Things I Like and Dislike About Moving

Since moving here, there have been things I realize that I really like about moving as well as things that I really dislike.  I thought it would be fun to make a list of both. 

Positive things about moving:
1) Getting to decorate a new house- this includes getting to buy a few new things. My favorite purchase has been our new refrigerator!  It has a lot of room!
2) Moving to an area that has a lot more available than our last home. This has been huge because our last home was an hour and a half away from a decent-sized city (Lexington).  Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, GAP outlet store, The Cheesecake Factory, and Target are a few of my favorites! :)
3) Meeting new people. I love getting to know different people.  One of the benefits of living in different areas of the country is that we have gotten to meet some really interesting people. 
4) Having new places to take my kids. I'm looking forward to going on some field trips this fall.
5) Moving has taught my children a lot.  They have learned to make an effort to make friends.  They have learned that God provides for things they need- that He cares about what they care about.

Negative things about moving:
1) Not knowing people/feeling lonely.  This is probably the hardest part about moving.  It takes time to get to know people and be able to form close relationships. 
2) The getting settled part of moving- changing banks, utilities, getting everything set up in our new house.  This is such a pain!  I am still making phone calls, etc. trying to get everything changed over to our new address and phone number.
3) Having a house that is turn upside-down with renovations and just getting everything unpacked and organized.  This has been prolonged due to the fact that we bought a house that's almost 100 years old and needed a lot of work.  We are in the process of remodeling the kitchen.  Having a family of nine with a kitchen that is unusable has been quite an experience!  Sandwiches get old really fast!
4) Not knowing where to find things in our new town.  Thankfully, getting in a homeschool email loop has helped a lot.  Homeschool moms are very resourceful people!
5) Learning the homeschooling laws of a new state and having more work to do to comply with those laws.  Going from a state with very few restrictions to one where much more is required has been an added stress.
6) The expense of moving is huge!  I can't believe how much it takes to get settled into a new home.

I am very thankful for a husband who is capable of doing just about anything in our house.  He has refinished hardwood floors, repaired leaks, painted, built concrete countertops in our kitchen, fixed numerous things, built a kitchen island, and is in the process of painting our kitchen cabinets.  We couldn't have bought an old house if he wasn't such a great handy-man!

I love our new old house!

 

 

Working on the kitchen.

The mess in our schoolroom.  It's going to be great once we finish remodeling and all the tools can be put away!

My sweet family~

Below is a picture of a wooden stage built on the side of our front yard.  The previous owners told us that it is an old stage where people used to play music in the days when neighbors used to spend time together!  So cool!