Here we go again

Today I took Mary Ella down to our neighborhood playground. I think it's the first time we've been there since she's been walking, and she thought it was pretty cool. She spent most of her time picking things up off the ground and bringing them to me. She does this at home too, and thankfully she does not put stuff in her mouth. It is a little embarrassing when she does it at somebody's house...it's like she's pointing out a dirty floor. Anyway, she practically ran around the playground, stopping every now and then to watch the leaves blow. She loved every minute of it!

So little, yet so big!

Watching the leaves

I can climb the stairs? Really, Mommy?

Here ya go! This place is dirty!

She did consider trying the top of this acorn. I think it reminded her of a Cheerio.

So...we're moving back to Mississippi. My title is "here we go again," because I feel like we just did the whole moving thing. Before Brad took the CFO position in Little Rock he was a budget analyst for the VISN which is the VA's Regional Office in Jackson that oversees 10 hospitals in the South. His boss there, the CFO for the region, has been an awesome mentor for Brad. He really encouraged him to apply for the LR job so he could get CFO experience. He happily sent us on our way. And then, what seemed like not long after we had been here, he created a new position in Jackson. It's called a Deputy CFO, which basically means second in command, and he wanted Brad to apply for it. I said, "No, why didn't he make that job for you when we were there? We just got settled here. I don't want to move again." And then we talked about it ALOT. It was a great opportunity. Brad would enjoy the job. And have a good shot at the Regional CFO position one day. We loved living in Madison. Great schools. Loved our church family. Great friends. It's just a nice place to live. And the biggest plus...less stress and he would have more time at home with his family. We made a pro/con list for Arkansas vs Mississippi. It was pretty even, because I have come to love living here too. It was hard at first with a new baby, but we love our home, our church, and our friends here too. The hardest thing to think about was moving farther away from our family. It has been SO nice to be close to both sides. So we decided to stay put. End of story, or so we thought. His boss did not hire any of the applicants for the Deputy CFO, so guess who he called? Brad, again. So, we had to decide all over again if he was going to apply. It was such a hard decision! We went through all the pros and cons again, and this time we decided to do what was best for "our" family...just the 3 of us. We prayed about it and decided to go for it. I hope that we have made the right decision. I hope that God is leading us where He wants us to be. It's so hard to know! I do know that I am glad the decision has been made. I feel like it has been up in the air forever, and it has been driving me crazy! I'm such a planner, and not knowing exactly what is ahead causes me to stress. But I am thankful we are moving back to a familiar place. I look forward to re-connecting with friends, and I LOVE decorating a new home! I have to say doing it with a toddler might be a whole different kind of challenge, but I'm up for it. I'm going to be positive about this move, because I was a little cranky groing through it 8-10 months pregnant last time. Another huge plus is that Brad's boss has been gracious enough to let us work out of Fayetteville from now until the end of the year so we can spend time with his grandfather and help out when his dad has surgery. I am so thankful for this! So we will be back and forth between LR and Springdale from now until January. Since I have the best in-laws in the world, they are going to let us stay with them while Brad is working there. Hopefully our house will sell within that time, and maybe, just maybe, we can move straight into a new home in Madison, Mississippi. Here we go again...

P.S. I just want to praise God for a minute here! Within the past two years, two dear friends of mine have endured unspeakable tragedy in their lives. One lost her son at barely a month old. And one lost her husband in a tragic accident...they already had one daughter and had another baby on the way. My heart has just been breaking for these two Godly women. I can't imagine what they have been through! And at such a young age. They could have given up and been mad at God, but I watched as they threw themselves into their Bibles and searched for His plan and guidance and comfort. I have been praying so hard for them! And very specifically for another pregnancy and healthy baby. And for a husband and father. And BOTH of my prayers have been answered! And I know I wasn't the only one praying for these things to happen, but it is amazing to see God do something that you specifically and personally asked for. I am so happy for them! Thank you God for answering prayer and for the many blessings in my life and the healing you have brought to my friends.