Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Whew!  I don't think I've ever gone this long without blogging.  We've had a lot of fun things happen in the last couple of months.

• Everett finished kindergarten
• Ashley finished preschool
• James turned 18 months old
• William discovered a love for goats

AND:

• Joel got a new job

That's right!  Joel is a great financial analyst and when an opportunity popped up at a fantastic company, he couldn't help himself: he had to apply.  The location was Des Moines, which I just laughed about.  "Go ahead and apply," I laughed, thinking nothing would happen.  IF we moved, we were going to move closer to family than that!

After a great interview (Joel interviewed downtown while the kids and I interviewed the surrounding areas by scoping out some other places), I think Joel and I just knew.  It was right.  And most importantly, it was time, even though I didn't expect it to be.

Joel started working at Mid American Energy, his new company, at the beginning of May while the rest of us stayed behind to sell our cute home.  Never fear; we still get to see him on the weekends!  Muscatine is only a little over two hours away from Des Moines.  

It has been a month now of living apart.  I think we've all gotten used to it, except for Joel.  He gets pretty bored in his tiny studio.  And I, well, I have four little reasons to avoid being bored. 

I didn't feel ready to commit to moving to Des Moines.  I have great friends here.  Joel and I both had demanding and rewarding callings.  The kids have friends just down the street.  The church members here are amazing.  Joel had a very low-stress job with great hours, and working only five minutes away allowed him a lot of flexibility.  

But it was time.  We decided to try to sell our home ourselves to avoid paying the realtor commission.  It was tough getting everything ready with short notice, but we had two strong offers within a week.  We were (are) very lucky.  I don't know why it was so easy.  I hope I have been grateful enough.

The best part of this whole arrangement is seeing energetic joy enrapture the kids' faces when they know their papa is pulling into the driveway every Friday night.  Even little James shouts "Papa! Papa!" as he rushes to the front door, and back to the window, and to the door again, laughing and dancing from one leg to the other.  

We are closing on our current home on June 15th.  We will be traveling to see family for a few weeks until our next home is available.  Everything works out.  We are heartbroken to be leaving the wonderful people we know here, but we feel ready to leave because we know it is time.  Joel is enjoying his new job.  We are excited for the educational opportunities the kids (and I!) will have.  

We are blessed.  When I think of the experiences we've had and people we've known in Muscatine, the words to a song in Wicked pop into my mind: "Because I knew you, I have been changed for good."  (Freshmen roommates, I'm sure we sang this one together in our apartment more than once!).  

Living in Muscatine has made me a better person.  I am grateful for our time here.  We've all been blessed.  Thank you, thank you to all who have helped us in small ways and large.

So maybe I get a pass for not blogging for two months?  Yes?  No?  Well, it's too late now.