We borrowed Tim and Misty’s industrial wagon and moved into their old rental house…right through the orchard. It took me a week with the boy’s help during the day with the loading and unloading, and David’s truck for the heavy stuff. I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t know we had so much stuff! Anna came over and moved all of our stuff in the shed to the garage. Misty came and moved my kitchen and china, Tim painted our bedroom, and Noel helped move the bedroom. Peter would come home at night and ask what he could do and there was always too much. But since we were just moving from house to house on the same property and since our landlords are kindhearted, there was no move-by date. We could sleep in the house after the water heater was replaced and the new flooring was down. Once all our stuff was in the house, I felt like we had plenty of breathing and growing room! The square footage of this house is only a couple hundred more, but oh, does it feel roomy! (And it’s a real house. :-))
It was strange to move into Misty’s house. I know in my head it is just a rental, but this has been her home since I’ve known her. They lived here 12 happy years! And now they have an amazingly beautiful new home just a mile down the road. But that mile feels oh, so long after just a skip through the orchard. The children grew up playing (or asking to play) almost every day and it’s been a difficult adjustment for them not being neighbors. I’ve had my share of tears over it as well. Misty and I would often quote to each other “Better a friend who is near than a brother far away” and we became like sisters. I cannot fully put down in words all she is to me. We would rejoice at How only God knew how beautifully we could live so closely, because if we had just run in regular circles our hearts would not have been brought so close. Misty, I miss you more than I can say. Thank you for a wonderful six years of being neighbors, for all the lessons you’ve taught me about marriage, and children, and God. I love you! And I love your old house!
