It's been a week... a long one. Last Sunday we said goodbye to our church and then headed home to pack up our stuff. So many of our friends, family, and neighbors came to help us cram our stuff into a yellow truck to head West.
It was an afternoon of tearful goodbyes, lots of joking, and finding out what to do with our stuff that didn't fit in the truck (that's a whole other story). We said our goodbyes the day before we left so that we wouldn't have to as we pulled out on the road.
As we stood in our empty home that we had worked so hard to create - my husband began to cry and we stood their holding on to each other. Not for a moment has he doubted that this is where God wants us to be as a family, but it was reassuring to see that it wasn't just me who was struggling with leaving.
A neighbor prepared a little gift bagged up for every hour of the trip for my boys. It was a great idea that kept the boys entertained, helped me mark the hours/miles, and made a great big mess. Has to be one of the best gifts ever. I plan on repeating it for others.
Our townhouse manager had a couple of guys waiting for us to help unload the truck which I was so thankful for. The best money we could spend. Now it's just a matter of finding a place to put everything. I may have to rearrange the kitchen a couple of times which will drive my husband nuts, but hey - ya gotta make it work.
One of the great parts of unpacking is finding little treasures that friends snuck in for us. My friend had packed a box and bag of groceries for us. She had asked me for a list of ideas, but I had no idea how much she would bless us.
We tried a different church today and my heart sank. It wasn't what we were looking for. It wasn't home. It made me miss home that much more - when I could walk into a place and have the comforting feeling of family, truth, faith, and community. I'm sure that we'll have that again, I just miss it now.
So, it's Super Bowl Sunday and I'll be spending it with my boys (all 3 of them ;)
When we talked with the boys about it, Ryan asked me when our friends were coming over to watch football with us. It was hard to tell him "not tonight... we don't have any friends here yet. I'm holding on to the "yet" part, hoping that it doesn't last very long...
7 comments:
Aww...Sundays are always the hardest. Knowing this won't make them easier, faster, but it will help them not be so debilitating past the one day.
Hope you had fun watching the Super Bowl. :)
- Elizabeth
I"m glad to hear that you made it safe and sound. I pray that you will find a church, and some friends quickly, and that all of you will adjust to this new adventure and life. Hope you and the boys had fun watching the Super Bowl together.
I remember wishing that my life would slow down, that there would not be so much to do, that my husband would be around more and we could enjoy being together as a family on a regular basis. I think Boston is "that" for us.
Drove by your house today...we'll the main road on the way home from my Mom's after Chicago...wanted to cry. Caledonia is not the same without you.
I miss you and not a day goes by that I do not think of you all. Give the boys hugs for me. :)
I know how hard this is for all of you - but I really think it is the hardest on the Mom - so I will be praying especially for you in these coming days.
I sat in aircheck sessions this morning and one of Becky's headlines was "do you know anyone who has just moved to North Dakota?" No kidding.
Praying for you guys - that this journey will open new doors and opportunities and that it'll bring your family as close as can be.
I remember you telling me a LONG time ago (I think when you moved into your old house) that you guys sang that SCC song "Dive" while you were moving. Sink or swim, you're diving in (and I have a feeling you'll definitely float to the top)! :)
That makes me so sad. I'm am praying for you all. Come Spring time those friends will be popping up all over the place and it will look a lot more hopeful. Winters are rough on our hopes and our emotions. Hang in there~
I can't even imagine how hard it is starting over in a strange place, but I have no doubt that soon enough it will start to feel like home. Keep searching for the right church. It's there somewhere.
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