Changing of Seasons

As summer slipped away, in the midst of gathering sub contractor bids and cost estimates, we had a true "Southern" summer.

It was chock full of heat and humidity.

After living up North and out West for the last five years, it was certainly a scorcher!

We spent an afternoon at Beaver Lake where David's brother has a boat.

Harbor started 2nd grade in a new school.

This has been his very first year in a public school, and while we had our reservations, he is thriving.

God always shows up to remind me that He can be trusted with the soft parts of my heart.

We had late mornings in pajamas and plenty of slow paced afternoons.

We caught bugs in jars and Harbor, with my mom's help, started a full blown bug collection.

Papa's cattle always provide early evening excitement.

We rode many times in Daddy's Jeep with the doors off.

And I toyed with chopping my hair off- but didn't.

We splashed at a local splash park.

And Miss Hollin- bless her soul- really ached for a baby car seat carrier.

{She got it for her birthday!}

David spent an arm and a leg {more like two legs!} on a new mountain bike.

Meanwhile, the kids waited everyday on Harbor to come home from school.

With David's travel schedule and so many activities, both my Mom and Granny have helped with the kids so much. I'm so thankful for their help.

We even found the time for a few dinners out, sans kids!

All the while, work at the land continued- tree felling, brush burning, and floor plan finalizing.  It has been such a full season. And like the title of this post, the changing of the seasons reminds me that nothing stays the same: not the weather, not the children, not the landscape. Change can be sweet, especially when you stop to realize that the Lord is the conductor of the symphony. And isn't the music so much more enjoyable when we all make a point to play? Change is inevitable. I can't stop my children from growing anymore than I can keep the deep emerald leaves of Spring from burning red and falling to the ground in Fall. For me, it is the true reason I blog. And document the stories, the emotions. In my own little way, this blog helps me to process my life, the seasons of change. When I realize that the Lord's plan for my family is so big, so good, so kind- I come to understand that nothing is strong enough to derail it. And that is a good feeling- a great feeling. Let the seasons change around me. I know He is the same.

A Quick Trip

We made a quick trip to Arkansas the end of May!

It was the first time we had been home in over a year.

What I couldn't disclose then that I can now is that the reason for the visit was an on site interview for a dream job David had been vying for.  Despite all the house renovations, we knew it would be a "fix and flip it" house. The quick market in Colorado was too tempting to pass up! What we didn't forsee was how quickly things would  progress.

Only a few weeks before, David had thrown his name in the hat for a Global Engineering position at a company with a reputable reputation for success. It was basically the culmination of all the work he had done in Michigan and Colorado, tied into one.

We didn't know the likelihood of an offer, but slowly and surely, many ventures began to unravel at once. 

The company scheduled a few initial phone interviews that then progressed into a few personality tests, that then progressed into a Skype interview {I hid outside with the kids, praying for the Lord's discernment.}

Then there were conference calls from Wisconsin and headquarters and finally a fly-in offer for an onsite interview. 

We knew it was between him and one other, but nothing else was certain. We decided to make a full trip of it with Harbor being out of school. It was an all day, eight hour interview, complete with a business lunch and a few calls to headquarters for more conference call interviews.

While David worked, the kids and I enjoyed lots of time on the farm!

Hollin soon discovered my mom's candy dish in the kitchen.

Four generations: My grandmother, mother, daughter, and me

Harbor discovered the wedding pictures of me and his dad in my parent's foyer.

And all the kids loved on our dog, who my parents have graciously been caring for.

David found time to slip away to the farm to help my dad during hay season.

Hollin standing on the 300 acres that comprise our family's beef farm.

David and my Dad haying

David fluffing hay

Harbor riding with my Dad

And Henry

We visited with Rachel and David, who had just finished his first year of optometry school.

My parents kept the kids so we could go on a date!

We visited our old Alma Mater, the University of Arkansas.

We really spent most of our time running my parent's property in the Ozarks.

Such a change from the desert climate of Colorado Springs.

Harbor climbed the gate, looking for mulberries, just like I used to do, 

And then we headed back home to Colorado, still no news on the job.

We arrived home to snowy hail and freezing weather the first of June!

We continued life as normal.

We slept late every morning and took our days nice and slow.

We played at the nearby park

And read lots of books

I continued work on our master bathroom.

Before and After:

David finished painting the lower level.

And we fell into a sweet summer schedule

Ice cream at the park

Wagon rides

Laundry folding

and closet purging

Quiet nights

And days out shopping

We visited the Denver Zoo

and went to birthday parties

We had playdates

and trips to Denver to visit the Lego Store

and American Girl.

: )

I had nights out with my dearest friends

and afternoons at the splash park.

And then we got word: David received the offer. 

It was a sweet deal, negotiations went smoothly, movers and packers and transporters were arranged, the company offered their real estate services and arranged for a real estate photographer to come and ready the house. David's schedule immediately blew up and he was on the phone working round the clock, it seemed.

All the renovations we had just done were about to hit the MLS.

It was a strange feeling. But we knew the market and we knew we stood to make an incredible profit from such a flip so close to prime tourist attractions.

A completely renovated house only 15 minutes from the Air Force Academy and Garden of the Gods wouldn't last long. We listed for five-figures above what we had paid only three months before.

And it sold in only six days!

Even though we weren't surprised... we still couldn't believe it.

We were coming back home!

: )