As I sit here, just finished tying up some loose ends and putting myself "out there" in a new and scary way, I am truly humbled by this past year. I worked, I studied, I failed, I conquered, I cried, I laughed, and at the end of this year, I will be eternally grateful for all of it.
We have a mere 140 days left of this seminary adventure. That's just a hair over four months. The time, it's felt like it inched by and simultaneously flown by at light-speed. I've watched the VIT transform. To see the bishop lay hands upon him, to hear him proclaim his truth, to see him accept his vocation, it made all of the struggles of this journey completely worth it. To see our partners live into their vocation, it's a beautiful thing. I only hope he knows how utterly and exceedingly proud I am of him. How excited I am for his ministry to grow and develop. I will do better in expressing that.
I look back at my sweet babies and see how much they've grown over these past 2.5 years. They were quite literally babies when we dragged them halfway across the country to unfamiliar land. They are the epitome of flexibility and love. And to our newest PKIT, hang on buddy, its a wild ride sometimes but it's a lot of fun and so long as we have each other, as Mr. Marley says, "everythings gonna be alright!" Y'all have been great sports and you've learned to rely on each other. Your Dad and I are so proud of all the things you've learned and the love you've given.
There was definitely a time when Austin didn't feel like it could ever be home. It was hard and rough. But as the days have increased and we found our groove I am going to miss this seminary house. This seminary community. This time in our lives. I'm forever grateful the Lord led us here. Especially, in spite of my kicking and screaming. Although we still don't know what the future holds (could be a move just down the road, could be across the country), we are confident there is a method to all this madness. If we should have to leave this place, I'll miss so much more than queso. At the moment, we aren't going to think about that day.
As I close out this 38th trip around the calendar, I am blessed and grateful I've had it. That I have 5 beautiful earthly children, a wonderful husband, some of the best friends a girl could ask for, and family that loves me on my worst day. I pray this new decade of life, that is be blessed with strength, patience, laughter, comfort, and change. That we continue to grow together as a family and as individuals. I pray I continue to feel all the feelings and enjoy this crazy ride just a little more than I do today. 2020, bring your A game!
