One month update

I had a roll of film in my purse for weeks intending on many occasions to take it in for development. I finally did that a week ago. The pictures were all from the spring and early summer...when we were still in NY! First I laughed because I had procrastinated for so long. Then when I looked at most of them, I cried. Pictures in our house, playing in our yard...but it's not our house or our yard anymore. It was a sad moment. This one is by far one of my favorites...EVER!!! Maybe because it is so cute how Paige is helping Nate with his hat, maybe because he still had his mullet and looked like a baby, or maybe just because it was in our front yard where so many memories were made. It made me thankful for those memories and anxious to create some in this new place!
As of tomorrow, we have been here for a month. WOW! So much has happened in that time. Mike now has a job...not his dream job, but enough to get us up and going while he continues to pursue teaching. The kids are doing very well in their new surroundings. Paige is asking frequently about seeing Zach, Meghan and Cameron, but seems to "understand" more that we are too far away to simply have a visit. We are finding our way around and able to get most places without calls to family for directions! The house is getting settled...slowly!
After three weeks visiting the same church, we decided to mix it up today. After a few late night talks, research, and truly searching for what we want in a church, we began to question if the initial one is right for our family. Here is the dilemma we are faced with...the first church is large, probably 300+ attend each Sunday service. They have a very impressive program for children and a beautiful facility. In many ways, it feels comfortable to us because it is similar to our church back home. At the same time, it has felt somewhat impersonal, and we have questioned if we can support their basic beliefs. They aren't crazy...just opposite on a lot of issues that we have believed in since we were young. The church we attended today is on the other end of the spectrum. It is a fairly new church, with very few members. From the moment we stepped out of our car, we were greeted by each and every person we walked past. There were lots of young families and friendly faces. The church is renting space, so the building is not physically impressive. They provide childcare during the service, but not any true program. There are countless areas where they need help, and we could quickly become part of their ministry. Most importantly, they seem to hold firm to the basic truths of the Bible and the character of God which we believe in. Church isn't about getting yourself "cleaned up" and beautiful in order to walk in the door, but getting in the door and finding those ugly places that God wants to make beautiful, right? Do we want to attend a church that "has it all together" and portrays itself as the ideal in church worlds, or a church that says we are here to love you and help one another love God? So we find ourselves challenging one another about what a church should be, what we truly need in a church family, what we want our children being taught in Sunday School and where we see ourselves building community and using the gifts God has given us. I feel like it's too soon to jump in full force, yet have the desire to begin the connecting phase and experience the joy that comes from being a part of the family of God! It's been difficult getting up each Sunday to go to strange places and unfamiliar faces, but it has helped us truly revisit what we believe and how firmly we believe it. We've been forced to go back to the basics, which is never a bad thing! More to come on this, I'm sure!!!