Settling in is WORK

I must have selective amnesia, because we’ve moved several times before, but I don’t remember it taking this long to really settle in and get my feet back under me. It’s been weeks, and I still am barely able to look past the day and plan ahead for something. It’s like I’m scrambling to keep up with life. Give me another 24 hours, and we’ll have our new washer and dryer, at which point we’ll start loads and loads of laundry and maybe by Monday I’ll have caught up. Maybe.

Or maybe there isn’t such a thing as “caught up” with a large family.

In mostly pictures, here’s a recap of our last several weeks.

We stopped to see some of the Painted Desert in Arizona. It was beautiful, and my photos don’t do it any justice. My mom drove with us, and I’m so grateful for her being there to help and see new things with us!

There are farmer’s markets everywhere. This one was about 45 minutes away, but so delightful and fun. The streets in the town close, and two-three blocks are filled with vendors and street musicians. We bought food, raw milk, and ice cream from a local shop.

On our tenth day here, I ended up taking Firecraker to the ER, because he had trouble breathing. Steroids and a breathing treatment were enough, and since then, we’ve been able to stop doing the breathing treatment at home. Hopefully it’s the last time we’ll have to be at the ER for a long time. I’ve also taken a kid to the dentist here already, for a chipped tooth.

Beaches are within a 30 minute drive. This particular one just might become our favorite. It’s easy to reach, clean, and quiet.

Weekly trips to the beach are probably in our future. The kids love it, the running is good for them, and the opportunities for nature study are awesome.

This beauty is on one side of what will probably be our new parish. It’s also a pilgrimage parish for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and I’m definitely going to make that a priority.