Grace in the 'blessed' storm.

So it's been a while since a post. Too many late nights folding laundry or falling asleep on the futon watching the evening news with D. I can't complain one bit, being 6 months without him, I treasure the busy. But yes, life's been extremely busy, more than we thought. I hate saying that word 'busy', cause who's not busy. What was once busy to me being a wife working a full-time job with no children, then 1, 2, and 3 little blessings (1 at a time thankfully) and add alll the rest in there,  it's always been busy to me or to you in your life..right? Everyone's busy, which is good, because "idle hands are the devil's play thing"..I think that's how it goes. But I hate saying that word BUSY to people because it makes it sound like your busier than them, or that you need them to help you solve your 'busy' problem, or that it is the reason you haven't had time for them, which is what we are here for, to serve God and others...period. The truth is, if your busy now, you probably always will be, it's just for us, this feels like the most busy yet, but we know God adds a little on at a time, and promises not to give us more than we can handle..so I am going with that. Yeah his word, it has gotten me through the tougher stuff so far, so I am going to keep trusting. 
But I have had to decide somedays what things I am  willing to let go of, and right now, it's the housework. I am ok with that and thankfully I married an easy going man, who just wants to be fed and play with his kids...as long as the counters and floor is clean and the bathroom is clean, and my kids are happy, I know this stage is temporary. The house doesn't have feelings that will get hurt if I let it go a little right? Plus were moving so if anyone stops in, I have the perfect excuse, "Oh we are moving"..I better take it while I can!
         We have been so blessed these last months, if we thought that graduation meant the end of the craziness we were wrong, it just began. God has taken us on a journey and we are along for the ride. We have had to make some major decisions in the last few months which has brought us to our knees a lot, which is good. We are moving this summer, which wasn't in the original forecast, (well unless we HAD to for D's new career) not that's how most of my life has gone anyway. See every time I think I have my life under 'control' (and I say that with the utmost humour, because we are NEVER in control), God decides to change it all again. Some changes have been harder than others, some I have even fought and went kicking and screaming, but lately, I am learning to 'go' with it. God's plan has always worked out better than mine, and I am so glad for it. The time in my life I finally decided to let go and submit my will to HIS and decide I was a bad life manager, God came in and took over and changed me forever....what grace! That being said, I usually always revert back to my little plan in small ways or try to control how the next year(s) is going to play out...and it never works..or sometimes it does, but it isn't always ideal. So how do we try and figure out just what HE wants to do with us and use us for? Well, 2 things I have learned that make me aware of what God may or may not want for D and I and our family. Reading my bible and prayer.(lots and lots and lots of prayer!) It has made me more sure of decisions we have to make, despite setbacks or whether or not we feel support from others down here on earth. But there's been a lot of "OK Lord is this REALLY what YOU want?" being prayed here...followed by, 'ok, let's go with it. There is only 1 'sure' thing and that is HIS word and HIS promises...and I am thankful for the solid foundation, otherwise I'd be a nervous wreck all the time! (as opposed to just sometimes:)) 
So yes, we are moving, and I am a litle sad, but excited for our new place. D and I both knew when we bought this home it was a starter, and hoped to make it last 8 years or so, and we almost made it to 9. I think we could have stretched it out to 10 but God had other plans. D did so much work in this house and that is what makes it so special to me. We would discuss a design idea and he would pretty much do the work and together we enjoyed the reward of a beautiful home. I will miss the carpet he lovingly installed for my 30th birthday, but I enjoyed the almost 3 years of it. I will miss the back yard, which is the main reason we liked this house. I will miss coziness of it, and that it was where we started our family.  But we did do all the work on our house as a way to make some more money when we sold it, and it did payoff. It sold on the second showing for asking price and we felt so so blessed in the 'descison' making process and that sort of confirmed it for us. I hate saying good-bye, and I have loved almost every minute of living here. It was a great location, since D worked in Abby, and we went to church in Langley. It was a huge blessing for us while we lived here, and we are so thankful God planted us right here. But it is time to move on, our family is bigger, louder than the day we moved in,  and this street is very busy, not ideal for boys who want to ride bikes and play on the driveway. I am a little tired of driving into Langley everyday (which I do sometimes twice now) and excited to save some $$ on gas for sure. Plus a second bathroom would be ideal, and D just can't seem to get a good sleep during the day when I am home with the boys. BUT Aldergrove, you have been good to us, despite what we may have said sometimes and we are thankful to have gotten into the housing market because of it. Soo.. onward and upward, I suppose!
D is still finishing his training, which has been insane, yet at the same time amazing. As some of his former troop mates told him "You see and do more in a day than I do in a month". The pros to that? He is getting a lot of experience-fast. The cons-sometimes it is just so much to take in one day, so soon. But I am so proud and I am amazed at how well he handles it all it just shows that the LORD is with him and this was where he was supposed to be and what he is supposed to do. 
Yes overall, I think we are both still sitting here with eyes wide open, jaws dropped, barely able to take in all that God has done for us, blessed us with, and is still doing for us. We sure feel undeserving and yet thankful and humble all at the same time. What a great GOD he is!

Psalm 118

 5In my fear I cried to the LORD, 

   and he answered by setting me free.
⁶ The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
   What can man do to me?
⁷ The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
   I will look in triumph on my enemies.

 ⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in man.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in princes.

AMEN to that!

Our new home!