Replanted 🌱

Replanted.🌱

It’s been exactly 1️⃣ year since our family uprooted and replanted to a place unknown. 🛫 While still in the same country, Florida was completely foreign to us. I wasn’t able to “check out” where we would be living before we made the big move. In the months of our decision and leading up to the move I was pregnant with Alana 🤰🏻, our third born. It was clear that God wanted me to have the faith to know everything would be okay. 👌🏼

There’s no way to sugar coat it, the first six months of transition were really hard. 😔 I am still learning to adjust to our new home in many different ways, especially culturally. I’ve had many moments of homesickness and missing family. 😥Through many tears, I’ve realized that distance does truly make the heart grow fonder. ❤

Looking back at this year, I can’t help but praise God, who is so faithful. 😄 🙌🏼

With an anxious and excited heart before the move, a part of me was not fully ready to let go of the community we had in Sacramento. God knew that we needed this move. He’s clarified and simplified so many area of our complex lives through the move. 📦 Everything from relationships👥, work 👨🏻‍💻 and our walk with Him 📖 has gained some level of clarity and meaning through our move. 💡While I can rejoice in what we’ve gained, I still have moments of tears with all we’ve lost in Sacramento.

Here are this year’s praises and adjustments:

The first day we moved – He kept us safe from Hurricane Matthew 🌀, our first hurricane experience as a family. “Welcome to Florida” day we will never forget 💁🏻
The street that we moved on 🏘– It’s no coincidence that some of our closest friends in Florida live on our street within literal spitting distance from our house. We’re doing life with these new friends, between Church, School and Cru, our neighborhood has become so much of our life. ⛪️🏫🏢🏠🏘
Having more family time – Part of being new is not knowing many people. That means, more intentional family time, at Disney World of course! 👨🏻👩🏻👦🏻👦🏻👧🏻 🏰
We found a wonderful church family that we’re loving more each day. ⛪️
We’ve had lots visitors from CA. 🛬They’ve really helped us deal with our homesickness. (Y’all are welcome anytime!) 🤗
David has adjusted to his role at work. He leads a group of user experience and design experts. 🤓👨🏻‍💻
Adjusting to humidity isn’t too bad as long as the AC is running 24/7. 😅🌬
I’ve gotten used to using an electric stove, but totally miss using a gas one 👩🏻‍🍳
The boys have gotten used to seeing geckos everywhere. To my dismay, they also love catching them and bringing them in the house. 🦎🦎🦎
I am learning to adjust to the culture here. It’s pretty different from the West coast. Someone told me to watch “Fresh off the Boat.” I can kinda relate to it now. 😹
The children have adjusted to their new schools, schedules and friends. They miss their Sacramento friends too. We often hear them naming geckos after Sactown friends. 😂
The Lord kept us safe and well from Hurricane Irma. 🌀 We were able to use our resources to bless and host several friends who lost power.🔌 Locals say we are officially “Floridians” with two hurricanes now under our belts. 🌴😊

It is amazing to see the Lord’s handiwork. He is at work in all the little details that I can’t see. He’s planted us here in Florida. 🏝 And for now, we get to watch and experience the growth He’s bringing to us. I am reminded of Romans 8:27-28: “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”