Wow. It's been since right after we moved here since I posted anything new! We have had a lot of changes since we bought our "Little House in the Neighborhood" last August. A few highlights, and then I promise to post more frequently!
Steve's job is great. Aegon is a great company, and true to the way they operate, they have taken care of all of us since we've been back in Iowa. Steve loves his job. I often call it his affair. Good thing Aegon is not a female. I might have to do something more about it. He is also heavily involved in men's ministry at our church, CRFC (Cedar Rapids Family Church). He is so glad to be back in Iowa and loves hanging out with his best buddy, Steve Smith, when he can.
Benjamin switched schools to avoid the 2 hour round-trip drive he, Michael, and I were making daily from our new home to the school we really thought he would go to. We were very disappointed to not be able to allow him to continue there, as the school was amazing, but we bought ourselves 2 hours back when we moved him to the same preschool Michael attends. He is doing well, but he is ready to be back at "big-boy school", which will happen when he goes to Kindergarten in the Fall. He is the most "home-sick" of all. He misses his friends, school, church, and house in Georgia. Bless his heart...he just wants to have his friends over. I asked him the other day who he missed most, and he said "Caroline...not fuzzy Caroline, Mommy. The other one.". That's my boy. I pray he can really make new friends here this summer in preparation for the Fall. He starts soccer and baseball soon, so that should help quite a bit!
Michael loves his preschool and continues to exude joy. He is 100% boy with the most tender heart you've ever seen. He's still very, very small in stature, and he has no idea that he is. He gets himself wherever he needs to go. He's GREAT at maneuvering himself around no matter what. We are about to go through our first round of genetic testing here in IA to see how his NF is progressing. We hope it is not progressing, but we have some concerns for his health. He; however, has NO IDEA that there is or should be anything wrong with him. He climbs around and follows his big brother with the biggest brown eyes anyone has ever seen. Benjamin, or "ja-MIN!", as he calls him, is truly his idol. He adores his big brother.
I am continuing to find my way around...figuring out where I belong back here in Iowa, so I guess I'm the only one left who is still unsure as to what I'm doing and what God is doing with me. Very challenging for me...the ambitious, driven one who is not sure where I'm driving in my 10 year old car, but I will get there. God always brings me around. I am blessed to be involved in women's ministry at our church, and am leading a ladies' Bible study in our home on Thursday nights. I love the women who come and love all the discipleship teaching I've been able to do since we've returned. I have made some new friends, and look forward to continuing to see where God takes those relationships. I'm excited to see what God does with women's ministry at CRFC.
As many of you may or may not know--we lost Steve's brother, Brad, over the holidays--which I hope explains the absence of the traditional Christmas/New Year's greetings we tend to send out with pictures. It's been a very challenging transition for Steve and his family. We spent New Year's in Indy in a hotel, planning the funeral of a very young man who left this world entirely too soon.
Please continue to keep us all in your prayers as we continue to try and figure out life without Brad. He fought demons that no one should face until the very day he died. It breaks our hearts. He was my brother...not just Steve's brother. I'm blessed to be able to say that. He had such a great heart...but couldn't beat the demons that eventually took his life. Alcohol kills. Literally.
I promise to post pictures soon and bring this blog back up to date regularly so those of you far away can keep up on our life here in Iowa. If you don't live here, we miss you. And you know who you are. If you do live here, come over. We would love to have you!! Or, if you don't live here and want to visit, then do that, too!!
