In the beginning

In the beginning there was chaos.

We were surrounded by boxes and children and pets, and none of them had any idea where they should reside.  We had to get used to twice daily dishes, endless laundry, lost socks and found clutter.  And the snacks, I will never catch up to the snacks that they require every day and the amount that is consumed.  In the beginning it was a balancing act to visit the grocery store and learn how to stack food in the refrigerator just right without it tumbling down as soon as the door was opened.

To make things more difficult, we left for a small Georgia island shortly after moving in.  With boxes piled three feet high in the kitchen we ran for the sun and the sand and the trees dripping with Spanish moss.  There we swam and fished and pulled living creatures out of the sea, ones that I have never seen outside of a beach shop.  Sand dollars and starfish, horseshoe and hermit crabs, mollusks in conch shells, nearly invisible worms covered in bits of wood and shells.  It was hot, it was humid…it was Georgia in August.  But the island was lovely, the beach at low tide was one of the widest that I have ever seen, and one day I hope to visit again.

Of course when we returned, the boxes and confusion were waiting for us.  I feel that the boxes will always be waiting for us.

But as the days passed by and school began, we melted in a routine.  One that involves the craziness of an Insanity workout early in the morning, cleaning and errands in the afternoon.  I have loved being off work for an entire month.  As a mom who has worked forever, it was a welcome respite from the craziness of motherhood and homework and after school activities.  I finally had time to make cookies for an after school snack, I could pick up the kids from the school bus and hear about their day.  To be home long before dinner had to be made, to start cooking at a reasonable hour without having to rely on a crockpot.  To actually go grocery shopping without kids in tow.  Sad, but that has always been a dream of mine, a dream that finally came true.  I could do laundry during the day, instead of late at night after dinner and dishes and baths.  Something else I had always wanted to do.  I’m easily satisfied, I think.

I can hardly believe that it’s been a month since we moved to the hills of West Virginia.  In the beginning we were out of our element, all of us.  We were living without internet and without neighborhood kids.  Town felt like a hundred miles away (still does).  But the time has passed quickly, so quickly that I have already started working again.  It is as I remembered, pure craziness trying to get everything done, and collapsing into bed exhausted every night. 

We have had our struggles, our battles.  The road has not been entirely smooth. But even when there are disagreements and scuffles, even when the kids can’t seem to get on the same page, I am happy with this choice.  This place.  This life. 

No, our life is definitely not easy, life with kids is never truly easy.  But as I once told Emmett, it’s our life.  It might be crazy and chaotic and loud, but I love it.  I wouldn't change it.  And I know without a doubt that God knew what he was doing when He brought us together.

I left behind Indiana, my friends and my career and my home.  I miss it all…but I have gained more than I have lost.  I have gained a new family and a husband that I am madly in love with.  And a stronger Faith in a God that knew where my happiness would reside.

Although this might sound cliche, because there are so many people that say this now days, it is obvious that God’s hand has been in our lives.  He is there for us, He is guiding us.  I once wondered, but He has relieved me of all doubt.  He brought me the husband that was perfect for our needs, and for our hearts.

If one were to ask me if God truly cares, I can say with a resounding YES that He most certainly does.  He cares, and He loves, and He answers prayers.

The kids are doing great in school and in our new town.  I’m so proud of them, and thrilled that when God is involved, everything is simply smoother. 

Learning to merge families together is a process that will take time, but we have plenty of love and laughter and forgiveness to make it work.

And the other day, while driving the kids to the library, Hunter and I found the end of the rainbow.  It shimmered right before us, in front of the trees.   Even before that moment I knew I had found the end of my own personal rainbow.

I’m exactly where God wants me to be.