A New Chapter Starts an Old Ends

These last 8 months have been an INSANE ride! We left all we knew, moved across the country from Columbus, Ohio to Lincoln, California. We KNEW God was calling us, so it was easy in that sense, but losing everything financially, Trusting Him with the day to day needs was HARD, humbling & stressful at times. I can honestly say I've grown more in these last 8 months than ever in my life! It's been really GOOD.

The only way we were able to make this huge move was moving in with my sister Amy, Brother in Law Jesse & my nieces Chloe & Emma. Can I just say, How amazing is that to let your in laws live with you for 8 months & not kill each other?! Hahaha! Amy & Jesse are just like that. Their hearts are huge! -- Oh yeah! In that time, my parents had to move in too, so 10 people in one 6 bedroom house... It was a fun/crazy/funny/stressful adventure! We definitely learned a lot about communication & in many ways, it felt like the 1st year of marriage in the sense you learn about all the ways other people like to do things & it's not the way you do things & it's annoying & a learning process! Hahaha! I learned a lot about myself in that situation too. Communal living is like holding a mirror up to your face, it shows all of your imperfections & areas you need to work on, & man there were a lot! -- Again, aren't my brother in law & sister saints?! They'll probably get a special crown in heaven for letting all of us into their home. 😂 they are amazing!

We knew that living with my sister was a temporary thing, but we weren't sure how we were going to afford moving out. We SUPER SAVED over the next few months. Brett has a well paying job & we were still getting benefits from the state during our transition out of the program & they paid for our groceries (hallelujah!!) so we were able to save that money. Also, during that time, we heard from Brett's old job that Ohio messed up on our taxes for the past like 5 or so years and we'd be getting 3,000+ back! We also got another amazing refund back from taxes we were able to save too. We had some other random money come in & we started the search for a house to buy or rent! Our bank account was BETTER than when we moved here! Miraculous stuff!

 We tried looking into buying, but Brett had to be at his job for at least 6 months, so we didn't qualify yet, so we dove into the renting market.  I went in full blown house search mode & man, places are GONE in like a day here. We had our hearts set on a place, but we didn't qualify, & I was giving up, but then a house right around the corner popped up in the same neighborhood as my sister & we literally walked there to look at it! We decided to go for it, & the rental company already had our applications from another house, so we were able to get it quicker! We moved in 3 weeks later & it's been amazing!

This house is SO nice! The nicest we've lived in & a one-story & pretty baby proofed which is a blessing to me since Story is into EVERYTHING & climbs everything. The backyard is fenced in & has a really nice patio we play on every morning too. I really feel at home here & my parents moved into the master suite so they have their own space & it helps to share the house payment & utilities every month!

We also got 2 cars! We got a used Acura from someone at church & it's in great condition for Brett to run to work & back. We just got a Brand New Kia Soul for me & the kids & I kind of love it! Haha! We're hoping to have it for a long time & maybe pass it on to Trust one day. 😊

A lot has changed right?! Man, I am so grateful to be settling into this new chapter of life. I really feel like California is feeling more like home! Also, I can't believe Trust is starting Kindergarten in a few weeks! So crazy! Time flies with these kiddies, I'm trying to really enjoy it & do fun things! 

There are still some unknowns about this next chapter health wise. I still need to see an endocrinologist about my thyroid & thyroid nodules, but my insurance has to approve it! I am definitely feeling it these days. I am struggling to get up in the morning & no amount of coffee wakes me up & I am so tired I can fall asleep anywhere. It's really hard some days, especially when you're a mom of two & a wife! You can't just stop doing those things! I felt really depressed yesterday. I am so scared I won't ever feel better. I'm worried I'll have to get surgery & have to take meds my whole life or that the nodules are something serious, that the doctor I get wont hear me out like the doctors I've had before. Ugh! When I let my mind go, it can put me in the grave in a heartbeat! Haha! I am trying my best to take every thought captive. But yesterday I forgot! 😄 today has been better. I got out with the kids, because they got up at the crack of dawn, & it's better to just get up & go to keep my momentum going. We had a blast! We went to the Library to play at the park & they ended up have a Big Truck Story time & A pipe truck demonstration! How cool is that?! Trust had a blast & I got to revel in my awesome mom-ness that I got up & out of the house. Haha! I felt like Jesus was encouraging me, that I could do it! I think I can! 

Trust also went through quite an ordeal there for a second, that we honestly don't know what happened. He was throwing up & sick almost every week & I took him to the doctor like 4 times before they finally decided it probably wasn't a stomach virus but something else. Trust Bravely got his blood drawn twice, & the 1st time his ANA test was abnormal which is a flag for possible autoimmune disease or viral Hepatitis A, & his Hep A test came back borderline, which could be cause from the vaccination he JUST got a few weeks before. We have no idea! So we laid low for a while because viral hepatitis A is a virus that affects your liver & it just has to run its course & you are good, as long as their are no complications. We were going to see a gastroenterologist at that point to see if there was anything else going on, but our insurance couldn't get us in! When we got his blood tested again the ANA came back normal & it appeared to be getting better! So we decided to not go to a specialist since his symptoms were better! Still a scary, frustrating ordeal, all this while we were moving! We also had to cancel his birthday party since he was still not feeling well around that time! It was so sad, but we still had a blast celebrating with just our family! I tried to make it extra special for him. 

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What a crazy story God is writing!! I feel like through it all, we are stronger, wiser & better people because of all we've had to face & we have empathy for those in a similar place! Our roots are going deeper in the Lord & relying on HIS strengths & not our own through the most uncertain of times. He's never failed, not once! We know we can make it through anything we face. 💓