Let's Play Catch Up

Ok, obviously I haven't been too diligent on keeping up on here... but I would like to start up again in order to put down some of my ideas for getting organized in our life and also for just keeping track of things.... we'll see if this lasts. ;)

So my last big post was about Anna turning 7.... Well, she's about to turn 11, so I'd say some things have happened between now and then!!

We moved to Florida for about two years. We enjoyed Walt Disney World (A LOT), the beach, a new church family, and learning more about homeschooling through a wonderful co-op we were involved in. It was such a fun time of growth! We welcomed our fifth child, Anthony, in May of 2015 and in January of 2016, we found out we were expecting baby #6. This spurred our decision to then move back to AZ. In April 2016 we moved back to AZ and in September 2016, we welcomed Baby Grace.

It seems so weird to sum up almost three years of life with that tiny paragraph, but let's face it... so much life has happened that I would have to write a novel to actually catch up on it all!!

Right now we are thoroughly enjoying living back in AZ. It's wonderful to be back around family and to have that support again! We are still homeschooling, which is a love/hate relationship. Haha!! I love it, but it has provided many opportunities for me to grow, which usually means things are difficult. :D

              
We live in a relatively small house (for our family size) and I'm at the point where it needs to be organized, or I just might go crazy! :) So I'm hoping to start figuring out what works for our family and what doesn't, and you can come along for the ride if you'd like!

Growth

So often we ask for God to work through us. We ask for His will, not ours to be done. We ask for patience, understanding, wisdom... We call out to Him, "Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!" Then, things start to happen. Kids start acting up, jobs are lost, we face difficult relationship problems, sickness strikes... the list goes on and on. Life gets HARD and then we question God, "WHY?!" Did you ever think that God is giving you opportunities? Those crazy kids are giving you a chance to practice patience. That lost job is allowing you to open your mind up and understand things that you normally wouldn't even try to understand because you were so wrapped up in your career. That relationship that is causing so many sleepless nights is giving you a foundation of wisdom for helping others in the future. Yes, those times are difficult, but God's working in you and giving you an opportunity to grow to be more like Him. 

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Be encouraged! With each trial, you are becoming more like the image of Jesus... and that is a GREAT thing!