So here is Christmas. We celebrated it. That is about it.

My parents were here for a few days and then they took the girls to Houston for the week. Ethan worked, I cleaned out a storage unit, shoved all the stuff we hadn’t unpacked into the closets and attic. Then we met my whole family for New Years. I am thankful for the time with family, I always enjoy Christmas, but I am ready for a new year. Ethan and I have joked that 2009 might have been the best there is, and we didn’t even know it. Here’s hoping 2012 has lots of wonderful things in store for the Whaleys.

The kids enjoyed each other and we experienced the trails with a 5K Turkey Trot, swam in the heated pool, threw and painted some pottery (thanks to Aunt Ali), and took the canoes and paddle boats in the lake. There was plenty of downtime, plenty of Wii, plenty of eating and lots of fun. Thank you Oma for providing for us.

I found this idea on a blog and really wanted to do it with the family. We packed some food and snacks along with some essentials into Blessing Bags. The kids and adults wrote on the back of the note an encouraging word. Then we zipped them up and passed out to each family so they could find someone to bless. I am looking forward to finding that person and letting the kids experience the joy of helping others.

So, here we are. This is our rent house, 1849 sq ft. While getting our stuff to fit was a challenge at first, I am enjoying the small space. The house has turned out to be just what we needed. We do have a 7 x 10 storage unit that is mostly full and we have sold 1 couch, 1 ottoman, and 4 bookcases – not to mention the 2 bookcases and 2 chairs I got rid of before we moved. There is something fulfilling about parting with stuff. As you can see there is no space for flowers or planting of any kind. Which probably will keep us from putting money into something we don’t own, though I miss the beauty that we created in TN.

I think we have made it through most of the boxes. Even after my spreadsheet of labeled boxes and box numbers, I am still missing my kitchen candle (from Shayna) that I loved, my dust buster and Alyssa’s brand new glasses. The first two items I am sure will show eventually, but the glasses I am afraid are gone.

The girls are doing fine. Alyssa’s starts 3rd grade on the 23rd and I am hoping it is a chance for her and myself to get involved and meet some people. The little girls are registered for preschool 2x a week as well. They have been playing around the house, chase, hide-n-seek, plenty of Pink Panther on Netflix and Megan is addicted to Angry Birds. We have a community pool that stays open till 11pm which is awesome and there is a good trail to ride our bikes on. Overall, if I would give it a chance, I think it could be a nice place.

I took the girls the other day to a splash pad in Cedar Park and at least it gave us something to do for one morning. It is tough on all of us not having friends to call up and hang out with. Just for a break, a new setting, some interaction with others. As I read recently, I am giving up on understanding. Boy, do I not get some of the things that have happened to us. But I will never understand, instead I need to ask for peace. So, trying to look to Him to find this precious peace.

In the midst of that, I began saying goodbye to friends. Good ol’ JB left for Africa earlier in the week so she was first, my family away from family with our small group at church, sweet neighborhood friends, and then the greatest next door neighbors chose a trip to Alaska the day we leave. I was blessed beyond anything I can measure in Spring Hill. Friends who sacrificed money to fundraise for cancer, babysitters during 5-a-week radiation, a friendly face walking down the sidewalk, friends for the girls to play with by simply walking outside. I loved our little world here. I could have stayed, watched the girls grow up with friends, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, the snow, the cool nights, the pleasures of a small city.

But it has been evidently clear that God has different plans for us. To take our story to a new place. And that is where we are headed, following his lead. If you follow (and comment) I will continue to update all my daily experiences as we move and share with you how God will continue to provide for us as we move into the next phase in our lives.

I am not going to pretend I have it all together. The packing I could handle; bathing, feeding 3 kids daily, I could do it. But moving to a new place is scary. I don’t know my neighbors, I don’t have a church family, never seen the schools I chose, don’t even know where the grocery store is. Trust. That is about all I can do, and pray God blesses me in Round Rock like he did in Spring Hill.

The last night in the Tanyard Springs house

Today I hold on to this verse. It is one that I memorized years ago at camp and has always stuck with me. I think because it was set to a song. I was reminded of it today as I ran. I was in an Austin neighborhood where family lives and thinking how different it is than home. I don’t see kids running up and down the street, I don’t see playmates for my children, and I don’t see friends for me. I began to worry that I will not find the things that I think are important for my family. But if i really read and truly believe this verse, it doesn’t matter what I imagine I want or even what I ask for. He his able to provide even more than I could even think to ask. How awesome is that?

In a short hour, I will hit the streets of Round Rock with a realtor searching for a possible home to rent. And it doesn’t matter what I think I want going into this, because He is able to do more.

(View this video last. It hosed my machine every time I clicked on it.)
Noah
Let’s start with Noah. This week was his 6th birthday. Well, that just sounds weird. It would have been his 6th birthday, or I can say it was 6 years since his birth. But since the girls really think of Noah as 6, I guess it is his 6th birthday. Me? I am not exactly sure how I think of him. Is he 6? Is he the infant I knew? Is he just a perfect holy being? Whew – I try not to get caught up in all that because I just don’t think my human mind was meant to comprehend heaven. But for the girls, he is 6 and we celebrated. We did our traditional balloons. I like that now they like to write and draw pictures on the balloons. (We figured out one year that a balloon cannot take a piece of paper all the way to heaven.) We then decorated cupcakes and enjoyed the evening watching his video and scrolling through pictures of him in the hospital. I began to retell the story of where we were and why he looked that way more than I have in the past. It makes my heart so happy that my girls know who he is and help me keep his memory alive.

Church
We have such an awesome small group at church. We meet each week at our home and try to have some meaningful uplifting time while the 12-14 children play “quietly” upstairs. I have been blessed by many of the families in this group. This week on a moments notice we collected items to be taken to victims of the recent tornadoes in Alabama. I loved to see my car packed with shoes, food, toys, baby items etc. I am thankful for the generous friends that surround me.

Texas
Which brings me to this. Come on, I had to make sure you read the whole post. This is not one of those that you can just scan upon will. This is our home for the last 3.5 years. This is the sign that made it a reality that we are moving back to Texas. Ethan has been unemployed since December and was offered a job in Austin. Someone responded to your resume? “Yea.” Someone wants to hire you? “Yes.” We have to move to Texas? “We can do that.” We will be right in the middle of all our family instead of the east coast people, 14 hours away from birthday, holiday get-togethers. We are excited to be closer to family, but my heart will miss so much in Tennessee. I LOVE this place. LOVE. I have awesome friends who have been through the tough stuff with me. I have amazing neighbors who will do anything I ask. I can let my 7yr old walk down the street alone, I mean, that itself is hard to let go. The weather, the beauty and friendliness of this place is priceless. My prayer is that the Lord will graciously bless us in Austin with even half of what we have been blessed with here.

We spent the afternoon with some of our favorite people who have blessed our lives so much. I am so thankful for friends like these who God places directly in your path.