One Year

It was one year ago today that I loaded up our three precious children, Carson - 5 weeks old, Ky - 18 months, and Darby - 3 and took them on a plane with a one-way ticket from Philadelphia, PA to our new home in Texas. (with help from my mother in law and our sweet friend Karen)

waiting to board the plane

lots of electronics and a 1:1 ratio :)

     I can't believe it's been a year.  It seems like just yesterday that we were playing in the backyard or meeting at Chick-Fil-A for free breakfasts or going out for lunch on Thursdays or cramming people into our tiny living room for small group...
I miss it.  I miss our friends.    I remember the day Darby walked up to me with her piggy bank full of quarters she earned doing her chores and asked if it was enough to buy a plane ticket to go back 'home.'   There were tears.  From both of us.

Transition is always hard. 

It's hard to leave a place where you're known...where on your worst day you can call a friend and cry on your couch while the kids play and you don't have to apologize for your tears or explain everything you say to let her know you're not crazy.  She knows.  She knows you're a mess and she loves you and it's safe.

It's hard to leave a place with friends that experienced so much life with you, that know your history, know where you've been.  Because they were there.  We got married together, had babies together, cried over lost babies together, tried to figure out this thing called parenthood together, dealt with screaming toddlers together, bought houses, fixed houses....all together.

Oh leaving that place was so so hard. 

But we knew.  We knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord was calling us somewhere else.  It's never been so clear.  And as hard as leaving was, we knew it was time - funny how sometimes you understand after the fact just how perfect the Lord's timing is.  And we knew He'd carry us through it, and He really has....

And here we are.  One year later.  Not as known, but becoming that way.  With friends to have playdates with and wonderful neighbors with kids the same age.  With people to meet for coffee or workouts or trips to the pool.  With friends we laugh and cry with and another small group that fills a living room.  And a church family that we love and that loves us.  And a beautiful house less than a mile from grandparents with the other grandparents just half an hour down the road.  And 3 growing kids who know their grandparents and beg for more time with them. And a job that Conor loves.  And plenty of warm sunshine...

And it's obvious.  So obvious that we're right where we're supposed to be.