One Decade Down...

10 years. A whole decade.

I thought it would be good to take a moment to look back over all that has happened in the past 10 years. Where we have been, what God has done. Our journey together :)

Year 1...We said "I do!" and we hit the ground running with a move to McKinney and a new ministry. We were ready to dive into church planting, and we had the whole world ahead of us. I made the move from my insurance job to the bank {where I still am today!} Our first year was fun and exciting, learning to live together, learning each other's quirks. We celebrated our first year with a fancy dinner at Olive Garden :)  Mike surprised me with a remake of our wedding cake top. We had saved ours from our wedding, but it was ruined when our freezer broke. I was so sad we wouldn't get to enjoy the first year traditions, but my sweet husband surprised me with a fresh to-the-detail remake. So we got to eat fresh instead of stale cake! He also had the letters that we had written to each other on our wedding day framed, and those have hung in our bedroom ever since.

1st Anniversary

Year 2...We were running full steam ahead with church planting! Redeemer Church was meeting in our living room, and we started walking through the process to become Acts 29 candidates. I was also diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, so we began learning how to navigate a chronic illness together. We were learning how to care for one another, how to communicate better, and how to serve in ministry together. Thankfully I achieved remission and we made the decision to start our family! We were hopeful and excited, ready to have a baby. We celebrated year 2 with a breakfast at Starbucks, a food truck lunch at Klyde Warren Park, and a tour through the Perot Museum.

2nd Anniversary

Year 3...Redeemer Church launched publicly when we started meeting at First Presbyterian Church in McKinney. While the church was picking up steam, our journey to start a family was stalling. We were trying to find answers as to why we were having trouble conceiving, and we actually had our first urology consult on our 3rd anniversary {romantic, right?}. We were faced with a lot of scary unknowns, so we were learning to lean on each other in the midst of the impending storm. We tried to put our fertility worries behind us by celebrating with a fun sushi dinner at Blue Fish, then watching our engagement video. Mike gave me an entire box of chocolates with differing % of cacao and tickets to see Les Miserables. We later took a weekend trip to Fredericksburg.

3rd Anniversary

Year 4...This was a really hard year for us. We closed the doors to Redeemer Church, and we were faced with the grief of infertility. It was a year of saying goodbye to our plans and dreams. We were learning to walk through grief and heartache together, learning what it looked like to surrender our plans to the Lord. We both felt a little lost, not knowing what the Lord was doing and where we would be next. We were praying about out-of-state ministry opportunities, and we were just beginning our Embryo Adoption journey. We had our first frozen embryo transfer right before our anniversary, so we were again hopeful, not knowing yet the heartache and continued struggle that would come. We celebrated our fourth year with a low-key candle-lit dinner at home. I made Mike enchiladas, and we watched a movie about Dirk Nowitzki.

4th Anniversary

Year 5...While we were still not sure what the Lord had for us regarding ministry, we knew that we needed some time to get our feet back underneath us. We decided to focus fully on our Embryo Adoption journey, so Mike started his job at RightNow Media, and we moved from McKinney to Plano. We were still learning to trust the Lord in the face of difficult circumstances, but we were walking the journey together, thankful that we had each other. The Lord was incredibly gracious by allowing us to get pregnant with Eli and Maddie, and we had the sweetness of relishing in that long-awaited joy together! We celebrated our fifth anniversary with a trip to San Diego with family. We were 22 weeks pregnant with twins, and we couldn't have been more excited!

5th Anniversary

Year 6...We were finally parents! We met Eli and Maddie, and life basically became a complete blur as we adjusted to parenthood and life with twins :)  We learned how to be parents together, as we navigated life with 2 newborns, trying to just survive our days. And because there were 2 babies, we were both all in, all the time. It was all hands on deck to survive! As hard and crazy and exhausting as that was, I am so thankful for that time to press in and work together in figuring out the ins/outs of parenthood. It was a HUGE deal to get a night away for an anniversary date; we're thankful to my parents for holding down the fort while we snuck away for a {legitimately} fancy dinner at Perry's in San Antonio.

6th Anniversary

Year 7...This was another big year for us! We bought our first house in Melissa, and we were anticipating the arrival of baby Aiden! I feel like we were taking a breath before another wave of chaos came our way. It was a sweet time of re-learning how to reconnect just us again, after all the craziness that life throws at you when you become parents. I'm thankful for that sweet {short} time, as I know the Lord was preparing us for the next season of our lives together. We were visiting my parents in San Antonio again, so we were able to sneak away for an anniversary date with dinner at Scuzzi's, ice cream at Marble Slab Creamery, and a movie {the Mr. Rogers movie}...it was a wild night for these tired parents haha. We knew we had to take advantage of the night away before life got even more crazy! :)

7th Anniversary

Year 8...We went from a crazy life with twins to a crazy life with twins plus one...3 babies under 2 years old! So that year was a basically a blur too haha. It was hard with 3 little ones, and we also walked through the hardship of medical complications and mental health. Once again, we were learning to navigate health issues, this time learning how to be patient and love and serve one another, when we both felt pretty emotionally, mentally, and physically empty from the chaos of life. By the time our anniversary rolled around, I was finally starting to feel more like myself, just beginning to get my feet back underneath me. We celebrated our anniversary with dinner out to get sushi and cheesecake. It was nice to breathe, and be out in public without kiddos, and just talk. Uninterrupted. Though, we were home in time to watch Dateline. Because that's what happens 8 years into marriage with 3 little people in your house haha!

8th Anniversary

Year 9...Mike moved from RightNow Media to iDonate. We started leading a community group at church, but we were already starting to pray about and pursue vocational ministry opportunities again. And then the world shut down for COVID-19. So this was the year we survived a global pandemic! The whole world turned to chaos, my Crohn's became active again, and we were not quite sure where the Lord would lead us next. I felt like we had already experienced a lot in our 9 years of marriage, but this was really where the rubber met the road. We were learning what it means to work hard at marriage, to love each other unconditionally, to serve and sacrifice for one another. We celebrated our anniversary with an at-home {socially-distanced} date of painting pottery and eating cheesecake, still thankful that we were fighting for “us.”

9th Anniversary

Year 10...Our 10th year has been another wild one! We are still navigating life in the COVID era, still trying to figure out my health stuff. But after months {really, years} of praying to be back in vocational ministry, the Lord presented the opportunity to serve in Virginia. It was a big change, but we took the leap of faith, sold our house, packed up our lives, and moved across the country! We lived in an extended-stay hotel for 2.5 months {which I think would test the strongest of marriages haha!}, but were finally able to settle into our rental house, and we have been diving into Virginia life ever since. We are learning to serve and re-build community together, learning what ministry looks like now as a family, not just the two of us. While there are certainly hard aspects of moving away from everything we both have ever known, I am grateful for this time to venture out, to leap out in faith together. There's really no one else with whom I would rather adventure! :)

10th Anniversary

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When we got married 10 years ago, we had our plans and dreams and hopes for our lives together. I knew I was signing up for a life of ministry, a life of adventuring with Mike. But it's funny how the Lord's plans play out, all for our good and His glory. 

I never would have guessed that we would no longer be church planting in McKinney, Texas, and I certainly would never have guessed we would be living in Virginia! But here we are, still serving the Lord together {just in a different way than what we had originally thought}. 

I never would have guessed our journey to becoming parents would have been so long and heartbreaking. But we now have 3 beautiful gifts from Jesus, our daily reminders of His love and grace in our lives. It was a hard and dark road, but we walked it together, clinging to each other as we tried to cling to Jesus. And now we are walking the challenging and adventurous road of parenting together. We have only just begun, and I know we both have so much to learn, so many ways to grow.

I never would have guessed that we would have faced so many health issues, both physical and mental. The strain of chronic illness can take a toll, and I am grateful for a husband who has always taken care of me, always been patient, never left my side.

It {clearly} hasn't always been easy; marriage is tough, and life is hard. But I am so thankful that we have each other. I'm thankful that we are both still here, willing to fight for each other and our marriage, willing to do the hard work of loving and serving each other. I certainly have to remind myself of my wedding vows often, remembering that I promised to be Mike's faithful partner "in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in times of joy and sorrow." We have definitely seen all of those seasons in our 10 years of marriage, some several times over. And it is a daily choice for me to "love unconditionally, encourage and support, and to willfully submit as the church submits to Christ." It's easier to do that on some days than others; I still have a lot of work to do as a wife :)  But I am thankful for our life together, and there is no one else with whom I would rather figure it all out. No one with whom I would rather walk through life or take leaps of faith. 

One decade down...forever to go :)

40 {Already} Before 40 :: A Reverse Bucket List

When I created my {30 Before 30} list, I also compiled a reverse bucket list, where I documented all the things I had already done before turning 30. It was a good exercise to see the countless blessings and opportunities that the Lord had given me, without really having an official list to complete them!

So I thought I would do the same again here. Some of the items were things I didn't get to complete on my original {30 Before 30} list; some are just the parts of life that we have been able to experience along the way. Either way, it's a good reminder to me of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness in our lives. It's also just a fun trip down memory lane :)

1. Sell something I have made

I missed this one on my {30 Before 30} List, but it wasn't long before I actually got to do this! My sister-in-law decided to open up a little shop and asked if I wanted to join her. We ended up selling our handmade items at a few craft shows/fairs {here and here}, and it was so fun! She sewed adorable baby and kid clothes, and I made some handmade wood signs and gifts. It was short-lived {for me, anyway}, but I had so much fun doing it with her. We listed our remaining items on Etsy after the craft fairs, and I even got a few custom orders for some signs. Maybe one day I will try again, but for now, it's a fun thing to say that I have done!

2. Refinish a piece of furniture

I had chosen the piece I wanted to refinish, I just hadn't completed the project yet before I turned 30. But a few months later, I finally refinished the dresser from my childhood! It's not the best work, but we used it in Eli and Maddie's room until we moved to Virginia. It worked for what we needed, and it didn't look completely terrible, so I'll call that a win :)  Oh, and I have no desire to refinish any other furniture again haha!

3. Become a Mom

This one was heartbreaking for me when it didn't happen before 30. We were walking through infertility, and I wasn't sure if/when I would get to cross this off my list. But the Lord, in His graciousness, allowed me to become a mom through the beautiful option of Embryo Adoption. In November of 2016 {age 31}, we welcomed Eli and Maddie into our arms, and then we welcomed Aiden in August of 2018 {age 33}. My rainbows after the storm. This, hands down, is my favorite thing about my 30s so far :)

4. Transition to working from home

In July of 2015, I said goodbye to my beloved office job. It was not an easy decision, but one that I had to make for my health at the time. When I "left," I was still helping in the transition, and that helping turned into a permanent work-from-home gig. And it has been the absolute BEST thing. I have now worked from home for almost 6 years, and I am so incredibly grateful for my job. I love my co-workers and my boss, I love what I do, and I am thankful I get to do it all from home with my babies {even in Virginia!} There are not enough words to adequately describe my gratitude for my continued time with Independent Bank {now Independent Financial}. 

5. See a Baylor football game at the new McLane Stadium

This was my first and only time to see a game at the new stadium, but it was a fun trip! This trip was pre-kiddos, but we were able to meet my parents and brother for a fun day at Baylor. I'd like to go back again for a game, so maybe we'll be able to take the kiddos one day. I'd love to share my favorite campus with them!

6. Establish a good reading routine

I think I can finally say that I am an actual avid reader again! In 2014, I made it a goal to read more. And every year since, I have kept that goal going. I have increased the number of books each year, and I think right now I am leveling off at about 50 books a year. Which is crazy, considering that I had read 4 the year I said things would change :)  I have loved re-discovering my love for reading, and it has been fun to read a wide variety of books. I look forward to making this a lifelong habit!

Here are all of my published reading lists: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 {currently working on 2021!}

7. Date your Spouse

I kind of like him {like a lot}, so it's always fun to date him. Before kiddos arrived, this was A LOT easier. And our church did a Save the Date Challenge, where they challenged us to date our spouse 3 weeks a month for a year. So at least 36 dates {we squeezed in 39!} And we had so much fun! It got a little tricky at the end, because we welcomed Eli and Maddie into the mix. But we made it work. And now with 3 little ones, this is still a challenge for us, but we have a weekly date night set aside that we don't plan anything else. We may not be out at fancy dinners or creatively fun dates, but we still make time for each other, and I am so thankful for that. 

8. Visit a Presidential Library

Mike had a work trip to College Station, so I decided to tag along. While he was in meetings, I took a stroll around the George Bush Presidential Library. I enjoy historical sites and museums, so this is super nerdy, but it's something fun I got to do. 

9. Go on a little cabin getaway

Right before our embryo transfer with Eli and Maddie, Mike planned a little cabin getaway for us. We had faced so much loss in our infertility journey, and we were in such a hard place. So this little retreat was just what we needed to focus our hearts and minds before all the Lord had waiting for us. We stayed in a little cabin at Stone Canyon Ranch, and it was exactly what our hearts needed at the time. We surrendered our hearts before the Lord regarding our family on the back porch of that cabin. And I will always remember how gracious the Lord was in meeting with us there.

10. Celebrate my 10 Year Blog-iversary

This is kind of a random, but fun, one! I have been blogging since 2006, first with a Xanga {remember them?}, and then moving over here to blogger. So it was quite a milestone to hit 10 years! It doesn't matter to me that maybe 4 people read it haha...I love this little blog, and I am thankful to have a lot of our memories recorded here. It's a creative and therapeutic outlet for me, and I love being able to look back over the years. I'm looking forward to celebrating my 20 Year Blog-iversary!

11. Buy a new {to us} car!

When we found out we were having twins, we decided it was time to go ahead and upgrade to a bigger vehicle. We bought the Babymobile, and we still have {and love} it! It has been a fantastic car for us, perfect for the 3-car-seats-in-a-row life we live haha. About a year later, Mike got to upgrade his wheels too, to have something a little nicer {more dependable} for work. Both vehicles were pre-owned, and they have served our family well!

12. Visit Chi-Town

Mike was asked to officiate a wedding in Chicago, so we got to visit the Windy City. I had been before for work, but had mostly stayed in hotel conference rooms. So it was nice to be able to explore the city with my love! We hit the fun touristy sites and enjoyed spending time together pre-babies. I was 17-18 weeks pregnant with Eli and Maddie, so it was the perfect time to go.

13. Dip my toes in the Pacific Ocean

Also a fun pre-babies trip...we got to visit Coronado Island in San Diego! We met my parents and brother for a full week of beach fun. I was 22 weeks pregnant with Eli and Maddie, and I was definitely starting to feel it haha. But it was such a sweet week, full of fun memories with my family, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to go. We look forward to visiting again some day! We may even take the kiddos ;)

14. Visit Magnolia Market in Waco

It is so fun that this destination place was just down the road in my college-home-town of Waco! I got to visit the first time with my sister- and mother-in-law, and it was so fun! It poured down rain the whole time, and we got drenched. But we had such a blast exploring the market and eating yummy cupcakes. I still have my Magnolia Market shirt, and I really look forward to going back again. Maybe when it's less wet :)

15. Witness a miracle

How many people can say that they have witnessed an actual miracle? People say that the birth of a child is a miracle {and it is}, but I'm talking about a clear-cut visible manifestation of the power of God. I believe that I have personally been party to one, where God actually healed a tumor. I had a pituitary macro adenoma {confirmed through bloodwork and an MRI}. I went through a battery of tests, saw several specialists, affectionately named the tumor "Tumorthy." When I went back for my repeat MRI, the tumor was gone. As in, it was there...and then it wasn't. You can call that whatever you want. I call it a miracle. 

16. Practice my hand lettering

This is something I have been start-stop-starting for awhile now. I got the crazy notion that picking it back up while I had 9 month old twins would be a good idea, and you can imagine how well that went haha. Right before Aiden was born, I decided to try again, and that lasted for about a month. I re-started again at the beginning of 2020, and it again fizzled out {a global pandemic and all}. All that to say...I haven't quite mastered this one yet, but I am working on it. It's a fun, creative outlet for me, and I really do want to improve my hand lettering skills. So this one barely makes the list...I mean, I did PRACTICE. Perhaps I will be able to show off some of my work and say that I feel confident in my hand lettering skills by the time I hit 40!

17. Visit the mountains

We got to take Eli and Maddie to the mountains! We {crazily?} boarded a plane with 10 month old twins to visit the Winns in Crested Butte. This was such a sweet trip. It was crazy and hard and chaotic, but we loved getting to spend time with our dear friends, introducing our babies to the mountains, and just taking a fun family trip.

18. Survive the first year with twins

WE DID IT. WE SURVIVED THE FIRST YEAR WITH TWINS. Haha. It's not a small accomplishment, and it really did make all the difference to hit that one-year mark. We had fun celebrating the milestone with a fun Winter ONEderland party, as well as another frozen embryo transfer in hopes of a sibling {because why not add more to the mix?}. Unfortunately, that transfer was not successful, but we tried again the following month and got our sweet Aiden!

19. Buy a house

This was a fun surprise! We had started saving for a house when we got married, but quickly had to put those plans on hold when we faced health issues and infertility/adoption expenses. But the Lord allowed us to find this house and buy at just the right time. It was an easy process, where we found the house relatively quickly and the seller accepted our first offer. And then boom...we were homeowners! When we moved to Virginia, we sold our house and went back to renting, but we hope to buy another home again in the next few years.

20. Go on a Mama Getaway

Mike has been good to give me some time away from being Mama, and I was really thankful for this fun, full weekend away! I got to stay in a hotel, run errands, eat the foods I wanted {without having to share}, browse the stores I like without interruption, see friends, etc. It was the perfect little weekend getaway to refresh, right before Aiden was born. I have had other opportunities to slip away, and I am so thankful for a husband who loves me enough to recognize and bless my introverted ways :)

21. Be a part of a book launch team

I have actually been able to be a part of several book launch teams! I have participated in the book launch for 3 of Christine Hoover's books, and 1 for Risen Motherhood. I love getting an advanced copy and promoting books that I enjoy! 

22. Survive 3 under 2

Another HUGE accomplishment! Haha. We had a couple of months with 3 babies under 2...and life. was. NUTS. It was crazy hard. And I still feel like I am in a blur from that time. But we made it. We all survived. And the Lord was so kind and gracious to us during that time, and since. 

Look how tired I looked... haha!

23. Witness another miracle

Part of what made having 3 under 2 hard was the complications I experienced after Aiden was born. When I look back over that time, I am reminded of God's hand over my life. It was an incredibly scary time, that came with months of emotional fallout, but there is no doubt in my mind that God was watching over every detail. He offered me another glimpse at a miracle by sparing my life that day. To have almost died {twice}, and see how the Lord worked out every single minute detail in His perfect timing...well, that is nothing short of a miracle.

24. Embrace my first gray hair

Yep. It happened. My first gray hair. I wasn't exactly excited about it, but so far I have only seen a few more since I found the first. But it's coming. And I am learning to embrace it. Shows my wisdom, right? :)

25. Go blueberry picking

This was a fun bucket list item that we got to check off our list with Laura and Cooper! We headed out to Blase Family Farm, and spent the morning picking blueberries. The kids had so much fun, and I am so glad we got to do this with sweet friends. We definitely would like to find some places around Virginia to pick our own fruit!

26. Start Toddler School with Eli and Maddie

I had wanted to start Eli and Maddie in pre-school, but we just were not able to make it work. And that's ok, so I decided to create our own Toddler School at home. We needed some more focused activities for them, some more structure to our days, and our little at-home curriculum was perfect! I tried to make it as stress-free as possible, hanging on loosely to my lesson plans. And it actually worked out great. So now I know I can be relaxed and go-with-the-flow, and my kids will still have fun, learn, and be just fine without something more formal. Who knew. We are on year 2 of Toddler School, and now Aiden gets to enjoy more of the activities too.

27. Get back into formal Bible study

When I had Eli and Maddie, life outside of surviving twins kind of stopped. I did what I could to stay in the Word, but I wasn't in a formal Bible study, studying the Word with a group of women, like I have been accustomed to for most of my adult life. And I desperately missed it. So when I was able to go back to BSF with my babies to study the book of Acts, I was SO ready. And so excited. This study {and the group of women that I studied alongside} was such a huge blessing to me. It was hard to get there every week with 3 little ones. But we were committed, and it was just what my heart and soul needed. I'm sad that COVID-19 cut our time in person short, but we were able to finish up via Zoom calls, so I am thankful for technology. And here in Chantilly, I have been able to join the women's Bible study via zoom.

28. Go on a fun girls trip

Laura and I were finally able to do this back in February of 2020. And true to my own form...I didn't take a single photo. So I have no blog post. Why do I always forget to take photos with Laura??? I will need to remedy that before 40. For sure. Anyway, we did it right: we rented a little cabin, and basically did nothing haha. We talked, and ate, and wandered around looking for nothing, read books, slept, and it was absolutely amazing. I so appreciate that we can do nothing together and be totally ok with that. I know it was refreshing for my heart and soul to get away from the kids and just spend time with her, and I hope it was the little rest/relaxation she needed before Miles was born!

29. Read every book in the Bible

I have been able to do this a couple of times already. It's not to brag; I have been a Christian since I was 10. And it wasn't until I was an adult that I was actually able to read through the entire Bible in a reasonable amount of time {like a year}. But I really felt like I needed to read the Bible from cover to cover, committing to daily reading, and I am so glad that I did! I have read it cover to cover, as the books are laid out, and I have also read it chronologically. It's definitely time to do it again.

30. Do the whole "matching pajamas/outfits" thing with my kids

Yep. I'm that mom. And I love it. We have done matching pajamas every year for Christmas, and I try to match my kids for major holidays and birthdays. I just can't help it. They're super cute, and I love doing it. And I will do it for as long as they will let me! #sorrynotsorry

31. Share our Embryo Adoption story

I have definitely shared our story here on the blog, but we have also had numerous opportunities to share our story other places too. Our story was featured on our agency's site {The Beauty of a Snowflake}. We have actually had several conversations with couples who were interested in learning more, and knew that we had built our family through Embryo Adoption. It has been such a blessing to be able to share our story, and we are incredibly grateful that the Lord has chosen to use our story to help others. 

32. Visit a pumpkin patch

We have been able to do this a couple of times! We first took Eli and Maddie when they were little, and we loved propping them up next to the gigantic pumpkins for cute photos! We skipped the year that Aiden was born {because #chaos}, but we were able to make it out in 2019 {but not 2020, #becauseCOVID}. I really would like this to be an annual tradition, so we'll see how many times we can go. There's a farm close to our house now, and I'm looking forward to checking it out in the Fall!

33. Complete 1000 Books Before Kindergarten with Eli and Maddie

We finished this a lot sooner than I expected, but it was so fun, and I am so glad we did it! We hit our goal of 1000 books in just over a year, so we are going to continue reading and see how many {unique} books we can read before Kindergarten. I love that my kids love books :)

34. Strengthen our marriage

This is something we are constantly trying to do. It takes work. Especially in this intense season having little ones. We certainly don't do this perfectly, but we have had the opportunity to do a few things that I think have helped strengthen our marriage. Date nights {see #7 above} for sure help. And at-home dates count. The intentionality is the important part. We also walked through the Re | Engage marriage study {with our original marriage mentors, too!}, and in recent years we have started doing a nightly devotional/Bible study together. This will be an ongoing task, but I want to be sure it's always at the forefront our minds. No matter how crazy life gets.

35. Celebrate my Grandpa's 90th Birthday

This was such a sweet time with family, and I am so glad that we got to celebrate my Grandpa in this way! We headed down to San Antonio for the weekend, and we had a fun surprise party for my Grandpa. It was fun to decorate, eat yummy food, and have my sweet friend Stacy take the photos from the party. I am so thankful for my Grandpa, and it was fun to see him so excited to be with his family. It was a sweet gift of time with my Grandpa before he passed; such sweet memories!

36. Take professional family photos

We were able to do this a few times, and I am so grateful each time. If I could take professional family photos every season, every year, I would. But it's just not in the budget. So I take them when I can get them, and I cherish the sweetness of them. We were able to do professional maternity photos with Eli and Maddie, with my family at my Grandpa's 90th anniversary, and then with Mike's family for his parents' anniversary. 

37. Lead a Community Group

We started leading a Community Group in February of 2020. Both Mike and I had wanted to find a way to serve in our church, and we both desire to be discipling other people. So after we were asked a couple of times, we finally felt like we had our feet underneath us enough to try and lead a group. It was difficult with kiddos, and we had met for less than 2 months before COVID hit and forced everything online. So it was a challenge to navigate new relationships while social distancing, but it was worth the effort. We are so thankful for our community group, and we were sad to leave them when we moved.

38. Move to a new city

This was part of buying a house, and we really didn't go far, but since I turned 30, we moved from McKinney to Plano, and then to Melissa. And THEN the Lord moved us to a completely new state. I definitely didn't see that one coming, but we are so thankful for God's faithfulness in that big move.

39. Survive living in a hotel for 2.5 months

Haha- this is a silly one, but it counts because it was NUTS. We are thankful for how the Lord provided for our every need along the way. But I am equally thankful that they Lord made it a temporary living situation, and that we are no longer living in a hotel with 3 little ones. 

40. Survive a global pandemic

Oh yeah, so there's this whole global pandemic thing that brought our lives to a crazy, weird standstill: Covid-19. I mean, we're still in the midst of it, so I may not be able to completely cross this one off the list yet...but we are thankful for all that we have and how the Lord has taken care of us. We're living in such a strange world these days, but we are thankful for a God who is sovereign and never changes.