friday reflections

These past few weeks and months have been quite a whirlwind for me. On the morning of moving day, Mike told me that it takes about three years for a place to feel like a home. When he told me that, I felt so sad that I was leaving our dear home in Orange County. We had lived in it for five years! It was more than a home to me. It was the very first home for us as a married couple and the place we have nurtured our children from the day they came home from the hospital. It was where all the best memories have been made for our family.

A dear girlfriend of mine gave me a perfect analogy about moving and plant life. She said even plants feel stress from moving. It is normal for people to feel like that plant who has been uprooted, tattered and tossed around and then replanted on new soil... and it takes some time for those roots to settle. 

Its been four weeks now and although we are about four hundred miles from our first home...I am starting to accept this little place here in my heart. I wont lie, it took me a while to accept it. It wasn't easy. But now, its starting to grow on me. I see my children and the way that they are thriving and it makes it easy. I see my husband who seems to be happy and it makes it easier. 

I am learning to establish new routines and learning my way around my new town (i don't need to GPS directions to the grocery store anymore, hooray!).  I'm learning to slow down in a good way and be present. The other day, both girls were on a napping strike. It was an incredibly long day (for me). Side note, the girls absolutely love being outside to play. I'm am ever ever ever so grateful for this new backyard of ours. We wake up, we go outside. We eat, we go outside. We play to go outside. So taking it back to the other day, I took a blanket outside and the girls and i played and read books outside. We played games and airplane (their favorite). We stared at the clouds and watched the leaves in the trees move from the winds. We listened to the blue jays sing and watched our wild squirrels run around our yard. It was one of the very best moments so far here. Sophia said, "i love you mom" and I knew things were going to be good here. This new chapter in our life will be okay and we will make even greater memories to come.

So, I challenge you this weekend to take one moment to slow down (put the social media away) and be really present in what you are doing...or truly engage in a conversation until you lose track of time. :)

"the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time" - James Taylor