thelen's on the move

it seems like i was just blogging about our big move to hawaii. yet, it also seems like so much has happened since then. coen is pretty much an adult now, and we created another human that is almost 3! we have been on the big island for about 5 years, and it has been quite an adventure! i personally have had highs and lows while living in the middle of the pacific. i feel overwhelmed when i think about the relationships i have here. so many loving and sweet souls that really filled the void of leaving everything i knew behind. yet a constant pull in my heart to be closer to all the people we love on the mainland. God has blessed us beyond measure. all the doubts i had about living in Hawaii He banished, and provided more than i could have hoped. while i would go through seasons of being done and ready to leave, the reality now is that this really did become our home. we will for always carry parts of this season with us as we continue on. i am most grateful for each and every person i have met thru this season. i try to think about what if we didn't come to Hawaii, and i just can't imagine not knowing and meeting all the people i have. each person is so unique and so different and has in some way shaped the type of person i am today. i am thankful that i had a chance to widen my circle of relationships and stretch myself beyond my own comfort level. i am humbled that God trusted us with this adventure.

and so it goes, we are thankful to announce that we are relocating back to washington state in the upcoming year. hopping back across the pond, but we will always have sand in our pockets.

this picture is from when we told coen about the move.

he exclaimed, "life is so much better!"