Before and After

Pictures of our house before we moved in and pictures after the house was painted and we moved in.

The living room before:

The Dining Room before completion

Kitchen Before:

Home school room before:

Kayla's Room:

Elijah's room:

Master Bedroom:

Kid's Bathroom:

(all the bathrooms are this color)

Formal Dining room/Entry way:

Kayla and Elijah helped pick out the colors for the house. Especially the colors for their rooms and the home school room. We hope you like our house of many colors, if not, no worries, you don't have to live here ;)

Rainbows

I recently posted a picture on facebook of a rainbow over our house.
One of the reasons this was so meaningful to me is because we had gotten a picture of a rainbow over our house when we lived in Kenya.

If you look closely in these pictures you can see the double rainbow, especially the one above...

 Another reason rainbows are so meaningful to me is because rainbows are so POWERFUL! I love rainbows, I think they are beautiful...but even better than that, is the meaning behind rainbows...
In case you don't know...rainbows are a reminder of God's promises...when Noah built the ark and God flooded the earth, he sent a rainbow as a sign and promise to Noah that He would never again flood the earth. Sure, we have floods, but all of mankind has not been wiped out since the days of Noah.
The Bible is full of God's promises and I am thankful that He keeps his promises!
The rainbow over our current house:

Thank you God for sending reminders that you still keep your promises!

Out of Control

I started this blog post this morning before Church....Little did I know how many times God was going to speak to me this morning!
My devotional today is sooooooo where I am at right now....
from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young:

Trust me, and don't be afraid. Many things feel out of control. Your routines are not running smoothly. You tend to fell more secure when your life is predictable. Let Me lead you to the rock that is higher than you and your circumstances. Take refuge in the shelter of My wings, where you are absolutely secure.
     When you are shaken out of your comfortable routines, grip My hand tightly and look for growth opportunities. Instead of bemoaning the loss of your comfort, accept the challenge of something new. I lead you on from glory to glory, making you fit for My kingdom. Say yes to the ways I work in your life. Trust Me, and don't be afraid.

I am tired of complaining about how things are going, as I am sure you are tired of me complaining about how things are going. Yes, we should be completely happy to be back in the states and we should be completely settled back in. But, we aren't. We are trying. We are trying to be content in all things, we are trying to make friends, but it is so hard when everyone already has there friends. It doesn't help that we are not out-going at all...my shyness still creeps in, especially in large group settings and it makes it difficult to connect with people.

It does feel like a lot of things are out of control and what routines?? We are working hard, but those normal day to day routines are just not completely here. I do feel more secure when life is predictable, I like predictable, I have NO idea where Elijah gets his difficulty with change! (That's a joke, he obviously gets it from me!)

I know that we are back here for a reason...God knows the plans He has for me and my family. I need to learn (again!) to be content in ALL circumstances...as I've done before. Instead of bemoaning the loss of my comfort ;) I know He is stretching us, molding us how He wants us to be...but does it have to be so tough ; ) ?

God is good, all the time. I firmly believe it...now I need to show that I believe it and quit gripping and complaining...

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 11-13

NOW, after Church I really need to add that the sermon today was totally JUST FOR ME...okay, maybe, just maybe, it was for you today too, but it was definitely for me...here's what I learned, and it actually cracks me up a bit, because of course there is a reason why things feel so out of control...I just needed someone to point it out to me.

The sermon today was titled "Reducing the overload...when the tank is empty." Really, seriously, after I just wrote about how I was overloaded and things were out of control?
The three main points:
1. Come to Jesus (of course I've done that!)
2. Give up control (you talkin' to me? Seriously, I have to let go?! Yikes!)
3. Learn to trust (ouch! I have my issues!)

The biggest point that was made today, for me personally, was the greater your need  to control the more stress you will have! Someday, not long ago, I remembered this and did it well,  I really started letting go of my control issues, learning to let more things go and really started to rely on Jesus more. But, then we moved, I moved out of my comfort zone and somewhere along the way I forgot! So, I started to try and control more and started to stress more. The pastor also said, "If you are stressed right now you are not yoked up with Jesus. (ouch!) Every time you get detached from Christ our stress goes up, when you re-connect with Jesus our stress will go down.
I can't tell you how much my burden was lightened this morning, seriously! Sometimes you really just need some one to point out what is right in front of your face. I should have known this...but I needed the reminder...maybe you do to...right now...

"If my misery could be weighed, if you could pile the whole bitter load on the scales, if would be heavier than all the sand of the sea! Is is any wonder that I'm screaming like a caged cat?" Job 6:2-3 (Mes)
My troubles are nothing compared to what Job went through...I really needed this reminder...

"...Learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29b (NIV)

Thank you God, for speaking to me today and reminding me who can carry the burdens for me. Thank you for lifting these weights from my shoulders...thank you that you still speak to us today. Your grace is sufficient for me.

The New House

This is an amazing story that I probably will not do justice to...but I am going to give it my best shot.
We got off the plane Friday, December 16th and signed for our house on Tuesday, December 20th.
This was made possible by our fabulous realtor Jen Mildenberger!!
We started working with Jen about 6 weeks before we landed. We inquired about a property, which her lovely assistant was quick to get back to us with the information. Once they gave us the information on that particular house, they followed up and then asked if they could assist us further. We told them what we were looking for, what area and started sending back emails about which properties we liked and which ones we didn't.
So, when we stepped off the plane, Jen was ready bright and early Saturday morning to take us around and look for properties. She was very frank with us, pointing out some good features and some not so good features that we were not noticing in our jet-lagged state. We went home on Saturday with two possibilities.
Monday we started out again...on our last house we were feeling a bit discouraged, not having found exactly what we were looking for. So, Jen said there was another property available around the corner, it was a bit above our price range, did we want to look at it. We figured, why not?

Of course we fell in love with it! So, we went down to the Regent Homes office and had a chat with Susan Smith. Susan told us that they were running a fabulous deal, if you sign before the end of December you got ALL your appliances AND blinds included! Plus, Regent Homes was going to pay all our closing costs! We were still thinking we wouldn't be able to afford it, but Susan told us about a CHIP loan, which we'd never heard of, but essentially if you didn't make more than X amount of dollars you qualified...which we did! Then, if we went through BB&T as our mortgage lender we could get our interest rate really low.  We were thinking this was a pretty good deal.  So we signed a contract.  We started doing paperwork with BB&T, and they told us that since our credit was good, they would waive the mortgage insurance payment (PMI)!  Then BB&T lowered our interest rate again. 
  As we started working through the paperwork Jen told us that she got a bonus if we closed before the end of January and that she was going to split it with us! Who does that?! I have never heard of such a thing! Also, our closing costs were OVERPAID so our lender with BB&T, Lucy Lucinian, used the extra money to buy down our interest rate, just a bit more...
As we were working through this entire process, Jen and her assistant Lynn Marshall, went to bat for us...prodding each individual on, when it was needed. They were quick to answer any questions we had.
One other thing that I felt was way above the call of duty...we wanted a side by side refrigerator, instead of the one with the freezer on top (which was what was going to be put in the house)...when we mentioned it to Susan Smith she said she would see what she could do to make that happen. What she did was to pay for the upgrade fee out of her OWN pocket...again, who does that??? All these wonderful ladies worked really hard and had us moving into our house within a month of landing back on American soil. If you ever need to sale/buy in North or South Carolina, I would HIGHLY recommend Jen Mildenberger and her assistant Lynn. If you are looking for a new home, why not try a Regent Home, we are very happy with ours!
*As a side note...we have now been in our house for 2 1/2 months...Jen still calls/emails me to see how I am doing. She checks on our family, wanting to know if we've made connections, how she can help us feel more connected to the community, giving advice/referrals etc..
**As a second note, just because Jen shared her bonus with us, it doesn't mean that if she helps you buy/sale a house and she gets a bonus that she will share it with you ;). And, if you do go with Regent Homes, Susan Smith may not pay out of pocket to have your refrigerator upgraded :)!

New Glasses

We have had so much going on lately, I am still trying to catch up on what's going on with us. Last week me and the kids trekked over to the eye doctor. Kayla's eye sight had changed since the last time and she needed new glasses. Elijah doesn't need glasses at this time, but the eye doctor said he would most likely need them...eventually...which we expect, since we ALL wear them.

The kids had fun playing with the "sunglasses" that the doctor gave them to wear outside...if you've ever had an eye exam you know what I mean. They wore them most of the afternoon. Elijah would even put them on his wrist and pretend they were spy gear and stuff. So funny.
Kayla's "before" picture...

Playing with the cool shades...

The "after" picture...You will not see any pictures of Elijah wearing his "cool" shades...he hid under a laundry basket and refused to come out until the camera was gone...
I also got new glasses, but since I don't wear them in public much, you won't be seeing any pictures of me either ;)
I will tell you that mine are purple...Kayla's are no longer pink, they are more like black, with pink on the inside...she said they are a new style...which, I love, by the way! She looks really good.

Fun day

We had such a good day today! And, since we've been back there have been few days that I have truly enjoyed, I felt like this was a good day to try and get back into our blog!
First, we decided today that we are going to Home school again next year. It is going well this year, the kids love it, I like it and love the time that I get to spend with them and Matt loves it too. We also decided that we are going to join a Home school CO-OP for next year (essentially shared teaching for several subjects).
The day got a bit rough from there...with it taking Matt 3 hours to get an oil change. When we were in Singapore our mechanic, Rusty, would come pick up the car, take it, change the oil and bring it back...all at our convenience of course. Plus, whenever we had work that needed to be done, same deal...essentially we got spoiled. So, the kids and I waiting around for over 3 hours for Matt to get back from the oil change was a little frustrating, to say the least.
However, once he got back we headed out...
We stopped at TGIFriday's for lunch, which was really good by the way, and we had a great waitress. Once our bellies were full and we were all happy again we headed on over to PetSmart. The kids were wanting to see the dogs, which they only have on special days...now, my Elijah who is TERRIFIED of all dogs has got it in his head that he wants a dog...and then yesterday decided he wanted two. So, the reason he wants a dog is because we have a bunny that comes in our yard and in Elijah's words "does his business!" and it frustrates Elijah to no extent! So, anyway, we went to see the dogs today. I am not an animal lover and have had no pets since I was a kid. I wasn't too worried that I would get attached to anything...anyway, we get there and of course they have the cutest little 14week old dog...and I really loved it! I thought it was the cutest thing and I wanted to put it in my pocket (or maybe a big  bag as it wouldn't fit in my purse) and take it home with me!! I was pretty surprised...but, Elijah petted that dog and another dog, I was SOOOOOOO proud of him. Now, Matt says we can't get a dog until we have a fence. He wants an outside dog (which does sound pretty good in theory), to be a watch/guard dog. So, anyone want to come build a fence so my kids can have their first pet??? :) The thing I am worried about with an outside dog is that it might bark it's head off at night...disturbing our sleep. The thing I am worried about with any dog is potty training it and the added thing to take care of...not to mention the expense...Anyway, we looked around a bit longer at PetSmart and then headed on to Toys R' US to buy Elijah a bike (Matt and the kids got Kayla's last night, but they didn't have the right size for Elijah).
At Toys R' US Elijah fell in love with a gold bike. I don't know why, but Matt and I weren't feeling it...maybe because it was $20 more than a green bike, that was exactly the same! Long story short, Elijah ended up liking the green bike and that is the one we brought home with us.
On the way home from Toys R' US we stopped at the library so I could run in and get some more books on CD...the kids are loving listening to them as we drive around town.
Once we got home, Matt and I got the kids helmets adjusted to their heads, all the stickers and tags taken off the bikes and then we all four got on our bikes and road around the neighborhood! It was so fun! We've never been able to do that anywhere that we live and I love it. I love being in a subdivision, I love that it's safe and the roads aren't heavily traveled and that we all have bikes. In Singapore we would rent bikes when we wanted to ride, but this is so nice! We only road around for about 30 minutes but Matt and I were so tired :) I am SO out of shape. Both kids said they were not tired :)
Once we got back from the bike ride Elijah informed me that I had not been to the grocery store yet today and he thought we should go. I said to him "You are going with me???" I was truly surprised because he is all the time telling me he doesn't want to go! He said "Yes, I want to listen to The Magic Tree House on the way. No, wait, I want to listen to Junie B. Jones." So, we headed back out the door, at 4:00 to go to the grocery store...we got home around 5:45...but we got groceries (the bill was a little higher with my little helper), and now the kids are in bed. It was a really good family day and we made some good memories today.
I know it doesn't sound like much and we really didn't do much, but the point is, it's one of the best days we've had since we've been back. In some ways I feel like we are FINALLY starting to get a little more settled...and trust me, we need to feel settled.
Thanking God today for our many blessings!

It should be easy

It should be easy...but it's not. This re-entry...repatriation to the states...returning home.
Everything seems overwhelming...you are tired, jet-lagged, have a million things to do and everyone is asking you questions you don't know the answer to.
Our time overseas changed us...a lot...it changed our perspective about things, and coming home...well, five years has changed everybody else too...everyone changes with time.
We are dealing with buying a house, getting cars, cell phones, buying things for the house...everyone here is settled...we can't just go out and have play dates...there is work to be done. I need to be getting the kids stuff ready for school next week, but I don't have my shipment yet and that is where most of our stuff is. So, I will be winging it a bit.
We have done so much shopping, something I love, but I am sick of spending money...and it's only just begun. We are starting over...there's no food in the cabinet, no spices on the rack...no condiments in the refrigerator...they don't let you carry food stuff across country lines, so we have nothing.
I'm not complaining, although I know it sounds like it. I am simply stating facts about where we are currently at.
We close on the house on Monday, the painter comes on Tuesday and Matt goes back to work on Tuesday...I start school with the kids on Tuesday and start working on moving some things into our house.
After almost 8 weeks of transition I am ready to be out of suitcases and settled into my own house, but that takes time. I am going to have to really manage my time wisely to get everything done. But, when will we have time to make friends? It's going to be hard on the kids moving into our new house...it's just another transition...have I mentioned how much Elijah does not do well with change? He hates it, he doesn't handle it well and there is a lot coming.
My head is spinning with the amount of things we've gotten done in the last three weeks and how much more there is to do. How do you explain that to someone who's never moved or lived overseas. It's like you are talking a foreign language...which in a way you are...it's amazing to land and hear the flight attendants giving you directions in your language, with no accent and you completely understand what they have said. It doesn't matter that the airport is crowded, you've seen worse. It doesn't matter that you got stuck in traffic, the drivers are not crazy here (for the most part!). It seems no one understands why you go to the grocery store and you are overwhelmed by the selections...that you can stand in the chip aisle and grab the one you know your kids will eat. That you can stand in the chocolate aisle for 10 minutes and not be able to decide what you want because you want it all and you can afford it, but you can't make the decision because there is too many options. So, you grab a huge bag that you don't need and know you are going to eat it anyway, because you are overwhelmed and it kind of makes you feel better...until you look in the mirror....
Everyone is asking if you are excited to be home. Yes, I am excited to be home, but I am overwhelmed. In some ways I want to go back to Singapore where everything was established and it was easier. We had our routine, we knew where everything was, we were involved, had friends to play with....
I am starting over, which I hate. Even though we lived in Concord before, we will be living in Charlotte, it's still starting over. We will have to figure out where the grocery stores are, where the libraries are, where the parks are etc...not to mention the weather...moving in the middle of winter, when you've not had winter for 5 years, building back up our pantry and filling up our calendar again....trying to find activities for the kids to be involved in...
But, it's all good. This too shall pass. Every change is an adjustment and it takes time. With time we will get settled, make new friends, learn our way around. We will get through this. How do I know?
Because, with Christ "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength!" Philippians 4:13
Also, "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11