Thursday, July 26, 2007

Challenging Adjustments


Moving to a new place really can be fun and exciting and interesting as well as scary and challenging and lonely. I think I could have stopped moving a few cities ago, but God has had other plans and I trust that the Lord has a plan for wherever we are called to. We are still trying to find a place to live. We've decided to move into a rental for a bit so we can get a bit more settled while the baby is born and then in the spring find a place we want to stay longer. We are still hoping to sell our house in Minneapolis, but unfortunately the housing market is terrible and it's a difficult time to sell so we just have to wait and see.

We at least have our new doctors and our son had tubes put in his ear this week. We've now been here a month and at least know a bit more about where we are staying. It's really interesting because most families here are two income families and the ones that aren't, usually the working parent makes well over $100,000 a year and more likely $200,000 or $300,000.

When looking for houses, no one can seem to wrap their head around the fact that I am going to only work part-time outside the home because I really want to be home with my boys. The average house prices where we are run about $750,000 - yeah right! Moving from the Midwest, it's just a big jump. I guarantee that has the biggest influence on the increase in cost of living. In general, the overall cost is not that much, but depending on what you use and need, I think it can be more or less.

We've looked at pretty tiny houses and more often two bedroom apartments that cost around $300,000. It's just an adjustment and we think in order to just pay our bills and pay our student loans, I'm going to have to keep working part-time.

As far as moving, it can be difficult and put such strain on a marriage. My husband is such a good man and I appreciate how he honors me, but there is just a lot of strain because 1. We only know each other and 2. There are so many life changes happening at once. We also get torn between keeping in touch with friends back home and other places we've lived and spending that time making new ones. We try to balance it out, but it can be depressing hearing everything you're missing when you don't even want to and so it is usually healthier to make yourself put time into making new friends. It makes the adjustments a lot easier when all the chaos settles down.

I just keep my hope in the Lord, knowing He will lead and guide us and help us with all we need. I just hope the only move we have after this is back home, where we can stay for a long time.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Honor Your Husband Challenge

I actually joined this challenge as I began this blog so it hadn't quite made it on here yet. Thanks to Christine at Fruit in Season for this challenge and Stacey at A Measure of Grace for passing it on:).

I LOVE this idea and it comes at a great time for me, I think. I have been having trouble finding the graces and blessings being moved so far across the country and away from everything and everyone I know, but I know the biggest reason we're here is my husband's desire to be able to provide for our family and allow me to stay home full-time should I choose with my baby and soon to be number 2.


I know he honestly doesn't want to see me unhappy and wants to be able to be a good provider and he is. I am even getting Sunday mornings "off" for a little blogging and some sleeping in.

So all of July (I think I got started a bit late:) is my month to honor my wonderful husband and all the ways he puts his family and our needs ahead of his.

My Top 10 In Princeton

Since this was my first week going part-time, I had more time to actually see some stuff. Plus with the 4th of July, we got to go to Philadelphia and visit new things there....

1. Philly Cheese Steak
2. Liberty Bell on the 4th (I even saw the mayor of Philly there, he was about 5 feet from me).
3. Full-time exchanged for part-time at same salary
4. Baby slings for babies who want lots of lovin
5. Getting to try new ice cream places
6. Sundays at the beach
7. An actual holiday, where my husband is off and I don't have to work
8. Fun location, people actually want to visit (unlike Minnesota)
9. An easy-to-clean "house" since there is so little stuff
10. Planning trips to St. Louie

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

New Look

So since I manage more than 80 professional web sites, I really need a new look for this one. The plain template works to get up and running, but it really needs a lot of pizazz so hopefully in the next few weeks (in my spare time...lol) I will work on creating a new design that is a lot more unique and more me. Stay tuned....

I Know Someone

Ok so maybe I don't really know someone, but the good thing about knowing no one is that you have time to hang out with people if you run into people you like and you have time to meet pretty much anyone.

My son and I were getting ready to take a walk to the park when another mom who lives in the building (on our floor) came home from the grocery store. We began talking and she has a daughter not much older than Ethan. We hung out for about a half hour and she invited us to join them to play or for lunch. It was such a good feeling to connect with someone. I am such a social person and I think the most difficult part of any move for me is how very alone I feel without any girlfriends. It's difficult to not have people to hang out with, to go to lunch. I can't just drop my son off with my mom for a break or join my mom for lunch and it's so difficult for me when I don't have any other alternatives.

I met a really nice guy who lives next door too because my son was dying to play with his dog. It took us an hour to leave for the park, but it was one of the best hours I've have since I moved.

I get nervous about knowing no one because I think what would happen if there was an emergency. Who would I call to help? Who could watch Ethan in an emergency? The closest person I know if a 6-hour drive and she's once of the closest friends I've ever had, but I need people nearby too.

So we've been here almost two weeks and it's just nice to be meeting people. We're heading out to explore some of Philly today since we're nearby and it's the 4th of July. It's interesting to see what is around here since Philly is the U.S.'s first capital. At two decedents of the signers of the declaration of independence ring the liberty bell ... how cool is that?

Sunday, July 1, 2007

My Top 10 In Princeton

So my mom challenged me to figure out 10 things every week that make this place ok and maybe even fun and exciting and then send them to her. It helps to focus on the positive and since everything out here is essentially new, I figured why not.

1. beach nearby
2. Princeton has so much history
3. free living for two months
4. warm summer days, like St. Louis, with a lot of cooler evenings, like Minnesota
5. lots of everything nearby
6. definite improvement of public transportation
7. friendly place where nearly everyone is not from here
8. a solid job for Jim
9. half day Fridays at his job
10. entire weekends of hanging out....ie no lab work!

About Me

My photo
Pennsylvania
I'm a mommy, wife and educated woman with an inquisitive mind. I am always looking in ways to challenge and grow in my faith. Many wise people I have known have reminded me if I am not growing, I am going in the wrong direction.