Brain Purge

• I have a "To Do" list that is way longer than I want it to be and there is no end in sight.
• The emotional part of the move has started for me.  I go through phases.  Sometimes it hits me, and sometimes it feel like we aren't moving at all.
• We STILL have no official word from Idaho.  We are staying strong in our faith and trusting that God will provide us the answers we are seeking.
• I have a plan A, B, C, D, E, F, and G for just about every aspect of this move.
• I don't think Jared has any idea what is coming, only that he gets to go to Disneyland and then visit family.
• I don't think I have any idea what is coming.  Period.
• I have tried to keep myself super organized, and for the most part, I have been, but I know that there are going to be things that I didn't think of, and that frustrates me.
• I have been eating a lot of humble pie lately.  Stress can make me mean, and I am taking it out on all the wrong people.
• Jared favorite thing about this move:  he gets to move suitcases around and sit in them and pack them and unpack them and do it all over again.
• I wanted to be able to move with less than 5 suitcases, and I think we are going to have 6.
• I am going to miss my friends, a lot.  I am older now, and it's a lot harder to make friends than it was when I was 8.  I can't just offer someone a friendship bracelet and ask them to swing with me.
• Oddly enough, I have grown closer to friends rather than pushed them away as the end comes.  I thought for sure I would not want to hang out/talk to most of the people I love out here, simply because it would be easier.  But, I find that I am treasuring each moment I get with these people.
• I feel like all I talk about these days is this move, and that is because that is mostly what is going on in our lives.
• I bought myself a new Bible study book that will demand my time 5 days a week.  I am excited to get closer to God, and maybe let the other things fall away. 
• I wish I knew what tomorrow was going to bring, but for the moment, I am hoping to get through today with less tears, less stress, fewer things on my to do list, and more love than yesterday.

Garbage men are good helpers

I think that Jared must be at the age where he wants to help with everything.  If anything in the house is getting done, he always wants to be in the thick of it.  If there isn't house work to be done (which, let's face it, isn't often), he will treck into the laundry room and take our DIRTY laundry into the living room to be folded.  I do not condone this practice, because it is just nasty. 

Whenever Jared is being a good helper we always praise him and tell him what a big and good helper he is being. 

Now, whenever he asks us for something and we concede, he always tells us that we are a good helper.  It is quite amusing.  He will also tell others that he doesn't know that they are good helpers.  Often to the stares of those strangers who have no clue what he is talking about.

This morning Jared heard the trash truck coming and he sat at the window to watch them pick up all of the trash cans and collect the trash.  As the truck drove away, Jared was sure to tell them what a great helper they were.  That's right, not a good helper, but a great helper.  I had to chuckle into my breakfast.

An Update of Sorts

I guess it is pretty obvious that I haven't been keeping up on my blog very well.  Things have been a little crazy/hectic around here and I have not had a moment to spare. 

We are all moved into the house that we are staying in until we leave the island.  We are so thankful for the friends that we have who have allowed us this extraordinary favor.  Jared is still trying to find new things to get into here, but for the most part, he has settled in nicely.

Shortly after we moved into this house, my mom came to play with us one last time.  We got to celebrate the 4th of July together and do some "sight seeing" with her.  We enjoyed doing some of these things for the last time before our departure from this beautiful island.

Tomorrow Brandon leaves for Idaho to take a test and interview for a position that he is desperately hoping to start working at.  God has opened a lot of doors about this particular place for us, but we are still praying that He leads us where He wants us to be.  I don't do well at night by myself, but then, this too is all part of the process.  I TRUST God enough to know that He has all of our best interests at heart.  He will not lead us astray, and that includes me while Brandon is away.  He won't be gone that long, I think a total of about 63 hours, and at least 20 of those hours he will spend on an airplane or at an airport.  I have the easy part of this job.  I am thankful that Brandon loves us enough to go and pursue this dream.  It would be a wonderful opportunity for all of us, if it works out the way it seems to be.  More details to follow after the interview.

Now for some pictures of the fun we have been having in July:

         Looking at the fish in the aquarium/Getting ready to go swim with the dolphins with Nana

Swimming with the dolphins

Feeding the sea lion

Fourth of July fun

 Looking at the all the hungry fish

Looking at everything going by

Putting Legos together with Nana (building a cool airplane)

Flying a kite for the first time

Loving flying the kite

All tuckered out.