For Everything There is a Season. .

King Solomon, the wisest man in history, told us in Ecclesiastes 3:1. .

that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. .

Our family has experienced many of those activities over the last 6 months!

I'm sure that most of us are stronger for it. .

but in a sense. .weaker too. .

as we realize just how much we should depend on God and how little control we humans really have.

Unbelievably. .6 months has nearly passed since our lives were changed forever with the death of my father.

I can say. .He is no longer present in EVERY thought that goes through my head. .I don't cry EVERY day now. .I sleep better most nights. .but I CAN'T say that my heart says that things are easier or better. My heart still says. .it hurts. .A LOT!

Change is imminent. .and frequent. .and sometimes difficult and even physically painful. And sometimes it is just plain hard to find the positive side of change. .But the reality is. .Change IS a part of life. .and God didn't promise to spare us from pain. .But He DID promise to walk through it with us! And in that, I trust!!

Joshua 1:9

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go!

So. . .

this weekend found our family trying to be strong and courageous. .among our hurts and sadness. .

as we moved my mother and her 41 years worth of accumulations from the house she has lived in since she said "I do". .and the house where they brought each new little bundle of joy to raise until they sent them off into the big, wide world.

There were tears. .there was laughter. .

there was comradery. .

 and there were moments of complete delirium!!

In a frenzy of fast paced packing, carrying, unpacking and rearranging. .

not many work pictures happened. .

In fact. .this picture of  my SIL mowing some patches left by the three middle boys after their turns with the mower. .was the only "work" photo taken!!

Because the largest portion of our youngest generation is too small to pick up much more than an ice cream spoon. .they played at other homes. .which was perfect for them. .and us!!

In addition to my three siblings and all of our families. .

Alan, the hired hand. .as well as my aunt and uncle. .helped as the moving the crew!

Alan, bless his heart. .was hired BY my dad before he had his accident. .and wasn't slated to begin working until April. .which was AFTER his death. Talk about awkward. .to step into a new job in the midst of a major crisis! He has handled things well. .and is loved by us all!! We enjoyed his good sense of humor and hard work immensely!

We were used to gathering in the kitchen at home. .and it seems the tradition may carry on to the new home. She has a nice and roomy kitchen to hang out in. .and a dining room within earshot for the rest of the group. It will be interesting to see how the new traditions evolve!

I was team "Cook" again this weekend. .

but trust my back. .I also spent a lot of time on team "movers."

My brother in law Chris confiscated my camera Saturday evening and took some photos of his own as everyone was unwinding from the day. .

He was definitely able to catch every one's candid side. .

. .including his very own!!

do we look tired and worn out or what??

So was Grandma. .she enjoyed a short rest on the sofa in its new location!

Sunday afternoon we decided to rest for part of the afternoon, in order to take the little ones to the pool. .

which they thoroughly enjoyed. .

. .so did we!!

How many monkeys can you fit under one water bell? Trust me, it's more than 4. .but I just wasn't quick enough to catch them all!

The middle boys got to ride their bikes to the pool and back to Grandma's. .

That was a fun concept for all three of them!! My sister's kids live in a large city. .so they never ride their bikes to places. .and we live in the country. .so my kids never get to "go somewhere" on them either! There were definitely some bonus points to this whole "move to town" business!

The park is just 3 blocks away too. .and the park at Grandma's town R-O-C-K-S!! We also walked down there one night at dusk to let everyone run off some steam!!

When we got back from the pool. .we noticed this group of big boys blowing off their steam. .

. .by firing up the old Atari!! It was like the first gaming system ever!! The sounds from Frogger, Pitfall, and space invaders brought back LOTS of memories!! And they had a great time too. .My boys were hillarious to watch, as they awed over the horrible graphics and simplistic nature of it all!

Unpacking also meant sorting through things. .

we all ended up with memento's of our dad. .

and things from our personal pasts. .

like Nick's junior high basketball jersey. .

It was a little hard to get into. .

. .and not so pretty once it was on. .

but he managed to get into it. .

which was more than I can say for me and my high school prom dress. .

I was soooo close. .

but the zipper just would NOT go. .sniff!!

Wondering if my sister had better luck with one of her prom dresses??

The house is really nice. .and we know that my mom will love being there. .

It was built in 1904, which is right up her alley!!

And at least some of us will feel better about people always being near her, minding her business as well as their own ;-)

And my favorite thing about the whole house was this. .

a quiet swing on a quiet street just swingin'

. .and letting your worries all melt away!!

Hope your holiday weekend was relaxing and your blessings were abundant!!