Life lessons from a Month spent in a new place...

Here is the basics of our life post Biola/post summer condo life:
1) Sunland is HOT! (but it's hot everywhere, so that's comforting!)

2) We are really loving our new home. We have more to clutter and then clean, BUT, i'm amazed at how this rental has become a haven and home so quickly, since we've only been here since August 30th.

3) Paying for rent and utilities is crazy. I tend to live conservatively, but now-i'm turning into my father in-law (whom i LOVE), "turn that light out!" and waiting till we are almost puddled on the ground in sweat before I give into the A/C.

4) Our new church family is lovely. I appreciate them so much. I do NOT feel overwhelmed by them, or perhaps any expectations they may have on me because i'm a pastor's wife. Unless I am oblivious to it, they have really given me space to get settled. I'm so grateful.

5) Settling-Ah...you yourself should settle into your seat-this lesson is still in process, thus the novel...

I am getting used to life w/o constant noise, knocks on our door...jetting to here and there...and let me tell you-it's hard. I have Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays off this semester when I usually just had one day off...and both kids are in school now, so I just have to constantly tell myself that it's okay if I don't do a chore today and just read in the stillness of my home while they are in school, or wander Ikea (there is one in Burbank that is about 10m from me...ah....i LOVE that! yet, quite dangerous!) or like yesterday, watch a movie and organize all my fabrics to see what to sew for Christmas. I am begining to feel more settled into our new life here. Last week was the first week of that for me. I keep saying "I" because I think Ry and the kids settled faster that I did. It is not as if I don't really like our new church, or our new home that seriously was a diamond to find in all the rough we saw is amazing......I drive into La Mirada for two days of work still and the first month of this was torture. I just wanted to stay. I didn't want to go back to Sunland. La Mirada has basically been our home since Ry was an undergrad in 1992. 1992-2010...that is a whole developmental stage from birth to college! We are just close enough to go back, yet far enough to not be an easy drive to visit...and leaving each Thursday to go home was a hard thing. I found my car auto-piloting towards the condo we had this summer. Oh-that condo was amazing! I actually miss the knocks and having someone suprise visit and need food, or just a cup of tea to talk...I miss that. People don't knock and come over here unannounced...how do you adjust to that after 9 years of spontaneous visits?...and I don't know how to not do that here...it's been hard to not, on my morning walks, go and just knock on a couple doors I know and say hey. I miss living in our community and pray that we can build something simular to what we had in LM here. (too bad we no longer have any free chicken, i'd have a BBQ one Sunday!)

However, I think it was okay to be in the place of sadness. What would anyone else expect? I had to keep telling myself that it was okay to be sad, it's only been a couple weeks...it's only been a month. I had to allow myself to grieve. I still am, but again-it was a significant time of living and building a home in one place to then just uproot (twice in one summer mind you) and begin anew. It has taught me so much. I have a LOT of space for people who are in transition and in a place of unknowing in their life.

Anyway...That is where I am at. I am actually feeling quite settled...and am thankful for our new place...I'll keep you posted on how we continue to connect to our new home.