it just now hit me...

It's not like it snuck up on me. We knew about our move for a little over a month. I think I was just in "doing" mode and I wasn't letting myself think about what it really meant. I knew that it meant a new church and a new home....the possibility of new ministry really excited me. I was anxiously anticipating all that God was going to do in and through us in Bolivar. I guess I neglected to think about the reality that moving means you leave some things behind....namely friends. And not just any friends....but friends who have become your family. Friends who nurtured you through the birth of a child, the divorce of your parents, the disease of you mother, the loss of 4 grandparents in under 4 months. Those kind of friends are hard to say goodbye to. And it wasn't until I saw them all in one place that I realized what we were about to do. So, what happened next....well, I bawled like a baby. Not just a tiny tear trickling down my cheek as I look gratefully out at a sea of people I love. No....that would have been much less embarrassing. I, instead, put my head in my hands and wept....rather uncontrollably I might add. My body was doing this weird twitching, shaking, heaving sort of motion as I wailed. I pulled it together....not as soon as I would have liked...but I was able to enjoy one last evening with some of my favorite people in all the world. We have been so blessed with great friends. And it may sound silly, but that was something I thought I might never have. Oh sure, I have had friends my whole life. But I was too terribly insecure to really let anyone see who I really was....warts and all. (not literal warts, mind you....that'd be a bit weird). These are some of the first people God has sent my way that have made me feel truly accepted and loved no matter what. If Danielle Lee and Katie Hayes could've been there my life would have been complete! Regardless, I have learned alot from these friends....I have gained enough security in who I am (and who God is inside of me) that I feel confident to step out and make new friends here in Missouri. The kind of friends that become your family....because who knows what they might have to help us walk through in the next 5 years.

Amy, Deidra, Me, and sweet little MaryAnne (she's Emma's older sister....so someday she'll be Nathan's sis-in-law!)
Nathan is "confessing with his mouth" that Jesus is Lord!

Ms. Kimberlayhey and sweet Lana

This is the moment when the BooHooing commenced....Barry was preparing to pray over us and I couldn't hold it in any longer. It was a meltdown of epic proportions.

We had the BEST teenagers while at Forest Hill. It was great to have so many people love on us and our kids! We are better for having known them.

Kimberly, Amy, me, and Karen. Such sweet friends!

Could God have sent me a more perfect friend. I am missing Lindsey like crazy!

Rayden and Mike. Great buddies....and kudos to Mike for getting our house rented! Hooray!

Kaleb, Luke, and "big" Caroline. She's not at all big....but the other Caroline is just 6...so she's been termed "little". Gotta love the logic of a 5 year old.

Mr. Richie and Jack Jack....some of our favorite guys around!

Tiger basketball

There is this phenomena in Memphis known as Tiger basketball. Mempians go bananas over their Tigers. They bleed blue. We managed to make it out of there without changing the color of our blood (we still bleed orange (for the Oklahoma state Cowboys) and red (for Cardinal baseball)). We actually had never even been to a Tiger basketball game in all the years we lived there until about 3 weeks before we moved. Our sweet friends, the Hollands, got us tickets to join the pep bands for a game. Nick is the director of bands for the University of Memphis....we felt famous being with such "Memphis royalty"!

Loving on the Tiger....Nathan first.....then Kaleb and Caroline.

Watching the action....although I think his favorite parts were the treats from the concession stand!

Kaleb loved sporting the light-up blue glasses as he cheered the Tigers to victory!

"are they twins?"

This is the question I consistently get asked about the boys every year from February 22nd until April 28th. In between those dates they are the same age. Right now, they are both 5 (at least for 3 more days....then K-man will be 6).

I get so many different reactions when I tell people they are just 10 months apart. From a mouth-dropping look of dumbfoundment (I think I my have just created that word) to rhetorical and satiric questions like, "you do know how this happens, right?" Just think if I told them that they are really 9 months and 24 days apart! Regardless, I just smile politely and remind them (and myself) how blessed I truly am. God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us Nathan.

Nathan is truly a gift (that's what his name means). We didn't plan on him....duh....I found out I was preggo when Kaleb was 10 weeks old. But God knew that our family would not be complete without Him. Praise God that He knows better than me what I need.

Here are some (much overdue) pictures from my middle child's 5th birthday party. And a big thanks and shout-out go to my sweet friend Karen who lent me her camera at the party so I could record this blessed event!

Totally ashamed

I am mortified that it has been over an entire month since I last posted anything. It's not been because nothing has been going on. Indeed....the opposite is true. LOTS has been happening. I will give you a brief rundown (you can thank me later) and then I will try and go back and post pictures and more details later. Here are the Hollis family's comings and goings in the last month or so:

-Nathan turned 5. We celebrated for the 3rd straight year at RiverCity Gymnastics. He had over 20 friends help him celebrate this momentous occasion. And now, I have 2 five year old boys living in my house (please keep me on your prayer list)

-We resigned from Forest Hill Community Church. We were already looking for another job (as a senior pastor) but we did not already have one "locked up". It was a giant leap of faith.....scary and exhilarating all at the same time.

-We went in view of a call at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Bolivar, Mo.

-Rayden accepted the job as senior pastor at Southern Hills. There were more "no" votes than we were hoping for, but we both recognize that the older generations have a more difficult time accepting that my husband wears jeans to preach and doesn't stand behind a pulpit.

-I had to talk to my mother about why it would be inappropriate for her to have sex with her "boyfriend" at her assisted living facility. Gasp! Talk about a conversation I never thought I would have to have. That is the understatement of the year. It's a very long (and humorous and sad and confusing) story that deserves it's own post....so we'll just stop here for now.

-I took my mother to Pennsylvania to visit with her sister who is struggling with ALS. It seems to be progressing quickly so I wanted her to have some time with her sister before she passes. It was a difficult trip (mainly because I was stuck in the car with a dementia patient for 30 hours). More on this trip to come too.

-We had a big going away party 2 nights before we moved. It was so fun...and so emotional. I had not cried about moving until this night. So many amazing friends came to wish us well. It was very touching.

-We moved. We now live in Bolivar, Mo in the parsonage that our church owns. It is wonderful. Although, I am sick of seeing boxes around my house still. We've been here less than 2 weeks, but I wish we were done and completely settled. Oh well....we'll get there one box at a time.

-I am totally in love with Kaleb's new school. It has been awesome! I will tell you why later.

Well....that's the brief version. I will give more details and show you some pictures later. But for now, there are more boxes to be unpacked and I am packing a suitcase so that Rayden and I can head back to Memphis tomorrow for a wedding (and so that we can pack up my mom's things and bring her to an assisted living facility here in Bolivar). Lots to do! Ta ta for now!