Moving Day

I'll admit it, this move has been more of a challenge than our last one.  Could be that we moved a longer distance, could be we have more stuff to move, could be that this all unfolded so much faster than last time, or it could be that I am still so hung over from the last move that I couldn't muster up the required energy to do it all again, or maybe the fact that we'll never find neighbors as good as the ones we had (we lived across the lane from my sister and her family). Whatever the case, we did it, it's over and we don't have to do it again for another few months at least.

This is what it looked like:

Our life in boxes.

Last photo on the stoop of our old home.  Husband and I are sleep deprived and poor Jake doesn't know what is going on.

Contemplating the best ways to unload on the other side.

Prince Jake being escorted to his new temporary kingdom.

Jake had his own fun after the truck was unloaded.

The garage before our stuff moved in.

The garage after our stuff moved in.

We are not home free yet and one more move looms ahead of us as we now begin the search to find a new home of our own. In the mean time, we are lucky to stay with Jake's Nana and Grandpa, and being here feels as close to our own home as we could get right now. It's a comforting place in this time of change.

For us the immediate future involves settling into a new routine, enjoying our new environment and lapping up the last drippings of our Island summer.

Our new view looks something like this:

A change of plans

Have you ever been idling along in life, taking your time, enjoying the easiness of your day to day routine, when all of a sudden it's like a switch flips and craziness ensues? Routine is thrown out the window along with sanity and good manners.

Well, that's been us around here lately.  Routine out, chaos in. This has been the main reason for my absence lately.  It all started really just a few weeks ago, with an email that led to a job interview, that led to a new job, that led to a new city, that led to us putting our house up for sale, that led to the selling of said house within the week, that led right into this living room filled to the brim with moving boxes. Again.

It was a good switch that flipped for us, lighting up our lives with a new adventure and opportunity.  It's a good chaos, more or less.  Moving is never exactly fun for me, throw a two year old somewhere in to the mix and it can be a big fat challenge, but in this case it's all for the better and I am embracing it.  Even if it is all happening faster than I can keep up.

My husband got a great new career opportunity, in a great town not too far from here, that we have been aiming to move to since we were married - maybe even before.

So it's good. And hard. With a bit of bittersweet mixed in. And my ramblings are starting to sound as chaotic as our moving strategy so I am going to end here for now, with a few photos of things we've been doing while we haven't been frantically throwing random things into card board boxes and hoping for the best.

Sharing snack time with the local Kitty - not ours. We wish.

Going for hair cut number 2. I would have taken more photos but I was busy holding him down this time...

Spending a hot morning at an air conditioned mall with a play place.

Having Carousel fun!

Patio Picnics

Enjoying blueberry, spinach popsicles.

Backyard barbecues at Oma's house.

That means he wants cake.

Celebrating Nana!

Jake relaxing with his new confidant. Al understands him like no one else can.

What are you enjoying - chaos or routine?

31

I turned 31 last weekend.

It rained.
All day.
Hard.

It rained so hard this is pretty much the only photo I took that day:

So it wasn't all bad I guess. In fact I could think of worse ways to celebrate 31 years. There was chocolate cake, marshmallows, a trip to the beach, dinner with friends, and a glass or two of sweet sunny Australian wine.

One of the best parts about my birthday though, is that every year the party keeps right on going into the next day, because the very next day is always Canada Day. And there is no better party then one thrown for a 145 year old country.  Even the sun made an appearance to honor it - briefly.

"The world is grand, awfully big and astonishingly beautiful, frequently thrilling."

-Dorothy Kilgallen

And on my rainy 31st birthday weekend I took it all in. 

It is a special sort of day, turning a year older, watching yourself grow and change. Filling your life with new ideas, people, experiences, projects, and adventures each year. Knowing that you are capable of so much, that you have so much more to give, and that your birthday turns your life to brand new unwritten page.

A whole chapter of blank pages lie ahead of me this year, just waiting to be written, and my pen is inked. I am ready.

31 - here I come.