Living Large

If you ask my kids, they will say we're living like rock stars.  We've been in the hotel for 3 nights now and we are kind of settling into a routine.  Wake up (way too early), get ready for school, go downstairs to eat the hotel breakfast (annoying every other diner with our boisterousness), drive to school, come home from school, go swimming, go out to eat, get ready for bed.  What's not to like?!  All you parents out there can probably think of a few things not to like.  But really, it's not been so bad.  The boy and I manage to stay busy throughout the day and it's amazing how fast the time goes.  I'm just doing a lot of reading which I love so all in all, not so bad.

Tomorrow (Friday) I'm getting the girls out of school early and we'll all head on up to Grand Rapids to get our stuff situated in our new rental home.  It will be good to get out of this hotel for a couple of days and to have another adult around to help with the kids.  And it will be good to start settling in to our new place and not feel so displaced.

Our house closed without a hitch so there are new people living there.  I was not very emotional as we were packing and moving everything out.  But when I noticed my neighbors heading out to the lake, we stopped on over to say our final goodbyes to them.  They are great people but we've never been what you would call close to them.  I went to give hugs and that's when the tears almost fell.  Which goes to show that a house is just a thing but it's the people you will miss beyond measure.  Even though we built this house and made all kinds of improvements that made it our own, and we raised all our kids here and there were so many "firsts" here, I know that there will always be another house that we can make into a home and there will always be all kinds of firsts.  This journey will just become part of our collective story.

As will living large in our hotel, holed up together, on the edge of everything new.  Years from now, settled in our home with other firsts behind us, we'll sit around the table together telling stories that start with, "Remember that time in the hotel before we moved up here?"  And it will be a really good memory.

Shifting

We're a little over a week away from the movers coming and packing up all our stuff.  I have never been moved by a moving company before.  I feel so spoiled!  I suppose I should really start figuring out what I will need during our limbo time.  Our stuff is leaving our house on May 25th and the kids and I won't be moving up until June 7th.  We will be staying in a hotel with a pool in the interim. So I've had to figure out what to do with our sweet black mutt, what to do with our gazillion fish, what I need to have with me for those 2+ weeks, and what to do in general.  Because I realize that just because someone is packing and moving all my stuff, doesn't mean I have nothing to do. 

In between now and June 7th, we have a dance recital, a preschool program, a gymnastics meet and a piano recital (which should be interesting given that we will be without a piano after next Friday and the recital is on June 3!).  Not to mention a bunch of final goodbyes with friends.  I've had a few already and it just feels so weird.  Part feels like an ending but mostly it just feels like a "see-you-later" kind of thing.  I haven't gotten overly teary-eyed yet, which for those who know me, is amazing!  But I'm sure it will come. 

I'm sort of at the point where I just want it over and done with.  I've been adjusting to this transition since January and I'm ready for it.  Ready to get the goodbyes over with (and all the emotions that go with that).  Ready to settle in and start figuring out my place in the Rapids.  Ready to move on.  It's not where I started, but I'm thankful its where I am now.  Because, as they say, resistance is futile.  Change happens. 

For those inclined to pray and want to do so for me and us, here are some prayer requests:

• That I won't forget anything and stay on top of what needs to be done in this last week in our home.
• That I will have patience and actually enjoy my time with my kids in a hotel for two weeks.
• That God will be close to my friends who are having a hard time with me leaving.
• That God would help me to help my kids through this transition.
• That the Lord would be so present throughout this time that I will look back on it and say, "Wow, that was way easier than I expected!"

Blink Of An Eye

They say life changes in the blink of an eye.  So true.  Having lived 22 years in the "big city" I find myself on the brink of change.  In less than one month, my husband, my 3 kiddos and I will be moving to a "small town".  I grew up in a small town and never thought I'd find myself in one again, having always wanted the buzz of the big city.  But the reality is I live on the edge of the suburbs of this big city, my kids go to a country school, I very rarely find myself in the center of the big city and there's virtually no buzz about my life at all.  My life centers around my family, my friends and my God.  It's a simple and very good life.  And it will remain so, no matter my location.  Because I'm bringing my family with me, my friends will stay my friends despite the distance, and God goes with me whereever I am. 

Yet this change will be hard.  It will require faith and patience.  There will be sadness.  For some, change is an adventure.  For me, change is something to "get through".  So while I go through this, I'll share it with you.  The good, the hard, the crazy.  And soon I will be "through" to the other side of the blink.

Change, no matter how it comes, makes a good story.  Don't blink or you'll miss it!