Monday, November 21, 2016

I'm here, I'm here!!

Mercy, there is a lot of dust gathering on this page. Did you think I had left and was never coming back? Honestly.

There are reasons of course -- it wasn't that there haven't been things to say, I have no fewer than three drafts in my inbox proving otherwise. No, that isn't it. I have things to say but between speaking engagements -- which have been such an honor and a privilege -- from Colorado to Florida and even a hop over to Israel!! -- and a home-renovation and subsequent move, coupled with this stupid awful very bad election season, I have just been too tired to formulate cohesive sentences. Or at least too tired to coordinate cohesive sentences that weren't full of whiny frustrated emotions and adding to an already over-political newsfeed. So rather than hit "publish" on any drafts, I decided that perhaps the season called for being a "Thumper"...you know, if you have nothing good to say, then say nothing.

But I missed you. And I have things to say. And honestly, I can hardly process life without typing it out and sharing -- and oversharing...so here I am, back with my fingers poised on the keyboard in anticipation of letting the sharing begin.

Whew.

First, moving is hard. I am a seasoned-expert in moving, and really as such would assume that I am just so good at it that I make it look easy. Nope. Not even a little bit. Four kids. Two adults. And two dogs.  We accumulate a ton of stuff. A. Ton. Of. Stuff. And moving is hard. Renovating a house even harder.

Kitchen before.


Kitchen almost done.



Kitchen after renovation BEFORE move-in!


I actually hired a lady to help me organize. I told her I needed her to pack Little Red's room and help me organize it in the new house - Cate has great storage space in the new house and I want to ensure we maximize it!

The lady quit after a day. She said she couldn't go up all my stairs. (I'm sorry...I assumed she wouldn't be in the business of organizing if she wasn't up to some stairs....) I felt so mad at myself for seeking help and trusting her. And then, then, she criticized my parenting -- "This child has too many toys. I would never give a child so many toys."

I was sad and mad and overwhelmed.

I was sad someone would pass judgement on our parenting without even knowing how awesome my kids are. (And come on, I have FOUR kids...it does appear Cate has more toys than most toys stores but that is because she inherited ALL the triplets' stuff too!)

I felt mad that she would accept a job and then quit before she had really made a dent in the project.

And I was completely overwhelmed because without her help, I knew the majority of the move would fall to me -- hubby was busy at work, big kids busy at college, and that left me.

Foyer before.

Foyer after.



My sweet friends, however, saw a sweaty, overwhelmed friend and stepped in.

Paige came over one Sunday afternoon and worked to pack breakable pottery pieces and help me move them safely to the new house. She gave up her whole afternoon for me.

My friend's sister, NeNe came to discuss staging my house for sell and ended up staying to help me organize and move and then unpacked enough to surprise my kids and husband with a semi-settled home when they came in to the new house! (You bet that NeNe is no longer just the sister of my friend....I adore her!)

My Bible Study group came and moved the kids' closets and our pantry just so I wouldn't have to. How dear is that? They loaded their cars and moved clothes like a machine getting the kids' closets put away!



Family room -- with actual ROOM for Benjamin to drive around!


And still....I spent five hours there last Wednesday and again today trying to get the last bits packed up and out of that house. I swear our junk is multiplying in our absence. Cate used her first day of Thanksgiving break boxing and loading and unloading.

We aren't completely finished. The garage has boxes that we will have to move. But the house is empty tonight and clean and ready to go on the market. Sometimes being an adult is hard and requires tackling the ugly dirty sweaty jobs in order to make things better. And this move is doing just that -- the new house is more accessible, more use-able for our family. We have space for visitors -- something very important to me. And we have room for a certain Little Red to run and play and throw softballs!



A street in Jerusalem. My very favorite!

And sometimes being an adult means amazing friends who walk beside you, wonderful opportunities to share our story, and incredible experiences that make being 40-something the absolute best!

Happy Thanksgiving, dear ones! I won't be gone too long this time, I promise.



Carol - The Blessings Counter

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