Change Brings Growth

last Christmas at our old house

move in day of our old house
(I have aged quite a bit in 5 years) 

Change is inevitable.  I think of myself as someone who previously did not embrace change.  At this point in my life I realize change is constant.  My husband and I, along with our 3 children and 2 rescue dogs, left the town we grew up in.  We never envisioned leaving, however change happens and when something no longer fits you must readjust.  There were too many variables that were no longer meeting our needs, we needed room to grow.  So after months of debate and research we settled on a new location and began the giant undertaking of a move.
  I forgot how much energy this required, but I was ready.  I wanted the change so badly that I was able to pack an entire house, oversee the construction of a new one, work full time with a spouse who traveled and move in the new direction.  There were so many struggles during those months.  The packing, the purging, the timing, the home inspection and financial aspect.  One of the things that we struggled with the most was the purging.  I love to throw things away, and my husband does not.  In the moment we argue like crazy and then I reflect back later and laugh that we were fighting over a backpack that was 20 years old that we moved from house to house and have not used since I bought it at a EMS sale in the 1990's! Sometimes I give in (and we kept the backpack), other times I wait until he travels and then it goes out with the trash with the hope that he forgets about it.  As my children left the comfort of their old school, town and home I felt I was able to reflect back on so many times when change was painful.  I talked with them openly about this, and how I cried the entire day the movers arrived wondering was I making the right choice and how we would get through this move together.  There will be many times in your life it feels as though the world you knew is ending and it's ok to be emotional about but just know that the end of one thing brings a new beginning as well.

new home under construction

new home, Evan checking out the new bonus room

New home, almost ready for move in day!