Hello friends!
James started his first day of preschool today! He was really nervous about it all day yesterday and kept telling me on the drive there this morning that he thought he needed "to go back home and rest" for awhile. :( Once he got there and we saw his teacher and the other kids, he got a little more excited, but still very serious. He is such a funny little guy...so loud and ornery here, but in a social setting like that he becomes very quiet and shy. I could read his eyes as I said goodbye and I know that if no one else was watching he might have cried, but he didn't. He was so brave!
We had gone to visit the school last week. It's at Presbyterian church about five minutes from our house. I got to stay the whole morning with him and I was so impressed with him and loved seeing his personality come through in that setting. He takes everything to heart and is just so sweet. He wants to do everything right and I could see this sheer determination when he was working that I've never seen before...he is really changing big time and growing up right before my eyes!
As I sit here by myself for the first time in many months, I feel...well, if I can be honest, relief! Spell it with me, R-E-L-I-E-F! :) Sorry, our summer was a little longer this year because of the move and any parent knows how kids get at the end of the summer...lots of whining, bickering, "he looked at me the wrong way", even , "he looked at me" was thrown out there a few times...it was crazy! I think with the move it was crazy times two!
Even though I am loving this quiet time I have to enjoy for a few hours, it's strange being here in a new place alone. We've been so busy I haven't had time to stop and process all that has taken place and really just how much we have to be thankful for.
When I look back, I can see how God has been working in our lives in the last year to prepare us for this change. He placed a desire and openness in our hearts to move last year, but we didn't understand it or even think it was a possibility. Then came this spring when I randomly started cleaning and organizing everything in our attic closets, which was a lifesaver knowing that was done when we found out about Matt's new job. It was a HUGE job and Matt had even commented to me when I was doing it that, "it looks like we're getting ready to move". I really don't know why I started that project. I'm kind of lazy when it comes to cleaning, especially closets. :) It was like something inside me just ignited and I didn't stop for three days until it was done. Then, the sale of our home was another open door. It was amazing that our home sold in two days and to tell you the truth, I can't imagine what it would have been like for us if we had not sold it that fast now. That was such a blessing and made the transition so much easier.
In all of these things, I can see the signs that God has been leading us here. It has not been easy being away from family, friends, and all the familarity of home, especially for an anti-change kind of girl like me. My worries can at times overwhelm me when I stop and consider how big of a decision this was and how it will affect each of our lives. On the other hand, it's been freeing for such a scaredy cat like me to get out of my comfort zone and take a risk. I can't wait to see what His plans are for our family in Tennessee!
-"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5
In the car line with James at his new preschool:
