The Long Winter

Welcome to our blog! We have decided to keep a documented account of our journey and I think it's long overdue. After leaving Silverton, Oregon in 2013, we headed six hours east to Idaho to embark on a new adventure. We left so many dear ones behind however, and if you are reading this as one of these, please be know that you have been immensely missed and loved every day since.

You might think the small move would provide us with similar surroundings, but you would be wrong! We encountered extreme culture shock! In case you aren't aware, Oregon and Idaho can be very different folks. But what do you do when you get to a place and it's not what you expected? RUN?! Well, that's the human nature talking, but honestly guys, sometimes you need to go thru something that God wants to take you thru no matter how unpleasant. The two years that have followed have been some of the most trying times for Chris and I. We experienced hardship with schooling, with the community, and unforeseen issues that had us near our breaking point. Honestly, during much of this two years, I have been broken. Thru this all though, God has remained the rock and foundation of our lives. He has been testing and refining us and we understand and accept this. Not to say it has been easy in the least! No, this has been the most difficult time in our lives, but it has brought us closer to Jesus, and our marriage and family have been strengthened. 

It hasn't been all negative experiences. We have greatly enjoyed exploring this new terrain. We have hiked, camped and generally adventured hard since we got here!

  Recently we've been scoping out the best snowboarding slopes in the higher elevations and playing in the snow, the little that fell this winter anyway.

 

Last year around this time Chris and I read the book Radical by David Platt http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Taking-Faith-American-Dream/dp/1601422210/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453438699&sr=8-1&keywords=radical
I highly recommend this book. It helped us to "de-cloud" our outlook on life and get our priorities in order(although we are still working on this!) We also picked up some very good habits regarding prayer and family bible time.

 

God has also used circumstances to point us to homeschooling. Something we had never considered before. It has been such an unexpected blessing. Talk about stretching yourself and growing as a parent! Finding ways to challenge an 8th grader while patiently teaching my kindergartner to read and those boys in between! But what amazing things God has done with the time we spend together. 

We have done a Charlotte Mason approach which I would love to share with anyone interested. You can read more on Charlotte Mason and get curriculum ideas and resources here https://www.amblesideonline.org/ This approach has been perfect for our family and I love the freedom in allowing my little kids to be kids while actually learning more than they were before! Honestly, you've got to try her methods! Another resource I would recommend to homeschooling moms is http://www.bewildandfree.org/

 You can also find them on instagram at @wildandfree.co If not for schooling help, their photography alone is dreamy!  
Some amazing history thru literature study bundles can be found at http://bfbooks.com/  
  I'm no expert at educating, but I am picking things up and we go along and finding a groove for my grove : )

 

This season has been a valley, but we are looking towards the future and excited for what God will bring in 2016. Resolution and healing have come slowly but surely, thru the sweet grace of Jesus. We are currently seeking His direction regarding where to go from here. Being completely submitted to God's will and utterly dependent on His grace and provision is both freeing and terrifying. I won't lie, mostly terrifying. I don't claim to have this life all figured out and I forthrightly confess my own struggles with selfishness, impatience, and entitlement, to name a few! But I know without a doubt that my Savior is trustworthy, He is faithful, and above all else, He is love. We will keep the blog updated to reveal what and where God has for us next!

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love." 1 John 4:16-18a