Monday, February 25, 2013

The Sunshine State

Well we made it to Florida and praise God for us getting here safely without any problems out on the road! So thankful that our collage friend Chris helped us out with the driving aspect, so we could each have time not driving! The first leg of our trip we stopped at my Dad's house, then we continued on the next day and picked up Chris in Iowa and drove a total of 1,010 miles and ended our day in Tennessee at about 2 o'clock eastern time... it was a very long day! The next day we did about 700 miles, JC did the math and figured that in total him and I were in the car for about 38 hours over 3 days!! Yuck!! But it went by fairly fast especially after we picked up Chris. The pups did well traveling, and traveling with two dogs defiantly made it interesting... we ended up feeding them in the packing lot of gas stations!! Haha life is never dull when you own animals! 

We arrived in Belle Glade and about 11pm Thursday night and were welcomed by our new partners in ministry Carl & Marsha and their sweet daughter Carly! Our pantries and fridge were stocked with food for us, such an awesome welcome! I feel like since we have arrived here all the days have seem to blur together. We feel extremely blessed to have been called into this sweet church family and already feel God working here and in us! We are excited to get started with our ministry... JC already led worship yesterday morning! The weather here is awesome, but hot it will for sure take us some time to get used to it! We went for our first walk with the dog tonight around the neighborhood and enjoyed a beautiful sunset! 

Each day we unpack more and more and it's feeling more and more like home here! The dogs have adjusted well so far, but poor Zeke gets so hot because of his black fur. He is shedding so much hair so I think I will be vacuuming up his hair just about everyday! We have had fun buying a couple new pieces of furniture, but are still saving up to get a new bedroom set... which I can't wait to get because not having my clothes in a dresser is driving me nuts right now! I feel like we have already been gifted so much, when people heard that we were in need of a few things we were gifted some money to get those things! I love how God is constantly providing for us where ever we go, we have seen this time and time again! Our God is SO SO good!! 

So here are a few pics of our trip, I'll do another post with pics of our cute new house soon! Hope you all had a great weekend and that this week is full of blessings!

XOXO Bee

We made it!! 

Got to spend some time with Ori on his 3rd Birthday
before we left!

Cutie!! He requested waffles for dinner... my kinda boy! 

Love my Brother! 

Love my SIL! 

Sleepy Zeke on the car ride! 

Beautiful sunrise Wednesday morning! 

Feeding the pups! 

Chris & Zeke my travel companions for most of the trip! 

Bright blue Georgia Skies! 

Geting a little loopy in the car! 

Frist stop in FL was at a Busy Bee Gas Station... I think this was a
sign of FL welcoming me with open arms! 

You know it's starting to feel more like home when your
fridge is covered with your stuff! 

Beautiful rainbow on our drive to West Palm Beach
Saturday night! 

My love and I out to dinner with Chris! 

My handsome hubby leading worship yesterday! 

Some pretty FL flowers! 

They sure know how to make us feel welcome! 


Flip flops, sun & green grass in February... I'll take it! 
Said goodbye to Chris Bob this morning! 

The beautiful sunset tonight on our walk! 




Monday, February 18, 2013

Not Goodbye, but see you later!

As we say our final goodbyes today, I can't help but think about how they aren't goodbyes but see ya laters! That is such a huge blessing that comes with being a believer in Christ is knowing that even if we don't see other believers in this life again that we will see them in Heaven! What a relieve that I never really have to say goodbye, but see ya later instead! Thank you God for promising a life after this where we will all be together once again! Taking off bright and early tomorrow!! Prayers for safe travels are much appreciated!! 

XOXO Bee

Trying to keep calm amidst all the craziness/ stress of moving! 

Going to miss you Paige! 

Going to miss you Sierra ! 

Crazy last day in the Falls including 10+ fresh inches of snow, getting
the car stuck, loading the trailer! God's last gift of snow to us!! 

Words to live by! 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Farewell to I. Falls

As our move is right around the corner, There are many people and things that I will miss about I.Falls. Most of all I will miss our church family and all of their support that they have given us over the past year and a half. I am thankful for all of them and all the friendships that I am leaving with. God knew what he was doing when he put us here in the Falls as we went through the losses of our two sweet babies! International Falls will always be our first ministry position and I know that it will always hold a special place in mine and JC's heart. Thank you for the memories and we hope to come back and visit someday and to introduce you to our baby (babies). 

Here are some pics of the last few days here and our fun winter wonderland shoot we did with one of the teens as a farewell to I.Falls! Hope you have a great weekend and the next time I'll be writing a blog from FL!! 

XOXO Bee

My sweet friend Laura and I

I'm going to miss both these ladies SO much!!
I hope they will come visit us in FL!! 

Our long journey of 2,020 miles! 

Going to miss all the sweet teens! 

JC and his buddy Dakota! 

My sweet V-day flowers from my love! 


Our little family! 

Zoey Girl! 

Zeke boy! 

Just us! 

We like to laugh together! 

I think this is my favorite picture! 

Kisses! 

I love him lots! 

Kisses for my love! 

A pinky promise to love each other forever!! 

Friday, February 8, 2013

Transition...

Transition; I'm rapidly understanding that life is all about transition... well at least it seems like it for JC and I. Over the last 2.5 (since we got married) We are on our third big move and our third grown up job position. We have transitioned from MN to NH then back to MN and now on to FL... wow quit the adventure we have been on these last few years! JC did promise me when we got married that life wouldn't be boring with him, and man was he right!! I knew marrying a youth pastor the possibility of moving around was very high, the only time I will have a hard time moving is once our kids are in school. I think going through transition is good, it teaching you about yourself, it makes you put your trust in God whole heartily, and it most definitely makes life interesting and worth living!!

With that all said our house is becoming more and more empty, we sold our big couch and one of our dressers today. We are selling all of my childhood furniture which is kinda hard to say goodbye to but at the same time with our fresh new start I think it's time to get some grown up furniture!! Monday we are donating a bunch of clothes, it feels got to bless other people with things they may need, it's also nice to have less things to pack and move! Seeing stuff leave the house is making it more really that we are leaving to move across the country in 10 days!! Yikes, crazy!! I am SO excited to get to Florida and to settle in to our new home!!

Tonight my brother Brad is coming to spend the night and to pick up some our furniture that they're taking for their boys! He's also taking our nursery furniture to store for us, which we are extremely thankful for... it's not time to let go of our baby dreams yet. I still have to go through Maggie's clothes and other belongings of hers, which I am dreading going through it all but in some ways I'm hoping it will be therapeutic for me. Any way I am excited to see my brother and spend a little time with him, although I think JC will see more of him than I will. Tomorrow morning I'm going to coffee with my three closest friends as a farewell get together and while I'm doing that JC and Brad are going fishing! My days seem to be filling up and going by faster and faster, I'm sure the next 10 days will fly by!

On another note, today is my One Year Blog anniversary! I can't believe that a year has passed since I have started spelling my guts on here... thank you for all who have read my blog and for your support over the last year of our life. I have truly appreciated all the prayers and encouraging notes you have sent me!! I'm looking forward to another year of writing and documenting our lives... and maybe another baby on the way, only God knows! :) I hope you all have a blessed weekend! Not sure when I will have time to blog again, might not be until we arrive in FL!

XOXO Bee

I just had to share this sweet pic of Zeke

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Trading in our Snow Boots

Well it's official we are moving to Florida in two short weeks!! Yikes! We have a lot to do and to pack in that short amount of time! So far we have been able to sell a number of our furniture, which is good because the house in FL has furniture already! We are looking forward to trading our winter boots for flip flops, especially because the temperature here in the Falls has been in the negative more then the positive digits lately! We seem to just keep getting more and more snow! So I'm just counting down the days until we are in warm weather with blue skies and palm trees!! 

On the flip side my heart is sad to say goodbye to my family and our church family here in the Falls. We have met so many wonderful people here, some that have become like our second family. The hardest part is that distance will keep me from saying goodbye to most of my family members... Dad and Mary will be in Thailand when we leave and time and distance will keep me from saying goodbye to Brian, Shannon and the kids... hoping I will at least be able to say good bye to Brad, Whitney and the kids. 

Saying goodbye to International Falls will be difficult, but at the same time this town holds a lot of pain personally for JC and I. It's hard for me to think about when we moved here we were expecting our Maggie Grace and hoping to welcome our first baby...instead we have said goodbye to two babies here. So we think that Florida will be a wonderful fresh new start and hopefully God willing the place where we will welcome a baby (or babies!). We are super excited to see what God has planned for us and how he will use us in our new church!! Oh and I am super excited to be able to take our pups on daily walks... even in the middle of the winter!! Hopefully it will help me shed some of these extra pounds I need to loose! 

Now off to pack and organize! Hope you are all having a wonderful week, here are some pics from the last few days!! 

XOXO Bee


Our boy is 1 year old now!! 

I have been wanting to put together a shadow box for our
Maggie Grace, so here it is! 

Sorting through clothes and jackets to donate! 


Cuddle time with my favorite teddy bear
when JC was gone and I was having a hard night.

Thankful that our Zoey is healthy again!
She was sick for about 4 days.

He loves cuddling on my lap!

The pupcakes I made for Zeke's Birthday!

JC snuck this picture the other night, yes we were
both passed out a sleep! 

Story of my life and words I live by!