Never in a million years could I have planned out the last eleven and a half years of our lives. The minute I said, " I do!" to my covenant marriage with Mark, is the minute my life as I knew it was transforming quickly into a life I never knew existed. Before I married Mark, I had lived in the same city for twenty years, in those twenty years I had only lived in two different houses. In the last eleven and a half years I have lived in 7 different cities, 7 different houses. Before marrying Mark, the biggest change in my life was rearranging my room. I was NEVER as in NEVER the new kid on the block. Up until leaving Kansas eleven years ago, I owned the block ;)! I went to the same school kindergarten thru twelfth grade. I knew every face, every road, every store, life was so completely comfortable and familiar. It was a sweet twenty years. I thought for sure that my childrens childhood's would be a blueprint of my own; WRONG!
Katie has lived in 6 cities and in 6 different houses. Julia, Lucy, and Anderson have lived in 4 different cities and 4 different houses. Because of the ability to home school, Katie has only been in one school, and the rest have only known homeschooling; for that consistent factor in their lives I am grateful. I do not for one second begrudge the road the Lord has laid out for us. We have learned the richness and beauty of building community. We know how to do it now! Our kids are the most flexible kids I know. They adapt with such ease and grace to new situations, far better than I do. They have learned that a "home" is just a space that can be recreated any where.
With all of that said, Mark and I long to give our children some roots, a place of sweet reprieve and stillness!! Katie is a short seven years away from graduating from high school, I would LOVE for those years to all be in one place. I would love for all of our kids to be able to build around them a group of friends they can do life with for a long time.
Two years ago we thought Kansas was going to be that place. We had no idea our time with Mama was going to be so limited. We thought we had years. With the care and keeping of Mom in mind, we thought it would be very natural for this to be a long term spot for us, but courses often shift directions when you least expect it.
So....... it is with much excitement that we announce we are moving back to French Camp, Mississippi!! A place that is so near and dear to our hearts. Ideally, we would love for this place to be home for a very long time, but I learned long ago to not make those kind of plans. For the love, we lived in King George, Virginia for two years. Never would have imagined that ;)!!
I've tried to answer a few of the most popular questions we've received along the way.
The most frequent question asked by Kansans is, "Why Mississippi?"
The most frequent question asked by Mississippians is, "Why not?" :)
Hands down the most popular question asked is, "How does your Dad feel about this?"
I love that so many of you automatically think of him. That blesses our hearts. Honestly, long before I ever married Mark, my Mom and Dad unreservedly trusted in my personal relationship with the Lord and His role as my life's guide. My Dad's response was what it has been since I was about sixteen, "If this is what the Lord has for you, then I dare not get in the way!" I blubbered my way through telling him, as any little girl might. My Dad is our biggest fan, and I know that will never change!! He said he could not imagine a more wonderful place for his grand kids to grow up. I know the road between KS and MS will continue to be blown up by all parties involved. I struggled with telling my family, aching to not add one more "sadness" in their lives after a very intense season of sadness and loss, but each of them has graciously responded, seeing why Mississippi is a very natural fit for our family.
Where will Mark work?
Mark has taken an engineering position at Taylor Machine Works, a company he worked for in college. A company that we already love and respect.
Where will you live?
The answer to this question provokes by far my favorite response. When I tell my JOCO friends we are going to live in a double wide on family land, they almost faint. When we tell people from MS, it's like telling them the sky is blue. Nothing out of the ordinary. This I know for sure, you will ALWAYS have a place to stay in French Camp... our home! A space that can be recreated any where, even in a double wide. So y'all come.on.over!! Oh, and by the way, we will have a pimped out storm shelter, so swing on by when the sirens go off! Or wait, do they even have sirens in French Camp?
After explaining the double wide situation, a common follow up question people have asked jokingly (but we all know there is a little bit of truth in every joke) "Is Mark making you do this?"
LOL! No, Mark is not "making" me do anything. Just like I didn't "make" Mark move to Kansas. We just don't function at all on a tit for tat paradigm. We make decisions together. We are a team. If we aren't in total agreement on something as major as a move, then we KNOW that is an indication from the Lord we have a HUGE red flag. In our nearly 14 years of being "Mark & Sara" there has never been a major decision made that both of us didn't totally agree upon. A sweet gift, INDEED!
How are the kids taking it?
Like I said earlier, the kids are amazing when it comes to change. Honestly, when we first announced it we sat around the dinner table and bawled our eyes out. They love Kansas, but mostly they love the people IN Kansas. Over the last few days they get excited, then a little sad, then excited again, because any time something new comes along it means we are forced to say goodbye to what has been. And what has been, has been incredibly wonderful and we will cherish it forever.
Will you continue to homeschool?
Our education theory is one year, one child at a time. With that said, all of our girls will be attending public school in the fall. I am out-of-this-world excited for them to make this journey together as sisters. French Camp Elementary has some of the best teachers this world has to offer!
What will you and Anderson do?
This is where my heart just begins to overflow with anticipation about this next chapter. Anderson and I are going to be "Anderson and Mama" for the first time EVER! He has one year left before full time kindergarten and we are going to just soak up every moment.
Mark and I are also thrilled out of our minds to see what God has in store for my writing, speaking, blogging, etc... We have so many opportunities coming our way, and I cannot wait to pour a lot more time and energy into something that just lights me up! And come on, Lake Anne and the surrounding areas can be any writer's muse. The blog is just begging for a series entitled, "Life From the Double Wide!" ;)!
So dear tape gun, our paths meet again.
We've touched so much, we're more than friends.
With much joy and much glee,
We are thrilled to be your Mississippi!!
~Sara
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