Good-bye 2013, Hello 2014!

Happy New Year!

To say this post is overdue is an understatement. The last few months have been a blur full of joy, chaos, discomfort, and any other emotion on the spectrum that you can imagine. Today is the first weekend that I have been able to sit and just breathe. 

I last left off at the time Luba departed Cape Town in October. You can catch up on that post here. Well, obviously, he made it. I didn't download any app at all that would allow me to stalk him in air or anything.....

I write this from a table scattered with evidence of intended planning, together, for 2014: various lists, drafted budgets, bills to organize into schedules, etc. The table is overflowing with life. 

What happened in 2013?

Well, one thing for sure, it was slam full of the highest highs and lowest lows I have ever known. Break, please? Thanks!

Here are a few highlights but pardon the lack of chronological order...I'm lucky to get this recap on here. 

Luba and I started the visa paperwork in late January. It was/is a journey of faith. We saw many heartbreaks and delays but were comforted and overwhelmed by miracles. The provision for us still takes my breath away. For much of the time, he did not have Skype, so yes friends, we were OLD school style. REAL letters went back and forth as well as emails and instant messaging. Thank God for technology.

I celebrated my 3#th birthday in June with friends in downtown Orange. We hopped from "establishment" to "establishment" while sipping, grubbing, laughing, and playing photo hunt. 

Luba said good-bye to family, friends, and life in South Africa on October 23.

After Luba’s arrival on October 24, we immediately began looking for a place to live. We needed our own space, and I had waited until he got here so that we would be finding a spot we both liked, hashing out space between both of us instead of him fitting into my tiny space that I carved out, etc. We found a place in Huntington Beach. I was reminded how much I hate moving and home hunting. On a whim, I drove behind my work and found a 2B/2B place that fit us perfectly. I can walk to work. I can WALK the whole .1 mile to work!!! This savings on gas helps since the place was more than expected budget-wise. I feel like this was the spot that was meant to be ours for a lot of reasons already and some premonition for the upcoming months. We hope this becomes a spot where friends easily flow in and out. We will slowly add the items we want, but we have what we need so we are open for business! Luba has been able to catch up with a couple special people already:

I launched a new ministry called Bread and Wine, after the book by Shauna Niequist. We are finishing up our last meeting for this season on January 11. You can read more about the thoughts on this vision here and there. I plan to follow up with a 2^nd group this Spring and already have most of the group filled after a launch a couple weeks ago at NewSong.

Luba and I went to St. Louis for Thanksgiving. We stayed with my sister and my mother drove up from MS so he met my sister & family and my mother for the first time. As you can see, my nephew Max had his own plans for him....

 

A few weeks later we flew to Mississippi for 10 days for Christmas. At that time, he was able to meet my father and spend more time with my mother. We ate and sat a LOT. The trip was very relaxing for me! Who can beat rain, porch swings, good food, slow pace, and Mama's TLC?!

I completed all of my classes for my BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analysis) program! Because my last class landed right in the middle of Luba’s arrival and moving, I juuuuuuuust slid by and passed (most appreciated 2 points of my life). At that point in survival mode, passing was all I desired. Once I complete the 1500 hours of fieldwork, I’ll be eligible to sit for the board exam. I’m at ~1300 now and can see the light.

I ended the year with my "Culinary Cuties" group with a gondola ride through the Naples canals in Long Beach. 2014 marks our 3rd year cooking and eating together monthly!

Luba and I also submitted our visa packet (another paper pile…another check) right before heading to MS. What a huge weight lifted! It took hours, numerous drops of tears & sweat, tons of ink and paper, and a lot of dollars but it’s there now where it needs to be, well within the 90-day time frame, so that they can adjust his status to remain here. 

OH! We also had our first Christmas card:

I feel like the end of the year found me in sheer survival mode due to other issues that I’m sure I’ll blog later, but nonetheless, I survived. 

I learned a lot. 

I rejoiced a lot. 

I cried a lot. 
I laughed a whole lot.

I experienced miracles. 

I’ve lived within the constraints of many time frames and from one “step” to another. 2013 ended much differently than it began and put me in an interesting starting position for 2014.

More to come friends….

Wishing you much love & life this year,

Danielle 

PS: What was the most viewed blog post last year?!?! It was almost a tie between #1 (click here) and #2 (click here)!