So here we go, let's play catch-up.
December brought lots of l
ittle adventures. The first weekend of the month Riley and I went to see a Cole Porter musical in San Francisco starring Megan Cavanagh, best known as none other than MARLA HOOCH! A League of Their Own is still my all-time favorite movie, and it was a dream come true to meet one of its main characters. Plus she was so frickin' sweet!
The following weekend I took an incredible whirlwind trip to Chicago to visit my good friend Mattso. I was also able to visit with my college roommate Alie and high school friend Becca. It was my first time to Chicago, and I can definitely say it was an enjoyable and worthwhile 48(ish) hours.
Just before Christmas, someone at the main office emailed everyone about a weekend they had in a condo timeshare in Lake Tahoe that they weren't able to make it to, and offered the spot to anyone who wanted it. The timing was perfect with our schedule, so Ryan, Fernando and I headed up there for a night. It was a quick trip, but Tahoe is beautiful, and it was a great little escape.
Christmas came to Advent, and it was a beautiful time. I worked on Christmas day, and it was quite possibly one of the greatest blessings of my life. Being able to experience a significant holiday with these boys that I love so much was amazing. Many of them had never experienced a happy holiday, and I was so excited to be able to share one with them! One of my favorite 
moments came on Christmas Eve. I brought together two of my favorite Kempton Christmas traditions- Home Alone & letters to Santa. I put the movie in and set out hot chocolate and cookies, alongside paper and markers. When I told them what the paper and markers were for, most of the reactions were something like "Becki that's stupid, you know Santa's not real!" "Oh for real Becki? Don't they only do that in movies?" "Come on Becki, we're not babies anymore!" Before long it was a party- Macauley Culkin was doin' his thing and my boys were going AT those letters! I mean it- they were swapping markers, color coordinating their letters, drawing pictures, sharing notes, asking for spelling help. I kid you not, they worked the entire movie on those letters. The end results were beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking, and the memory was timeless.
My return to the South Bay brought a trying and challenging time for me. My first week back to work I hit my lowest point yet, just feeling completely burned out and emotionally drained. It was a very difficult month, full of lots of prayer and complete surrender to God. As with most struggles, it resulted in a deeper and stronger faith in my Lord than ever before.
In the upswing of that period, I received a fateful phone call from my brother Wesley, proposing the idea of moving to Wyoming after my year commitment with Advent was up and living with him in Laramie until he marries Loryn. This idea completely shocked me, but despite the fact that prior visits to Laramie have created less than loving feelings for the area, I didn't feel my heart say no right away. So I vowed to stay open to it, and in March I took a weekend to go visit, trying to go with the heart and mindset that this might be my home in a few months.
Riley surprised us at the last minute and came along, which was not only freaking awesome, but a blessing for me as it allowed me to view it as more of an enjoyable weekend than a stressful decision, which is what it had been in my mind previously. And, against my own desires, it was a trip which confirmed Wesley's suggestion. I wanted so badly for everything to go wrong, for complete confirmation that I am in fact NOT supposed to go to Wyoming...but it was quite the opposite. And things have been falling in to place in the meantime also. This has been hard for me, as I had no intention of leaving Advent after my year commitment was up, and I have grown and developed more than I could have imagined during my time in California. But I know God knows me better than I do, and I can only have hope and faith in His decision for my life. So it looks like in about 3 1/2 months I will be taking yet another little roadtrip!
I think that's probably good for now. That brings us to March, which wasn't too long ago (comparably). Hopefully I can get on my game and wait less than 5 months next time. Beyond the physical facts of my life, I have a lot to share about the spiritual and emotional aspects of all that God has been doing in my heart and mind. Get excited.
Much love, as always.
moments came on Christmas Eve. I brought together two of my favorite Kempton Christmas traditions- Home Alone & letters to Santa. I put the movie in and set out hot chocolate and cookies, alongside paper and markers. When I told them what the paper and markers were for, most of the reactions were something like "Becki that's stupid, you know Santa's not real!" "Oh for real Becki? Don't they only do that in movies?" "Come on Becki, we're not babies anymore!" Before long it was a party- Macauley Culkin was doin' his thing and my boys were going AT those letters! I mean it- they were swapping markers, color coordinating their letters, drawing pictures, sharing notes, asking for spelling help. I kid you not, they worked the entire movie on those letters. The end results were beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking, and the memory was timeless.Two days after Christmas I left for Arizona, where I got to spend a week of relaxation with my family. I was able to catch Wesley on the opposite end of his Christmas break. Despite the time crunch, we were able to prove that we can still have crazy awesome fun and cause a little trouble while we're at it. On New Year's Eve Dad and I joined Vermont friend Kent Henderson to watch his beloved Iowa State Cyclones play the U of Minnesota in the Insight Bowl.
Visiting Arizona meant finally meeting the much talked about Sophie, my parents' newest addition and my 'sister', as she is often referred to by Tammy Lee. She is just as adorable in person as her text photos claim her to be. Over all it was a great week; probably my most relaxing and stress-free trip to Arizona yet.
In the upswing of that period, I received a fateful phone call from my brother Wesley, proposing the idea of moving to Wyoming after my year commitment with Advent was up and living with him in Laramie until he marries Loryn. This idea completely shocked me, but despite the fact that prior visits to Laramie have created less than loving feelings for the area, I didn't feel my heart say no right away. So I vowed to stay open to it, and in March I took a weekend to go visit, trying to go with the heart and mindset that this might be my home in a few months.
Riley surprised us at the last minute and came along, which was not only freaking awesome, but a blessing for me as it allowed me to view it as more of an enjoyable weekend than a stressful decision, which is what it had been in my mind previously. And, against my own desires, it was a trip which confirmed Wesley's suggestion. I wanted so badly for everything to go wrong, for complete confirmation that I am in fact NOT supposed to go to Wyoming...but it was quite the opposite. And things have been falling in to place in the meantime also. This has been hard for me, as I had no intention of leaving Advent after my year commitment was up, and I have grown and developed more than I could have imagined during my time in California. But I know God knows me better than I do, and I can only have hope and faith in His decision for my life. So it looks like in about 3 1/2 months I will be taking yet another little roadtrip!I think that's probably good for now. That brings us to March, which wasn't too long ago (comparably). Hopefully I can get on my game and wait less than 5 months next time. Beyond the physical facts of my life, I have a lot to share about the spiritual and emotional aspects of all that God has been doing in my heart and mind. Get excited.
Much love, as always.
Finally, you wrote on your blog!
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