Hopefully you didn’t see the title of this post and think, “I didn’t know she was gone!”
2016 has been an interesting year so far. It started out very normal. Then February found us on the road more days than at home, back and forth from east coast to west coast and back again. Several trips were business, but there was also an unexpected trip for Jeff’s grandmother’s funeral. Then March roared in with an completely unexpected job change for Jeff, which came with a relocation for us.
Now a relocation might not sound like any big deal to many of you, but it has been totally traumatic for me. We’ve lived in Dallas for all of our nearly 29 years of marriage, and before that I lived in Ft. Worth. I’d only moved to new places for my first 2 years of college. Now we were moving to a city where I knew no one–and had no kids with me to provide those quick connections with other kids’ parents. To top it off, we were moving from almost 29 years of houses in surburbia to an apartment in the city. With a 14-year-old dog! I went back and forth a good bit at first, but am now here more than there. And we have literally been moving in one carload at a time, so it’s taken a while to feel at home in the new place. (We bought the “big stuff” at IKEA since our apartment is less than half the square footage of our house.)
That all happened near the beginning of March, and now here we are in May and I finally feel like I might be myself again. I’m starting to settle in. To find my way around. To meet people. And in the midst of it all, to write. And suddenly I missed you–my few but faithful blog readers and social media friends.
So as of today, I’M BACK! Look for more regular posts on the horizon. Being in a new place and experiencing new things might actually make me feel like I have something interesting to say.
Love y’all!
I am glad that you are settled. But you didn’t have a book last Fall. I have read them all and am looking forward to the next one. I hope that it will be soon. Thank you .
Bless you for even noticing that, Christina! I don’t know when my next book will come out, but be sure you are on my email newsletter list so you’ll know. It’s been a bit of a dry spell, but I feel like the Lord is reviving me once again and I’m looking forward to telling more stories. 🙂
Welcome back! It’s wonderful to see you here. I know this move will provide many opportunities for you. Look forward to reading about your new adventures.
Thanks, Becky. I’m trying to embrace adventure. 🙂
Best wishes on all of the big changes. God has his loving and faithful hand on you and your family and has a plan. Enjoy!
Thanks, Sherry! We have really felt God’s presence even though it’s been hard.
I’m sure you are adapting quite well. Praying that you have safe travels on all these trips back and forth and that the kids do too. Love you.
Love you, too!
I have missed you and thought of you often, Anne. I’m so glad you’re back, and I look forward to hearing more about this new chapter in your life!
Thank you, Britney! It’s nice to know I was missed a little bit. 🙂
Good to see you back, Anne. What an ordeal and I understand it so well! We lived in the same place for 29 years, too. BTW 29 is the Bible number for departure! We went on a long hard journey 12 years ago and the last part of it was one van load at a time. So glad you are on the other side of it!
Wow! It’s always lovely when someone else really understands! Thanks for sharing that, Sandy!
Moving is usually traumatic, even if it is something one does often. I don’t know where you are calling home these days, Anne, but I can’t think of a nicer way to get connected in a new community than by joining a Community Bible Study class. http://www.communitybiblestudy.org/ – pull down the “get connected” choice to find out if there is one near you. Blessings.
Thanks, Janet. I’ll check it out. I love Bible study and connecting with others in that way. We’re just now getting to know people at our church, so that helps, too.
So happy to have you “back” — and yes, moving can be quite a traumatic experience for some, for me…for a while I loved it! But now, having moved about 22 times in my life, I am happy to stay put a while. Did you enjoy re-decorating? I would like that part?
Kind of. We were going to replace the furniture in our house soon anyway, so this was a good excuse. We were able to get cute and coordinating things that fit our now small space. (Thank you, Ikea!) But there are still a few things that haven’t made it here from the house yet and a few things I’m still looking to purchase but can’t find the thing I want for the price I want to pay. I’m not very good at decorating, so while it has been fun it has also been a bit stressful! 🙂
I hope you are “home”. With all of the military provided moves I had from birth to age 47, I always felt “at home” when I ran into someone I knew while out and about. The other clue to being home was when I finally stopped rearranging my kitchen, the center of my home and my favorite place to be. I can now say after 10 years of living in the same house, I am home and I hope I don’t move any time soon! 🙂
Take care and hope to hear from you via your blog soon.
Thanks for your encouragement, Denice! I love your definition of “home”! I hope I feel it soon. And yes, every time I bring a load of stuff I rearrange the kitchen. I guess when I stop doing that we’ll be “settled.” (And hubby will be happy to be able to find things!)