The End of January

We spent the rest of January waiting for the axe to fall at work. We lived in fear of unemployment in a totally new state, expecting a baby in a few short months.

We are continually being shown how to trust God.

I won't lie. It wasn't all roses and faith.

Matt and I had over a month of sleepless nights, and I looked a heckuva lot like Charlie during the day...

STRESS, WHAT?!?!?

 God provided us with supportive friends and family to keep our minds focused on Him and the blessings we have right in front of us. My brother Matt checked in with texts almost every single day. He sent the kids books. He prayed hard with us. He even started job searches in Canandaigua for Matt!

The kids laying on a pile of laundry, reading their new book from Uncle Matt over e-mail.

We didn't try to settle in anymore. Matt and I started giving away more things, preparing to put the house on the market. We didn't buy window treatments. We didn't hang pictures. We felt extremely resigned. The children understood what was happening, and they seemed to inherently know what to do.

Hang on to one another. 

The very end of January was BITTER COLD. We had dustings of snow, but nothing like we experienced in Syracuse. Every single morning was BRIGHT. 

SO MUCH LIGHT.

Matt worked in our closet when work shut down due to low temperatures. It was a huge blessing to have him home. We worked on updating his resume in our spare time. He tacked up one of his patent plaques. It was an awesome and incredibly humbling time.

The Edwards came over and kept our kids busy.

Sarah and Molly making brownies

Joseph and Rachel shooting hoops

Esther and Clare, playing every single board game they can reach