There's no place like home!

Recently, we left our new home of Virginia to spend the holidays at home in Arizona. We were home for almost 6 weeks before we returned home to the farm. This adventure brought so many blessings, explains our blogging absence, but also has made us think alot about the idea of HOME.

Merriam-Webster defines home as: noun:

1. one's place of residence

2. a social unit formed by a family living together

3. a familiar or usual setting

4. a place or origin

5. an establishement providing residence and care for people with special care

6. the objective in various games ie: home plate

During the last weeks of transitions, actually during the last 3 years of transitions, God has been showing us an alternative definition of 'home'.

When we think of home, we feel safe, secure, at peace. Yet, there are times that we are in our residence, with our family members, at familiar places and still don't feel the calm peace that we associate with 'home'. Our house is safe, our family is loving, we have been familiar with these places for years... what is missing?

Perhaps, home is not found in our dwellings, or our place of birth, or even with our wonderful families. Perhaps we have put too much value in habits, memories, and emotions. God seems to be teaching us that we are only really at 'home' when we are safely, submissively in His will for our lives. He'll take care of the details that we dwell in.

When I was a little girl I heard a song by Anne Murray "You Can't Go Back Home" and I started to cry. As a child, the thought of growing up and never being able to return to my place of security was terrifying. Now, I see the wisdom.

Even though you can return to the house that you were sheltered in, or visit treasured people, or move back to the same zipcode, God never wants us to emotionally, spiritually regress. His perfect will is to grow, equip, and mature us in new seasons of life. During that process, he sometimes removes our safe, secure, peaceful feelings, even though our lives make sense 'on paper'. He stirs our hearts to seek and find the next chapter that He is leading us to. He removes the fulfillment that we once received from our current routines, even relationships and brings us clearly back into reliance on His leading.

After completing a life altering, heart testing, cross country move and now awaiting the transition to owning property of our own, I can honestly, thankfully say that we are finally safe, secure and at peace with our place in God's will. Even though Arizona no longer really feels like home and our new state of Virginia is not filled with familiar places or family, we are all confident that God will meet our needs, use our lives, and continue to be our refuge.

What a blessing that, while we are not yet at home in God's presence, we can enjoy His peace and his comfort while we labor through this life. Blessings to everyone who is accompaning us on this journey. Praying you feel more at home than ever in 2010!

Merry Christmas 2009

Ethan with Uncle Greg, Colton with Aunt Greta

Christmas celebrations with family and friends in Arizona!

A beautiful, scripture filled, candlelight service with the church we miss so much, a Christmas Eve dinner that doubled as a mini-family reunion, and Christmas Day that was filled with family and friends. A wonderful time of the year!

Christmas morning 2009

All the plotting and planning, shopping and secrets are totally worth it when our three jammie clad kids come downstairs to find their treasures. This year our sweet girl got her first sewing machine and we got a clear glance at how quickly she is growing up. Samuel received a giant pile of maple blocks that have been constantly transformed into towers, castles, battle sites.... All year long, Ethan has been asking for a tree house. Although his request was for life size, this petite version is getting lots of playtime already.

Our family friend Tom & Abigail, Robyn & Jesse, Diane, Les, Megan & Troy, Brad, Brent, Les & Troy playing cards

We were all so blessed to spend Christmas with family. After our move to Virginia this spring, this visit was especially special. We all talked, cooked, exchanged gifts, and either played or watched tournaments of pinochle!

Samuel, Conner, Colton, Abigail, Ethan

The cousins played all day: blocks, bean bag toss, puzzles!

Ethan with Grandma Grace

We were blessed on Christmas day, but also had 3 wonderful weeks filled with visits in Arizona. While we love living in Virginia, it was so nice to see friends and family in person. Watching a movie together, sharing stories over dinners, and just being able to greet them with a hug... this trip has been a wonderful time of fellowship, filled with great memories. We are packing those memories up, along with so many sweet gifts that were wrapped with love, and will treasure them all year.

Thankful in Chicago

This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving in Chicago, Illinois.

We bundled up, walked festive streets and made so many special memories together.

Our first adventure was at the Field Museum:

We toured the Underground exhibit and experienced life in the soil. There were lots of opportunities to show the kids what impact farming has on the environment that is hiding right under their feet.

They also tried different instruments from around the world, saw how ancient cultures harvested corn from an arid field and ground it into flour (Abigail's favorite!), and tried to pull a life-size block from an Egyptian pyramid (no budging it).

Chicago held so many great experiences:

We visited a German Christmas market, peeked into the window displays at the old Marshall Fields, looked at amazing architecture, and spun around and around in lots of doorways!

After walking about 1,000,000 miles in two days, we thought about taking a taxi back to our hotel the last night. Then, we saw a better option:

The horse drawn carriage ride may have only lasted for about 20 minutes, but the memories are sure to last for a very long time!

Knowing that we would be traveling, we had made reservations at a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner. The menu was set for the holiday, so it was pretty much a (pleasant) surprise as they brought each family style course to our table. Before each course, we each thanked God for a specific blessing.

Here is our family's list for 2009:

Bruchetta appetizers: we thanked God for Thanksgiving dinner with our family, moving to Virginia, living on a farm, traveling to Arizona for Christmas, our family

House salads: the opportunity to raise food for people, a year of health for our family, our family, that we are traveling together in only one car for this road trip, our family.

Turkey and Ham main course: our marriage, our marriage, spending our days learning and working together this year, being born in our family, dancing.

Apple crostini & cream puff desserts: farming in Virginia, that God made us a family, that we have friends, our family, a personal relationship with Christ Jesus!

this recipe LEAVES us smiling

Here is a fun fall recipe:

• One yard full of fallen leaves
• One or more rakes
• Three children

Mix together on a crisp Autumn day

Enjoy!

FOUR

Recently, Ethan turned FOUR!

That means that he was born four years ago. How is that possible when it seems like this:

just happened yesterday?

Even though so much time has past and so many things have changed, some moments just stay fresh in our hearts. Meeting Ethan is one of those priceless memories.

So to celebrate the anniversary of his arrival, we gave him the desire of his heart... a party at the park!

The park he requested is a giant wooden castle. There was sliding, swinging, climbing, and running, running, running.

Ethan opened presents at the party. Then, Ethan opened presents all week long, as packages arrived in the mail from family and friends. What a great reminder that he is dearly loved from near and far.

Happy Birthday sweet boy ... we love you so much!

Apple of My Eye

On Saturday night, October 31, we stayed home.

What we really wanted to do was dress up in costumes and attend the super fun-cake walking-fishing booth-life long friend filled harvest party at HBC in Arizona... but that was not an option. So, to cure a little case of homesickness, we made caramel apples!

Caramel was carefully applied to our apples and our sticks were personalized so that each person was assured to get their own masterpiece.

Then, we coated the carmel in melted chocolate... not just because chocolate is wonderful, but because it helped the extra yummy toppings stick! :)

Toppings: M&Ms, almonds, peanuts, nerds, sprinkles, mini marshmellows, crushed Heath bar

You know the saying: an apple a day...

Well, these sure made us feel better!

i Spy

Ever get the feeling someone is following you?

It could be one of these two fashionable secret agents.

Spy gear has been purchases, missions are accepted, disquises have been created... only I can't tell you about it, because it is TOP SECRET.

Much research is done on each case, because they realize clues can be around every corner.

Super secret information passes from one spy to another, almost without notice.

No where is safe anymore, there are people in restaurants that act 'fishy' and must be observed. Seemingly normal shoppers int he grocery store are noticed with suspicions. Each clue is documented and analyzed.

So, be aware of this happy couple. They may be watching. They may be listening.

No mission is impossible!