Clovis, Kerrville, and next is Lubbock/Ceta

We've traveled quite a bit lately. We knew it was coming: move to Abilene, then survive July. Sanity should come some time after August 1.

We took a quick trip to Clovis to grab some stuff we had in storage during our student-living in Kentucky last weekend.

This weekend we went down near Kerrville for a family reunion. Athan and I mostly got tired: But Morgan had SO much fun. I'm hoping Papa Sid will let me upload the footage of her paddling around a little creek in a kayak all by herself (and doing a pretty good job of it!). There was good food and great company for us all. Then Ryan, Athan, and I drove back, while Morgan stayed and is going with Nana and Papa to Sea World in San Antonio. She called tonight with giddy reports of trained whales and such. So happy for girl! :)

Next weekend is the last of the crazy Strebeck month. Ryan and I get to be a part of Anna and Benji's wedding. Anna was in the church at Shallowater when Ryan and I were serving there, so it's a long-lived and treasured friendship. If you guys could shore us up in prayer this weekend so we can serve and love them well despite our current fatigue, that'd be great! :)

I'm going to stop typing before I throw in another emoticon...

we're... living on.... :)

Life is always a good mix of the difficult and the easy, the good, the bad, and the poopy diapers. Transition, it seems, just magnifies both the highs and the lows.

Athan was in time-out twice before breakfast, and he and I had to miss Sunday School AND be late for church because I had so much resistance from him at every step. Ugh.

Then, this afternoon, he voluntarily (and unprompted) sat on the potty and did his biz-ness, and got to wear Thomas The Train underwear for an hour as a reward.

Major meltdowns followed by major milestones. Intense ups and downs.

I'm tired and smiley and teary and....

help is on the way! :)

Nana and Avery are coming to visit. New faces for my kids to entertain.... ;)

transition

We're here, but not here yet. Make sense?

The process of find Home again is going well. It is. But it is still very much a process, and one that will be on-going for a while.

I think it's all kinda finally hitting the kids. They've weathered so much the past few weeks, most of it with grins and giggles. But Sunday Morgan had a fever, and they've both been extra volatile the past couple of days. Morgan is very expressive, and can over-react to life on a fairly normal day. So you can imagine the heights and depths of her days when she's tired and overwhelmed.

Athan is a bit disoriented, too. He wakes up crying at night, instead of happy. And he keeps asking me if we can go home (while we're at the house, mind you). More than a few times today he announced to me that he was "going to Ms. Eve's house" and requested that I open the front door for him (Ms. Eve lives in Wilmore, of course).

So this is part of it. Transition. We're smack in the middle of transition.

And still, we've been given so much. The folks at Elmwood West are being very patient in letting us settle in and get to know them. And I think the Lord just knows when I need a familiar face or voice or name in my e-mail inbox, too. Just when I need a friend, someone calls. Really - like 8 times in the last 2 days alone. I can do well through days when my kids are cranky and clingy when those calls and comments and cards and e-mails keep coming... :)

fast version

we made it to Abilene, unloaded the trailer, and unpacked like crazy for a day or two. we've seen familiar faces, met a sea of new ones, and unpacked more. Ryan's first sermon was really good, and Elmwood West UMC DEFINITELY knows how to welcome a new pastor and his family! morgan is charming everyone she meets, Athan is walking and talking more and more each day, Ryan has jumped off into the deep end of vocational ministry, and I'm trying to make sure we all have some clean underwear for tomorrow. :) today, i miss Wilmore in the form of an almost physical ache. i'm sure it won't be the last day i feel that way.

when we get internet at the house, i'll slow down and do a better update. :)

as always, THANKS to you who are praying us through this transition!