Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

Guess what.
 
The Double B got the job.

Are you as shocked as I am? Well -- no. That would not be possible. Something about pulling my family up from Utah to the great state of Missouri shocks me. Call me crazy.

Yep. You heard me. It's official. He got the job and we are moving to Missouri. The southwest corner of Utah to western Missouri. The middle of America. I was in our new city once, I got on an airplane there, so I feel we are friends. There are tornadoes there, did you know that? But we're not gonna let that get us down. I told the Double B we'll just find a house with a basement where the plumbing pipes go deep, deep into the earth and there are leather straps enabling us to lash ourselves and our children to the pipes. Yes, I have seen 'Twister.' And that is how I know it works.

This seems very strange to me. I kind of angsted myself to sleep last night and woke up for good at four this morning thinking about things. Not that I don't think it is a good thing, because we felt compelled to put in for the job and obviously the Lord has cleared the path for us to do it. But our family is here, our life is here, our friends are here, our ward family is here. But our life is about to move somewhere else, so we'll go with it and make new friends and grow close to a new ward family. And when we come back to visit we can see our family and friends and ward family here. See? It's like a circle (my Mom explained this to me when our family moved in the seventh grade), and the circle just grows wider and wider and wider.
Many people have survived this kind of adventure before. In fact, I have survived this kind of adventure before. So I totally know it is not fatal. And really, once I get there, I know it will be a grand adventure and I have so many tactics to make friends and learn our new city like the back of my hand. In fact, I am sure there will be exploring every single day until I feel like I am home and don't need to fill up all of my time. We're even getting cell phones! It only took a move across the country to break down the psychological barrier between the B family and texting. Just think -- you could be receiving strange texts from me every day. It's a whole new world out there. Just sayin'.
I am nervous. Yesterday was pretty much exhausting for me and for all of us. It started at 9:30 when the Double B had his final phone interview. They told him they were very impressed with him and they would let him know in a day or two. We decided to just sit on our hands and not project an outcome. Plus, we have gotten super awesome good at hearing the word "No." So we really felt no stress, just called our Mom's to let them know how the interview went. Because I was at home cheering on my main squeeze and therefore didn't get to go help at Livi's class, we decided to take her on a date, as it is very disappointing to her when Mommy misses the time as class helper. Plus, it was time for a date all about Olivia. We had a great time. When we got home, I started cleaning the girls' room and listening to a talk on CD when the phone rang. I didn't think a single thing about it until I heard the Double laugh a big laugh and say "I think I can handle that!" I paused the CD. And just stood there with no thoughts, just sort of -- shocked. I eavesdropped a little more to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was hearing and then kept right on cleaning. It seemed like the thing to do. I felt calm. So after the phone call, my husband and I stared at each other with great big eyes and I gave him a great big congratulations hug, he made sure I would in fact move with him across the country, and then I sat down on the couch and looked out at my happy little view of my happy little neighborhood. I thought of all the wonderful times we have had in this happy little house in this happy little neighborhood with the happy little view, and held it close to my heart for some time.
The thing I really dreaded was telling the kids, who live across the street from their cousins and across the bridge from their grandparents and have a safe life surrounded by many people who love them. When K.J. got home from school we pulled up a U.S. map and told the kids about how Daddy has worked so hard for a lot of years to reach his goal and has finally reached it and was going to be over a whole department at work, even the department he wanted to be over! They were happy for Daddy and began to wrestle with each other, K.J. fell on the floor, Katelyn jumped on K.J.'s head, and Liv got right into the fray. But there was more news, and that news was not so happy at all. In fact, I watched K.J.'s face the whole time, knowing he would understand, and watched it go from encouraging to shock to horror to devastation. It completely broke my heart, so while he climbed on my lap and sobbed his eyes out and Liv realized there was big change on the horizon, she climbed on Daddy's lap and sobbed her eyes out. I may or may not have cried quite a lot, too, because it made my Mother heart so sad to make my children so sad. We know (especially the Double B knows, because he is the Dad and it is his job to know these things and comfort his wife) that they will do great and excel there and look back on it with many fond memories. But it was still hard to tell them. After talking, a Father's blessing from the Double B, and a trip to each of their favorite spots for a treat (not above it), they felt like maybe they could continue to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide. Liv's biggest concern was if there was a Wal-Mart in our new city "There will be a Wal-Mart, right?! Because if there wasn't a Wal-Mart I would just DIE!!!" She was mighty relieved when we answered in the affirmative. Kaje and Liv then felt it was their serious responsibility to tell each beloved friend in the neighborhood (there are many) personally, and went door to door. Liv even went to Kaylie and Gracie's house and asked their Dad, Kurt, if she could have a "private conversation" with the girls. He of course agreed, but when he stood in the doorway enjoying the moment she looked at him seriously and said "Kurt, we need some privacy, please." He got a big kick out of that. He told us Kaylie and Gracie came back into the house crying and spreading the news. Pretty sweet kids. This morning K.J. came out and laid his head in my lap. I asked him how he slept and he said matter-of-factly "Well, I thought I wouldn't sleep because you told me we're still moving. But then I got used to it!" So that's good.
The hardest thing is sharing the news with the people we love, who are so happy for us, and because we are so lucky -- they love us, too, and will miss us. I went to bed so tired and so afraid I might never sleep again.
How soon will be going? We are not sure. The Double B could be there next week and then have to come back for us. Or we might get to pack up and move all together in a few weeks. It all depends.
But either way, life is changing.
My beautiful Brazilian sister-in-law Silvia, who came to the U.S. to play basketball by herself, to another country, to learn another language, and now lives a world away from home puts it in perspective: we will be in the same country, we will speak the same language, we can drive home in two days or fly home in a couple of hours, and we will have each other. So... win/win.
So there you have it. I have provided you with your surprise of the day. You are welcome.
We don't know how to move across the country. Any tips?

6 comments:

Tara said...

WOW! That is a big change. Congratulations on the position and good luck with the new adventure. I'm excited to hear how it goes. As for moving. Cut some bright colored cardstock for labels. They stand out much better than just writing on the box and it helps for being organized. Use as many uniform size boxes as you can and pack tightly so stuff can't shift around too much. If you don't want to have to drive the truck I've heard lots of good things about ABF (upack.com) but they seem to be a little pricier. It might be worth it though. Good luck.

*rOcKiN rIcHiNs* said...

What?....What?!?.....What?!?!!! I am choosing not to believe this. You may say this is happening, but in my heart nothing changes!

Well, I am excited that B got a job that he's excited about...that's important. Missouri...seems far...

I'll have more thoughts on this in following comments I'm sure...

Ducksoup said...

Congratulations you guys! I am so excited for you - - moving to MO! You can have some great trips to Nauvoo and everyone will want to go there so you'll get lots of visitors.

Moving is hard though. I remember the day before I moved the first time. I bawled my eyes out. However, once you get there you will be just fine. Living out of state is so much different than being in Utah. People seem to be more in to the friend thing because everyone there just isn't surrounded by family to hang out with.

I will admit though, I cried when I read your post. I am so excited for you but my heart aches to think you are leaving me. I may be your first visitor :).

Congratulations though... you were 100% right. You knew a change was a comin' and here it is. So awesome he got the job. Awesome, awesome, awesome! Love you guys.

We are leaving for St. George this morning. Good timing for me, the trip was already planned but I think I'd have to leave today anyway just to see you. We will be there until Sunday. Call my cell please. I lost my contacts and don't have your number.

Matt said...

So the hardest things are often the best. This is killing me. It must be something grand. I am crying. My best friend and my little sister. . . this is way harder than watching you make out for the first time. . . and that was awful. In truth I feel that this is right, brave, and good.

Elise said...

Suddenly I feel bad for Matt, having to see his sister make out. It has distracted me from the comment that I originally intended to make, which is this:

WHAT?!

No way, I say.

Sigh. But I suppose you can't stay here for my entertainment. You better still blog from MO. They have the internet there. I foresee you loving Missouri and having many adventures for us to enjoy vicariously.

My tip for moving cross country: Pack snacks for your kids and keep bloggin' or else I will haunt you.

Congratulations to your husband on the job! I am really happy for you guys!

Jen said...

Also, thank goodness for Walmart.