New Home, New Season, New Blessing

Wow! It’s been a while since my last post. Life has been full of unexpected twists, but also incredible blessings. Let’s catch up!

The past 9 months have been like a rollercoaster. Sometimes, you think you have it all together and out of nowhere you get hit with the unexpected.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond grateful for the many life experiences along this journey.

These experiences are what help me to become stronger in my faith and wiser in my decision making each and every day. Although I may not always see the bigger picture, I choose to be content with where God has me in my life while being excited for what the future holds.

Through it all, I’ve learned that every challenge holds a lesson.

Faith Through Transition

The second half of the year ended just the way that God intended. Long story short, the past 6+ months consisted of us traveling the entire summer, then packing up our lives and relocating from the beautiful sandy beaches of South Florida to the country plantation fields of Louisiana. With wide open fields, massive oak trees, and quiet country roads that stretched for miles. This was our new home.

Once we arrived in Louisiana, reality hit fast.

I was homeschooling three of our children full time while trying to keep up with two toddlers under the age of 3. Being off of our normal routine, temporarily staying with relatives and not having adequate space caused a lack in structure amongst our family.

Balance just seemed to be out of reach in this season, which ultimately put a major toll on me mentally.

Since we were staying with relatives, everyday seemed to be a party for the kids. They were reluctant to do any work. I began to feel as if I didn’t have control over anything (but frankly, none of us really have control over anything, right? But that’s another conversation).

After months of feeling unsettled, I knew it was time to find stability again. The ideal situation would be for us to move into a move-in ready home suitable for a large family, preferably with a yard for the kids to enjoy. Though, the housing market was feeling a little dry at the time—especially in a small rural town with a population of barely 4,300 people.

Options were limited, and everything we came across was either too small for our family size or needing much repair.

We spent countless hours of house hunting, only to be left at square one. Finding the right home felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.

BUT when I say God’s timing is EVERYTHING!

His Word says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:9

The Move That Changed Everything

Just when I began to doubt, God reminded me that His plan is always better than mine. At the perfect time, we were presented with the opportunity to move into the right for our family. Only God could have orchestrated a thing like such.

This home was not listed on any rental property sites, which means it wasn’t even available for rent. We caught wind of the home being vacant via word of mouth.

This home was our only hope. Yet it felt impossible to get.

We drove past it on numerous occasions, just praying and believing that the Lord would move on our behalf.

After a discussion with the owner weeks later (whom, might I add, happens to be a God-fearing woman), we received the blessing to move into the home.

We signed our lease in December and ended the year in our own place.

A 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath brick home with a two-car garage and an open yard for the kids to play in.

God really outdid himself this time… we even have a guest house in the back that my husband plans to use as his man cave/office!

I'm still in AWE!

Settling In

Settling into our home brought a new sense of peace and a desire to create structure again. The kids are enjoying the spacious rooms and open yard. And truth be told, I am loving every bit of their laughter echoing through the backyard. With the home being built in the 80’s there are a few upgrades that we would like to have done to enhance the beauty of the home in the near future. However, we are planning for another major addition at the moment.

It’s Tea Time

I’ve been holding onto something special, and it’s finally time to spill the tea!

If you guessed a new baby is on the way, then you’re right!

Surprise! Our Family Is Growing!

With everything that has been going on the past few months, I hadn’t taken the time to share publicly. My main focus in this final pregnancy has been cherishing the moments throughout baby’s growth + development and most importantly, protecting my peace.

During my last pregnancy, I did a horrible job at both and grew to regret it in the end. Ultimately, I needed a break from everything and everyone. So, in the midst of our transitional period, I created a safe space to spend time with myself, my family & God.

This helped me to overcome any uncertainty, doubt or fear that may have come about. Now that I’m feeling refreshed and renewed, I am more open to spreading the news. Visibly, it’s pretty apparent that I’m expecting, but since most of the people I am connected to are out of state, I figured it’s time for the “big reveal”.

Our new little bundle of joy will be joining us in the Spring.

Looking back, I see how every challenge this past year reminded me to trust God’s perfect timing.

Inspiration

No matter what obstacles you may be facing in life, seek God and trust His process.

Thank you for being part of our journey. May you continue to trust God’s timing in your own season of waiting and growth.

Until next time,

Ashley Victorian 💕