Long Time, No Write

Wow! Has it really been April since I last blogged?  So, I have a good excuse. Honestly! In May, I got an offer on our house and we settled on a closing date of June 21. As if the end of the school year isn't hectic enough,  I had the task of finding a house and packing up a house that I had just moved into a year prior. Bittersweet and very emotional to say the least! Although I am very thankful that I got an offer rather quickly, it is very tough to walk away from a house that you custom built and explain to your children why you have to move. It has been a really confusing time for them and I don't always know what to say or do to make them feel better other than love them. No one gives you a manual on the tough situations in life. Other than leaning on God's truth and your faith....that is really all you can do. God has certainly had his hand in helping us get settled. We found the perfect house for our little family of three and I have been taking my time unpacking and getting things like I want them.  I have spent a lot of time rediscovering who I am and doing things I enjoy and I think that's important since mothers so often put themselves last. There are things I have realized over the past few months and I want to share them because I think we should all share our experiences and mistakes in hopes of helping others. If we don't, then what is the point for the hard times that we endure? Here are my lessons learned:  I think everyone makes mistakes in marriage. There are good times and bad... Just as you promise in your vows... And the thing to remember is that you have to pull together and communicate to make it through the bad times. It is hard when your spouse bottles everything inside and doesn't let you know their feelings so that you have the chance to fix issues that you didn't realize existed. However, what I have learned more than anything is that I took on the mother role to the point where I lost respect for my husband and that simply can't happen. The Bible is clear as to how we should respect and love our husbands. It's all laid out in the Bible, yet it is easy to lose sight of that.  I fully admit that I stopped showing respect and I truly regret that. I see it now and it is something I will forever be mindful of in future relationships.  I don't claim to be an expert, but I do think God wants to use my mistakes to benefit others. If you are a wife, I encourage you to be your husband's biggest supporter.  Make sure he knows that you are his number one fan! I promise that once you show respect and support, he will begin to meet your needs.  Relationships are tough and without God, there will always be something missing.  Okay..I am going to jump off my soapbox now, but I felt a tug on my heart to share that.  Tomorrow is the first day of school for Addison. She is starting second grade. So hard to believe! Landry will start kindergarten at first pres next Monday. He is excited to start Mrs. Gloria's class.  We are excited about a great year! In the meantime, we are still unpacking and hanging pics!  One box at a time.....