no title

i titled this entry "no title" because nothing really sums up how i feel. chapter ending? sadness and tears? new chapter? lonely?
we moved out of our apartment in St. Louis yesterday and into my parents house in nashville. we are on a temporary layover until we get to our final destination, Denver. we arent exactly sure when that will be, but hopefully by the beginning of fall.
packing up last week was a whirlwind and not a whole lot of time to be reflective. we had a few "lasts" with friends. last dinners, last tv watching together, last prayer group, last dinner out, last playdate (you get the idea).
I wrote this post right before we moved to st.louis. and this sentence is exactly how i feel again.
"but because we havent gotten to {denver} yet and experienced the joys there, all we are left with today is the sense of loss. tomorrow, i know we will feel different and the sense of loss will be slowly replaced with excitement and love for a new city."


there isnt much i can say again about this chapter closing in our lives that i havent said before. it was a wonderful season. a season of protection. a season of focusing in our family and watching our children grow. i mean, maggie was still sleeping in a crib when we moved. i just think its hard when you love a place so much, people so much, but know there is more ahead that you are called to. 


we are so happy to have this time in Nashville. time that the cousins can be together. cousin ellie has already spent the night twice. and man, she is such a helper! instead of US getting up at 5:45, she does! love it! we are so thankful that God saw fit to allow us such great friends and this season.

12 weeks

time flies when you are bouncy a cute baby on your hip! (her hair naturally goes that way!)

6 weeks

ballerina girl

my shy one was amazing!!!! i am so very proud of her-she was in the front row and didnt miss a beat!!!

Easter Best

ode to my road

for the past three years, we have lived in a tiny apartment at the end of a cul-de-sac filled with seminary students. three years ago our family seemed completely different. it was complete different. we moved with this:

and now we have this:

we are an entirely different family now. before we moved matt was around a lot. we three would spend our days at the park or our favorite coffee shop, Bongo. Mags was an easy easy toddler. Abe was 8 weeks old (same age as Franks is now!) when we moved. the first semester being a stay at home mom was still quite novel. we LOVED having days when matt would leave at 8 and be home around 3 or 4 and we'd play in the afternoon outside with friends. cooking dinner every night was still novel too. seminary budget but a kabosh on eating out.
the week we moved in, my next door neighbor told me this apartment complex was the Christian Melrose....its been a dream really.
friendships for all of us are easy. not that the friendships themselves are without hardships or conflict but TO BE IN relationship is quite easy. just take my last week for instance: there was a birthday party for a dear friend-it was rainy and cold and i would have hated getting out and driving in that weather but i just walked 100 yards and was there. last night a friend was sick and her husband was working- i walked 100 yards and was able to help her out. friends have walked over and gotten our children while we had the newborn or helped when i've been sick. taking steaming hot meals at dinner time to friends who just had babies or are having a hard time-its easy.
when i get my stroller out for a walk-there is bound to be others wanting to walk with me. when my kids want to run around with other kids-there is bound to be others. when i want to pull out my sewing machine and craft it up with some gals-there is bound to be others. when i want to sit on the deck with some wine-plenty of people to do it with.
i love it. but i realize its not reality. (unless of course, we live on a commune...which i wouldnt mind at this point).
but the lesson i have learned these past three years is that sharing life together with friends is wonderful and no matter how easy or how hard, its worth it. to make friends with the unlikely, is wonderful. to share in burdens is wonderful.
i admit-i will miss the ease. i know i will wake up one day soon and say, 'how do i parent 3 kids without a ton of kids around?' i know my kids will wake up and wonder, 'why arent there a ton of kids outside my door ready to play?'
i'll miss it. i'll miss the friendships that have sprung up just because of proximity. dear friendships.
i'll miss not having to get in a car when i want to hang with some girls. i know mojo will miss watching basketball a few nights a week with guys. i'll miss seeing these people-day in. day out. good days, bad days. oh, my little cul-de-sac you've been good to us.