Change of Plans

I've got bad news, good news and sad news.  Here we go...

The bad news:  Ross' company, Northrop Grumman, has been working to win a government contract to develop a rocket to send up satellites for the Air Force.  They've been working on the OmegA project for years.  We just found out a couple weeks ago that they did NOT receive the contract.  The program needs to be shut down quickly and their work will begin focusing on other projects.  (This is a bummer for the company, but Ross' job does not seem to be in any jeopardy.)  However, the OmegA project was funding our stay in Mississippi.  

So here's the good news:  We get to go home early! The kids are thrilled to see grandparents and extended family and all their friends.  They can't wait to swim in our clean pool and to play with ALL of their toys.  I'm ready to get back into my kitchen and my fully-equipped school room.  

But we are sad to leave Mississippi, too.  Especially earlier than planned.  We have developed some sweet friends here and still had a lot of places we wanted to see and things we wanted to eat :)  And the creek!  We have to leave our creek...

So our hearts are a mix of emotion right now.  Thankful for the time we had here; excited to see so many familiar faces; sad to say goodbye- not knowing if we will ever see these people again.

Please pray for sanity as I pack up this house and for safe travels home. It will be a different experience now, with Ezra being older and more active (and therefore less agreeable in the car seat) and the end-of-summer climate making for a much warmer drive.  Speaking of warmer, we have missed out on the hottest summer in Phoenix, but will be catching the tail end of it.  Meanwhile, we will be missing out on autumn here.  That is heartbreaking, too! 

Alas.  The Lord knows best and we will trust His timing in this moment, too. :)