Goodbye 2009

Where oh where has this year gone!?!? Since my last post too much has happened, but while we've experienced some uncomfortable growing pains, it's all been for the best.

First of all, in a crazy whirlwind, we moved in late August. We had only known of the move since early July. That was probably the most painful part to me. I loved my little corner of the world in Pittsburgh. I loved my house, my friends, my church, and all the amenities that were available to me (I had an IKEA and a Costco within 10 minutes of my house!!) We moved to the Raleigh, NC, area, near to where my husband is from, and it's been an adjustment- mostly good. However, we were miraculously able to sell our home without a loss (no gain since we only owned it for 2 1/2 years.) We moved into a much smaller town home, but as we are still getting settled I have come to the realization that this has been good for me since I'm getting rid of a lot of unnecessary stuff. We do live in a wonderful neighborhood, many home schoolers for my kids to play with and lots of nice moms to talk to. After several months we finally settled on a church (there is a church on every corner in this place!) and that has also helped make this place feel more like home. A few nights ago I had a dream that we were able to move back into our old home in the 'burgh. While I felt happiness, I was sad to leave our new life. Maybe this is finally becoming home.

The move came about because my husband was retired from the Army due to his health issues after this last deployment. That was rather bittersweet, but again, it was a God thing. He's now a full-time graduate student, taking advantage of the GI Bill. We've had to tighten our belts a bit, but in this economy it's easier to do. Having my husband home 24/7 has been an adjustment for me. I was so accustomed to the Army way of life where he traveled often or was away from home. I don't mind him being home, but we've had a "shifting" of roles in our household. In other words, I don't get my way as often as I would like. :)

There have been many other changes, but these were the biggest. Looking back on 2009 I would have never imagined that I would be where I am today, but I know God's hand has guided us here. It's been a lesson in trusting Him, but while growing sometimes hurts, I know the end results will be worth it. Jeremiah 29:11-13 has never been more real to me.