Dugans InCahoots

Michael and I have been married for 8.5 years.

This will be our 7th move in 8.5 years.

1. Basement Apartment to College

2. College to Paraguay

3. Paraguay to Minneapolis Apartment

4. Minneapolis Apartment to Bethany Apartment

5. Bethany Apartment to Brazil

6. Brazil to Bethany Apartment

7. Bethany Apartment to Our First House!

And that my friends is a whole lot of boxes, and suitcases.

That is a whole lot of hello’s and good-byes.

A whole lot of transitions.

A whole lot of life happening in just under a decade.

And as exciting as all that was. I am getting tired of moving my family.

I am so ready for us to be settled. Rooted.

Of all the moves we have moved. This move is one that I can imagine our family in for a very long time { Minnesota of all places! Who would have ever guessed? }

Our little house on the hill will be where we celebrate many Birthdays, and Christmas mornings. Where we will watch our kids grow too fast, and where we will call home. It will be where we create memories and where our stories will come from. I just love that.

I AM SO eager to start this new chapter in our lives.

Perhaps just a little too eager.

I’ve started packing. Which is to be expected, we do move in just under two weeks. But I was a bit overly ambitious and packed some things I really shouldn’t have. Like our check books. Ah-hem.

The reason I am on the move is not just because I am excited, but having moved so many times already, I am very aware of just how much work it is. I know that if I leave it all to the last week, I will be swimming in boxes, stuff, and cleaning supplies.

That is not a fun way to move.

I want everything to go as smoothly as possible. Especially for the kids.

Caleb is all excited. He knows he is going home. In fact when house shopping, this house is the house that he walked into exclaiming, ” This feels like home! ” Plus he gets the super cool room, with the super cool closet. He has always been my go with the flow guy, so I expect this transition to be super easy for him. Besides like I said, he gets the cool closet. Lucky man!

This will be Bella’s 6th move in 7 years. She is excited, but we all can feel her apprehension. I think she is tired of moving too. In many ways Bethany has been her home even when we didn’t live at Bethany. It is where we brought her home from the hospital, it is the place we have always come back to, it is where she has felt safe and comfortable for most of her life. I think that this move will be fun for her but filled with so many mixed emotions. Above all the reasons I am glad for a new home, I am so glad for my home girl, that she will finally have a home that is truly hers .

Now I am a little bit worried for my LiliBean. I have been telling her as I pack that we are taking these boxes to our new house. I am not sure she totally gets it, but her response has been, ” but whyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Mom. ” She is my girl that loves everything in place. She is just a bit obsessive when things are not in place, so I am expecting a few { or hundred } meltdowns. On the upside, she is also my girl that gets over things quickly, so maybe by week two she will feel at home again.

I still have a gazillion things to do. Why haven’t I noticed before just how dirty my apartment is? You take the clutter out and all I can see is dirt! It is disgusting.

So I am off to clean up a bit more! …and maybe pack a little bit more too! Fun fun!