Moving week!!

We have been in our new home in the Lubbock area (Wolfforth) for exactly one week as I type this.  We moved in Friday evening (long day, long story and a crazy move that God blessed in many ways on that 110 degree day!), and have been cleaning, working on the yard, unpacking and exploring the area since.  I am forever grateful to our sweet family, friends and realtor who helped us make it that day and evening - and to my sisters Carrie and Charys who took care of Grey and scrubbed and cleaned with me Saturday.  I fear my sanity wouldn't have made it without them.

Moves are simply overwhelmingly exhausting in every way.  Without a toddler.  I definitely feel like I have been hit by a strain of Bird Swine West Nile flu. ;) I'm sure Chet feels the same way with working so much and coming home to work even harder.

Internet was set up today, so I figured a blog was certainly in order.

We have learned just how important internet is to our family and Holden Uganda and life.  Yikes.

This blog's most IMPORTANT announcement:

In the wee hours of the morning/middle of the night on moving day, our perfect nephew Levi Justice Rockey entered the world a little earlier than we thought, following in his sister's footsteps!  He was born on June 28th at 3:43am (Cali time), 7 lb 11 oz, and was 20" long.  Basically he was the most AMAZING part of the day, hands down, and trumped any type of moving excitement by a long shot.  

Isn't he dreamy?

Big sister Hannah Grace meeting Levi Justice

Levi

Thanks Joel for allowing me to snatch photos from your Facebook without asking ;)

I am going nuts trying to figure out a way to get to California and snug him!

The number 28 is special to us - being Holden's birthday - so of course Levi arriving on the 28th, and us moving into our new home that day was extra cool.

Thank you Jesus for the details.  

You always know them.  

There are SO many things I should blog about, which is giving me major writer's block and photo decision overload.  We have the most precious 15 month old, and her little developments are extremely worth noting in this Momma's eyes, however, this Momma has tired and exhausted eyes, so I will keep this blog short and just update some from this week.

[Quick recap: we survived everything in the craziest month of our marriage...everything including graduations, birthdays, anniversary, showers, bachelorette, many little trips (changed oil in my car 3 times in one month!), selling and buying this home, etc.  I'll not have the time to blog about all of it, but it was a wonderful whirlwind!]

I would be remiss to not include a photo of my gorgeous sister and daughter.  Charys spent last weekend loving on Grey so we could clean and unpack.  

(My beautiful sister-in-law Carrie helped me clean Saturday, which is certainly worthy of a photo too.  Sorry Carrie.  My other beautiful sister-in-law had of course just given birth to my amazing nephew in California, so I am going to excuse her for not working in Texas for me. lol.)

Our new home sweet home:

  

Beautiful West Texas evenings in our home every night.  The weather (other than moving day itself) has been lovely and cool so we have loved outside time!

Neighborhood park that Luke and Rusty love already!

As you know, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday.  We were able to spend it in our new city and home yesterday; so fun!  We headed out to the Lubbock parade with our good friends.  The kids LOVED it and only wished there was more candy (seriously...the Lubbock parade needs some tips from Snyder's!).  We spent Chet's day off work organizing the garage, which was our last unpacking project.  Instead of a traditional BBQ and city fireworks show, we opted for pizza, neighborhood fireworks and family time.  It was the best way to spend it after the week we had.  

Truly.  Overwhelmingly blessed.

E and G.

The boys and G.

Val and I with our littlests.

The daddies.  And excellent daddies they are.

I did not get a chance to photograph Grey watching fireworks since my phone was dead, but this year was such a switch from last year.  The louder and brighter they were, the more she loved them.  

Which is good since we have a very patriotic neighborhood. ;) ;)  (Ya know, the type that shoot fireworks off all week - and still are as I type!)  

Auntie Charys bought Grey this outfit for her birthday, and her short legs are just now fitting into it.  I took some photos today (that I thought were great from the back of my camera), but Chet just informed me their quality is terrible.  Too terrible to edit, in fact.  But I want to post any ways, since I love how sweet she was for me. :)

 Our Bop at 15 months:

She sat on the doorstep on her own and posed.

Happy. Happy. Happy.

Moving was much more bittersweet than I had imagined it would be.  Snyder, and our little first home there, hold a huge and precious place in my heart.  Our hopes, dreams, excitements, tears, joys, sorrows and lots of love were had there.  Both of our babies lives started there.  Their nurseries were warmly fixed and loved.  Our church home and friends there were (and always will be) such a big part of our lives.  We believe the Lord brought us to Snyder for the first chapter in our marriage for countless reasons.  I cannot imagine the last 5 years of our life spent anywhere else.  

That being said, the move had me in tears many times last week.  I pulled away from Holden's resting place in the cemetery and bawled my eyes out.  As we drove away from the home we started our family in, one final time on Friday, I couldn't stop the tears.  The first night in our new home (which honestly did not feel anything like home at the time), I just cried.  Slowly though, the Lord has healed some of those "wounds" (I know it is silly and ridiculous to cry over a house and a place!), and this place feels like home and already holds precious moments and memories.  I am thrilled about what He has in store for us in Lubbock, and feel overwhelmingly blessed and humbled to call our amazing house here our earthly HOME. 

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15b