Cardboard boxes.
Signing leases.Six months.
Choosing what furniture to bring.
Do I take my WHOLE kitchen?
Certainly the coffee pot.
What about the blender?
Do I bring lamps?
Pictures for the walls?
Am I being frivolous?
Do I need to bring so much stuff?
What about Rowan?
His crib.
His changing table.
His clothes for 9 months.
His clothes for one year.
Oh. My. Lord.
He's going to fit into 12 month clothing?
OUCH! He bit me!
Wait, is that a tooth?
Erik, quick! Hold him!
You won't get to see him much once we move.
Packing.
U-Haul.
We need more boxes.
Will we need a trailer, or a full truck?
I need more coffee.
PAUSE.
Travel to Denver and Salt Lake City.
RESUME.
Okay, we're back in Portland.
Keep packing.
Keep planning.
Who will help us unload once we're there?
Wow, I really won't know anybody.
Except the river.
I know the river.
I know the sunshine.
Will those be my only friends?
Is that enough?
Will I be lonely? Sad? Frustrated?
What about the DVDs?
Do we bring them all?
Just our favorites?
Should we bring books?
Which ones?
Tolstoy? CS Lewis? JK Rowling?
What about church?
I'll miss my church.
Rick's sermons.
Luke's sermons.
Love Portland.
High school kids.
Heather's British accent.
The nursery workers know Rowan now.
Where will I go to church?
Will they love Rowan just the same?
Will they love me just the same?
PAUSE.
Breathe.
RESUME.
I'm going to miss our friends.
Will they miss me?
Should we bring our printer?
I'm not sure we'll need it.
What about trash cans?
We'll probably need those.
Rowan needs a nap.
Should we bring all of our towels?
It's just six months.
I can rewash.
The whole bed, or just the mattress?
I say the whole bed.
Erik says just the mattress.
Typical.
Ranger! Shasta! Stop barking!
Will my dogs run away with no fence?
What if a bear comes on the land?
That would suck.
I could use a cupcake right about now.
I need to forward our mail.
I need to find a pediatrician.
Get all the records sent.
Oh shoot, I have to reschedule his next appointment.
The dogs need to see the vet soon.
Ranger! For the love, PLEASE stop barking!
Shoot, Rowan's awake.
Should I pack up all of our dry food?
Or just some of it?
I need to go to the grocery store.
Little brother comes to dinner tonight.
I think he's bringing his buddy.
What am I going to cook?
Does the new place have a dishwasher?
I think she said it does...
... I am overwhelmed.
Lord, grant me peace.
What overwhelms you? How do you calm down?
whoah girl! That is A LOT on your list. Right now my new place and all the cleaning, reparing and unpacking along with staying at home with my very mobile son is what overwhelms me.
ReplyDeleteI try to take it easy, pray, take a nap when he does to recharge and then keep going! I also LOVE to make lists with little boxes for checking things off:)
isaiah 55:12
ReplyDelete"For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."
praying for that anxiety to DISAPPEAR and for a calm heart.
Since I am a new follower I don't know your story. But I will be praying for you as you take care of your family and whatever adventure God has placed in front of you.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless!
I am right there with you with the moving, cleaning, unpacking, what goes where & in what room, our almost 9 month old teething son with belly issues........it is a great life we lead & to find the joy God intends for us in all the craziness is AWESOME!!
ReplyDeleteDang Nish.... you have so much going on right now.
ReplyDeleteMy most practical advice when life gets that way is to come to God even with the stuff that seems silly and ask for peace. I don't know why I always forget that. The next thing I do is lists. They really help me.
I'll be praying for you guys!
ohhhhhh.... do I remember those days!!!
ReplyDeleteBREATHE! And be sure to enjoy that glass of wine!
Hello Squish,
ReplyDeleteRemember to keep your eyes focused above. In the large scheme of things, these six months will be one small blink of the eye. And when we meet our Maker, it won't matter how many trash cans or DVD's you brought :).
Mark leaves for the desert in just five days. He'll be there four months... that's what overwhelms me. I try not to think about it too much. I'm not sure that I've calmed down yet.
Thanks for sharing, love you.
LJ
Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement. So thankful for all of you.
ReplyDeleteLJ - I can't believe he's leaving already! What in the world? Qatar, right? I'll be praying for you... Long distance totally sucks, but if anyone can do it, you can.