Moving blues - almost normal!

Okay, I'd say pour a cup of coffee and we'll chat, but it's almost bedtime (I'll have to stop to put the kids to bed, but will be right back). so instead I'll say pour yourself a cup of tea - or glass of wine, whatever your inclination.

First, my Internet woes: I have given up on Hughes - after they postponed two appointments due to "lack of equipment." Went to the Verizon store today and took my chances on a Verizon Aircard for $80/month. Cheaper than Hughes, but has a 10G/month limit. I have no idea how that will play out with my blogging, but I have 14 days to change my mind. So as far as blogging/writing goes, I have no reason not to be full steam ahead - except for a hundred boxes still waiting to be unpacked.

I was so confused and discombobulated before the move that while I got rid of a lot of stuff before, I still had to pack stuff to make a decision on after I got here. Craigslist and I have become Proverbs 31 bosom buddies as I've sold and given away stuff that didn't fit our new house, while buying things that did. I am constantly amazed at God's hand in this online wheeling and dealing. I got an incredible bedroom set for Jonny and Jesse for $200 that just needed a little refinishing on the top surfaces - something Tripp was able to accomplish easily before we moved. Also a great new desk set for Tripp - which he needs for his new job - for a fraction of its worth. And bookshelves to replace the built-ins where we lived in Bluemont. All are really good quality and bargains. Did I say I love Craigslist?

We had a lot of help throughout the move from our grownup kids and their friends. We also hired Josh's company Kinsman Contractors to help us on the main day of the move - August 1. Most problems melted like lemon drops away above the chimney tops. However on the night of the 1st, after moving almost all our belongings to the Lovettsville house, Tripp went back to Bluemont to tie up some loose ends. We had been experiencing scattered thunder showers in Loudoun throughout the day, and we had a couple bolts of lightning at 6:30 or so when the power went out completely at our new address. I was here with the Downzers surrounded by a mass confusion of boxes and no idea where our flashlights were. I unpacked some candles, but couldn't find any matches. No phone either, since the inside cordless system is electric. And of course, my wireless was out of batteries.

It was getting darker and darker and I was wondering what in the world I was going to do with the kids in a dark house - and frankly just a little scared myself - when there was a knock on the door and our friend Jack Burden, who'd brought us pizzas for dinner, showed up with camping lanterns. God provides - but He needs us to help Him! Got the kids to bed and Tripp came back to the dark house and we all tumbled into bed dirty and sweaty from a record-breaking hot day of heavy moving (in the country, when your power goes out, it means no water since the pump needs electricity to draw water - and of course, we had no air conditioning).

Woke up at 2:30 AM and the power was on! Hallelujah!

But we have been working hard ever since to bring over the tail end of our stuff and to organize everything here.

This has been hard. I don't want to whine, but I am not a normal 63 year old. I'm still dealing with 6 kids at home - though two are off to college this month - and way too much stuff for someone my age to be carrying around. I touched on this earlier and have written about it in my upcoming Catholic Herald column. At this age, it seems that normal things like moving or dealing with a child's operation take a 300% toll. I am aging by the minute and anxious for everything to settle so I can rest a little.

I love our new house. I can see the wisdom in God's plan as our last house was charming and quirky but not very conducive to organizing the Downzers' lives in such a way that they could operate independently. It's hard to explain, but if I took you on a tour of our new house, I could show you how the common-sense layout will encourage their independence so they will be able to think things through and take charge of their daily routine.

So two wonderful outcomes from our move: letting go of material attachment (which I wrote about before) and helping the Curtis Brothers - Jonny, Jesse, Daniel, and Justin - reach their potential. Definitely worth the moving expenses and accelerated aging process.

So you would think.

But then, Tripp went into Leesburg to take our keys back to Brown Carrera on August 3. Remember, the owners of the home we'd rented for three years had given us notice because they wanted to come back to Virginia to live there again. Just as he was putting the keys into our property manger's hand, the wife/partner came down the office stairs and said:

"You'll never believe what happened. I just got an email saying Mr. _________ had found a job and they will not be coming back."

I suppose there would have been a time when I was bitter and angry. I suppose I would have felt ripped off and cheated and very much the victim. After losing our home to foreclosure in 2008, for three years we'd been blessed to rent a country property very similar to those we'd owned. It even had a pool - a blessing for our four sons with Down syndrome who kept in shape and gained self-confidence by daily swimming. We lived in a teensy off-the-beaten-path town with the best neighbors anyone could hope for.

But we had to leave because the owners were coming home. Then they turned out to be not coming home at all.

But I know God had a plan. We don't have a pool, but we have a friend who invites us to use hers. Our town is bigger, but I hope to make many more friends. And I am secure that God has us right where He wants us. I am committed to letting go of things I do not need and that is a very freeing feeling.

To me, the greatest challenge is continuing to live life while still not settled in.

This weekend, Ben and Anna are driving down from Rochester to visit. So wonderful to look forward to all being together for a day.

We had permission to leave Sophia's stuff in the garage until she returns to school and we were hoping not to move it twice. On August 16, some part of the Curtis Family will help her move back to Lynchburg. Tripp and I are supposed to take Maddy to see Bob Dylan that night.

Jonny has surgery on August 18.

Maddy moves to Catholic University August 25. The Downzers go back to school August 29.

Would it sound off somehow to say I am waiting for September for my personal ship to stop being tossed by the waves of my kids' lives and to settle into a routine of writing and maybe even a little reading?

Life is so demanding, complicated, confusing, crazy, messy, This longing I have for it to be just the way I want it - the belief that if I just get everything unpacked and correctly situated I will be happy forever - please tell me I'm not the only optimist out here. Do you struggle too?

But mostly, please let us pray for each other that we will see - even when it is hard to see - that no matter the disappointments, God has a plan. It's our job to keep discerning it.

I have so missed being connected to my readers. Hoping to be back soon!