1st week in VA!

I want to get into a routine of posting a new blog every Sunday, and if I have time during the week or I just cant wait to post it will be a bonus blog :)

I loved this saying because it is not the typical "home is where your heart is". It gives a different perspective on what a home is, for me this one is more of a positive look on it rather then the sad missing home feel. Makes you want the new story to start rather then wanting the old feelings and emotions of "home" back again. 

This week has been anything but easy, I never knew moving was so hard. My heart goes out to the military families that just seem to get settled in with a new house, new friends, and a new community then have to move. I can't imagine being a parent knowing that you will be uprooting your family so often and never really knowing when that could be. I respect military families way more now with that aspect of things, yet that is probably one of the smallest things that they worry about! I don't want to pretend this move has been easy, but I also don't want to overlook that I have been blessed in huge ways through family and friends supporting and encouraging me! I don't know if it just me being a girl about this, but some days are good and others are hard. Distractions are always a huge help or just being with people in group setting is also very nice. The Andersons (Joseph's family) have been a huge help during this move with allowing me to come crash their house whenever I need to. The texts and messages of encouragement have pushed me to keep my head up and keep following what I know is the right thing! 

On Friday afternoon Joseph, the Smiths (the assistant pastors family), and I all went to Rapidan Baptist Camp for a day of their teen camp. We were helping with their mud run so I knew getting muddy was just going to be a given. I did not bring my mud shoes from GA so we took a quick trip to Walmart to grab these snazzy shoes! I am telling you that these are going to be the next "in" shoe before you know it :P

 The camp was about two hours away and I loved the drive because we passed so many farms and it reminded me of Georgia. We took the church van and even got to stop on the way and get some ice cream. (you can see me in the window) :o 

 My station on the mud run was the rope climbing! I did not have to save any of the teens so that made my job a little easier.

This is Luke Smith and I on the atv heading to the starting line for the MUD RUN!

 

We also got to stay for the end of the week chapel! Even though it was late it was worth it because the speaker was really good. 

 

During the chapel the Smith kids and some other staff kids were making cinnamon rolls! It was the sweetest thing to see the Director helping the kids out...the kids had a ton of fun and had flour all over them!  

 

To back up, here are some pictures form the mud run! It was not just running through the mud there were also obstacles along the way that we had to get through. We had to craw through a couple mud tunnels, climb over some tire walls, walk through a string maze, scoot over a pipe, slide down a water slide, and after all this we had to climb up a huge hill! We all made it to the finish line in 45 minutes with a couple scratches here and there and in need of a shower! It was so much fun and I would do it again in a heart beat! We all decided to eat before we showered because the hamburgers looked way too good to pass up! We had already eaten a fair amount of mud so we figured a little more would not hurt :P

 

 

I got back to my apartment at 1:30am and slept so hard! Saturday morning I headed out to the Anderson's house to go tubing with Joseph. Well we were going to to with Josephs sister (Jaime) and Amanda, but Jamie got sick and Amanda did not want to come anymore....so Joseph and I made the best of it and had a good time! The water was very refreshing and my body LOVED the vitamin D it was getting from the sun! I love being out in the sun and I have not been able to get much of it this summer and I know with living in VA now winter is going to be hard on it.

 

 

After we got home I did an activity with the Anderson's grandkids that have been up visiting from FL. It was an activity that I saw on facebook where you created animals out of numbers. It was really cool and the boys seemed to really like it. After that we ate, watched a movie, and bed time for the boys was shortly after. I put Leyton (the 4 year old) to bed and we got to tell stories together before bed. I would tell part of it and then leave it for him to make up a part and then me would pass it back to me. We made one up about people that changed into fruit and we told another one about sea creatures. I love putting little kids to bed, story time is hands down my favorite part!

 

To close it out today LoLo sent me a link to another blog and it really hit home to me and wanted to share the lady's prayer! The title of her post was How to Live with Broken Dreams.

Lord, I don’t want to let go of this. I know You planted the dream in me, and I have created the avenue by which I thought the dream would come true. It seemed like such a great plan for my life, and I’m having a really, really hard time letting it go. Tears come to my eyes at the thought of handing it over to You. Clearly, I can’t let it go on my own accord. I need Your help, Your power, and Your peace if you want me to trust You with this, and I do want to trust You with it. Lord, help me to still give my best even in the midst of these painful circumstances. I don’t want to just wait for this season to pass. I want to thrive in the midst of it. You delight in helping Your people produce fruit in the midst of a drought. Do it in me, God!   I know my heart prays, “God, help me reach my dream,” but I want it to be, “God, help me reach Your dream.” Will you work in my heart, Lord, until it’s fully surrendered to You? You are a good and loving God. May all the glory and honor be Yours.

Here is a link to the whole post...it is a great challenge!

https://mollymonroe6.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/how-to-live-with-broken-dreams/

 I am excited for this week and cant wait to blog all about it!

With a pinch of love,

Lil'Chef