hello, fort myers

If you haven't heard the big news, you can read about it here!

This post is just a few snapshots from our trip to Florida. We had so much fun and can't wait to get back ((and live there))!!

That first picture up top is the view from our hotel balcony at about 7:30am.

Somethin' about a pink sky and palm trees just makes me so thankful for a creative God!

Back up a few hours...this is us on the plane. (Don't mind my whacko husband who can't take a normal picture.) In my last post, I mentioned the fact that I've been at such a peace with this whole situation. And that's definitely true. But the second I sat down in my seat on the plane, my stomach began churning like no other, and I was on the verge of tears.

I wasn't sad or scared, I was just nervous, excited, and didn't know what to expect. But then Joshua and I played Ticket to Ride on the iPad, and I felt much better (especially because I whooped him!).

Moments after we arrived, we had to snap a picture. These Okies were pleasantly surprised by such a beautiful view! We're definitely going to be "tourists" for a few months. Although, I don't know if the view will ever get old to me.

click on the picture to get a better view :)

Okay, THIS is funny.

So our first night there, we got to have dinner with one of the associate pastors and his wife. After dinner and dessert, they took us to their house to hang out and meet their kids. Their oldest daughter has a pet tarantula! Somehow (and I'm still not really sure how) they convinced Josh to hold it. These pictures are the real deal. He was seriously freaking out. I thought he was going to wet his pants. It was HILARIOUS. Thanks for the laugh, McDaniel family. :)

Some other fun things on the trip:

• The pastor and his wife took us aaaaall over the county and gave us a wonderful tour of the place. One of my favorite parts...seeing all the shopping!! Seriously, some of the best shopping I've ever seen. (And someone at church told me there's a Vera Bradley outlet there.....!!!!!!)
• I totally ate alligator tail. For reals, people. It was actually quite tasty!
• We ate a lot. A LOT. We're really good at that. :)
• I was pleased to find that Ft. Myers has Target, 7-Eleven, and Chick-Fil-A. What else do you need?!
• Some waiters/waitresses looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for Dr. Pepper. This could be a struggle. But I think I will overcome.

And if you've made it this far and still don't know what's going on...

Read more about it here.

'twas a beautiful trip. The weather was fantastic. Let me tell you, landing in Springfield and hearing the pilot say the current temperature was 29 degrees did NOT make me happy after 4 days in 70 and 80 degree weather. 

Anyway, we had a blast and can't wait to return!

lindsay

((big news))

this is one of those posts I never thought I'd be writing.

Isn't it funny amazing how God's plans are beyond our wildest dreams?

And when I say wildest...I mean wildest.

Well the picture pretty much says it all....

WE'RE MOVING TO THE BEACH!

Okay, maybe that's not all of it. You probably want more details, right? I can't just leave you hangin'. 

Okay, here goes:

In a nutshell: We've been hired on as the new kids pastors at a church in Fort Myers, Florida! ((Well, technically Josh has, but I'll be his right hand man woman.)) 

We are so honored to have such a huge, important calling on our lives, and we're beyond excited about the new journey ahead of us! We know God has huge plans for the church and the kids ministry, and we're so blessed to get to be a part of it!

As some of you know, Joshua and I had pretty much planned to stay in Springfield until at least December of this year. We're both finishing up our last semesters of school, and we both lovelovelove where we're at. The last four years have been incredible and life-changing. Joshua and I have learned so much, and we are so incredibly thankful for the leaders who have taken us under their wings and taught us about ministry, marriage, and all things life! It's truly because of them and the amazing way God works that we are where we are today. I could write ten billion blog posts about how much we love and appreciate the people and this season, but I'll spare you for now.

Anywho, we're so excited! Excited to take what we've learned over the last few years and apply it in new ways. Excited to be used by God to reach the lost. Excited to teach kids about how awesome and BIG and loving God is! Excited to partner with the pastor to help him carry out the vision God has given him for the church and the community. 

We'll be moving down at the beginning of May right after we graduate (woop! woop!). Big days ahead! We're going to miss our Missouri family so so much (I'm definitely dreading the day we have to say our "see ya laters.") We're certainly going to miss our family in Oklahoma terribly, and we're looking forward to lots and lots of visits! But we have peace because we know God has called us to this and He's got such huge plans for our future! We've got some big shoes to fill, but we're thrilled to have the opportunity!

Well, thanks for sharing an exciting moment with us. Your prayers over the next several weeks will be greatly appreciated! Some specifics you can pray for:

• favor with the education department at my university as I apply to do my student teaching out of state
• favor in our long-distance house hunt in florida!
• continued peace as we finish out the last several weeks of school and begin packing!
• wisdom and guidance for the ministry we'll be leading in Florida!

Thanks for reading and praying for us! I'm excited to use my blog as a place to document our upcoming journey! I'll try to keep the beach pictures to a minimum as not to make anyone jealous. ;)

lindsay