reflections on our first year

Reflections on our first year in Fort Wayne....

- My husband is a rock star. Seriously. His dedication to our family, and his school/family balance, has been so strong. He has happily woken up in the pre-dawn hours to get his school work in so that he can be home with the boys in the afternoons. He is present with us for dinner and evening playtime, and especially since the birth of Augustine, has taken on a lot of the bedtime routine as well. And on top of all that he does with us, he still puts in enough seminary work to get super good grades. He is genuinely enjoying his classes, and with each quarter that passes, I see his formation towards Pastor and am so proud. 

- Seminary is fun! There is an aspect of our current journey that feels a little like college. The annual events, weekly social gatherings, bonding with our class, campus visits, etc. We love going up to campus as much as possible. There seems to always be something going on and people to hang out with! I wrote about this last summer, and it just rings even more true this year. We have found ourselves in a class with a ton of awesome families. My kids have made great friends with other seminary families and I have found a strong support system with the women. It is a joy to have people to walk through this with, who understand the process and the hardships that are inherent. 

- Our decision for me to stay home with the boys. This decision took up a HUGE amount of mental energy over the fall. I knew that having 3 kids in daycare was probably not going to be a financially wise decision, but I also had extreme feelings of guilt and fear when thinking about quitting my job. However, making the choice to stay home has probably been the biggest highlight of our year. I may not be the best housekeeper or home maker, but I am SO happy to be spending my days with them! Coming home has given us the time and energy to narrow our focus to why we are here in Fort Wayne - to support Aaron and get our family ready for the next phase. I have loved the (un)structure of our days, the flexibility of meeting him for chapel, going to Canon's school events and building relationships. 

- Redeemer. With no doubt, Redeemer Church and School has been pivotal in us feeling at home in Fort Wayne. Canon is thriving at school, Aaron is learning so much through is field work, and I have found friends (wow, all my highlights seem to be social!) Not only have I just "found friends", I have found people who encourage and inspire me to be a better wife, mom and Christian. 

At the end of Spring quarter, a fellow Seminary Wife came to talk to our Women's Association because she is writing a book about the wives' experience and perspective in this journey. I offered to meet with her and talk about our transition here. While we were talking, I noticed that most of her questions were negative, i.e. "what did I have to give up?" "what has been hardest for you?" I had to be honest with her - my experience hasn't been negative, it has been great! 

Yes, leaving Alexandria and Immanuel was hard. But, looking back, I also see God's grace in all of it. Working and living right outside D.C., one of the most expensive cities in the country, had its challenges. Expecting a 4th child made our living situation and working situation all that more tight. Thankfully, we already knew we would be coming to seminary when we found out we were expecting, but still. I can't imagine what we would have done if we hadn't moved here. Me staying home with the boys; never would have happened if we hadn't moved here. Given that the commonality of our friends here is ministry, our conversations frequently go to "spiritual matters" and I have already learned so much about our Faith. Our family dynamic has changed and thrived so much here and I am SO incredibly grateful. I feel that the timing of Aaron's decision to come to Seminary has been such a blessing, not an obstacle. 

Of course, we couldn't have done all of this with the support of our family, friends and churches. We have been overwhelmed by the prayers, cards, care packages, and financial gifts that we have received. It truly is hard to put into words the significant good for our family that this move has brought. As Aaron and I have been talking about the last year and looking ahead to the next, we always come back to the people who have allowed us to be here. 

We have so much joy and anticipation for the next year, continuing what has been started. The big thing this year is preparing for vicarage, which will take place the following year. This October, we will sit down with the Vicarage Placement Director and he'll get to know us better. Then he'll work hard over the winter and spring to make placements. We won't actually know that placement until April, when it will be announced to Aaron, myself and everyone at the same time! In the fall we'll get to express our needs and wants, but we don't get to request any place specifically, and the things we do mention are certainly not guaranteed. 

So....I guess that's my update for now! I do hope to be in this space more, and hopefully writing more about our journey, both to Pastor and Pastor's wife. We'll be in touch!