As far as the eye can see

The road stretches on and on...

Are we there yet? The children want to know, for the umpteenth time.

Because it's a very long drive from Missiouri to Washington -- we spread over four, almost five days to do -- a good part of it does feel like miles and miles on end of "nothingness".

For me, the respite comes, once in a while, when we catch a lovely sight.

These are my favourite ones...

The sky, it wraps around us, 360 degrees...

There's the acres of farmland...


and the mountains in different shapes and sizes...


and everything else in-between...

... as far as the eye can see!

And just look at all that natural beauty...
.... it's hard not to go AAAAAAHHHHHH at the wonderful works in My Father's World!

I needed also to go AAAAAAHHHHHH in between all the AAARRRGGGHHHS -- the spills and messes, and meltdowns and fights -- of course we weren't spared of them on the road. And you can guess, which of these chaos in our daily lives I can use more of the breathing in and out still... why, the parenting journey can be quite the bumpy ride!

And now, it's about a month since our big move, and I'm just getting round to talk about it. We aren't quite over the sheer exhaustion of it all. The long drive, and before that, the crazy packing and cleaning, and once here, the unpacking and yet more cleaning. Don't be surprised, but we've still got more to unpack, only there's enough as it is to try and put in order, what with house things to repair or replace, as well as safety and maintenance issues, to tackle the pressing ones first.

Every day, too, we are grappling with such basic parenting issues as attitude and behavior, that pile on the stress for us during this transition period. Other things cropped up, like my toothache. And of the things we left behind, there are loose ends to tie up, including the sale of our place that we proceeded with, not to be taken for granted. The offer came during the move, and I feel it's my fault we agreed to much less than what we paid. Me, the non-risk taker, less open to the renting out alternative, not because I was led to think that the wrong tenants would make meth in the house, but more over its maintanence and which way the market will go a year from now. But did I give up too soon, instead of hang in there for a more reasonable offer? The losses don't yet include the newer home improvements. Bigger picture: the new family will get to enjoy them, while we focus on our blessings and setting up home again.

I struggled to make this update sound more positive, but you know I'm open about what I say here on my blog because I'm among friends, and it's only right if I say this as it is. And really, if I have to wait till I have things down pat, not that I did before, to blog again, I never will. But blogging helps me stop and gaze, and I am trying to focus on the big picture, and if it's also possible not to lose sight of the little things that do count as well. I know that eventually when Vern is done with his schoolwork (go, Vern, go... I must encourage him to keep going), he and I will breathe better, too, and it will feel more like we have moved on to a new chapter, a new season.

Meanwhile, we are thankful, no doubt, for Spokane to call our new home, for new faces we meet, and for old friends like you, to start our journey here... It's only just begun.