A Letter to Our Kids ...

I don't know what you will remember about this move in the years to come. I imagine some of you will recall a feeling of uncertainty .. and leaving your friends.

I want you to know that we are so insanely proud of you. For your ages, you have weathered this season of change with surprising maturity. I wish I fared so well.

For the record, this move to North Carolina came on the heels of our move to Indiana from Illinois three and a half years ago. It seems like a lot of transition. It is. Especially for a family with four young kids. But ... you are precisely the reason we are doing it. We want things for you ... but not the "things" you accumulate and have to move. We want the things for you that you develop. Insight. Character. Maturity. Coping skills. Education. Experiences that Broaden Your Horizons.

You don't have to move to acquire these skills sets. But in our unique case, GE can help us by being a means to an end. Moving is uncomfortable. Most change is. But it means we learn something new ... and that opens different doors. Our advice to you ... open as many doors as you can. You never know when you may need to knock on one ... or five.

You will need to further your education. I don't know what God plans for each of you. I know this - that it is our job to prepare you the BEST we can. You need to know how big this world is... because by the time you are grown, it will probably be shrinking. We want you to know you can go anywhere and do anything. In order for you to really know that, we need to model that behavior.

It isn't easy. It isn't comfortable. It is necessary. It builds us. We can do it. As long as we are together. Thanks for understanding.

Hillary Was Right About Something ...

... it really does take a village to raise a child. I imagine it takes a small city to raise four children. If you don't live close enough to family, that village had better be full of amazing selfless people. It is.

As we prepare to leave this village and settle in the next one, I can't help but look back and thank all those people who have left indelible marks on us ... and our children. Especially when Monte has been gone. You have called, stopped by, sent cards, delivered dinner, taken the kids to preschool, play dates, ballet, and watched them during marathon swim meets - taking the time to text me their times when I couldn't be there to cheer them on.

You've listened to me when I didn't think I could show the house one more time, leave one more neighborhood, or join one more church. You've reminded me there are good people everywhere ... and then proven it.

To the friends and family in all our villages - we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope you know how much you mean to us.

A Lot Can Happen In a Month ...

Sooooo.... turns out, in a month's time, it is possible to ...
- sell a house
- buy a house
- show a house (fourteen or fifteen times)
- take a stress-filled house-hunting trip to NC
- manage the daily routines of a family of five without a husband ... who has already left.
- hold down two part-time jobs
- not lose, maim, or injure any children or enter rehab of any kind. Yet.


Things are actually starting to come together. Turns out, the southeast is considerably more costly with FAR different school system stuff to work through. I won't even go there now. That is post-worthy on its own. There are other issues to sort through - like child care, a job for me and year round school ... starting three weeks after it gets out here. Oh yeah ... the kids are thrilled about that one.

It will all get done. Eventually. If I can only get the moving people to call me back ... I might have a better idea of when that actually might be.