You're In Shock, I know...

Hello friends and family,

This may be a coming as a shock to you....maybe you are hearing the news for the first time, or maybe you are like me and know the news but are still kind of  in shock and denial, but here it is:

We. Are. Moving. Again.

 

Read it again if you have to.  It's true.  My husband's company has asked him to take over one of their plants in Alabama.  And, we said yes.  I haven't made a big Facebook announcement, because honestly, I have not been emotionally prepared for all the responses.  I know they all come from your heart and I do appreciate them.  But I am still emotionally fragile in all this.  Let me explain...

 

I think everyone thinks because we move so much we must love doing it.  That's not exactly true.  We definitely do NOT love it.  But, we are a one-income family.  So, we don't have a second income to fall back on if something happens and my husband doesn't have a job.  (Been there...not fun)  Also, those of you who know me well know that when I get somewhere, even if I know we may not be there long, I fully invest myself there.  I get involved with school, church, I make friends, and just make our house a home for us. 

 

Anyhow, once I have done that and then find out we are moving, I have to detach myself from that.  And it is VERY hard.  I have to grieve what I saw planned out for my family's life in that place.  Like I said, I am fully invested, and now I have to let it go, and when we first find out we are moving, the future I could actually picture in my mind is now blurry.  I can't picture us in a different house, or the kids going to a different school, or going to a different church.  It's terrifying at times.  Especially at night.  When I can't sleep because of all the thoughts in my mind.  I spend a lot of time praying.  A lot.

 

So hearing your comments, and thoughts even though they are meant well, are something I have to be ready to hear.  And I think I am ready.  I love to hear that you are going to miss us, or that you are going to come visit, or that you are excited we will live closer to you when we are at our new home. 

 

But let me tell you the things that aren't always helpful...."How do you do this all the time?" or "I can't believe you are moving your kids again!" or "How are your parents taking it?".  I understand they are meant well....don't get me wrong.  But I think what is hard about hearing them, is they are the EXACT questions I ask myself that I try to push out of my mind. 

 

That is where this blog is going to come in.  I am going to try to answer all those questions and many more.  I am going to talk about all the aspects of the move.  The emotions, the planning, buying and selling houses, the physical part of getting our stuff from one location to another, and life at the other end. 

 

Feel free to read or not read.  I can't promise it will always be interesting, but it will be a good place for me to get it all out.  And please, feel free to ask me questions!  This will be Frank's and my 8th move in 19 years.  And our 6th move in 9 years....and with our kids.  I have lots of tips and tricks, we've had good experiences and bad experiences, and lots of laughs as well.

 

The last thing I am going to tell you in this post is how I picked the name:  "Cardboard and Sharpies".  I am sure you can figure it out.  But that is the "smell" of a move.  I was packing a few things up the other day that need to be just out of the way to show our house here, and Faith came down and said, "It smells like a move!!"   And she was right.  And now it's real.

 

Looking forward to sharing this with all of you!  Feel free to follow this blog, or to enter your email and you will receive a notification when I post a new entry!

 

Gotta run and get to my very long "to do" list!!!