If Gap sold tricycles...

Noelle would be a shoe-in for an ad model.

School pics

I've always thought that school pics were so boring and pretty much un-cute....until I got the boy's preschool pics this year. Seriously...how cute is this?! Due to financial situations we had to pull both of the boys out of their preschool classes in December, but thanks to the generosity and grace of Jordan's parents they were able to continue going this year. We are so thankful to them for that!

Hopefulness in frustrations

Here are some things that I have said in the last 2 weeks:

"Wow, I can't believe everything is working out so perfectly!"
"This is crazy timing!"
"I can't believe our house sold!"

On Monday morning, my girls at work threw me the most fantastic going away brunch ever! It was fun, laid back and exactly what I had hoped it would be. 5 hours later my travel contract for my job in Plano came in the mail and as I was looking over it all to sign and mail, Bob the realtor called to tell us that the buyer's "pre-approved" loan did not get accepted. He also non-chalantly stated that he would be over in 30 minutes to take our SOLD sign down and replace it with the flyer tube again.

So hmmmm....here we are back at square one. I think we are as disppointed now as we were excited 2 weeks ago. I've heard everything from "This must not be God's timing", "This is God testing your faith", "This is Satan trying to tear you down", to "This is worst case scenario". I can not say that I really agree with any of these. It is what it is. Nothing is guaranteed. We wanted to move in 2 weeks, and we planned on it, but now it's not happening and that is okay. We have everything in the world to be grateful for and one setback is not going to destroy that! It's taken me about 48 hours to get over my initial anger and now we are ready to persevere!

I have a some faith left in the housing market and it is still our hope to be in Dallas by the fall for Jordan to start at Criswell. A good friend of mine shared this verse to me yesterday...it is encouraging and daily I am trying to figure out how to do what is says :)

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Goodbye rain, Hello humidity.

I think I may create the ultimate blog blasphemy and create a post with no pictures...bear with me because I just have a lot to say. Jordan and I have had an incredibly crazy last week or so. I think I can best describe the events in a screenplay format....here we go:

Sometime last week
Stacy: I've been looking at schools online in Dallas, TX and I think you should check them out. Maybe, just give us some more options.

Jordan: Why would we want to go to Dallas...that's dumb. I'll talk to Richard and see what I can find out though.

2 days later
Jordan: I found a sweet school named Criswell College. I wonder if it's legit.

Stacy: Let's just freakin drive to Dallas this weekend and find out.

Sunday morning in Dallas:
Stacy: I like Criswell. And I can give you list of a million reasons why Dallas trumps Portland. But it doesn't really matter because no one is ever going to buy our flippin house in Albuquerque.

Jordan: Yeah...stupid housing market.

Sunday afternoon in Dallas:
Bob the Realtor via phone: Someone just put a sweet offer on your house.

Jordan: Shut up.

Bob: Congrats. You close on April 25th.

So....this was the turn of events in a nutshell. To say we are surprised and overwhelmed would be a massive understatement. We really had no preconcieved ideas of going to Dallas or even considering it before last week, but for some reason it was on my heart and we started talking about it. It made no sense to drive all five of us down there for 4 days to check it out...we were really just searching for clarity because it seemed that we had none. Why would our house out of the other 150+ homes for sale just in Ventana Ranch sell...and for an actual profit!!!! It's truly a miracle and we feel that we are walking right where God has intended all along. We don't have many details finalized as far as where in Dallas we will actually be living in 3 weeks, but we are working on it and we have a number of options.

I am devastated to leave Albuquerque. I can't imagine not living near my mom or our best friends, but in order for Jordan to complete what he dreams to do, then we must. The past 3 1/2 years have created so many memories, that I am liable to break our housing contract if I think about them right now. I'll have to create another blog later filled with all the things I am going to miss here.

I look forward to Dallas and Jordan finishing his degree with excitement. If we have to be anywhere else than here, then Dallas is a perfect fit. I look forward to the plans God has for us. And it is my prayer that our eyes and ears remain open to Him so we can follow Him humbly wherever he may take us.