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What a week!! We have been so busy, I have hardly even had to time to say the words “I need to write my blog!” I just want to highlight on a couple things. Last week TJ and Del went way up into the mountains for the night to be quiet and seek God! I loved some of the things that God spoke to TJ because they were things we needed to here. As TJ was sitting on a mountain top looking over Gods creation and reading his bible, a small gust of wind blew the pages of TJ’s bible, he looked down and began reading psalm 34, and towards the end it talks about God being near the broken hearted and crushed spirit, also that many are the afflictions of the righteous. He realized God doesn’t always have some agenda to get us to learn things by going through hard times. Because of sin and life we experience afflictions and he is sad right along with us, and we learn from them not because that was his purpose, but because anyone who knows Christ can experience redemption in all things.

Last week at the women’s retreat, one of the last optional sessions was a girl who lost her baby at full term last May, I could relate with her story in so many ways especially with how she has relied on God daily to walk daily with her. Something she said really stuck out to me. It was something like: “what we determine as a bad thing, may not really be a bad thing, the only true bad thing is not knowing Christ”. I am thankful for such needed reminders.

This week has been busy and there have been different things on the schedule. Saturday rolled around and my friend Christy made a visit up to see me, we were scheduled to speak at the 7th Day Adventist Church in Auberry and honestly it was just the next thing on the schedule… another thing to get done. But we walked into that church and God showed me more of himself. I was so humbled to be there and was reminded that all of this stuff that we’re doing, it’s not about us, it is so much bigger than our personal lives and schedules. We left feeling so encouraged, loved and supported for what we’re doing. And I’m so grateful that God does the burdening in people’s hearts, and I’m so thankful for this little church and the way they ministered to us in the midst of our busy schedule, and I’m so glad this life is so much bigger than me!

We have been saying goodbye to good good friends and precious family! We had to say goodbye to my dad last Sunday in the middle of all the business, not my favorite thing to do! We have been tearing our little apartment apart, packing and sorting. It was nice to have a break and spend a couple last hours with our friends Matt and Natalie Tuesday night. At 9:30 pm (when friends normally go home), we decided to make chalk boards out of old kitchen cabinets. We put Frozen on for our kids and went to town in our little project, we finished and they left around 11. It’s hard to say goodbye to good friends.

late night chalk board project drying

working on our chalk boards, late into the night

my dear friend Natalie, who I am going to miss immensely!!

had to include the good ones 🙂

We finished packing and cleaning our apartment, we loaded our trailer, rooftop carrier, and cooler… We are on the road.

Thursday night we had dinner with my family that is in fresno right now…. Amazing cedar planked salmon and veggies… yumm!!! Thank you mom!!
I have loved getting to know my sister in law better Sarah, and my nephew Caleb who I absolutely adore! He lights up my life, and when I’m with him I just can’t get enough. This has been a blessed season of living by/with my parents as well as in Auberry with Marybeth, Rob, Becka, and Bethany. Our life has been full here and rich with relationship and love, it’s what we hoped for and more, and less in some areas. We hoped to be with child by now, but are trusting God fully with our unborn
Children. Our relationships at Auberry Community have broadened, depended and lengthened. God is good. Yesterday we said goodbye to Del, Arielle, and ther’e boys… The next time we see them we will be in Senegal, wow, and awesome!! 🙂

Penny saying goodbye to her very best friend and cousin Silas. :'(

We said goodbye to my mom, it feels hard to do when you have an incredible relationship with your mom, the good thing is that the relationship doesn’t stop here. We live on and we love on.

Our new motto: “Here we are, our family and our stuff!”

Today we said goodbye to Barry and Helen, Bella, and Joshy. Ava has been saying this whole week, “we are going to see the last persons that we love” talking about the last of our family. Our next stop is Salt Lake City. Here we go, on to the next adventure!!