One Year!

One year ago this weekend we moved to our city. I can't believe it's been a year already; we still all feel so new here. I still get lost while I'm driving.

Backstory: When we first moved here, I routinely got lost. On my first day in town, I decided to take the kids to the zoo. I managed to find my way to the zoo. But on the way home, somehow I found myself hurtling down the interstate! As I drove, I frantically scanned the landscape for mountains (instinct -I grew up in the West) to help me orient myself. But there was nothing on the horizon that helped me figure out in which direction I was headed. I exited the highway as soon as I could, and found myself in a part of town that was not, um, pleasant. It wasn't even really a part of town, just a large industrial area with houses randomly placed in between factories and railroad tracks.

After I found my way home, I placed a map of the city in my car and it stayed on the passenger seat for 6 months! I got lost so often, that it became a family joke. And, sadly, my kids began to recognize the areas. "Hey!" I'd heard from the back seat. "Isn't this where we got lost on the way home from the grocery store?"

Sigh....

Anyway: This is the first city in which we've managed to stay for a year in quite a long time. Our last city we stayed 11 months. The city before that - 9 months. And before that? 18 months.

We're all kind of impressed that we've lasted this long...... and we're wondering how long we'll be here. Holding our breath waiting for God to pick us up and drop us somplace else while trying not to look like we're holding our breath and waiting.

So one year ago this weekend, we drove through 5 states toward our new home. Here are pictures from one of the stops we made trying to make the move an adventure for the kids: The Jelly Belly factory in Wisconsin. A great tour, with an amazing gift shop!


Well worth the detour off the interstate to get there.