Another Chapter in our Adventures

Too much to recount, so many changes and adjustments, lots of thoughts, ideas, and emotions.

This summer found us pondering the possibility of spending half the year in Colorado so we could all
be closer to AJ's Denver office.  The prospect offered more face-to-face interaction at work and less
travel, as well as the hope of music and swimming lessons for the children amongst other things.

The first three weeks of December finds us actually settling in to a spacious home here in Colorado.
With little more than clothes, school books and a Christmas Tree, we've been eeking
away at making this place comfortable to live in.  Lots of fun, but very surreal and hard
to wrap my mind around still. Mind boggling for each of us I think.

We did not intend to "escape" a North Idaho winter, and miss the marvelous Marvel Hill
our heartstrings are tied securely to.  However we decided to embrace this opportunity
not as a detour, but an adventure!  In relinquishing  6 months of Idaho, we decided to let go
of the cold ones and try to be home again for the Summer and Fall when berries and hunting
abound, and outdoor living is an all-consuming passion.

It's hard to give up the known comfortable for the unknown - no matter how good it appears.

As much as my heart longs for the family homestead; a nest that is never uprooted, I realize that
my desire is a probably a misplaced longing for my real home with Jesus in a perfect Heaven.
Because of that, I want to embrace letting go.
Anywhere I travel in the earth, I can take everything that matters:
my relationships, a heart of worship, zeal for living.  In this case I have my little family gathered
within reach, and the Holy Spirit is with me whatever my geographical location.

So all is well.
Idaho life is still ours, and for now the package includes more... diversity. More interest.
More Complication.
Adventure.

I'm pretty sure it's as good as what we'll make of it!

To help you ease in to our new niche, I'll bombard you with some zillion or so pictures.
I hope you'll keep with us for the ride, and good luck with your own adjustments!

Our Arrival. Colorado - December 1, 2012
No furniture. Not a bit - excluding the 9 mattresses we had pre-ordered
and brought sheets and pillows for.  Breakfast on the kitchen floor.
Who looks concerned to you?

First order of business was to set up shop so my men would have a place to build furniture.
One of the hoped-for perks of living where there is lighted indoor space on a concrete floor with power.

Besides bedding, bath towels, dishes, and food in the pantry, a couple mugs and a french press
were also high on the list.

Power and coffee - work can now commence :-)

So glad we packed the dress-ups and a few things to draw with!

This dress was a surprise I packed at the bottom of the dress-up bin.
Olivia discovered it, and I have to say it's a bit shocking to view this possible shadow of my girl in the future!

We have a 7 acre lot at the end of the development, which spreads into s bit
of untamed land.
The boys were quick to do some exploring which provided satisfactory results.

Elk sheds - 3 lefts. I wonder where the place for shedding the right antler is?
They're ready to go again :-)

The girls got out too.

Our first piece of furniture gets assembled in a trial run.

It will have to be disassembled at some point to finish up a few things, but...
It works.

And Mom is very happy!

Cool design, building a bench into one side.  That man O'mine is brilliant!
Am I the only one who's children perch on (then fall off of) chairs?  No more.
At least... now there's no excuse for the seat getting away. Ha!

There really was no furniture.  We did bring Christmas with us though, and I was thrilled to put
our California tree immediately.  Lots of floor to spread out on in this house.  That's been nice.

Then... we went shopping.
And there were delivered some things to sit on!

And by bits we begin to get comfortable.  Cozy even.
And we find ways to make this place ours. Messes really break things in, don't you think?

Being Christmas season, move-in season, and also battling sickness through these almost three
weeks, we've not yet found our momentum.  Sometimes my I feel I've completely lost my
bearings, but we're finding our groove.  I'm kind of looking forward to the turning of the new year
just to get back into school.  To figure out chores. Meals.  Bedtimes.

In case you were wondering, I did have the pleasure of choosing colors for the walls.  The kitchen
cabinets too.  They were black and now they are a light, bright white that makes my heart happy!

I must confide, I love playing house! I'll certainly make the most of this unusual life.
Thank you so much for the visit.  Thanks for enjoying my gypsy-life with me.

It is a wonder!