Taking all the changes one day at a time, there are minutes they feel like way way too much and there are minutes they feel just right. The balance keeps me upright. This new home is quirky in most every way. I am holding tight that there is some big reason we landed here for the next year, but most days we regret it. Despite that there is a great sense for Stephen and I to make it the best we can for the year we will be here. It is weird to set up shop which is such a tiring process and know we will be repeating again in 12 months.

Hannah and I take breaks to go explore the new neighborhood and today we walked to the Woodland Park Zoo which is about .8 miles away and we became members of Seattle's Zoo. I am pretty excited that we can just go anytime we want to go and loiter through and visit the penguins or the giraffes and then maybe the next time the birds or snakes. Im looking forward to those times with Hannah, although she never misses the chance to ask if we could meet friends there sometime... my girl.. her little social heart is breaking mine I want her to be happy.

here are some really bright sides to having way less closet and room space- A. i feel a total need to USE the beautiful things i own. It's actually been so fun to put pitchers, clothes and little bowls to use, not as display, and go ahead and enjoy them now. It's so freeing to just enjoy the lovely colors and fragile things and if they break, well, oh well, i loved them while i had them. i am totally happy eating baby heirloom tomatoes out of super fragile and totally perfect yellow cup. they taste better I swear.

and B. as Stephen and i try to figure out all the creative ways to hold the STUFF we have we realize that there truly cannot be anything negative to getting rid of more crap and if that is the worst thing that happens here than we are in dern good shape. it just makes us feel so heavy, but hopefully only temporarily until we make space to live with just the right things. we are seriously considering a move-in garage sale ... do those exist?

I just can't seem to get It is Well with my Soul off my mind, it's my melody these days I guess. Tomorrow Hannah and I will break from the boxes and head for Vancouver to help set up Baby Bea's room. Can't wait.