Well, it's begun. The lasts of the firsts...or the firsts of the lasts. Not sure exactly how to put it, but it's the thing that happens when the thing which shall not be mentioned happens in your family.
We made it through the football season. What a great year! For the first time in the history of all man-kind (or for this school)...the 9th grade team went undefeated! It was an awesome season! As we were playing that last game, I'm not gonna lie...I had to fight back the tears. I was so thankful that Holly and Aaron drove down to support and encourage Clark in his last game...and Holly took some pictures! Yay for sisters!
And so, for the first time in 4 years...I washed the jersey and hung it up to dry, knowing that it would be the last night it would ever hang on our laundry room door. The boys have a blue jersey, and a white one...and every fall for the past 4 seasons, we've had one or both of them hanging there on the door, washed and ready for the next game. They're the first things you see when you come into our house from the garage...and now they would never hang there again...ever.
I may be sick.
We made it through Thanksgiving...our last Thanksgiving in this town. In this house. We didn't even eat in our dining room. I have loved having a dining room. I love getting out the pretty dishes and eating in that special room...but knowing that it was our last Thanksgiving here...I don't know. It made it more sad.
So, we used the pretty dishes...and we ate around the kitchen table (a first for Thanksgiving in THIS house)...on FRIDAY, instead of Thursday (another first), b/c that's when Holly and Aaron could join us. When I was cleaning up after dinner, I realized I had left the "pad" on the table while we ate. Fancy much? I think NOT. It just never occurred to me to take it off...I never even thought about it. I love that we were all together and it was casual and fun...and not 'fussy' at all.
And now Christmas has passed. I wanted it to be the most special Christmas...our last in this place. I said I was going to get out every decoration we had, and make it look like Santa's workshop had exploded, but in the end...I got out the things that were the most special to us. The NOEL kids that the boys change around to spell LENO, and NOLE; the Caroling Family...someone is always getting shunned (usually the Blue Boy). The kids' special decorations went on the tree and I thought it was the prettiest tree ever. I think I say that every year. I just love seeing all the lights on it...and the decorations that are from our travels...or the ones that the kids have made. There's this one ornament...we don't know what it is, or who made it...but we put it on the tree every year.
And then for the first time...and the last time...I took all of my Christmas decorations down before the first of February. I LOVE leaving the decorations up. I feel like I have time to really enjoy them AFTER the busyness of the holidays...when things settle down. This year, I know there is much ahead of us, much to do...and so I packed it all up right after New Year. NOT ONLY THAT, but I have been known to leave up the Snow Village until Spring Break...but I put it all away, too. The first time I've ever put it away this early...and the last time to put it away in this house.
Next year, it will all be different. Hopefully, the family will be intact...healthy and excited to be together, but there will be a new house. Maybe some new ornaments. A new place to decorate. :) That part is exciting.
In this world, things are constantly changing...the economy is in the tank...the beliefs that our forefathers founded this nation on are being challenged and removed every day. Each day brings new trials and tribulation. And stress. We seem to be spinning quickly toward the end days. COME QUICKLY, LORD JESUS!
During this time in my life when things feel all out-of-sorts, I am thankful that GOD never changes.
Malachi 3:6 "For I, the LORD, do not change..."
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