Monday, April 17, 2017

Writing by the Wayside

I can't remember the last time....ok, maybe I can remember, it's just been a very, very, VERY long while....since I last sat down to write about life. The Anderson life. The Anderson faith family of five life and about our highs and lows. About our adventures. About God's giving and taking away. About His faithfulness. About the crazy, intimate ways God intervenes when we least expect it and then when He doesn't make a sound His volume is off the charts as He is deepening our faith to layers that are yet, deeper still! God is so good.

Can't even tell you how much I love this man....he's by far my favorite... :) :)
Tears still fall as we find ourselves many months deep into this newfound journey. Tears of confusion. Tears of what "used to be." Tears of joy as we see God's leading Hand. Tears of frustration. Tears of feeling like on top of every other stress we can't handle one....more...test/obstacle/hurdle....(aka, water well issues...really?!) Tears of what amazing opportunities are right in front of us. Tears of wonderment. Tears of God's beauty rising amidst the ashes. Tears of what we GET to be a part of and the fact that He's called us to that very moment in time.  Tears of watching and being a part of a school, a community, that in profound ways come together for the loss of one of it's own--speechless. Humbly powerful.
 
Sunrise on our way to school mid-winter


 Tears.   Sometimes, often times ..... just good ol' fashioned...... tears.

Sunset out our front yard.   #Godspainting

I've personally shed many tears of missing those whose lives we used to be deeply invested in to countless tears of joy whose lives we now get to be a part of and deeply invest in. I can't deny that my heart has been conflicted as I wrestle with the continuous 'wondering' of how dear NV loved ones are doing (those we used to pray for daily/weekly as requests were shared at church/Bible study/etc) and how we now pray just as fervently & with a deep love for those in our current presence who are just as in need of prayer warriors to come alongside each of them!! If nothing else, the needs of those here in our midst, and those who were once in our daily 'circle' lead us to depend on His timing for His answers and show us how the body of Christ is unlimited in it's reaching to the ends-of-the-earth! What an awesome wonderment as to how to the family of Christ spans the borders...in every sense of the word.

My LOVES!!!

As this year seems to shuffle along much more quickly than any other previous year, the days are sometimes exceedingly long, but the weeks impeccably short. It's a pace we're still wrapping our minds, and even driving abilities, around. We've been buried deep into new opportunities for our boys. Opportunities that lead us back to praising the One who presented them before us. The vehicles have been working overtime as we shuffle boys here & there & everywhere but the constant schedules that keep us going nightly are partly why we said yes to this very leap of faith nearly 11 months ago. God is so good!! He is continually showing us His faithfulness in the 'big', the 'little', and even the mundane.
These handsome gents...be still my heart!!!
So as to catch you up to speed in some respect since the last time I dared divulge into this Anderson FFof5 faith-walk, the five of us have together celebrated the 75th birthday of my sweet mother, celebrated my hottie-hubby's 37th birthday, sat sideline to Carson's first year of Andover city basketball (which he was part of an awe-some team....such a FUN season!), enjoyed a variety of fun family times beyond the 5 of us, led worship at the LCA parenting conference, dove into the LCA drama department on behalf of our 6th grader as he rehearses his front and center role as Gravoche for the spring drama at LCA ("Les Meserables'--school edition", which is set for opening night this Friday!!! Yaaaay!!), grieved the passing of Andy's uncle Jim and more recently the death of a sophomore student at Legacy, and this week we're gearing up for the beginning of baseball season for both Carson and Mason.

That covers most of it.

[*and now....the scroll of pictures, in no particular order so just read the captions ;) *]

Happy 75th Birthday Mama!!!
Mason helping Gma blow out the candles!

Here we go Carson!! (Andover city basketball)

He was always on the floor....#aggressive
Carson up for the block!! #denied
Freethrow!! #swoosh
He shoots....he scores!!! woohoo #15!! 
#intense
STEAL!! (one of many for our #15!)



















Coaches gift--love this team of boys!!
Great season Suns!!! Thanks coach Amy ;)


such a fun crew of 4th grade boys--from Legacy!!! :)


Happy Birthday daddy!!!



















Family time!!
A lazy Sunday afternoon...love these gents!
 looking out my kitchen window to watch my crazies ;)

looking through the desk window at my loves! Front yard football ;)
MOA day with my boys after dropping daddy off at the airport!
Mason looked like this every...time.. ;)
some afternoon fun at the Y!








Northbound with my handsome gents!!!
...and always coffee with Gramps!
dinner with Grams...

Shamrock shakes of course! :)
Andy reunited with family in Oregon--so many came together for uncle Jim's service. 
Sibling love
Time with family!
Bros!! (Andy & Kyle)

A father and his sons!



Such a blessing the Anderson's could be together as a family! So many tears & much laughter shared....

Back together with my man :)
LCA Elem. Spring program! Carson & Mason did great!
Carson's field trip to the state capitol with his class!


Legacy Gala 2017!!
Legacy Gala--so fun having my parents be a part of it
Almost 'showtime' for our Austin! (ahem...Gravoche)

Easter/Resurrection Sunday 2017!


Oh Carson....;)

Easter egg hunting time with the cousins!!



Carson's got up's!! He was determined to get those eggs down--haha!

In closing out this (lengthy) post, I leave you with a word that seems ironic considering the season of life we're currently living. But it's a word that bears so much weight and so much truth to how we live out this current season.

Resting
Resting in His grace and mercy. Resting in His strength to carry us. Resting in His timing. Resting in His goodness. Resting in His provision. Resting in His Promises. Resting in the Power of the Cross & Glorious Resurrection.

Our journey this past year has been unlike any other we've ever been on in almost 15 years of marriage....stressful, joyful, uplifting, discouraging, questioning, affirming, confusing, faith-stretching, and oh-so-good. Because God is  IN IT with us, paving the way as long as we keep trusting. We've always done our best to lean on Him while (& this might sound strange) living uncomfortably in this world and yet, comfortably in the palm of His hands as HE leads. We did it when we bought our first home, when we moved to Nevada 11 years ago with a newborn, & when we had each son, when we said no to some things in order to say yes to more family time (and then watched God provide in creative ways), when we took those sometimes daunting faith steps in leading various Bible studies/mission trips/etc., and when we stepped away from 'comforts' of life out west.

Hence, here we are. And we wouldn't trade it for anything! In Him we will rest. The "race is never done." And we pray that whatever you are embarking on right now, whatever your race looks like, no matter the scale or depth of decision or faith-step, whether it be as simple as saying 'yes' (or 'no') to something that God has been prompting or maybe a huge 'yes' to something as big as a move....may you REST in Him as He leads.

Anderson Family--Easter Sunday 2017



Give 'em Tools

Ever since Andy and I signed that purchase agreement making us the owners of our very first home on Brookview Drive in Burnsville, Minnesota...