Man, today I am wiped out after a fun filled (what I thought was relaxing) weekend! We went to Jordan Lake and then out to eat at the mall yesterday. The kids loved the lake....momma not so much. We went to the swimming area and it was just straight up nasty! Then, when we got home I heard on the news it had been closed last week for an abnormally large bacteria count....No kidding! Then, sweet little Will got cussed out by another little kid on the playground, Lauren got sand thrown in her hair, and I just about had to tell another momma to get a hold of her kids! Whew....enough to make me want to catch the next plane home! BUT, we did get to eat some yummy grilled hot dogs and make some smores that I could have eaten half a dozen of :) Lexi got to practice her swimming. She is doing so good! She even passed the swimming test at the track out program she is in last week. I guess you have to just take the good with the bad!

The pics show there were some happy times.....

A lot of Sunday and Monday were spent on financial planning.....I finished reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and there is not a better book I can recommend to friends other that the bible! It is wonderful and SO eye opening. Russ and I survived budget planning without killing each other so we celebrated with dinner out at the Twisted Fork. We had heard it was really good. I enjoyed mine..... :)

This year will be a lot of firsts that are going to build us in character, patience, and appreciation of what we have back "home." I have such a respect now for people that have to move often. I am not sure I am strong enough woman to do that! I am already praying for cheap plane tickets so we can come home for Thanksgiving. I know we can't come home both Thanksgiving and Christmas so I am pulling for Thanksgiving. Usually, all of my family gets together then anyway and that is the time I am most likely able to get off work without causing a terrible inconvenience. Russ probably won't be able to come too but we will see...

I am not wanting to be Debbie Downer so I will close with we are never given more than we can handle....I do know and believe this to be true. Also, I am under no pretense that what we are "going through" is of anything significant. I am just inconvenienced. By NO means am I actually going through tough times. My family is healthy and we have jobs. I have MUCH to be thankful for and I am... truly but I also want to be honest. It is not all peaches and cream in the Rauls house right now.:) I am actually thankful God brought us this way because in the end I am sure I will be able to see His purpose and reasoning for it all. Thank you so much for the prayers you are sending our way~ I can feel them. Love you all!
Your Savior knows your breaking point. The bruising and crushing and melting process is designed to reshape you not ruin you. -Chuck Swindoll