Wow, a lot has happened since I posted last. If you've read Joanne's posts you know a lot about what has gone on. The big deal is that we moved back to Colorado after a year in Phoenix. It was a good learning year for us down there and we made some friends that we will have for life, so that's a good thing for sure. But being back in Colorado has been amazing.
The biggest thing is that we are surrounded with Family. Joanne's folks are two miles away. Her sister and her family are another five miles further along. My folks are just down the freeway in Colorado Springs. And then there is the mish-mash of sort-of relatives that live nearby. It's amazing to have so much family so close. We probably see someone from our extended family every day, and it is a treat. The girls are especially loving the time with their grandparents, cousins and Aunt and Uncle. So the family part is great. There is just love and support from family that is special and unique in the world of relationships.
On top of that there are some friendships here that we have fallen back into. It's pretty cool to flip through my contacts list in my phone and to have friends here that I can meet up with for lunch or coffee. Not that I couldn't do that in Phoenix--it's just nice to know that I still have friends here that are great to hang out with. And being back with them makes me realize how much I missed them.
Still weighing the church thing. There are a lot of things we like about our church (Cherry Hills Community) but Audrey hasn't taken to the youth group yet. Of course she has only gone once, but she wasn't blown away. A lot of that probably has to do with how much she loved the Jr. High group at Mission. But we are going to give it a couple more weeks and see if she settles in. Small groups start in September and if we can get her into one of those and get her some connection to a cool youth leader I think she'll be all set. One way or another, youth group is going to be a huge part of her life. Being home-schooled that'll be her primary opportunity to make friends. Of course she still has friends from her days at Denver Christian and she has gotten to hang out with a few of them which is really cool.
Emma is bopping right along. She loves having Gran and Papa nearby. She loves having her swing tied up high in in one of the big trees in our back year. She loves the baby bunnies that live under our deck (she has even gotten close enough to touch one). And she is into cooking--loves to help Joanne out in the kitchen. All in all she is a pretty irrepressible kid. Oh, and she has become addicted to the Cosby Show. Not a bad choice.
After a month with no work I finally landed a great, fun, challenging client that will take up most of my time for the foreseeable future. I really wasn't sure what God was going to provide--a regular office job, an opportunity to continue to consult or something in the fast-food industry. But consulting looks like it'll be the deal for the time being. I'll talk more about my new gig in a future post, but suffice it to say that I couldn't be more excited or blown away by God's providence. I still need to add a few clients to really make ends meet, but I am on the path to seeing that happen and I just have a sense that God is going ahead of me on this one.
We had money set aside that would allow us to make it for a few months, and for some reason I thought God was going to take us up tot he very edge before he provided. I have heard so many stories lately of families that we taken right to the edge before God provided a job and an income. But for whatever reason God didn't wait with us. Not sure why that is and I have been pondering it for the last couple of days.
The great thing about having a month off is that I had a chance to do everything around the house that needed done--touch-up painting, yard work, attacking the honey-do list from Joanne and getting everything put away from our move. I got to be super helpful around the house and now that I am back at work, it is very satisfying to know that everything is done.
On a spiritual note: this whole experience has changed my perception of God to some greater or lesser extent. First of all, God told me to move that family back to Colorado. It wasn't quite an audible voice, but almost. Then he provided for us financially in almost a widows-jar-of-oil sort of way. We just continued to have enough money to make it. Then he provided a great client ahead of what I assumed might be his schedule--he surprised me with that one. All of this has lead me to believe that maybe God cares for me in more tangible ways than I thought he did. Maybe he has a great plan for me and for our family instead of keeping his distance. Maybe he wouldn't have told me to pack us up and move back here if he wasn't also going to provide a job. Maybe he is more involved in my day-to-day life than I realized. Nonetheless it is causing me to reevaluate some of my assumptions.
So I guess that's where I'm at. I feel a peace that I haven't felt in a long time and I have felt it since we moved back. I have had my days where some anxiety and a little mania have crept in but on the whole I have been stable and that feels really good.
And it feels really good to be home.
