So Different

Marcus and I seem to stay up way too late most nights discussing the same topic over and over again...how our move to Texas has turned out to be SO DIFFERENT than we expected it to be.

In many ways the differences have been extraordinary blessings.

We could not have imagined that Marcus would end up working at Mayday in the capacity that he is so quickly after our arriving. The job has turned out to be PERFECT for us in helping to accomplish our main goals of being here, which are to (1)Earn enough money to support our family while Marcus prepares for Medical School, (2)Actually prepare for applying to Medical Schools, and (3)Saving money to help support our family while Marcus is a Medical student. In very specific ways his job at Mayday clearly helps us reach these goals. There is no doubt to us that the Lord is in the details of this blessing and we feel overwhelmed with gratitude and a sense of responsibility because of it.

Our purpose of moving to Irving was to save money and time by being close to Marcus' original job at Zerorez. After he became employed 25 minutes away at Mayday we were left wondering why the Lord would have lead us to Irving, where we so strongly felt we needed to be. It made sense to us why we felt so good about living here when he was working here, but why now if he is not? We have come to learn and feel that we are in a ward that is just right for us right now. We feel at home and easily fit in as there are many other young couples who just moved to the ward from Provo and Rexburg, many of which are Medical students. We again feel the love of the Lord in the details as Marcus was blessed to receive a company vehicle and gas card to commute to work, not changing our original plan of saving money by not having to pay for a long commute.

Marcus, myself, Connor, and James are adjusting so easily to our new home, new schedule, and new area. I did not expect all these changes to take place so flawlessly, but they really have. Connor is behaving so well and is loving living in a new, bigger space. Marcus and I are not having any problem at all getting used to seeing each other so much...we are feeling stronger than ever as a couple and I just feel like I am falling more and more in love with him. It truly is amazing what a blessing time is. We've never had a schedule that allowed us even half of this amount of time together every day.

Of course, not all of the differences have been such good ones.

We are struggling to find exactly how we fit in living here now instead of just visiting. It has been 5 years since Marcus has lived here and he feels things have certainly changed...with him as well as with many of his family members. It's funny that we didn't anticipate this as 5 years will undoubtedly bring about a great deal of change to anyone, and when you're only around for short visits it's impossible to understand the impact of them. We were naive to think living here would just be like an extended vacation.

Marcus left here a single young adult who was living with his parents and trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to do with his life and returned a married father of two who worked hard to put himself and his wife through college and is now preparing to get into Medical School. With such huge changes it's easy to understand why he and others are having a hard time figuring out how he will re-fit-in.

As for me, I am just struggling to even be able to build relationships with some of his family members for the first time, as I came into the family while Marcus was away and have only been a member of the family at a distance so far. Surely some are feeling the same way about me, as they have had their lives here and all of a sudden are supposed to figure out how to make me a part of them. It's interesting because in all the times I've ever been the "new girl" I've never felt so awkward and out of place...I didn't expect things to be this way, but I guess I can see why they are.

Well, I've probably put most of you to sleep by now as this is turning into a long post that doesn't even have pictures to keep your attention.

To end this I guess I just want to acknowledge that although Marcus and I have found this move to be so different than we expected we would not change it. The blessings have been incredible and we know we are in a place that's good for us right now. With the exception of the situation surrounding Connor's birth we've never felt the Lord to be so clearly involved in the details of our life. We are grateful and excited to see what more is to come!