moving right along

we moved! again! we are in the process of completing move #6 from the last 4 years. and interestingly enough- we are back in the house where all the magic began. yes, this is the house that chris first bought when he came back from iraq.

 

can you believe he was in iraq? i really had a strong suspicion that he might die there. but he didn't! yeah God!

 

i have had a strange week of reminiscing now that i am back in this old/new house of mine. i loved this house when i first moved in- cause it was OUR first new house as mr. and mrs. watson. it was romantic and lovely. but then the smells and the awkward layout started really bugging me. and then a good number of my friends were moving into brand-spanking new houses that had open layouts and beautiful, big, shiny, new kitchens. and then that green-headed monster named covetousness crept in and made me slowly start loathing my old orange tile and strange turquoise countertops. (coincidentally, the ugly countertops are the same color as my minivan... strange... i just now made that realization.)

 

but then fortunately- we moved! and we moved and we moved and moved and moved. and then i hated moving. so we moved one last time. and now we are home. and i am back to loving it. one thing i have learned through all the moving is that there are always going to be things i love and hate about the place i live in, but it doesn't matter- cause i have it really reall good. even when we lived in the apartment- i still had it really really good. and even when we were nomads living with my two sets of in-laws for three months- i had it REALLY really good (i'm just gonna say it- i'm not a lesbian but i LOVE living with other women!) and now the pantry that i thought was too small, and my closet that i also thought was a bit tiny- i have learned to organize and downsize- so now everything fits and has a place! magic!

 

another thing that has helped me love this place more is by surrounding myself with people who love this place, maybe more than i do. my sweet friends and sister, Lindsay, came over one night to help me paint a few walls before we moved in. it was so awesome! i am so blessed by the friends and family that i have. and my friends and lindsay love this house. cause this is where the magic began- not just for my family- but for my friendships too. this is the house where chris pulled that terrible april fool's joke that made people cry instead of laugh. this is the house where we shaved chris' head for the first time in the middle of my kitchen floor. this is also the house where most of my bridesmaids stayed when they flew in for my wedding. great times with great people. so. blessed.

 

yesterday was ash wednesday, and i contemplated how i was going to 'celebrate' the season, as i drank an offensive amount of coffee. last year i gave up coffee. and this year, instead of giving something up- i am going to add something. cigarettes. just kidding. i'm stealing this from my friend who did it last year- but i am going to intentionally wake up early and spend some quality time with my Lord. so far- so good! 

 

 

this last week, in the midst of packing, and then unpacking boxes, lots of different crazy things have happened. a good friend of my sister's baby passed away in the middle of the night. it's a long story and very very depressing, but also has a silver lining, as only God could put on a tragic situation like that. but it has definitely helped me to have some perspective on the craziness in my life. even when the kids are misbehaving, or our bank account looks pretty empty, or i am tired of unpacking boxes- again- we have our health and the love of our Savior- and compared to people who don't have one or both of those things- you realize that those two things are everything.

 

 

so, with that i leave you with these verses. it's from psalm 34. and psalm 34 has a warm place in my heart, cause i read it often when chris was in iraq, and i was afraid he was going to die. i'm so very glad he didn't die and God has let me spend the last 10 valentines days with this special special special man. Even though this special special man did break up with me two months after our first valentines day together... moving right along! here is that psalm i promised you: 

 

 

"I will bless the Lord at al times; his praises shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boasts in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and devliered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor man cried, and the LOrd heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

 -Psalm 34: 1-8