Yesterday, Jonny and I took a long walk with Mabel and discussed the feelings of overwhelm we have both been experiencing lately. All summer long, in the background of an already full life, we have been working to prepare our old house to sell. We haven’t contracted out for the work, making this instead a family effort. (We have had some help from very good friends, and I’ll share our final big project later this week.) Being in the midst of so many big decisions not to mention an incredible amount of sheer hard work, sometimes we both feel like we are in a bit of a fog, unable to do anything but take the next tiny step forward.
The good thing about all this work is that we are near desperate to see an end to it, and that is serving to mostly outweigh the nostalgia that is always looming around the edges of this life change. After all, we were a family of three with Jonny and I only twenty-four years old when we bought our little house. That home held us as we grew to be a family of ten, saw births and grief, and all the love in between. This morning, Gabe and I went over and dug up last year’s Mother’s Day fig tree in order to move it to our new house. It felt good to go get it. I still have a bit of madder root to harvest over there, but after that I think I’ll be ready to say goodbye. I hope I’ll stop having that nagging feeling that I’ve forgotten something. I can only imagine that there might be one last desperate urge to cry out, “Wait!” before the door closes for good.
While I certainly have my moments of sadness and loss over selling the home that we poured so much of ourselves into, mostly it’s business as usual here. Life demands that, and moving forward does feel good. The best way I know to distract and keep myself in the present is to “make home.” I’ve been very hesitant to do much of that in our current house while we are still renting, but as we near the start of another school year, I have so much to do! I’ve been organizing and planning and dreaming of what’s next. Miss Mabel is a very busy little girl, and will surely be my biggest challenge this year. I spend much of my day trying to prevent head injuries as she is a little climber (aren’t they all at this age?) Thankfully, she has discovered a love of books and can frequently be found sitting with one open in her lap. Using an old shelf that Jonny made along with a little rug and a thrifted child-sized rocking chair, I recently fashioned a cozy little corner for her. She seems to be very pleased with it. I bought her a handful of new board books only to have her remind me of the fact that toddlers are often slow to accept new books. She prefers her old favorites, such as Goodnight Moon, but she is starting to warm up to her new ones as well. I’m thinking that a little basket of books in other spots in the house will help keep Mabel happy this fall as we get started on a brand new school year and a brand new chapter in our lives.
Here are a few affiliate links to some of Mabel’s current favorites:
Other favorites pictured in this post:
Betty Foley says
So cute!!!:)
Nancy riendeau says
I wrote this on blog post three years ago before we moved. We too had outgrown our very small house with our tribe, but loved the place dearly.
http://ofwoolandloveliness.blogspot.com/search?q=Goodbye
This may describe familiar feelings. God Bless in your endeavors.
Nancy
Marion says
Mabel has gotten so big and is a beautiful as are all your children. it is hard leaving a home that has so many memories wrapped in it. Wishing you a good school year.
Marion and family
Catherine says
Merci ginny
Tous les matins , je consulte votre blog une et quand par bonheur un nouveau message est arrivé , c’est comme un sentiment de véritable partage ….de l’autre coté de l’océan
MERCI “petite “famille
A chacun , beaucoup d’amour….
Catherine
Lisa says
I think maybee it’s hard to settle into something your Renting because your never sure how long you will stay. Maybee it just doesn’t feel like it’s “your home” I’m glad all your stress of selling your old home will be over and you can relax ❤️
Mabel is absolutely adorable I swear she gets cuter and cuter every pic you post!! Good luck with your new school year fall is always so wonderful for fresh starts!!
Lisa
Lisa says
I think maybee it’s hard to settle into something your Renting because your never sure how long you will stay. Maybee it just doesn’t feel like it’s “your home” I’m glad all your stress of selling your old home will be over and you can relax ❤️
Mabel is absolutely adorable I swear she gets cuter and cuter every pic you post!! Good luck with your new school year fall is always so wonderful for fresh starts!!
Lisa
Mary @ Better Than Eden says
I think all of your readers are going to miss your beautiful home, too! But I’m so excited for this new season for your family. God is with you even in the hard goodbyes. School this year is going to be a bit challenging, too, I think. Ben is 2 and just now finding his opinion on everything…
Renee Anne says
I feel like summer just started and here we are, almost to my younger one’s birthday (3…seriously…how did that boy hit 3 already?!), I’m in the midst of planning for Little Man’s school auction, and I hardly have time to knit or think or….::sigh::
What is Bea holding? I can’t remember if it’s a bunny or a guinea pig. Or is it a dog? I know it’s not but it looked like one…
Anne Weber-Falk says
You say so many good and true feelings about leaving that I relate to. We bought our first home after renting in the same place for 20 years. All three of our children did most of their growing up into adulthood there. I took one last look around each room by myself to breathe in and see those memories. I cried a bit but it was good. We took a month to get everything moved to our final (?) retirement home. It was stressful and hectic and so taking time to visit before leaving was good.
Elisa says
Blue Hat, Green Hat is THE BEST! I read it to my boys who are all grown up. Now I give it as a first birthday gift to the littles in my life. OOPS!
Kate says
I know how you feel. This past Spring we sold our home of 15 years. It was our first homestead, where we had goats and chickens, planted an orchard, vineyard and a large garden. I also poured a lot of myself into my roses. One of our kids was born in the house, his placenta planted in the orchard. There was the kids’ graffiti on barn walls and playhouse. There were a lot of good memories, but we knew it was time to move. There was so much clean-up and repairs needed (it was an old property that we bought in “as in” condition), that by the end we just wanted it to be over. It sold quickly and then we were engrossed in packing. By the time we drove away forever from the house, I was so relieved that I didn’t shed a tear. It was all done and I could breathe again, ready for new adventures.
Bee says
I moved back home to Europe in January after having spent the last five years in the U.S. getting my Ph.D. Moving back and being back have been tremendous changes, and while it was honestly a little awful in the beginning, I’ve found my place again, and it feels so good.
I know this is *nothing* like selling a house you’ve lived in for such a long time, but I’m just telling you all this to say that as tough as it is now, it DOES get better. It’s an adjustment, but it looks like it’s a wonderful one, especially in the long run :).
On a less serious note, that bunny is really, really, out-of-this-world adorable. Good luck with everything!
Richard (in Charlotte, NC) says
My 90-year old Dad has asked me to move in with him now and be there to help him take care of the house and property that he has owned since February of 1956. I am so blessed that he is in fairly good health and sound mind. I understand some of what you are going through. I have spent 6 years in a rental house that I thought that I might stay in for quite some time longer but, life happens and now I am going through an enormous change also. I have been a horder of sorts with things that I have found along life’s road and now most of it will go to thrift stores as I do not have time to have yard sales. I have a polymer rock with the word Patience on it and I have it on my Ford Aerostar van’s dashboard. It reminds me to take one day at a time now and to ease my move back home. I wish you, Jonny and all your family the patience to go through your final moments and the sale of your house and former home. “The only thing that doesn’t change in life is change” – author unknown. Best wishes to you as this summer winds down and you move on down life’s path.
Elizabeth says
it *is* a busy season for you all! But the teamwork you are doing as a family I think you will always look back on with thankfulness! God be with you all and bless you!!!
karen says
I am thrilled that the busyness of the house renovations is keeping the tears at bay as you transition to your new home and leaving the old one in the past. Funny how the way life provides the answers without us seeking them out.
I’ve bought and sold three houses and I can vouch that once you sell and sign the papers of the old house you will feel so much a peace. I bet it sells quickly as well, fingers crossed!
Mabel is a doll baby! so cute and the way she reads her books shows she is going to be a lover of books.
Clémence says
Thinking of you throughout your intense days!
Christine says
Your pictures are always so amazing.
Christie says
I so understand this. We were renting in May and got unexpected notice we would need to move by mid-August. God unexpectedly blessed us with being able to buy a house that we have now been in for a week and a half — working on updating the bedrooms and bathrooms. I feel like my entire summer has been one giant project.
One note of encouragement — I felt nostalgic once I was done with the final clean and leaving of our apartment. The Lord directed me to thank Him for the time and the beauty and love that was in that home for us and the time we were able to be there. I feel like it really helped close out that home for me. Just a thought in case you get to your “Oh, wait!” moment.
Missy says
Oh, this is good encouragement for me right now. My 1.5 yo is into everything and I can barely school with the bigger kids. I’m going to work on giving her a little special corner. It should occupy her for five minutes or so!
Tell us about that lovely bunny!!!
Ginny says
Five minutes is about right! School is going to be a real challenge this year… The bunny’s name is Gus, and he is a lionhead mix. He’s got some crazy hair, and is a little high maintenance!