Friday Favorites: Big News Edition!!!

Happy Friday everyone! As usual, I am linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for some Friday Favorites!

I am doing something a little different for my Friday Favorites today because I have some big news to share with y'all...

WE ARE MOVING BACK TO TEXAS!!!!!!!!! WAHOO!!!! Specifically, the Dallas/Fort Worth area! I have been dying trying to keep the news inside, but we wanted to wait to tell everyone until it all became official. We have known for a couple of weeks now, and initially we were just going to tell our families and a few friends, but of course word got around, and I'm so excited to finally share the news with all of you!

I have been ready to go back to Texas for awhile now, but I feel like Johnathon didn't really hop on board until we went back to the states on vacation last Fall. It was so great being home and seeing both of our families, and now that we have Hadley, it made being so far away really hard. We decided at the start of the year that we would really start actively trying to return home, and it took until the end of April for us to get the good news that Johnathon had a job opportunity that would take us back to the states!

If I had to pick one word to describe the year so far it would be PATIENCE. I feel like God has been screaming that word down to me throughout this entire process. I am the kind of person who, once I decide I want to do something, I want to do it right then, so to have to wait around for God's timing to mirror my own has been humbling to say the least. I thoroughly believe God uses every situation we are in to speak to us, and to teach us, and even though I HATE waiting, I have learned to lean heavily on God and his timing and not my own understanding, and for that lesson alone I am grateful.

As for our move back....here are some details. We are flying out from Kwaj June 3rd, passing through Honolulu, then San Fransisco, then home to Austin on June 4th. We will spend some time with my parents and sister there before heading up to the DFW area.

This may or may not be our first stop once we get to Austin! Amen?!

We got rid of A LOT of stuff before moving out to Kwaj. We sold both of our cars, got rid of our cell phones, packed our furniture in storage because we couldn't take it with us, and moved out of our rental home. Because of this, we are going to have to hit the ground running when we get back, and I am so thankful that we have great friends and family back in the states to help us get resettled!

We are looking at several suburbs around the DFW area in which to move, but we haven't decided on a specific one yet. I feel like just when I sell myself on settling in one area, I will see a house or talk to someone about another area and my mind will completely change! A lot will depend on where I end up working, and I trust that God will place us exactly where he wants us to be! 

Johnathon and I rented a home before we moved to Kwaj, so this will make us first time home buyers!  This is easily the most exciting and scary part of moving back for us. I feel like Johnathon and I have always lived somewhere temporary (apartments, rental homes, army housing on Kwaj), so we are both looking forward to picking out our home, making it our own, and finally feeling settled in one place!

Even though my heart has been emotionally in Texas for awhile now, there are still no words for how hard it is going to be leaving Kwaj. Being so far from home really bonds you to the people out here, and we have made some truly amazing friends who I will miss more than I can possibly say. This little island is where our baby spent the first year of her life. It takes a village to raise a child, and I am so thankful for everyone in our "island village" who have loved Hadley like their own, and helped us navigate all the joys and pitfalls that come with the first year of parenthood. That is why this island will always have a part of our hearts. 

I take comfort in the fact that many of our friends out here are also from the DFW area, so I know that I will get to see them again! Several of our friends who used to live out here are already back in DFW and elsewhere around the states, and it will be so great to be close to them again! 

We are so excited for our new adventure, and can't wait for next month to get here. In the mean time we are packing, cleaning, and organizing like crazy as we try and get ready for the movers to pack up our stuff for Texas! These next couple of months are going to be BANANAS, and I ask for your prayers for a safe and smooth journey back to the states! Texas...we're comin' for ya! :)