Marveling at God's Plan

I am just sitting here in bed all alone for the first time in a while. My mom took Tennasyn and Cole to Adventure Kids so Tennasyn could get some much needed socialization and my mom could get a little break. I am just thinking about the awesome plan that God has for each of us. Two and a half years ago when I was about 8 months pregnant with Tennasyn Andy accepted a job in Seattle. I thought this was the worst thing that could ever happen to us. Here I am about to give birth and we would be moving thousands of miles away from all of our friends and family, but God had a plan. I met some of the most amazing people (Julie, Monica, Kathleen, Jenn, Shellee, Samantha, Emmy , my Sunflowers JLS group, and many other moms from my mommy groups.) For the 15 months we lived there we shared so many of our children's milestones together. I would have never made it through my first year of mommy hood without these ladies. A few months after Tennasyn turned one, and I was about 3 months pregnant with Cole, Andy got a job offer back in Texas. Without much conversation, he accepted. We were thrilled at the opportunity to move back to Texas to be closer to our families and friends there especially with another baby on the way. We packed quickly and said our good-byes to our Washington friends and it was only until we got back to Texas and not quite settled did I truly realize and appreciate the friends that I made there. I have not seen them in almost a year now, but it doesn't feel that long thanks to phone calls and emails. I have felt their support across the miles during the birth of Cole and now through these surgeries. I cannot imagine my life without these women, they were my Washington family as I have my Texas family and for that I will be eternally grateful. So we moved back and finally got settled in Plano, joined the Collin County Moms group, MOMS club of Central Plano, a Mom to Mom group at church, and transferred to the Junior League of Plano. Again, I have met some of the most incredible and supportive women through these organizations. They have brought me meals after Cole was born, meals, flowers, cookies, gift baskets, gift cards, and so much more during my recent surgeries. I am amazed at how women you have just met can be so selfless and giving. My girlfriends from high school and college have been there too and supportive and loving as only they can. They knew me before I was a wife and a mother and know a much wilder side to my psyche and have seen me morph from this "crazy girl" into a woman who crazy about her kids. They, with immense help from my incredible family, have played a major hand in who I am today. They were at my wedding, many of them in it, they came to many "parties" at our house, weekends at the lake, ski trips, etc. IT amazes me how God could put so many truly INCREDIBLE people in my life in just 29 years. I feel like the luckiest person on Earth. Back to God's plan. We are so grateful that we had the experience to live somewhere else for a while. We felt like we really grew as a family and met amazing people, but God also knew when it was time to send us home. It almost felt like a long summer camp in a way. He sent us home in time to be settled to welcome Cole's arrival surrounded by our families at Christmastime when we brought him home. And now we know another reason he sent us home when he did. I can't imagine having to go through this without our families being right here. He has always had the uncanny ability to put me exactly where I need to be right at that exact moment. One of my college girlfriends who has always had very strong faith sent me a card (and the cutest robe ever) with the most unique and profound message. She said I can't wait to see how God uses this for his glory. What a wonderful way to put this and I too cannot wait to see how God is going to use me and this breast cancer for his glory. Hopefully it will make me a better mother, friend, daughter, sister, etc. Hopefully it will make me more compassionate and to follow-up with friends better after they have suffered a loss or an illness or just a bad day. Hopefully it will make me a better example to those around me. Regardless, I can feel God's plan falling into place and I cannot wait to see where the path takes me next. Thanks for reading my ramblings!! Love you!