big announcement week

     Let's see if I can rock your world all week long with announcement after announcement..... actually, I think this is pretty common knowledge: we're moving!  In a little over a month we'll be moving into a beautiful home.  I think if I've counted correctly this will be move number 9 for Darren and Jen, 9 moves in 12 years.  It's like we're a military family, only we're a ministry family... we get the call and we go!  Unlike the military though all of our moves have been personal and as we look back on them they have all been led by God for our own good.  We have never felt as though we're just a cog in a giant machine but people loved and cared for by a mighty God.  Sometimes we move for education, other times for a job and often because of money (or lack of it!).  This time it's because of our growing family and the need for more space!  It's a good thing that Darren and I are a little bit restless and travel-hungry because settling down in one place for twenty years does not sound appealing to us.  I think it was our cross-country drive in 2000 that really fueled our thirst for adventure.  We got to see so much of our beautiful country.  We especially loved the rolling green hills and brick homes in Kentucky and Tennessee.  We appreciated the way neighborhoods in the midwest forgo fences to have backyards of green space that seem to run together effortlessly and encourage neighborly behavior (or are you of the opinion that "good fences make good neighbors"?).  We recently gained appreciation for cities in our travels to Portland and Seattle, particularly the convenience of mass transportation, museums, parks and libraries, the availability of nearly everything.   Moving to San Miguel is pretty much the exact opposite of the big city, so I'm anxious to discover the nuances of small town living once again (I think my childhood in Gonzales might to come in handy for once!).

     As you can imagine we're very good at moving by now.  Darren and I have a rhythm that we slip into as the days count down to the big move.  I sweep through the house and clean as I pack.  I always start with the china because I love to take the time to wash each piece by hand and pack it myself with ridiculous amounts of newspaper to keep it safe.   It would be much more practical to leave it boxed up all the time but then I wouldn't have the pleasure of opening the cabinet and seeing so much history on my shelves (I collect pieces from family and friends... I never turn down a piece of china!).  I appreciate the way Darren handles the big stuff of the move, he gets things from here to there, making all of the arrangements.  I especially appreciate the way he handles our furniture, making sure not to ding my old stuff (even though he jokes that it would probably only add to the value if he roughed it up a bit).  I have an arts and crafts style library table that I love and would love to put it in an arts and crafts style bungalow someday.  I also have a 1950's tanker-style teacher's desk that I think is fabulous.  I rescued it from a dumpster so it has special value to me in that it was FREE!  As you can see I really like desk and old school stuff (remember I'm that sicko that actually liked school).  The kids get a little uneasy when we move, I'm sure it's disconcerting to see all the familiar stuff in your life packed up.  The only fun thing about moving for them is playing in all the boxes.  Why buy toys, right?  We all know that kids love playing in boxes.   

     Jason is mulling over a big decision: which bedroom will he choose?  How will he arrange his Legos?  How will he survive without a bit of pink in his room.... just kidding, that's a perk for our boy, no more girl stuff in his room!  And he can't wait to hit the hay without his chatty sister pestering him at bedtime.  Cameron has no idea what's coming, this may be traumatic for her.  She's comforted by having Jason in the same room at night and she may have trouble getting adjusted.  We would put the baby in with her, but she's such a light sleeper that anything will wake her and then once she's awake it takes a long time to put her back down.   Our life is definitely headed for some big changes, so stayed tuned to see what's next.  New baby, a move, first year homeschooling... no problem!