Packing up!

In September we decided it was time to make plans to leave Oregon and return to the Midwest. While we made Oregon our home as a couple and then as a family of three, and though we loved the diversity of beach and mountains and desert and would certainly miss the friends we made, we also knew our lives were sorely unbalanced without extended family.

As we made our plans and shared with the Oregonians, they all had the same response. "We're sad for us, but happy for you. Your families will be so glad to have you." A few said, "We'd try to convince you to stay, but we won't." That was kind; afterall, Oregon is a place we love and has many many memories for us and we weren't quitting Oregon without some remorse.

The packing began in mid October What a big job despite all of our planning! It has been puncuated by a toddler's needs and wants, but kept us at a good pace and in good humor. After all, one must laugh when the little girl shifts her requests from "No! Back!" to all packing to simply unpacking her things and returning them to cabinets and finally resigning to asking for a strip of packing tape for her shirt every time a box got sealed.

Georgia has showed us once again her mechanical inclinations by helping Daddy deconstruct furniture, unplug cables, and investigate anything with buttons, switches, and levers. She also showed us how adaptable and imaginative she can be playing with whatever we unearthed or moved! The picture above shows her enjoying her extra carseat as a chair tucked into an empty bookcase.

Mama has learned to think on her feet in new ways and develop better spacial reasoning. One of my proudest moments was the ah-ha that Georgia's love of stickers could be satisfied by a steady doling out of no longer needed address labels for weeks on end. It is win-win!

Daddy continues to work, began to do bedtime duty every night, and then moonlighted with a do-list Mama came up with during the day.

As the boxes pile up and the pantry supplies dwindle, we enjoy our favorites of Oregon and our many lasts--visits, excursions, and meals. But each day also means we begin to look forward to things in Missouri!