...."and friends are friends forever...."

Goodbyes are sad, especially when you have done life with people for almost 10 years.  Sweet sweet friends and family.  A small group of us gathered at the perfect place.  A home and family that 10 years ago showered us with love and hosted an engagement party for us.  At this same home just last week we cried and they affirmed us as we all said goodbye.  We are SO thankful for the many friends and sweet family who have walked these years with us.  Done life with us.  Watched as we got married and started our new life together.  As we had miscarriages and cried grieving tears with us.  As we celebrated the news of Twin girls, and then who served me in the hospital or cleaned my house when I was on bedrest with my next and then another pregnancy too!  Friends forever, through thick and thin.  We needed you.  You blessed us beyond measure.  We leave grateful and thankful for this season we have all shared.  We cried big sloppy tears and then laughed big when Phillip opened up his first pair of cowboy boots! yeehaw!  We treasure you all.

We are thankful that the night before this we met with our sweet small group friends who blessed us and sent us off with love as well.  So many sweet prayers and burdens shared in that small group, how blessed we were! 

We moved out of our house on Wednesday, hit the road Thursday on a 3 night excursion (phillip is doing a wedding) on our way down to TX.  Please pray with us that our house sells soon...we left it clean and empty, ready for a new loving family!

Its pretty crazy that 27 years ago I was moving as a 5 year old (Canon's age) from Columbia, MO to Plano, TX where I would reside for 19 years.  Here we go again:)  Some of our best friends moved with us to Plano, and years later when they moved away the song "Friends are Friends forever" was a huge hit and I remember crying and singing this at their going away party.  Here we go again:)

Thank you all for loving us well!!!  You will be deeply missed and always cherished.

All our love,
Shelly

A new Adventure

A new blog to document a new adventure. WE'RE MOVING! We are selling our house, saying our sad goodbyes and embarking on a new adventure in Dallas, Texas.  We have been praying for the Lord's direction for quite some time, and we are so thankful He has His own timing and own plan.  We are grateful for all our friends and family here in STL, and will greatly miss them!  We are also excited about the opportunity to serve at Gateway Church and be near other family in Dallas.  With each new adventure in life, we want to stand firm on Christ's words and Psalm 1 has been a life verse of mine.  We want to have "our delight be in the law of the Lord, and on His law we meditate day and night.  We are like a tree, planted by streams of water, that yields it's fruit in its season, whose leaf does not wither, In all that we do we prosper (press forward)."   Lord we thank you for changing seasons, for sweet friends and the blessing of family in each season, and for walking close to us through each and every change. As we are in transition, selling our house and making moving plans, the Lord was so sweet to remind us of His promises.  Over a year ago we started the adoption process and are about 1/2 way in our timeline to getting a referral for our sweet girl.  With moving we put this adoption at His feet, knowing He who called us is faithful to bring this to fruition. (again Psalm 1..."yields its fruit in its season"...the Lord knows her timing!)  And for years we have been praying for her name, we've tossed around a lot of names and stuck with one for a little while.  But we were still praying for the name the Lord wanted for her.  Well just last week He gave us her name, in a sweet very confirming way.  I will share more about that later (I know...sorry to hold out on you!) but it was a very sweet reminder that the Lord does indeed have a plan for her in our lives, and a plan specifically for her life!  Thank you Jesus that you are so sweet!
There are many more things happening in our lives and families lives (others are moving, some having babies, the Ruth's and Hunter's are busy busy).
I realize that blogs are a sweet way for friends and family to stay connected when living in separate towns or states and I want to be more intentional about writing about our family, and our new adventures by posting here.
Thank you all for loving us, for your prayers as we transition, and for protection (Psalm 91) over us and our children.

Much love,
Shelly