Whew! We have been in our ‘new house’ for three days now and while it feels like we have a long ways to go in unpacking and settling in, we really have come a long way!
On Wednesday we scurried around to get the final things
packed away in our van, using every available square inch of possible storage
(including stuffing the kayaks we were hauling on the roof). We had final hugs and goodbyes with Jonathan
and Faith (our dear friends and the new directors of the student center), with
Nathan praying for them as we huddled at the top of the driveway. Jonathan took a quick snapshot of our family in
front of the center and we drove away.
It’s difficult to describe the feelings I was processing as we drove out
of town. While I briefly entertained
memories of leaving Wilmore as a college graduate 15 years ago, I couldn’t get
past anything other than an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for the
years He gave us in Wilmore since returning in 1998.
We didn’t get too far down the road before stopping for
lunch in Louisville with my former college roommate, Lindsay, and her mother,
Sandra. It was a nice diversion to break
up the trip a bit! In spite of living
relatively close by, we haven’t gotten together as much as we’d like (though we
give each other a pass for things like parenthood (me) and med school/residency
(her) and so on…).
Before sunset Wednesday evening we were pulling into the
driveway of my grandfather’s family farm and walking into the house we will
call home for the next several months.
Mom and Dad had supper ready and waiting for us. What a blessing to arrive to home-cooked food
and made-up beds! Since then, we have
been unpacking boxes and setting up home.
In some ways I feel a bit like the college freshmen who moved into campus
dorms at Asbury … except with just a bit more stuff.
Today we transferred registration for our van, got new
driver’s licenses, and picked up plates for the Mini Winnie (Winnebago) all before enjoying
breakfast with Grandpa Van and Marilyn (gotta hit the DMV as soon as it opens
on Saturday morning)! Oh the joys of
re-locating!
We are grateful for the help of my (Cydil’s) parents who
have entertained the kids, moved boxes, ran extension cords, disinfected
cabinets, and on and on. While we have
been busy working, Ellie and Reni are thoroughly enjoying life in the
country. While it’s only a brief season,
it’s a blessing for me to see them experience a slice of what life was like for
me as a child (and it’s only just begun)!
One of the challenges to where we live is a lack of
convenient internet connection. While we
have data plans on our phones (for now) which allow us to send (albeit brief)
and receive e-mails and post the occasional tweet, posting here to the blog is
going to require a bit more intention. I
don’t necessarily think it’s all bad – I’m sure in some ways my productivity
will increase!
Reni is enjoying a more accessible 'playground' thanks to intermediate steps that our friend Jim added on Reni's behalf |
To those of you remembering our family in prayer during this
transition – thank you! God’s provision
is evident at every turn and right now my grateful list would start with a
comfortable familiar home, happy kids who are loving life in the country,
family we can “drop in” on (for the first time in our married lives), and friends
(who we already miss very much!) who have gone above and beyond to show us
love. Thank you! -- Cydil
1 comment:
I have to admit that I got a little sad to see the picture of you guys all packed by the sign. Sad to think that the next time I come home (who knows when that will be) you will not be there so I can knock on your door and spend some time with you. However, very excited for the next stages of your journey. Praying for you guys and transitions...we understand!
Love,
Laurie
Post a Comment