Last year at this time, we had just sold our house.
We moved into the tiny studio apartment beneath the new house because, in a weird twist, our new house held a family with a six month lease. We hauled truckloads across town and crammed it all into the garage, selecting very few items to live with us in our 400 square foot space until summer. It was a tornado of activity, the buying and selling packed with stressful curveballs. We had to get out of our old house quickly. A storm dropped three feet of snow. The move was hard, in every way except one. And the one easy part carried us: we knew in our bones this change was so right for our family.
We moved in before we owned the house. Shoved boxes into corners to make room for a mattress in the middle of the cold concrete floor. We went for a walk, our kids skipping ahead through the snow. It was silent, the stars brilliant, the snowy mountains glowing in moonlight. Andy squeezed my hand and said he was happy and proud of us. We dreamed about next year at that time…
And now here we are, a *blink* later.
As we left the ski hill yesterday I asked Andy if he had any thoughts on 2013. “What’s 2013?,” Margot asked. A new year, like a birthday, we said. I explained some people like to make resolutions, declare things they want to accomplish or do. Margot said, “Well, in 2013 I want to go to the carousel, eat ice cream, watch movies with you and do cartwheels in the field.” Some important goals, I think.
Wishing you all a year of hope, happiness, growth, health, imagination and love. And rides, movies, ice cream and cartwheels.
xo
dig
ps In this week’s mamalode column I wrote about the blessings of our new totally unfancy, old school telephone. It’s slowing us down in the most fulfilling way. Click to read mama digs: sit and talk.
I love that photo of you two in the empty house. We also moved on New Year’s last year and now I am wishing we had a photo like that one. I do have one of my little son (one at the time) head planted in a pile of his baby things, cornered in his empty room. I’ll have to dig that one up instead. Your column made me want to get a landline! Perhaps in a few years
I absolutely adore watching your family as it skips along your little awesome path in life.
I remember wiping tears as you moved from your beloved little home, feeling every bit of your pain as though it were my own. It gave me hope that when the time comes for my little family to move our home, I will have the strength to do it.
Happy New Year to your family from mine!
xo
Happy New Year!
My boys’ headlamps are their FAVORITE toys/accessories! I especially like them with the combo of princess dresses on your girls, though.
Happy 2013! The princess costumes are divine and a perfect way to ring in the new year, of course! I’m looking forward to continuing to find joy and inspiration in you and your family – thank you for sharing!
Amen
Healthy & happy year to all
xoxo
cathy
wow, has it been a year!(?) Happy 2013! Love the dress/headlamp combo-we rock it often around here, too.
Margot’s resolutions are way cooler than mine.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! Such bright promise and hope. Oh, thank you for another year of your blog.
And a fan request – we still need more house tour when you get the chance!
I want to do cartwheels in the field too! maybe I’ll add that to my list
What a year you and your family has had! This year for my family is like your last year. We’re packing up our family of 6 in March, selling, moving, and building our dream home. Stressful yes, but worth it? YES. Can’t wait to see what life is like for both of us when we *blink* again. Happy 2013 Dig!
Love, love, love that picture of you and Andy! !
Oh of it weren’t for those darn telemarketers I’d have a much friendlier relationship with our landline… I actually have a huge phone phobia (not because of telemarketers). Have always hated talking on the phone! So bizarre. I’ve had panic attacks about it. I was such an atypical teenage girl in that the last thing I wanted to do was chat for hours on the phone. Luckily, my best friend shares my phobia and we very happily text and email and save up the good stuff for in-person conversations.
So happy to see you’ve landed marvelously in your little slice of heaven!
A blink, for sure. I loved seeing you all crammed into 400 square feet- you made it look so easy and fun (and having my own family of 5 in 1000 square feet tells me that it is often neither!). Happy new year.
A year later. A plot later. A fence or two later. A room or two with a view later. So glad that everything about this move resonates so deep in your bones. Sometimes the gut knows best. May we all listen to the gut better.
And BTW, the golden dress from a scrap of material is better than any sparkly princess dress. I have a huge container of just material for Alex and it’s amazing to see how kids take something so simple and transform it.
Happy New Year Nici!
Jennifer
Oh yes! My material stash is a favorite ‘toy’ for my kids.
So much imagination and play to be had!
Happy New year to you!!! I have a story I think you’ll love. When I was home with family, I heard a story about my great grandmother. She was a strong woman whose husband died young when she unknowingly was pregnant with her fifth child. She raised all 5 childlren in lean times of poverty, during the depression. All 5 kids went to college, and the two sons became lawyers like her husband. One of those men was my grandfather. Anyway, the last spring of her life she was ill, and knew she wouldn’t live through summer but still planted a garden. My brother and I remarked that it is existentialism in its finest form and since it involved a garden, I wanted to share with you.
beautiful. thanks so much for sharing.
I can’t believe its been a whole year. Yikes!
*Why don we show the price?
Just to let you know, this content looks a bit bit weird from my android cell phone. Who knows maybe it definitely is just my cell phone. Great post incidentally.
hello!,I like your writing so a lot! share we communicate extra about your post on AOL? I need a specialist on this space to solve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Looking forward to look you.
hogan 2013 http://www.hoganscarpeshoes.com/