Quick house pics...

Here are some pictures of our house. Please know that a few video tours will be up and coming, I'm just waiting until things are a little more settled. I'm mostly unpacked, with a few exceptions, and we're exploring and learning all about Edmond.

Thus far Benjamin and I have visited the zoo, joined the YMCA, went to Chick-fil-a for lunch, had lunch and played at a park near our house - all with friends! I signed up to do the OKC Memorial half marathon on April 25th. Yes, that's in 10 days. I'm not 100% sure what I was thinking, but I did it. I'm a little nervous, now that I'm thinking about it.

I'm looking forward to more exploring and sight seeing, but mainly I'm looking forward to all of the boxes being gone and our house being settled. Our days are spent sorting and playing and trying to nap. Mainly Benjamin because he left his (not very good to begin with) napping skills in PA. We'll get there as we all get more acquainted with our new home. Patrick doesn't come home for lunch anymore and that's kind of sad. We liked seeing him and it makes the days a little longer without him.

Speaking of Patrick. He's really liking the new job. He's pretty busy and there has been a lot for him to figure out, a lot of people to meet and a lot of meetings to attend. He's very optimistic and so far, it seems like a great fit for him! Praise God!!!

Breakfast area. Which is our every meal area. Someday (maybe tonight?!) those coats will not find themselves hanging over the chair. Instead, they'll be nicely hung on a wall rack in the laundry room.
Kitchen. You can see the laundry room and it's not very organized yet. So you don't get a closer look just yet :) Well, unless you come to visit. There are exceptions to every rule.
Master closet...most of it.
Precious little man. He finds pens and carries them around. Also, he likes to draw with them. And eat them.
Some of B's room...
Guest room...
Master...

Whew. Quick, I know. And not very thorough pictures. Patience, patience. :)

Here.

Here we are. Tired. Surrounded by boxes, only in a different house. Things have gone so well. The Lord has been and is so kind to us.

Just a quick update, though. We love our house. It's great so far. We've noticed things here and there that we don't like or want to change or fix. This is typical and fine. You know, it just feels like home here. I feel like I've lived in this house for months. The Lord definitely prepared me for this and I'm so grateful.

Our neighbors love Jesus and we just love that. Patrick talked to the guy over the fence. It was very "Home Improvement" of him.

My kitchen is unpacked and put away. Benjamin's room is also unpacked and mostly put away. There are boxes everywhere and we only have one utility knife. This makes for sneaky steals from one another. Which is fun when you're surrounded by boxes and going a little crazy :)

I didn't get lost going to the grocery store today. I can also successfully find the following without getting lost: Starbucks, Panera, Ann Taylor Loft, Troy and Amy's house, Ross/Bed Bath and Beyond/ Super Target (all in the same area). I would say that's pretty good.

I'm looking forward to sleeping in my bed tonight. Oh glory! I've missed that thing. Now, I'm going to make a path to the bedroom and work in there until I just can't stay awake any longer.

Packing and such

The movers are here. They are packing our lives into cardboard boxes. This and that, things we love, things we don't love. Everything into a box.

I didn't think we had a lot of stuff, but it seems that there are more boxes than I can count and they've only been here for two hours. There are still things on the walls and sheets on our bed. Maybe when those things have been packed into a brown box I'll realize we're leaving. It just hasn't sunk in yet.

I have spent most of my "free" time in the last week packing bags for us to live out of for the next week to 10 days. I have quite a large pile on our dining room table of things we need to have before we go. The couch is covered with toys and books and bags and coats, so they don't get packed. I am starting to dread packing the car. If I thought I felt unsettled before, seeing my home packed into hundreds of boxes just adds to the unsettledness.

I'm so tired today. Well, actually, I've been pretty tired the last ten days. I just can't get enough sleep, but there's never time to get extra. There are calls to make, bags to pack, food to use. I think I prefer moving across town, rather than across the country.

We've got a busy weekend planned and I'm looking forward to it. Going away party tonight, running a 10k in the morning, moving sale (of sorts) tomorrow afternoon, Easter and spending as much time as I can loving Indiana and my friends here.

I think I should go get a coffee.

Post 601

Today, whatever I write about, will be post number 601. Does that seem like a lot to anyone else? Obviously, I'm not short on words...ever. So here is my post.

I think I have mentioned before that my new years resolution was to embrace change. I think I've also said a time or two that I don't handle change well. I use to say I did, mind you. I would say, "I love change!", but I was lying to myself. I know this now and I'm over it.

In most circumstances change is really hard for me to deal with. I can look back over my 28 years of life and tell you when something has changed because I've gone loony, or got depressed, or freaked out. Really. Getting married, moving. Hard. Dad dying. Depressed. Moving again. More depressed. Fertility treatments. Loony, freaked out. Pregnant. Loony. Having a baby. All of the above. That's just the last six years.

Anyways. (I have a point!) I can tell that the Lord is working in my heart. I can feel it. I can see it. I love it! Coming from a dislike of change, to a resolution to embrace it, I've only seen grace upon grace. My life is so unsettled right now. So much is overwhelming and changing - daily. But, I think it's so exciting. I think it's incredible to watch the Lord work. I think I'm starting to embrace change.

Now, embracing change and enjoying change are not the same thing. Slowly, I'm learning to enjoy it. Today, for example, I realized that I really love that our house is on the market and we're preparing to move. Because it's what God has called us to, sure. Because I'm able to de-clutter, certainly. Mostly, though, it's because our daily routine is different - everyday.

There is always a showing during the day, but never at the same time. I still have errands to run, but not ever on the same day as before. I still have a baby to care for, a house to clean and a husband to serve and love, but now I do it to the best of my ability, amidst chaos and change and life happening all around me and with no control whatsoever. I like this, my friends, I really do.

Oh, this is just one more reason I know we're doing the right thing. Just another way God is showing up in powerful ways. Just a small way that He's showing me that stepping out in faith can be frightening and hard and breathtaking, but never dull, never without growth, and never, ever without more of Him.

Whew.

What a whirlwind these last couple of weeks have been. I'm trying desperately to recuperate from the insanity of our trip. There is just so much going through my mind, and my heart, right now.

This will be our first cross country move that isn't coupled with another huge life change. The first time around we got married. Move number two happened very shortly after my dad died. And now, third time is a charm...so they say.

I want to be mindful to grieve and mourn leaving the things here that I love. And my friends, I do love this place. I have deeper roots here than anywhere else and have grown and matured and learned here in ways that I haven't in other places (although this can be expected anywhere, I know). My time here in Indiana started off badly as I dealt with isolation, depression and loneliness. Moving and dealing with death alone was so hard, but so much has changed in just three and a half (short) years. Mainly, me.

Moving to OK will have it's challenges. My little boy will be one when we go and moving with kiddos, no matter the age, comes with difficulty and adjustment. Living in a larger city will be hard, at first. Not being able to walk everywhere or the ease of living in a small town will be strange. Before long, though, I'll love and appreciate the Super Target just a few minutes away and will deal with driving to the farmers market, rather than walking.

It's all about change. Embracing. Enjoying. Living without expectations. Just trusting the Lord in His sovereignty, in His wisdom, in His love. I'm praying that God will care for me tenderly and prepare me in beautiful ways as we pack and clean and gear up to leave Indiana, PA.