BIG Changes

There is a lot happening for the Foley family...

1) We ALMOST have a crawler on our hands! Just in this past week she has progressed so much on this feat of crawling! This is one determined little girl! It started out with her pushing herself up on her hands and toes (like a plank or push-up position...yes I was shocked-I can't even do that for 2 seconds without whining!) ;).  And once she got the hang of that she would launch herself forward to get to wherever she wanted to be!  Now she gets on her hands and knees and "rocks" back and forth.  She scoots back more than forward, but I have always heard that once they get the "rocking" on the hands and knees then crawling is in the very near future! Ay yai yai! I am so excited for her...but she's growing too fast!! And I don't have ANYTHING baby proofed yet!

2) We are moving! And although I wish it were back to Visalia, it is not.  We found a place that is on the Mesa in Arroyo Grande.  The porch off the back of the house looks out over the dunes.  It really is a beautiful place.  It has two bedrooms and TWO FULL bathrooms! Which means...drumroll please...I have not ONE, but TWO bathtubs! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! If you know me, then you know how HAPPY I am about this! In our last two places we have not had a bathtub.  Bleh.  But now we will! And Charleigh will have her own little bathroom!  I can't wait to decorate it! :) So that's a big step for us, another move.  I see it as another opportunity to get rid of the stuff we don't use.  And I admit...I have a lot of that ;)

Looking out of the master bedroom

The deck off of our front door.  You can see the dunes...it is a beautiful view.

Not one, but TWO bathtubs! (!!!!!!)

Our living room & kitchen area.

3) My relationships.  This is how I have felt lately....God apparently still needs us over here a little while longer ;) (yes...I know it's only been 4 months...but it feels like FOREVER!)  I miss both of our families so much.  I think I go through phases of missing them a TON, and then being ok with how everything is at the moment.  Right now I am in a missing everyone a TON phase. Bleh.  But I am so very thankful for my husband who encourages me daily.  As much as I don't like being away from family, this move really has brought a closeness to our own little immediate family and is making me rely on my husband for support-and is making me search outside of my comfort zone for a church/people to surround myself with.  God is testing and teaching me a lot lately, but I know that is all part of following him.

"There is no way to follow Jesus without him interfering with your life." -Kyle Idleman, not a fan. (that's the name of the book, not my personal thought of the man! hehe)

I have been reading a book my mother in law gave me for Christmas.  It is called Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman.  I haven't had much time to read lately, and when I do I'd rather read something fun and adventurous (currently reading the last book in The Hunger Games) and not a "christian" book written by some mega-church pastor that states "How to" be a better christian.  However, when I was trying to take a nap the other day I just couldn't fall asleep, so I decided I might as well do something instead of wasting my time just laying there.  And next to me was this book.  I had set it out because I did want to peruse the pages a little-and my Hunger Games book was in the car (and I didn't feel like getting up and retrieving it...LAZY! I know.)  So I picked up Not a Fan, and I was hooked.  I am only about 30 pgs in, but so far I am really enjoying the read.  It is not a "How to" book, but more of a "examine" one.  And by that I mean it makes me examine my own relationship with Jesus, and if I even HAVE one!  It is a book that makes the reader really dig into their personal relationship with Jesus and decide an answer to the question "Are you a follower of Jesus?"  Like I said, I haven't read very far, but with what I have read I am liking it.  It is making me realize that following Jesus is not "all rainbows and butterflies" like we would hope.  To actually follow him means to lay everything at his feet and let him work in my life (I know I'm supposed to do this, but the real question in reading this book is am I actually doing it and letting him work in my life?)

4) I have been looking at getting my teaching credential...just typing that out makes me stressed! Ahhh (that is not a quiet sigh ahhh, but a scream with an exclamation point AHHHH!)  But I think to myself "I'd rather get it done now before we have anymore kids...and it would only take 1 year." However, it is pretty pricey and if I am going to do this I would have to get a job pretty quickly after finishing the program to help pay for it...BUT we really want to have another baby by then.  Decisions, decisions...

*If you are reading this please be praying for the choices that are ahead for me and my family! I am beginning to freak out a little...a lot...and I'm just not sure what to do.*

And these are from a walk that my mom, Jon , Charleigh and I went on a couple weekends ago.  The view was beautiful!

Well, that's a little look into my life at the moment.