I started to title this post the “where ya been?” edition or the “I’m still here” edition or the “moving” edition or the “chaos” edition, but I’m choosing to focus on the bigger picture here. 🙂
So, it has been exactly one month since we turned over the keys to our home of sixteen years to a young family of three. Astonishingly, this happened on our sixteenth wedding anniversary, so it was sixteen years to the day that Steady Eddie and I had moved into our home. Here’s what Steady Eddie had to say about it in what might be the sweetest FB status update there ever has been (well, to me, anyway 😉 ):
16 years ago on this same night Amy and I walked into this house as Mr. and Mrs. ———- with our Ford Thunderbird and Beretta GT. Tonight we walk away with four children, our Ford Windstar and Dodge Grand Caravan and many wonderful memories and turn this home over to another sweet couple. A bittersweet day but I am so thankful to God for blessing my life with Amy. I look forward to our new memories in our new home and I am so thankful to share them with my beautiful Amy.
This month, and the weeks before it, have been full of more work and chaos and tears than I ever imagined. I don’t think I really understood what it meant to move before we embarked on this journey. After all, when we moved into our first home, we had practically nothing, and we’ve accumulated a considerable bit more than nothing since. In addition to the difficulty of moving has been the disruption of routine, and we’re still working on getting that back. God’s blessing has been on our family in countless ways, though, a few of which are
- childcare! Nana kept all four children daily for several weeks so that we could work without hindrance or worry. Not only did she keep the kids, she also put us up at her home for quite a while, washing our laundry and cooking our meals, while our new home was being worked on.
- help! My daddy has almost singlehandedly painted the entire main living area of our home, which is about 2000 square feet. Steady Eddie and I helped a little, and my uncle also helped on several of the rooms. Daddy, Steady Eddie, and my brother-in-law also cut, hung, and painted crown moulding in every room except the kitchen, dining room, my office, and the boys’ room. My mother came daily for a couple of weeks and helped with the unpacking. In addition to this, we had the help of friends.
Now that we’ve been here, I am beginning to see what a huge blessing the house itself is and will be in the future. We had to do quite a bit of work to it (with more still to do), so it was hard to see this through all the work and angst. Now that we’re more settled and have actually begun to hang things on the walls (and most of the books are shelved), I can see it.
It’s about twice as big as our first home. On the ground floor we have about 2000 square feet, about the same as our first home. However, our new-to-us home has a full, finished basement, which is a little less than 2000 square feet.
- The basement is a huge blessing. This is where our school room/rec room; the girls’ Lego, sewing, and art hideout; our library; a good bit of storage; the laundry room; and a full bathroom are located. Another blessing in this is that now we have a place to hide out from severe weather in. Considering the fact that we live in a very tornado-prone area (and we had an EF-1 tornado hit within blocks of our other house last year, plus a couple touched down near our new home last week), this is a pretty big deal.
- We have a huge, light, airy kitchen and dining room. They are open to each other and just feel so spacious.
- Our living room is big, and one of its walls is composed almost entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows. For someone who loves natural light, this is a big blessing.
- We live in a super quiet neighborhood. It’s a big neighborhood, but at night you’d almost never know you were surrounded by lots of houses instead of just. . . crickets.
- We have a large backyard.
- We have a two-car carport, and as of this afternoon, it’s actually junk-free enough for both cars to be parked in it. 🙂
- We have three bathrooms, which is great for a family of six.
I could go on, but I won’t. I hope this doesn’t come off as boasting or bragging. What I’m really trying to do is thank God for his blessings and have something to remind myself when the 4000 square feet feel more like a curse than a blessing. 😉
In other news, well, not much has been happening. 🙂
- The girls have continued piano lessons this summer, and they have also been going to a weekly sewing class taught by a retired teacher (whom I used to teach with) who also happens to be a professional seamstress. They’ve really enjoyed that, especially since some friends from our co-op have also been in the class.
- They’ve been reading a lot–Lulu has read and re-read her favorites, while Louise has been on a nonfiction (especially biography) kick.
- I’ve been listening to podcasts a lot. My favorite during this move has been A Slob Comes Clean. It has helped me stay motivated regarding getting (and trying to keep!) our home in order.
- I’ve finally gotten back in a shallow groove (but still a groove!) with reading. I’m hoping to publish my review of Homesick by Jean Fritz in the next few days, and right now I’m pretty engrossed in Go Set a Watchman. Have you read it?
- The next few weeks promise more of the same: lots of housework, punctuated by trips to the pool, church, shopping trips, and trips to the library. Louise will be attending an art camp next week, which means we have to get up and out the door fairly early every single day. This will be a good motivator for me to get on the ball with our homeschool plans. 😉
What’s new with you?
Loved reading this. Gives me hope as we pack and pray for a buyer for our home.
Don’t forget we have a pool and it is open for you to bring those babies and play sometime.
Packing is taxing and leaving is hard. Memories flood me as I pack. Stan and I Joined our family here and so it will be hard to leave but also looking forward to our next step.
Hope to see you in August at book club.
Enjoy this new journey and make new memories.
God is so good.
Love what Shannon posted about your move. It was sweet.
Happy days ahead
Lisa
And by the way please ignore all the grammar errors above
Haha
I threw my red pen away a long time ago! 🙂
Congrats on the new house! What a sweet comment from your husband. Maybe we’ll have to head back to Alabama to visit your new house. 😉 We moved about 5 years ago and I totally get the feeling of knowing it’s a blessing but also sometimes being overwhelmed by all the chaos. At the time I told H. that I wanted to grow old with him. IN THIS HOUSE. Not that the house is necessarily my dream house, but I never want to have to deal with moving again.
Glad you are getting settled.
Oh my – I’m sure that would be very difficult, moving after 16 years (and 16 years accumulation of stuff!) I’ve moved about every 2-3 years since graduating from college, so that’s given me lots of practice, but I’m still dreading the next move (which will be our first since we got married). Moving gives opportunity to start fresh, and makes me want to get everything sorted and organized and all that – but it can be awfully hard to do in reality.
What a wonderful thing, though, to have more space and a BASEMENT. That was a nonnegotiable when we started talking about building. I wouldn’t raise a family in Kansas (or Alabama) without one!
The first time we moved we’d only been married 8 or 9 months. The next time…we’d been married five years and had huge amounts of STUFF. Now I can’t even imagine moving.
We have about 2000 sq feet with an unfinished/junk-filled unfinished basement. Someday…
Congratulations on settling into your home.
Your new home sounds like a WONDERFUL and AMAZING blessing! One filled with a lot of hard work but one that is definitely worth it! I am so happy for you! I think new homes are exciting, although it’s always sad to leave the place where you’ve made so many awesome and important memories.
God’s timing in moving you into and out of your old home is just incredible. And that FB post was so sweet.
Yay for all of these, even if it is filled with a little (a lot of?) chaos. The pictures you shared look lovely. Revel and enjoy, my friend! Enjoyment is A-Ok and you do not at all sound like you are boasting. Do enjoy!
Thank you to Carrie (& everyone else!) for all the well-wishes! God is good!