Blog Slacker

Really? I can't believe I've gone this long.  I once loved to write here at my blog (and imagine I still do if only I'd make the time), but obviously, I've been cheating on my blog with my Instagram.  Which is going really well, by the way.  Thanks for asking.  Nearly 10,000 posts over there, so obviously, that's where my time is going while neglecting this blog.

But hi.

Those of you who still "follow" me over here on the blog, thank you for being the most patient.  Or maybe you forgot you followed me and are now wondering who I am that is suddenly showing up in your recent posts feed.  Either way... hi.

Happy 2016.  It's already mid-January, so I realize I'm late.  Better late than never?

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and to celebrate, we went out to breakfast.  All of us with our various races and backgrounds eating together at one table without so much as a second-glance from others in the place.  I'm so thankful for the freedoms and change that activists like MLK and those who followed in his footsteps have helped bring about in our world.  He made life easier for blended families to dine out in public.  I like that.

I don't take it for granted either.  I truly am grateful.

We did a lot of reading about Mr. King earlier in the school year when studying the southern states, so we didn't have much left to talk about today specifically about him.  But we do recognize this holiday and its significance. 

I'm rambling.

Anyway, we are all doing fine.  Briefly, we are getting things on track this school year for like the first time ever.  It's always felt a bit jumbled (except maybe the first year when I didn't have a clue and just did what the book said to do -- which doesn't work necessarily for multiple learning styles and children with special needs).  But this year we are on top of it.  There are always tough days -- but we recover faster.  Chores are getting done.  Meals are being prepared (AT HOME).  Relationships are growing.  Healing is happening. 

I'm NOT waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I'm resting in the truth that is God's goodness today.  And IF the other shoe drops, proverbially speaking, we will be okay.  Our faith is stronger now.  It has spent years being tested.  While we are still imperfect people with many lessons still to learn, I don't feel like we're blowing in the wind any longer.  We have a firm foundation.  I'm so thankful.

God is our Rock.

Our house in New Mexico finally sold last October.  So there's an update.  What a relief.  We had to pay quite a bit to sell it (at a loss), but at least we're no longer digging a deeper hole.  We are finally starting to feel more at home here in Texas.  Not in the way that we've forgotten that heaven is our home, but more in the way that we are okay to stay here for a bit.  Settle in.  Find out why the Lord brought us here and what work He has for us to do.  What is our purpose in Texas?  We feel more ready to find out. We have our grounding -- our marks at the starting line -- when for many months we were still scrambling to find the starting line.

C and I are learning to transition into the role of parents of tweens and teens.  There are no more littles here.  It's surreal.  Yet very, very real.  Hard sometimes.  But I'm learning to give myself grace as I parent this crowd.  I think they're all on a good path at the moment.  Not because of my own efforts - but because no matter what things look like in the natural, I know the Lord is in control.  So the day-to-day challenges are just part of His overall plan to grow their faith apart from the one we instilled in them.  We gave them seeds of faith and now He is watering those seeds.

I will always be their Mama, but they must learn to take responsibility for their own spiritual growth as I can no longer spoon feed them what they need to know to get by.  It's between them and God.  And no amount of worry on my part will build their faith to be stronger or deeper.

But I pray. 

I'm sure there is more to say, but I am stalling from the process of taking down the Christmas decorations, so I should get to that.  Maybe I'll get back here before three months goes by and do some more updating.  I have many photos to share ... we'll see.

Thank you for reading.