Transitioning

Bruce, Emmie, and I returned to our current residence yesterday.  That is, my in-laws' house, which we are no longer referring to as home.  It feels less like our home than ever.

But not in a bad way!  When we got back, Bruce's parents were thrilled to see Emmie.  We chatted politely about what we did over the weekend, how the new house was coming along.  It was all so friendly and cordial, like we are guests again.  Bruce's mom made pizza for dinner and then announced that as a housewarming present, they would be buying us a lawnmower.  Yay!  That is so generous of them; we couldn't express our gratitude enough.

The atmosphere here has shifted.  Four days being away will do that, but our impending departure is seen in other ways.  The gate in the hallway is gone (Bruce's parent's said we could have that, too, though unfortunately it doesn't fit our stairs).  We brought our TV to the new house.  Our rooms here are messy with boxes and laundry and random scattered items.  It makes me feel out of sorts, especially since it's the end of the term and I still have so much work to do.  Moving times are always utterly chaotic.

One thing will be different this time: we are getting movers.  Last year, our friends moved us in scorching heat.  They were dirty, sweating, and grouchy by the end of the day.  8-Track's back hurt for three months afterwards.  We couldn't do it again.  We could see the dread on their faces when we mentioned moving.  So, movers it is!

It's going to cost a small fortune, but it will be worth it to retain our longtime friendships.  Now that we have our own house, we can have people over!  In fact, 8-Track and Jeanette were the first friends to come visit us this weekend.  It was wonderful, sitting out on our patio on a warm spring day, laughing and talking.  Emmie played in the grass beside us.  Life was good.

I am counting the days until we turn the page on this chapter of our lives.  The new story promises to be full of adventures!