One Month Away

In exactly one month from today David, Ryenne, & I will be on a plane headed to Hawaii. It's crazy how I can know in my head that the day is coming, but at the same time it doesn't feel real at all. Actually, it almost feels like it's pretend! I definitely find myself getting sentimental when we are out running errands around the city and I look up and see the big John Hancock towering over us, or when I look out our window and see tiny snowflakes fluttering about in the air, or when I bundle Ryenne up in coats and sweaters and blankets and socks before making a dash to the car in 30 degree weather. Just normal, regular, ordinary, familiar things. But this is home.
It's funny to think that although David and I are not city people, we do have a city daughter. Chicago is the only home she's ever known! Not that she's aware of it, but it's crazy that she doesn't know what the salty taste of the ocean is like, or the warm trade winds, or what a truly hot day feels like. All too soon her world around her is going to completely shift, and she probably won't even realize it!
Yesterday we all headed over to the pediatrician for Ryenne's 4 month well-visit and on the drive back we passed by our old apartment. I remember when I used to think about leaving that apartment, I would get so emotional and feel as if I was going to be leaving my heart behind. I did have warm feelings in my heart when we passed by as I thought of all the thousands of memories we'd made there, but honestly, I've finally come to the conclusion that I never really leave home behind. Home is wherever David and Ryenne are. You hear it all the time but sometimes it doesn't sink in until it becomes real to you: Home is where the heart is. And my heart is and always will be with those two.

It has been pretty crazy around here at the Graefs' apartment. David is finishing up his last few weeks of college and work, and has been pretty busy because of it! Thankfully, he did manage to get one night off a week (besides Sundays), and that has already proven to be very beneficial to his school load and our home life. David's last official day as a valet is December 6th. I know it's going to be a sad day when he leaves as he really loves his job. After that, we will be around Chicago for one last week as David finishes up projects/papers/finals and we finish selling furniture and packing. I've taken the tedious task of posting ad after ad on Craigslist, and we've already sold quite a few things! It kind of makes our apartment look a little lonely seeing things slowly by slowly disappear and our house get emptier and emptier. It'll be a slow process in Hawaii putting together a home again! But we are so grateful for the various hand-me-down furniture items that people have already been saving for us upon our arrival! We are literally coming back with nothing but the clothes on our backs and a half dozen suitcases, so anything is appreciated!
We are still working on housing and a job for David, but, as always, God is taking such amazing care of us! It is actually really exciting to be back in this position of sheer dependency on God to provide for our every need! We are reminded of how he took care of us when we moved to Chicago, and how our plans were so small and so blind and so incomplete compared to what HE had in mind! (You can read about some of those stories here and here!)
Please keep our family in your prayers! Here are some of our major prayer requests at this time:

• Pray for David as he finishes up his last semester here at Moody!
• We have a possible housing opportunity that we are really excited about, but please pray that all the details get worked out! We are excited to share with you however God does end up providing!
• David has applied to several jobs in Hawaii, and there is one position at a language school that we are really hoping that he gets into as it sounds like the perfect fit for him! However, as much as we think we know what would be best, we are trusting God that even if that doesn't work out, He has something better in mind.
• We are going to be furniture-less and car-less in Hawaii, so pray that God gives us wisdom with that whole process of acquiring all those things again! We plan to keep life pretty simple for a while, and are having fun being creative with that!

Despite so much that is unknown about our future, we are at peace resting in God's plan for our life as a family in Hawaii. We are really looking forward to this packing/moving/selling process here in Chicago to be over, and are so excited for Christmas when we are going to be with my mom and Lee and my sister and her family! It'll be such a great break from all the chaos!
As always, thank you so much for all the prayers. God sees us through every new chapter, and He has blessed us immensely with loved ones near and far who are devoted to loving, caring, and praying for our little family!
Much love,
The Graefs

Don't be fooled: this might look like us, but it's actually Clark Kent, Lois Lane, & a baby Kryptonite!
Taken a couple weeks ago on Halloween.