Why do bad things happen to good people?

**Disclaimer:  Unfortunately, some of the stories in this next post involve sadness that has hit our community this past week.  If stories of loss are particularly upsetting to you, I want to let you know now that it will be part of the post.  Thanks.









This past week has been very unexpected here in Bellingham.  Our community has been hit with two tragedies that have hit close to home for Jon and I.  On Thursday, I had stayed late at the University in order to attend one of my online classes that started at 5pm, so I left 1 hour later than normal to catch my bus.  As soon as we arrived at Bellingham Station, the driver informed us that we were now on detour because of "police activity at the high school".  Bellingham High School runs down my bus route, so I knew it was that school.  As soon as I got home I checked the news and was brought to tears at what I saw.  A young mother was walking her 3 children correctly across the cross walk.  One car had stopped to let them pass, when another car slammed into it and caused the car to slide into the crosswalk.  A little girl named Anna who is Kaylee's age (2) was killed.  Jon and I did not quite know how to take this news.  Here is a mom who is doing the right thing by walking her children across the crosswalk, doing everything right, and her baby is now gone.  How could this happen??? Why did this happen??  Why her?  There are so many unanswered questions, and the driver who slammed into the stopped car was arrested.  There have not been any new details yet.  The community immediately came together and began to set up a memorial outside of the intersection.  What started as a bear and a balloon soon blossomed into about 20 square feet of candles, flowers, plants, stuffed animals, balloons, crosses, pictures, and religious scripture.  This weekend we bought a small plant and took it out to the memorial site.  Jon and I felt such a connection to this family, and can't imagine what they are going through.  Here is a picture of the memorial after only a few days:

The beginning of this week brought rain, and on my bus ride home I saw that someone had set up 2 tents to cover and protect the memorial site.  It will remain up probably until the funeral service later this week.  It was such a tragic event, and one that Jon and I will probably never forget. 

Unfortunately, that is not all that happened this week.  A Western Washington University student named Dwight Clark (18) had been reported missing for over a week.  Every day when I went into work I had hoped that I would see an update that the investigation was moving in a positive direction.  Instead, it seemed as though the investigation was turning cold.  His picture was posted in every entrance to every building on campus.  Despite the possibility that the result would be undesirable, the community banded together in search for Dwight.  Search teams worked with the Bellingham Police Department to scour every area of interest.  Fliers were posted at bus stops and in business windows.  T-shirts were made for search party personnel to wear.  Everyone followed every lead possible but nothing seemed to progress.  This afternoon, we were all informed that Dwight had been found in the water outside the bay.  I knew something was wrong when helicopters hovered over the university and bay area during lunchtime.  A pit in my stomach grew harder and my heart dropped when we received the news.  He looked like such a sweet and innocent kid.  He was a freshman, brand new to the University only 3 weeks ago.  The entire campus gathered today at 4pm to pay our respects.  There are still so many unanswered questions, and I pray that the investigation results will be able to give the family some closure.  Dwight's mother has been in Bellingham every since his disappearance, I feel so sorry for her and their family.  Here is a picture from today (retrieved from Bellingham Herald) on campus:



In the midst of both tragedies, it makes me want to come home and hug Kaylee as hard as I can and never let go.  In both instances, a mother has lost their child.  Why do things like this happen?  It's difficult to understand that even though you do everything in life right that tragedy can still happen like this.  To come to the realization that tragedy happens because sin is in this world is hard to swallow sometimes.  You think that it won't happen to you or someone you know. 

The sin of this world can cripple your community, your home, and your personal life if it lets you.  The enemy can target where he knows it will hurt the worst, and for this to happen so close to home makes me not only sad, but angry.  We must protect ourselves from any ounce of suseptibility's in both our spiritual lives and our physical lives.  Mom's and dads:  pray with your family daily.  Make it a usual occurrence at home so that it becomes "odd" not to pray each morning and evening.  Pray for your kids, for their day today and for their future tomorrow.  I can't imagine how these famlies feel and I pray that I will never have to endure that in life.  We cannot predict what the devil may do in our future, but we can do our very best to stay on the path that God has for our lives so that we can make the very best of it while we are here.  It's clear as day to us that this world will not be here very long, but we can't give up hope and we can still reach the destiny that God has for our lives. 

I'm sorry if this post has upset any of you.  It's been hard to get over for us.  Please keep both of these families in your thoughts and prayers.  And hug your babies extra tight tonight, thanking God that he blessed you as their parent.  Never take for granted every second you have with them.  We love you all very much.

Brianne & Jon

"The Plans I Have For You"

Have you ever felt like you didn't know where your life was going, or what you were meant to do?  Have you ever thought that you might never reach your destiny in life?  Have you ever felt unworthy enough to even catch a glimpse of your destiny?  The last question is one that most often comes to mind for me.  Among all of the important, rich, beautiful, successful people in the world why would I be one that would be worthy of seeing the destiny that God has in store for me?  This is a tough question to ask, and an even tougher one to answer honestly.  One of the most popular Bible verses that is taught is Jeremiah 29:11 "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." God has promised His people that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, so why are we so quick to dismiss the thought that our destiny is something we are supposed to reach...within THIS lifetime?  Of course, there are eternal blessings that we can not even begin to imagine, but God placed us here on Earth for a reason.  In the past, every time I have thought about the destiny God has for me I never considered being able to reach it no matter how badly I wanted it.  I didn't believe in myself, and I didn't think that something so special could be waiting for me. 

Until I became a mother I had never realized how true my parents were when they told me how special I was.  I never understood that their words had so much meaning.  Now that I have the most beautiful and precious daughter I could ever ask for, I understand the meaning of those words.  Your parents love you with all their heart, no matter how many fits you throw or bad decisions you make.  For those whose parents were not around, hopefully you have someone in your life who took the place of your parents, and you understand what I am talking about.  Now....think about the love your parents have for you and how proud they are of you.  Imagine how much it would be magnified if they knew what the rest of your life looked like, and the true potential you really have to influence those around you.  God has this ability because He created you!  He planned out your life before you were even conceived, and He has an even deeper love for you than anyone will ever understand.  To know that my God loves me so much, even though I have made more bad decisions than I can count, it gives me so much peace. 

God loves us so much and He wants us to seek our destiny out and reach for it!  I have absolutely NO idea yet what my destiny is, but I can't begin to explain how much things have changed since we moved to Washington.  I had this pull in my heart to move here, and I knew that we would miss out on so many things if we delayed it any longer.  It's almost like I had to get here in order to finally feel at peace.  I miss so many things and people in Amarillo, but I wish I could show everyone what we are experiencing here!  God has shown me that His promise of a plan for our lives is well beyond our understanding right now, but it is there!  His promises are true, especially about providing for us. I never thought that we could go without jobs here and there several times over and still be okay. 

I had an interview yesterday morning at Western Washington University.  I applied for a position with the Internal Auditor's Office and the Attorney General's Office within the university.  This job was put in my lap without me seeking it out, God placed in in my lap and told me that THIS was the opportunity He wanted for me, but I had to be patient.  All the signs pointed there, and man was it hard to be patient!!  Staying in God's word and spending time with Him was the only way I was able to hear Him loud and clear but it was so important to me that I not miss what God wanted for me that I stuck with it!  I found out the same day that I got the job and start Monday.  I don't want to miss God's plan, I don't want to miss His blessings any more.  This new journey has been the most rewarding experience.  I can't get enough, and feel like I need to praise, sing to, and pray to God all day every day.  God promised to take care of us, but we had to put in the time and dedication.  To see that happen right before my eyes is amazing.  I don't want it to stop, and I will do all I can to make it NOT stop.  My family deserves this, I deserve it, and I'm finally realizing that God wants us to reach our destiny just as much as He wants to show it to us.

I challenge you to spend some extra time this week reading God's word.  I know it's awkward and weird to just start reading your Bible without a place to start.  So.....if you want a challenge, start in James.  You won't be sorry.

Time for an update, and time for a change

Brianne here.  I'm sorry that it has been so long since we have posted.  A lot has happened in the Hanson household over the past 3 weeks.  We'll start with Kaylee.  She is doing well at daycare still.  However, she has entered the "possession" stage of being a toddler which means that anything she touches somehow becomes hers...or so she thinks.  Even though an item is not hers, if she played with it one time, one day, it has somehow become "Kaylee's" and no one else is allowed to play with it.  We are doing our best to help her understand that there are only certain things that are Kaylee's and the rest she has to share.  Other than a bit of boundary-pushing episodes she is still doing wonderfully.  Last weekend we went to Boxx Berry Farms and Half Acre Farms in Ferndale.  This was my first time on a farm, as well as Kaylee's.  We had missed berry season, so we picked veggies instead.  Kaylee had so much fun, especially with the carrots. It brought a tear to my eye when I saw her eat a freshly picked carrot out of the ground (Daddy washed it first).  To see her eating something so fresh, clean, and healthy made me so happy.  This is what we want for Kaylee.  We want her to grow up eating healthy foods, playing outside, and enjoying life. 

This weekend we met the Bergen family from Canada (Alan, Jenn, Abby, Eden, & Zach).  I met Jenn online in one of our mommy groups.  Zach is Kaylee's age, and the girls are a bit older. We all met for the first time at Boxx Berry Farms and had a wonderful time together!  It was so awesome to meet a fellow mommy from our group, especially since it feels like we have already known each other forever.  Last night, Kaylee went to bed talking to Zach for about 10 minutes in her room before falling asleep.  This morning she asked about him again.  I'm sure we will see more of the Bergen clan, hopefully soon :)

Jon has started his new job and my assignment with Escrow Legal Services has ended.  I do not think I have ever felt so blessed and privileged.  The kindness that was shown to me while working there is more than I ever could have asked for.  I lost my composure when I left.  I felt silly being so sad to leave a place I had only been with for a month, but it felt more like family.  The manager was wonderful and I look up to her a lot.  I look forward to the day when I can help them out again.  God placed me in their laps when they needed someone to fill in, and when we needed a paycheck coming in. I will forever be grateful for the time I was allowed to stay and I wish them all the very best. 

With that being said.....I find myself unemployed.  I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't scared.  In fact, my first reaction was to call my mom the minute I walked out the door.  Oddly enough, I didn't get her on the phone.  My next reaction was to call Jon but he was at work.  There was no one else to call except my good friends in Texas who were probably just sitting down to feed their families dinner.  In the small time of loneliness I sat waiting for my bus and had a moment to think.  I knew this would happen, but for some reason I didn't believe it would.  Let me explain...

Last week I had an interview with a criminal defense law firm.  The job would have been typical legal secretary work, and decent pay.  I did the very best I could at the interview and then left it up to God because I knew that He would put me in the best place I should be.  The next day I received an email about a high-profile job at a local university.  This job would pay almost double.  Although Jon and I understand that money is not the most important thing, it is not wrong to want to be financially secure. I was placed on the interview list and now am scheduled for September 21st.  This created a predicament.  If I was offered the law firm job, I could not, with a clear conscience, still interview at the University.  It would be dishonest of me, and I just would not feel okay doing it.  This is where trust came in, hardcore.  I literally prayed that God would find a way for the law firm job to pass me by.  You read that right.....I prayed for God to NOT grant me this job because I saw a glimmer of hope for a better opportunity, one that I did not even seek out.  I did not want to have to turn down another job opportunity (you'll remember the previous law firm one about a month ago), and so I asked that God would help me avoid even having to explain to someone why I was turning down their offer.  So what happened you ask?  No one called.  I didn't have to explain it, and God answered my question loud and clear.  I knew in my heart it would be the wrong decision to work at this law firm, but fear of the "unknown" almost stood in my way.  The only way I got through last week with a clear conscience was by giving it to God and letting Him handle it.  I sure didn't want to have to.

Back on track...so yes, I'm without a job right now. Is it scary?  Yes.  Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not. If I have learned anything through our journey so far, it is that God has bigger plans in store for the Hanson family than anything Jon or I could have dreamed of combined!  Pastor Ken Hubbard always says (forgive me if I misquote it) "What you have is not all that you can have; Where you are is not where you have to stay; and Who you are is not all that God called you to be!"  His sermon today was on the 8 Steps to Abundant Life.  This message was both eye opening and life changing.  Not only am I seeing what Pastor Ken talked about happening in our lives RIGHT NOW, I've now been reminded of the steps we need to take to continue on the correct path.

Genesis 22:1-14, 18
Genesis 12:1-2
John 10:10
Jeremiah 29:11
Galatians 5:17

1) Have the courage to submit to God's will. 
-Step out on faith, no matter how bizarre it might seem.
2) Connect with the voice of God daily. 
-Don't give God your leftovers.  He should be your first priority.
3) Cut out the doubt.
-You have to fight for what you want.
4) Continually praise God.
-God will never give you more until you are thankful for what you have. 
-As long as God is with us on the journey we WILL be alright!
5) Construct your own stage.
-You choose who and what you let into your life. 
6) Consider the cost.
- If your sacrifice does not move you it probably does not move God.
7) Change your mind
-Be transitional instead of traditional
-If one door closes, do not give up!
9) Count on God.

Throughout the last 1 1/2 months, Jon and I have witnessed ups and downs, foreseen circumstances and unforeseen circumstances.  We have also experienced fear and faith.  Fear will cripple you if you let it, but faith takes all the weight off your shoulders so that it can be carried by Him who has the strength.  We were not meant to carry these burdens, but you have to make a conscious choice DAILY to follow Christ and put Him first.  Today represents a new chapter in my spiritual walk, and one that I know I will have to work no daily if I want to see all of the benefits God has for me and our family.  I want to be successful, I want Kaylee to have a wonderful childhood and be a respectful young lady, I want to have a phenomenal marriage, I want to know that as a family we are reaching for the destiny God has for us.  I also want to know that individually I am doing everything in my power to reach that destiny as well.  I refuse to live this life without experiencing that destiny.  Today is the day that the world stops becoming so important, and the One who created it becomes top priority.  God gave me this life, this body, and this family. It's my job to take care of it while we're here. 

Our baby girl is TWO!! We must be dreaming

Brianne here :).  Our precious little princess Kaylee-bug turned 2 on Saturday.  It's surreal to try and think back to when she first graced us with her sweet smile and beautiful little eyes.  I remember the first time I got to hold her in the hospital.  It was 10 hours after she was born, and she was in the NICU.  She was so tiny, but had the cutest little face.  Was she really mine?  After only a few minutes of holding her I didn't want to let her go.  I've been blessed to have her by my side almost every day for the last 2 years now.  She brightens my day as soon as I wake her up in the mornings, and she melts my heart every night before bed.  I always knew that I had a destiny to be a mother, but I could never have dreamed how much joy I would get out of it.  Jon and I feel like the luckiest parents in the world, and we are doing everything we can to show her the love she deserves. 

Kaylee got to see her Grandma Lani and Grandpa Joe on Skype the morning of her birthday.  That was so neat for all of us.  They got to see her open her presents and Kaylee got to see their faces again!!  They got her many new things and a "Pika" cat that she now sleeps with every night.  She calls it "My Pika" every night.  We also got a card from Aunt Ashley in the mail and were once again blown away from this young lady who has now become a permanent part of our family.  If you are ever blessed to meet her in person, Ashley Clark is one of the most selfless people you will ever know.  Her heart has been wrapped around Kaylee ever since she was her daycare teacher over a year ago.  I still remember the day when I came to daycare to pick Kaylee up and Ashley showed me how Kaylee could sit up on her own!  Then, during one of my lunch visits, Kaylee walked to me for the first time after help from Ashley.  We received a beautiful note from Ashley, along with birthday money in a card for Kaylee.  We were blown away by the generosity and kind words.   We took Kaylee to Target on Sunday and bought her a few things from Ashley.  The first thing is something she needed....her own bookshelf.  She has inherited all of my old books, and now has a bookshelf full of them!  Then we let her pick out some things, a Dora bath toy and some fridge magnets that teach the letter sounds.  She loves all of it, and even has some money left over.  However, I've now discovered that we need to get her a Dora doll for night time because she gets upset when we wont' let her bring the Dora bath toy to bed :(.  So maybe this weekend we will get her a Dora doll for bed.  Who knew that letting a toddler watch Dora one time would have them hooked??

Jon and I went to church on Sunday, and my mother-in-law, Trynn, joined us.  It was another fantastic service by Pastor Ken Hubbard at Citipoint.  One of the phrases that Pastor Ken tells each Sunday goes something like this (forgive me if I missquote it):  "What you have is not all that you can have.....who you are is not all that you can be....and where you are is not where you have to stay!"  This phrase speaks volumes to me.  God has an amazing destiny for our family here in Washington and to think that this time last year we only thought it was a dream that may never become a reality.  It has been, and will continue to be, the ultimate test of faith thus far.  To place your future in the hands of someone who you cannot see is hard for many people to understand.  However, I take one look at our little angel and remember what miracles God did in Kaylee's life when she was young and it all becomes reality.  For those who do not know the story of Kaylee's healing, I will give you a summary.  Kaylee was diagnosed with reflux when she was only 2 weeks old.  She could not keep down any liquids without it being thickened first.  At 4 months of age she developed RSV and was in the hospital for a week.  Then she developed food allergies and was allergic to all orange and yellow vegetables, and developed skin sensitivities.  She would not get well and I felt like a failure as a mother.  Finally, after Pastor David Brown (Victory Church, Amarillo, TX) taught a sermon about healing, and after I spoke with my friend Jamie about the power that a parent has over their children, I got serious about my desperation.  I knew that this little baby was not meant to be on 6 prescription medicines at once, and she certainly was not meant to be unable to drink liquids like every other baby around her.  It took total submission to God's power for me to give it to Him and claim healing over Kaylee's little body.  The miraculous healing was instantaneous.  The next day we took away all medications and she has not had one single complication from them.  You can't deny that, to see it with your own eyes.  One day your baby is suffering and the next day she is healed!  That is why we know God has wonderful plans for our lives, and that is why we know He will provide.  If he can heal our baby girl, he certainly can make sure we are provided for.

I am so thankful that Jon and I took the leap of faith to come here.  I miss my family and friends so very much though. It's hard not having them around to visit and hang out with.  I miss lunch dates and pedicures with my mom.  I miss the Sunday afternoons we had at mom & Joe's with Kaylee and Kolton. They had so much fun together.  I am glad Kaylee is in daycare now though, so she has more friends to play with.  She is doing well, and we are so proud of her.

Happy 2nd birthday baby girl. Thank  you for reminding mommy and daddy each and every day how very lucky we are to have you in our lives!!

Finally! Now *this* is home!

Hi everyone, Brianne here.  I am supposed to be working on homework right now but have an overwhelming desire to call up everyone we know and tell them all about this weekend.  However, that would rack up quite a few long-distance cell minutes, so it would probably be best to post an update here :). 

Even though we've been here a little over 3 weeks now, it just hasn't quite felt like home yet.  I'm slowly finding my way around this side of town, and I know where the essentials are (gas, bank, groceries) but it's still hard to navigate without using the GPS.  In fact, I have a little silent celebration each time I find my way back home without it.  Also, living in the midst of boxes that still needed to be unpacked is beyond stressful.  Not to mention we managed to not pack a box that had all of our good cookware in it.  How do you miss a box of dishes??  I have no clue, but we did.  So I've been unable to cook meaningful dinners either, but we still have managed to make it work :).  Not having a secured job yet has also added to the feeling that this is not quite "home" just yet.  Well, almost all of that changed for us this weekend.

We finished unpacking almost all of the boxes and got the office set up. It still needs some organization, but as you know that is what I do best so it shouldn't take too long.  I put up curtains in the living room and the kitchen, which created a more "home-like" feel.  More pictures were hung on the walls as well.  Although our apartment has begun to look like a picture gallery for Kaylee-bug I love every single one!!

The main thing I wanted to share with everyone what Jon mentioned below.  We found a new church home!  Last night it was about 10pm and I realized we had not found a new church to visit this morning.  Jon and I were both so busy and distracted this week that we had not taken the time to find a new one.  I immediately went online and started researching.  We just had to find a new place to visit.  Yes, we could go back to the church from last week that was "just okay" but we know it is not the place for us so why not do our best to keep trying?  I literally spent 2 hours online searching online profiles, reviews, websites, and facebook pages for over 30 churches in our town.  Not a single one of them had the philosophies and ministries we were looking for.  There are a lot of "reformed" churches here, which is very bizzare.  All of the non-denominational churches were still too traditional and did not have specified ministries for men/women/children/couples/singles, etc.  After becoming very discouraged I decided to expand my search to the next biggest town....Mount Vernon, WA.  It is about 30 miles away.  People travel all the time to church, so perhaps we just are going to become one of those families who get up early on Sunday morning to drive 30 miles to church.  That's okay, right?  Well....ladies, try telling your husband who is half asleep that you want to try looking for churches to visit the next morning that will require him to wake up 1 hour earlier.  Good luck with that :).  Yes, Jon thought I was crazy but I knew it was just the sleep talking.

I started my search for Mount Vernon churches, specifically looking for a contemporary church that had a growing ministry centered around teaching the ENTIRE Bible even if it hurt.  I then found a website for Citipoint Church.  Have you ever been shopping for that perfect dress or pair of shoes in a store, spending hours trying things on and once you are about to give up you find....THE ONE?  That is how I felt the minute I opened the website for Citipoint and began to listen to the preachings of Pastor Ken Hubbard.  You see...I had found a couple of churches I wanted to visit in Bellingham but once I watched some of the preaching I just knew it was not the one.  Many of the teachings were in story-like mode, and did not reference specific scripture.  I wanted a preacher who would get down to the meat and potatoes of God's word, even if it meant ruffling up some feathers.  Pastor Hubbard does just that.  He is honest, to the point, and willing to challenge you.  So that was it, we were just going to have to visit this church, no question about it.  I was not going to give up until we did, even if it meant driving out of town.  Then.....I discovered they have a new campus right here in Bellingham!!  The only problem was, I didn't know anything about the Bellingham campus and whether or not they had childcare.  So, I wrote a message on the church's FB page asking if they did.  This morning, I checked it and Pastor Hubbard actually had replied to my message and said yes, they had childcare and would love to have us come.  So, we had breakfast, got Kaylee ready and headed out the door.  The new campus is actually located within an industrial park and looks like a cabin.  It's small, and you could tell they just moved in because there were still original signeage from the previous tennants in place that were now covered up with temporary Citipoint signs.  On our way back to the nursery we passed by the room where the praise team were having prayer time.  We stood in the hallway until they finished so that we would not interrupt.  Just hearing them pray immediately made Jon and I look at each other and smile.  Kaylee went into the nursery and we headed into the small sanctuary.  Three of the 4 walls were lined in windows, showing the beautiful surroundings of trees and plants.  Jon and I were nervous.  Could a little tiny church like this have as much power as their main almost-mega-church in Mount Vernon??  Our answer came when the praise team started singing.  The two guitarists and 1 drummer had as much passion in them as an entire praise team.  They didn't need the lights, and they didn't need the huge screens.  They didn't even need a large audience.  They left their hearts on that stage and opened themselves up to what God had for them during that service.

Have you ever felt a hug from God?  I'm talking about one that makes you tear up inside and out, and it gives you a feeling that God is telling you "It's going to be okay"???  I felt that 2 weeks before we left when we attended Victory, and I finally felt it again this morning.  This branch of Citipoint is going to do amazing things for the Kingdom of God, and Jon and I are blessed to be a part of it.  Jon is excited to start making friends and becoming involved.  I know that God is taking care of our family.  Look at what He has provided for us so far!!  Jon has a job, I have a temporary one (and have faith the new one WILL come this week!) there is food on the table, a roof over our head, and now a wonderful church to call home.  I know we are going to experience wonderful things here. I can finally say, this feels like home now.

It's the end of the world as we know it...

Jon here.  Yes, it's true, I've signed up on Facebook.  I think there may be a scripture in Revelation talking about this right before the world goes nuts?  Oh well, just doing my part.  I figure this will probably be the easiest way for me to communicate with everyone as things get even busier around here.  So hunt me down if you wish, I'm on there.  I probably won't be checking every fifteen minutes and I don't think I'll ever get phone updates, but I'm sure I'll check it every now and then.  Hey, give me a break, it's a miracle I signed on in the first place! 

God has blessed us with an awesome church, somewhere that feels very comfortable, but challenging as well.  I look forward to diving in and making friends as well as growing in my walk, and this is the place we've been led to.  It's called Citipoint and the main campus is in Mt. Vernon.  I encourage everyone to check out their website as the pastor is doing an awesome series right now on the seven deadly sins.  It's great being at a church that tells it like it is, something I always loved about David and Connie Brown.  If you are in Amarillo you should definetely check out Victory Church as they are amazing and have a lot to give.  It is so wonderful that we have our Father to come to every second of every day.  Hope everyone is doing well, miss you all.

Ready for a new and exciting week!

Hi everyone, sorry we haven't posted lately.  We've slowly been getting more and more boxes unpacked, but we're still not finished.  The only rooms that are 100% finished are the kitchen and Kaylee's room.  Well, actually, I still need to put up the pink & brown polka-dots on Kaylee's walls but I'll get to that next weekend probably.  Kaylee's bathroom is almost finished, but we still need to buy a few more things after we get paid.  Right now, the "office" is the holding room for about 12 more big boxes.  We put up lots of pictures today, yay!!  I don't have them all up yet, but the majority of Kaylee's pictures are up, man did I miss those!  We will still have more though as soon as I can get the family pictures that Colby took for us.

Jon starts his new job at Anderson Paper Company tomorrow in Ferndale.  He'll be taking the car every day since it's easier for me to take the bus right now.  I have an interview on Tuesday with a temp company, so hopefully they can find me something ASAP.  I'm still able to work at the legal services company that I'm temping for.  I think I can still work there the rest of this week, which will be very helpful!  They are so nice there, and it really would be a neat place to work if I was going to be here long-term.

Kaylee starts her new daycare tomorrow too!!  Daycare has been one of our biggest points of anxiety throughout this move.  We knew that we needed to get Kaylee into daycare as soon as we could, simply because that is all she has ever known and she LOVES to go play each day.  The problem was, I didn't know anything about the centers here and I wasn't sure how we would coordinate drop-off/pick-up with only one of us having a car right now.  Well.....apparently God had that under control too because we just so happen to be located NEXT DOOR to a daycare center!  Now of course, I did lots of research before picking this one merely for convenience.  It turns out that they have 3 centers throughout Bellingham and Ferndale and have been open since the early 1990's.  There are many opportunities for the children there, especially when they get older.  So, every morning I will take Kaylee for a short stroller ride to daycare, drop her off, then take my bus to work.  I'll walk over to the center to pick her up afte 5pm too.  It's actually good that we will be walking because their parking lot is tiny!  I'm so excited though, and we've been telling her that she is going to go to her "new class" tomorrow :) and she's happy.  She still asks about her old classmates and teachers every few days but now I think she knows she gets to make new friends. 

We visited a church this morning here in Bellingham, WA.  I won't say the specific name here, only because I am going to point out why we are going to continue our search.  Kaylee did wonderfully in the nursery though.  As soon as she saw the other kids she went right in!  This church has a membership total similar to that of our home church Victory.  We decided to attend the 8:30am service because it was closest to when we used to go at 9am.  Well.....the service was just dead.  The worship was out of date, with songs that we used to sing when I was on the praise team in high school.  We're talking 10+ years behind.  Granted, we learned that they were in search of a worship leader, but still.  They had a HUGE stage that was equipped wtih lights, fog machines, and sections for multiple instruments, but none of those resources were being utilized.  It was very strange.  I think we became spoiled to the awesome worship team of Victory :) because we were pretty bummed.  Also, the audience was not engaging at all.  Out of 200 people I saw maybe 5 that were into the worship.  At Victory, you'll have a hard time finding 5 people that are NOT engaged in the worship service!  So, skip ahead to the teaching.  Their head pastor's name is Grant and he is very young.  He's probably in his early 30's?  He has wonderful potential, but we were not challenged by the sermon today.  We did not learn anything new, and scriptures were taught generally, not specifically.  Jon and I both knew this is not the place for us but I am still SO thankful we at least went.  I sent an email to one of the pastors at Victory asking them for any suggestions.  We want a church that is not afraid to teach the ENTIRE Bible, and a pastor who will not sugar-coat the truth.  An awesome worship ministry would be a plus too, and a loving nursery is essential.  I know we will find one, but we're headed in the right direction.

Hopefully we can find an internet plan sometime soon.  I need to cancel my internet card service with Verizon this week.  The service here is just not up to the speed I need for school.  Like tonight, I can get on here or browse all I want but I can't keep up with the multimedia needs of my online classroom.  Hopefully we can find something reasonably priced.  I'm also going to try to find Kaylee a pediatrician this week.  She will need to be updated on her exams after she turns 2.  Which reminds me, I need to figure out what we're doing here for her birthday!  Aaaa, I hadn't even thought of it yet.  Good gosh.

Well, I better head to bed since I have to get up early tomorrow.  I hope everyone is good.  We're so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends who support us.  We're also extremely blessed to have gotten a gift from my mom which will help with daycare for the next 2 weeks until we get Jon's first paycheck.  Mom, if you are reading this, I love you so much and I miss you more than you know.  I can't wait until you come to visit for Thanksgiving!!!!! 

Home Sweet (Almost) Home

I'm sorry that Jon and I haven't been able to update everyone in a few days.  I've been informed by my dad that the world needs a "Griswald Adventure" update :).  It's been a crazy week so far.  I'll start with the not-so-good news first.  I had my job interview on Friday.  It didn't go as good as I had hoped.  I walked in and was greeted by two very "Type A" women who knew what they wanted and got right down to business.  The interview was with Escrow Legal Services.  It is a small agency of 9 women who all work in lateral positions.  Even though I applied for a receptionist position, my job would actually entail much more.  I would start and end the escrow process for any transaction.  The manager started off by asking normal questions about who I was and she wanted all the crazy details about why I moved from TX.  After that, she told me she would like to be very candid with me and asked why in the world I applied for a receptionist position when I am clearly overqualified and have huge life goals.  I told her that I would also be candid with her and let her know that I needed to find a job and knew that I could do this job perfectly and thought I could contribute to their company with all of my experiences so far.  She agreed with me that I would be perfect for the job but then asked me how long she could realistically expect me to stay, knowing well that I would graduate soon with a college degree.  I told her that if they chose to hire me I could promise them 1 year and after that I would not know how long because it might take me a while to find the government job I am longing for.  I told her that yes, they would be going out on a limb to keep someone they knew would not stay forever, but I could guarantee them 100% quality service and loyalty.  She actually was surprised I was so honest and thanked me for it.  I'm not expecting to hear back from them, and although many people have told me I should have just lied and told them I didn't know what the future held, she would have seen right through me.  She was a very strong and smart woman, someone I could learn a lot from if I worked with her for a year.  So, my job search continues and tomorrow I will call the two temp services that I applied to and see if they have any prospects.  There was one legal secretary job open, which I reluctantly applied to.  I know I can do the work, and it will only be for a year.  I think I can last that long and perhaps the attorneys won't be as harsh (?).

Another bump in the road this week has been little missy.  Kaylee was sick with a nasty stomach bug that had her under the weather for 2 days.  She had a fever and other symptoms (which I will spare you from).  We got her some Tylenol and Motrin, and today she seems to be much better.  I know she is so ready to be in our new home though.  She keeps asking me "Kaylee go home?" and it makes me tear up every time.  She is so innocent, and just wants consistency.  I am hopefully that by this time tomorrow night she will be tucked in her bed....in her new room.  Right now though, all she wants to do is what was familiar on the ride up here, which is watching Bee Movie and Veggie Tales.  I have tried and tried to keep her away from the TV but she seems to find comfort in it, and is otherwise very stressed, so I ablige.  I hope 2 weeks of DVDs won't be too damaging.  She sure is adorable though, and her excitedly happy moments make all the stress worth it.

We had to pull hard today to get the maintenance issues fixed at our apartment.  The floors were finished yesterday and look great, but the repairs were not finished.  We finally had him there today with us personally so we could make sure it was all completed.  It was, and I feel so much better now.  The cleaning guy still did a shotty job but oh well.  Then, this morning before we headed out to meet the moving truck, I fell hard and popped something in my ankle.  I was trying to catch Lilly in the yard and twisted my ankle on uneven ground.  I heard a loud pop and then pain shot up my leg.  Looking back, I was extremely overdramatic (who, me??) but I let out a loud scream.  Part of it was pain, part of it was exhaustion, and part of it was more emotions I had held in the last few days.  I was disappointed the truck didn't come until today, I was disappointed my interview sucked, I was disappointed Jon was also having trouble finding a job, and I was disappointed that Kaylee was stressed.  I missed my parents, I missed my friends, I missed my church!  I hadn't worked on homework like I needed to, all I wanted to do was sleep, and now I had a bum ankle and had to help move us in?!  Everything just escalated.  Screaming felt better, but now my ankle hurts like fire.  I can't put a whole bunch of weight on it, but Jon, Jeff (my brother-in-law) and I were the only ones who could move us in. I had to push through and I did.  I put ice on it tonight at home and it feels a bit better.  If it continues to hurt I will get it checked out but not having health insurance kinda puts a kink it that for a while. 

Ready for some good news??? I bet!  Well, we are officially moved in!  Jon and Jeff managed to unload the entire trailer in about 5 hours.  I couldn't have asked for a better brother-in-law to help us.  He didn't complain for a second and just kept pushing until it was all done.  Jon was amazing and kept his calm the entire time, probably just enjoying completing such a huge project with his younger brother.  The guys hauled it all in and I directed traffic since I couldn't do much.  Tomorrow we will go back and put everything up and get Kaylee's room set up.  I can't wait to show her our new home!!

More good news?!  JON HAS A JOB!  My amazing husband pursued a local paper company several times and they finally bit the bait.  He starts work on Monday and will be working half a day as a warehouse worker and half a day as a delivery driver.  We both need to change our driver's license to Washington though, so hopefully we can do that soon this week.  More good news?  I found an amazing coffee shop with free wi-fi.  Yes, I get excited about things like this.  It's "Woods Coffee".  It's a cabin-like atmosphere and we visited it in December.  Well, I just spent an hour here, wrote 1 of my 2 midterms, and have free internet.  Yay!!  Plus, they have great coffee....an essential for late nights.

I'm sure I lost most of you at the beginning of this novel, so for those who have stuck around until the end I wanted to say thank you for still wondering about us.  The short texts/emails/fb msgs mean the world to us.  Just knowing that our friends and family are concerned and hopeful means a lot.  I miss you all so very much, Jon does too.  Kaylee misses her daycare class dearly and asks every morning about them.  We are going to adjust okay after we move in, and I just pray that I can find Kaylee a new daycare to attend so she can make new friends.  She absolutely blossoms in that environment and I consider it a gift we can give to her daily.  Tomorrow will be busy for us, and I have 1 more midterm to complete before 8pm tomorrow so I won't be on much. 

To my Graceland girls, I miss you all dearly and promise to get back on when I have more time.  To our friends back home, we miss you and hope all of you are well and happy.  Aunt Ashley, Kaylee plays with her new toys every day, and we miss you so much already!  To my parents, I miss you all so much and Kaylee does too. Not a day goes by that she does not ask for each of you by name at least 5 times.  She knows you in pairs.  "Granpa & Connie, Sulous (Louis) & Kimmy" and "Grandma, Grandpa, and Coco (Kolton)".  She misses you and I can't wait until we can Skype our first message together so she can see you.  We love you!!!!

Ready for our stuff!

I don't think I've ever been more ready to move in somewhere.  It will be great to have our home set up and for Kaylee to get back to something that she knows.  We're very excited for Kaylee to make some new friends and get her into a daycare and for us to become involved in a church that we like.  It's still kind of hard to think of this as anything but a visit as that's what it's been for the last 7 1/2 years.  We are now realizing that this is our life, and it's going to be a great one.  I can't remember the last time I really enjoyed being cold, but this is feeling awesome, and I do not miss the Amarillo climate one bit that's for sure!  I am getting tired of the recycling thing though, Texas just got me used to throwing things away...

"I'll take it from here. Thanks for trusting me"

This has been one whirlwind day, and I really should be spending time on homework but I just can't wait to share with everyone what happened.  We woke up early today (well...I woke us up early, sorry hun!) and we went into Bellingham to see our new apartment around 9:30am.  If you have never signed an apartment lease without first seeing it, let me tell you....your nerves go crazy.  I tried not to show it, but I was very nervous while signing that 12 month lease. Will it be big enough? Will it be clean? Will Kaylee like it?  Can we really afford it?  We signed, got the keys, and then went to take a look.  When we first walked up to the entrance we started to get a bit nervous because it looked a little beat up.  However, most apartments are so I wasn't worried, yet.  Then we walked in and Jon and I both became upset.  Jon was visibly irritated and dissappointed.  I tried to keep my spirits up and reminded him that I could make this a nice place for us and the issues we see now were just cosmetic.  A home is what you make of it, and the love you share inside of it anyway, right?  Well, the apartment itself was not clean.  The floors were very dirty and honestly we thought we would have to spend the entire next day cleaning.  I was heartbroken because I found this place after spending 3 hours each night for about 2 weeks.  I made the decision that we should go with it, and it is an affordable housing complex.  When I saw how dirty it was I thought that perhaps this is what affordable housing might be like, maybe WE are supposed to clean it before we move in? 

Although we were dissappointed, we accepted the fact that this was our new home and we would do our best with it, even if it meant cleaning for the next couple of days.  We knew that we had a roof over our head and we accepted what we had been given.  Then we walked back to the car and the leasing agent, Jessica, who I had worked with over the phone for a few weeks came out to talk to us.  She stated that she had rented out so many units this month that she had not personally inspected this one yet.  "How did it look?" she asked.  I replied, "We are going to have to do lots of cleaning honestly."  She then asked if one of us could come back with her to the unit so she could see it.  I stayed in the car with Kaylee while she watched Veggie Tales.  Jon and Jessica went back to the unit and she was shocked at what she saw.  She appologized for the condition of the apartment and began taking notes as to what needed to be changed.  She had a legal tablet in her hand and every single line on it was filled with something that either needed to be cleaned or replaced.  Included on the list was: deep cleaning of bathrooms and kitchen, new vinyl flooring throughout every room that had it, repositioning the toilet (apparently it was crooked?), a new heating unit in the kitchen, new countertops in the kitchen, and much more.  She immediately sent her maintenance and cleaning personnel to our unit to fix everything. The flooring guys will be there tomorrow. 

I'm amazed, and feel so very blessed.  We had accepted our apartment for what it was, what we thought was the best we could do.  God had bigger plans.  I honestly feel that our willingness to accept any roof over our head that we could get was trippled in blessings by Him once He knew we trusted Him.  I knew it was not the best it could be, but I knew God was taking care of us and it would get better.  It's almost like I felt Him saying "I'll take it from here, thank's for trusting me".   I know we have many people in our lives who doubt the faith that Jon and I have.  They wonder how we can pack up and move across the country based on faith that our God, whom they can't see or touch, will take care of us.  For those who we love dearly that doubt, I hope the blessings we encounter continue to affirm the promises God has already set out for us to discover.  The scarriest thing in life you can do is trust someone else with everything that is dear to your heart, but I know I can't trust anyone else with this much of my life.  No one is built to take care of it all but God, and I sure am glad of that fact!  

Also, before we even arrived at Jon's parent's house yesterday there was a voicemail on our phone.  A legal services company had called to schedule an interview with me on Friday.  It's a receptionist position that I applied for about 2 weeks ago, and I have an interview scheduled in downtown Bellingham tomorrow at 2pm.  I'm excited and nervous.  I know they will probably say I am overqualified but I hope that they see my heart and know that I just need a job so that we can take care of our family.  I'll let everyone know how that goes. 

Kaylee did okay today, but she is still confused. I can't wait until our apartment is set up and she understands this is her new home. She keeps asking to go home and every day she goes through the list of her daycare classmates and says "Jaymen in class? Kiki (Nikki) in class? Jenny in class? etc.  It breaks my heart to see that she understands they are not with her, but I just have to remember it will be okay. 
For now, tonight everyone.  We love you all!!

DSHS

Today wasn't easy for me, not for Brianne either.  Having moved here with no jobs, we knew we were going to have to get Kaylee on Medicaid, that wasn't a hard decision at all.  However, I never really considered assistance as far as food and all that but Brianne thought it would be a good idea just in case.  So we went down to the center, applied and interviewed and went through the process.  For me personally I was taught and brought up to work and provide, not to count on handouts.  I think it's great for people who need them, I just never considered myself one of them.  With Kaylee though I want to cover all the bases just in case.  It's hard to change your way of thinking especially when you're sitting with people who obviously have substance abuse problems and the ones taking advantage of the program, for them I have no respect.  I think the hardest part was humbling myself, which usually is the hardest part for me, and applying in the first place.  My little girl is worth it in spades however and at the end of the day I feel it was the right move.

Me? Attitude?!?

I've been informed that my first post sounded a little...mad I guess?  I was really just kinda making fun of the situation so I guess I'll just set the record straight.  My sense of humor almost always has a little attitude mixed in as anyone who knows me can attest to.  If you don't know me then I apologize and hopefully I don't offend anyone too bad:) 

We are about 80 miles outside of Seattle and the scenery is turning from eastern to western right before my very eyes.  I have to say Spokane was a little disappointing, (sorry Ken!) but then again we didn't get to see much of it.  Stopped in Elensburg for lunch and we are so close now we can almost taste it.  Unfortunately Ferndale has an aroma sometimes consisting of cow manure and grain so the taste isn't all that great. 

I've decided that since Brianne is the serious one, and me being less so, it should compliment our blog nicely.  You'll get a mix of everything in one...ok here's one for you, just passing through Cle Elum, have fun sounding that one out!  Oh, and I shaved today so no pictures of hippie Jon just yet, I couldn't take it anymore!  Besides, the trees hurt when you hug them...all that bark.

Routine? What routine???

"Oh my".  Those are the two words I think I have used the most on this trip so far.  Everything is so out of wack....I miss my routines!  Anyone who knows me well is aware that I thrive on routines, planning and organization.  Oh my gosh y'all....chaos is my enemy and it is what we have been surrounded with for almost 4 days now.  Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond excited that we're almost "home" but there have been times when I just think "did we make the right decision?"  Those negative thoughts only come up when I am stressed out though, and once I slap myself back into reality I remember our true purpose for packing up our lives in Texas and planting them newly in Bellingham, WA.  God has a bigger and better plan for us up here, and no matter how hard it is to get there....the light is still at the end of the tunnel.   Before we left Amarillo on Sunday, we attended our last service at Victory Church.  Pastor David preached on perservering through tough times.  There will be times in every Christian's walk where they will go through some rough patches along the way and we have to hold tight to the truth that God promised stating that He WILL come through for us, but we have to give our cares to him because we were not built to hold it all by ourselves!  Do you ever feel so stressed out that you want to lock yourself in a closet and scream at the top of your lungs?  Jon and I have both felt that way at one point this week, and perhaps aimed at each other because we both thing we have the right way of doing things.  It could be that neither of us are wrong, but the way I do things is totally opposite of the way Jon does things.  That is why we fit perfectly together.  However, in stressful situations it is hard to see the beneficial side of everything.   Today we encountered construction at every single turn, putting us at least 2 hours behind schedule.  Then we had trouble with the bank because they freaked out with us using our card across many state lines...oops. 

Jon and I miss our privacy and our routine more than we thought we would.  It's been very difficult to not have a few minutes at the end of the day to talk to each other and process what we just went through on the road for 10 hours.  Jon is my very best friend, and I always look forward to talking to him at the end of each day.  Well.....little miss Kaylee is a little out-of-sorts and is having trouble at night.  She is used to having her own room and being by herself to go to sleep.  She can't exactly do that if Jon and I are both still in the room trying to get things set out, organized, or planning our next drive.  She's been getting to bed around 9:30pm each night.  That's 2 hours later than normal and we notice it during the day.  She's trying so hard though, and we honestly could not ask any more of her.  When we get frustrated we remind each other that this is hard for her, and we've taken her from everything "normal" including the schedule she does so well on.  We've attempted to keep it as best we could, but that's not always easy.

Tomorrow will be our last day on the road, and hopefully we will make it to Jon's parent's house in Ferndale by early afternoon.  I'm anxious to see our new apartment in Bellingham, and I am ready for us to get back on a schedule.  I know Kaylee will adjust so much better if she is as well.  For now, I am going to get some sleep, and hopefully she will be sleeping peacefully when I get back into the room.  Good night everyone!

No shave

Well Montana is much easier on the eyes than Wyoming was, everything is getting greener the farther west we travel.  Kaylee is doing great and the DVD player is worth its weight in gold, I would highly recommend for any long trip.  Oh, and getting to the title, I'm not shaving until we reach our destination no matter how much Brianne protests.  Besides, once we get to Bellingham it's West Washington law that I grow a full beard, join a hippie commune and commence with the tree hugging, so I'm really just preparing is all.  On a more serious note, it is hard for me once again to leave friends behind that I've made over the last 7 1/2 years.  I'm happy that I've gotten to know some great people and have fun experiences with them and will continue to talk to them over the years.  Hopefully a couple of them will even be visiting us next spring so I'm looking forward to that.  I was also very blessed to work with some great people at the various jobs I've had there, as well as some people that I am now blessed to not have to work with but that's another subject!  Anyway, we'll be in Spokane tonight and that means it's just a short drive (another 6 hours) until we reach our destination.  Viva la Washington!

Bungee cords???

Yeah ok, so maybe I was in a hurry and thought the would hold that annoying tote...and I was wrong. You know what though?  I'm glad it's gone!  Now let's all just stop talking about it before I develop a complex.  On a different note I would like to apologize to all those who call Wyoming their home state as it could very well be the most boring drive we ever take.  Disclaimer:  This in no way reflects the way I think about the good people of Wyoming.  Montana here we come!

Driving, driving, and more driving

Today is Monday, and things were so hectic yesterday that we were unable to post an update.  We left Amarillo, TX at about 1:30pm.  We got a late start because we had a luggage casualty.  Let's just say there is a reason that women have "intuitions" about some things, and they should probably not be taken with a grain of salt :).  There was a rubbermaid tub that we stocked with extra things we would need once we got to Washington, mainly extra diapers, bibs, wipes, and cups for Kaylee.  It also had a few other things in it but I can't remember exactly what it was.  Well....on our way back to pick up Lilly after lunch, the tub popped off the top of the Xterra and busted all over I-40.  We pulled over and immediately determined there was no safe way to retrieve it.  Before we left town we stopped at Target to stock up again.  I can laugh about it now, only because we used Bunjee (sp?) cords to strap it down.  I didn't think it would hold and I wanted to get some ratchet tie-downs, and apparently I was right.  Oh well, live and learn. But I can say that I am now absolutely paranoid of the bag that is still on top holding our suitcases and Kaylee's stroller.  It's made to be strapped to the top of the car, and we followed the instructions exactly, but I'm still nervous.  I find myself watching the car shadow every second I can just to get a glimpse of the load. 

Due to our late start, we didn't get as far as we wanted to.  Originally we were shooting to spend the night in Colorado Springs, CO. We only made it to Trinidad, CO before Kaylee was done for the night.  Unfortunately for us...Trinidad is between two tourist towns so the hotel rates were ridiculous.  Only a select few hotels accepted pets though so we had to settle for a Best Western, which was more than what we wanted to spend.  We got a good night's sleep though and headed out today at 8:30am.  As I write this, we are entering Colorado Springs, CO.  We'll probably eat lunch in Denver if we get that far.

Our plan is to stop for the night in Sheridan, WY.  We've booked at hotel room at the Motel 6 there to hopefully save some cash.  Kaylee's doing good. She's totally entrigued by the fact that there is a DVD player in the car now.  That's pretty much all she wants to do though, lol.  She's having a bit of trouble sleeping at night though, so tonight she will probably be in bed with one of us. 

Jon plans on writing tonight, so for now I better go check on how much homework I have due this week...yikes!

And the countdown begins....

Today starts the official countdown to our big move!  I stayed home this morning in order to meet the moving trailer that will be transporting all of our belongings to Washington.  We decided to use ABF Freight.  They seemed the most dependable and it fit within our budget.  They dropped the trailer off today, and we will load it throughtout the next 3 days, then they will pick it up on Monday and take off.  Jon, Kaylee, Lilly (our dog) and I will actually leave on Sunday though, just so we can get a head start.  We plan on going to early church service, grab a bite to eat for lunch, and then head out.  We wouldn't feel right if we didn't go to Victory one last time before we head out.  We're on God's journey now so it is only fitting to soak up as much as we can before we leave, right?

Tomorrow will be my last day at work.  I discovered that I had some holiday pay that was accrued so I will be leaving for good at 11:30am.  They had a get-together at work today and my co-workers said goodbye.  It's really hard to let your hard work over the last year get handed off to someone else.  I know it is in capable hands though.  Jon's last day will be tomorrow as well, but he will work the full day.  I'm also going to cash in what is left of my Valentine's Day gift card and get that 1-hour massage that I've been dreaming of for months :). 

We have spent almost every night this week with a different set of friends who wanted to see us off.  We had dinner at the Cooksey home yesterday (Courtney, Corey, Carrie and Colton).  We will have dinner with the Meyer's tomorrow night (Colby, Jamie, Konner, Lexi & Logyn).  I get to have lunch with my dear friend Bonita Ramsey tomorrow after work.  Gosh, I wish I could spend 2 whole weeks and be sure to visit everyone who is close to me, but there is just not enough days in the week.  I know they all understand though and wish us well.  I was able to take a good picture of me and one of my oldest friends, Sandie (Jones) Denson at Kaylee's early birthday party.  She is someone who I have been in and out of touch with over the last few years but she has consistently been on my mind and heart.  I love that girl and her whole family.  I remember back when we used to do her paper route together and her Grandma would drive us around the neighborhood to do it after school.  *Memories*

Kaylee seems to be having a bit of a rough week, and it is hard as a mother to not feel guilty for causing her stress right now.  Her teacher, Miss Jenny, at daycare knows that we are moving though and she is being very patient with Kaylee.  I just hate that she is a bit more "out of sorts".  I will be relieved when we can get her in her own room, with her normal bed and pink & brown polka dots on the walls again.  I can't wait to see that little girl run free in a Washington park field :).

So....three days and counting.....God, please keep us grounded over the next few days and help us to stay calm throughout one of the most stressing times.  We know this is the plan you have for us, and we are along for the ride in your journey.  I can't wait to see what happens!

Washington or Bust!

We had a wonderful early 2nd birthday party for Kaylee, as well as a going away party for our family.  Many wonderful friends and family came to spend this special time with us, and it meant the world to Jon and I.  Kaylee enjoyed playing with all of the children.  Kaylee received more clothes than we ever could have asked for, and we are so very thankful for all the wonderful gifts.  As we announced at the party, we got an apartment!!  We will be living in Bellingham, WA when we move in 2 weeks.  It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom.  This will be the largest apartment we have ever lived in, and we are so very excited!  Jon said it is close to downtown Bellingham. 

We went to church this morning, and I could not have asked for a better message for Jon and I to hear.  The best part of the service for me was the worship.  I did not realize how much stress and worry I had on my shoulders until we got to church and started the worship service.  All of a sudden I found myself in tears, but they were happy tears.  To realize that God has made our dream of moving to Washington finally come true was exceptionally humbling.  It is hard to allow yourself to feel every emotion you are going through all at once.  I try to selectively process my emotions, or else I will be a wreck!  Well, I finally let it all go.  The stress, excitement, worry, anxiety, and exhaustion just all fell down to the floor.  I finally felt like God took it all away and said "Let me do this for you, stop trying to do it yourself!"  As a Christian, we all know that God is bigger than we can ever imagine, but we also have a hard time letting go of things and giving them to God for Him to handle.  Jon and I have dreamed of moving to Washington for many years, and to see this dream finally coming true just makes me speechless.  We want Kaylee to grow up there, and I am passionate about following my dream career there as well. 

We are so lucky to have had the experiences here together over the last [almost] 8 years.  Now that Kaylee has joined our lives together we can't wait to experience new adventures with her as well.  This is officially our first family blog post. I hope you follow us and join in our happiness while we experience this wonderful adventure!!

*Family pictures were taken by our dear friend Colby Meyer, Amarillo, TX