Welcome 2009 - Here's to Living in Transition No More!

Last year was... well... interesting! I was back at work, pregnant, rushing all the time... JD was #1 with the girls in the morning and after school most days not leaving him much time in between to get much done (now he understands!)... we didn't know from one moment to the next if we were moving to another city as my husband seeked out various job opportunities... Our move was looking like it would be shortly after the baby was born and I didn't know when or how I would even think of getting the house packed while teaching full-time, or after with a newborn! In sum, 2008 was a draining year - physically and emotionally! The highlights: my husband and I drew closer together through the roller-coaster ride and we welcomed our third beautiful baby girl into our family... true blessings ;)

Now on maternity leave since the summer... we've made a decision which is carrying on into 2009... We will no longer "live in transition"! What do I mean by that? I've spoken to a few friends recently who know exactly what I'm talking about... living in transition is when you're not sure how long you'll be staying where you are, so you hear yourself say things like "If we stay, we need to do this..." or "When we move, I'd like to do that..." It's always talking about the what might be and so you become paralyzed in the present and stopped from carrying out many things! We had been living in transition for almost 3 years! Since we left Northern Ontario two weeks after the birth of our now 3-year old for my husband's work, we've had two "temporary" moves, at first with the intention of moving back North, then to move to Ottawa...

This past summer, we finally decided to stay put. Funny how a decision to stop living in transition can change life... We put a swing set up in the back yard... finally rearranged the girls' rooms around (I have a very happy 6-year old in a very PINK room! And a baby finally in her crib in her own room)... We finished the basement which remained in a state of demolition for over a year... Deciding to stay put and to no longer "live in transition" means that we're finally settling into our home. Finally sorting through boxes we've been carrying around from move to move for TOO long. Finally finding a place for everything and getting rid of a ton of stuff we don't need. It feels GREAT to be getting organized and to allow ourselves to set some roots.

We love our home, our neighbourhood, our church and my daughter's francophone school. We are very blessed and are glad to not constantly hear ourselves talking about possible moves. Does that mean that we will never move? No. I don't put it past God to have other plans for us! But it does mean that we're not talking about it anymore! If and when the right opportunity comes along, then we'll talk, but for now, we're all about living each day to the fullest as we truly settle into our home and our community. Feels great to be home!

Happy New Year!