The Littles are bigger. Much Bigger.
Soon heading into their first day of FIRST grade, I am shaking my head as I watch them read simple words to each other, giggle at jokes they wouldn’t have gotten a year or so ago, marveled at how their feet will soon be larger than mine, and so will their height.
Honestly, its been a hard, tough, painful, uphill-battle-against-many-dragons kind of two years.
And I have thought long and hard about how much I should share, and when I should share it. That has accounted for a lot of my silence the last couple months on here, since April really, because I felt like I was just simply trying to keep afloat, stay focused, hold on to my faith with both hands, and close my eyes for the inevitable moment when it all comes crashing down.
But it didn’t. We are here. The dragon has been slayed, and we are on the triumphant journey back home, definitely richer for the experience. 😀 And for those of you who have never seen the real Hobbit movie, I would encourage you to watch it so you get this. *wink*
Just under 2 years ago, our world was rocked when my husband’s store up and closed out of the blue, tossing him back onto the job market, and our family into turmoil.
We were fortunate. He found a job immediately. In a different state.
So all we had worked for, all we had done and worked with here, everything we had planned, and provided and put together……well we had to pack up and leave it with less than a 3 month notice. Talk about leaving more behind than pocket hankies like Bilbo did….for us it was more like everything kitchen related, and some of our food storage, and we brought 2 canners but no rack or weights for them. Yeah. Not so fun.
We went back and forth about putting our creaky, old, fabulous 110 year old farmhouse up on the market, and then slowly, as more crisis piled on (which you can read about here and here and here) the thought just came and went that it was supposed to stay with us for a reason. That was not an easy decision. It never is. Keeping two houses up is crazy stressful, not to mention financially draining. We prayed about it. We struggled with it. We talked into the wee hours of the morning about it.
But in the end of all of it, we kept it. And prayed over it. And sometimes cried over the decision, but we just never felt released to let it go. Let me tell you, 20 months of cramming 6 people, 3 dogs, 1 cat, and everything we do and make into one small house was quite the challenge. But we kept the big house in MN, and stayed in SD.
First Mom had her stroke issues and came to live with us, then last fall went back to live in that same house in MN. She planned on going to (live with my baby sister.) But disaster struck again, she took a terrible fall, and this last January we moved her right back in to her cozy bedroom in the downstairs room, and took her to the doc.
February she ended up with full rotator cuff surgery, with a 6-12 month recovery period to get back to full motion. Meanwhile, we found that she was also beginning to suffer from strange bouts of forgetfulness…she would leave her phone places like the fridge, or not be able to remember eating certain things ever before that she had previously enjoyed. It was hard. SO so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so hard.
And it is still hard today.
But we are finally to the point where we are seeing the end of the tunnel. The Handy Hubby and I made the decision about 8 weeks ago, that for the sake of our children, who needed a support network…for the sake of my sanity which needed more space and less stress…..for the sake of my business which is based out of MN, and requires time and attention…we chose the option of moving back for this fall.
And I really, REALLLLLLY could tell you so much more, but suffice it to say, we are very glad to be back.
The old walls echo with my children’s voices again, and of course, as soon as our kids saw the area where we mark our heights again they all had to make sure they were taller than the last time.
The Littles are busy imagining the fairies and flowers I am going to paint on their walls, and the Big Kid is already hunkered down going over what to tackle for her Sophmore year of High School.
We met so MANY amazing people, and so many friends. We saw such beauty, and South Dakota will always have a special place in our hearts. My Handy Hubby will finish out the next year there until the transition period we waited for comes around next Spring…then we will all be back together again full time.
I am thankful for everything.
The experience.
The journey.
The healing, and yes………even the Dragons.
So look forward to more posts, and more time with us spent here, as we share our lives and our experiences with you. If you want to see more of our daily stuff, be sure to check us out on Facebook, or follow our Instagram account, because we upload a LOT there we cant possibly share here all the time.
And if you like Essential oils and learning about natural ways of living, you can follow me about more on those subjects on my other natural living blog, and my FaceBook page. Just be sure to stop in and say howdy when you do. 😀
And blessings to you. Sometimes the dragons, and adventures, and journeys without necessities have to happen so you have an appreciation for what you have already been given, so your faith is stronger, your path truer, and your stamina deeper to deal with the tough areas you will again walk through some day as part of your calling.
Blessings to you and yours,
~Heather <3
