If you're caught up on my post (don't worry you've only missed one) you know we've moved to the lake - not the original plan of course. If you know me, and my love for all things Texas, you have to know that this move wasn't, a. part of the plan and b. a very hard decision to make. In 2004 when we left Indiana for Texas, it was one of the hardest things, I had family here, we built a life and my daughters were here, the hardest thing for a mom to do is leave their children. It was the beginning of the job market crash - we had been laid off and jobs here were very hard to find. I asked God if this was meant to be, a lot, and I didn't get an answer for awhile, a long while. Those first few months were exciting and heart breaking I felt I was on an extended vacation, every day it seemed the sun was shining, and it was hot, very hot - and I didn't mind, I loved it. Living in Indiana during the winter months is brutal at times (as I'm typing its 6 degrees) I missed my kids, my family, my home. My in-laws invited us to stay with them until we could get up and running, and I look back now and I'm so grateful for them, they showed us what being a Texan is, and their love for Texas, and family, I started to look at life differently. When you're a true Texan you love your state and everything about it, theres a friendship amongst Texans that I cannot even start to explain, but I love it and it sucked me right in. We found a church, and went every Sunday - I was a part of something and I felt God's presence more than I had in years, or maybe ever. My faith was stronger, my marriage, my family, everything fell into place, from Houston, College Station to Dallas, over 5 years we built something. When my girls came to visit us during break in 2010 things changed - they were older, getting into High School and my relationship with them wasn't as strong, I knew I had to make a decision - the love of life and stability vs. the love of my children there was no doubt what our decision was I needed to be back with those girls, and they needed us, and I needed to be with them. It was a struggle, I mean a huge struggle to establish lives back in Indiana - I was happy to be back with my girls and my family, but starting all over again was rough, my faith faded.. but God never gave up on me, we slowly started our way back to making a life here. I was stubborn about it... i'm like in 5 years we can move back, ok, 7 years.. ok.. when Gillian graduates. I couldn't do it, I couldn't leave my kids - even though they have lives of their own now, I want to make up for the time I lost.
Last year when Gillian graduated, we made a plan, Texas in 2019, I was so excited, the older girls had graduated from nursing school, and all were working, and they were starting to establish lives, and I was feeling the empty nesting. I was scrolling through Facebook last June and up pops a lake house open house - so I showed Eric, and we didn't have anything planned so up we went. We took our Sunday and drove up to Hamilton Lake. When we came into this little town, there was a sense of calm - I hadn't even seen the house yet. The street was clean, the houses were nice, and there was a sense of community. We drove up to the house, looked through it and found it quite cute, but frankly it wasn't the Farmhouse in Texas that I had 1100 Pinterest pins saved, it was quirky and peaceful, and not what I was wanting my next stage in our lives to be. But I couldn't get it out of my head. We thought about it for a long time - there were some risks, but did that out way the reward? We took the leap faith, and trusted it was the right thing - we had lots of help, financial and mental (did you know real estate agents are counselors too... who knew) and we did it, and you know what - it wasn't so bad. The first month, I spent every morning having coffee outside, phone inside. It started getting colder so I grabbed a blanket and coffee until it got too cold I had to go in. But I spent my mornings having coffee at the table looking out. Its not getting old... I thought it would. Life seems to stop here - yes we do work full time but the phones don't seem to be our first thing we check, its the view, or the quiet, or the calm. Social media exists only in scrolling through pictures and occasional post about the stupid snow, or a sunset. I've got plans on plans of things to do with this little lake cottage - some have been done, and there is more to come. But even on days like today... I look out my window and see the peace I have found here. I still think about Texas, and I go back as much as I can, I truly miss it but I've found a little slice of heaven in Hamilton, its really not so bad, and look forward to those next chapter pages to be filled out..
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