Home Sweet......Apartment

We are battling jet-lag, navigating the smoggy city, settling in and making it.......home.

God knows Im missing the quiet peaceful evening hour at our home on the lake when the sunset would reflect off the glassy-still water and the Canadian geese would gracefully glide under our dock and Tristan would be casting his line contentedly on the shoreline. 

God knows my need for beauty....

And painted this torched sky sunset our first night in our new apartment.  Such a gift to see beauty amidst the polluted, overpopulated, noisy city chaos!

A godly older woman in my life recently gave me the analogy that God is not uprooting us, He's "repotting" us.  

God has graciously confirmed and re-confirmed in so many ways, that this is where He has guided and directed our family.  So Ive struggled at times with the concern from others who love us deeply, but raise questions about our lifestyle that is so unstable and transient.  Of course Im concerned for my kids need for consistency.  I do at times worry about how they'll adjust and acclimate.  But more importantly, C and I desire to be obedient to the clear leading the Lord has laid on our lives and trust Him to meet the emotional and physical needs of our children, for our life, our marriage, our family.  

My sweet friend wisely shared that a gardener who loves his plants must repot them occasionally.  The process often shocks the plants at first, but the new soil is nourishing and provides all that the plant really needs to grow, bloom and bear fruit.

I had to laugh at the analogy of plants because I did not inherit my grandfathers "green thumb".  I cant grow anything.  My mother-in-law has bought me some beautiful blooming plants over the years and routinely has to tell my kids to water them because she knows Ill forget.  The only thing I can keep alive is....kids:)  However, it does make sense to me.

This is the season God has us in.  He is not uprooting.  He's replanting!

We are coming out of 5 years living in "Prosperity SC" and dwelling in "green pastures".  Even tho there have been trying times with Evie's medical issues, we really feel it has been a season of rest and restoration......and preparation for the next thing.  God has done a lot of healing....physically and emotionally in the sabbatical that we have had stateside in our comfortable little house on the lake.  But we are never intended to stay in those "mountain top" experiences.  Its in the "valley" that He really grows us.  So we are embracing this new chapter in which we feel God is "repotting" us for the purpose of growth.  Confirmed through a sweet conversation with Tristan this morning, we can see already that God is doing the same in our children in drawing them to Himself even as we are being stretched out of our comfort zone!  Thank you for your continued prayers through these next days and weeks of acclimation, transition and "repotting".

A peek at our "Home Sweet Home Apartment"

Our Ikea sheets were delivered yesterday - YAY!

Sunset view from our balcony - not too shabby, huh?

No couches yet....but Beauty & the Beast is still a thriller!

Daddy and his helpers assembling our one and only piece of furniture:)

No more monkeys jumpin' on the bed!

Girls dorm - will be bunk-beds eventually

Geeky first family photo in our new pad