What Moving Tells Me About Me....plus a few other random observations

Moving Sucks. No way around it, it just stinks. It's exhausting physically and emotionally, especially if you happen to be gluttons for punishment and decide to make two 1800+ mile moves in a mere 15 months. (Whoa! Who in the world would decide to do that?????)  Anyhoo, here are some of my thoughts and observations from the past week or so...from my journal to your ears. I really just want to bless your day with my deep thoughts.

#1~I like to feel sorry for myself and cry sometimes because, you know, my life is hard. (Read that in a whiny, teary, privileged American voice.)

#2 (relates to #1)~I actually say things to myself like, "Suck it up, Buttercup, and get crap done!"

#3~Once I finally stop feeling sorry for myself and get to work, I'm task oriented and I can get crap done, y'all. Project ADD is not one of my weaknesses. Well, usually.

#4~I do not dust as often as I should.

#5~ I also do not vacuum under the couch cushions as often as I should. It's my prepper mentality. Zombie apocalypse?  No problem! Just raise the couch cushions and you've got meals for a week! (And pens, paper, bobby pins, hair ties, popsicle sticks, random wrappers, and dog hair.)

#6~Speaking of dog hair. I concede. I can fight no more forever. Trust me, owners of black labradors, you delude yourselves if you think you can win this war, armed though you may be with Swiffer, vacuum, and broom.

#7~I can deal with the chaos and disorder if my kitchen is in some state of clean. ("What? Oh, the world is blowing up around me?  I'll just go do the dishes!")

#8~When attempting two cross-country moves in 15 months, your precious possessions become the enemy. ("Are you absolutely certain we need that youngest kid? She does take up a lot of room with her yarn, books, and tea!")

#9~Taking a little time to sit, ALONE, with a cup of coffee and my journal, becomes a survival skill rather than an indulgence. Don't talk to me and don't deny me a few stinkin' minutes of peace in the morning. Unless you want things to get ugly.

#10~Rolls of packing tape and those tape gun things are tools of Satan.

#11~I only wash curtains when we move. Or when friends visit and their dog pees on them.

#12~Rugs cover a multitude of sins.

#13~Year-round warm weather = ceiling fans that are on year-round = invisible dust on the blades. If I can't see it, it obviously doesn't exist. Duh.

#14~I am obviously stalling by writing a blog post. It is time to get a move on.

I love y'all!

Practicing Grace

It's been a tough few weeks around here, folks. Big decisions being made. Career changes. Yet another 1800 mile cross country move. We are stressed, tired, overwhelmed, and sometimes thinking we might have a touch of the crazy. (Ok...maybe more than a touch.) Packing has commenced and, once again, we are living in the disorganization of preparing for relocation.

Emotions are all over the map. One minute thoughts are exciting and rosy--eager for the adventure of the unknown. The next minute brings panic and something akin to, "What the hell are we doing? Have we gone completely bonkers?" (Why yes, yes we have. But that's ok.) Unsurprisingly, we've experienced anger, hurt, fear, nervousness, worry, but every day is better than the day before as we grow used to, and embrace, the coming changes.

From the moment this craziness began, we made a pact. After 21 years of marriage, we know that stress can breed ugliness--words spoken that aren't really meant, fights that would never have happened otherwise, irritation over things that would normally be overlooked. So we made a pact to have grace for each other. Lots and lots of grace. Guess what? It's worked. Grace works. In those moments when an argument is imminent over some dumb thing, we've worked hard to stop and remember that this is stress talking. A long hug and a deep breath help remedy the ugliness, bringing a calm. Yes, I am proud of us. Life is hard enough. No need to worsen the trials with harsh or unloving words that accomplish nothing beyond hurt. Joy, peace, and laughter, even in the midst of stress. It's all about giving grace. To practice grace every single day, in every relationship and in every situation, is a goal worthy of our very best effort.

Love you, JP.  Here's to a relationship full of grace, love, laughter, and a touch of the crazy!

Change.....A Bit of Pierson Family News

There's another big change coming up for my little family. After much discussion, prayer, crying, nerves, sick stomachs, waffling, and more discussion.....we have decided to make a move to Boise, Idaho. Yes, I said Idaho. Jay has accepted a position there and we will be heading out of Houston in a month or so. 

We are, at present, experiencing a mixed-bag of emotions. While we've known for a while now that Houston isn't exactly the place for us, Idaho was certainly never on our radar.  My heart hurts to think of once again being so far from my family, but I also know that nothing ever stays the same in life and I am grateful for the past year.

There is much more to say, much more to this story, but for today, this is all I've got in me. Feeling a bit tired, a bit worn. Underneath it all, however, is hope and a burgeoning excitement. We asked God for adventures. He's delivering.

 So we move forward.