Family Time in Texas

When we returned to Texas for Michael's Celebration of Life Service, we were fortunate to spend a lot of time with family. The kids have pretty much become experts at air travel at this point, and I am just so thankful that they do so well on flights. They have had such great attitudes, even when their Yoto players haven't worked; they have been {mostly} patient, shared with each other, and been such great travelers!

On our way back to Texas for the second time in a month

Watching his favorite thing in the world: football :)

We spent the first few days on the front end of our trip with Mike's family. Staying with Granny and Grumpz means lots of games, toys, yummy snacks, and fun! Granny was gracious to watch the kids and allowed me to sneak away to go have lunch with Cindy and Kirston, as well as see Dan at the office. I am really grateful that I had that time as a final closure to say goodbye to that chapter of my life as well. I know I will keep in contact, but being able to see them and give hugs after the official closing was helpful for my heart. 

We also got to celebrate Henley's birthday with a fun breakfast-for-dinner and hot tub night! The kids had a blast with their cousins, and Lindsay and I even got to sneak away for a McAlister's lunch :)  And then we got to have another fun night of cousin fun at Uncle Bryan's house, complete with a bounce house {fully inflated inside the living room} and s'mores! To say that my kids had all the cousin fun they could have wanted, is an understatement :)

It was good to fill our hearts with family fun before my brother's service. And even though we moved over to Grandma and Papa's house and had to prepare for that, it didn't mean we didn't make time for family fun over there. Through the tears and the hardship, we were still able to find ways to laugh and enjoy time together, and I am grateful for that. 

Grandma took Maddie and me to get our nails done, which is such a sweet way for the girls to spend time together. Maddie loved every minute of the pampering, and she was a good sport for the rest of the errands we had to run that day.

Grandma's house is also filled with games and toys and fun. From Legos to Jenga, to coloring and bowling, there is not a lack of fun things to do. And we also got to watch a lot of football, which was Aiden's favorite :)  Not pictured was a lot of time spent with extended family who was in town, which was also really sweet and special.

Mike had to head back home on Saturday, but the kids and I were able to stay a couple of extra days. On Sunday, we were able to go to lunch and then out for {real} bowling with Aunt Vi, Addison, Airalyn, and Uncle Thinh. The kids had a blast, and it was a sweet afternoon with family.

I'm thankful for my good little travelers! They know the drill, and they got so many compliments on how well they were prepared through security and how well they behaved on the flights. It's really only because I came armed with snacks, and they have flown so much recently. Although, we did have one incident where we were made a bathroom trip right before boarding started. We were literally getting ready to do family boarding and one child {who will remain nameless} said they had to go to the bathroom again. I had to make a split second decision whether or not to take them right then or wait until after we were in the air... Thankfully the bathroom was close and there was not a line. We made it back just as they were boarding. It would not have been that big of a deal, except that I was flying with them solo and relying on family boarding so that we could sit together. Why did you not empty out, child??? haha

Headed back to Virginia!

My little travel pros :)

He's like a middle aged man haha

Our trips to Texas in the last couple of months have not been what we expected or would have planned. In many ways, they were the hardest weeks I have experienced. But I am thankful for family, and I am thankful for the time we got to spend together. I'm thankful for the moments of laughter in the midst of the tears. 

The End of an Era

It seems like the Lord has me in a season of goodbyes. Yesterday was my last day at Independent Financial. After almost 13 years of working as an Executive Assistant for the bank, I said goodbye to a company I have loved. 

My original name tag!

My first business cards from the bank

I started at the bank in March of 2012. I had previously been working in the insurance industry, and at the time, I had a pretty brutal commute. I was leaving the house at 5am to beat the Dallas traffic and ride into work with a kind co-worker. So Mike and I had been praying for a change. I was applying for jobs closer to home, and he was helping in any way he could, by passing around my resume. He had passed my resume to a ministry friend of his, Eric, who had several connections in the McKinney area {where we were living at the time}.

Mike was working at Starbucks, and he had a lot of regular customers. One in particular was so kind to ask him how she could be praying for him, and he mentioned that we could use prayer for God to provide a new job for me, closer to home. True to her word, she did pray for us, but she also went home to her husband and suggested that I take a look at my resume. Her husband, a little unsure of who she was talking about {just the random wife of Mike the barista at Starbucks haha}, said that he was already setting up an interview with the person whose resume he received from Eric...and as they say, the rest is history  :)

I tell this story, because it is only the very beginning of how the Lord used my job at the bank to show His provision and grace in our lives over the past decade. I have absolutely loved working for Dan and the other executives, and it could not have been a better place to work. I got to watch men with integrity run a company and care for their employees. From a small community bank to going public and trading on NASDAQ and expanding our footprint across Texas and into Colorado. 

When my health forced me to step back in 2015, I was incredibly sad to leave. I loved my job, and it was such a hard decision. But again, the Lord was working and ready to show His grace and kindness to us. While I had every intention of stepping back fully, in the transition, we realized that there were some things that I could continue doing on a part time basis. Because we were in the middle of our embryo adoption process, we knew that I would need the flexibility to be at home, and Dan graciously granted me that opportunity. So in June of 2015, I started my new role, working part time from home. 

That new scenario allowed me the flexibility to manage my health well, and it allowed me the chance to become a mom and stay home with my babies. The Lord knew the exact provision that we needed when we needed it; the set up kept working, so I kept working! 

When we knew we were moving to Virginia in 2020, I figured that would be my time to move on. While I had already been remote for 5 years, I had still only been down the road, so I could pop into the office if needed. And I had occasionally done just that. Moving across the country, however, would make that impossible. So when I went to talk to Dan, I was surprised to learn that he had no problem with letting me stay, if I wanted to continue working. I truly believe the opportunity was open to me because of COVID. Now that everyone was working from home, the idea of me moving to Virginia and working from home wasn't as big of a deal. So we decided to give it a try, to see if it still worked. And it worked just fine for the past 4 years...  :)

With the increased cost of living in Virginia, again, the Lord knew that I would need this job. Really, for almost 13 years, this job has been an incredible provision for our family. The only reason I am not continuing in this role, is because there is no role for me anymore. The bank has merged with SouthState Bank, and there is no Independent Financial anymore. It truly is the end of an era.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad about it all. Not many people get to say that they love where they work. That they love what they do. Or that they truly love the people they work with and for. I recognize the incredible privilege it has been that I have been able to say all of those things for so long. That I have been given the opportunity to have such an incredible work-life balance, raising my family, working around my kids, still providing for my family. It's hard to say goodbye to something that has been so good for so long.

But in a way, it is fitting that I get to say goodbye to my coworkers as the Independent Financial era comes to a close. While some will continue on with the new bank, many will go on to other places, and things just won't be the same as we have all known them. It has truly been a special place to work, and I will forever be grateful for all of the opportunities I was given during my time at the bank. The Lord has been incredibly kind to me, and I have no doubt incredibly kind to my believing boss, and I give God all the glory for the past 12+ years of provision and grace.

Thank you, Lord for Eric passing my resume to Dan. Thank you, Lord for the kind customer asking Mike how she could pray, and for her boldness in recommending me to her husband. Thank you, Lord for Dan. For him taking a chance on my resume, for his kindness and generosity to me over the years. For the man of integrity he is, for how he has cared for all of his employees over the years, always working as unto You. Thank you, Lord for all of the executives at Independent Financial, that I got to witness integrity and hard work that I could respect each and every day. Thank you, Lord for co-workers that I love, some who have become dear friends. Thank you, Lord for a place that I enjoyed working. Thank you, Lord for the provision you have granted our family all these years. For allowing me to build my work around my family and balance all that I had to do with your grace and strength.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Our Texas Trip

We recently got back from a fun family trip! It was the kids and my first trip back since we moved to Virginia, and it was so good to be in the great state of Texas :)

Eli and Maddie had been on a plane, but were tiny, and it was Aiden's first time to fly. We had to get up super early to make our flight, but the excitement of flying and seeing family made for a smooth morning. The kids did great! They each got a new backpack and headphones for the trip, and I made sure they had their Yoto players, sticker books {the Usborne Build Your Own are our favorite!}, coloring books, and games to keep them busy. The snacks {and extra skittle treats for takeoff and landing} also helped pass the time and make things fun.

My parents picked us up at the airport because we were borrowing a car from them, but we stayed the first half of the trip with Mike's parents. To say we had some happy grandparents was an understatement!

Eli had been asking for weeks about Granny's train room...

The first full day, I spent at the office, which wasn't much of a "work" day at all haha. I didn't get a single photo, but I got to catch up with so many work colleagues, including my boss, and I left with my tank full. I am still so grateful for my job and my ability to stay connected from 1,300 miles away. The kids and Mike got to spend the day at Hawaiian Waters with grandparents and cousins, and I don't think they missed me once haha. We also got to play lots of Uno with Granny and Grumpz!

Another fun thing we got to do was make cookies with Grumpz! Well, it was more like Grumpz made the cookies, and then the kids decorated them, but everyone was happy with the arrangement. We loved getting to spend the day with cousins, reminiscent of our Thursday play days at Granny's house when we lived in Texas.

Grumpz quickly realized he had a little shadow everywhere he went :) 

Eli has been asking to go to an aquarium for months, and so we thought we could visit the Dallas World Aquarium while we were in town. It wasn't exactly what we were expecting, which was a little disappointing {definitely more birds and reptiles than fish}. And I only got one photo, but we still had a fun day with family. 

My parents hosted a BBQ get-together at their house so that I can see a couple of my aunts and uncle, as well as celebrate my dad's birthday. It was good to catch up with my aunts, and it's always special when we can celebrate with my parents in person.

We got to visit Woodcreek on Sunday morning, and then we had lunch with Mike's family. We then moved over to my parents' house for the rest of the trip. Mike and I got to sneak away for a little mini anniversary getaway, which was so nice to spend time together sans kids. We got to enjoy some a fun date night with the Lilleys and Russells, our own good conversations over yummy food, see the Oppenheimer movie, and just enjoy some time just the two of us. The kids hardly noticed we were gone haha. They enjoyed fun time at the park and the Crayola Experience.

Celebrating 12 years!

We got to go the Perot Museum too! They had a Pixar exhibit, and since the kids are loving many of the Pixar movies, we thought it would be fun for them to see. Plus, it's just an overall fun museum for kids!

Building robots

Animating

Earthquake simulator!

Racing a cheetah haha

At least Maddie and Grandma look like they're going fast!

Maddie really bonded with my parents' dogs Sophie and Bella. She always wanted to know where they were, and wanted to feed and pet them. She got to give them a fun peanut butter treat, and she giggled the whole time! Haha. And the dogs got used to the barrage of kiddos, wanting to be where they were too! 

Our last fun adventure was a trip to a fun splash park! We started at the fun playground, and just when it started to get too warm, we cooled off in the water. It was a great morning!

We are so thankful for our time in Texas with family and friends. The time went by so quickly, and we wish we could have spent more time, but we were also thankful to be home in Virginia. We hope that we will have another opportunity to visit again soon!