To the ends of the Earth

Well I wanted to start a blog to keep up with our family and I have been completely lousy at it. The past 6 months have passed by so quickly. I cannot believe that Nathaniel is now 6 months old. He rolls all over to get from one place to the other. He is talking and laughing, sitting up on his own, and an amazing little boy. I fall more in love with him everyday. The only downfall is that for the past 6 months I have not gotten a full nights sleep. I am hoping and praying that will come with time as well!

To say the past 6 months have been calm would be a joke. I cannot remember a time in my life where things have been moving so quickly and acquired so many changes. I am married to a man that loves taking on life's challenges and loves change! So, I am slowly learning to adapt. Among our changes have been a move from Norristown to Sellersville (in Bucks County), a new car, a new job for Joel (Assitant Manager at BuyBuyBaby) and for me (full time stay at home mom), a baby, and a puppy! With all those changes, it doesnt seem possible to add anything else to our plate. But it is sure possible! For those of you that do not know, Joel was born in Oregon and has family on the West Coast of the US. He has lived out here for about 12 years and has always wanted to go back, but there was never a good opportunity or time. Well, I am glad he stayed because I got a chance to meet him! His dream quickly became my dream when I visited his family in California for the first time. I felt completely at home there (not just because the Mathieson's are amazing), but it just felt right. So, we began to pray for the right timing. In the back of our minds we always figured we would be out here another 5-7 more years. But God in His infinite wisdom has called us sooner. About two months ago Joel was offered a position in a store in San Jose California. And after some negotiation and prayer, we decided to make the move.

It was probably one of the hardest decisions I had to make. I absolutely love Pennsylvania. I grew up here and it is truly my home. My family is close by. I enjoy seeing the four seasons. But I knew that this was our dream and we have the opportunity to live out our dream. So, we are moving to a place that has not seen snow in 20+ years and has minor earthquakes. But it is absolutely gorgeous. We will be less than an hour from Santa Cruz Ca home of some of the best US surfing, less than an hour from Napa Valley and San Francisco. We will have a mild temperature most of the year with some warm dry summers and cooler winters. We have chosen a town where we will be living in the country in the foothills of some larger mountain range. It is super exciting and I cannot wait to move out there. I look forward to the drive out west where I get to see parts of the country that I have always wanted to see!

On the flip side I will be leaving my family and friends that I consider family. It will be hard to say goodbye to my mom who I have learned so much from over the past few months of being a mother myself. Its hard to say goodbye to my dad and brother who have been there with me as well. I know God is good and these goodbyes arent goodbyes forever. I mean we live in a time where you can get cheap airfare and I can be with my family and friends in a matter of hours.

We leave in the middle of June and while I would like to see everyone and everything before we leave I know it isnt possible. So, if you want to get together please let me know! In the meantime I will be working on getting my fill of Wegmans, Chick Fil A, Tony Lukes, the Phillies, the gorgeous spring we are having, trips to NYC and Philadelphia, and anything else I can think of!

I once thought that God could only call you to the most remote places at the Ends of the Earth to accomplish His will, but I am realizing that He can call you across the country and it feels just as far. I am excited that God is in the center of our plans. I am excited to see how he will develop my relationships here and grow my new relationships.

Please pray for the transition as it will be physically and emotionally tough on Joel, Nathaniel, Sedona, and I.

I am Woman...Hear me Roar!

So, I finally have a minute to myself to reflect upon the past couple of months. I am amazed at the amount of chaos and change that can occur in such a short period of time. This is the first time in almost five months that I can actually breathe. I feel like I am past survival mode and able to live freely again. I read all the books and stalked all the message boards on babycenter.com, but nothing prepared me for motherhood. With all my previous jobs I got a clear cut outline of the expectations and requirements to perform my job well. I feel like it has taken me 5 months just to handle some of the minor life tasks that came so easily before Nathaniel. I used to be able to just pick up and go do what ever I felt. After weeks of running late and having supermarket meltdowns, I feel completely confident leaving the house with just a diaper bag and my son in his infant carrier. It takes me less and less time to prepare for my departures from home. I have learned to time my errands during my son's precious nap times. I have gotten completely comfortable nursing my son in public. On another excited note, I can finally wear non-maternity clothes and my wedding rings are fitting nicely again.

But instead of feeling like my normal self, I feel different. I feel empowered. I got to experience a firsthand miracle. I was able to successfully conceive, carry, and deliver a healthy baby boy. I was able (and still able to) provide Nathaniel's sole source of nourishment and development. I feel like I have reached my full womanhood potential. I can honestly say that I experienced one of the most intense pains in my life and survived. Even though I will never receive a medal or win the title of woman of the year, I feel like a hero.

I quit my job in early February and I never felt more excited and content. I know some of the major feminists and equal opportunity people will dislike the following statement. But I honestly feel like I was created to be a stay at home mother. I know for a fact that this is the first time that I have ever felt confident and comfortable in my own skin. And I am proud of it. I am so thankful to have a husband that is able to provide this lifestyle for me family. I feel confident and excited about the woman that God is creating me to be.

So with all that said...I am working on the motivation to lose the baby weight and a little bit more! I am working on feeling like an attractive woman for myself and my husband. I am working on being a great mother to my son. And most important, I am working on developing a deeper relationship with Christ. And seeing the progress I made in the past 5 months, I know I can do it all! The journey continues....