You've Been Quite a Year, 2022!

 

We can safely say we didn't see any part of this year coming the way it did, with the exception of bringing home a puppy. (Even that has been a far different journey in looks than we imagined, though not in a bad way.)

In January, Ryan experienced kidney stones for the first time, and he was not a fan. We were never so grateful for a slow day in the emergency room and the speedy administration of pain meds! Less than 24 hours later, we brought home Lexi and launched into the world of puppy parenting. We worked so hard to train her from the first moment we walked in the door - a goal that continues to this day! We enjoyed a staff-retreat-getaway to Pokagon State Park in northern Indiana, which was our first time to travel with Lexi. We found out she loves hiking in the snow! We rounded out the month with the WillowBridge fundraiser, where I was the keynote speaker. It was the hardest talk I've ever done in my life. I knew in my heart that our days there were numbered and baring my soul in front of a few hundred people was such a vulnerable moment!

In February, we settled into new routines with Lexi, training her, playing with her, and learning her little personality. I look back at those pictures now and remember the days of teething and leash training so vividly. She's come a long way and learned so much! We prayerfully made our official decision to leave WillowBridge and followed the Lord's leading to search in the Bluffton area for our next landing spot. We pursued new work, turned our resignation at WillowBridge, and went under contract for our new home. We began packing boxes and preparing our hearts for major change. 

In March, we spent every spare minute packing boxes. We began to step back from such an active role at WillowBridge to make room for new plans for the future that wouldn't include our presence or input. We had our goodbye party and said goodbye to the tenants (past and present) we had worked with during our time there. I spoke at a women's retreat, and we closed on our home in Bluffton. By the end of the month, we had said our final goodbyes to our church, small group, local friends, co-workers, and tenants, and we had carted all our things to our new home. Though we had interviews for new jobs, we didn't have anything lined up, so we ended the month with the beginning of a respite season that both of us needed more than we knew.

In April, we experienced something we had never known before: weeks of no work at all. Neither of us worked a paying job this month, and though that isn't an advisable life plan, we needed it. We used the time to fully settle into our new home, unpack our boxes, hang things on the walls, and begin assimilating int our new church and community. We went on more dates than we'd been able to go on in months! We were able to have our little godson stay with us for an entire week, while his mom recuperated from emergency surgery, and it was a joy to spend time investing in his life while he was there. I had more interviews, and we continued to wait on God's leading for work. And at the very end of the month, we took a quick overnight trip to the Ark Encounter - this year's destination for our annual birthday trip. We had a great time seeing that in person! (Totally recommend!)

In May, the Lord provided a job for Ryan, and he began working at Love INC as their executive director. Meanwhile, I kept working from home and searching for employment for myself! Braeya turned sixteen (and we gave her plastic car keys as a gift), and I turned older than that. :)  We hosted our first family lunch at our house, on Mother's Day, and we enjoyed getting out to walk our new neighborhood whenever it stopped raining long enough to allow for that. I also met the Bluffton fire department when our carbon monoxide detector malfunctioned. We ended the month camping out at a friends' house in Abby - which was Lexi's first time to go out in the camper! She loved it and was a natural. 

In June, Ryan began working on his own at Love INC, with the outgoing director fully entering retirement. The builders put in our yard, and landscaping, and I don't think I need to revisit my thoughts on that adventure. Most of our life was condensed to staying home to grow grass, but whenever we could sneak away, we tried. We hosted our church staff in our home (well, we weren't here, but we let them use the house) for a retreat, and I started volunteering with Love INC to help Ryan as he began to update the many things that needed rebranded! 

In July, we gave up on the yard the builder installed and replanted everything ourselves. That was a monstrous project. We went to the county fair back in our home county for the first time since before we went to WillowBridge, and it was such fun! Ryan started speaking and making appearances for Love INC, and I tagged along to arrange the information table. (Three cheers for all those years of setting up tables for WBCL and WillowBridge. I learned the skills I would need and was reminded that God wastes nothing - even in the little things!) We also met our newest nephew this month. Sweet little guy. He was born in June, but we didn't get to meet him until July.

In August, we became members at our new church, and did a number of Love INC-related events and appearances. They were fun! (And warm. Whew. Indiana heat!) The fire department came back for another false alarm on the carbon monoxide detector. (We had the first one completely replaced and the second one was apparently faulty as well. Delightful.) My family from Kansas came for a visit and we met up with the rest of my whole family for a long weekend at Shipshewana to celebrate two milestone birthdays and my parents' 68th anniversary! Ryan sang a solo at our church, we both volunteered at a women's conference held at our church, and I wrote a book proposal! 

In September, we happened upon the cutest little house on the lake and toured it a couple of times. We put in an offer and the seller accepted it! We began the process to move AGAIN! :) We both were down for several days with a nasty cold (and truly only a cold) this month, but we got well in time for me to speak at a women's retreat! Ryan went with me, and we had a wonderful time with the ladies there. Ryan had more speaking engagements for Love INC, too, so I went along with him to those. I kept looking for work, but nothing was panning out, and I also found out in September that my book proposal was not accepted. That was hard and disappointing, but I still trust the Lord with that answer! 

In October, Ryan joined the worship team rotation at church and had his first opportunity to be part of that! We celebrated my Dad's 90th birthday with a little party near their home, and I was the photographer for that. It was a fun job! :) We celebrated 10 years since our engagement, and we went to the corn maze for a fun night with our church! I found out about a new job opportunity, applied for it, and found out I got the job, all in short order. What a tremendous answer to prayer! We closed on the lake house and began working on the projects that needed to be completed before we could move in! Ryan had more speaking opportunities for Love INC, and I did some training for my volunteer work with them. 

In November, we kept working at the new house, doing what we could when we could! Ryan spoke at some more churches for Love INC, and we went to Ohio for a few days to go through Love INC training together. Ryan orchestrated a project to build a ramp for a family in need, and I orchestrated putting together his fun anniversary gift! :) Lexi turned ONE, and we threw her a proper first birthday party! Just before Thanksgiving, we left for our anniversary trip, traveling to the panhandle of Florida for the first time in our marriage. We visited cute little Wetumpka Alabama on the way and then made it to the Gulf of Mexico to enjoy warmth, sun, and sand. We saw Seaside, Florida, hiked in state parks, enjoyed sand sculptures on the beach, and rested every chance we got!

In December, we celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary - in the warmth of Florida, which is where the whole marriage story began a decade ago! We came home, returned to reality, and a I started my new job as a Grants Administrator! Ryan joined the choir at church (for Christmas) and I learned to balance full time work with full time home for the first time in a while. We continued working on the new house, trying to bring our actual moving day closer and closer! We celebrated Christmas together, and now we are looking forward to the start of a new year!

We never imagined, when the year began, that we would be in Bluffton by the end of the year, working new jobs, and settled into a new church. But God knew all of that, and He has been faithful and kind throughout all the upheaval this year! We are so thankful.