Whoopee! We made it a week without Francis in Cedar Rapids. Of course we are eating a little more pizza and watching a few more chick flicks, but we did it! Only a few more days and he will be home for Thanksgiving. We are counting the days...
The girls seem to be handling the idea of moving fairly well; at least that is what Francis and I thought. However, the beginning of our week started out pretty rough with one of the girls exhibiting a lot of aggressive behavior -- pushing, hitting, screaming. By Wednesday though the problem came to light. There was a lot of underlying angst of Daddy being gone for extended periods of time. After some prayers, calls from Dad, and reassuring hugs, we seem to be on track again. The most helpful solution has been evening prayer time. Francis dials in and we put him on speaker phone while he prays for and with us. Technology is amazing. Bringing Daddy virtually home each night!
The other thing I have been learning is how amazing single mothers are. How do these woman go to work, keep their homes clean, cook, and shuttle their children around town for events? I find by the evening I am ready for my husband to come home and rescue me. These woman have no one to do that for them. They are on 24/7. I know that my situation has a definite end and it is easily in sight. My heart and prayers go out to woman who are pulling the work load of both mom and dad.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Bye Dad!
Here are some very silly girls trying to get intoDaddy's suitcase to go to Phoenix with him!
Taking Dad to the Cedar Rapids Airport. Francis starts work in Phoenix on Nov. 17th. We will stay behind in Cedar Rapids for a few months and then join him out in Arizona. This is the begining of our "big journey".
The girls were very excited about all of the airplanes and personnel.
Last big hug before security!
Bye Dad! Don't forget to "rub and pat"!Saturday, November 15, 2008
It's for real...
We are down to the last few days, hours... I am having a hard time grasping that Francis is going to get on a plane on Sunday afternoon and fly off to Phoenix and start a new job. That we in a few short (hopefully) months will join him. That this whole move thing is for real. I thought my mind would grasp it on his last day at Rockwell. Then I thought okay, I'll get it when he starts fixing stuff up around the house. Nope. Maybe tomorrow as he flys away from us....
The only part that has been real has been the stress and the tears. Stress as we battle to get everything done before winter sets in hard, before he leaves. Stress from when we discovered carpenter ants eating away our porch, which now has to be torn apart, fixed, and painted before the snow flys. Stress from a drain pipe that decides to break and cause another leak on the living room ceiling. The stress of too many things needing our attention and too little time.
It seems Satan has a way of stepping in and stealing our joy. The joy of a new and exciting adventure. Joy from having Francis home with us for one full week. Joy as our family works together to clean up the yard from tree trimming. And Satan is good at stealing our peace too. Peace that this decision was put in God's hand and that God will provide. God is good and he will carry us through all of this crazy chaos to a complete plan.
As we go about our days the girls and I often reflect that "this might be the last time we get to....". So many things this holiday season will be bittersweet as we focus on the joy that each moment brings us. This move will be hard, but hard things usually teach us truths. Isn't it funny that we can live in the same town and not see our friends for months? Isn't it funny that we always clean the house, or work on chores, because we can always walk in the woods next week? Isn't it funny that we do our stuff instead of playing a family game? Satan has many ways of stealing our joy doesn't he? The next couple of months will be busy and exhausting. Being alone, on top of school, on top of getting ready for the holidays. But I want to slow down and experience joy with each person we are close to before we leave. We need to grasp today, this moment, and make it joy full. Full of all we love and care about. Things change. People leave. Kids grow up. Time flys.
Tomorrow is going to be difficult. Even thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. It is going to be hard to leave Cedar Rapids. It is going to be hard to watch Francis take the first real step in our journey. If you run into me, don't mind the tears, but please know that there is real joy in our friendship. That this has been a good place where our family has grown and found real friends.
The only part that has been real has been the stress and the tears. Stress as we battle to get everything done before winter sets in hard, before he leaves. Stress from when we discovered carpenter ants eating away our porch, which now has to be torn apart, fixed, and painted before the snow flys. Stress from a drain pipe that decides to break and cause another leak on the living room ceiling. The stress of too many things needing our attention and too little time.
It seems Satan has a way of stepping in and stealing our joy. The joy of a new and exciting adventure. Joy from having Francis home with us for one full week. Joy as our family works together to clean up the yard from tree trimming. And Satan is good at stealing our peace too. Peace that this decision was put in God's hand and that God will provide. God is good and he will carry us through all of this crazy chaos to a complete plan.
As we go about our days the girls and I often reflect that "this might be the last time we get to....". So many things this holiday season will be bittersweet as we focus on the joy that each moment brings us. This move will be hard, but hard things usually teach us truths. Isn't it funny that we can live in the same town and not see our friends for months? Isn't it funny that we always clean the house, or work on chores, because we can always walk in the woods next week? Isn't it funny that we do our stuff instead of playing a family game? Satan has many ways of stealing our joy doesn't he? The next couple of months will be busy and exhausting. Being alone, on top of school, on top of getting ready for the holidays. But I want to slow down and experience joy with each person we are close to before we leave. We need to grasp today, this moment, and make it joy full. Full of all we love and care about. Things change. People leave. Kids grow up. Time flys.
Tomorrow is going to be difficult. Even thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. It is going to be hard to leave Cedar Rapids. It is going to be hard to watch Francis take the first real step in our journey. If you run into me, don't mind the tears, but please know that there is real joy in our friendship. That this has been a good place where our family has grown and found real friends.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
mummies, mommies, and daddies?
Life in a home school can sometimes be very confusing for little people.
A while back we were studying the ancient history of Egypt. Grace had great interest in mummies and mummification (kind of gross by the way), and anything that had to do with the Egyptian gods and goddesses! So of course we read everything we could on the subject. We went to see the King Tut exhibit when it was in Chicago. In short we immersed ourselves in the subject much, much longer than the original curriculum planned.
This morning, almost a year after all the mummy stuff, Lydia (4) comes to me and asks, "If Dad were to die, would he have to stand up and be called a mommy?" It took me quite some time to figure out what she was talking about. When it finally came clear to me it was hard not to laugh. She has been pondering this difficult problem for so very long. I wish I could have taped the whole conversation though...dog mommy's, children mommy's....Of course we got it all straightened out. We go to heaven. None of us will be embalmed. Thankfully we can rely on Christ Jesus for our eternal life and none of us will be a "mommy" in eternity.
It was a good lesson for me. They learn...constantly. They listen...constantly.
A while back we were studying the ancient history of Egypt. Grace had great interest in mummies and mummification (kind of gross by the way), and anything that had to do with the Egyptian gods and goddesses! So of course we read everything we could on the subject. We went to see the King Tut exhibit when it was in Chicago. In short we immersed ourselves in the subject much, much longer than the original curriculum planned.
This morning, almost a year after all the mummy stuff, Lydia (4) comes to me and asks, "If Dad were to die, would he have to stand up and be called a mommy?" It took me quite some time to figure out what she was talking about. When it finally came clear to me it was hard not to laugh. She has been pondering this difficult problem for so very long. I wish I could have taped the whole conversation though...dog mommy's, children mommy's....Of course we got it all straightened out. We go to heaven. None of us will be embalmed. Thankfully we can rely on Christ Jesus for our eternal life and none of us will be a "mommy" in eternity.
It was a good lesson for me. They learn...constantly. They listen...constantly.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The begining....
The news if official, we are heading to Phoenix, Arizona. Francis gave notice last week and his last day will be this Friday, November 7, 2008. He will begin work with General Dynamics on Nov. 17. Of course this puts into action a wild and crazy chain of events...get the house ready, get the kids ready, find a new house, try to breathe...trust in God...trust in God....trust.
Over the next couple of weeks we are working on the 'get the outside of the house' ready. We are frantically racing against the cold winds to get all of the outside work complete. Unfortunately, we found carpenter ants making a home in the porch and so we are tearing out the old wood, treating for the ants, and trying to rebuild and paint before the weather changes. We are praying that God will provide several more beautiful and warm fall days for this work.
I have been putting all the gardens to bed for winter for the last time. This might sound really funny to some, but it has been a sad task for me. I feel like I am saying farewell to good and trusted friends. They represent hard work done side by side with my husband, fun and exciting trips to the greenhouse with kids clamoring for all the beautiful flowers, years of planting little groups of crocuses in the grass with the girls to surprise us in the early spring....the list goes on and on. They have been a labor of love and it has been surprisingly hard to say farewell to them. I am trusting that God will provide a buyer that will love them as much as I have.
Most of all, I think this will be a time of pulling ten years of memories up from us as we prepare to say farewell to this home and to our dear friends here in Cedar Rapids. I fear that I am in for a few tearful months to come. Trust...trust...trust...
Over the next couple of weeks we are working on the 'get the outside of the house' ready. We are frantically racing against the cold winds to get all of the outside work complete. Unfortunately, we found carpenter ants making a home in the porch and so we are tearing out the old wood, treating for the ants, and trying to rebuild and paint before the weather changes. We are praying that God will provide several more beautiful and warm fall days for this work.
I have been putting all the gardens to bed for winter for the last time. This might sound really funny to some, but it has been a sad task for me. I feel like I am saying farewell to good and trusted friends. They represent hard work done side by side with my husband, fun and exciting trips to the greenhouse with kids clamoring for all the beautiful flowers, years of planting little groups of crocuses in the grass with the girls to surprise us in the early spring....the list goes on and on. They have been a labor of love and it has been surprisingly hard to say farewell to them. I am trusting that God will provide a buyer that will love them as much as I have.
Most of all, I think this will be a time of pulling ten years of memories up from us as we prepare to say farewell to this home and to our dear friends here in Cedar Rapids. I fear that I am in for a few tearful months to come. Trust...trust...trust...
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