Franklin, TN calling my name. I went home and threw the idea out to my family and much to my surprise, they were very encouraging! (Definitely NOT the response I was expecting.) We agreed to pray about it for a few days and see how we felt. The last big hurdle was the boyfriend. I ran the whole thing by him and - shocker - he was encouraging as well!

A few days and lots of thought and prayer later I found myself sitting in the conference room with my two overseers, explaining that I'm moving to Franklin, TN! Crazy, I know! But I can't seem to deny that it's somehow got God's fingerprints all over it. Financially so many things have worked out that I never thought would work out, everyone I've told about it has been so very encouraging and supportive, and above all I have amazing peace about it. It's so amazing, I'm still shocked God answered my prayers immediately!

So here I am, just a few weeks from picking up my life and moving it to a totally different state. I'm certainly a little anxious, nervous, sad - but all that is mixed in with excitement and a sense of adventure! I'm going to miss my Brenton dearly, but through this I have already seen God change his heart and mold him more into the man I've been praying he becomes. God is so good. I'm going with no expectations, no job, no future (which, normally that would totally freak me out) but somehow in the midst of that I have incredible peace and faith that He will provide. So that's the big news for me at the moment. I should probably get a few hours of sleep now, but I'll be posting again to keep you updated.

All I can say is be honest with Him. Share your heart as David did - be a man/woman after His heart, passionate and determined - unstoppable for His Kingdom! :) Thanks so much for all the support and prayers! I am so incredibly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life!

Blessings,
d