Gratitude Friday: Goodbye 2015...

Tonight, after OU lost their college football playoff game (because Chris jinxed it), we got all the Christmas packed up and set the house back in a close to normal state.

When the sun comes up tomorrow, I suspect I'll be vacuuming up tree needles all day long. 

Good times.

This is the first time the house has been undecorated for a "season" since September.  Y'all, we moved in the house in July.  So let's just say, we haven't really lived in the house AS IS.  

As I was working tonight, I was thinking about that.  About just being somewhere as is.

This year was hard.  The Pruning and all.  I feel like we spent at least half the year in absolute limbo. Not sure where we were going or even if we were going and clearly not having an idea about the timing.

We also reached our 15th wedding anniversary.  

Which, let's be real here, feels way longer than just 15 years.  

Don't worry.  Chris would agree 1,000% with that statement.

In our vows, which we wrote because I lean towards the melodramatic when it comes to words, I included the scripture from Ruth, "Where you go, I will go and where you stay, I will stay."  

We've gone and stayed a good bit in these fifteen years.  Five cities.  Five apartments.  Five houses.

But we've moved financially.  From two full-time incomes to one and a graduate student.  Back to two incomes.  To one full-time and one part-time.  To one full-time income and one full-time momma.  

Moved from newlyweds, to students, to infertiles to momma and daddy.  

We moved into spaces we didn't really want to be.  Like physical therapy offices after car wrecks.  Funeral homes to say goodbye to grandparents.  Doctors offices for egg retrivals.  Going away parties and dinners and lunches.  Emergency surgery for c-sections.  

We've stayed in some of those places, and others, too.  Our RE's office for a full year before we were pregnant with Aubrey Kate.  Stayed in the uncomfortable unknown waiting on jobs and houses and answers.  Stayed together when 3 am feedings brought out the absolute worst in us.

Even now, we are staying where we are with no real certainty about our next step.  

So I clean up the house and get ready to simply be in it as is and I think about our 15 years.  How we have often simply sat in life as is.  Not knowing but expecting and hoping and learning to BE in the moment.

And I think that's how 2016 is really going to be.  Just sit in life as is.  Sit in the moments.  Sit in the laughter.  Sit in the tantrum (they won't last forever).  Sit next to the world's most adorable freckles on my little girl's face.  Sit with Chris on the couch when he can be home.  Sit with friends as much as I can.  Sit with a good book and marvel at the author's talent.  

Sit in God's Word.  Sit in His peace.  Sit in His plan.

Sit in the neighborhood where He's planted us.  Sit in the preschool playground with my momma friends.  Sit in small group and soak up the privilege of being in their tribe.  Sit in Chris' career and support him through all those crazy work weeks.  

Sit in the knowledge and confidence and truth of His ways, His timing, His goodness.  Not mine.

It's very possible this is the least excited I have been about a whole new year.  Not because there aren't things to look forward to, but simply because I am content to sit and stay in this new year as is. Without any expectations or decorations or resolutions.  Instead, I'll move on from a not-so-fun year.

Going and staying.  

Sit in where you are as is.

Blessings, y'all!