El Paso

Surprise! We have moved again. We counted with jane the other day, and she has moved 7 times in her 6 years! It’s something we are all getting used to. My girls are already much more resilient and confident than I was even in high school. Moving is SO hard for me, but I also recognize the amazing growth that has come from each big move. In Germany, I learned how to be a strong, independent woman. I learned what it felt like to be buoyed up by the Savior and strengthened by the others of others. I had friends there that shaped me in the way that I mother and in the way that I am a wife and friend. Fort Leonard Wood brought me the best support group I’ve ever had. I learned how to embrace chaos in the name of friendship from watching my good friends do the same. I learned even better how to create a community of friends and neighbors rather than just hoping it will happen without any effort. I gained lifelong friends that feel like family.

I can’t wait to see how this place shapes me and helps me and Jeff to grow together and to help our kids do the same.

We left fort Leonard Wood with sad hearts and started a really long, drawn out road trip to El Paso, Texas. We made the best pit stop to visit some of our best friends and that was so good for my soul! Just an extra boost to send us off into an unknown place.

We then got to El Paso and had to live in a hotel for 10 days. There were some nice things to it- but it was also tricky living with 6 people in one room. I know there are so many women around the world who live that as their reality and they are stronger than me! Our stuff came after being in a hotel for a week and we had exactly one week to unpack and try to get our house together before Jeff already had to leave for his job. So now our house is about 90% complete and I need to just be content with that until he is home for long enough that we can get everything done.

It only gets crazier with every move because our family is bigger each time, and also the amount of stuff we have is greater. I like to think of myself as a minimalist- but every time we move, I am dissuaded of that. One day I was trying to unpack as much as possible and I declared it a movie marathon day. AKA the day of Lyla's dreams. She literally watched 3 movies back to back and I'm not sure she even blinked the whole time.

So far in El Paso we have eaten the BEST mexican food I've ever tasted, went to other yummy restaurants that we've been deprived of for years, had a move-in-to-our-new-house chip party on the kitchen floor. (the smallest things make little kids SO excited!) and eaten snacks and played games using cardboard boxes as tables. Jane also started at a new school and gets to wear a uniform now. Pretty cute! I've also been able to run again and boy was it fun going on my first long run in a place that is 3,000 feet higher than missouri. It really does make such a difference!

Come visit us if only to eat this food!!

Bahama Bucks is my absolute FAVORITE!! 

Chip Party. 

We are loving our new house and the area we live. We have already met a lot of great people. And I can also say that after about 3 weeks my kids are all starting to even out emotionally and mentally. It kinda rocked our worlds to leave our happy little street in Missouri. But they are back to their (mostly) happy selves and we are starting to get into a groove. I signed Jane up for tumbling and piano, and Lyla for gymnastics. I put their responsibility charts up and life is feeling a lot more structured now. But man, I've definitely descended into some deep valleys since being here. When Jeff was gone and Im left with my 4 adorable, yet demanding, children and a house that isn't quite in order; there are moments of complete and utter MADNESS. In a real moment of weakness, I texted my mom and asked if she could come and stay here for a few days. She tried pulling all of the strings but couldn't get work off, so she sent Rachel here instead. Hence why I have the time and the mental clarity to blog right now!

Motherhood is SUCH A rollercoaster. But I'm here for it.