I’ve been a little MIA lately but for good reasons. Team Rush has been tying up life as we knew it in Wylie, TX. With all that that entails, we were really doing our best to stay present in the moment while making sure that we were going through the full process of experiencing all the feels and hugging all the necks of those we cherish dearly.

This may sound absolutely absurd but one of fears that I have in #raising3rushes is that we make the parenting faux pas that contributes to or fuels future unhealthy mental issues in the 3E’s. With that being said, some may say that I tend to over analyze circumstances, but picture it. . .

Craig ended an 8 year season of serving in various roles on staff with Chase Oaks Church end of September. The 3Es and I ended our schools Thursday, November 14th, and we closed on the sale of our home in Wylie on Monday, November 18th. We packed all of our belongings into two storage rooms in Wylie with the exception of our daily essentials. Since then we have been bouncing back and forth from Natchitoches to Bossier City and then back again. That right there is enough to make one human a little batty much less 5 humans plus the fact that 3 of those are still in the process of learning their feelings! SO. . . all this to say, it has been incredibly important to me that not only the 3E’s transition well but that Craig and I do too! Over analyzation or not, all of it has been covered in prayer and wise council on how to process through the tough and icky feelings of saying goodbye to friends has come in handy.

Our time with family has been precious! The 3E’s have had extended weekends with grandparents and cousins while Craig and I traveled to checkout a possible new home state! Swimming pool was heated not only for playing but for all the evening baths that occur when only at your grandparents! More popcorn than you can imagine was bought and enough seats to fill a row at the theater for opening day of Frozen II. Oh we can’t forget tennis lessons! The 3E’s always leave grandparents a few pounds heavier and always wore out! And that was just a few days with one set of grandparents.

Thanksgiving was something completely different this year. My brother and his wife hosted our 5, my dad, step mom, one of my step brothers, my half sister, and my sister in law’s parents. Here’s the super fun part in this, they live on a 40 acres farm! A “farm in the making”. They have 3 bunnies, 2 dogs, 2 horses, 2 or 3 grown barn cats and I couldn’t get them to stay still long enough for a head count, but it looked like about 8 to 10 kittens! Those are just their animals. On their property they also have 10 to 15 cattle as well! We rode one of the horses, Dan took us around on the 4 wheeler showing us his property (it’s breathe taking), and we had all the yummy goodness of the holiday plus a little more!

On Black Friday I decided I would brave the crowd at WalMart and it wasn’t too bad! We spent the day with Craig’s family, his parents, youngest sister and his younger sister and her husband and their four kids. Family time is so great. Having cousins who are you age is a beautiful thing too!! Look at this. In birth order.

Being back in my hometown has been fun. I have run into one of my aunts and one of my cousins that I don’t see often. I have spent time with my grandmother, gone to the movies with my little sister and I have even run into old high school friends. But, just like everything it also has its downs. The pace of life is COMPLETELY the opposite than that in which we are accustomed. It’s a pretty small town with limited outing opportunities. BUT… the silver lining in it all is that we are soaking it all in. Cherishing the moments of Leigh-Leigh’s cooking and conversations around the living room. Moments of tire swing rides that make you think the sky is within reach. And moments of popping in to my dad’s house for a few hours to sit and say hi!

So often, in our humanness, we can begin to think that “this shouldn’t be this way” or “that shouldn’t be that way”. In this season of life and this particular month of the journey, it would be so easy for Craig and myself to say “man, this thing is moving SO slow” and don’t get me wrong there a few times I’ve thought it and more than likely voiced it. BUT it’s in those moments that I am reminded that there is a season and reason for each season and that His timing is just perfect. And it is in His perfectly perfect timing that keeps us able to keep our eyes on the prize knowing that the testing of our faith produces perseverance so that we will not lack anything.

While we wait and lean into the Lord, #raising3rushes will also be having a little bit of extracurricular fun with Mickey and friends! As we speak I am finishing up this blog from my phone while kids try out their tablets that are loaded with movies and Craig drives us to Dallas. Tomorrow morning we hop the red eye to Orlando and party like it’s 1999 (well, maybe little kid style 2019)!

I leave you with a picture of the 3E’s this morning. We had been to church and were heading to my in law’s house to pick up our bags because “we were going to visit friends in Dallas for the night”… little did they know that a stop in Dallas is simply the beginning to a week full of fun! Enjoy and I will be back later this month to hopefully update you Team Rush new adventure news but we will update you with loads of pictures from our Rush family Disney vacation!