Community

In the past several weeks I have been so overwhelmed with the sense of Community that I have surrounding me. I was thinking about it again last night and thought that I should blog about it just so that later I can remember and reflect on how important this has been to me recently.

We live in a small community – around 2000 people in our town. We admittedly don’t know our neighbors as well as we could. With working outside of town and going to church in a different town, we really only know those that are at our daycare, school etc. But even though we are “transplants” to Beresford I am so impressed by a few people specifically who have stepped forward for us. Yesterday the husband of one of the women at Elijah’s daycare told Dominic that during this transition time if I ever need anything that I should just call. Another woman who works at the bank I do and also lives in Beresford came to tell me that he husband said if I ever need help removing snow etc. to just call and he will come over. I have never met her husband….but yet he is willing to help out someone in his community. Such a blessing!

We have the privilege of attending First Baptist Church in another community with a body of believers that has walked with us and prayed for us during some very good and some very difficult times over the past 7 years. These are faithful Christian men and women who have supported us and encouraged us and continue to offer these things even when we recently had to pull back from some of our “responsibilities” at the church. I love that I can count on these amazing friends and that even if we aren’t there for a few weeks they haven’t forgotten about us and continue to pray for us.

I have had the honor of spending Tuesday evenings with a group of women that encourage and challenge me in becoming the woman God would have me to be. I can share my biggest fears and darkest secrets with these women and they continue to invite me back, to check up on me and to love me. I hope to be able to make it to some of those Tuesday evening meetings in the next several months and will be missing all of you when I can’t be there!

Dominic worked with some very caring people at SD Advocacy and they were so giving towards him, even right up to his last day. They had a special lunch for him and “roasted” him, gave him some unique and very interesting gifts, including a handmade guide to “Speaking Minnesotan”. One co-worker gave him a microwave and a set of silverware for his new house. He left a wonderful group of people and although he is excited about his new adventure we are praying that he will find that same sense of community with his new co-workers because his Advocacy family will be missed!

We have also had so much support from our family and friends. People offering to help us move, to give us things to make his new house more like a home, to watch our kids and to most importantly pray for us. We are ever grateful for each and every one of you.

Even blogging has provided me with a sense of community. Friends that I have not had the chance yet to meet in real life have e-mailed me or left me comments telling me that they are lifting us up in prayer. Just through blogging we are connected and have the opportunity to share life together. I am just so very blessed by all of it.

So today I am filled to overflowing with gratitude for each and every one of you. I love that I am part of a community of people that encourages, loves, supports and prays for each other. I hope that I can give back to you what you have so freely given to me. And please pray for Dominic as he starts the new job on Monday! Thank you friends!

Just a few things....

Just a few of the things that we are doing and have been doing to get ready for this new change we have coming with Dominic's new job. At times I honestly feel a bit overwhelmed at everything that needs to be done or should be done or won't get done! :)  But I am trying to keep grounded and live in today - dealing with what we can today and letting tomorrow happen tomorrow!

We have the paint purchased and next week Dominic will be painting our entire basement, that along with finishing the painting I started in the upstairs laundry room will be the last "project" that we must complete in order to put our house on the market in the future.

We purchased a new garage door opener for the garage that houses the van which will soon become my primary source of transportation. I still drive my old faithful 1996 Camry but with miss Karlena coming soon I will need the van to transport our ever growing brood!  The garage door has been broken forever and we would like to get the new one installed sometime before winter approaches so that I can shut the door automatically instead of manually!

We have gotten a taste of what it will be like to send Isaac to college as we have had to borrow and thrift shop for some of the "extras" Dominic needed to furnish his new weekday "home". Many people have been generous with their things and we have found some great deals too. We got an awesome circa 1970's coffee table and end table from Y's Buys for just $17 and utensils and silverware from Savers for just $12! Dominic's brother had some furniture and dishes that he wasn't using currently so they helped him get everything to the new house a few weekends ago! Our final move day will be late next week. I haven't seen the house in person yet myself so I am excited to go and help make things more cozy for Dominic!

We did have to go and purchase a new bed and a laptop too. Dominic is "sacrificing" for me and letting me keep the new bed and he will be taking our 14 yr old mattress with him.  He is such a martyr huh?! :)  When we are all back together then Isaac will get the old mattress and replace the REALLY old one he has...all good for everyone!  And with the new laptop Dominic will be able to communicate via e-mail so we can always be in touch with each other.

I have lists everywhere to help me remember all that we need to send with him. I went to SAMS's this weekend so that I could buy all the stuff we use at home every day but can't easily "share" between houses like the soap and laundry detergent and garbage bags etc....our house is a disaster right now with MN "piles" everywhere!! We plan to go to the grocery store next week to get some of the smaller cooking items he might need. I think it will be weird for him not to have access to all the "stuff" we have in our cupboards and refrigerator right now...you don't think about those things until you actually need them!!

Overall we are getting it all figured out...with lots of help and prayers from our family and friends! We so appreciate all of you and ask that you continue to lift us up.  The next few weeks are going to be especially hard. His last day of work is Friday and then the following week is going to fly by.  He starts the new job on October 4th and gets to dive right in with a 2 day training seminar that week!  On top of all that newness he has to study for a test that he will take the first weekend of November that will hopefully solidify his acceptance to practice law in the state of MN.  Please pray specifically about all of that and that everything would fall into place with that whole process. It has been lengthy and time consuming to say the least!

Thank you so much for your support and I will do my best to keep my blog updated with everything as it comes.  I have been terrible about keeping up with this lately but hopefully when things get into a routine I will have some more time then!  Have a great week!!

Karlena and I

I had such a great time seeing Karlena and her family this weekend. It was a short trip but so awesome! We watched several Women of Faith speaker messages on DVD. We couldn't go to the actual conference this year but got to have the experience from the comfort of Karlena's home!

We were able to go to church on Sunday morning and I got to see again the body of Christ there that loves Karlena so much. They bring her family meals 3 times a week and really are the hands of Jesus....so awesome! Thanks Spirit of Joy in Ft Collins!

We had to get a photo of Karlena and soon to be here baby Karlena!  We decided this weekend that she was going to be my sweet, calm spirited child - just like her Auntie Karlena is!  Oh and she is going to sleep through the night right away too! :)

Thank you for your continued prayers for Karlena and her family.  So many people have told me that they continue to have her on their prayer list and I think that is so amazing.  Karlena is such a blessing to me and I am so grateful to be able to share that blessing with you!