catching up

I think I have set a personal record for length of time between blog posts, so if you are still following along, I am surprised and grateful:). The last two months have been a whirlwind of packing and unpacking (multiple times), vacations, graduation, and moving to a new city. I am just beginning to settle in and settle down my heart from all the busy-ness. We just moved to Knoxville, TN where John will be doing his family medicine residency at UT Hospital. We are thrilled to be here, and to begin a new season for all of us! It's been many years of moving and being nomadic, so the fact that we will be here for 3+ years feels like a really long time. It's long enough to put down some roots, make friends, and feel at home. yay for that :). A big bonus is that my sister and her family live here! We are excited about doing life with them in the coming months and years. Here is a quick run-down of what we've been up to the past couple of months. First, a trip to the beach with John's family! SUCH a fun trip and relaxing, too. Beckham did great, despite my fears. The house was completely designed with babies and toddlers in mind. Sound machine in every room? Walk-in closets that fit pack n' plays? Hello?! Love the owners and don't even know them. Next up, our trip to California. We were child-less, which was a very new experience for us! Wonderful and relaxing, so good to be reunited with good friends, and to see other friends get married. Being away from Beckham was much harder than I anticipated, but I'm thankful we went. 3 days after returning from California, we packed up the truck and headed for Knoxville! No pictures from that venture, although I'm sure your imagination can suffice. Lots of stuff. Lots of sweat. A little toddler running around and me chasing him. 4 days after moving, we headed to New Jersey for John's graduation. It was a very fun trip, full of joy because of the accomplishment, satisfaction because of FINISHING, and pride seeing John walk across the stage. ALL his hard work coming to completion with these very special letters that are now attached to his name. Yay! All glory to God for getting us through! It was also a big bonus to be back with all of our friends for one last hurrah. Loved seeing Carter and Beckham hang out together!! And then back to Knoxville, where we have been slowly but surely unpacking and settling into our new home. We LOVE it here. We love knoxville, our house, our neighborhood, and our location. It is such a gift from God! Simply cannot be explained in any other way. More pictures to come from the homestead soon. As you can see, Beckham is adjusting well. As long as there is spaghetti to eat and dirt to dig in, he's happy :). My soul is weary, but grateful. Traveling with a toddler is not easy for anyone, but I think it's especially hard for me (and people like me). It's the epitome of a perfect storm....most everything is out of my control. I have learned, though, during these last few weeks and months that traveling with children is chaotic, but it's worth it. The experiences and people are worth it. and I'm also glad to be home :). I'm home!!!!!!