It has been a crazy two weeks. We packed up the U-Haul on a Wednesday (with the help of my brother, dad, and step-mom-they were awesome!). We slept in sleeping bags on the floor of our old home that night. It was not at all comfortable. But I would not have stayed anywhere else :) The next morning Aaron got donuts and we ate our last breakfast on the kitchen floor. It was wonderful. We heard a knock on the front door. It was a little girl from next door. She wanted our new address. I could see that she was a bit upset. She has become a great friend to my kids. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and her little sister. My heart was breaking when I saw her little lower lip tremble. My kids do the same thing when they are upset.
Later that morning we said our final goodbyes to our old home. We knew it would be hard to leave, but it wasn't really sinking in that we would not be coming back. We spent the last 8 years of our life coming and going from that point. Could any place else really be home? We were about to find out.
The kids enjoyed a morning at Aunt Leah's while Aaron and I attended both closings. After the second closing we picked up the kids and headed to our new home. We were all very excited. The U-Haul was on its way, things were going to get crazy. Dad and my brother came to help unload and set up furniture. Without them we would not have been able to make this move. It is wonderful to have loved ones! A friend of mine brought all her kids to help us unload. She then started unpacking my kitchen for me. In no time at all it was completely set up and functional. So much stress just left at that moment. The hardest part for me was going to be setting up the kitchen. She did it all, far better than I would have :)
In two days the house was unpacked and everything was put away. By the end of the next week the garage was organized. We still have a few things to pick up from Aaron's parents, but other than that we are moved in!
Our last home was a whopping 1000 square feet with ONE bathroom. Our new home is quite a bit larger with more than one bathroom! I am happy to be in a bigger space. I know my family fits physically better here. But I have shed many tears.
We LOVED our old home. The cul-de-sac was ideal for playing outside. The neighbors were wonderful. I miss them so much. We knew the sounds perfectly. I could tell who was pulling in or out by the sound of the engine. The sounds at our new home are...new. I don't know any of them. My new neighbors are all very nice. But my old neighbors, they have my heart.
So many times I have regretted this move. We are not the type of people that think bigger is better. We know a home is not a building. We would be happy living anywhere. Which is why I wonder if we should have moved. We left behind people we adore. People that have shared a part in our life for 8 years. They watched my kids grow up. Cheered them on when they learned to ride their bikes. We shared so much. It is so hard to walk away from that.
Although at times my heart questions our decision to move. My mind knows that it was something that will be beneficial to us in the years to come. The kids are not getting any smaller, interest rates will go up after April, house prices are low. More importantly we feel that God has given us this home. We waited 3 months for our home to sell. During that time many people wanted to buy this home. But each and every time it fell through. God kept shutting those doors and opening them for us. It is wonderful to be in a place that God provided.
In time my heart will heal. We will make new memories in our new home. But we will never forget the home that we leave behind.
And it begins...
Loading up!
Grandma Sandy teaching Joshua all about horses :)
Kids blowing bubbles outside our new home.
Elliana and the newest member of our houeshold, Ben
Elliana unrolling the paper towels, she was "helping" :)
I love our basement. It is set up to be a place for my kids to create and make messes!
1 comment:
I had similar thoughts leaving our old home and especially our neighborhood. I had walked the streets to pray for the people who lived there, held Bible studies, formed friendships, and our kids were witnessing to a friend who lived two doors down. But God led me to Mark 1:38 where Jesus said, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also." And of course there's Acts 17:26-27 "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."
Enjoy God's sovereign gift to you. You'll make some great memories and have an opportunity to make an eternal impact for His sake.
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