Elk County meet the Rices

fHello Elk County!!! It's been 3 months and I can finally say that while it's constantly come and go we are settled in. I like it here, I actually do! And I truly believe that we are where God wants us and that is why every door opened just when needed when considering this move. 

Steve started working for John Lucks Logging Inc. in January, driving back and forth every weekend to be with us. He finally officially got hired around March and we started house hunting! Financially for us things were tight and it was hard knowing what to do because it's scary just putting yourself out there and taking that leap into insecure pastures so to speak. So we prayed. Asked God to open doors wide or close them so hard that we would have any doubts in either direction. And doors opened. I must say God is good and he opened doors and gave a way to make this move happen and for that I am truly thankful!!So Steve is now a skidder operator and he loves it, not sure its a life time career choice but for now he loves it and enjoys being out in the woods and having set hours to come and go daily.   

As for Trent and I, well I was very concerned for us at first. What would we do in such a small town?! Leaving my parents, Grammy and PopPop, leaving my friends, starting fresh. It was going to be hard. But it wasn't and it hasn't been. Yes I miss my parents and my friends but what a busy summer its been. Starting with finding a new church which we really like. WAY different from our huge 1600 seating LCBC church but to be honest we never really called that home anyways. Bible school which Trent loved. Camping, canoeing, vacationing in the Poconos, Preschool, traveling back and forth to Lancaster County to work and visit. This summer has been busy and so fun!! 

Everything hasn't been easy though. Since we've moved here we've had some family issues with Steve family here and some relationships have been put on hold. Its truly sad and heart breaking and I truly struggle with the loss of their relationship. I quickly learned that I can't fix everything no matter how hard I try and for me, the control freak and the fixer....that's SO hard! I've learned that apologies stink but that sometimes while we don't try it we offend people so we just need to apologize and hope they can find it in themselves to move forward but it doesn't mean that they will. I struggle with this daily with them and I constantly wonder when they will choose to mend our relationship and get back to the norm and be close again. I hate not being able to fix this and I need to just let that go and pray for God to heal this relationship because I can't. 

I guess like they say when one thing ends something else starts and while one relationship has temporarily come to an end our relationship with Steve's cousin, his wife and son has grown. We do everything together and we have such a great time. Tommy's son Jeremiah has put such an impression on Trent and it just makes me smile. They have made this move here so much easier. We do everything together and sometimes that means nothing at all and for some reason that's even fun. 

Oh and I must also mention our neighbors. WOW! I've lived in town before and I never wanted to be back in town every again! BUT we are and so far I love it! Our neighbors are so nice!!! I'm not the most trusting person, I keep my guard up. And I usually am not the person out chatting it up with random people, people like to talk and talk about everyone and everything and for me I'm better off just not knowing things. Anyways with that said they are neighbors from heaven...so far! Our one neighbor offers her pool, hot tub, blueberry\blackberry bushes to us and even offers to watch Trent. Our other one neighbor brings us tomatoes and Popsicles for Trent and even candy some days. Just genuinely nice people and I hope that never changes. 

So, so far life here in Elk County has been very good to us Rice's. No plans on moving any time soon.