We are here!
So it has been a couple weeks (almost 4) with no computer…
just my phone, so I haven’t been writing.
There is good and bad to that. The good: you guys didn’t get and
emotional, weepy blogpost everyday for the first week and a half we were here…
I was sick, sad… and it was rough. So I guess I spared you all from falling
into deep depression along side me… you’re welcome. :) The bad news is: you are
about to get a long (yet abbreviated, since it is 2 weeks of
“happenings”)blogpost that is flooded with pictures!
The Trip
Here:
Surprisingly… way easier than I thought. The kids did great in
the car, and so did Lily. She spent most of her time standing with her head on
Eric’s shoulder (which he didn’t seem to mind).
We took 2.5 days to get here… so only about 4,500 “Are we there yet?”
phrases were uttered in that time. :) Addi was still sick from a UTI on the
first day, but to her normal self by the next day. Landen’s tooth that was
fixed before we left got infected on the last day of travel… more to come later
on that. But other than that, smooth sailing. I cried a little everyday, but
that is just the normal right now, so I won’t put too much emphasis on it.
Week One:
The kids are doing GREAT! They have taken it on like a new
awesome adventure. I am so thankful for that. There have been several times
mentioned about people they miss, but thus far, no tears. There are kids next
door that they have become instant friends with, which helps. We live in the
country now (hard to imagine since we are moving to “D.C.”) which comes with
lots of wildlife and bugs. They love that deer come into our yard almost every
single day (usually during breakfast or dinner). They have caught, kept for a
day, and released 2 turtles now. Blackjack and Little Boxer… turtles really
enjoy grapes in case you need a “go to” food for your next turtle. :)
The boxes seem to be multiplying over night. I have been sick,
so the unpacking is going rather slowly. Eric is taking care of all the big
projects and assembling things. The kids are making things work and trying to
make it feel like home, even with minimal boxes unpacked.
When we got to the box with money jars, the kids were dying to
spend some money they hadn’t seen in a month. So while I was grocery shopping,
they went with dad to spend their money.
Sending them with Dad to spend money, that was not my wisest decision.
Dads sometimes like to encourage things that Moms have to be the enforcer of.
So the boys bought sling shots. Lord help me. But they love them and they are
keeping them busy. Addi bought a baby and named her Chloe and totes her around
everywhere. Eleni is saving for a bike.
The packing paper is getting a lot of good use. We have rabbit targets
for the slingshot enthusiasts and an unending amount of paper for the girl that
will draw rainbows until her arms fall off.
So when you know zero people in a town you just moved to and
you have a kid that has a hurting, infected tooth/teeth… you just start driving
around looking for a pediatric dentist, make sure they are in your network, and
pray like crazy that they will do a good job. Long story short, we found a
place and I super love it. Very kid friendly, and the dentist never once made
me feel like a horrible parent… which is a huge plus. They have movies in the
ceiling and nitrous oxide… what more could a kid ask for. :)
Week Two:
We went to church. It is really hard to find a new church when
you come from somewhere you love. We are having trouble finding a Christian
church in our area that doesn’t have some sort of denomination attached to it.
So you all can be praying for us to find a good church home, that will be key
to us/me feeling at home I think. We had
a couple with kids come say hello to us, and then the next day ran into them at
the library. Totally divine intervention…
God knows that we need to make connections, so He so perfectly
orchestrates that for us.
The Calvary arrived on Monday night. Eric’s dad flew in to
help with some big projects that I couldn’t do. Well… I could… but I don’t know
that I would still be married if I did. We were super blessed to get a
playground for free! One of those, you come pick it up and move it and it’s
yours. So I helped with the take down/load on the trailer part… that was enough
to know I should not help with the rebuilding/restructuring of the new play
set. So Papa was here and helped with
all the big projects for the week. It was hard to see him go. Not going to lie…
there were tears shed.
We had a little break (or made a little break time) for the
kids to enjoy the “beach” for a bit. Its
not the ocean, it’s the bay. But it has sand and water, and that is all they
want. So happy kids is what we wanted… we had them.
The kids are writing friends and loved ones to tell them about
their new adventures and how much they miss them. I am trying to hold it
together. :)
Slowly but surely things are getting unpacked and in their new
spot. I’m feeling better this week, which really helps. Back to a morning devotional , not eating out
all the time, and exercise routine also helps. It is amazing how God is so
great to literally put in words for me to read, exactly what I need to hear at
that time. I am struggling. This is way harder than I thought it would be. I
have not had a day go by that I have not cried since we pulled out of the
driveway. But I know this… God is an amazing God that has an amazing plan. It
is my responsibility to embrace it, and make the journey part amazing.
Thanks for joining me on the journey!
