The perfect ending to the most beautiful day

May 8th, huh?  

No coincidence that my last post was on May 8th when we started our journey east on May 10th.  So much has happened since then.  We have packed up all of our things, drove 2,500 miles, visiting family and loved ones along the way, have taken 2 trips to Pennsylvania (1 to celebrate a wedding, the other to celebrate Abby's graduation from 8th grade), celebrated Mothers Day, Fathers Day, 4th of July and a birthday, have *almost* unpacked all of our things, added a family member, renovated about 500 sq feet of vinyl into tile (still a bit more to do), and have sent Jeremy on 2 trips away from NC.

Still so much to do.  One more bathroom to change to tile, kitchen island to be installed and new kitchen countertops as well.  About half of the curtain rods and curtains are installed.  We are doing our best to try to fit into an old life with different twists.  The hardest part has been our intense sadness over leaving our lives in Yuma.  I miss the place.  I miss the people more.  Abby and I were talking the other day and she commented that it doesn't feel real that we no longer live in AZ.  I agree.  I often times wake up and have to remind myself that we aren't there anymore.  Our military friends and especially our church family there have left a huge gaping hole in our hearts and not a day goes by that we don't wish we were still with them.  I try to console myself with the fact that some of our best friends are moving as well (military life strikes again!), but there are so many wonderful people left that it is still hard.  We love being so close to PA that we can pretty much visit family at a whim.  We are definitely enjoying our new family member.  The new house is great.  Better than the last and it has been fun making it our home, but I miss the desert landscaping and gorgeous sunsets that AZ provided us daily.  We have been able to catch up with lots of "old" friends that we have met through both military life and church.  Rekindling those friendships is good too. Peace with this transition in life will come, but not without growing pains.  At least that's what I keep telling myself and my kids when they are blue.

Today, at the end of the day that is given to us as a gift from God, I was also given bit of peace as well. We had a nice relaxing evening, complete with yet another bowl of soup and sandwich (more on that later!) and another daily installment of thunderstorm and rain.  Abby commented that the sky was an odd color, so we all ran to the windows and this is what we saw:

A promise.  A promise of another day, one that I don't deserve.  A promise of God's love for me and the covenant that He has made with this earth and His people.  One day I will be with all of my family and friends with no limit on time or joy.  I look forward to that day.  Until then, I have no choice but to put on my determined face and accept with contentment the life that I have now.

I had never seen a rainbow that was a full arc before, and was completely taken aback by it's beauty.  I didn't even notice that it was a double rainbow!  Abby said she could see a fainter third rainbow between these two.  She has better eyes than I do, so I believe her.  It lasted so briefly and I am so glad we didn't miss it!

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come; I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.  Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind.  Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."  Genesis 9:12-16