This week coincidence (or God, perhaps?) brought a song to my memory that I hadn't thought of in YEARS. Like, since junior high. I downloaded it onto I-tunes on my new lappy and had a good listen and then a good cry. It was exactly what I so badly needed to hear right now in the midst of dealing with the following:
1) A new pregnancy
2) My hubby and I living apart for 6 weeks
3) My hubby's new job
4) Quitting my job
5) Leaving my home of nearly 9 years
6) Praying for our house to sell
7) Moving toward only one smaller income
(Are your freak out hormones raging like mine yet?)
8) Changing churches
9)Making new friends
10) Finding a new, affordable, decent home to live in
11) Being a psycho already even when things are sane in my life
12) Going from full time time career mommy to a very part time SAHM
13) Mother of one in diapers to mother of two in diapers
As you can see, I am struggling a bit. But as I listened to this song, there was a line that stuck out:
"I can't go with you
And stay where I am
So you move me "
The biggest blessings in my life have come out of obedience to God. I met Ryland after God asked me to break it off with a boy. I received a scholarship to UCO because I felt like God was leading me away from some others areas in high school and focusing me on leadership. I had Isaac after being obedient to God's call to trust him to build my family. God is at work and is moving all around in my life right now. Because He loves me He gives me a choice. I can stay in my safe little house, with my safe little job, and my safe little income. Or I can go with Him. After examining the last years of my life how can I come to any other conclusion. Going with Hiom is scary, its risky, and like therapy - there are truly no guarantees. But God has proven over and over that there are so many blessings waiting if I am obedient and I go with Him. So as he whistles in the dark and illuminates all the mysteries yet to be seen, I am choosing to follow with my heart- laughing all the way, even though there may be a few anxious tears in my eyes at the time.
If you actually go to my blog page, you can hear the song. If not, here are the lyrics.
You Move Me- Susan Ashton
This is how it seems to me
Life is only therapy
Real expensiveAnd no guarantee
So I lie here on the couch
With my heart hanging out
Frozen solid with fear
Like a rock in the ground
Oh but you move me
You give me courage
I didn't Know I had
You move me on
I can't go with you
And stay where I am
So you move me
Here is how love was to me
I could look and not see
Going through the emotions
Not knowin' what they mean
And it scared me so much
That I just wouldn't budge
I might have stayed there forever
If not for your touch
Oh but you move me
Out of myself and into the fire
You move me
Now I'm burning with love
And with hope and desire
How you move me
You go whistling in the dark
Making light of it
Making light of it
And I follow with my heart
Laughing all the way
Oh 'cause you move me
You get me dancing and youmake me sing
You move me
Now I'm taking delight
In every little thing
How you move me
Please keep me in your prayers during this season of change.
Happy note: We find out the sex of baby Russell #2 on May 22. Results will be posted here. Stay tuned!
Moving,
Mindy
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
ADHD List
1. I am typing this post from my BRAND NEW LAPTOP!!!!! I cannot begin to tell you how flippin excited I am. I love it. It is pretty and black and shiny. And allegedly it is a really great computer. I don't do technology, so I trust my tech savvy hubby when he tells me things are good.
2. I have a new obsession. I know I am at least three years behind, but I have started following the pioneer woman's blog. For one thing, the background for all her stories take place in Bartlesville and Osage County. I can totally relate to all of her locational references. She recently talked about Murphy's Hot Hamburgers. My kinda girl. I just watched her on The View today via my new laptop. I love her. Maybe a little too much. Maybe a bit on the crazy obsessive fan way.
3. My hubby moves to Owasso in 5 days. I am freaking out a little bit. My house is not sold. There are some circumstances surrounding the move that I am less than thrilled with and I hate the idea that Isaac will not see his Daddy for 4 days out of each week. Please pray for us. Pray that God will sell our house SOON, that my life here as a single mom will be uneventful, that I will have peace, and that God will help (stubborn, hard-headed) me to be content in all our circumstances. And pray that the next 6 weeks will go FAST!!!
4. I could not possibly understand taxes any less than I do. Not by a long shot. The last 2 years, we were sure we would owe huge and we received in excess of $1300. This year after some hefty deductions such as a BABY, hospital & medical bills for a BABY, childcare credit for a BABY, and an ear tube surgery for the BABY, thousands and thousands of dollars- we owe. We owe only $270. Not a budget busting amount. But still, we owe. It may be my hormones or the fact that everything sound in my life is about to be stripped away, but I really would have liked to have a refund with a new baby coming, my future as a SAHM, and an impending move.
5. I am also 5 days away from my second trimester with this little cupcake growing in my belly. Ryland and I have chosen names for it that we really love and are looking forward to sharing them as soon as we find out the sex. Everything I read says that it is way too early but I really feel like I feel the little tator tot wiggling sometimes. Maybe it's just gas, but whatever it is, it is very reassuring. :)
6. How bout big Mike's kick off and save on Idol this week. Holy cow! Here's my top 4: Crystal, Big Mike, Casey, and Siobhan. What do you think?
7. I have a confession. I have shamefully, in secret, been playing a game called Papaya Farm on my i-phone. I didn't want to farm on facebook because I loathe/hate/detest getting 50 updates a day about people's farm. I understand their addiction, but I also don't want to alienate my friends. So I have been playing in secret. But thank God, I'm over it now. I am going to delete it from my phone soon. I think. Is there such a thing as free app hoarding? I think I just invented my own new mental illness.
8. To all my preggo buddies- If you do not have a bella band, you will be sorry. I have gotten fat so fast this time around. I haven't gained a pound but my belly is ginormous already. I am not fat enough for full on maternity pants, but I can't button my normal stuff. The bella band is saving my gut. You should consider shelling out the $30 to get one. Or borrow one from a momma who isn't using it. I can't believe I went my whole first pregnancy without it.
9. I pity vote for Kate Gosselin every week on DWTS. I want her to have money for her cute kids even if she is the worst dancer ever. She is not a perfect, or even a very nice person, but she has had a hard year and I feel like maybe a vote from a fellow sympathetic (or maybe just pathetic) mom may help her provide for her kids. I need to cut back on my reality TV time. DVR has ruined my life.
10. I am going to leave you with a video of the cutest little guy ever watching his DVD, "Curious Buddies on the Farm". The song he likes is called "Cows, Chickens, and Pigs". He is mooing along and even snorts like a pig at one point. For those who are judging my parenting, and the fact that I let my 14 month old watch TV, I have one question. Is your kid mooing???He loves mooing and he loves Sesame Street.
It's a hard knock life raising a baby genius. Click it and love it.
http://www.vimeo.com/10818206
2. I have a new obsession. I know I am at least three years behind, but I have started following the pioneer woman's blog. For one thing, the background for all her stories take place in Bartlesville and Osage County. I can totally relate to all of her locational references. She recently talked about Murphy's Hot Hamburgers. My kinda girl. I just watched her on The View today via my new laptop. I love her. Maybe a little too much. Maybe a bit on the crazy obsessive fan way.
3. My hubby moves to Owasso in 5 days. I am freaking out a little bit. My house is not sold. There are some circumstances surrounding the move that I am less than thrilled with and I hate the idea that Isaac will not see his Daddy for 4 days out of each week. Please pray for us. Pray that God will sell our house SOON, that my life here as a single mom will be uneventful, that I will have peace, and that God will help (stubborn, hard-headed) me to be content in all our circumstances. And pray that the next 6 weeks will go FAST!!!
4. I could not possibly understand taxes any less than I do. Not by a long shot. The last 2 years, we were sure we would owe huge and we received in excess of $1300. This year after some hefty deductions such as a BABY, hospital & medical bills for a BABY, childcare credit for a BABY, and an ear tube surgery for the BABY, thousands and thousands of dollars- we owe. We owe only $270. Not a budget busting amount. But still, we owe. It may be my hormones or the fact that everything sound in my life is about to be stripped away, but I really would have liked to have a refund with a new baby coming, my future as a SAHM, and an impending move.
5. I am also 5 days away from my second trimester with this little cupcake growing in my belly. Ryland and I have chosen names for it that we really love and are looking forward to sharing them as soon as we find out the sex. Everything I read says that it is way too early but I really feel like I feel the little tator tot wiggling sometimes. Maybe it's just gas, but whatever it is, it is very reassuring. :)
6. How bout big Mike's kick off and save on Idol this week. Holy cow! Here's my top 4: Crystal, Big Mike, Casey, and Siobhan. What do you think?
7. I have a confession. I have shamefully, in secret, been playing a game called Papaya Farm on my i-phone. I didn't want to farm on facebook because I loathe/hate/detest getting 50 updates a day about people's farm. I understand their addiction, but I also don't want to alienate my friends. So I have been playing in secret. But thank God, I'm over it now. I am going to delete it from my phone soon. I think. Is there such a thing as free app hoarding? I think I just invented my own new mental illness.
8. To all my preggo buddies- If you do not have a bella band, you will be sorry. I have gotten fat so fast this time around. I haven't gained a pound but my belly is ginormous already. I am not fat enough for full on maternity pants, but I can't button my normal stuff. The bella band is saving my gut. You should consider shelling out the $30 to get one. Or borrow one from a momma who isn't using it. I can't believe I went my whole first pregnancy without it.
9. I pity vote for Kate Gosselin every week on DWTS. I want her to have money for her cute kids even if she is the worst dancer ever. She is not a perfect, or even a very nice person, but she has had a hard year and I feel like maybe a vote from a fellow sympathetic (or maybe just pathetic) mom may help her provide for her kids. I need to cut back on my reality TV time. DVR has ruined my life.
10. I am going to leave you with a video of the cutest little guy ever watching his DVD, "Curious Buddies on the Farm". The song he likes is called "Cows, Chickens, and Pigs". He is mooing along and even snorts like a pig at one point. For those who are judging my parenting, and the fact that I let my 14 month old watch TV, I have one question. Is your kid mooing???He loves mooing and he loves Sesame Street.
It's a hard knock life raising a baby genius. Click it and love it.
http://www.vimeo.com/10818206
All my love,
Mindy
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Updates: A Comedy in 3 Acts
Act 3: God Still Laughs
(BUT FIRST, A BRAGGADOCIOS SIDE NOTE)
Before I launch into this post, I need to brag on my baby boy. Again. He is 13 months old now and I somehow missed this big parenting tip that you are NEVER supposed to give whole milk in a bottle. That is supposed to only be a sippy cup thing. Formula and breastmilk go in bottles. Big boy whole milk goes in sippy cups. I missed the boat. I didn't read enough of my tips for everything in the world parenting e-mails that I get. I must have been too preoccupied with other things. So I have dreaded the switch to a sippy cup only existence. I decided to wait until spring break so that our babysitters don't have to bear the brunt of Isaac's frustration. So on Monday, we started the day with a sippy instead of a bottle. He hated it for the most part, but at naptime, he took his sippy like a champ without so much as a whimper. The evening bottle was uneventfully changed to a bottle with no complaining, and the dreaded night-night bottle was changed to a sippy with daddy and a little boy who drifted right to sleep. It was so easy! I have been praying about the transition since I knew it was coming soon and God just let him accept it so easily. He's such a good kid.
But even more exciting on Monday: HE WALKED! My baby took his first steps. Ryland and I were sitting on the couches, we looked over to see Isaac standing in the middle of the room smiling with no help. So being the big goofballs we are, we both started crying and spent the rest of the evening trying to get him to walk in between us. He did sometimes, but it had to be his idea. 2 milestones in a day. It's like he grew so much in 24 hours. We both work full time and both feel like we miss so much, so witnessing this miraculous first together was a gift from God. But in His grace and goodness, he let us both see it. And we will never forget it.
(THE REAL POST)
As my long-time blog followers know. I started this blog in 2008 to chronicle what I thought was going to be an adoption story, and the story of my struggle with infertility. But as I poured out my heart in text, God changed my course and blessed me with my biological son and made me happier than I ever thought I could be, while giving me a ministry to other women who were living the same things that I was. It also allowed me to heal and grieve the loss of my Aunt Karla and my three precious glory babies. I have been able to chronicle some of the most special times of my life and my sweet hubby has preserved them for me in a book that will be a legacy and a keepsake for my children. But my story is far from over.
Because I am pregnant again.
I am morning sickness, clothes too tight, giddy, ecstatic, pregnant.
At the end of last year my overly planning, control freak, too small faith side, started worrying. What if it takes another three years to have another baby? What if I can't ever have another baby? What if we lose more babies? What if it doesn't happen until after I turn 30 and my risk factors go up?
Have I learned NOTHING? God is so much bigger than all of that stuff. I should know that by now.
Ryland and I began to pray about how God would grow our family and if He would grow our family. We told him that our heart's desire was to have more children but that we trusted that He knew best for us. We felt that God had showed us that it was okay for us to begin trying. We decided that we would begin trying in January 2010.
On Ryland's birthday on February 6, after a long birthday party day, we came home and I took a positive pregnancy test. He didn't know that I was taking it. He was unloading the car. I came out of the bathroom and handed it to him saying, "happy birthday, daddy". We were overjoyed and completely shocked at how easy it was! I think I am healed.
I shared a LONG time ago in a previous post about the time that God gave me the passage in 2 Kings about the Shunnemite women who served Elisha and God gave her a son in a year's time. God spoke clearly to me then and that is when I really knew in my heart that our son was coming. Well, the God of no coincidences, put that very passage into our Sunday School lesson. I have never heard that passage preached on or spoken on in church, ever. It was divine confirmation that this pregnancy was a keeper and I didn't need to waste any time being scared of a miscarriage or anything else. God had already done the hard work. My job was just to bask in the blessing.
So as of today, I am 9 weeks pregnant. My sweet little tator tot has shown us its heartbeat twice. It is about an inch long and has arms and legs. I have been extremely sick, but not as sick as I was with Isaac. Very different sick. My projected due date is October 20. A week before my birthday. Ryland laughed and thinks it serves me right to have to share my birthday month with Tator since he has to share his with Isaac. And to help out my math conscious friends, my kids will be 20 and 1/2 months apart. I would have chosen to space them out farther than that, but God has always been much better at working those thing out so I think I'll trust him there too. But I might kick you if you make a comment such as "Wow, two under two" or "Two in diapers!". Just a warning.
So as you can see, my cup is full right now. We are praying for our house to sale, our upcoming move, and that God will carefully and perfectly form our new Tator Tot. It is all so far from over. And as I look forward with hope, resting in God's care, I can almost hear quiet laughter. God is still working. And I am joyfully anticipating the outcome.
Mindy
(BUT FIRST, A BRAGGADOCIOS SIDE NOTE)
Before I launch into this post, I need to brag on my baby boy. Again. He is 13 months old now and I somehow missed this big parenting tip that you are NEVER supposed to give whole milk in a bottle. That is supposed to only be a sippy cup thing. Formula and breastmilk go in bottles. Big boy whole milk goes in sippy cups. I missed the boat. I didn't read enough of my tips for everything in the world parenting e-mails that I get. I must have been too preoccupied with other things. So I have dreaded the switch to a sippy cup only existence. I decided to wait until spring break so that our babysitters don't have to bear the brunt of Isaac's frustration. So on Monday, we started the day with a sippy instead of a bottle. He hated it for the most part, but at naptime, he took his sippy like a champ without so much as a whimper. The evening bottle was uneventfully changed to a bottle with no complaining, and the dreaded night-night bottle was changed to a sippy with daddy and a little boy who drifted right to sleep. It was so easy! I have been praying about the transition since I knew it was coming soon and God just let him accept it so easily. He's such a good kid.
But even more exciting on Monday: HE WALKED! My baby took his first steps. Ryland and I were sitting on the couches, we looked over to see Isaac standing in the middle of the room smiling with no help. So being the big goofballs we are, we both started crying and spent the rest of the evening trying to get him to walk in between us. He did sometimes, but it had to be his idea. 2 milestones in a day. It's like he grew so much in 24 hours. We both work full time and both feel like we miss so much, so witnessing this miraculous first together was a gift from God. But in His grace and goodness, he let us both see it. And we will never forget it.
(THE REAL POST)
As my long-time blog followers know. I started this blog in 2008 to chronicle what I thought was going to be an adoption story, and the story of my struggle with infertility. But as I poured out my heart in text, God changed my course and blessed me with my biological son and made me happier than I ever thought I could be, while giving me a ministry to other women who were living the same things that I was. It also allowed me to heal and grieve the loss of my Aunt Karla and my three precious glory babies. I have been able to chronicle some of the most special times of my life and my sweet hubby has preserved them for me in a book that will be a legacy and a keepsake for my children. But my story is far from over.
Because I am pregnant again.
I am morning sickness, clothes too tight, giddy, ecstatic, pregnant.
At the end of last year my overly planning, control freak, too small faith side, started worrying. What if it takes another three years to have another baby? What if I can't ever have another baby? What if we lose more babies? What if it doesn't happen until after I turn 30 and my risk factors go up?
Have I learned NOTHING? God is so much bigger than all of that stuff. I should know that by now.
Ryland and I began to pray about how God would grow our family and if He would grow our family. We told him that our heart's desire was to have more children but that we trusted that He knew best for us. We felt that God had showed us that it was okay for us to begin trying. We decided that we would begin trying in January 2010.
On Ryland's birthday on February 6, after a long birthday party day, we came home and I took a positive pregnancy test. He didn't know that I was taking it. He was unloading the car. I came out of the bathroom and handed it to him saying, "happy birthday, daddy". We were overjoyed and completely shocked at how easy it was! I think I am healed.
I shared a LONG time ago in a previous post about the time that God gave me the passage in 2 Kings about the Shunnemite women who served Elisha and God gave her a son in a year's time. God spoke clearly to me then and that is when I really knew in my heart that our son was coming. Well, the God of no coincidences, put that very passage into our Sunday School lesson. I have never heard that passage preached on or spoken on in church, ever. It was divine confirmation that this pregnancy was a keeper and I didn't need to waste any time being scared of a miscarriage or anything else. God had already done the hard work. My job was just to bask in the blessing.
So as of today, I am 9 weeks pregnant. My sweet little tator tot has shown us its heartbeat twice. It is about an inch long and has arms and legs. I have been extremely sick, but not as sick as I was with Isaac. Very different sick. My projected due date is October 20. A week before my birthday. Ryland laughed and thinks it serves me right to have to share my birthday month with Tator since he has to share his with Isaac. And to help out my math conscious friends, my kids will be 20 and 1/2 months apart. I would have chosen to space them out farther than that, but God has always been much better at working those thing out so I think I'll trust him there too. But I might kick you if you make a comment such as "Wow, two under two" or "Two in diapers!". Just a warning.
So as you can see, my cup is full right now. We are praying for our house to sale, our upcoming move, and that God will carefully and perfectly form our new Tator Tot. It is all so far from over. And as I look forward with hope, resting in God's care, I can almost hear quiet laughter. God is still working. And I am joyfully anticipating the outcome.
Mindy
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Updates: A Comedy in 3 Acts
Act 2- Dare You to Move
As I stated in my last post. One of my biggest prayers over the last year has been that God would make it possible for me to spend more time at home with Isaac. Please don't get me wrong, I love my job. Teaching is my passion and calling. I am in a career where I get to witness miracles. As much as I love teaching, I love Isaac more. But at the same time, if God asks me to stay at work, I will, because He knows best. But I am happy to share that God has released me from teaching for a few seasons and is giving me more days with Isaac.
This post is dedicated to the amazing past and the bright future.
Last Septemberish there was a classified ad in the Baptist Messenger. Let me be quick to point out that we do not peruse the Baptist Messenger for career opportunities- we have never been that way. Ryland's jobs have come through recommendations from other people or word of mouth. Let me also point out that we are not unhappy with Ryland's current job. I don't want anyone to get that idea either. Anyways, I believe that God showed it to me for a reason. The way the description was written, it was seeking a "Worship and Media Arts Pastor" for a church that had everything form senior adults to a skate church. Something about it made me tell Ryland that the description sounded like it was perfect for him. He is amazing at media stuff and even more phenomenal as a musician. We were actual speaking with another church about a different position at the time and God very clearly told us that job was a "no". So several weeks later we came back to that ad and prayed about the possibility of looking into it. God confirmed to both of us that He desired for us to proceed. We dusted off Ry's resume and sent it in. Over several months, a few phone interviews, a meeting or two with the search team, and a lovely weekend meeting the church family, God called us to go to Central Baptist Church in Owasso, Oklahoma.
We have no doubt that God lead us every step of the way to this place. There are some amazing blessings that were wrapped in with this new job.
1) Ryland's income is increasing enough that I am going to be able to stay home part time. I am planning to work at the pre-school at their church three days a week and take Isaac with me. I get Mondays and Fridays to be a stay at home mommy. I am crying with joy as I type this. God is so good! Don't get me wrong, we are not going to be rich, we just have an opportunity to scale back in some areas and make it work.
2) My two childhood best friends live in Owasso. Charity, Aubrey, and I were born within 2 weeks of each other, grew up in church together, went to school together, have been through EVERYTHING together. And I have no doubt that God has planned for us to be back in each other's lives for a reason. My Morgan from my teenage years is also across town. I am so excited!
3) I am 40 minutes away from my parents and grandparents. I have missed family things for 9 years and I am looking forward to making up for lost time.
Things that are sacrifices:
1) Lane and Jilian- Ryland and I are both leaving siblings here in the OKC metro. I don't even think we know how much we are going to miss them yet. I have loved being part of my nieces and nephew's lives. I love that we can randomly meet for dinner or be together for any tragedy or celebration. This part hurts.
2) 9 years of familiarity- The Edmond area has been my home since Fall 2001 when I moved here as a little college Freshman. I know this area. I have many precious friends here, and I love it here. This place is the setting to so many sweet memories. My first job, our first married home, our church homes, our alma mater. I will always love Edmond.
People ask me how I feel about it all. The only word that really fits is bittersweet. I am so thrilled to go, but just as sad to leave. I know that there are challenges ahead and so many sweet changes. We would be wrong to stay when God has so clearly set this in our path.
To my UCO Broncho Brothers and Sisters, HPBC, Ignitioners, EPS co-workers, WRBC Family, and my beloved brother and sister-in-love- You have all worked together to weave a tapestry of beautiful memories that have changed and impacted me in so many ways. There is not enough time for me to write it all out- it would fill books upon books. Thank you for investing in me, supporting me, grieving with me, and rejoicing with me. I will never be able to repay all that has been given to me. May God bless you all. Thank you for filling my life with beauty.
To my new family at Central, and my long neglected friends and family- Get ready, this is going to be epic!
Gratefully and Tearfully,
Mindy
As I stated in my last post. One of my biggest prayers over the last year has been that God would make it possible for me to spend more time at home with Isaac. Please don't get me wrong, I love my job. Teaching is my passion and calling. I am in a career where I get to witness miracles. As much as I love teaching, I love Isaac more. But at the same time, if God asks me to stay at work, I will, because He knows best. But I am happy to share that God has released me from teaching for a few seasons and is giving me more days with Isaac.
This post is dedicated to the amazing past and the bright future.
Last Septemberish there was a classified ad in the Baptist Messenger. Let me be quick to point out that we do not peruse the Baptist Messenger for career opportunities- we have never been that way. Ryland's jobs have come through recommendations from other people or word of mouth. Let me also point out that we are not unhappy with Ryland's current job. I don't want anyone to get that idea either. Anyways, I believe that God showed it to me for a reason. The way the description was written, it was seeking a "Worship and Media Arts Pastor" for a church that had everything form senior adults to a skate church. Something about it made me tell Ryland that the description sounded like it was perfect for him. He is amazing at media stuff and even more phenomenal as a musician. We were actual speaking with another church about a different position at the time and God very clearly told us that job was a "no". So several weeks later we came back to that ad and prayed about the possibility of looking into it. God confirmed to both of us that He desired for us to proceed. We dusted off Ry's resume and sent it in. Over several months, a few phone interviews, a meeting or two with the search team, and a lovely weekend meeting the church family, God called us to go to Central Baptist Church in Owasso, Oklahoma.
We have no doubt that God lead us every step of the way to this place. There are some amazing blessings that were wrapped in with this new job.
1) Ryland's income is increasing enough that I am going to be able to stay home part time. I am planning to work at the pre-school at their church three days a week and take Isaac with me. I get Mondays and Fridays to be a stay at home mommy. I am crying with joy as I type this. God is so good! Don't get me wrong, we are not going to be rich, we just have an opportunity to scale back in some areas and make it work.
2) My two childhood best friends live in Owasso. Charity, Aubrey, and I were born within 2 weeks of each other, grew up in church together, went to school together, have been through EVERYTHING together. And I have no doubt that God has planned for us to be back in each other's lives for a reason. My Morgan from my teenage years is also across town. I am so excited!
3) I am 40 minutes away from my parents and grandparents. I have missed family things for 9 years and I am looking forward to making up for lost time.
Things that are sacrifices:
1) Lane and Jilian- Ryland and I are both leaving siblings here in the OKC metro. I don't even think we know how much we are going to miss them yet. I have loved being part of my nieces and nephew's lives. I love that we can randomly meet for dinner or be together for any tragedy or celebration. This part hurts.
2) 9 years of familiarity- The Edmond area has been my home since Fall 2001 when I moved here as a little college Freshman. I know this area. I have many precious friends here, and I love it here. This place is the setting to so many sweet memories. My first job, our first married home, our church homes, our alma mater. I will always love Edmond.
People ask me how I feel about it all. The only word that really fits is bittersweet. I am so thrilled to go, but just as sad to leave. I know that there are challenges ahead and so many sweet changes. We would be wrong to stay when God has so clearly set this in our path.
To my UCO Broncho Brothers and Sisters, HPBC, Ignitioners, EPS co-workers, WRBC Family, and my beloved brother and sister-in-love- You have all worked together to weave a tapestry of beautiful memories that have changed and impacted me in so many ways. There is not enough time for me to write it all out- it would fill books upon books. Thank you for investing in me, supporting me, grieving with me, and rejoicing with me. I will never be able to repay all that has been given to me. May God bless you all. Thank you for filling my life with beauty.
To my new family at Central, and my long neglected friends and family- Get ready, this is going to be epic!
Gratefully and Tearfully,
Mindy
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