We are so blessed to experience the heart of our God that tells us;
"Do not fear for I am with you,
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you.
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
~Isaiah 41:10
He has been true to His promise!
I spent the first half of the year continuing to teach high school math at Moanalua HS and agonizing over the choice of whether to continue teaching, or to stay home again with the kids in the next school year. In the end, I felt God's direction to stay home again, which was personally very confusing because I had so clearly felt His call to return to teaching. It reminded me of the importance of staying sensitive to the Spirit as He continually directs our paths. I don't know what the purpose of going back to work for one year was, but I do know that the routine helped both me and the kids re-adjust to Sam being on sea tour. And I learned valuable lessons about humility, relying on God, and accepting help from others when you just aren't enough.
Sam left for sea in late January, and aside from one week home at the end of March, during which he worked non-stop, he didn't return until mid-October. The kids and I flew over to San Diego to meet up with him {and eat really delicious burritos} in February. Sam also made port calls in Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, and Guam. Despite having to change my plans multiple times due to ever-shifting dates, I was able to leave the kids with my mom and fly out to Singapore while Sam was there and we enjoyed 3 wonderful days eating our way around our old stomping grounds before Sam headed back out to sea for the second half of his deployment.
While Sam was gone, the kids and I kept ourselves busy with a lot of traveling. After I finished teaching, we took off for the mainland and spent over a month traveling around and visiting various friends and family. We were sorry that we weren't able to see everyone, but we really enjoyed the quality time we had with those we did get a chance to see. I treasure quality time with my family and my girlfriends that are scattered all over the country thanks to our military lifestyle. I am so grateful for any opportunity to sit on their couches till the wee hours of the morning laughing and crying and sharing the deepest parts of our hearts and lives till we can't keep our eyes open anymore! Thank you to those of you who hosted me and the kids and for being the kind of friends I feel comfortable inviting myself {and my entourage} to your house!
The adjustment upon returning home to Hawaii was tough when all of a sudden the kids had lots of down time after a month of being around family and friends non-stop. The beginning of the school year was very much welcomed by this mama! Both kids started new preschools this year. We love Quinn's school, Friendship Christian School, and his teacher, and all that he is learning. He is learning to write in cursive and has so many Bible verses memorized now! Lanie Kate was too young at the start of the school year to go to Quinn's school, but she enjoys going three days a week with her best buddies from our church connect group. I don't know that she is learning a whole lot... but she enjoys time with her friends while I get a chance to work on other things!
When Sam finally came home from deployment we were all overjoyed to see him and I still feel like every minute that he is home is such an extraordinary gift. I had gotten into a pretty good deployment routine with the kids and was nervous about being out of control of our family schedule again once Sam returned and never knowing when he would be home and when he would have to work all weekend, etc. It is true that it is difficult and frustrating at times to deal with the Navy controlling our family schedule, but it is certainly worth the frustration to have regular communication with the other half of my soul! After Sam was home for a couple of weeks, Sam's parents came out to visit and watched the kids while we spent a week in CA enjoying our old hometown of Monterey, and Sonoma wine country. It was the most relaxing thing I have ever done! We enjoyed every minute of going for runs, eating our favorite fresh, local, foods, reading by the fireplace, and tasting delicious wine! So grateful for wonderful grandparents willing to traveling around the globe to babysit!
Now we have settled back into our "normal" routine. We continue to host and lead a family connect group through our church that has become our island family and has been such an enduring blessing to us for the past year and half since we moved back to Hawaii. The kids continue to enjoy swim lessons, and as a previous competitive swimmer, I continue to relish watching them enjoy the water! Lanie Kate jumps for joy every week when she goes to her ballet class, and Quinn continues to play whatever ball sport is in season {soccer, t-ball, football}. Sam and I continue to scheme about how we can manage to live in Hawaii forever!
We are so blessed with a wonderful family and extended family, the best friends anyone could ask for, a gorgeous place to call home, our health, meaningful work, and the ability to travel and visit our loved ones. We consider our greatest blessing the Child who left heaven to be with us so that we could have the hope of heaven. What a humble honor it is to have a God Who wants nothing more than to be with us, Who went to great lengths to be with us, and Who continues to be with us throughout our joys and trials.
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which translated means, 'God with us.'"
~Matthew 1:23
"I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
~Jesus, Matthew 28:20b
May the peace, hope, and joy that comes from the presence of Jesus be with you this Christmas and all throughout the coming year!
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