The Good Life

"Mom, it's in THERE",  Evan emphasized with a grin at the Home Depot self checkout this morning. 

I looked at him a little confused and then it dawned on me that two out of my three kids still had the paint stir sticks they had been happily parading through the store with - and one did not.  "In there" he pointed to a slot near the bottom of the machine.  The paint stick was 100% jammed inside the self checkout.  No trace left.  The slot's purpose was a little hard to make out, but the picture next to it looked like it was meant for receipts.  Awesome.

A split second folks, I turn my head for a split SECOND!  Eh, it happens and the self checkout worker actually didn't seem to think it was a big deal.  However, I was thinking it would turn into a big deal for the next customer who tried to print a receipt and instead got a smoking machine jammed up with a paint stir stick!  But let's focus on the positives. The fact that they had all been happy and patient for me while I looked at paint samples and got a few cans of paint made.  That literally each person who passed us this morning for some reason decided to stop and chat with me about my kids and tell me how beautiful the family was.  Makes you stop and remember how lucky you are to have such precious little ones in your life that you probably often take for granted even when you try your hardest not to.

So we are moving this week.  It's been crazy and stressful and hectic all at the same time.  In these last stages of packing I have also found it strangely calming.  I don't know.  Something about combing through all of your old memories and reminiscing on the past years has been nice.  It gives you the hindsight to see that all of those decisions and sacrifices have brought you to this point and were totally worth the things you worked so hard for.  Not that this joy is all wrapped up into buying a new house.  Not at all - but just the process of building our lives together as a family.

This was our first home and we moved in one year after getting married.  I began my life in this house working full time. I often joke that I have no clue what I ever thought I was so busy with because I bet I could accomplish a week's worth of what I did back then in one single nap time these days!  Years later we welcomed Addison into our world.  I learned what no sleep meant and how hard it was to hand off a 12 week old to go back to work part time.  Learned that smudges on windows can be endearing and toys will overtake your living room no matter what.  The next phase came the day we found out the twins were on their way.  Roughly 8 months later we welcomed Lucas and Evan into our world, respectively.  I instantaneously learned what no sleep really REALLY meant.  Learned what it was like to quit my job and be a full time stay at home mom.  Learned to adjust to our craziness.  We've had our share of struggles and joys here.  It's been a great 8 years and now we are ready to move on.

I took the kids over to look at the new house last week.  At one moment I was standing in the foyer and looking up at the three of them.  They were running across the upstairs hallway one behind the other and it occurred to me that somewhere in my mind's eye - this image had been there when I imagined my future family.  Sometimes I think amid the insanely fast pace of our days and nights it's easy to overlook that we are living out the days that we will one day miss the most. 

As I was driving home from Home Depot, the song "Good Life" by One Republic came on.  That song will always remind me of the day I went to my 6 wk post partum checkup after delivering the twins.  It had been a very taxing 6 weeks and that day had been particularly hard.  I had puffy, red eyes from zero sleep and some definite crying over trying to juggle the babies and Addison while Justin was at work all day.  I was driving off to the appointment trying to compose myself and that song came on.  I remember taking a deep breath and thinking that I needed that reminder - take life in.  This was going to be good, I just had to get through some of the hard.  Well we are here.  We are in the good now and it was really fitting that the song came on today while my thoughts were reeling about the move.  So as we start moving into our house this afternoon, I am planning to soak up the family time that we will be blessed with this last year with all three kids at home.  Next year comes Kindergarten and the beginning of really starting to let them grow up I think.  So I am very excited to put down some roots in our new home and to enjoy what lies ahead - even if it includes jamming up the self checkouts at Home Depot - or much worse ;)

Hopelessly
I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
Hopelessly
I feel like the window closes oh so quick

Hopelessly
I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'Cause hopelessly
The hope is we have so much to feel good about

Oh, this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life