Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!

Today we made a paper chain to count down the days to our move.  The house is scheduled to be ready for us to move in on January 20, 2011, and we plan to move in that weekend.  We decorated our paper chain with the things we are looking forward to the most - hanging out in the new family room, riding bus 43 to school, Arden Park, walking to the grocery store, and much more. 

It's overwhelming to think back on the past year and everything that has happened.    Last spring we talked about getting used to the "new normal," and we're preparing to do that again, but this time it should feel more normal than not.  Our exhaustion will turn to relief, our stresses will seem more minor.  The insurance process will still be ridiculous, but eventually it will come to an end.  Our losses will become less difficult as we appreciate what we have.  We'll move on, stronger in our resilience and our relationships with each other.

There will still be work to complete on the house after we move in, and we'll  be anxiously awaiting the construction of our neighbor's new home.  No matter the driver, the process of building a home is an exciting one.  This video recaps the process, from a hole in the ground to a nearly completed home. 

Here's to a new year!  Cheers!