This year has been a bit different for us. We’ve been married for almost 8 years now and as poor college students, we’ve had some rough Christmases. Through it all, we’ve been able to start some amazing family traditions that we love. We’ve also been able to make many happy memories as we focus on Christ and the true reason we celebrate Christ. This year, we’re going to need to zero in on that even more than we usually do since we will literally have nothing.
I’ve been waiting to share about our struggles until we had some more positive news, right now we’re still feeling very discouraged and kind of struggling with life. However, I feel like its time for me to stop putting off my blog and all my other goals. I have kind of set all my hopes and my dreams on a back burner, waiting for things to start looking up. It seems I’ve been waiting for things to get easier… but I might just be waiting forever 😉
After a very challenging year, Scott barely finished his Phd. He was supposed to finish in April, but he kept experiencing setbacks with his research and things were not coming together the way we hoped. April came and went and our stress levels kept rising. At the end of May our 4th baby {Dax} was born and in June I started to fear that after all the setbacks, Scott might not graduate at all. August was his FINAL deadline and then he would lose his funding.
When my mom came out to visit us and our brand new baby in June I was stuck in a serious decision paralysis. I knew we needed to make some decisions, but there was no way I could predict how Scott’s research would go. The only thing I knew was that he really needed to focus or he would not be able to graduate. So with my mom’s help, we decided to pack our stuff into storage and I would just stay with my parents for a couple weeks while Scott finished up.
In July, we officially packed our stuff into storage and I headed to Utah with the kids while Scott stayed behind with some friends. God bless our dear friends who took him in… We were only supposed to be separated for 2-4 weeks. But two weeks quickly turned into four weeks, then slowly stretched on to a month and a half, then two months. This was not what we were expecting. I definitely did not sign up to be a single mom to four kids, staying in my parents house, while my husband worked on his Phd across the country. By some miracle they were able to approve additional funding so that Scott could keep working.
At the end of October, Scott finally defended his dissertation and passed. He joined us in Utah where he’s been able to put the finishing touches on his paper and get it submitted. Which is amazing, but since Scott’s dream job fell through we’re now kind of stuck. The job search has been tough so far and we don’t really have any good options, which is discouraging.
Yesterday we hit the four month mark of “staying with my parents” we’re not calling it living here because our stuff is all in storage and we’re living out of suitcases… and sleeping on the floor in a small room with three of our kiddos. We’re transitioning here. On Monday, my parents are moving to their dream home and we’ll be staying in their condo. But it will be empty. So right now, I’m finding it difficult to be excited for just about anything, including the holidays.
Thanksgiving is usually one of my favorite times of the year because it is the kickoff for all things Christmas. I keep trying to step back and find things to be grateful for. I know we’ve experienced quite a few tender mercies while we’ve been going through this trial. But despite the little miracles, it’s still been very hard for me. So I’m praying extra hard that I can focus on the reason for the season. I’m praying that I can hold my babies close and remember all that Christ has done for me and will continue to do. I’m praying so hard that through this trial I can keep trying to be faithful even when I feel alone.
To combat the loneliness and discouragement, we’ve decided that we are going to have a very Christ-Centered Christmas and try to fill our empty space with the light of Christ. Fortunately, I had the chance to design a very special Christmas Countdown for The Dating Divas. It is a wonderful countdown that takes the symbols of Christmas that we see all around us and helps understand their connection to Christ’s life. The countdown includes scriptures and meaningful activities for each symbol.
Even as I write about the Christmas countdown I get excited for the experiences and memories we’ll be able to have with our kids. The countdown includes 24 activities that will help us grow closer together as we learn about Christ and apply his teachings in our lives. In this crazy, fast-paced world we live in, this Christ-Centered Christmas countdown is perfect timing for our family and it gives me hope for our future. I know we’ll be able to make some wonderful memories as a family this year!
I’d love to share the countdown with you and invite you and your family to focus more on Christ this season too. After all, HE is the reason for the season.
I’ll be sharing more of the Christ-Centered Christmas Countdown as we pull it out and get started!
