A new chapter in a new place

The Spradlin's have left the building...ok, ok...what I mean is that we have left North Texas and moved down to the Gulf Coast!

The journey is a LONG story--and maybe you might get bits and pieces here and there--but for now I will sum it up by saying Shea got an incredible job offer with University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Where is Galveston you might ask?? Well its an island located south of Houston on the Gulf of Mexico! These two maps give you an idea...to get to the island from the "mainland" you cross a very long bridge called the causeway.
Its been an exhausting last few weeks here since we arrived ( arrived in town on Tuesday the 7th, moved into our condo/apt on Friday the 10th) and Shea started work on Monday the 13th. We are still living amongst MANY boxes and our life feels very chaotic....but last night as I had some time to pray and try to get a grip of my emotional self--I felt that I needed to start blogging again.
 I know, I know...anyone who has seen this blog will laugh and say "ya, right!" But I am going to try this time...I mean I have no friends and basically no life right now--so what else am I gonna do? HA!

I also was encouraged by a sweet friend this morning to not miss the blessings that are passing me by day by day--while I wallow in my self pity ( she obviously didn't say it like that--but thats what I knew I was supposed to hear!)  The Lord has put many things right in front of my face day after day to remind me that I need to be thankful....even in my sadness.
 So today...blessing #1 of living in our new home....both Shea and I filled up our gas tanks on Monday August 6th--thats 11 days ago. And today was the first time I put gas in any of our vehicles...even with a 300 and something mile drive for the move--we lasted 11 days on one tank of gas...now THAT is a blessing!

This is where the Lord and I met last night...I cried and yelled...he listened and gently coaxed me back to real life. I may not have chosen this path if asked--and SURE didn't see it coming...but its where he has us and I am going to do my best to focus on the blessings. I wont be perfect at it--in fact I know I have failed already even today--but I am going to keep on trying! Pictures of our new home, my adventures of fitting all our stuff into a small space, Austin starting a new school, and much more to come!