Looking back at a nomadic life

Sierra-Chelsea-Alexandra~Valentine's day photo, 2007   

"We are each on our own journey. Each of us is on our very own adventure; encountering all kinds of challenges, and the choices we make on that adventure will shape us as we go; these choices will stretch us, test us, and push us to our limit; and our adventure will make us stronger than we ever know we could be."

~Aamnah Akram

I remember the very first time I began to take pictures of my three daughters, and I mean really take pictures (we had a nice Nikon that my husband had since high school), was when we moved to North Carolina five years ago. I was a 24 hour/seven day a week picture freak. I took pictures of them on every holiday, and would mail them to my friends and family. I even did fourth of July photos! If I had started a blog back then I would have had so much to show and tell. I guess I wanted everyone to know what we were up to and that we were okay and that we are continuing to bond as a family. I'm sure that a parent no matter how old we get will always tend to worry about us. Hoping that we are financially secure, paying our bills, having food on the table, putting the Lord first, making sure our kids are doing fine. I remember my in-laws having a concern because of our move from Utah to North Carolina. I admit I was a little nervous myself, and excited at the same time. With all the moving that we've done, and being in so many different wards I knew that through the grace of God things will fall into place in North Carolina, and they did. 

They always do. 

Lately I've been in a "looking back in time phase" because things seemed so simple back then. The girls were younger, there was no drama among them in church or school, my husband didn't work on Sundays, we had the most awesome piano teacher, we lived near an equestrian area where Sunday drives were a treat. The economy was stable, life was slower, people were nicer, your neighbors were your surrogate grandparents, and if you just made one good friend in your neighborhood, and in your congregation...you knew you'd be okay. All the moves that we have done up until now have been quite adventurous and we have learned a lot from them. I have taken some of those experiences with me, and have grown stronger from them. I have had some of the best examples of members from my former wards built inside of me, and when I read back in my journal of all that I learned from them, I act upon it. I am reminded of why I am now here in New Jersey. I know that Heavenly Father will always look out for us no matter what. I know that the trials, the drama, and challenges I have been through here are for a dang good reason. I know they are to prepare me for what is to come for our future as a family. They have also occurred to help me learn, and to possible help others grow.

Timing is everything, and things happen on the Lord's timetable...not ours. I have learned that certain things have come up at the time that they should. There are times when I look back and say to myself, "If only this happened when we lived in Texas, Utah, or North Carolina, or if only I would have known this sooner." I look back at all the factors, and the things that were happening at that time, and the spiritual level of maturity I was at. Then I realize that it wasn't supposed to happen at that time. Let me tell you. God knows us very well, and He knows best! I am at an age, and at a spiritual level now where I feel confident that I can handle any hurtful, or challenging phase. I believe that it's the faith that I pray for everyday to help me carry the burdens of "real life" that are on my shoulders. Eventually they are lifted, and when they are I am extremely grateful!

We will never live in a rosy, peachy perfect world. No matter where we have lived we have always taken the Lord with us. We take our testimony with us. We take what we've learned from people with us. There is always a church to welcome us. One thing that I have learned throughout our nomadic life, and in the 19 years of being a member of this church is that the Lord is perfect, and the church is true. PEOPLE (including myself) are not. 

But God is and He will always be there no matter where we live, and who we are!