So much better!

We are settling into the new house. We are still surrounded by boxes but the kitchen is unpacked, the game room is 90% unpacked (thanks to my kids who did 100% of this work themselves!) and we should have an unpacked living room by tonight. Then we work on bathrooms and kids rooms and we should be golden by thanksgiving. Well, if you aren’t counting the garage. 🙂

You know how sometimes you envision how something can change your life and the more you want it, the longer you wait, the more that thing is built up as the miracle cure to all that ails you? As we grew closer to the closing date on this house, I started feeling as if nothing could possibly live up to the hype and expectation that I had built over the last five years. I tried to steel myself for the anti-climax I was sure would come.

But then…so far…it hasn’t come.

Turns out having a laundry room for my cats litter boxes that isn’t in the kids play area IS every bit as wonderful as I imagined.

Turns out having a separate space for my creative energy is fabulous – maybe more so than I ever imagined.And knowing my husband has his own space to work every day is good for everyone. I have already noticed probably a 10-fold increase in the amount of time the kids turn to me for help rather than bugging Daddy.

Turns out having a pantry I can walk into and actually see everything I need and buy in bulk is possibly even more fantastic than I remembered from our house in Michigan. And a kitchen full of drawers and cupboards and COUNTER TOPS? Seriously I don’t even know what to say about the space. There are cupboards with ONE thing in them! And drawers that are empty. EMPTY! And counters that, even after putting a toaster, kitchen-aid and coffee pot on them, have plenty of space to actually prep food. Omg, I love my kitchen. I actually can’t wait to cook. I haven’t cooked since 2006. The idea of using our old kitchen to cook made me cringe. It was the height of frustration. Now I am actually looking forward to it like I did back when Noah was a baby.

Our neighbors are all kind and friendly and welcoming. The little kids have spent almost all day, every day, outside playing with their new friends. After 5 years of isolation and loneliness, this is probably the most incredible payoff to see. I am so happy for them. Yesterday even my teens were outside playing with other kids in the neighborhood.

So even then I am still far from unpacked and my body hurts from standing for days on end and we are still battling what has to be the most incompetent moving crew, ever…I feel such a relief. This wasn’t one of those times that you think something will help because you don’t want to just help yourself or you are greedy and just want want want. This is one of those times that the gifts you have received are truly life-changing for everyone in our little family. I am so happy to celebrate Thanksgiving here surrounded by functional solutions and happy kindness. Life is good.