From Seattle to Texas!

In just a few days I will have my brother, sister-in-law and nephew living about thirty minutes away. On Sunday morning they left Seattle to come to Texas for good! My brother moved there a few years ago and met Desiree and her little boy Mason. After Ava Beth was born Josh ( my brother) and Desiree came to Texas to visit all of us and we got to meet Desiree for the very first time. As soon as I met her I knew he would marry her. She is a beautiful, precious girl and I love her like she were my very own sister. Not only have we been blessed with Desiree but with her little boy Mason who will start second grade next week. The poor thing just got out for Summer break in Washington on June 22nd and has to start school here next week! Mason does not know his real Dad so my brother quickly became the Daddy that Mason has always needed. My brother is planning to adopt Mason soon and we are more than happy about that! Last April, the three of them came to visit Texas again and Mason stayed with us a few nights. Josiah is happy to have a cousin and Aunt Desiree. Mason is a wonderful kid! They are more than we could have ever prayed for. I am so happy for my little brother and the beautiful family he has. Not only do we have Mason but they are also expecting a baby girl at the beginning of November. Her name will be Adysen Renee and guess what? Renee is my middle name, Ava Beth's middle name and my Mom's middle name and one of Desiree's sister's middle name. But I have already proclaimed that the baby is named after ME! I will make sure Adysen knows she is named after her favorite Aunt, Aunt Mandi.

A few minutes ago Desiree called to chat while she followed my brother as he drives the huge moving truck. She quickly asked, "What is the temperature there?" Before revealing the current temp, I asked "Are you sure you want to know?" She was adamant so I told her it was 96 but explained that a heat wave was coming. "On Wednesday and Thursday it is supposed to be 102 and 103. But please don't turn around to go back to Seattle!! It should cool off in October. Hopefully." Desiree and Mason have no idea what it is like to live in this kind of heat AND she is seven months pregnant! While my brother longs to cross the Texas border and find the nearest Whataburger , Desi and Mason want to find the nearest water park!

Desi had a hard time on Sunday when the left. She has never lived this far from her parents and they have never known what it is like to be away from their grandson. As we talked on the phone yesterday during the start of the drive, she cried. I don't know if I helped but I explained to her what a blessing it was that she is so close to her family and that she is so sad to leave them. Not all children have that kind of relationship with their families. What a blessing! Then I told her how excited I was to have her in my life. "We get to take our kids to the pumpkin patch, to see Santa Clause, to get their pictures made together and dress them alike. We get to shop together, cook together at the Holidays. We will both have new babies only three months apart! We get to make brand new memories." I wanted her to know that she is such a blessing to our family but especially to me. I think she got the point and she shared how excited she was to have me too. That made me feel great!

I have always wanted a sister. When Jeremy and I got engaged, I was so happy knowing he had a sister. Instantly I could see us shopping together, cooking, laughing, drinking coffee and being great friends. But it did not happen that way and five years later, we are still not close. We don't talk on the phone, we don't make plans to see each other. We live a few miles away from one another but rarely get together unless it is arranged by J's family. This was so hard for me in the beginning. I did not understand why someone would not want to be close to me. It's still hard but we are just so different that there is nothing to build on. She is a Godly woman and serves the Lord in missions with her husband. She has faith that could move mountains and I really see God in her. Maybe someday our relationship will be close but I no longer try to force it or make it happen. Through the years of dealing with the pain of rejection in that relationship, I felt like the Lord was telling me that someday I would have that relationship I craved. About a year ago I realized that what I was desiring with Jeremy's sister was not going to happen with her but it would happen with Desiree. Just a few weeks ago I got a card in the mail from Desiree for no good reason. It was a just because kind of card. She even speaks my love language! In the card she told me how happy she was to have a sister-in-law like me and she told me how much she loved me. It made my day! I felt like the Lord was truly answering my prayer to something I have always wanted.

My brother is four years younger than me. We have not been very close in the past. But we have been through a lot together. Actually we have been through hell together. My Dad does things that drive us both crazy and he often causes problems for us. So last week we talked about that. We talked about how we could not let Dad get in the middle of our relationship and cause strife. He will try to do it and he will do it sometimes without trying. My Dad is a recovered alcoholic but he continues to have traits of someone that still drinks. Not only that but he is negative, he pries, he's nosy and he gets jealous if he thinks we have left him out. When it's family time, he will not let anyone else talk, he does all the talking. He is so insecure that he does things to overcompensate. My Dad has already started talking about the Holidays and how he wants to spend it with all of us. This puts a lot of stress on everyone because we have lots of time that we have to divide up between families. Today my Dad has called me twice already trying to find out if I have talked to Josh because a lot of times Josh ignores his calls. My Dad lives less than two miles from us. It's actually nice to have him close but Josh moving backs adds a whole new dimension to all of our relationships. I have shared before that God has really restored a lot in my relationship with my Dad. A lot of healing has taken place and continues to but Josh moving back could cause a set back in many ways. There are lots of things from the past that the enemy would like to use. It will take major prayer to keep that from happening!

So pray for my family. We need it! Pray that Josh and I can have the relationship that we have always wanted. Pray that he can find a job in the Metroplex SOON and that Desi and Mason adjust to Texas heat and being so far from home. And pray for my Dad and that Josh and I can learn how to handle him. They should arrive sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Please pray for them as they travel, they need it.

Josiah, Ava Beth and Mason on Easter