hold on to your hats

the big news is:  there's a "for sale" sign on my lawn, stuck into close to six feet of snow.  silly me, i asked the realtor "how are you going to get it into the ground?", she smiled graciously and explained the one benefit of having a small ski-hill on your front yard:  sign placement.

we're moving again.

back to BC.  back to flowers and green and rain and grey.  to North Vancouver to be precise - which will be a stretch for us as a family, and for me personally, in many ways.  i am directionally challenged, so the idea of living anywhere with the name "Vancouver" attached to it is a little daunting.  thankfully North Van is stuck between the ocean and mountains, so that's two directions that should be pretty straightforward.  when we moved here scott felt lost without the mountains "i always knew which direction i was going in".  my internal reaction:  "what a good idea - using the mountains!".  yes, i'm that challenged.

thankfully, as opposed to last time, our realtor here is a woman who made all of the needed "oooh" and "ahhh" sounds my little housewife heart was hoping for. she said "you don't need to change a thing" and i nearly busted my buttons. hallelujah! that must be one of my favourite sentences (note to husband).

though we love our church here, scott's fit in his role as associate pastor has not been the best.  we feel hungry for a smaller church again, for intimacy and vulnerability and casual gatherings.  for the arts and church meals and family.  we think, well, we're pretty positive, we've found our fit in Cappilano Community Church.  so, starting August first, scott will be their new lead pastor.  which i suppose puts me back in the lead pastor's wife shoes again (lord have mercy). 

we're excited.

and we're sad.

and we're happy.

and we're heartbroken.

it's like a roller coaster around here.  God has helped make the move away from our beloved saskatoon a little easier by putting us in a deep freeze since october.  however, i know that before we leave i will see my backyard verdant green again, and my tree full of leaf, and the parks climbing with children, and the river rolling.  ah, saskatoon, how i love you.

we now embark on the journey of three-months of goodbyes.  which is easier, the slow withdrawal which extends a less painful pain; or the quick rip of agony?  i'm not sure.  leaving BC was one good-bye party too many.  i think my bookclub had it's "last club with Janet!" at least three times while we were waiting for the house to sell.  i'm praying this move will be more straightforward.  my friends did get to use the "but janet's moving!!!" card for months though - much to their poor husbands chagrin.

i feel like i've been a bit of a hermit of late, shying away from conversations because i was not yet able to share the biggest things happening in my life.  but now, the words out, and i'm ready to play! 

as long as you come here to play, i don't want to drive in this weather.



off i go to create meaningful memories with as many people as humanly possible.  and sell a house.  and buy a house.  and comfort my crying daughter and my friend ruth who has hinted she would rather i'd just die (she has a bit of an aversion to good-byes).  and eat some more meat and veggies. 

all in a days work.