Monday, August 26, 2013

England


We have been in England for one week! Everything went smoothly with our travels, and we are slowly but surely getting settled. We have found a place to call home (we'll move in on Wednesday) and Matthew started school today! We've mostly stuck close to the base (since we couldn't legally drive for our first few days) but we have been able to go out to a few fun areas and make some new friends. The weather has been just about perfect and everyone we have met has been so kind and helpful. I think we'll like it here!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Dear Texas


Dear Texas,

You were just what our little family needed. You let us slow down, relax, and breathe. You helped us remember how to live simply and how to speak softly. We didn't know when we got to Texas where we would be going next. But looking back, I can see exactly why Texas is where we needed to be for this last year - to rejuvenate us from our time in NYC, and to recharge us for our next adventure.

We will miss the huge skies that go on for miles and miles. We will miss the pleasantly warm winter, and the option to wear short sleeve shirts almost all year. We loved the drive to the church building, through open fields, open skies, and past oil rigs. Joseph's five minute commute was a blessing that we were grateful for every single day.

We will miss the wonderful church members who were so kind and welcoming, even to those of us that came and went so quickly. We are thankful for the good people Joseph worked with, and the way that they shaped his future. We met such good people who we will remember forever.

We will miss the "ya'll"s and the delicious BBQ. We will miss our house that kept us cool in the heat and where we spent so much time together and with friends. We will miss being able to drive somewhere and actually get there before the GPS estimates, because there is absolutely zero traffic. We will miss the little cottontail bunny rabbits that visited our backyard every evening.
We will not miss the ant infested, prickly grass, and the terribly frightening lightening storms that light up the whole sky. We will not miss the tornado warnings. The hot, hot summers were not always comfortable, but the swimming pools made it bearable.

Dear Texas, thanks for being there when we needed you. We loved our time with you and would not be sad to see you again in the future.


*****
We are leaving for England early Saturday morning - ready or not! :) Wish us luck!

p.s. My thoughts on leaving New York last year here.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Graduation


Joseph graduated from the Air Force AEGD residency last week. He loved the program and had a really great experience. We are so glad we ended up at Sheppard AFB in Texas! It was a busy year, but Joseph did so well and we are so proud of him.

The next day, the movers came to pack up our house and ship everything to England. We get to spend a week with our family in Utah before we head over to our new home next week!


8/9/2013

Friday, August 2, 2013

4


Anna is four! She has been looking forward to her birthday for a long time, and is so happy to finally be four. Although we couldn't get her a trampoline, swing set, and playhouse like she requested, she did get a few fun things and we all had a great day!

Joseph made her a really cool bow & arrow (she has run around pretending to shoot a bow for months now, so we thought she'd like to have a real one), and we put together a simple horse birthday cake.

She is the sweetest little thing, and we love having her in our family. I can't believe she is already four years old! :)