really. it's time.

it's time.

this might be long, but I have to.

We are here.

We have been moving, packing, cleaning, driving, unpacking, shopping, setting up and settling for over two months.

This is time number 11, as far as major moves go, and time number 16, as far as moves go in general, for me.

I know what I'm doing here.

And yet.....

And yet, every move has it's own personality, it's own set of newness and it's own set of unexpected's.

The packing and cleaning to come out here is a blurr for me.

I was sick, it was cold, they packed my work shoes and I was left with flip flops on a wet cold nasty day.

A day that we were supposed to be leaving a house in pristine condition.

It wasn't our best work and I hate that.

But then we got on the road and it was all good.

The drive was beautiful, the hotels were easy,

Our stop in Ohio was a retreat from life that we were in desperate need of.

(I'll write more about our stop there next!)

Our time with Bill and Lori was comfortable and a safe place to land in this new world of ours.

Our house scared me the first time we walked through it.

I was so afraid it was going to be to awkward of a space for us,

but....silly me...we love it.

It's the house we're supposed to have and it's affirmed for us by God all the time.

We rented sight unseen...sort of...because we have cool friends who actually enjoy house shopping for other people!

A short couple of weeks after we moved in is when my Dad came for a visit because my brother and his family were in the DC area 'taking a break' from doing two back-to-back oversees military tours

(Italy and now Germany...don't be jealous, it's soooo not as glamorous as it sounds, the break was much needed. Europe is a fun place to visit, not to live.)

So, we shared our home several times with my brother, his wife and my three nieces,

we got to give my dad a little love in this crazy time for him and I can't tell you in words here or in person what that meant to my heart to be able to minister to all of them in that way.

And what it meant to us that they were ministering to us, whether they were meaning to or not.

It was incredible to not have any other responsibilities to cancel or reschedule or to feel like I was dropping another ball just to be able to host my family.

I was 100% able to just GO and be with them.

I got giddy excited deep down in my heart every time I found out we were going to get to be with them (we had to share them with Lindsey's family...she's from here and so are her 4,000 relatives ;-)

My brother, who saw some absolutely horrid things and lost a large number of friends in Af.g. seems to have been (to me) just staying afloat these past few years but this trip he was doing great!

It was one of the best visits we've had with each other in over 10 years.

So, between the great times with my brother and his family,

and

seeing my Dad, getting to watch him soak in all the grand girls and 'retreat' from his hard situation

I was busy.

In the best way possible.

Then, Courtney's garage sale hit (at a perfect time, but it wouldn't have mattered, I would have made it work!)

Last Wed, Fri and most of the day Saturday I was allowed to be a part of this world wide orphan problem we seem to be constantly plagued with.

Orphans and orphan care and child labor and slave trafficking...they are passions of my heart.

But here, in suburbia America, unless it involves giving $, it's hard to know what to do sometimes.

So, I JUMP at any opportunity to babysit for a friends home study or write recommendation letters, or price/sort/haul things at a garage sale because then I know it's DOING something

(in no way trying to down play the power that money has in these situations, GIVE and GIVE SOME MORE to these causes.....I just like to give and do.)

I absolutely loved working at that garage sale this past week.

(and my girls loved it too, they have quite a few new toys out of the deal!)

And now we're packing again.

This time just our suitcases and this time it's a plane ride!!!

We have a wedding and a family reunion awaiting us in Texas.

We're leaving this week and we'll be gone for 13 days.

When we get back we have about three days to unpack and get the guest room spruced up because we have friends from NE staying with us for part of their family vacation to DC!!!

Special friends....and we can not wait!

It will be a neat thing to come back to VA for!

So.

Moving, family, garage sale, Texas, friends.

I'm rather enjoying the set of unexpected's with this move!

I keep telling people that I feel like Dorthy.

Only I'm not in Kansas or Oz.

I'm in the tornado.

It's not a bad tornado.

It's busy but all fun. ALL.

I think I'm going to be sad for June 1.

Because that's when I'll land.

But maybe not?

While all this is going on, we are getting our feet wet here,

learning our way around, church shopping (nothing yet), setting up house still, meeting new friends at parks nearby, meeting old friends and finding warmth in the friendships that have lasted over many years and different circumstances, Jake found a basketball group that plays outdoors every week day across the street from his office...and if you know Jake, you know how huge that is!

Feeling out home school groups, meeting neighbors, taking walks, researching activities for the girls (and Holly!), Jake's also on a softball league, I've been a running fool! (3.5 to 4 miles everyday and I just ran 5 miles on Saturday!!)

So, maybe this will be a soft landing?

Either way, this has been a very precious time in our lives.

Probably one of my favorite times.

There are no real responsibilities and yet, we have been used by God and been able to work for Him and love on others and share His light.

It's been peaceful.

Even now, I am overwhelmed by how blessed I feel.

It is a gift.

It might as well have had a bow tied around it.

Our last move was very very different.

It was a gift, but if it had had a bow tied around it I think that would have just been mean.

It was a gift in the fact that it was part of our story that God was writing but it was hard, painful and not a time I look back on with a smile. Gratefulness, but not happiness.

But this time has truly been full of peace and refreshment.

I know it will end, life will happen and schedule's will start to form.

But, we at least have the rest of this month and I am going to milk it for all it's worth!

Praising God in the good times right now.

This could only have come from Him.

So, are we liking Virginia???

YOU BET!