This is part of a series about leaving an unsatisfying job and moving our family with our three boys ages nine, five, and two from Buffalo, NY to Orlando, FL. As living by faith goes, it is full of surprising twists and turns that are yet to be revealed. To get the full context, read these first: https://www.simplycampbell.com/post/unsatisfied-part-one https://www.simplycampbell.com/post/the-journey-part-two Gratitude. That’s the word we would describe how we felt when we moved down to Florida in January of 2022. We were so grateful for the sunshine and warmth. In a journal entry, I wrote, “To go somewhere outside in February without being cold tickles me pink. Overall what I love the most is being able to go outside.” After being apart for almost two months, it was nice to have our family back together. I wrote in my journal, “Ralph has been home every evening but one. We have been able to go to a car show in February. We have gone metal fishing twice and the playground four times. It is not overcast all day. We have seen a peacock, chickens and a rooster in this busy parking lot, hawks, and other cool birds that we don’t know the names of. Science!” (Our first night) We were relieved to not be living in such an oppressive state anymore. Not only that, but it was evident that Florida’s economy was thriving. While driving on the interstate it is common to see cars from ten different states and countries in a minutes time. It’s fun! We immediately noticed a difference in people. I wrote this in my journal, “The people seem happier and friendlier down here. They talk more in the stores. They interact with you more. I am glad I am not the only one in the store talking to strangers now. lol.” We had been told by many people before we moved that the boys were at a good age. Any older and it would have been harder to pull them from friends. We still had a few struggles though. They did miss their friends and family. We all did. Devin was easily angered. Connor would say that he wanted to go home. Liam was petrified of all of the thunderstorms and missed our cat. Spice had made it all the way down, but disappeared the night we arrived. He slipped through the fence and never returned. We walked and drove through the neighborhood, talked with neighbors, and put flyers in mailboxes, but sadly, we never saw him again. We believe that he may have gone off to die as he had a large abscess on his neck that we had been treating. Or perhaps someone liked him, too and took him in since he was such a sweet cat! Spice was very good with the boys. It was hard seeing them miss him so much. We all loved our Spiceroni. (A few photos to honor our treasured and greatly missed cat, Spice) Three days after we moved, Devin asked Jesus into his heart. As to be expected with a five year old, our conversation was all over the place, but I made it as clear as possible what he was choosing to do. He had made the most important decision of his life. How incredible for it to happen so soon after our move, in an almost empty rental house, 1200 miles from everything we knew! Here's a five minute clip from that special moment. (Sweet Devin) We lived out of our suitcases and whatever we could fit in our van for a week before our moving trailer arrived. My dad drove down to help us unload it. Even though he lived ten hours away, he was determined to still help us move. Three men, one teenager, a hundred pound woman, a nine, five, and a two year old unloaded that whole thing. Thank God for my dad! We were so grateful for his help and the extra time he spent with us. (After the trailer was unloaded. We were in over our heads. ;) ) To be honest, I was not too thrilled about our housing situation and the boys constant presence was starting to wear on me. Instead of re-writing something, here is an excerpt from my journal entry written just sixteen days after our move down. I think it gives a good picture of where I was at the time. “Things I didn’t expect in Florida since our arrival on January 29th: It’s cold in the mornings in the house we are renting. My thermostat says 64 degrees. I just figured out how to turn the heat on. There are single pane windows in this house…With these single pane windows come screens that either have tons of holes or giant tears in them…or no screens at all. That makes opening the windows for fresh air a challenge... I keep saying to Ralph: We didn’t pick this place. God picked it. Aside from the outdated real estate photos we found online and a phone tour my brother gave to us the night before we arrived, we didn’t know what to expect until we pulled in at 10pm. It smelled like old smoke or just plain dirty when we first walked in. The floors were covered with white dog hair and our vacuum cleaner was in our trailer that wasn’t supposed to arrive for another five days. Ralph was back to sneezing and blowing his nose the whole time he was home. We were not going to buy a vacuum cleaner for five days so we just dealt with it. We didn’t let anything touch the floor that we cared about. The fenced in area was covered in giant dog poop. I spent an hour filling up two four gallon bags. It was discovered by Connor, my two year old who threw a piece into the pool. Lovely. The latch to release the soap in the dishwasher is broken so we have been hand washing the dishes and using the dishwasher as a drying rack instead. That’s on Ralph’s list to do, but he has to remove the dishwasher door. He has also had to fix the toilet which wouldn’t stop running. There were beautiful pink and red flowers in bloom all around the property. It was one of the first things that I noticed the first morning. Flowers in January. I love it." (The flowers at the rental I was writing about.) In our wonderful landlords defense, this was a rental. It is just not a common thing for people to care for rentals. Also, as mentioned in "The Journey" post, the people before us were going through a family crisis. There was very little time between when they moved out and we arrived. It was understood that this was an in between place until we bought a house that we actually could pick for ourselves. None the less, I was grossed out and documented. I met our landlord who invited us over for dinner that evening. We met some of their family too which were all super sweet to our kids. It was nice to start connecting with people in that area. Our friends that brought us down had a lot going on so we scarcely saw them. I was on my own finding new friendships. Continuing my journal entry... “Things for me specifically haven’t changed much since we have gotten down here. I told Ralph that my responsibilities haven’t changed, only my environment. I still have to keep these kids alive every day. Ralph would say to me before he left for his 3-11 job, 'just keep them alive.' He was being funny and serious. It’s truly an accomplishment with three boys. Here’s one example: Connor fell in the pool last week. He held his breath until I got to him which was very impressive. I was hanging up clothes in that area and he wanted to be out there with me. He was bending down by the steps and lost his balance. He couldn’t stand himself back up. That’s not a pleasant sight. It was a great lesson for him and for the older two. I am exhausted every day physically, emotionally, and mentally. I am even sometimes exhausted when I wake up because I don’t get to sleep well most of the time. Connor comes to our room at some point every night and usually more than once. I think it’s important for his emotional development to be able to come to us when he is in need. The other two get up sometimes in the night too for various reasons… Even though having boxes, totes, and other stuff all over the place wears on me mentally, I am trying to ignore it and working towards just having some sense of normalcy for our family. Add to it having three young boys that rarely leave my sight and their usual messes. I am just still putting one foot in front of the other trying to give myself grace and reminding myself that my responsibilities haven’t changed." (Our bedroom and living room the first few weeks) "I have the most difficult, endless job that I take very seriously. That is to raise these boys in a home that is full of the love, truth, and grace of Jesus. It’s exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally. I have to tell myself every day that it’s not forever. That my time is short even though it feels long. But the love in this home is mind blowing. Devin comes up to me constantly, hugs me, and tells me he loves me. They all climb into my bed every morning. Liam still wants to snuggle. They want me to see their creations, drawings, cool moves, funny videos. The farting noises though are making me crazy. I have been cracking down on that more. (Photos all taken within the first month) “Three tornadoes in my house” is what I have been calling them. I can’t think of a better word for them right now. I have also used the words “uncivilized cave men.” Either way, I think the visual is the same. I have to manage them all day, every day. It’s no easy task. Not only do I have to have the energy to manage their craziness, but I want them to be in a home where they have fun, too. Finding that balance is hard. If I can say, “yes,” I will. Even if it means I have to die to myself. Honestly it’s all I feel like I do, but that’s a whole different writing. (I did end up doing a writing about this nine months later: https://www.simplycampbell.com/post/tug-of-war ) " "They are all doing well...They love being outside. They love the pool even though they haven’t gone in it for longer than a few seconds at a time because the water is too cold still. I know they will be in that a ton when it gets hot enough outside consistently to warm it up." (Funny video from the day after we came down) "Devin struggled with going in his class the first Sunday we went to church, but it was a great opportunity for me to share with him how he is putting into practice the first bible verse he memorized (Joshua 1:9- Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.). We are very proud of him." (All photos taken within the first month of moving down. Devin lost his first tooth! "I am so grateful to have been able to write this morning. It’s 10:42 and we haven’t done our reading in the word yet so I have to do that. That’s just about my only priority on a daily basis. Keep them alive and tell them about Jesus. Repeat. So that’s how they have been doing school since we moved down here. I did unpack their school boxes last week making us one step closer to doing some book work again. Today, I chose to write. Mommy needed a mental break. Learning is caught not taught anyway. We all know that. So why do we send them away for ten hours a day, five days a week, ten months a year and for thirteen years? I mean, I know WHY. I can’t say that I blame a single person for sending their kids to school. lol. It feels as though no part of what Ralph and I choose to do is easy. I digress again. It’s Valentine's Day and no one has even acknowledged it. lol. I am going to get dressed and try and make something for all of my boys, including the extra big boy that’s living with us now. I did manage to get the Valentine's decorations up in the house a few days ago." "I still feel like I didn’t cover it all, but this was FAR more than I expected to write so I’ll take it! This time is a time that I don’t want to forget. God is at work. He has done a big thing and I will have to keep fighting to write about it all.” (Valentine's Day-Ralph came home with flowers for me and I managed to make a treat like I had journaled about.) Six days after I wrote that and only three weeks after we moved, my sister, Danielle and niece, Sami came to visit for the first time. It was Sami's first trip to Florida. The boys were so happy to see them! The house was an absolute mess, but we paused and played for a week. It was much needed and so nice to have more family visiting so soon! I am thankful that you have chosen to read about all that God has been doing and is still doing in our lives. When you let him lead, it brings forth lots of surprises AND challenges your faith. That's why we want to share. (Photo taken at Apopka Lake Wildlife Trail. Can you spot the gator that swam across just for me?)

Our second born turned mommy’s favorite number today. 7. He was sweet even in the womb. No one could hold this child, but his mother the first two years of his life for long. He refused to take a bottle so all of his mother’s pumped milk went to another baby in need. He was doing one of his favorite things before he even knew it: helping others. (first image by Sarah Bridgeman) Sweet Devin feels deeply and he doesn’t hide it. He tells his mommy and daddy that he loves them at least five times a day accompanied by lots of kisses and hugs. He is quick to encourage and cuddle up to those he cares about. Devin loves to tinker and help his daddy. He tells him it’s his favorite thing to do with him. He has his daddy's numerate and mechanical mind, always analyzing how things are made and why they work the way they do. He is loyal to his brothers. By Liam, he defends and supports. By Connor, he guides and protects. He has been given the gift of his father’s magical eyes. He loves to hear the story about how hie daddy’s eyes captivated his mommy’s heart. There is a great understanding for Devin of the heart of God. He surprises his parents when he brings up deep theological and spiritual things about him. His budding relationship with Jesus is precious to witness. Devin is a gift. His tenderness melts the hearts of the people around him. If one passes to listen to him as he processes out loud, they are delighted. Happy 7th Birthday to our master tree climbin’, animal lovin’, math whizzin’, beach lovin’, fast growin’, handsome Devin. We love you more than we could ever express.

(Sunrise at New Smyrna Beach, Florida) “Jesus replied: “‘ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:37-40 Loving is easier said than done. Loving God, when you understand who He is, his heart, and redemptive plan for humanity, is easy. Loving people is another story. They aren’t perfect like God. They don’t love you unconditionally like God. They aren’t full of grace, like God. They aren’t patient like God. Yet those two commands go hand in hand. It’s almost as if it’s possible to do both. That when you do love God, like truly love God, you have the supernatural ability to love others. You can see them as God sees them. Because you see them that way, you can love them. The fruit of the spirit is put into practice. You see yourself exhibiting love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those that love the Lord their God with all their hearts can also love others in the same way. When that happens, it’s a beautiful thing. It’s almost as if the trinity gives us a glimpse of what they have experienced for longer than we can comprehend. And it’s a glimpse of what we will get to experience in eternity. Imagining eternity can really mess with a person’s head as it is inconceivable right now, but when you get to experience “Heaven on earth” moments, the thought of being a part of that forever becomes less overwhelming. Something we can actually look forward to. Something that we can grasp when trying to understand eternity. Jesus knew exactly what he was saying when he gave those two commands. If you love God, truly, with every fiber of your being, loving others will be a by-product of that through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am far from doing both of those perfectly, but the more I love God, the more I can love people well. I’m grateful for both. (Photo taken at New Smyrna Beach, Florida by my sister, Danielle Welshans)

It's my man's birthday today!!! Of course I have a few things to say about that! Reflecting and writing is what I love to do! My little secret is not so much a secret anymore. He is allowing more and more people into his world and I couldn't be more proud of him. I have known for 19 years who this man is and at times have had to defend him when he was misunderstood. Working as a prison guard for fifteen years had indeed taken it's toll, but through it all, Ralph remained a man of integrity. He was and still is honest, hard working, and has a heart to serve . Ralph's desire to raise Godly men is evident in the amount of time he spends with our boys. He sacrificed friendships, get togethers, and time for himself for years because his priority remained his family. God will honor it. Of that I am certain. I also pulled a few things I said to him from his birthday love letter this year instead of thinking up more. Not to mention, he is legitimately waiting for me so we can watch the new Top Gun movie. "We say this every year, but it feels so true in the moment and that’s that I can’t believe it has been another year. Your birthday was the first one we had here in Florida and it was a big one! I wished we could’ve done more for your 40th, but you were more than ok with it. You had the Campell’s there, your lemon meringue cheesecake, and your family. My simple man. I’m grateful that you don’t demand so much when the demands of everything else around us are a lot. The older we get, the more we see how short life is. We value our health and recognize what a gift it is to not have any chronic diseases, major injuries, or cancers. I love that we both regularly thank God for that gift. I know it won’t last forever, but I am sooo grateful that we are on the same page with how to care for our bodies and our children’s. We also both see how much more valuable time is than money. We have seen too many people wrapped up in the world, pursuing meaningless positions, and prioritizing their income. Truly, I thank God that we are united in not caring about driving nice cars, living in fancy houses, constant entertainment, eating out, new clothes, and wanting the latest and greatest fad. All we see is valuable time and money being sucked out of a person when there is a constant pursuit of those things. A chasing after the wind. And here we are in our little house, two paid for vehicles that are ugly and dented up, but our joy is real. We can enjoy time as a family and each other. We have our health. We actually have time to invest in our boys. I am so proud of you. You have made decisions the last couple of years that have been full of faith and trust in God. To say that it’s attractive is an understatement. Thank you for trusting me, too when all of these years I have expressed the direction I believe God was moving us in. That speaks volumes to me. To have a mutual respect for each other and to value each others opinions is such a rarity in a relationship. I am still so in love with you, Ralph. To be able to still feel that after 19 years of being together is a testament to the work of God in our lives." Happy birthday, Ralphie! I am so glad you were able to have such a wonderful day. To see you smiling made me smile. To hear you say what a great day you had multiple times because you were home with your family, that you were able to go hiking with a friend, and eat lemon meringue cheesecake brings me great joy. May your 41st year be one of satisfaction, fulfillment, peace, joy, and God led. My love for you is deep.

I had been in a very unsatisfying, unfulfilling job for 15 years and it had taken it’s toll. If you haven’t read about that, click on this link to catch you up first: https://www.simplycampbell.com/post/unsatisfied-part-one Ralph writing Courtney writing So we waited for answers on what path we would be on next. When I say wait, I do not mean that we sat idle in hopes that something would drop in our laps. We have close friends that moved to Tennessee in August of 2020 that we very much wanted to follow down. A little history: I was in the same homeschool group with another Campbell family and in September of 2019, I heard Lauren talking about moving out of NY. I told her we were thinking about doing the same thing and that I’d love to get the families together to talk about it. Getting together with families, including husbands was unfortunately an uncommon occurrence between Ralph’s schedule and his lack of desire to really meet new people, but I thought this was important. This get together changed our lives! We found a couple that was going through very similar things. Our kids got along really well. All the while us adults were able to have deep, meaningful, and purpose-filled conversations. (1st row- Left: October 19, 2017. Lauren and I on field trip, Middle: October 6, 2019- first get together, Right: January 26, 2020- a deeper friendship was forming that night between Ralph and Ben. 2nd row- August 5, 2020- couple days before the Campbell's moved to TN) Then the covid nonsense hit in March of 2020. New York had gone from gradually declining to practically falling off of a cliff in a matter of months. At the prison, understaffing was creating mandates which were becoming substantially frequent. It was causing a chaotic family life. I didn’t know when I was going to be home. When I was home, I was too tired to be engaged because I was being forced to work 16 hour shifts from 3P.M.-7A.M.. It wasn’t healthy for our marriage and children. We agreed that this was no longer the life we believed we should be living or the state we should be raising our family in. We needed to start taking moving more seriously. At this point, the Campbell's had already moved to Tennessee. They had spent years researching it. We trusted their judgement and started to consider moving there, too. They told us that we could use their home as a base for us to scope out their new area for as long as we needed. It was both generous and seemed like a promising idea. We visited them within a few weeks of their move in August of 2020 and fell in love with the area. We had been steadily flipping the house we had been in, but now had more motivation to get it ready to go on the market. (Our August 2020 visit, including our time at Ozone Falls) Four months later, Courtney’s dad and step mom decided they wanted to move to Tennessee, too. We spent a lot of time talking with them about buying a place with multiple dwellings on it to save money on housing for all of us. Courtney and the kids even took a trip down in February of 2021 with her step mom to look at some properties. (Short February 2021 trip to TN. Left: My stepmom and I left at 9pm to drive down. Middle: One of the views to a house we had looked at. Right: some much needed time with my friends) Even though we all had the best of intentions and ideas surrounding this, God was repeatedly and firmly closing the door on that idea for us, but not for Courtney’s parents. Her stepmom had already found a job and they were able to buy a house almost effortlessly. In March of 2021 , we drove to Tennessee to stay with the Campbell’s and see what jobs in that area looked like. I explored around the town, and talked to people that lived there about work. What I discovered was that, for the most part, the better paying work was further out than I wanted to have to drive everyday and the work around the town just wasn’t that good. (Trip to TN in March of 2021) After that trip, Courtney and I both felt discouraged given the fact that we both really liked the area, the Campbell’s were there, and loved the church that they had found. So again we were left with waiting, pondering, and praying for what to do next. Now I say that in the a manner that may seem like no big deal, but for Courtney it was a huge deal. We had covid to contend with, the restrictions in our state, the cold weather and being stuck inside! Things we used to take the kids to indoors during the winter months were no longer running thanks to government mandates. It was those mandates that also drove me to want to get out and do better for my families sake. If we as parents are not operating from a full cup, how can we effectively pour into our children day in and day out? We needed change from the dreariness of New York! We spent a lot of time evaluating what we really wanted and what we believed God wanted for our family. We wrote down pros and cons to so many scenarios. What if I stayed in corrections for another 10 years? What if I left it, but stayed in New York? If we move to Tennessee, do I stay in law enforcement? I didn’t feel settled on any of the ideas. My favorite idea of Ralph's was that we move into a live-in flip in Tennessee, fix it up within a couple of years, and do that for two houses. That would give us a house that was paid for in about 4 years. I thought that Ralph could stay home to do that and I could supplement with photography. With every idea we had, I was trying to figure out a way to keep Ralph home. He would always ask, “how could we afford to do that” and my response was always the same, “I am not worried about it. God will provide.” My earthly provider is a tad more strategic than that. Even though Ralph desperately wanted to do the same, he couldn’t see a tangible way to make that possible with the ideas that we had. So we continued to pray together for direction, peace, joy, contentment, and patience. We also considered moving to West Virginia. That was a state we had frequently visited over the years because one of my best friends, Don and his parents live there. They were like family to me for many years. Though we love our friends and the landscape there, it was not quite south enough for our liking. Florida was a state that we often talked about. I had lived there nineteen years ago for only six months for school, but I loved the weather and would have stayed if it wasn’t for my future ball and chain in New York…aka Courtney. When she was visiting while I lived there we had talked about getting married and staying in Florida. I ultimately ended up moving back to New York where we got married two years later in 2007. (First: August 2004, at First Baptist of Orlando church where Ralph attended while living in Florida. Middle and right images: October 2004 when Courtney surprised Ralph while living in Florida Last: Ralph and his co-worker, Vega at Advanced Auto Parts in November 2004) While we were visiting Florida in 2009, we met up with a friend of Courtney’s from high school that lived down there. We had many common interests. In 2012, we met his girlfriend, who later became his wife. We all got along really well so every time we visited Florida, we’d see them and they would visit us when they were in New York. My friend would constantly ask us when we were moving to Florida. Well for years the answer was that I made good money, had good benefits, and a pension. I couldn’t justify the move out of New York to Florida, even though I used to say that I wanted to retire, move to Florida, and drive a Disney bus. Shortly after we had returned from our last discouraging trip to Tennessee in August of 2020 where I was trying to find work, my friend texted us. He asked again, “when y’all moving down to Florida?” This time I responded half-joking and half-serious with, “when you can get me a job.” He then informed us that he was starting a new company. He would need help once it was up and running six to eight months from then. I said that it sounded interesting and to keep me updated. I did not expect that at all. It was the most promising opportunity so far, but we aren’t ones to get our hopes up. Ralph and I really try not to be dead set on something because it doesn’t allow for God to work. We wanted what God wanted, not what we wanted. We began to ask, “Is Tennessee not what God wants for us even though it’s a great state with our best friends and soon my dad and stepmom?” The thought of waiting another 6-8 months from then to move seemed torturous to me, but the reality was that we had a lot of work to do on the house still before we could put it on the market anyway. We were right in the middle of some big projects. Then Ralph said, “realistically, we have about a year’s worth of work to go on this house given the pace we’re going now.” He was spot on with his estimation. A year to wait seemed like forever! I also wasn’t sure if this possible job in Florida would work out given it was a new company and they could have needed people before I could ever even get down there. Meanwhile, my dad and stepmom moved to TN in March of 2021. We had only been neighbors for about a year and really enjoyed that! It felt surreal saying goodbye to them as they left to fulfill what we thought was our dream. We believe that this was God's way of moving them there as it has been a huge blessing in their lives! Eleven days after my dad moved, our friends came to visit us from Florida. Ralph and I prayed together before they arrived, really wanting God to lead this potential job opportunity. We talked with them about our willingness to move down to Florida even though it was totally out of Ralph’s comfort zone. In addition to the new business that was started, his wife also expressed an interest in hiring Ralph at her company as well. So Ralph now had two job opportunities in Florida. Wow, God. Before leaving, our friend said, “you just have to rip off the bandaid, Ralph.” That saying stuck with us as we continued down the path of moving out of New York and starting all over. Four months passed with very little word from our friends about how things were going in Florida. We kept working diligently on our house in faith that we would need to put it on the market soon. We were still very uncertain where we were going to end up. My dad and the Campbell’s were asking around about work for Ralph. We still kept leaning towards wanting to move to Tennessee, but we would always say, “but God hasn’t shut the door on Florida yet.” I started getting antsier about what was going on with the job opportunities in Florida. It was the only thing that seemed to make sense. We both had talked in the past about possibly moving to that state and we loved its governor. It would be a great state to raise our family in, too. As mentioned before, I didn’t care about a job for Ralph. I thought we could make Tennessee work with the cost of living being lower and working from home. Ralph did not see that as a viable option yet, so I was trying to be supportive in helping him figure out what he could do instead of being a correctional officer. Sitting in limbo was making us feel crazy and unsettled. The days at the prison got longer. I was getting really annoyed with going. It seemed pointless aside from a paycheck. On top of all of that, every day I went in, I didn’t know whether I was going to get mandated. I kept telling Courtney that I thought that God was keeping me feeling uncomfortable. Without getting too much off topic, He helped me to see during that time that I can get too comfortable in dysfunction. In August of 2021, I reached out to our friend in Florida again to see how things were going with his new business. Within minutes he called me and said, “what is it going to take to get you down here?” I was not expecting that. To have him coming out of the gate with that question really caught me off guard. I was just asking him as his friend. We talked about what he had going on, the nonsense of New York State, my job, and their desire to have us work for them. He said that they would be in touch. I hung up with a clearer sense of direction for the first time since we had been pursuing the idea of moving. I was encouraged, hopeful, and grateful. Ralph texted me right away, but all I saw was, “guess who called me?” before our friend was calling me. I answered and the first things I heard out of his mouth were, “Hey! Pack your bags. You’re moving to the sunshine state. It’s time for beach hair don’t care.” All I could do was laugh. He filled me in on their conversation and said that they would love to have us down there. I was speechless. God was answering our prayers. A couple of weeks later, I suggested that we tell our friends that we were willing to come down there to check out the work that they were doing. A few days later they said, “can you come in two days?” Ralph scrambled to set up some swaps to cover his shifts. He told only one person at his work what was going on. Though this man didn’t like to swap, he agreed to work for Ralph so that we could check this job opportunity out. Courtney wanted to come with the kids so we packed the van up, slept in a rest stop overnight and kept going till we arrived. She makes traveling fun with snacks, music, movies, and audiobooks and has trained the kids to like it. The sleeping in a rest stop is cheaper than getting a hotel or Airbnb and its like camping. That may be a stretch to say, but the kids actually like it! Maybe that could lead to a camper van conversion in the future… I spent two days with my friend at work seeing what they had going on. There was a greater need for me at his wife's work then at the company they had started . It seemed interesting and worth a try. It was a great opportunity to try something new. (The boys and I went to the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens one day and New Smyrna Beach the other.) We talked at their house about working for them as well as our ultimate goal of working for ourselves and creating a family business. I needed a steady income because it wasn’t clear what direction we should be going in order to make that goal a reality. However, I was open to making this a long term job if that was the direction God wanted me to go in. Our friends completely understood. They love to see and help people succeed in their goals. A big thing as I was looking for jobs was pay. We knew what we needed to live off of. We still wanted the majority of Courtney’s time to be spent raising our boys so the income would mostly fall on me. We did not think it would be wise to intentionally put ourselves in a worse position financially. We were trying to be as strategic as possible, but still trying to leave room for God to work. Our friends shared said how much I could get paid and it was very close to what I was already making. This was huge. I was blown away by what God was doing. There was a company in Florida that was willing to hire Ralph for practically the same amount of money he was making in corrections. He would be home in the evenings, weekends, and holidays for the first time in fifteen years. In that same dinner conversation with our friends, I brought up my little brother, Tyler. I said that he was looking to move down with us, too and that he was a good worker. They immediately mentioned a different job opportunity. If Tyler was interested, my little brother would be coming down with us, too. I was grateful that I might be going with some of my other family. With that talk, the next day we were headed back to New York excited that this was happening. I was also thinking about all the things that we had to get done to move. It would be a lot. My brother Tyler was giddy over the news. My dad was genuinely excited, recognizing that this was a work of God in our lives and a very clear open door. The Campbell’s also shared the same sentiment. It was hard though for all of us knowing that this door was opening in Florida and not in Tennessee. When we returned to New York, the hiring process was slow. Our friends in Florida had a lot going on. This made communication tough. Not having been given a start date yet had me doubting if this thing was going to actually happen. I started looking for jobs on indeed.com . I was still open to Florida and other states. All I knew was that I wanted my family out of New York. At the end of October of 2021, I got a call from our friend asking how soon I could get down to Florida to start working. Liam’s ninth birthday was coming up and I didn’t want to miss that so Courtney and I decided that I would leave in the beginning of December. Unfortunately we couldn’t all move down right away. It was a stressful time for us, but it was finally happening. We were moving out of NY! Though there wasn’t much time to process this, I still wrote about it because it was too big of a deal not to. I had so many emotions. We had only a few weeks to get the house up on the market. Thankfully, we had been diligently working on it for the last two and a half months. We had already started to get rid of things, pack up what we could, and I took photos of the house. (Top left: The heating element in the dryer went while we were in the middle of selling the house Top right: Courtney photographing the house to sell 2nd row left: Gutters were replaced before going on the market. 2nd row right through 3rd row: the boys helping with a few small projects before going on the market Bottom Row: Mark Haines of Superlative Real Estate helped us buy this house and then sell. We LOVED him!) November is not a prime time to sell a house in NY. We weren't sure how it would go, but within 9 days, we had 10 offers, and many well over asking price. We were again blown away at God’s activity once again! At this point I was excited for the change in job and to be finally getting out of New York. However, I was nervous at the same time because I’m a creature of habit. The thought of learning a new job and finding housing without Courtney was overwhelming, too. And lastly, I was sad about the fact that I had to leave my better half and children for two months. December 4, 2021 came quicker than we all wished. There were so many tears leading up to that goodbye. Ralph is extremely family oriented and doesn’t handle change well. This was a really big challenge for him emotionally. It brought to the surface a lot of painful childhood memories. It broke my heart to see him going through this. I am so proud of him for taking such a bold step of faith in not only starting all over again, but going before his wife and children to prepare for our new life in Florida. On top of all of that, Courtney and I were both working through covid before I left and it was awful. I still had a terrible cough, couldn’t breathe well and was dealing with night sweats when I arrived in Florida. It wasn't the best way to start a new job. But that’s not all. Despite my best effort in having my vehicle checked by our mechanic before my drive down to FL, a brake line blew when I was only a mile from my destination. I had to rent a car to be able to get through my first week of work. The cherry on top was on the following day, Ralph's phone number was stolen. It was a test by a hacker who weeks later stole $5,000 from us. We never got that money back. Clearly, the enemy was determined to rain on our parade. While Ralph was in Florida, I created a giant countdown to keep sane as I played single mom. I remember saying to Ralph, “God has a sense of humor. You are leaving the boys and I during some of my least favorite months of the year.” Between the darkness, cloudy skies, cold, and snow, I would be in a funk every winter and this one was one of the hardest. I had to pack the house practically all on my own with our 9, 5, and 2 year old boys. Though friends and family came to help, the majority of it fell on me because it often turned into socializing and trying to squeeze in my last few minutes with people whom I loved dearly. To keep Daddy “around” we did a lot of video chatting, texting, and calling. I would often put the phone at the table in the spot where Ralph usually ate and we would all eat our dinner at the same time. He would still read books with the boys at night, sing, and pray with them. They kissed the phone and there would often be tears when we hung up from missing him so much. Though I missed Courtney and the kids, I was happy to be out in the sun and warmth. That is why I loved living in Florida 19 years ago. I was thankful to be in it again on a daily basis. (Below: The contrast of Ralph in the sun to our snow) There was a lot to learn about construction management, but I was grateful to be given the opportunity to learn it. I still wasn’t sure if I was going to like my job, but as I already stated, it was a great opportunity to try something new. It was like two different worlds. When I was working in the prison, I couldn’t have any outside contact. Now I could communicate with Courtney and the kids at work. I was able to go across the street for lunch. While working in the prison, it was almost like I was a prisoner myself. Ralph was able to come home for Christmas for a week in December. We all got really sick again so we did not get as much packing done as we had hoped. It was another hard goodbye. Nineteen more days and we wouldn’t have to do this again. Another countdown went on the chalkboard wall. We did not know where we were going to be living until about three weeks prior to moving down. In between adjusting to being away from my family and learning a completely new job, I was looking for houses. I would video chat Courtney so she could see them, too. I probably looked through 20 houses. We put in a few offers, had been under contract for one house, tried getting into some rentals, but nothing was working out. We started to joke around saying, “we’re all moving into the warehouse.” Until the whole family could come down, I had been staying in a room in the companies warehouse with Courtney’s little brother. Two weeks before we were supposed to move, God again opened a door at just the right time to give our family a place to go. My friend called me saying that they knew someone who was having to evict a tenant from their rental house due to some unexpected and unfortunate circumstances. The old tenants would be out of that house by the time we would be coming down which didn’t leave them much time to get it cleaned up. It was a roof over my families heads so we were grateful. We are so thankful for how God has used this family to bring us down to Florida and all of the extra things they did for us in the moving process. In addition to offering Ralph and my brother a job, they provided shelter for two months, rides to the airport to fly back to Buffalo, a real estate agent, and now a house to rent. Despite all that they had going on in their own lives, they were generous with their time and resources. At the end of January, Ralph flew home to move us out. He didn't fly in until late so the boys came running into the bedroom first thing in the morning. Liam was nestled under the blanket next to Ralph. Our family was whole once again. (Ralph came home to lots of snow. Notice what he is doing with his thumb. It was his last time having to plow our driveway!) It was such a bittersweet time. We were so blessed with how many people came to help us move and say goodbye. We were leaving such a great community of people. They would be hard to replace! Things felt very chaotic so unfortunately, I did not get photos with everyone that came to say goodbye to us for various reasons. (I also hadn't thought I'd be doing what I am doing now in this post.) Not pictured are my friends and bridesmaids, Jenie Andrzjewski, whom I have known since I was two and Heather Maier since middle school. Also, Mike and Lisa Kokanovich, our friends since 2007. B ear with me as I reflect on each of these people in the photos below. Leaving them was not easy. And I’m a photographer so photos are kind of my thing….. Darren and Jessica Wight- Our closest neighbors, friends, and brother and sister in Christ. They and their family were such a gift to us! We could talk for hours!!! Michael and Heather McDowell- Heather has been a faithful friend since middle school. She was also one of my bridesmaids and a cherished sister-in-Christ. Also a big help with moving! My nieces, Bri, Morgan, and Samantha. I gave whatever I could to invest in these girls over the years. I pray that the seeds I planted take root! I love them so much! My only living grandparent. I cherish all of the time she has invested in me and my boys. Bill and Katie Cloen with three boys just like us. She's a lifer. Katie was a big help despite her health problems. I won't forget it! Aaron and Mary Henderson. I graduated with Aaron from high school and we were neighbors for a few years. He and Ralph are good friends despite how it looks in the photo. Ha! God is up to something with the four of us... Ralph's cousin Mari, who he lived with in Florida 19 years ago, but she moved back a handful of years ago. She has been a great cousin to Ralph! My sweet friend and sister in Christ since middle school, Amanda Cottle. She broke into tears when she walked in the door to say goodbye and so did I. We have so much history together. She loved our boys like her own. My soul sister in Christ, Donna Domres. She snuck into our lives only a handful of months before we moved, but she was all in helping wherever she could. Her joyful heart to serve and love people is contagious! My Leah Sophia. She threw one of my baby showers. Before kids we spent a lot of time together helping each other grow closer to Jesus. Tiffany and Jake (not pictured) Kokanovich. Our families got together when we could squeeze it in. We both were on the journey of trying to move out of NY together, but God is keeping them in NY for now while they build their newer business. Our kids had a blast together! Brian and Linda Wight- more of our great neighbors. We would visit the farm and had great conversations as Brian milked the cows. They came to pray for us before we left and more specifically for us to have Godly neighbors. That prayer has been answered and we are so grateful! Levi and Paula Choate. Though we've known them for 14 years, we got closer the last year we were in NY through a gathering they host every other week called Man Training. They have huge hearts to serve and share Jesus. The boys were close with the Choate boys. They still talk about them and the skate park in their basement. Mark Haines, our real estate agent for buying and selling our house. This Godly man voluntarily prayed for us through every step. When you are going through such a major change as we were, it was a great blessing and encouragement to have him. My girl, Heaven Bonning would come over in the evenings and stay till late at night so that we could sing, compose and record music for Jesus with minimal interruption. Our shared love for music is what really bonded us. Our sweet and loyal friend and sister in Christ, Krista Woodruff, her husband, Brian and four cute kids (not pictured). We have so much beautiful history dating back from the last few days of high school when we got to know each other!!! Ralph's dad. He took our move very hard and that was difficult to see. My mom. She has lost much over the years and my heart breaks for her that we were leaving her. She used to tell me when I was younger, "you can go away for school, but you can't move away for good." She knew that she ultimately couldn't get in the way of what God was doing. She said in the days leading up to our move, "I'm devastated for me, but I am happy for you." My heart. Theresa and Curtis Hoffman- my "adoptive parents," "grandparents" to our boys, mentors to both Ralph and I, sister and brother in Christ, best friend all wrapped in one. Words cannot express mine and Ralph's gratitude for their investment in us for the last 14 years. Though they hated to see us leave, they were fully supportive and encouraged this move. Leroy and Marleen Webber- They hosted the first small group Ralph and I ever went to as a married couple 14 years ago. Their investment in us spiritually is one of the big reasons for why we are where we are today. I definitely cried saying bye to Marleen while thanking her for her investment in me. I'm pretty sure that tough woman got choked up herself, but don't tell anyone. The Thompson Family. Candace was a cherished friend and mentor of mine for 15 years. We have them to thank for modeling homeschooling so well for us. Oh and there's how to lead humbly, steward wisely, parent graciously, travel often, save responsibly, and how to love like Christ. Just a few instrumental things. Jacks Toepfer, wedding party member, and his daughter Alliana- One of our most faithful friends since middle school. Despite the fact that we have many opposing views, we have the utmost respect for each other. That's a rare find. And the kids are best buds, too. My brother Tim, sister in law Katie, and niece Chloe. Tim was my sidekick for many weddings. Katie and I have many cherished conversations and times together. And sweet Chloe just loved her cousins. The Schmitt family- Our boys spent just about every Monday for three years at their house while I worked, They were like family to my boys. We miss them very much! My niece, Sami- Ever since I had Liam, even when she was only three years old, she has been by my side nurturing, helping, and playing with my boys. They LOVE this girl SO much and so do we. My sister, Danielle. She was instrumental in our move from packing tons of boxes, providing dinner and snacks, to surprise visits first thing in the morning to help. As I was hugging her goodbye, I said while choking up, "what would I have done without you?" She responded tearfully, "what are sister's for?" I never fully knew how much she loved me until that last week. For that I am deeply grateful. Finally, on January 25, 2022 it was time to go. It was surreal leaving all we had known and just about every relationship that we had invested in. Yet we felt at total peace. We were ready for this new chapter that God was clearly in. I took one last photo of our view as we pulled out of the driveway. We spent five years in that house, not expecting to leave it for at least another ten years. We were definitely going to miss it. We stopped to recover in TN to visit with the Campbell’s, my dad, and stepmom. The last two months had been an intense whirlwind and we really needed time to just breathe before continuing down to our new home state. After a few days, we were rejuvenated and ready to start our new life in Florida. At 10:30pm, on January 28, 2022, we pulled into the driveway to our new “home.” Aside from seeing ten year old photos on Zillow and a quick video chat with my brother who was already moved in, we didn’t know what this rental house or the surrounding area looked like. We had never even been in the town. We were simply trusting that this was the place God wanted to put us in. Every other door had been abruptly shut. I’d be lying if I said that we loved it in the house. Almost immediately we could see some of the reasons for why God led us there first. It was hard to leave our cabin in the woods and move into a place we didn’t choose. As I said to Mark Haines, our realtor in Buffalo, no place is paradise and this house was definitely not paradise. None the less, we were extremely grateful to be in Florida. It has now been fourteen months of working as a construction superintendent. The question I am guessing that most will want to know is “do you like it”? The short answer would be no. There are small facets to this job that I do like. I like seeing a building coming together. What has surprised me is how I have really enjoyed meeting new people. I have been introverted most of my life. This job has helped me get comfortable with meeting and dealing with people and for that I am grateful! There are struggles like timelines and dealing with sub contractors. Can I see myself doing this long term? That answer will be revealed in Part Three. This story is still being written. We didn’t choose the state, the job, or the house we are living in. God did and He chose perfectly. He has been faithful in continuing to reveal to us our next steps. We are excited to share in part three what all of that is. It's big.

Motherhood. I’d be lying if I said I loved every minute of it. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. You try to be happy all of the time when your kids are always around. It’s quite literally 24 hours a day. It’s 7 days a week. It’s 12 months a year. It’ll be roughly 25 years of my life that I will have sacrificed. And I chose this. It’s mentally, physically, and spiritually draining for me. One is taking push pins out of the drawer and stabbing the couch with them, asking me to read them a book, or do a car show with them. Another is asking me to help them search for supplies for a survival bag, find parts for a Lego creation, or go outside to help them build a fort. The third is making obnoxious noises, wanting to show me every possible detail there is to know about their Lego creation, or sit on the computer and stare at YouTube videos that I have to censor. That’s all in 30 minutes. Let’s not forget breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all that surrounds each of those meals. Then there’s bookwork to do. I can’t leave the littlest one out so I’m having to juggle between cutting, pasting, and painting, while trying to teach one child how to read, and helping the other with math. Each request I don’t want to say, “no” to. I want to say “yes” to as many as possible. “It won’t last forever,” I constantly say to myself. Soak in as much as possible. I truly am trying to do that, but I am still human. Teaching them responsibilities like emptying the dishwasher, taking out the trash, or cleaning up after themselves is an endless task. Behavioral reminders is constant. “You are raising future men,” I remind myself. Playtime. friend time, reading time, bed time, bible time, outside time, bookwork time, cleaning time, family time, serving time, social time, meal time, husband time. Where’s my time? It sounds incredibly selfish and I don’t even like to say it out loud, but it’s true. Like I tell the boys, I am not a robot. I am a human being. I HAVE to say, “no” sometimes to the people I love the most as much as it breaks my heart. Perspective matters. In the end, what do I care about the most? That my three tornadoes know and love Jesus. How they treat the people around them. How to be able to see God in all things. How they can live in a way that is not only God honoring, but fulfilling, too. What lens they view life through. The list goes on. That’s why God gave me the longing in my heart about 12 years ago to have kids. Not because I loved holding babies or rolling on the ground with them. I wanted to make a difference in our world. I wanted more people that knew Jesus in it and I wanted to be the one to raise them. Raising them however, has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I truly can’t imagine anything ever topping it. I thought that I could be a mom and keep running my business at the pace I was at when Liam was born. I could still sing at church. I could still spend time with my friends. It didn’t take long to discover that I couldn’t do any of it without sacrificing valuable time with them. I had to greatly reduce my workload to not be resentful towards Liam for simply being a child in need of his mother’s love and attention. Before he was even born, I chose to homeschool. And then I chose to give him siblings. I have chosen to die to myself over and over again. I am more than a mom even though that’s all my kids know me as. I was created by God to produce. Whether it’s photographing, filming, singing, writing, or even cooking and baking, I like to do at least one of those things every day. If I don’t, I find myself getting drained and resentful. It doesn’t stop there, though. I must share what I created with others. I was not just brought into this world to satisfy my own desires. There is a deeper sense of fulfillment and purpose in my life when I get to encourage people and share some of what I have been creating. The constant desire to produce can be overwhelming at times. I have so many ideas. I sometimes get upset because I know that I’ll probably only be able to accomplish about 10% of them. When I do start to create something, it’s highly likely that I will not be able to complete it without a lot of interruptions. Knowing that in advance, there are times that I won’t even start. I don’t want to set myself or my kids up for failure. There have been many times where I have either had to walk away from what I started or I simply forgot about it. There is this constant tug of war. I can’t stop creating, but at the same time I can’t stop being a mom. God presses on my heart and reminds me that this time with my boys is not only short, but crucial. At the same time, He reminds me that I can’t be a good mommy unless I do things that He created in me to do because those things bring me to life. I am learning that if I am really supposed to get something done, God will keep pressing it on my heart until it’s complete. He will free up time in my day. I will feel both a sense of urgency and relief the closer I get to completing it. This may sound depressing, but the older my kids get, I still do not think I will have my own time to create. When I am constantly encouraging them to produce and not consume, that means that my projects and ideas will continue to be put to the side in order to help them pursue theirs. After all, I know a thing or two about what it’s like to have an idea and want to work on it. ;) Perhaps my need to create and share won’t be as intense as the days and years continue to fly by. Perhaps as my boys get older, we will be able to create more as a family instead of just mommy. Perhaps God will refine that longing in me all together. Here’s what I know now: Parenting has been the greatest sacrifice I have ever had to make. I pray daily for wisdom, peace, joy, patience, and contentment. I am constantly asking God to help me love and see these boys as Jesus does. I cannot do any of that on my own. I am truly a hopeless, selfish, rotten soul without him.

(Words in Italic are Ralph's) My friend, Melissa and I booked a camping site on a Thursday afternoon to go to a kids triathlon on Saturday two hours away. Ralph had plans already, but I was willing to go without him. I was torn about not going to a volunteer training that I had committed to a month prior. I struggled with breaking a commitment, but I didn’t want to miss out on being there to encourage the boys at their second triathlon. Even though I really wanted him to be there with us, I didn’t want to manipulate him into going. I told him on Thursday night before we went to bed that I was OK with whatever he chose to do. He had to be the one to decide. I understood if he felt like he needed to stay behind. This training would be fun and good for him. On Friday morning, I decided that being present for my kids was more important than a volunteer training that could be re-scheduled. I don’t often break commitments, but being there for my kids is a high priority of mine. So I canceled my training and texted Courtney that I would be coming with them. The boys, myself, Melissa and her kids had a birthday party to attend that afternoon so we weren’t able to get on the road until the evening. It was worth it. The birthday party was for the first boy to approach and spend time with Liam and Devin at our first Wild and Free meeting. Shortly after the party, we caravaned two hours to Paynes Prairie State Park. When we arrived after 8pm, it was dark and the gate was locked with no way of getting in. Within minutes, thanks to God's perfect timing, two dudes that were staying at the campground pulled up behind us. My friend, Melissa started singing in a joking manner, but still meaning it all at the same time, “praise God from whom all blessings flow.” It’s one of the many things that I love about her. While our friends efficiently got their camper leveled and hooked up, Ralph was trying to pitch our tent for the first time in five years in the dark. The boys and I helped as best as we could holding flashlights and the tent up. Ralph wasn't happy. Camping isn't his favorite thing and these circumstances weren't making him feel any better about it. It made me want a camper. When the kids weren’t around, I seized the moment and gave him a loving pep talk saying, "We don't wait for perfect. We don't do ideal. We are living and making memories. Devin has told us that he loves us at least 4 times in the last 30 minutes because he's having so much fun right now." Ralph hadn't heard a single one of those “I love you’s” because he was so frustrated at trying to put up the tent (you'll hear him say it again in the video below). Ralph’s mood improved after that. Jake, Melissa’s husband came over shortly after the pep talk and helped Ralph get the rest of the tent up. We all fought mosquitoes and tent poles, heard an armadillo scurrying through the woods, and worked around giggling children playing hide and seek in the dark. We were making memories and I couldn't help documenting them. Click on video for a 4 minute compilation. Finally at 10pm, we were settled in our tent and the boys were excited to sleep in a tent for their first time (Liam's 2nd). It was going to be short lived because we had to be awake at 6am to get ready for a triathlon, but it didn't matter to them. Ralph and I laid in sleeping bags on broken up rock while the boys shared an air mattress. I laid there so happy as I listened to the cicadas singing. It was so peaceful. We had done it. Our family was tent camping for the first time. I wasn’t thinking about any of that stuff that Courtney was thinking. I was tired and wanted to go to bed knowing that we had to get up early in the morning. Typical guy. The night was long. Connor managed to find us on the ground and squeezed in between us. I had to scoot over and was now laying on a bulging rock. Neither one of us could move much to get comfortable. It was still dark out when our alarm went off at 6am. We had to get dressed quickly and quietly. During the hustle, Devin whispered, “mommy, I didn’t think I would sleep well in a tent, but I did! I whispered back, “Devin, you were talking in your sleep!” Liam and Devin woke up refreshed and ready for their race. I woke up and just wanted to go back to sleep. Within 30 minutes we had gotten dressed, emptied our tent, slid it over to our friends RV site, and hopped into a van full of mosquitoes. As we were driving, Devin pointed out that it was still dark out. I said back to him, “yup, we are up before the sun today!” We were headed to Liam and Devin’s 2nd Triathlon. We had a 20 minute drive, so I gave the boys hard boiled eggs in the car. I then pulled out my homemade monster cookies as an added treat. I viewed it as a source of fuel for Liam and Devin. Connor ate his hard boiled egg just so that he could eat a cookie for breakfast. It was a cool morning and we were thankful for that. Liam and Devin felt more confident as we helped them put their bikes into place and get them lined up. The sun snuck up without me even realizing it. The boys were in place and we were ready and excited to cheer our boys on. (click arrow on photo to view the rest) We were hanging around for the awards ceremony because our friends kids often make either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place. Their dad is a triathlete and their mom helps them train almost every morning. They all love it and we see why. While the trophies were being given out, I didn’t expect Melissa to say to me, “Liam has a good chance of placing.” Upon hearing that, I pulled my phone out and started filming him from behind just in case his name was called. I am so glad I did. Click on video below to watch what happened. I was both happy and proud of him. Excited. It was fun to see him get a trophy for something he enjoys doing and that he wasn’t forced into doing. Swimming, biking, and running are all things that come natural to him. Our new friends brought to our attention a new way to channel that love for him. I didn’t even know that kids triathlon’s existed. As we were walking to the car after the awards ceremony, I told Courtney “This is why I came. I would’ve missed Liam get his first trophy.” I believe that our children need a father’s constant presence. In my old job as a Correctional Officer I worked most weekends and evenings. I missed out on a lot of activities with the family that I can’t get back. Now I am able to enjoy these moments with my children while they are still little. With my new job, I am more able to make it a priority to be there for my kids. Another thing that I love about my friend Melissa is that she is full of adventure. Despite the fact that our children had just participated in a triathlon, after resting for a short bit in their camper, we went on a long hike through Payne’s Prairie in hopes to see some wild horses and buffalo. We climbed up a tall tower, soaked in the breathtaking view, snapped some photos, and headed into the sun and partially muddy trail. We probably walked for 4 miles. I could’ve done without the hike. Some of the kids were extremely tired and I agreed with them in not wanting to go on a hike. None the less, we all made it through with hand holding and carrying of children because we weren’t wise enough to bring a stroller. I snapped a few photos of the tired faces in addition to other sweet moments. The woods we walked through reminded me of our property in NY. Those woods were one of my favorite parts to where we lived. I definitely miss them, but God keeps reminding me that He is doing a new thing. We are making family memories. We are spending more quality time together. It is by no means paradise, but life is not nearly the same as what we experienced in NY. The sunshine, the warmth, the water, the hikes, the road trips to do triathlons, the camping, and the budding friendships; all have been wonderful gifts for our family. We are so grateful that God lead us down to Florida. It took five years of praying, asking, pursuing, and exploring, but it was worth the wait. Yes, God is certainly doing a new thing. "Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19

Singing for Jesus is one of my passions. For five years I wasn't been able to sing much at church, but God gave me my friend, Heaven to satisfy that deep longing. Whenever I could squeeze it in, she would learn any song I asked her and would come over late at night to play for me. She would patiently wait for me trying to get my boys to either be quiet or go to sleep. Most of the time, Ralph was at work because his shift was 3-11. Truthfully, none of it was easy and it was definitely frustrating on my end, but we would push through it. We both put as much into those nights as we could. We'd run through the song for the first time together just a few times before I hit the record button. I would be fumbling with my camera, microphone; just trying to get a decent picture and sound. I miss my time playing with my girl, Heaven. I am so incredibly grateful for those late nights we spent together sharing our hearts about how much we loved Jesus and how we wanted to be used by Him through song. We would pray together before the song asking God to fill in every gap we left wide open, that He would be so evident as we played and sang, and that He would use us to draw everyone who saw these recordings closer to Jesus. This video is from 2021, and even though the sound quality is not the greatest, it is still one of my favorites.

Though we've been doing school intermittently this summer to make up for the lost days surrounding our big move, I'm calling this our first official week of school. Here's how it's going: Liam, our "school hater" is in better spirits these days because he's "not the only one doing school now." He grins and bears it because he doesn't like the consequences when he torments his mother with his attitude and antics. That child is an extremely smart boy. He just resents being forced to sit and learn stuff that even smells like it could be "school." I have no idea where he gets that from. His parents aren't rebellious like that at all (a sarcasm font would be useful right about now). Doing school with Liam has improved drastically since moving to FL. We used to get so frustrated with each other and we hated that. I knew what was creating some of it, but I couldn't improve it much while living in the "Communist Republic of NY" as Ralph so affectionately calls it. In FL, we don't HAVE to do "x" amount of required subjects and complete 80% of all of them before "y" date. The student just needs to be progressing. Though we are doing most of what we did in NY, I no longer have the added stress of having to keep in touch with the local school multiple times a year. The photo below describes how I felt about that. Devin, being the loyal and faithful brother that he is to Liam, was approaching school the same way. He would give me a hard time about starting school. However, once he was doing it, I saw a noticeable difference in his attitude towards learning. He liked it, but didn't realize it yet. Recently, while doing his "Ready to Read" Gather Round curriculum, he said to me, "mom, aren't you glad I'm not giving you a hard time? That's because I actually like this!" And he told Liam another time, "I don't mind school. I want to learn how to read." Praise the Lord. Maybe you caught that he's not reading yet. That's because my focus last school year with Devin was not on teaching him how to read. My priority was his speech. His older brother talks so well and fast, that Devin was just trying to keep up, but was compromising on how to pronounce letters and words correctly. I knew the older he got, the harder it would be for him to correct it. I never sat him down or set aside time to do speech time. My method was simple. When Devin talked, I would stop him to correct him. Every time. It was tiring for both of us, but it did the trick. We focused on only one thing until he almost had it mastered. I didn't overwhelm him with every thing that he was saying wrong. We did this for at least nine months and his speech has improved dramatically. And Connor. Our funny little spitfire of a toddler usually plays with sand at the table while I'm doing school with his older brothers. Recently though, he started pulling on me and said, "Mom, I want to do school! I want to do letters! I want to do cutting and pasting!" I was so surprised. I've got one ASKING to do school! So we bought him a pre-k and cutting and pasting book for “school." That one is a little sponge. The other day, I asked Liam, "now was that comparing or contrasting?" Before Liam could even answer, Connor shouted, "CONTRASTING!" and he was right. Probably a lucky guess, but the point is how much that little man is listening. He definitely has his numbers down and can identify most of the capital letters. I feel like we haven't taken that much time teaching him these things for him to know them so well already. He has obviously been listening to me teaching his brothers and wants to learn, too. I'll take it. My priority has been and will continue to be teaching them the Word of God. Why? Because it's through the studying of The Bible that they will understand who God is, what his heart is, his purpose for them and for the world. They learn why they’re made and gifted the way that they are. They learn how to deeply love people, including the people in their own household and those that look or act different from us. Through reading the Word with them, they see what honesty and dishonesty looks like and the consequences of both. They learn how NOT to be lazy or act foolish. They will be able to discern both the activity of God and Satan in the world. They see that everything is not about them, that they aren't supposed to get everything they've ever hoped for, and how to be at peace with that. They learn about forgiveness and how not to harbor bitterness or envy. I don’t think anyone would disagree that the world needs more of all of that. If our boys can learn those things well and apply them, they will have much success no matter what direction they choose to go in as adults. And I will probably look back on this season grateful that I took more time to teach on forgiveness than on linking verbs (though I did make up a fun song and dance about those to help them remember it). "School" in our home is important, but not as important as our children souls. (Unbeknownst to me, my sister captured this on Easter morning while visiting. When it comes to parenting, nothing brings me more joy than teaching my children about Jesus).

As mentioned in our post “Homeschooling at The Campbell’s” ( https://www.simplycampbell.com/post/homeschooling-at-the-campbell-s ), time in The Word of God is the most important thing that we do with our boys. Very few days go by without us getting in it together somehow, someway. Sometimes it’s done as a whole family, as Ralph likes to be a part of it, or other times it’s just with me. Sometimes it’s when we are in the car, before bed, at the park, at the table, or on the beach. I don’t care where it happens as long as it happens. I don’t even care if the boys are doing something like playing with Lego’s or drawing while they listen. As long as I can see their faces and they are not making noise, I am good. We have even acted out some of the stories. I do my best to let God lead this time with them. We have been reading straight through The Bible for the past couple of years. We are currently on Ezekiel and the boys love it. There is so much for them to imagine. I have also used The Action Bible by David Cook (Liam loves this one), The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sarah Lloyd James was a fav of Devin’s (He had the entire “Tower of Babel” story memorized), and lately we have been going through “Jesus Calling for Kids” by Sarah Young. That is what I’ll be reading in this video. I value this time so much that I can get downright angry with the boys sometimes when I am interrupted from sharing something that is crucial for them to hear and understand. I do my best to extend grace, but I also want them to understand as they get older that this time is sacred. I pray that they grow up to value it, too. I also pray that they look back on this time fondly and understand why we handled it the way that we did. I have documented many of these times at home over the years, but I wanted to share one of our recent ones. I did not edit this other than the start and end. I really wanted people to get a feel for what these times are like. Our boys are so full of energy, as you will see, but they are listening. Some of the things that come out of their mouths as we converse is proof of it. I am so encouraged by their growth in the Lord already. Even little Connor is soaking it in memorizing Bible verses right along side of us. Both Liam and Devin have asked Jesus to come into their hearts. Nothing makes me happier than that fact!! Despite all of the growth that I see in their faith and in the Word, I will continue to guard this time with my boys like a Mama Bear guards her cubs. I am no fool to the enemies tactics.

We have been looking forward to this event for weeks and weren’t sure if it would be canceled from Hurricane Ian sweeping through Central Florida only a few days ago. Not knowing if roads would be flooded, we took the chance and went for an almost hour long car ride to find out. We were pleasantly surprised to see a good turn out of Corvettes and spectators. Corvettes are Liam's favorite sports car. He has plenty of models on his dresser to prove it. I told Liam if I were to buy a car just for the sheer fun of it, it would be a Corvette. He was thrown off when I said that because my favorite car is a Nissan Skyline GTR R33. Those were never allowed into the US. I explained that with a Corvette, for the money, you get a fast and fun car. It's also easy to modify and parts are plentiful. He was pleased to hear. The boys don't always appreciate how loud cars can be, but they sure do love to see them go! I still think about how thankful I am to be home now on weekends to be able to go to things like this car show. It was fun for me. It had three of my favorite things: It was sunny, free, and it was with my family. It created bonding moments with my boys. This car had a cool black wrap on it that words just can't describe and photos can't do justice. Poor Connor didnt like the revving from some of the more modified cars, but he still needed a drink. The boys were stopped and given these balloon swords by a nice gentleman that was wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat. I saw a handful of those hats while we were there and was thankful that those men made it home to be able to enjoy events like this! Afterwards, we decided to go to Texas Roadhouse because we had a gift card. Courtney and I used to go to that restaurant often when we were dating. After eating, I wasn’t overly impressed. It wasn’t nearly as good as I remember it. I prefer home cooking. Unless it’s Chipotle. Courtney commented about how we were all in the vortex watching the TV. We don't watch much tv, if at all. Mainly because its hard to stop staring at the screen once you start. We all need less screen time and more family time in our lives.

This is 36 with three boys at ages 3, 6, and 9 that consume my days. Before this photo was taken by my oldest, we were in the pool. I quickly blow dried my hair, wiped the residual makeup out from under my eyes, threw on some mascara, a top that was decent, my usual studded earrings, and called it, “good enough.” Just like with my children, I wanted to document and reflect on my birthday so here goes. I am standing on the front porch to a house that doesn’t feel like home because it’s not. God has continuously been shutting the door on purchasing a house down here in FL for the past eight months. This rental is the only place whose door flew open only two weeks before we were supposed to be moving down. That story is for another time. For about six weeks, I have been battling a pretty constant headache that started towards the tail end of an already month long sickness. After five hours of fighting it, I caved and took a pharmaceutical so that I could function for the rest of the day. No one wants to feel like garbage on their birthday. I finally went and saw a naturopath last week and have started my new recommended protocol; No more dairy and a whole lot of supplements to see if we can get my body back in working order. My naturopath reminded me that I birthed three humans and nursed all of them exclusively for two years. That takes a lot out of my body. There’s also this little change in our lives of our family completely uprooting themselves out of NY. Your body can only handle so much I suppose. No, life is not perfect over here, nor do I expect it to be, and nor will it ever be. It’s why I have above my sink, “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.” I am not one to sit around and mope because things aren’t going as I wished them to be, but I will share some of the causes for my weariness at times because, well, I am still human. My longest running desire of my husband working from home has only grown with every passing day, but it still hasn’t happened. I’ll never stop praying for it because I believe it is what is best for our family. Even with having the purest of intentions, there is still no clear “yes” from God. What I have concluded in my 30 years of walking with Christ is that there is a constant refining and dying to myself. I have learned how to have a lot of patience and how to persevere through frustrations and hardships. I am most grateful to learn that I truly can have peace in the midst of it all. I cling to the truth that His ways are higher than mine. That He wants nothing but good things for me because His love for me is incomprehensible. It doesn’t always mean sunshine and rainbows. I live in a broken world after all. Speaking of broken world, my heart is breaking more and more for people that are living a life void of their Creator. It seems as though they are covering their ears more when they hear the name, “Jesus.” I am trying to figure out how God wants me to respond to this. When am I supposed to open my mouth and when am I supposed to stay silent and just pray? But, I always still find myself saying that God is good. I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, clothes on my body, my husband’s devotion, and my children’s health. After five years of waiting, I am consistently leading worship again. I can step outside practically every day and it’s warm and sunny. I am finding meaningful friendships. These things and more call for much gratitude on my 36th birthday.