I feel like we've reached a milestone. Sydney has officially been out of the womb for as long as she was in it. 9 months....can she really be that old? She is. Crazy!! She's getting more interactive every day, she's super vocal, and growing so fast! We went shopping yesterday to get her some clothes because she's growing out of stuff so quickly! Other than that, she's such a good baby. She's been so flexible through all of our transitions and has been so smiley with all the strangers around her :) Well, we officially start tomorrow at 1 p.m. Pray for us as we're a bit nervous. We're mostly excited but a little anxious because of all the things we still have to learn. I'm going to be posting a calendar very soon so you all can see when we're on, when we're off, and when YOU can come visit ;) I'll post pictures of our home(s) soon, I promise!
Speaking of pictures....here is miss Sydney Elizabeth, the big 9 month old! I took lots today because we finally found our camera battery charger. So, since you've had to wait...you get a variety :)
The many faces of Sydney......
She LOVES to play with the straps on her booster seat. Who needs toys when you have that?
On Thursday we'll have been here 3 weeks...is that even possible? It is amazing to me how the time is flying by and how each day it feels a little more normal to be here. We're definitely still adjusting and it's definitely still hard, but we are also still glad to be here. We checked out a new church on Sunday that we liked and hope to go back...but it's no Outreach. We miss our Outreach family so much...I think it's taken leaving to realize how awesome the community really was there. Not only our small group (which was amazing, closest thing to family) but the whole body...quality, genuine people with a deep love for the Lord. We hope to find a "home" church here quickly, definitely a priority. Who knows, the one we just visited may be it...we'll see :)
We've been getting aquatinted with folks and places around here. It will take awhile for this to become "home" but we feel like we're making a good start of just putting ourselves out there. We officially start our training on Wednesday and will enter the cottage for our first shift next Tuesday. I think we're both ready to get started doing what we came here for. We went over to the cottage for dinner tonight and it was a great time to spend more time with our teammates and the boys too of course. There was a moment during the "Family Conference" that just absolutely broke my heart and reminded me why we're here. It was good to be reminded that the Lord has plans and reasons and hope and is working. (I'm intentionally being vague, sorry).
And for those Sydney fans out there, haha, she's doing just fine. She's growing like a weed. She's having a hard time sleeping through the morning....I'm wondering if she's training us for waking up at 6 a.m. to get the boys ready for school when we're on duty :) She has LOVED the kids around here and has a ball at the cottage with the boys. Josh and I have been taking advantage of our free YMCA memberships and she's been hanging out and having fun with kids in the nursery there. She has been so flexible and so adapatable...we are lucky and blessed, and we're aware of that. So of course I'll end this blog like usual....pics/videos of the beautiful Syd :)
Look how tall she's getting? (sorry, I've been horrible about taking pictures lately...so this is all I got for now)
Here's Sydney learning how to push this toy...and NO she's not walking yet. In fact, as of this morning she's kind of afraid of even pushing the toy...so walking is still a little ways away :)
and eating bites of banana....that's the one of the latest developments, learning how to "self feed". So far it's just those Gerber puffs, banana, Cherrios, and bread....
Oh, how I had forgotten how much I hate moving. It's not so much the packing and unpacking, it's all the "new" that comes along with it. New surroundings, new grocery stores, new streets, new ways to do things, new lingo to learn, new places, new faces...new, new, new. New can be good and refreshing, but for me right now it's exhausting. It doesn't seem to have the same effect on Josh or even Sydney....but transition always wears on me a bit, always has.
BUT, we are here. AND we are glad we are here. We are unpacking and settling in little by little. Each day our apartment feels a bit more like home. We've had the chance to meet a lot of other Family Teachers and they have graciously welcomed us into this new community. It's been fun to get to know others who are doing what we will be doing. And we've been able to spend some time with the Collins fam and Smith fam, who we know from Taylor. It has been SO nice to have a few familiar faces here and have people to introduce us to what life is at Thornwell. Both of these families have blessed us already. We were able to meet and have dinner with our boys the other night and that was so fun and encouraging. They seem like great kids and it got us excited for what is to come in the time ahead with them. We also met our teammates and they seem like they will be really easy and fun to work with. We don't officially start working until the 29th (orientation and training in the mean time) so we still have some time to settle in.
Regardless of how it feels to transition, we are so glad that we are here. In the scary moments of the move it has been so encouraging to be able to stand on the assurance that the Lord called us here. And as we sat at the dinner table with the boys the other night, it became clear that not only was that true, but it was good and right as well. We're excited to discover the journey ahead of us.
We'll post some pics of our new home as soon as we have the opportunity to take some, so keep checking back. Ok, so let's end this blog with some pics and a video of everyone's favorite little Sydney...
First of all, these first 3 pics were taken by my friend Tracie. Aren't they awesome?? I just LOVE them!!
ok, we did not pose her like this....this is all Sydney being the model she is. And this is Sydney showing that you can have "bedhead" after a nap, even if you have no hair...
oh, and there are flowers on her overalls...just so we're clear that I don't dress her like a boy :) And finally, her new awesome trick. The first time I saw her do this was just a few moments earlier as she stared, almost cross-eyed, at her sippy cup. It was hilarious!
I find it ironic that last year, on this very weekend, Josh and I were moving into this house. And on this very weekend (well actually tomorrow) this year, we are moving out of it. We always said we'd only be in this house for one year...but I don't think either of us thought it would be one year to the day. Weird.
On another note, our sweet church family gave us the best send off yesterday. They prayed and sang over us. We were blessed by the people who were there, people who really know us and care for us. We felt deeply loved. As much as that made leaving harder...it also confirmed that it was good as they told us that they were sad to see us go but so excited for where we were going. We LOVE our "family" here and yesterday was the perfect bit of closure. Thank you Outreach family!! :)
