Ok, so I can't come up with anything exciting for the title of this post. Sorry! :) Life as we know it is about to change. This change is good. I'm glad our life as we've known it for the bast few years is going to change. I find myself in a strange position. I have moved many times. Said many goodbyes, made new friends, etc. But, never have I moved and not known what that move would mean. Never have I moved so willingly and so blindly. I have always been so sad to leave my friends behind as well as the place. There has always been this thought of, "I'll definitely have to go back there because of ______." However, I do not find myself feeling/thinking that now. Don't get me wrong! There are plenty of people I will miss. But, as far as the place, nope. I'll be OK to never return. I've been thinking about this a lot because in some ways it's bothering me. What I have concluded is this: where we have been living for the past 4 years has been surrounded in difficulty, saddness and just plain craziness. Save for my husband, daughter and dog there hasn't been much else to get excited about here. This is such a foreign thing to me. I've always been able to find at least something I like about a place--not here. I hate to think that my memories of this town/county will be ones which bring up saddness and grief. As I think about this and how depressing it sounds/is, I realize there are other things I can associate with this time/town.
I will always look back on these past 4 years as some of the hardest and most hurtful I have gone through, not only personally but spiritually. These past 4 years have been years of great growth (I hope!) and molding and faith-strengthening. It is during these past 4 years that I have learned better how to pray, to pray on my knees, to let it all out, to say to the Lord, "I don't understand, but you're still God, and so I'm going to try very hard to trust." I will look back on this time as a time when my husband and I had no one other than each other and the Lord to lean on and so have been able to develop a closer bond and trust in each other then might not otherwise have happened. I can look back on this time as a time of having my eyes opened to the ways of the Church and how it's not as prestine and perfect as we (I) thought it was. And, more than anything, I will look back on this time knowing, with out doubt, that my God, my Father in heaven, loves me and cares for me and is faithful to me no matter what.
I'm not sorry to see this time come to an end in a few days. I'm not even all that scared about not having any idea what we'll find in our new home. I won't miss this place. My prayer is that I take with me the lessons I've learned and apply them to my future.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Memories Not for Sale!
Today marks the end of a long chapter in the book about the Russell family. Today marks the point at which the house my grandpa built is not longer his, is no longer in the family and is now the home of another family. Today is a hard day for my mom and her sisters, and on a lesser note, for the rest of us. My grandpa, with his brothers, built this house. Throughout the years it's seen some changes, but nothing major. My grandpa was proud of this house he built for his family. It is strong, sturdy and pretty. It's the only house my mom ever knew as a child as she was 1 year old when it was finished.
The house has gone from a big cement block as a front porch, to a nicer wood porch, to a nice deck made out of fake "wood" which will stand the test of time. The yard has seen trees planted and some of those trees cut down. The house has seen no patio out back, then a white and red brick patio to a nice deck made out of the same fake "wood" as the front! The house has gone from hardwood floors, to carpet (I remember best the brown marbled carpet) and has seen countless feet walking through it.
This house has been used as a home for the Russell family, a place for countless parties from birthdays to graduations to let's-just-get-together-just-because parties. This house has heard crying, yelling, prayers, laughter. Good times, bad times, in between times. Times of little money and times of being able to breath comfortably. This house has seen a lot of life and unfortunately the death of it's two owners, my grandparents.
The memories made in this house are endless. Some are remembered by all, some are remembered by only a few (my aunts always claim my mom grew up in a different house then they did). I think most, if not all, of us grandchildren have mowed the lawn (Grandpa insisting on staying in 1st gear on the riding lawnmower. Did he know that we all kicked it up a few notches when he went inside?), raked the leaves, and helped clean the inside. We've played tag, had Easter egg hunts, shucked corn, played basketball, baseball, frisbee, croquette and bocci ball. We've climbed the trees, eaten the plums and apples from those trees and grew gardens in the back. We've all seen "the big rock" and were all disappointed that as time goes on it seems to get smaller.
There are not enough words to say all of the memories we have in this house. Thankfully, those memories are not for sale. The house will move on to a new owner, a new family who will make new memories. Thankfully, we do not have to give them ours. We can hold on to them and cherish them and share them with our children.
And now, as the "kids" become the grandparents and the "grandkids" become the parents we move on from South Plaza Drive and begin making new memories for this next generation of grandkids, who will never know their great-grandpa and great-grandma Russell, but will know about them because our memories are not for sale.
The house has gone from a big cement block as a front porch, to a nicer wood porch, to a nice deck made out of fake "wood" which will stand the test of time. The yard has seen trees planted and some of those trees cut down. The house has seen no patio out back, then a white and red brick patio to a nice deck made out of the same fake "wood" as the front! The house has gone from hardwood floors, to carpet (I remember best the brown marbled carpet) and has seen countless feet walking through it.
This house has been used as a home for the Russell family, a place for countless parties from birthdays to graduations to let's-just-get-together-just-because parties. This house has heard crying, yelling, prayers, laughter. Good times, bad times, in between times. Times of little money and times of being able to breath comfortably. This house has seen a lot of life and unfortunately the death of it's two owners, my grandparents.
The memories made in this house are endless. Some are remembered by all, some are remembered by only a few (my aunts always claim my mom grew up in a different house then they did). I think most, if not all, of us grandchildren have mowed the lawn (Grandpa insisting on staying in 1st gear on the riding lawnmower. Did he know that we all kicked it up a few notches when he went inside?), raked the leaves, and helped clean the inside. We've played tag, had Easter egg hunts, shucked corn, played basketball, baseball, frisbee, croquette and bocci ball. We've climbed the trees, eaten the plums and apples from those trees and grew gardens in the back. We've all seen "the big rock" and were all disappointed that as time goes on it seems to get smaller.
There are not enough words to say all of the memories we have in this house. Thankfully, those memories are not for sale. The house will move on to a new owner, a new family who will make new memories. Thankfully, we do not have to give them ours. We can hold on to them and cherish them and share them with our children.
And now, as the "kids" become the grandparents and the "grandkids" become the parents we move on from South Plaza Drive and begin making new memories for this next generation of grandkids, who will never know their great-grandpa and great-grandma Russell, but will know about them because our memories are not for sale.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Moving...
How many times have you moved in your life? I don't know if I could count. From the time I was born my family was moving here and there, back and forth. Not because we weren't a stable family, but due to being missionaries! :) (OK, some might say we're not stable! :) :) :) ) And then there was college, life after college and so on. You'd think it would get easier. In some ways, I suppose it is. I have no problem throwing things away or giving them away. It's easier to get rid of stuff than pack it! :) However, moving is never fun or easy. I mean you have to pack and clean and think through all sorts of stuff. You have to cancel services you have in your home and close out bank accounts. And then you have the good-byes. You do your best to tell everyone that you're leaving town. You know that some will stay in touch, but most won't.
We all have a least favorite thing about moving. Mine, strangely enough, is getting to the new place. Yeah, I like the adventure of it all, but it's still my least favorite part. I mean, I'm comfortable here, I know where all my stuff is, I know where all the stores and doctor offices are. I have friends, life is just moving along. But now, with a new place, I don't know any of that stuff. I can't remember where I packed that thing, I don't know where the best grocery store is, I don't have friends (yet!) and well, once the excitement of the move it can be pretty lonely.
I'm not sure what this move will be like. I've never moved with a child before. I'm sure she'll make it easier as far as the loneliness goes, but I'm also sure it'll make things more interesting! :) I'm really looking forward to this move, but am also very unsure. I mean, we have no job, and our home is only temporary, so well, there's a lot of unknowns. But, I go with confidence that God has us in his arms and knows our ways and knows exactly what is waiting for us.
I better go. Anyone seen the packing tape?
We all have a least favorite thing about moving. Mine, strangely enough, is getting to the new place. Yeah, I like the adventure of it all, but it's still my least favorite part. I mean, I'm comfortable here, I know where all my stuff is, I know where all the stores and doctor offices are. I have friends, life is just moving along. But now, with a new place, I don't know any of that stuff. I can't remember where I packed that thing, I don't know where the best grocery store is, I don't have friends (yet!) and well, once the excitement of the move it can be pretty lonely.
I'm not sure what this move will be like. I've never moved with a child before. I'm sure she'll make it easier as far as the loneliness goes, but I'm also sure it'll make things more interesting! :) I'm really looking forward to this move, but am also very unsure. I mean, we have no job, and our home is only temporary, so well, there's a lot of unknowns. But, I go with confidence that God has us in his arms and knows our ways and knows exactly what is waiting for us.
I better go. Anyone seen the packing tape?
Monday, April 19, 2010
Columbus or Bust!
Well, I've done it! I've turned in my 2 weeks' notice to my job here at Hillsdale College. It's been a good job for me/us, and I will miss my coworkers. However, I will not miss Hillsdale. It's been a trying 4+ years since we moved here. We were just newly married (2 weeks!), moved up to Michigan, a place neither of us had ever been. We had no idea what to expect when we moved up here. We were excited, full of promise and hope, and eager to see what all we would be doing. Our bubble was burst pretty quickly and well, life was has been a challenge. But, I've blogged enough about those challenges--you can read through my archives if you wish! No need to bog us down with that now!!!
We have decided to take the plunge and move to Columbus, OH where my MIL and her new husband live. We had originally thought we would move into an apt (see blog from last week), but due to neither of us having jobs places won't accept us, even though the money is not an issue. So, we'll be living with my MIL and her husband while we look for jobs. We're moving on faith here, folks. Not an easy thing to do. We are reminded that faith is all about not knowing what is in store but trusting the Lord to take care of us anyway. So, we move. We move to a new state, a new city and though we might not be as naive this time, I would say we have a different kind of hope. We know God will continue to care for us, as he has all along, and we know that in time David will find a job and we'll be able to get to some semblance of order--whatever that is! :)
We have a busy 2 weeks ahead of us!!!! We have to get our mail changed, call dr offices for record management, deal with the bank, call trash, TV, Internet and cancel all of those. We also have to pack, get a moving company to help us move and clean the house so it's ready for the next family! Phew!!!! I'm tired...We plan to make May 3 moving day! I'm excited, and just a little nervous (or nervous and just a little excited, not entirely sure), but I hold to the fact that God loves us and is caring for us!
We have decided to take the plunge and move to Columbus, OH where my MIL and her new husband live. We had originally thought we would move into an apt (see blog from last week), but due to neither of us having jobs places won't accept us, even though the money is not an issue. So, we'll be living with my MIL and her husband while we look for jobs. We're moving on faith here, folks. Not an easy thing to do. We are reminded that faith is all about not knowing what is in store but trusting the Lord to take care of us anyway. So, we move. We move to a new state, a new city and though we might not be as naive this time, I would say we have a different kind of hope. We know God will continue to care for us, as he has all along, and we know that in time David will find a job and we'll be able to get to some semblance of order--whatever that is! :)
We have a busy 2 weeks ahead of us!!!! We have to get our mail changed, call dr offices for record management, deal with the bank, call trash, TV, Internet and cancel all of those. We also have to pack, get a moving company to help us move and clean the house so it's ready for the next family! Phew!!!! I'm tired...We plan to make May 3 moving day! I'm excited, and just a little nervous (or nervous and just a little excited, not entirely sure), but I hold to the fact that God loves us and is caring for us!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Abe and Sarah, Joe and Mary...
...David and Jeni. What do we all have in common? God asked us to do something that didn't make sense and didn't give us any details. What do I mean? Well, God told Abraham to get up and go, taking his family with him. God did the same to Joseph and Mary. And, well, God has done the same to David and I. We are to pack up and go. Go where? Well, right now Columbus, OH. Do what? Not sure yet. That's one of those details God hasn't shared with us. We have felt a strong sense of urgency to leave the house we're in, leave the town and state we're living in. None of it made sense, we knew we were to go, but we didn't know where, or how financially. Through the gifts of some very wonderful people we are able to move and have our rent paid for us until David finds a job. Wow. The blessings of the Lord on his children are overwhelming. Why Columbus? Well, we want to move closer to family. C-bus is right in the middle of my parents and David's dad and step mom and is where his mom now lives. Also, it's a big area with a lot more job opportunities than Huntington or Akron.
We're heading down this weekend to find an apartment and get the ball rolling. I will more than likely put in my 2 weeks' notice on Monday, and we'll pack up and clean the house and get ready for whatever it is God has for us! We continue to pray for His guidance as we look for a job. We don't know where God wants David to work, but David has certainly been applying for everything and anything.
You, my readers, all know this time for us has been very frustrating, spiritually draining, depressing, just no fun, really. If it weren't for Cora we would not have had much of anything, really, to be excited about. We do not expect our moving to solve all of our problems, or make life perfect, but we do know, without doubt this is what God is asking us to do, and so we go willingly and excited to see what He has in store for us!
Would you pray with us? Pray David finds a job, that we find a great place to live, and that we will find a wonderful church to become part of? I would say these are our 3 greatest burdens right now. I'll keep you posted as things develop!
We're heading down this weekend to find an apartment and get the ball rolling. I will more than likely put in my 2 weeks' notice on Monday, and we'll pack up and clean the house and get ready for whatever it is God has for us! We continue to pray for His guidance as we look for a job. We don't know where God wants David to work, but David has certainly been applying for everything and anything.
You, my readers, all know this time for us has been very frustrating, spiritually draining, depressing, just no fun, really. If it weren't for Cora we would not have had much of anything, really, to be excited about. We do not expect our moving to solve all of our problems, or make life perfect, but we do know, without doubt this is what God is asking us to do, and so we go willingly and excited to see what He has in store for us!
Would you pray with us? Pray David finds a job, that we find a great place to live, and that we will find a wonderful church to become part of? I would say these are our 3 greatest burdens right now. I'll keep you posted as things develop!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
A Photoshoot Gone Array
Below is a series of photos I took while my sister and I were trying to get A photo (just ONE) of all 4 cousins. Well, you can see how that went...
I love Sophia's look in this photo
Well, I guess we know who the "good" children are!
I love Sophia's look in this photo
Well, I guess we know who the "good" children are! Wednesday, April 7, 2010
A Very Lady Bug Party
We had Cora's second party this past weekend at my parent's house. This one was her "official" party, with a lady bug theme! We had a great time! My parents were there, Cora's aunt and uncle and cousins as well as a great aunt/uncle, 2nd cousins and 1 3rd cousin! We had a houseful and had so much fun! I made pulled pork sandwiches and a cake. I have photos below of the festivities. I have to say, though, that I am most proud of the cake! It turned out better than I had hoped and I had so much fun making it!!!!! However, the day was spectacular, getting to celebrate our little girl for a 2nd time!
The cake
We were invaded by lady bugs!
Nothing like getting a little help from your cousin!
She loved being sung to
She was, of course, more interested in the cards then the gifts!
She tolerated the hat long enough to get this photo
I just love her!
Daddy and the Birthday Girl
My BIL's b-day was the day we had the party, so we made him put a hat on and we sang to him too! :)
The Princess
Mommy and the Birthday Girl
The cake 
We were invaded by lady bugs!
Nothing like getting a little help from your cousin!
She loved being sung to
She was, of course, more interested in the cards then the gifts! 
She tolerated the hat long enough to get this photo
I just love her!
Daddy and the Birthday Girl
My BIL's b-day was the day we had the party, so we made him put a hat on and we sang to him too! :) 
The Princess
Mommy and the Birthday GirlTuesday, April 6, 2010
Meeting Miss H
This weekend we FINALLY got to meet our newest niece, Hadassah Anne! I say "finally" because even though she wasn't even quite a week yet, it was a LONG wait for this anxious aunt!!!!! We got to love on her, hug her, kiss her, tickle her toes and just have fun with her for 2 whole days! What fun!!!! We also got have fun with our other niece, Sophia (5) and nephew, Riley (19 months). Cora had a fun time, especially with Riley (the 2 of them will certainly be "double trouble" one day soon). Hope you enjoy the photos! :) I sure enjoyed taking them! :)
My beautiful sister with her youngest
Holding Miss H
Isn't she so cute????
Snuggled up with Daddy
Enjoying cousin Cora's swing
Falling over
Meeting Uncle David
Sophia concentrating hard on the craft we got her for being the big sister
Riley and his tractor from us for being the big brother
Double Trouble
This is when Cora was kind of enjoying the swing
Cora getting dirty. She did not seem to like the grass too much, however...
My beautiful sister with her youngest 
Holding Miss H
Isn't she so cute????
Snuggled up with Daddy
Enjoying cousin Cora's swing
Falling over
Meeting Uncle David
Sophia concentrating hard on the craft we got her for being the big sister
Riley and his tractor from us for being the big brother
Double Trouble
This is when Cora was kind of enjoying the swing
Cora getting dirty. She did not seem to like the grass too much, however...
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