The Moberg Family

Month: August 2019

  • 2019 First Days of School!

    2019 First Days of School!

    Well another school year is off to the races! We had some bittersweet changes this year. Last year our beloved little 2-day-a-week school made some (really positive) changes. Namely, they are now requiring students to attend 3 full days and, for various reasons, it just wasn’t a great fit for our family. I think the school is heading in a fabulous direction and we were all a little (or a lot!) heartbroken that we could see God didn’t have us on that path. We had many months of WONDERING, praying, researching, visiting…trying to discern where the Lord was leading us next. And, as He always does, He provided a really, really sweet combination of school options for us. So, the kids are attending two different one-day-a-week schools and, like usual, we are homeschooling the other three. One day is pure enrichment and one day is a very small classical Christian community that’s set up like a co-op. So despite the fact that we (all!!) miss doing school with our dear friends from our last school, we have been so extraordinarily blessed and thankful that the Lord provided something new and special.

    As for me, I have never been so happy homeschooling…although I’ve always loved it, the curricula I have this year is a much better fit for me and for the kids. I will admit that the first week felt a bit like my first year of teaching all over again (except about 1,000 times less stressful, ha!) in the sense that every single subject has a new curriculum and we’ve added a good five subjects to our day! Whew!

    The other interesting thing about this school year is that we bumped the kids up a grade for the Christian co-op we’re a part of, but they’re still in their “normal” grade on the enrichment day. It’s a long story…and although I feel pretty confident that we made the right decision in doing that, it is really hard for my brain to remember what grade they’re in! “What day is it? Okay, so what grade are you in today??” Hahaha!

    P.S. Assuming I did my math right…the kids both grew OVER an inch this summer!!! Is that even possible?? Although I record their heights at the beginning and end of each school year, I don’t think I’ve ever taken the time to do the math to see how much they have actually grown. I was floored.

    Here’s our sweet girl, as excited as ever for the school year!

     

    And here’s our mighty man!

    I tried to shape their bacon into their grade level…

    Lest you think it’s always peaches and roses around here…seconds after taking this lovely photo of the two of them, Selah squeezed Elliott just a liiiitttttle too hard… One of them isn’t too happy about it…I’ll let you guess which one.

    And here are some shots from their OTHER first day of school when they are in their OTHER grade levels…

    And here are their self-portraits from the first day of homeschool…

    I must point out that Elliott drew himself in something OTHER than overalls!! My parents got him a shirt with turtles on it and it is officially his absolute favorite shirt of all time. If he didn’t have to wear a collared shirt for school, he would have definitely worn his turtle shirt for his first days. Look closely at his self-portrait and find all the turtles on his shirt… And raise your hand if you can spot the turtle crawling onto his foot…

     

    Happy new school year, Everyone!!

  • New Mercies Monday: 10 Years

    New Mercies Monday: 10 Years

    Y’all. Brian and I have officially been married a decade!! Fireworks, please!!!!

    We celebrated the big 10 on August 8. Wow. As some of you know, it was my dream to have a 10 year anniversary celebration party and invite all of you but, alas, my plans are often not the Lord’s! Besides the fact that you know I love throwing a fun party, I really wanted to take the time to CELEBRATE what THE LORD has done in us and through us in these 10 years. It is worth taking time to celebrate!! So instead of throwing a party, we got a few days away together (in Washington, nonetheless!) to reminisce, to ponder, and to look forward. And, I wrote Brian a poem. Because you all know writing is how I process everything. He called it the “Iliad and the Odyssey all rolled into one” so apparently I’m still long-winded. But, come on! It’s been 10 years!! A lot has happened!!!

    If you are reading this you are most likely one of our dearly beloved friends or family members. YOU have been a big part of how the Lord has sustained us and grown us these last 10 years. THANK YOU for standing with us throughout our marriage and loving us!

    As I pondered the last decade, I couldn’t help but think about how we met each other at sea level, and here, 10 years later, the Lord has brought us to the mountains…with SO.MANY valleys, twists, and turns in between. We could have never, ever made it this far without the Lord’s new mercies to us EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness and goodness to hold our marriage together. 

     

    10 Years of Marriage

    “I do,” I did and what I didn’t know

     

    Our journey began at the ocean
    Promising to love with heart, soul and mind
    Now ten years later He’s brought us to a mountain
    After many valleys and hills, hand-in-hand we have climbed

     

    I didn’t actually know what that “I do” promise entailed
    Though I meant it with all of my heart
    I committed to you in the fear of the Lord
    And was more than ready to fulfill my part

     

    But I didn’t know how much I would fail
    At this God-given task I had waited years for
    I didn’t know how much dying it would entail
    And how it would draw me to Him more and more

     

    I didn’t know when we said, “for better,”
    All the gifts God had in mind on us to bestow
    Our first-born son Elliott and precious Selah as our daughter
    Have been the best “betters” of our lives beyond what we could have known

     

    I didn’t know when we said, “for worse,”
    What pain that word would really encompass
    Cradling our breathless babies was a path we had to traverse
    And now we await the reunion in Heaven with our two littlest

     

    I didn’t know when we said, “for richer,”
    That money would not be the primary meaning
    Rather the body of Christ has made our hearts fuller
    All our friends and family who, with love, are surrounding

     

    I didn’t know when we said, “for poorer,”
    That our lack and our need would come in so many forms
    So at the beginning of each day we go to Him in prayer
    And ensure seeking His kingdom first is the daily norm

     

    I didn’t know when we said, “in sickness,”
    The overwhelming way it would impact our days
    And I didn’t know how profoundly we’d see His goodness
    And how we’d learn how much higher, indeed, are His ways

     

    I didn’t know when we said, “in health,”
    How much we would thank Him for each God-given day
    Every breath, every step is our treasured wealth
    Every victory, together, is gratitude on display

     

    I didn’t know how much we would disagree
    On sometimes what’s seemed like everything
    I didn’t know when something appeared so clear to me
    That you could have a completely different hankering

     

    I didn’t know how different we could possibly be
    Male and female He definitely created us
    But it’s because of these differences that you so perfectly complete me
    And the grand design of God I’m learning to trust

     

    Yet I didn’t know how much we would agree
    Some subjects have been natural and easy
    But others have been won with hard-fought victory
    Thanks be to God, He has given us true unity

     

    I didn’t know when we decided to marry
    The vast number of decisions and choices there would actually be
    But I married a man whose convictions would strengthen daily
    To pursue holiness, to value life, to love—forever—only me

     

    I didn’t know we would call 8 places “home”
    Spanning 3 different countries and 6 unique cities
    In total, 25 cars and trucks, 3 houses would we own
    And now a kitchen sink facing water on our 40 acres

     

    I didn’t know what an incredible father you would be
    And how much joy you would find in instructing in righteousness
    That teaching our kids the Word would be such a high priority
    And in word and in deed, loving them with such boldness

     

    I didn’t know the various things you would help me learn to appreciate
    Faithful flossing and the thrill of four-wheeling are two
    My preferences now are SUV’s, trucks and the house cooled to 68
    But above all, most importantly, finding a ridiculously good value

     

    I didn’t know what a massive undertaking it would be to be my husband
    If I’d known how much I was going to cost, I’d have said, “It couldn’t be true,”
    Yet when through tears I share with you (and your gray hair) this sentiment
    You smile kindly and hold me tightly and say, “But I have you.”

     

    I didn’t know how very much I would need you
    I didn’t know you would—literally—catch me when I fall
    Your vision, strength and sacrifice in all that you do
    Your godly perspective and wholehearted love that embodies it all

     

    You see, I didn’t know when I said, “I do”
    How much choosing I would do every single day
    Yet still, with overwhelming joy, I do choose you—to love only you
    Still I do choose to live with you in an understanding way

     

    I didn’t know our love could withstand the fires and come out so very strong
    We know it never could have, save the love of Christ we’ve been given
    Some One wise once said that two are better than one
    Yes, but a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

     

    We couldn’t have known who we would need
    The perfect mate to help us follow God, remain true
    We couldn’t have known, but, in faith, we followed His lead
    And God, oh yes…God…He certainly knew.

     

    To Him be the glory for these 10 years! Amen.