Finding a New Normal...

Finding a New Normal…

So we’ve been here just over seven months. I’m going to be honest, I really thought I would be established, settled, and have it together by now.  Well, I’m not… and I don’t.  And you know what… for now… that’s ok. 

 

God has taught me a lot of things about myself over the last seven months. Like always, lessons are not always easy to learn, and sometimes come as a pretty bitter pill to swallow, but I am thankful for them none the less.  

Our new normal consists of things like:

-Daily encounters with Amish buggies

-“Sit down Sunday” where we FaceTime/skype grandparents

-Big classes at school

-Indoor pools

-Getting lost… a lot

-A big flat yard

-Reclining seats at the movie theaters

-Homesick children longing for friendships

-Visiting multiple churches

-Lots of beach time in the summer

-Looking forward to Monday phone calls from Missy

-A majority of conversation happening through texts

-Seeing the Washington Monument and saying “almost to Daddy’s work” (instead of the Arch)

-Holidays and Birthdays without extended family

-Searching flight deals on a weekly basis

-Random crying followed by, “I miss _____”

-Visitors in our home a lot more than in MO (love)

-Flying people here to help

-Spending 99.9% of my time with my husband and children

-Having an ABUNDANCE of wonderful, historical places to visit right here

-Writing letters

-Lots, and lots, and lots of praying

I hope we find lots of new wonderful normals, and get rid of the hard ones. Time is a wonderful healer and I have faith God is doing a mighty work in my marriage and my family. We have survived a swim season, a soccer season, birthday parties, the first day of school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s being the “new kid”.  God’s got big things planned for this family in 2015!

Every year I create a list of goals to work toward… I’ve been doing it since 2007. I usually have 12 goals, and I have never achieved more than 10 on the list… but I feel like I have things to be working toward. (I’m a make a list and cross it off kind of gal.) I spent 2013 fasting 9 different areas of my life for a month at a time. It was a game changer. I found that if I let the Lord guide me in the things I should be doing, I do much better.  In 2014 my life was kind of a whirlwind, and I didn’t set goals. So 2015… I’m back.  I found that journaling/blogging held me accountable (even if no one was reading) to the task at hand, so I think I’m going to put it out there again.  

I started praying about what goals I should set for myself the week before Thanksgiving.  There are some things on this list that I am excited about doing. There are some things I literally shed tears over because I didn’t want to do it, but I knew God wanted me to, so they are there. There are some things on this list that I thought about not sharing for the sake of feeling vulnerable or judged… but I’ve decided to just be transparent and let you see how the Lord works in me.

Goals for 2015

1.                 Get Established in a Church/Find a place to serve in the community

2.                 No soda

3.                 Give up Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and all rated R movies

4.                 Weight loss of 25lbs

5.                 Run 804 miles

6.                 No clothing/shoes/accessory purchases for myself

7.                 Invite people into our home at least once a month

8.                 Sell/Donate 2,015 items

9.                 Visit at least 10 DC attractions/museums

10.            Read through the Bible

11.            Pay of SallieMae

12.            Put $5000 extra in savings

13.            Have the whole house painted and functional

14.            Weekly family devotionals and communion

15.            Make a friend.

 I’m going to try to blog about my experiences and what God is teaching me through them.  Feel free to follow along to see what God is teaching me… or just keep up with latest Kriete happenings. :)

Thanks for joining me on the journey!