one year.

One year ago today Dustin and I left our hometown in Kentucky and moved to Illinois for his new job. Oh how quickly this year has passed! A year ago I was excited for a new adventure, nervous to be in a new area without our family and friends, and very much unsure of where this path would lead. Today I cannot even describe the peace and thankfulness I feel when I think back on this last year. Month after month, what was at first an unfamiliar place, feels more and more like home. God has blessed us with sweet friends, a wonderful church, jobs we both enjoy, and a house we love making a home.

Do we miss our family and friends back home in Kentucky--and the many other areas they live? Absolutely! Every day! But we are so thankful for the visits and phone calls to keep in touch. Having an encouraging support system is such a blessing.

Shortly after we moved I read the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. You can read more of my thoughts about it in my post here. After reading, I started my own 1000 gifts list. Just a couple days ago, I reached my 1000th gift. I took a moment to read back through my list over the past year-- the things that have meant so much to me. Farmer's Market trips with a sweet friend. Visits from our family and friends. Purchasing our first home. Celebrating successes in our careers. Being re-baptized together. Enjoying the everyday moments of life-- both the pleasant and the not so pleasant. While I know my list of gifts and thankfulness will never be complete, reaching the 1000th gift has shown me so much. My perspective has changed drastically over the past year. The joy I have found in Christ through counting the gifts He gives is indescribable. If you haven't read the book or started your own list, I highly encourage it!

When we first got married, I never imagined we would leave our home. A year later, we were in a new town, a new state, and with new jobs. Another year later, we are becoming more and more comfortable in this new "home." When I think back over the past year, I am filled with thankfulness for this season. For this time that Dustin and I have had to grow individually and as husband and wife. For this time to learn more about our Lord and ourselves. I am so thankful to have a better understanding of what Emily Dickinson meant when she said,

"Where thou art, that is home." 

Home, for me, is where my husband is. Where our love is shared. Where our people gather. Where our puppies play. Where we worship. Where we cook together, laugh together, pray together, and live life together.

The Land of Lincoln has been good to us this year and I look forward to what the future holds!