Here We Go Again....

So every 2 years, almost to the month, our lives seem to change. Mike and I have been married for almost 11 years now and have lived in 5 different houses and in 3 different states. Twice it's been within the same town (although different states) but the other 3 times it's been big moves. Well, here we are again, a little over 2 years (actually this is the longest time we've been in the same house!) and.....you guessed it-

We're moving!

From the south, to the north and now back down to the south again! I have to say this move is going to be bitter sweet. Yes, I love almost everything about the south. I feel like the south is my home.

Maybe because I lived there for 12 years (in college and then with Mike after we got married).

Maybe because my girls were born in the South.

Maybe because little girls wearing big bows, big porches with hanging ferns and southern accents make me smile. Besides, I did grow up just below the Mason Dixon line in VA.

But the North, well there's something about living in the Northeast. It has a lot of character. It's beautiful up here. And where we live, there are rolling hills, farm land and mountains. Living just a short drive from NYC has it's perks too! And believe it or not: the northeast has REALLY nice people!;)

I have to admit, when Mike first got his job up here, I was a little concerned with what it would be like to live just minutes from New Jersey. The people seemed so different. I guess we can thank all the reality tv for that! But you know what? Some of the people were different and that's okay. Most of the people we're nothing like what you see on tv and if they were, they were entertaining;) Seriously though, I've met some of the nicest people in my life up here.

I'll never forget once Bennett was born and when people I hardly knew brought us dinners my dad said "I know you guys want to get back down south but you've got some really nice people up here". He couldn't believe all the love and support we received after Bennett was born because we had only been there for 6 months! I know he felt good about where we lived and he felt like the people up here were going to take care of us.

These last 2 years have easily been the HARDEST, without a doubt. Moving to a whole new place while pregnant, not knowing anyone, then finding out my unborn child would have Down syndrome and would need heart surgery, going through the heart surgery, becoming "a special needs mom" and everything that goes with that, then finding out my dad had Melanoma, then spending a year to try and help my dad find the best treatment, all the while experiencing the ups and downs of having a child with Down syndrome, then losing my dad.

But the people that came into my life during these very hard times, will NEVER be forgotten. Some of these people deserve their own little post but that will come on another day.

Mike has been blessed to work for the same company for 11 years and will remain with them during this move. We've been anticipating it, praying about it, wondering about it, talking about it and agonizing over it. I've been cleaning out closets, organizing and eliminating since January. C'mon now, does that surprise you? Ya'll know I'm a planner! LOL.

So there's a lot still up in the air ie: an actual move date (it will be sometime this summer), an actual town we'll live in but I guess I'm used to this by now and hope to have another awesome experience in this new chapter of our lives. Stay tuned, it's going to be another crazy summer!

Can ya guess what state we're moving back too??