It’s been almost two weeks since we’ve given you an update on our traveling journey. So here’s what has happened the last couple weeks.
Miranda turned 17 on June 14th! The night before we left davenport, Miranda decided on Sushi night for her birthday dinner. Although we packed all day, we still sang happy birthday and had yummy sushi take out. Lots of icecream too. 🙂 I’m sure packing wasn’t the first thing on Miranda’s list to do on her birthday, but she was excited to get to the beach. We appreciate her fun attitude so much!
When we left Davenport on the 15th, we went up to Jacksonville to see some family. First we stopped at our Aunt Penny and Charlie’s. They are so sweet and we had a great conversation with them both. We loved checking out all of her gardens and upgrades. Of course, we played in their pool and enjoyed the warm rain as it came and went.
They blessed us incredibly and we can’t wait to visit again in July!
After we left Aunt Penny’s, we visited more family in Jacksonville. Cousin Jenny & AJ! Oh my gosh we had so much fun laughing and telling stories. Our kiddos loved playing with AJ’s Lego collection (although I’m sure it was a disaster when they were finished). They were excellent hosts and such a great atmosphere in their home. Jenny is officially our interior decorator if we ever get blessed with a beach home. 🙂
While Jenny and AJ were at work on the 16th, we took the kids to a beach on the Atlantic. It was SO beautiful. We were able to park directly on the beach, which was a new experience. The water was warm and the waves were fun to play in.
We left Jenny and AJ’s first thing in the morning on the morning of the 17th. It was techically only supposed to be a 5 hour drive, but it took us about 7 hours by the time we stopped for lunch and potty breaks. We got to our new place in Fort Myers with plenty of time to do some shopping and go swimming in the community pool though. It was so much fun!
Because of some scheduling conflicts, we stayed in a temporary condo for 3 nights. Although not ideal, we didn’t mind living temporarily for a few days. Plus it gave us some time to embrace and appreciate the community from two different homes.
On Sunday, June 20th (Fathers Day), we moved into our new place. It’s BEAUTIFUL. Here are some pics from this week. We have a great view from our screened in porch, a great place for our school supplies, and incredible wildlife views. The three little ones are in bunkbeds again (which they prefer) and Miranda and Sadie share a room. The master bedroom is the biggest room I’ve ever been in! This is going to be a hard place to leave, so we are enjoying each second.
The greenery and trees here are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. There are blooming trees and flowers and bushes everywhere. Incredibly beautiful. We are about 6 miles from the beach in a secluded subdivision. There’s a guarded gate and the HOA is excellent by keeping the grounds and rules in tact. It’s quiet and family friendly here.
On Fathers day after we moved into our new house we took Aaron out to dinner and icecream. It was a great day.
This is a great area with multiple things for families to do. The shopping centers are closeby and aren’t too crowded. It’s obviously a place that tourists come, but it is much more of a permanent home for locals than Davenport/orlando area. Everything is slower paced and more “beach time” that we love.
This week we went to the library and target during some rainy weather. The library is quite large with excellent selection and helpful staff. Target was quiet and we enjoyed some “self control” practice while Sadie shopped.
We’ve started to connect with families here too. There’s one family in particular that lives right across the street. The daughter is 7 and our little ones are having tons of fun with her.
Overall this location seems to have excellent opportunity for relationship connections and plenty of opportunity to spread the love of Jesus.
Also in the news is the GYM! Aaron, Miranda and Sadie have joined a gym that is within biking distance (we have 3 bikes at this location). They’ve been going nearly every day and are building connections there.
In fact, regarding the gym, we have some GREAT news!!! Miranda has decided to pursue a career as a personal trainer! We have purchased and begun her process to be a certified trainer and nutritionist. By the time she graduates highschool next year she will have her certification in multiple areas. She will be able to get a well paying job anywhere with her credentials and will love every second. This clear direction is such an answer to prayer for her. Thank you to all who are praying!
Since Miranda has made this excellent decision, we’ve been encouraged to look into some career ideas for Sadie post graduation (2 years). It’s exciting because she has the world at her fingertips! There are many programs available for highschool students to prepare for their futures, so please keep her in your prayers as we pursue new ideas for her junior/senior year.
Speaking of MIranda, she just started a new job at 5 guys today. She wasn’t as excited as I was, but I think it will be a great opportunity for her.
So what’s going on with Sadie? She is KILLING it with school! Since she has started working out at the gym, she has motivation like never before – and she’s cramming her school so she can be done in 2 weeks. She wants to get a job at our next stop in August.
So what is the plan for this location and our ministry? How can you join us in prayer?
We are seeing a need for family interaction in this area. Child training, love, encouragement and parent involvement are all things that we are noticing. We are also seeing a lot of lonely, working parents who are in a similar stage of life as we are – which is SOOO our jam! We love telling people about Jesus, but it is our favorite when it’s with people we can connect to on a personal level: Family people.
We are also still looking for a church to connect with. There are a couple that are within 30 minutes of where we are staying, but we were hoping for something closer. However, even if we don’t connect with a church on a deep level like we did in Davenport, God is going to use us here for sure. Please pray for opportunity and boldness.
1 thought on “Hello Fort Myers”
Love hearing your updates! Here at GFF we are focusing on finding a Youth Group Leader for the fall. Tim Freeman finally retired from leading the teens and they are big shoes to fill! When Big Ticket came to Gaylord, Neshama performed and Becky Mason was able to see family! Fun Times! Take care and God bless!