We're feeling more at home now

Here are few pictures to tide you over ;-)














So our things have been here for almost a week and slowly but surely we're feeling more at home and more settled every day. We found when we got our stuff that many of our larger items were damaged along the way. After everything else now our stuff is scratched or water stained or has this black grease like stuff all over it. Especially the boys WHITE baby furniture. We feel like God is really asking us to put action to our words and really back up what we've been saying when we say it's just stuff and if need be it can be replaced. No stuff for a month, many different dates of arrival then when it does arrive, it's all dirty, damaged and stained. So frustrating. But I've had to remind myself several times while cleaning all the boys furniture again that it's just stuff. For me it's hard because I like to plan things and this was not my plan. I carefully picked each piece of furniture in their room to match just the way I waned. I picked it to last for a long time, knowing that they will most likely use it till they leave our house. I picked it practically and economically knowing we have never really bought new furniture so I wanted this to be perfect. Now it's functional, but not attractive at all. But God keeps reminding me in light of our circumstances and everything going on in he world, that our furniture being damaged isn't really that big of a deal. If we choose to replace it we will. (Don't worry I am filing a damage claim with the company and I'll be asking them to replace it for me)
God has taught us so many things throughout this journey or as Scott says, Chapter 5 of our book. God has shown us His faithfulness time and time again. Bill bought me a Beth Moore devotional journal. It has been amazing. Every time I pick it up I'm amazed that the things she wrote long again are so pertinent to my life right now. God has really used her writings to help me through this time. She wrote in my reading the other day "God chose David. On the surface, the choice made no sense. But God doesn't work on sense; He works on grace."So what I needed to hear at that moment. Sometimes the places God puts us and the situations He has us go through don't make a lot of sense to us. Sometimes we're just plain dumbfounded at why He does what He does. But I would follow this journey any day. It's hard yet easy at the same time. God has taken away much of my worry about our situation. I am so thankful that my Savior loves me unconditionally. Even when I worry, even when I disappoint Him, even when I just down right fail. He loves me. A chorus of an older song keeps running through my head this week and it says "How I love you, child I love you, how I love you." I have been reminded of God's love for me so much as we live through this journey every day.
We still aren't 100% sure what God wants for us at this point. We are pursuing some job opportunities but we don't have anything set in stone right now. We know He will provide the perfect job but still giving us the opportunity to serve Him in a full time capacity.

Thank you Jesus.

Thank you Jesus our belongings are finally in Florida with us! After one months and one day, many phone calls, many frustrated moment and just shear frustration our belonging are actually here and as far as I can tell everything arrived. There's a bit of damage on a few things but nothing we're going to die over. The important things that can't be replaced are here and fine. Even the things that can be replaced are fine. I know Bill was super happy to see his PS3 and his TV come off the truck. We've gotten used to that big TV at home. The house we're staying in has a little 21" TV. We are very thankful that it's here and we've had a TV for the last few weeks, but after watching a movie last night and struggling to see the screen I'm thankful our TV is here. We can't really complain because God has provided everything we need and much more while we've been without our things. Now we just need to pray that the moving company honors their word and reimburses us for the things we had to purchase.

We are still alive.....

You would think moving to a new place, not having our stuff yet and not having jobs we wouldn't be that busy. Well, it's been the opposite. First, we've been on the phone a lot talking to people about getting jobs, getting the things we need to get jobs and just surviving every day with two boys 16 months apart.
Isaac is bigger and more independent than ever. He turned 18 months on Thursday. He weighs a little over 30lbs. Such a big boy. He is loving his Aunt M and hanging out with Nana and Poppy. However he's being a big stinker lately and refuses to give Nana any hugs or kisses. If Aunt M is around he only wants Aunt M to help him. He loves Nana's pool, but doesn't care much for the ocean. As you'll see, he loves playing in the sand. When we first went to the ocean, he would shake and scream every time the water touched his toes. By the end of the time their, he would at least tolerate the water, but didn't want to get in it. He loves throwing the sand and running on the beach. He loves his brother so much, he gives him kisses every time he cries. It's so sweet. His new thing is baseball. Check out these video. Video 1 Video 2 His first word in the morning is baseball, baseball, baseball. It's cute that he immediately goes wild every time he sees a ball or baseball hat.
Noah is getting so big. He weighs about 11 pounds right now and wearing 3 month clothes. Isaac wasn't this big until he was 4 months old. Noah is extremely expressive lately. Those precious little baby smiles make all the crying and the lack of sleep worth it. He's starting to get very vocal as well. If you talk to him, we joke that he talks back. He makes all these little sounds and it's so cute. We've got him on a pretty decent schedule now. He's sleeping 4-5 hours at a time during the night which is wonderful for me. I might actually get caught up on a little sleep now. This morning no one in the house woke up until 8:15. For us, that's really sleeping in. I've been up every morning this week before 6 AM. Let me remind you I'm not a morning person. I'm afraid Noah is going to be one of those little boys that has his pacifier forever. If he drops it out of his mouth, even while he's sleeping, he goes crazy and screams bloody murder. We've tried to let him cry it out, even letting him cry 10-15 minutes at a time. Usually he gets crying so hard he starts coughing and chokes himself.
All in all, things are good. We're just waiting to see what God's next step is for us. He is continuing to bless us in everything we do.
Now we're just waiting for our stuff to arrive. Hopefully it should be here on Wednesday, exactly one month from the time we packed it on the truck. I'm not even sure that Isaac is going to know what to do with a bed he can actually stretch out in.

We played on a playground in the mall and he loved it.

Noah was worn out after all that playing ;-)

A common theme in our house, Isaac kissing Noah constantly.

My 3 boys.

He had to have this hat at a Wal-mart in Ohio. He wear it to watch baseball on TV.

He really was trying to give love, not hitting him.

Noah decided to wear the hat.

Celebrating my 31st birthday.

They are all smiling, it only took 10 pictures to get this.

Isaac's first trip to the beach.