How we are, what we're doing, etc etc

Im sitting here in the quiet of our living room thinking of the silliest phrase... "wherever you go, there you are".  I don't know if that one is common knowledge, or if it's native to my family.  You see, before I got married, at one of my showers, my mom and aunts all wrote words of wisdom down for me on a large poster board.  There were some real gems on there like, "never vaccum naked", and "don't go to bed angry", but the one I have laughed at the most was "wherever you go, there you are".  You would have to know my family to understand any of them, and certainly understand that the majority of them were jokes.  Laughter is the best medicine after all, and my family has survived many a tragedy under the prescription of laughter, and by the grace of God.  But when I think of that particular quote, I can't help but think that I haven't actually been living with that mindset.  For the longest time, I've been waiting for something else.  I haven't been living in the present.  So in reality, even though Im HERE, Im not here.  I never would have thought that almost eleven years ago, when Steven and I got married, I would get stuck living in the future.  Some people live in the past, but I've been thinking about how things will be for so long that I haven't been giving enough attention to the way things actually are.  Comic relief turned life lesson. 
So we're here, in Shreveport Louisiana, and I've decided to be here.  Really here.  I'll be living in the now, from now on.  No more thinking is residency ever going to end?  No more wondering if we are ever going to stop living paycheck to paycheck.  No more wishing that John Abraham was already out of diapers so that I won't have to get on the floor a hundred times a day to change him.  Ok, that last one was a fib.  I am SO ready for him to be out of diapers.  Seriously, its time.  From now on, with some serious prayer and knowledge gained from life experiences, Im going to attempt to be here, to be me, and to be ok with all of it.

By the way, I don't vaccum naked.

Enough about me.  This is supposed to be about how we are doing.  Steven has adjusted to life as a fellow rather well.  Of course he has, he loves surgery and he's great at it.  Besides the fact that he is an awesome employee and has the best work ethic known to mankind, he is a gifted surgeon and is making this his ministry, not just his career.  I too have adjusted well to our fellowship year.  I think Shreveport has alot to do with that.  You can truly get anywhere in this city in 15 minutes or less, which is a huge change from Birmingham, where you can't get anywhere in under 30.  So now, when Steven gets off work at 5:00, he's home at 5:10 instead of 6:30.  I've spent more time with him in these past two months than an entire year of residency.  Thank you God for sending us to Shreveport.  It is exactly what we needed.  Isn't God good that way?
The kids are loving it here.  Our apartment complex has a pool, so Ive got water babies.  And our first month here was sort of like being on vacation, so they have associated Shreveport with eating out, which of course they love.  Every day Sarah asks what movie we are going to watch and where are we going to eat.  We've created monsters. 
I've been trying to prepare Madelyn for school.  She and Sarah both start on August 18th, and I cannot believe that my sweet little Maddy will be in school.   I try not to get bitter at residency for stealing the joy of my middle childs entire first five years of life from my memory.  Oh Lord let me cherish every second of the remaining.
John Abraham has regressed a bit.  He was completely potty trained before the move, now... not so much.  He just better be glad that I think he's so cute, and that I'm completely wrapped around his stubby little finger. 

Our life and times in Shreveport, may they be full of joy, and void of diapers.