I hate missing weeks of blogging, it just hurts me! I start to get depressed and stressed without my therapy of blogging. You probably all don’t mind at all when I take blogging breaks, but if you do, know that it is for a good reason. So sorry for the break! I have so many blog post ideas that I have to put on hold and keep in my “blog drafts” folder. It’s so hard to squelch these ideas, but I have to for a bigger reason! I found out a few weeks ago that my husband got a long-awaited for, prayed-and-fasted-for job in Arizona, so we are moving! We went down there a few weeks ago and found a house to rent and scoped out the place. There’s a huge, long, complicated, emotional back story behind this move, but I don’t have time to tell it. Just know that as sad as I am to leave Utah, with all of its LDS and homeschooling resources, and our dear friends and family here, I feel that God’s hand is in this move. He wants us to move there. So I am excited for a new adventure and new friends (and a bigger house!). In the meantime I just wanted to share the news and ask for any tips on moving.

My Veggie Gal friends held a farewell party for me and gave me this beautiful gift, pictured below, with all their pictures on it. I have known most of these ladies for over 15 years, some for 20 years, since I went to my first La Leche League meeting when I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. As my mother in law says about her relatives, “I could tell tales about all of them.” These Veggie Gals and I go way back! Some of our kids found each other at college and started swapping stories about the “unusual” food served at Veggie Gals and I’m sure laughed uproariously. Who can forget the “gak” crackers made from sunflower seeds and the fudge made from black beans? I have laughed and cried with these Veggie Gals. They are the best friends a woman could wish for!

So these are pictures of the farewell party. First we had a Kundalini yoga session taught by my dear friend Shauna (who shares a birthday with me) then came the food. The food! Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the food! I always eat the best food of my life at Veggie Gals gatherings. All of the kids disagree. They say there’s never good food at Veggie Gals. That’s just because they don’t have mature taste buds that appreciate healthful food, even though all of us moms cook that way. It’s a mystery! Anyway, then I also have pics of my husband’s and my trip to AZ and the views from the home we will be renting. I am soooo excited to have a larger kitchen, I can’t tell you how excited I am! The home is out in the country on 5 acres, with a vegetable garden and a flower garden already cultivated. It also has a fire pit so I am looking forward to a lot of outdoor parties.

I remember reading Michelle Duggar’s first book. She had a tip in there about moving. She suggested creating an index card for each box where you list what is in that box, so if you need something before or after the move, and the box is still unpacked, you can quickly locate the item. When you have a lot of kids and a lot of stuff, and a lot of logistics to manage, that sounds like one of the best tips ever! I have started doing it and already had a need for it.

This is the view from the front porch of the home. Lovely, isn’t it?

Does anybody else have any tips for moving? I would love to hear them!

Here’s an episode from the Duggars, my favorite TV family, on moving.