Summer see ya laters

We are in the middle of some huge changes.  HUGE.  We are moving in the next couple of months.  Moving from everything the kids have ever known.  Moving from some of the sweetest people I've ever met.  Moving from an amazing church family.   Moving from a community who rallied around us, people they didn't even know, and helped us raise money for our adoption time and time again.  There are so many things I'm going to miss about Aroostook County, which is funny, when we first moved here 16 years ago I thought I was going to die.  I thought that this was the end of the world, a black hole that would suck me in forever.  I remember saying to my wonderful husband, it's ok, we'll be ok for a few months and then we'll move back.....16 years later..... I remember imagining myself  driving a u haul honking and waving and dancing on outta the county.  Nope, not at all.  It's going to be a sad day.  I've learned so much about community and relationship and deep friendships and slowing down and faith in God and answered prayers and true religion. Such sweetness.  I pray these are tools that God has placed in our hands for our next adventure.

Happy sweet sixteen Anniversary!!

Shannan,

How on earth did this even happen?  No seriously I.dont.get.it.  One day we were all giddy driving our little Toyota Tercel through Virginia on our honeymoon like we knew what we were doing (without the GPS chic), counting money from our wedding cards (I'm not sure we even read them, just rip, dump, rip)  we had it to.geth.ER.  I mean you were like a top janitor and all educated and graduated from college and I was a rockin'  secretary.  We were in the process of clearing our land to plop our 1980 something trailer onto.  Which would be right up the road from mom and dads and down the road from the aunts uncles and all the cousins of course.  We owned a stereo player, some dishes and I could make Shepard's pie like.a.boss. Life was good and easy and we had so.much.to.learn...

Flip forward SIXTEEN years.... We have been through a few things.  Ok a lot of things.  FOUR kids and one coming straight from Haiti (what on earth thats  FIVE kids!!)  my health issues, kids health issues, surgeries (last count was 22), miscarriages, heartbreak, waiting (oh the waiting) and surrender..... lots of surrender to a Holy God who is ALWAYS faithful, always good.   This is besides all the "regular" stuff we've had to figure out when two people become one.  Nope,  it's not been easy. But if we would have thrown in the towel we wouldn't have been able to see the beauty and miracles that we are getting to see now.  So, thank you.

Thank you for growing in your relationship with Jesus, for being as stubborn as an ox, for sticking with me in the ugly, for being a great daddy, for breaking generational chains and for fighting for us.  I am so grateful and privileged to be called your wife.  I love you.  God is good.  And we have so.much.to.learn. XO -Emma