The Long Awaited (and Thoroughly Behind Schedule) Update!

Days, weeks and years pass by like grains of sand in an hourglass...
Each grain is shaped differently and composed of a unique mix of ingredients given by it's Creator that lend character to the whole of it's substance. So it is the same concept with every moment of our lives!

Many grains of sand have fallen through the hourglass of my life since I last recorded any specific passage of time on here...
Too many memories to relish, too much heartache to depress, so much saving grace and mercy that blows me away time after time!
I couldn't even begin to record everything in just one post, so I'll give a brief overview as I can recall, or as may be fitting for each event! 😉

So, looking back on the schedule of blog posts it looks like the last real update was January of 2017. We had just settled into the Arlington house and were attempting to manage the farm and care for Nana.

*A lot has changed since then*

Circumstances in July of 2016 thrust us all into a state of temporary homelessness and separation as a family. We sold off the farm animals except the geese who we're watched by close family friends (the McKinney's) during this time. Nana ended up moving back to Arizona and passing away a short time later. I flew down to Arizona to help Grandma and Aunt Michelle sort through her belongings. I decided to switch my looks up a bit and dyed my hair a temporary red color & cut it shoulder length again.

I had the blessing of mixing in happiness with this sadness by taking a wonderful trip to California and to visit Nanny. This brought back so many fond childhood memories. She is like the mother I am not biologically related to, yet I love so dearly I would do anything for. She helped raise me from babyhood while my parents both worked, so she quite literally filled one if those mother roles to little me 💕
After this Dad, Mom, J, Chris, Kia, Eli and me took a fantastic trip to Disneyland for a thoroughly enjoyed vacation.

Up until this last school semester I was going to college. I completed a year of pre-nursing studies at Everett Community College before deciding to take a break and switch gears. It was a lot of fun, but it also brought a lot of confusing emotions and temptations that were too much to wisely continue to press on ignoring. That is for another blog post, however! 😉

During our state of homelessness we we're able to stay with an amazing family from church. They really showed us Christ's love during that rocky and crazy time of chaos. I am so greatful for the body of Christ and the saints who take his word seriously and live it out in powerful ways!

Thankfully, the Lord has recently blessed us with a more permanent living situation. We won't be able to own farm animals but I thoroughly trust that God knows what's best and will provide us with sufficient means according to his perfect will!

Now onto the family update:
Dad: Dad ended up loosing his job and was unemployed for a long long time until he was finally hired on by a company in Seattle. Now he leaves at 4:30am and rides the bus all the way down to Seattle each morning to work. He is a faithful and hard-working provider!!

Mom: She has gone back to school part time to renew her nursing license while homeschooling Kia and Eli and also leading the renovations of our new house. She is a huge example of steadfast faithfulness to me!!

Jeremiah: My dear brother started a courtship with Kaylie Jamieson on June 2nd 2018! 💕♥️😍 They are doing very well and are totally adorable with their young love story! (Sometimes I want to barf! 😜😂) He completed a year of the Fire Science program at Sno-Isle tech, graduated from high school this year and is starting an EMT course at Everett Community College this fall. He currently works as a lifeguard at the YMCA and just bought his first car! My bro is growing up! Praise the Lord! I am sure gonna miss his long talks and his best-friend-siblingship though! ♥️

Christian: He graduated a year earlier (in 2017) and completed a year of Precision Machining at Sno-Isle tech school. He also got a job as a lifeguard at the YMCA and worked for a while before starting a career in the Precision Machining industry at ToolCraft (where he currently works). He is loving everything about his new full time job and has the ability to work his way up the ladder, so to speak.

Chris and Jeremiah also recently graduated from their 3 year discipleship with Ken Clements! My little bros are growing into godly and faithful men who will defend the gospel and stand as strong examples for Christ in this dark and lost world.

*Disclaimer*
I am writing this for the purpose of updating and so as not to leave my sister out if this blog post. I am writing matter-of-factly and prayerfully as I cry out to God for his saving grace to be extended. It is never my intent to bring shame or judgment on any sinner who is lost and unrepentant. Restoration and salvation is always the goal. With that in mind, I shall continue...

Lydia has sadly left our family to chase after a life of sin and depravity. She is stuck in a life of rebellion and selfish pleasures. I pray everyday that God will destroy her appetite for drugs, alcohol, sex and perversion, and cause her to seek a life of obedience and radical heart change. I don't expect she will be mentioned very often from here on out.
True salvation and radical repentance will bring back trust and restoration.

No line is uncrossed, yet it is never too late to lay down the weight of sin and give it up!
God's unlimited forgiveness is there waiting for any repentant sinner!
What love and compassion the Almighty has extended in doing this!

It is by his grace alone that depraved sinners like us are saved and given a new heart that desires to forsake the passions of the flesh in order to please Him!
It just blows me away- the goodness and power of our God 💕
I pray that he would do mighty works in many hearts!

Kiana: This sassy little lady is going to be a teenager in November! I find this really hard to imagine!
I still think of her as a chubby 2 year old wearing diapers with that adorable little New York accent! She is quite the hermit crab finatic now, and just bought an improved enclosure with her own hard earned chore money! 💰 She is amazingly talented with folding oragami and drawing dragons/fantasy scenes. Also, the attitide is strong with this one! (Catch the star wars parody?! 😜)
She is growing though, and the Lord is working in her life. We've all walked a tough, faith stratching road and I pray for her salvation and confidence in the Lord's love. I enjoy getting to have sister time with her! 💕

Elijah: He turned 8 years old in May! He's learning how to read and do basic math and handwriting. He's asking a lot of really good questions and seems to be processing life in the best way an 8 year old has the ability to. I love his exuberance and endless energy. He has a thing for popping out and scaring me when I least expect it too! His laughs are SO contagious- I can't hold it in when he starts laughing!

This summer Kiana and Elijah have had a ton of fun playing in the river that borders our property. They've caught tiny fish and crawdads, as well as received quite the tan. They luckily have an abundant source of melanin, so they don't sunburn! 😉

I have some exciting news as well!

After much thought and prayer, I've decided that I could best serve the Lord by going to Bible school.
After looking at several schools across the country, my family, Pastor Cary and I all decided that the best fit for me was a college called Frontier School of the Bible in La Grange, Wyoming!
I have been accepted into the school and fly out in exactly 11 days from today! I'm so excited to grow in my relationship with my God and have the chance to study what he's done through Christ in his Word.
Not everyone gets the opportunity to study Scripture for a whole year straight, so I'm praying that I will stay faithful, genuine, and really take this time seriously.
Hebrews 4:12 says: "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." I want to keep this, and the One who wrote it in mind each time I present myself as a student to study and apply it's truths- ultimately His truths!

May my hourglass, full of moments and sand, glorify my Creator and tell a wonderful story of his goodness and love forever and ever, Amen!⌛♥️🙏