Update

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm later in the evening today, but I managed to stay consistent for TWO WEEKS which is a new record. What's new with us? Not much. If you don't already know, Chase is working for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in their accounting department, and I have accepted a permanent substitute position at a school for students with disabilities and severe special needs. The kids are continuing their education with the Waterford UPSTART program and love it. I love seeing them learn new things, and they surprise me with how much they have learned. 

I started a fire in the kitchen (accidentally of course) which is a first for me.. Nothing and no one was injured (thank goodness). Lucy and Will are both very excited for Halloween, and this will be the first year we don't do a family costume. I love my family and am so grateful to be able to be close to them, and do things together. I do miss Texas though, and my heart really just isn't in Halloween this year.
Short post, but next week is Halloween so there will be lots of pictures and more adventures. Until then!

Stepping back, and stepping out

I've decided to take a step back from social media in general. It can be kind of exhausting. There are a lot of people I love and care about who really only get to keep with up with our little Caldwell Clan through social media. That's the dilemma and here's the compromise.
Every week on Sunday I'm writing a little update for our family here. Every week I'll post the link on Facebook. Y'all can keep me accountable. 

We have had a lot of fun this week, Lucy and I got to go on a little mother daughter date and see a scary movie. It was awesome, and I'm hoping the movie comes out on DVD by Christmas. I got some extra time off this week for UEA and it has been nice to spend it with everyone at home. This weekend was slightly unexpectedly warm so I and the family went out to Antelope Island!
Antelope Island is out on the Great Salt Lake, and it's bigger than you would think looking at it on a map. 

Here's the best picture of the lake we got from the hike- at Ladyfinger point. It was so cool to see the desert, sagebrush, rocks and see the mountains reflected in the water. 

The kids have never been to any sort of beach, and Lucy kept asking if she could pretend to go on the reef like Moana, or build a sandcastle lol. 

Antelope Island is a State Park, and they've placed buffalo on the island along with the natural antelope (obviously) and mule deer. It was neat to see the buffalo so close. 

And then of course, the other fun thing in our family was Will's Halloween costume came. He's Link from The Legend Of Zelda, who has a sword, shield and plays a kind of Italian recorder. Here he is, very excited for Halloween. 

Here's until next week (I'm for real this time. Y'all better get after me if I don't post in a week) from these crazy Caldwells.... 

Adventure is Out There!

I do realize that it's been almost 6 months since I last posted on the blog, and I've been told by more than one person I should post more often. Watching three toddlers will keep you busy, but I suppose if I were to wait until I was out of excuses, my first post would probably be my last. 
Much has changed since we started our beginning on Sunset Street. We have a dog (Whaaaaat?? Yes. For real this time. She's perfect for us.), Chase has a new job that is much better and less stressful than his last one, we have both a coffee table AND a lawn mower (I can't decide which I'm more excited about) and we're making lots of friends. I also have two church callings that keep me on my toes, teaching the Gospel Principles class and I am the pianist for Relief Society. I love both of these callings so much. Music has always been an important part of my life and a lot of people say that, but I don't mean listening to music when I say that, I mean MAKING music. I could write a whole other post about that and maybe I will. I also could write a whole other post about how much I love teaching Gospel Principles. Most of the time, there's only 2-4 people in the class (on the weeks people actually attend) but they say when you give a talk or teach a lesson, half of the time it's something the teacher or speaker needed just as much as the people hearing what they're presenting. Even if no one shows up to class, I have the spiritual uplifting of just preparing the lesson. I never realized how much I didn't know about the Gospel and how much the scriptures could mean to me. I feel like my spirit and testimony has grown by leaps and bounds. These callings have been a beautiful blessing in my life. 

Now, for the actual reason I decided to sit down and write- Will is 1,200 miles away from me having his very own adventures. So many emotions flooded my heart as I wrote that sentence. Love, pride, worry, love, and a little bit of anxiety (may be the same as worry, idk). This morning, I questioned for the first time if I was doing the right thing as my son, crying, asked over FaceTime for me to come get him. He calmed down and of course now he's fine and happy. 
The night before he left I made sure we got to talk extra, snuggle extra, watch extra animal videos. I knew I should be packing for his trip but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The next morning before he left I packed all his things and it was really nice because instead of being tired and emotional like I was the night before, it was kind of theraputic. I got to pick out his outfits and think about all the adventures he was going to have in them, the people he was going to see and the fun things he would be able to do by letting him spend time with my family, even though that meant not seeing me for a little while. 
I know it's only the beginning of a long trip and that this is probably one of the hardest things I've had to do as a mother but I also know that this wasn't a rash decision by any means. Days of weighing options, pros and cons, dedicated thought and prayer lead us to allowing Will to travel and have this adventure. I'm so glad he's got this opportunity and grateful for my mom and her family for taking such good care of him. I know car rides with him aren't always smooth sailing even though he can be the silliest and sweetest little guy in the whole world. I'm also grateful to all the family who will be spoiling him for me, taking care of him, feeding him, making sure he says his prayers and brushes his teeth. I'm also grateful for my grandparents who will be bringing him back home to me, and for all the Texas family who are willing to let him go for a little bit even though I know they miss him every day he's gone. 
Thanks to all who have made it this far in my post :) If nothing else, I want whoever is reading to know that I have a testimony that God is good. He knows you, and is in the details of YOUR life. He has a plan specifically set in motion for you. You may think you've missed your chance at this or that, but sometimes what he has in store for you takes time. There are so many details and so many ways he is there if you just look with your heart instead of your eyes... Anyway, I promise there are good things ahead! Until next time. 

Sunrise on Sunset Street

Sunsets often represent the end of something grand. They are often beautiful, full of color and comforting. It was Mahatma Ghandi who said, "When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator". 

As our family unpacks and gets settled on Sunset Street, I feel more like we're "riding off into the sunset" as the saying goes. The end of one wonderful, loving and familiar chapter of my life is ending and we're just getting started on another. I don't know what The Lord has in store for us here in our corner of North East Texas. I do know though, that we began preparing to leave our home and family in Utah only after receiving the prompting that we were needed here. 

As we have followed that prompting, there have been times where we thought we were headed in one direction, only to have The Lord steer us in another. There have been ups and downs, and I am so very grateful to my family for putting up with my own personal "downs". Despite those, the way things have happened and the feelings I personally have gotten are a testament to me that the original prompting received to come here, actually came from Heavenly Father. 

Before leaving Utah, I set a goal to more fully put my life in the hands of the Lord. This means more actively seeking His influence in my life AND following promptings I receive. This is something I know I should have been doing a long time ago, but the beauty of the gospel and the atonement of Christ, is that it is never too late! If you have the desire, you can absolutely become who you always had the potential to be. 

I've been asked if I like it here, and at first I had a hard time. I've lived in the same area (other than in college where I was just a 2 hour drive away) I've lived in the same area as long as I can remember. It is an adjustment to not be around the same place and the same people. I knew where to go for this, how to get to that street, my favorite things were just around the corner. 

That being said, there is something exciting about a new start and a new adventure. I know there will be days where I'm just insisting begging to go back, but I also know that I will find reasons to love where I'm at. I miss my family and I love them very much, but I know I'm doing the right thing and for that I feel peace. 

I'll try to keep updated here, on some of our adventures as we ride off into the sunset! Thanks for reading.