The last few weeks have been a whirlwind! Our lives have been “flipped, turned upside down”, but (no surprise!) God has been so good to us through it all. In between not-so-fun things like the dreaded ‘Rona and the hubby’s sprained ankle and an awful stomach bug and living out of suitcases and stepping around boxes, we’ve had so much fun and watched God do some amazing things. Take a peek!
Adventures with Ben…
Please note all the cutie pies doing all the motions and then zoom in to see the kid on the left who cannot be bothered with such nonsense. You’d think I would learn not to let him get up on the stage like that, but a few short weeks later, he attended another VBS in town and not only assumed this same position, but did so front and center. He’s living up to his role as pastor’s kid, I suppose. And gosh, I love him.
Adoption Update!!
Our new church family at Coastal Oaks Church has been absolutely amazing to us. They have been so incredibly generous and have just blown us away by how they are helping us prepare for the arrival of our three newest little Irvings. We had the interview portion of our home study last week and the walk-through portion is scheduled for next week, so we are getting so close to being a family!!! Please keep praying!
Lemonade Day
The kids participated in Lemonade Day here in Rockport and made nearly $300! They had so much fun and learned a lot about running a business. We had so many people come out to support them and all the other lemonade stands all over town! This is such a fun community!
Fiesta Texas!
I got to go with our youth group to Six Flags Fiesta Texas a couple weeks ago. I reminisced about the days when I worked there in high school, when Ihad to wear culottes (Google it, GenZ!) and a bonnet to work in “Western Town” at Old Blues Barbecue. Let’s just say it was not my finest moment. But this time Katie and I had the most fun floating the lazy river and Kylie discovered a love of roller coasters. Also, how are my twinsies ready for the youth group?
Family Fun
One of the very best things about being back in Texas is definitely family time. Our kids are thrilled that they’ll get to see more of their cousins. We spent the Fourth of July together swimming, popping fireworks, laughing, and playing. We thank God for the gift of being just 2.5 hours away from this side of our family.
Mostly Just Regular Old Days
Most days have been just regular old days. One day when I’d peeled the children away from their devices, Ben decided to write a story. Of course, I had to document the storytime since who can resist reading a story with underwear on his head? Apparently, this is just the kind of nonsense that he can be bothered with!
The Great Flood of 2021
A couple of weeks ago it poured rain for three days straight. Roads, homes, and businesses were flooded and closed. It was really a tragic event for so many people who have just now rebuilt after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Thankfully, we were safe and sound in our home and our biggest problem was no Wifi! (However did we survive?!?) Also, I just love these girls of mine. Best friends forever.
Frio River Fun
The kids and I have run back and forth to Leakey several times (just an 8 hour round-trip drive!) to get Karalyn to and from her summer job at Alto Frio Camp. (Chris asked me the other day where all of our money is going – GAS!) One time we decided to spend the night and play in the river and I’m so glad we did. Little did we know that we would soon be quarantined due to the ‘Rona, so I’m glad we got away and had an afternoon of fun when we did!
Meeting My Newest Soon-to-be Nephew
My brother got to come to Texas a bit unexpectedly for a quick visit. He told me he understood if we couldn’t make the 2.5 hour drive to our parents’ house (where IS all our money going???) to see him and my newest soon-to-be nephew, who has been in their care for two years. UM, there’s NO WAY I would miss it. So off we went again and Bobby caught this beautiful moment when I met sweet P on camera. I am smitten. Adoption is a beautiful, beautiful thing. You should all do it. (P.S. Did you know you can look at profiles of all the kids in Texas who are currently waiting for a family? Check it out here.)
Our Home
When God called us to Rockport, one of our biggest concerns was housing. It takes quite a few square feet to hold the number of people we have in our family (we need a certain amount of square feet and bedrooms to be licensable for adoption). The choice became pretty simple when there was one house on the market with the necessary square feet in our price range. It’s not quite finished yet, so we’ve had fun walking through it during each stage of the building process and we are excited to move into it in September. There will be just enough room for each child that God has given to us – imagine that, His provision is perfect. Until then, we’ve been blessed to live in an amazing “summer home” by an incredibly generous family connected to our church (another amazing sign of God’s awesome provision).
Back to the Classroom
Speaking of God’s amazing provision…I’m going back to the classroom! It’s been 16 years, but ready or not, it’s time to go back! Since I’ve gotten rid of all my teaching gear, I made an Amazon wishlist earlier in the summer at the suggestion of one of my fellow ministry wives at Coastal Oaks Church. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by how many people sent me items off my list. I had been so worried that I wouldn’t have enough stuff. God showed me so much love through His people. He showed me that He sees, He knows, He remembers His children. I’ll be teaching 6th and 8th grade English/Language Arts/Reading. Thank God I don’t have to teach math anymore – 3rd grade was about as high as I could go with numbers! I’m excited about the opportunity for ministry in the public schools here in Rockport.
New things
Isaiah 43:19 says “See, I am doing a new thing!” That verse keeps playing over and over in my head as I consider all of the changes we’ve been through in the last several months. I honestly feel like I’ve stepped out of my old life and into someone else’s. I have a new home, a new church, a new job, a new (to us) vehicle, a new bed, new (to us) furniture, and pretty soon I will even have new kids! Everything is new. And new is really exciting and totally scary. We absolutely love our new, while simultaneously missing our old. Hawaii had become home for us, even though we’d only lived there just under two years. We miss the people, our friends, our `ohana, so very much. We will hold them in our hearts forever as we take every step on this beautiful new journey.
I have no idea what The Strong Home will look like as we move forward in all of this newness. I hold onto it with open hands, offering all of it up to the Lord to do with as He pleases. If you’re not already my email friend, head over here to sign up so you don’t miss a thing! Because no matter what new things God brings us all to, the call to build a strong home is ours. Thanks for journeying with me!
