Finally Our Forever Begins....

Well it is here! Khalid and I are "really married" now....like we aren't just having vacation time together, we aren't counting the days til I leave, and (THANK YOU GOD) we aren't talking on the phone anymore! It has been nice to be here with him -- set up house (semi - cause we are moving in a couple of months), try to get excited about Christmas, and just to be held all the time. We had Christmas together once when we were dating, but I spent most of my time with the kids here, so I am excited to share this Christmas with him. We are getting a tree this week and are going to decorate with paper snowflakes -- because my decorations are in the car and not sure when it will finally arrive. So our forever is beginning!

A small damper in our joy of being together is that I am struggling so much with Nicoda's birthday coming up soon -- and it has made my anxiety skyrocket. I am functionable, but barely somedays. But Khalid has been trying to make me feel better and even if he doesn't realize it, I am better for just being here. Alas I am praying that we still have a good Christmas amidst my rollercoaster of emotions these days.

I'll post some pictures after we decorate....its funny -- I always take SOOO many pictures, but now that I am here, here I've barely taken one. Ha!

God's Reaffirming

I had such a good God moment today that I wanted to share. I woke up later than expected today and missed my Bible and devotional reading which I have been getting pretty consistent on, so I was kicking myself. I have been really struggling with several things lately, so I have been reading and praying ALL the time. Well today something I have been praying for got shot down or I guess the answer just hasn't come yet, but I just felt this peace that God still wanted me to pray, that His will was still going to happen. Then when I came home tonight I read my devotional and it was COMPLETELY about praying until something happens. It even gave the example of striking the match over and over, until the fire blazes. I thought "YES GOD! I am getting the message!" If I had read that this morning, then it wouldn't have been as powerful. Yea God! So pray, pray, pray thats what I'll do! (But I will still try to do my readings in the morning...) :-)

Phillipsburgh Lovin

This past week I got to go with Jacqueline and Chloe to visit Jac's family. It was SO nice...we ate alot, visited alot, attended Sharlene's Shutterfly party, and most important for me felt loved. I got so many hugs and smiled so much while I was there. It was so sweet to see Chloe interact with her extended family as well -- they all love her so much! It did my heart good to go there and I told my friend Heidi that driving back, I actually felt happy. I am happy other times, but I was just running over with happiness and it has been a long time since I felt that. So YEA! for God's people spilling their love and joy to others! And Yea! for Jacqueline having such a great family -- grandparents, aunts, cousins! And Yea! for Shutterfly giving out free photobooks....

Pictures from our trip :-)

Keesee's and Sikes'

Lovin on Chloe

Bob making us a wonderful breakfast!

Chloe getting some Grams time

Jazzy doing so good on our roadtrip

Chloe enjoying NOT being in the carseat. :-)

Our welcome sign! :-) Sharlene and Bob are both so welcoming!

When One Door Shuts, Another Opens

YAY!!! Khalid and I are FINALLY going to be together -- I'm finally going to be a wife and enjoy fighting over dishes and trash! :-) We are both so excited. It does my heart good to hear his smile over the phone. And I wish I could have recorded his voice when he called to tell how the hearing he went -- he was shouting! PRAISE GOD! We were both honestly not very hopeful because every other door we had prayed for had been shut, so for it to be flown open was like water to our dry hearts! so again i say PRAISE GOD! We prayed and prayed and prayed for so long and with so many tears for his American papers and the door was not just shut, it was slammed. Then a month later (and still more prayers) the door for us to be together was opened. God said, "Finally you asked for what my plan was!" Well thanks God -- we got the message after the fact. Sorry we are such dense humans. So who knows -- America may still be in our future, but God has plans for us yet still in Europe. All in His timing and according to His will....PRAISE GOD! I am so excited to be with Khalid and my anxiety to go down. Ever since I came back to America in September I have been having anxiety attacks almost daily -- almost like my body rebelling being away from Khalid. So it will do my body and heart good to be there. My planned move date is Dec. 3rd, but that is all contigent on dollars lining up like we need. But if God wants me there, no money will hold me back. That is a lesson I learned being a missionary -- the money is the easy part. :-) So can I say PRAISE GOD again?

I also wanted to post a HUGE THANK YOU for all the people who have been praying....we truly appreciate it. And we ask you not to stop....we still need a few more details to iron out and for my mental status about leaving my fam and friends here. And I logically know that Nicoda is in heaven, but I feel such a pull to his grave, it is always hard to think of being so far from "him". But Khalid's hugs and our memories of Nicoda are defintely a better memorial than a headstone.

More details and moving plans to come!