Our pastor challenged us to share with our friends and family the things we're thankful for, and I decided that since I've really slacked on my blogging since we moved out here, that I should do it. I am most grateful for God's loving hand on our family in the past year. I would love to say that my faith has been unfailing, but that would be a lie. I have had moments of real desperation where I wondered what were we thinking, what was God thinking, was anyone actually thinking??? I realize how wonderfully blessed we were in the three years we lived in Maumee. We were relatively close to our parents and grandparents; we had a great church family and Matthew and I had the best friends.

But even though this has been a tough couple of months, I can see how (in His usual fashion) God has drawn me closer to Himself through this transition. I think of one of Peter's letters in the Bible, he talks about being refined by fire...I'll just find it with Biblegateway..."These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." That is what I am grateful for this Thanksgiving. I have experienced that inexpressible and glorious joy, not in spite of the trials, but because of them.

So, I am grateful for being a woman who knows she is broken and who also knows I need Jesus to fix me every single day. I am grateful for my husband and children, for our health, our home, our stuff. I am grateful for Metro Community Church that has so many people who welcomed us as though we were coming home. I am grateful for all of the people who took the time to say a prayer, take a plane, ride in a car for 30 hours, write a note, draw a picture, call on the phone, or mail anything - I appreciate you loving us so well and so much.

It's almost impossible for me to believe that in six days we will have lived in New Jersey for two whole months. My parents just left this morning from their second visit out here. Grandpa Randy brought the kids a PSP which proved to be great fun, but did cause some fighting until we worked out a rotation so they could move from one of Grandpa's fun gadgets to the other in 20 minute intervals. Miss Dianna gave the living room a much needed overhaul and she cleaned all the light fixtures and cabinets in the kitchen. We went to the Shoprite and bought each of the kids a half gallon of ice cream and stuff to make banana splits one day and mom and dad took the kids to the Van Suan zoo which is fairly close to our house.

Heidi came for a visit just before that and stayed with us for nearly a week. We all rode the train into NYC to see the Old and New Yankee's Stadiums. The weather was really great during her visit so the kids played outside a lot and they went on lots of walks. One night, Heidi and Matthew went to the closest Walmart on a supposed "yarn fit" shopping trip and completely surprised me and the kids with everything we needed for "movie night" including a brand new 22 inch flat screen tv (our Christmas present - early) a new movie, and lots of candy. We had been resigned to watching dvd's on the spongebob squarepants tv, so the kids (and Matthew) were all very excited to be able to watch regular TV.

We have began attending a really great church, called Metro Church, and it's been a really wonderful thing for the kids. We just happen to live a block away from the Pastor of Student Ministries, Shirley You, and she has become a great friend to me. She absolutely loves the kids and has just embraced our whole family.

The girls begin school on September 3rd, and I am looking forward to their return to teachers/schedules/order and I'm sure they're excited to get away from me and make some new friends. Enjoy the pictures and let me know if you have any questions I can answer in my next post! (I am using a new photo widget and hope you like it.) (I made captions and you can read them as long as you put hold your mouse over the photo.)

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