It's been nearly two months since we began a new chapter in our lives, and we couldn't be more happy with the work God has performed and is still performing. Have challenges come our way? Yes! Has it been smooth sailing from day 1? No! Was it worth it? YES!!! You see, Satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy; and believe me, when you're following God's ways, Satan's attacks only grow stronger. The best part though...My God has already defeated Satan, and the best is yet to come for our little Tarpley family!
We made it through Christmas, with all of the traveling, hustle, and bustle. We made it through the first day of school, and I think Shane and I were more nervous than the girls! We made it through the first gymnastics practice with all smiles, and we made it through the tenth birthday of our oldest, Connie. How did we do this? Step by step...and counsel, counsel, counsel...with Shane and I being the counselors!
January 5th was the girls' first day of school and in my mind I feared the worse. Yes, I have faith, but I also know firsthand what it's like to change schools in the middle of the school year. Were my girls going to make friends, have good teachers, find their way around without getting lost, keep up their grades, and I could go on and on. These thoughts come natural, as we ARE human; but Shane and I covered our girls in prayer and God showed up! I can remember when I picked them up from school the extra bounce they had in their step, the glow they had on their face, and the excitement I heard in their voice assured me, even greater so, that we are in God's will.
Just before we moved, I had prepared myself for a season that I would go through: A season of missing my family, friends, job, hometown, and normalicy. I guess it didn't cross my mind that my children may go through this season. What's so great about when a child goes through these types of seasons, is that they are so resiliant and they bounce back much quicker than we do as adults. Carsey had a short season, last week. I received a phone call from the nurse that Carsey had been up to see her twice complaining of her stomach, but she had no fever and had not gotten sick. I talked to Carsey over the phone and remembered that she had a rough morning leaving me. I made the decision, that although I knew she wasn't actually sick and she was probably being untruthful with the nurse, I needed to go get her. I believe that sometimes children can only take so much of something new until they too need a break. Yes, we had "the talk" about what's sick and what isn't, and I helped her understand that this wouldn't happen again. Understanding is sometimes one of the hardest things we have to do as parents, but it's so important to remember that we too were once a child and just needed our parents' love even when we were supposed to be learning to read and write at school.
Most of the "firsts" are over and we are living and loving our new life. As a mom, I now have the opportunity to be a full-time mom, maybe only for a short while, but it's especially rewarding. I am home with Canaan and we pick up the girls everyday from school. I am available to help Shane with youth ministry and hardly ever miss my mornings with God, as I sometimes did when I was tied down to a job. I miss my PreK babies and I miss using my gifts, but being at home and using my "mommy gifts" to their fullest is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. God has already blessed us in so many ways and continues to do so, that I can't help but to completely trust in Him!
Thanks for taking the time to catch up with what's happening in our family and learning from our experiences how to parent your children in this generation.
We made it through Christmas, with all of the traveling, hustle, and bustle. We made it through the first day of school, and I think Shane and I were more nervous than the girls! We made it through the first gymnastics practice with all smiles, and we made it through the tenth birthday of our oldest, Connie. How did we do this? Step by step...and counsel, counsel, counsel...with Shane and I being the counselors!
January 5th was the girls' first day of school and in my mind I feared the worse. Yes, I have faith, but I also know firsthand what it's like to change schools in the middle of the school year. Were my girls going to make friends, have good teachers, find their way around without getting lost, keep up their grades, and I could go on and on. These thoughts come natural, as we ARE human; but Shane and I covered our girls in prayer and God showed up! I can remember when I picked them up from school the extra bounce they had in their step, the glow they had on their face, and the excitement I heard in their voice assured me, even greater so, that we are in God's will.
Just before we moved, I had prepared myself for a season that I would go through: A season of missing my family, friends, job, hometown, and normalicy. I guess it didn't cross my mind that my children may go through this season. What's so great about when a child goes through these types of seasons, is that they are so resiliant and they bounce back much quicker than we do as adults. Carsey had a short season, last week. I received a phone call from the nurse that Carsey had been up to see her twice complaining of her stomach, but she had no fever and had not gotten sick. I talked to Carsey over the phone and remembered that she had a rough morning leaving me. I made the decision, that although I knew she wasn't actually sick and she was probably being untruthful with the nurse, I needed to go get her. I believe that sometimes children can only take so much of something new until they too need a break. Yes, we had "the talk" about what's sick and what isn't, and I helped her understand that this wouldn't happen again. Understanding is sometimes one of the hardest things we have to do as parents, but it's so important to remember that we too were once a child and just needed our parents' love even when we were supposed to be learning to read and write at school.
Most of the "firsts" are over and we are living and loving our new life. As a mom, I now have the opportunity to be a full-time mom, maybe only for a short while, but it's especially rewarding. I am home with Canaan and we pick up the girls everyday from school. I am available to help Shane with youth ministry and hardly ever miss my mornings with God, as I sometimes did when I was tied down to a job. I miss my PreK babies and I miss using my gifts, but being at home and using my "mommy gifts" to their fullest is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. God has already blessed us in so many ways and continues to do so, that I can't help but to completely trust in Him!
Thanks for taking the time to catch up with what's happening in our family and learning from our experiences how to parent your children in this generation.