Roller Coaster of Life

This month has been more than a roller coaster of emotions. From our first buyer on the house backing out and another one starting the process, to our BIG decision to move to the mainland for a year (or so) to help Jaseboards expand to a very HUMBLE Christmas and blessings from many others.

Coming to Utah for the Holidays was more than just a family visit, and selling our house was purely INSPIRED. If you would have asked us about moving off island, any day I would have said NO WAY! But the Lord has ways of changing your paths and humbling your ways. We felt that selling our house was the perfect way to get out of debt and really focus on Jaseboards and hopefully be able to get the property in Hau’ula that we’ve been eyeing for some time. Well the plan was to rent for a year after selling and save money.
    When we came to Utah this Thanksgiving, it felt different. Every time we have come in the past, we have always had a pull to return home to Hawaii and take in deep breaths of the ocean breeze. For some reason this time in Utah just felt a little different, not quite like this was our new home…but we felt more comfortable being there.
     A week after being in Utah, we were excited that our house was reaching the final stages of escrow when we got the news that our buyer was pulling out. UGH, what a gut wrenching feeling, the feeling that we put too many eggs in this basket and it just dropped and CRACK! Well luckily there has been lots of interest in our house. So we started the process again, excited that this sacrifice of selling our Hawaii home was the gateway to a less stressful life.
   During the next weeks of adventures in Utah, visiting with Family and prepping for the Holidays, Jase REALLY kicked butt at the Costcos. He came out to really make an impression on the Utah Costcos and sure enough he made a HUGE one! They liked him, people liked his products and we all felt that this was the beginning of another adventure. After much discussion, we realized that in order for Jase to really expand the brand to the mainland, HE himself has to be there. I know that he is the one needed to make this same impression on other states and regions. So this idea of expanding the brand has its sacrifices and the BIGGEST one is to move to the mainland. Moving would NOT be permanent and in fact we hope it is just for a few short years. Our hearts are in Hawaii and we know that Laie is home, but we welcomed a new adventure.
      With this new adventure came a flood of ideas, details, and many to do lists. But before we could dive into that, we have to take this life one day at a time. So Jase worked super hard at the Utah Costcos and we had many fun Cold Winter Adventures. The kids loved the snow, they loved seeing the Temple Square lights, singing Christmas songs, drinking hot chocolate, snuggling in blankets watching Christmas movies and especially just hanging around Grandma & Grandpa.
       As Christmas got closer  we knew because of the situation we were in, we weren’t able to give the kids a big Christmas and I think they were ok with that thought because we got to spend Christmas with family. We were humbled knowing that we couldn’t give them what most kids would be getting for Christmas this year. And that is when it happened; we were flooded with generosity from every corner. It came in many forms; an unexpected Christmas Cards with money, random gifts given from neighbors and old friends, hand-me-downs from cousins to A lovely Church member dropping off a surprise because She just felt she needed to.
      During this roller coaster we have really felt the love of our Heavenly Father during this trying time. And so it is, another adventure begins for the Bennetts.