Settling In

We've been in this house since two days before Ella's 9th birthday, and we are slowly settling in. I mean that in all ways. Yes, we've unpacked (most of) our stuff and the house is looking like a home, but I mean we're settling into a nice routine and it's good.

The loss of Tom really shook us up hard. After losing Sparrow, it was amazing how seamlessly Tom fit into our little family unit. He was a big guy looking for love and we were absolutely more than willing to give it. It's been different with Dave and Sphinx, well...with Sphinx mostly. She was found stray and didn't really trust us her first week here. Dave actually reminds me a lot of Tom, he's just a chill guy who likes hanging out and relaxing. Sphinx has settled in and will follow us around here and there now. It's sweet.

This house is the first time since we left the place on Nelson Road that I feel stable and content. The place we lived in after Nelson Road was more trouble than it was worth and we had some questionable neighbors. The place after that didn't have a working stove, a VERY dishonest landlord, and more questionable neighbors, and while we made some friends while living there, I was very very glad to leave.

I love where we are now. Absolutely love it. We have a porch swing, and a working stove (because ya'll know it was the first thing I checked for when looking this place over) and awesome neighbors and there's just this CALM. For the first time in a very long time, there is a calm. I can wake up in the morning, go to work, do schoolwork with Ella and there is a calm and contentment and I love it.

I often joke to Gabe that I would like to take this house and move it up north with us when the time comes, whenever that is. For the first time in a long time, I don't feel an overwhelming rush to move home...which is amazing in its own right.

I guess in the middle of all this insanity, it was time for a happy post, and that's what this is :)