Unfreezing Our Frozen Hearts

It's been six weeks since we moved here to Cranberry Township, PA...just outside of Pittsburgh.  Six weeks of being crammed in an apartment.  Six weeks of sickness.  Six weeks of trying to find a new routine and learning the ropes at school.  The children have been missing their friends a lot, so I decided it was time to head home for a quick visit...only I didn't tell them!  It was a total surprise.

Our old hometown Lewisburg, PA has a fun Ice Festival every February, and the kids and I have been going for years.  I wasn't about to miss it.  Turns out it was a great opportunity not only to hug our friends and blow off steam, but also to step back and realize how far we've come in six weeks and how much we've each grown.  My favorite moment was watching Scarlett jump into the arms of her friend who was also totally surprised to see her come for a visit.  (I'll share that video on my Facebook page!)

It was so refreshing.  There is something about being in a familiar place that is very rejuvenating.  It's hard being somewhere where everything, even driving to the grocery store takes a lot of brainwork. It's exhausting.

But being home and knowing that their friends are STILL there for them was good for the children.  And for me.

Lately, Scarlett has been writing uplifting messages and leaving them for us to see.  Yesterday, during church, she stood before the congregation and said, "I know that when I'm going through hard things I can pray to Heavenly Father and he will help me through."  That's something we can all gain a knowledge of as we face our individual challenges, and if it took moving ot learn that then it will have been totally worth it!