Blessings Abound

Normal life has resumed.  Praise God! I haven't updated in a long time, and for good reason.  We've been super busy.  I am now working part time at a doctor's office about 20 minutes away and really like my job.  The best news of all - WE MOVED INTO A HOUSE!! Yes! Around the 3rd week of March we moved into the cutest little bungalow with tons of character and a fenced in back yard!  We are totally in love and totally moved in.  Ellie has the entire 2nd floor to herself, it's truly a tween girl's delight.  There are lots of windows, lots of sunlight, a huge mud/laundry room.... we are loving it.  Pictures will come very soon after we are completely unpacked and organized.  It's not the greatest photo, but courtesy of Google maps, here's the front!  Right now we have no leaves on anything, but there are shoots of green things growing in the flower beds and I can't wait to find out what they are! I'm pretty sure the two trees out front are flowering trees, and I am beside myself waiting for little buds to appear on the branches.  Can you tell I'm over the moon?

We've been enjoying family and friends over the past few months, getting into our new routine and we began attending a new/old church!  We are now attending and involved at the church Josh grew up in and we have finally found a church home.  I am so grateful.  My heart is overflowing.  God has been good the whole time, and we finally feel like we can settle in here and really begin life.

Ellie and her friend Emily on Easter

Lula Belle has already found her sunny spot at the new house.

It's a short update, but (for the one thousandth time) I really am going to try to be more consistent here.  Now that we're settled and life IS returning to normal (a new normal), I think I can do it.  Hopefully I'll have many more photos to share of our new home in the next week or so!  Keep checking back! 

This time of transition and mourning is close to over, and I am so grateful and thankful for a God who sits and holds me while I go through it.  I'm sure there will be troubles in the future, but for now I'm going to enjoy this time of new beginnings and praise Him, no matter what I'm going through. 

Ah, the homeless life

I'm feeling a lot better since my last post.  I'm not as angry, but I'm still dealing with it.  I still want to send hate mail to the people who made our homelessness possible.  But I'm not.  Because I'd look like a fool.  And being a fool ain't cool.  So I take deep breaths and focus on the positive.

I say we're homeless, because technically we are.  We have no permanent home.  Josh's grandparents have graciously opened their home and spare bedrooms to us and that's where we've been ever since September 1st.  Josh's job is going well, he likes it and everyone loves him, even the CEO.  It's a good thing.  Ellie loves school, but of course still misses friends (in both Brookings and Topeka) and she's still finding her own way.  We head to Fort Wayne next week for All State Honors Choir, which is, in fact, a great honor.  Only around 140 kids from around the state are chosen to participate in this, and she is 1 of them.  We are so incredibly proud of her.  Although she still asks me about once a week if she can be homeschooled.  I don't understand this.

I have had the worst time finding a job.  I don't understand this, either.  I have an impressive resume and outstanding references (if I do say so myself.) and yet no bites.  I have 2 interviews in the past month, 1 job is over an hour away in downtown Indy.  I LOVE downtown Indy, I loved interviewing there!  I know I'd like the job, but the drive.... egh.  Not so sure.  The other interview is for a primary care practice in Carmel, which isn't a bad drive, but it sounds like the office is full of drama.  No thank you.  Although I'd say yes if they offered, because I like living in my own house and paying bills.  Ya know, extravagant things like buying groceries and putting gas in my car.  It's nice when you can do that.  I'm continuing to look and send resumes and cold call business and harass them every few weeks.  They probably know my number on caller ID now and warn the office manager when I call.. "It's that crazy lady again looking for a job.. should I say you're out?"   Yep, it's me.  GIMME A JOB!!!

Depression is not as frequent as it was.  I'm getting over bronchitis and the awesome narcotic cough medicine that my doctor prescribed me was a great help in this.  Hey, I'm just saying.  Not an addict, but I loved tuning out and not caring for a few hours a day.  It was bliss.  I also started faithfully doing a daily "devotional" plan.  (Can I share with you how much I hate the word devotional?  Or "doing my devotions"? I feel like a 75 year old bun-lady from the old Wesleyan camp-meeting days or like I'm in Jr. High again with my "Teen Devotional" by whoever was a "cool" Christian then. Ugh.)  Anyway, it's online thing from a group of women like me.  I like it.  It's She Reads Truth.  It's a group of women who somehow know each other and they started this topical Bible study that changes every few weeks or so.  You can follow it on your You Version app on your iPhone or iPad, or just go to the website.  They also have a twitter feed and an Instagram feed (#shereadstruth) It's very relevant and each of the writers have blogs for you to go to and wish you were them and pine over their perfectly laid out blogs with ads blinking everywhere and using words like, "Oh, honey!" and "Oh my goodness, ya'll!" And they all look like ads from Target or H&M or Gap.  Oh, and they're all skinny.  Someone else for me to compare myself to.  But I digress, I do like their website and Bible studies.

I also derive inspiration and encouragement from a number of other blogs, these are women who think like me, they're not afraid to be themselves to the very core of their being, and they inspire me.  I also want to be their friends and I frequently stalk their blogs.  They are:

~freeplaylife
~Walk Slowly Live Wildly (I have followed this gal for years, I'm sure she's filed a restraining order.)
~The Organic Sister
~Gussy Sews
~Sugar Pie Farmhouse (I love Aunt Ruthie.  I want to go to her house for a retreat & eat pie. Also followed    her for many years.
~The Pioneer Woman (Who doesn't love Ree?! She's always funny and can lift your spirits.)
~Jen Hatmaker (Author of a few phenomenal books that are thought provoking and life changing. She is also stinking hilarious.
~Kevin & Amanda

Those are just a few.  I do feel like I know each of these women personally.  They are not imaginary, but we are imaginary friends.  So if you're feeling low and need a good read or some inspiration, visit these sites.

I've made some more changes in my life, but that will have to be for another post, one in the near future I hope.  I need to get better at this blogging thing.  Like, doing it. More frequently.  If there are any readers out there, thanks for reading to the very end of this post!  See you soon.