Tomorrow...

We load up the UHaul tomorrow afternoon.

I'm going to miss this little house.

When we moved here a little over two years ago, I was thrilled beyond belief. Even though it's a little smaller than our first house, it is infinitely nicer. Being away from the parsonage (and the church building next to it) was such a relief. I didn't feel like my life was on display for the whole world anymore. The relief was tremendous. Probably more important was that the move represented a turning point in our lives - not just a change in address, but a change in our relationship as well. It seems like big events have always come every other year for us for some reason.

I've loved this little place, and I'm about it leave it all behind. We'll have even more anonymity in Chattanooga - it always amuses me to hear people call it a "small town" - try living in Jasper, Tennessee! If people don't know your business, they'll make something up! I relish the thought of people not feeling a need to use me a fodder for the rumor mill.

While I am going to miss Grannie & Peepop something terribly, there isn't much else here that I will miss, save the house itself. (The crazy neighbors? Not so much.) I'm looking forward to being so much closer to everything - Olive Garden? Less than ten minutes from my house. Sam's? Fifteen-minute drive. School? Instead of leaving myself an hour and a half (just in case traffic is bad), I can be there in ten minutes. Oh, and I won't be shelling out $800 in gas every month, either. What a relief! I'm excited about being near movie theaters, funky grocery stores, and whichever hospital I wind up working at. I'm looking forward to making new friends and being closer to my girlfriends from school.

And I'm really looking forward to the search for our own home - hopefully in the next couple of years or so. I'm stoked about the idea of having my house, that I can decorate the way I want. Very cool prospect, indeed.

Stuff Box, Tape, Repeat

There is one constant in packing - the more you pack, the more you have left to pack! I think stuff seems to multiply itself. Weird how that works!

Still, progress is being made. Most of my scrapbook stuff is boxed or secured in its current container. The couch has been relegated to a sad spot on the patio, awaited a trip to the dump, because even though it still looks okay, the springs are completely shot. There is no hope, and Jeff doesn't want to move it. The kitchen is almost done, except for those few dishes that I simply must leave available. Even Braeden's room is mostly packed, although none of the boxes are sealed because we keep finding things to go in them...

What a chore this is, and yet I can't help thinking how blessed I am to have a houseful of things that I don't really need. I have been graciously allowed a lot of things that let me express my creativity, and for that I am so thankful. Sure, it's a pain to deal with dusty old boxes (and the sneezing that inevitably results), but each time I seal a box, I have to smile and say a quick prayer of thanks for my many, many, many material blessings.