We're Here!!

Two weeks ago, we arrived in Oklahoma! It has been a whirlwind two and half weeks since we left North Carolina!

The week of the move was a rough one for Laurel. She wouldn't eat much, didn't sleep well, and her tummy seemed to be upset. We really think she realized that something was up as we were packing and she was getting nervous. That was the hardest thing for us about all of the preparations for the move. Peter and I were hurting for Laurel knowing that she couldn't communicate what she was feeling or if something was wrong. She got hives the day before the move and I ended up taking her to the pediatrician on moving day (a Saturday) because she was broken out in hives ALL over her body and we wanted to get her checked before we were on the road for a few days. Praise the Lord, Laurel was fine and we came away with a referral for an allergist and instructions to start her on Zyrtec again (which we later learned is recalled!).

The Lord was so gracious to us as we prepared for the move and as we travelled. We can't even thank our family, small group, and friends enough for loving us so well by watching and loving on Laurel, helping with packing, loading up the truck, and just covering our family in prayer as we travelled and settled in at Boys Ranch Town. We left on Saturday the 24th and spread out our driving, and arrived in Edmond, Oklahoma on Tuesday the 27th. Peter and his Dad drove the moving truck and Peter's Mom, Laurel, and I followed them in the car. The Lord was so gracious and we missed the stormy weather as we drove. When it rained, it rained at night after we got to the hotel for the evening. Laurel did so much better in the car than we ever could have imagined. The Lord heard our prayers! Thank you to those who prayed specifically for Laurel as she travelled and for her adjustment. Despite the rough week she had, Laurel really adjusted well to sleeping in the hotel for a few nights, being in the car for a few days, and just really being thrown off schedule. Her hives also cleared up by the day we got there. Thank you to Bibi for the countless hours of entertainment you provided! Unfortunately, Peter got food poisoning and was sick the last two days of our trip and the first couple days in Oklahoma! He was not feeling well at all and I can't even imagine how he managed to still drive even though he was feeling so bad, but the Lord gave him strength and endurance to finish out the trip like we had planned. Peter started feeling better by the weekend.

We have now been in Oklahoma for two weeks and we are loving it! It has been very busy around here as we've been cleaning, unpacking, and settling in. Bibi and Papa just left today and we were so sad to see them go! Having them here was a huge blessing to us as we were unpacking, settling in, and doing some training for Boys Ranch Town. Thank you Bibi and Papa for generously giving your time to help us move and settle in. I don't think we could ever express how much of a blessing that was to us! We also cherished that time with you!

Laurel is doing extremely well. She absolutely loves it here! We praise the Lord for how well she has adjusted! She loves running around outside and she absolutely LOVES going to see the animals. So far, we think the horses have been her favorite but she also loves seeing the cows, goats and camels. Being the social butterfly that she is, Laurel has loved meeting the other houseparents and staff, the boys, and the houseparents' kids. She has been wearing herself out with all of the running around she has been doing!

We are getting settled, learning our way around Edmond and Oklahoma City(well mostly me, since Peter's been here before), and discovering all of the neat things to do around here! We have been welcomed with open arms by the people here at Boys Ranch Town and we just love them already! We found a church that we LOVE and reminds us so much of North Wake and are looking forward to getting more involved. We start having boys in our cottage a week from tomorrow, so life will start to get much more interesting then! :) Until then, we are soaking up the wisdom of the staff and other houseparents, finishing some training, preparing for the boys, and just enjoying time together as a family.

I hope to have some pictures up soon of what we have been up to and pictures up of our apartment, cottage, and ranch so you can see what life is like for us here! Of all of the things I can't find from the move, I can't find the usb cord that connects the camera to the computer! We just ordered a new one today, so hopefully we'll get that next week and I can start loading pictures!

Please be praying for us and we are settling in here and preparing for the boys. We are so excited, but are totally needing the Lord's strength and grace!