April 1, 2012
The first few days of sorting out what we were to do with
our “situation” seemed more than uncomfortable and almost nauseating, but Dirk
was amazing and diligent, promising to find something better for us, having
faith that we were going to be “fine.”
Both of us were of course hoping for more than fine!
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| My home in Ohio |
After getting a resume together (which is a task that is daunting to say the least), and applying for more jobs
than we could count, my husband was blessed with the opportunity to take a position
with a good, solid company that he felt good about. The BIG drawback for us……..we would have to
move. So, what I dreaded most was going
to happen in order for all of this to work.
I had to give up almost everything I held dear to me, to be with my
husband for this new job. My beautiful
home, my job that I loved, my town that I have lived in for 16 years, and most
of all…my daughter. How? HOW?
HOW DO I DO THIS? I cried more than
I think I ever have. It was like a death
to me. Or was it the death of me? Not that I was dying of course, but it was as
though almost everything I knew was dying in a way.
I have always thought of myself as being a strong
woman. I always told myself I could do
just about anything I wanted to as long as I tried by best. Well, this was going to be like no other
challenge I had ever been tested on, so all I could do is try! I tried to stay positive and have a good
attitude about everything at least on the outside. All along
on the inside, I was screaming bloody murder inside my head, because I was freaking out! I tried to stay strong really I did, but
there were a few times that I just sat and cried. And cried...and cried. And honestly....I hate to cry, but the water works were flowing!
Upon a whirlwind nightmare couple of months, of getting our
house ready to sell; painting, mulching, caulking, tiling, cleaning, purging, purging
and more purging, we were ready. We put
our house on the market and prayed for a speedy sale. We priced it to sell, and sell it did! After a remarkable 4 days on the market we sold
our house! It was unheard of in this
economy. Not one person could believe
it, and we were at the top of the list of those who were in utter
disbelief. Perhaps another gift from God? Absolutely!
No other reason for it. Other
houses in our neighborhood are still sitting there today, many months later just
begging to be purchased. WE WERE BLESSED
AND WE KNEW IT!
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| Some of my very favorite students came back to say goodbye. |
After the realization hit that we were in fact moving to St.
Louis, the rest began to sink in as well. Next in line was quitting my job and saying goodbye to so many that I love
(more tears). Moving my daughter to her own place (yep, tears again). The task of finding a
new place to live in St. Louis (lots of tears here as well), on top of packing
EVERYTHING we have ever owned for 30 years, and needing it all done in less than 30
days. The next few weeks were a blur and
overwhelming to live through, but looking back, all of those steps were very important in leading me to the happiness I have today. Each step was a part
of a process that I had to go through to wrap my head around a move that I
honestly never wanted. A move that was
pushed on us out of need and not want, but I realize now, was a gift, and a
much needed gift at that.
One of the hardest things I had to do during this process
was leave Kelsey. While I hoped this was
what was the best thing for our family, it did NOT feel like something I was
ready to do. I knew as a Mom the best
thing for my daughter was to let her go, but in my heart she was still my
little girl and I couldn’t imagine ever being ready to do that! Kelsey had just recently graduated college
and taken a job in Ohio, which didn’t pay a lot. She was hoping to live at home and save money
to go back to school, or save for future plans.
She was thrown into all of this just as we were. It was not something she wanted either, but
again, a gift to her, even though we didn’t see that it was at the time. It has given her a wonderful opportunity to
live on her own and grow as an adult.
She has a darling apartment that is perfect for her. While we were all used to having more space
than we knew what to do with, we have become great with maximizing every inch
of a small space now! She is happy and
on her own, a responsible young woman buying her own groceries, paying her own
bills and maintaining a grownup lifestyle that we are so proud of. She is working, caring for herself and
others, and is in a strong committed relationship with The Lord and her
wonderful boyfriend Troy. We really
couldn’t ask for more.
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| My beautiful new home |
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| Fun at the Mardi Gras parade 2012 |
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| My precious family, December 24, 2011. Christmas is our favorite holiday. Kelsey flew to St. Louis for her first visit. |
The last year has brought such difficult changes to our
family, but happily I can say we are better than ever. The last 31 years of our lives spent together have had
it's ups and downs, which is to be expected in a marriage. We are now enjoying
our time together in a new loft in downtown, exploring new restaurants, new
places to visit, taking walks, talking and just enjoying being together all over again.
While leaving everything that we knew in Ohio behind was really difficult, we can look back on the great memories of what we had. We had a beautiful home and a backyard filled with love, we had friends who loved us and still do, and we raised our daughter in the very best way we knew how to. We had a full life in Ohio, and now we have moved on to a new stage in our lives. Looking back is always fun, but we are not living in the past. We are living in the present and looking forward to the future and what it holds for us! We know we have had many blessings in our lives, and we are grateful for all of them. We look at each day as a gift, and try to see the beauty in everything around us. One of the reasons I love to take pictures is to capture those moments I hold so dear. The past year was full, and crazy and very overwhelming and perhaps the most challenging of our lives, but we are all in a better place now than we have been in years. My heart is at peace and I know we made the right decision. The year that I will never EVER, forget. This was the year that set us on a new path with new adventures and rekindled love.
While leaving everything that we knew in Ohio behind was really difficult, we can look back on the great memories of what we had. We had a beautiful home and a backyard filled with love, we had friends who loved us and still do, and we raised our daughter in the very best way we knew how to. We had a full life in Ohio, and now we have moved on to a new stage in our lives. Looking back is always fun, but we are not living in the past. We are living in the present and looking forward to the future and what it holds for us! We know we have had many blessings in our lives, and we are grateful for all of them. We look at each day as a gift, and try to see the beauty in everything around us. One of the reasons I love to take pictures is to capture those moments I hold so dear. The past year was full, and crazy and very overwhelming and perhaps the most challenging of our lives, but we are all in a better place now than we have been in years. My heart is at peace and I know we made the right decision. The year that I will never EVER, forget. This was the year that set us on a new path with new adventures and rekindled love.
This was the year of change. Sometimes change is good.
There is
Always,
Always,
ALWAYS
ALWAYS
SOMETHING
TO BE
THANKFUL
FOR!
THANKFUL
FOR!
I am thankful for all of it.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
