We spent a week there visiting with Brent’s family. We went on walks, played a little baseball, went shopping, and hung out at the house. Tylie also dragged every willing participant into the yard so she could run around with the dog. 
While we were there, my family also came up for a few days so we could do Kaelisse’s blessing.
Then, we piled in the car with my mom, dad, and brother and headed down to Idaho Falls to spend time with them. It was another week of fun family time—17 of us cozying up in my parent’s house…good times! We went to the zoo and the dairy farm, made tie-dye shirts, went for more walks and parks, and played a lot of card games….oh, and ate some of the best food in the world!
Then we headed back to South Carolina. We only had about two weeks there before our contract was up and we had to move. It was an insane two weeks of trying to see everyone we loved for last goodbyes, Brent still trying to get some hours in at work, packing up the entire house and trying to fit it into two moving cubes, and looking after two sweet-but-active little girls. We finally accomplished the seemingly impossible task, and hit the road.
We went straight to Louisiana to visit Brent’s sister and her husband. The plan was to spend a week there, get to Arlington, find a place to live, and begin our new life. However, sometimes plans don’t go exactly the way you want them to… after spending more than a week in hotel rooms searching for an apartment we would be happy with, we did (finally) find a place to live, but it wasn’t available for a couple weeks, so it was BACK to Louisiana to bum a bed. 
Angie and Brennon were SO gracious to let us stay for so long (even with an infant waking them up at every possible hour of the night with her screaming). While we were there, we celebrated the 4th of July, went to the park a hundred times, hit every library story time we could find, went to the pool with Brennon’s family, frequented the mall for their indoor play area, and went to the lake.
We were there until the end of July, and then we were finally set to get moved into our apartment in Texas. 
Brent started work on August 1st and knew from the beginning that he was going to enjoy it. He also started school, and knew from the beginning that he probably wouldn’t enjoy that. Hehe. I kept thinking something was coming my way so I could help pay the bills while Brent finished school, but the Lord had other plans. I continued looking for a job, and finally found something in the beginning of September. However, it was more of a drive than I wanted to make, we weren’t able to find child care in the area that we trusted, and I just kept having a strange, anxious feeling when I thought about starting work. Okay, HELLO AMELIA, it must not be right. So, after networking with some friends in the ward, I finally found work….started teaching 5th grade at a school not far from my house about 6 weeks after the start of the school year. The position is a new kind of challenge for me, but I think I’ll enjoy it and learn a lot from it. It also provides a way for me to take care of my family’s needs, and that is the miracle I had been praying for.
In the middle of August, we also celebrated Tylie’s birthday…TWO YEARS OLD! Holy cow…how time flies!
My dear sister Keshia came home from her mission to Croatia at the end of August. We didn’t get to see her, but it was so great talking to her on the phone!
Oh, and in September, I turned 30…wow… Look what my sweet hubby did for me!
So, now we’re here in Arlington. So far we love our ward, enjoy our jobs, have made some good friends, and get to spend some quality time together as a family on the weekends. I’m not sure I could ask for much more…
I’m grateful every day to my Heavenly Father who watches out for us and guides us to the places he needs us. I know I have some valuable learning to do while I’m here, and who knows what the future will hold for us!
