I can’t even write one word without welling up… As you can tell by the absence of posts over the past few months, my world has been consumed with The Big Move to Texas. This whole journey started just after Christmas as a remote possibility and here we are on the cusp of moving. My son cried on our last night in the house and said, last year the end of school was way slower, this year went way too fast. And he’s right. The 6-month transition is ending SO fast. So many conclusions, so many goodbyes. It’s emotionally exhausting, but I knew this would happen because when you love BIG, your heart gets big and sore with goodbyes. It’s worth it, though. I have never felt so loved by so many and loved so much in return.
I have a pretty big village. Here is just a little glimpse into the past few weeks…
The goodbyes started with a girls’ weekend away. It rained the whole time and was the perfect backdrop for games, bevvies and shenanigans. I’ll miss you all!Saying goodbye to my farmerette pal Janelle has me wondering if there are CSA options in Houston. Where can I find local veggies y’all? Our cats are staying behind with the acreage but this gorgeous girl is in for a hot-weather shock! Getting a pet to TX is the most complicated aspect of all!Since April, I’ve been on solo parenting duty most of the time including selling what needed to be sold and purging what needed to be purged. Here we are saying goodbye to our holiday trailer! End of an era of family fun…Only one thing could make up for all the solo parenting and moving prep – a beautiful Anthro dress! If you follow along on Instagram stories, you already know about this! My hubby brought it back for me and I wore it with my $2.50 blue suede slingbacks to my daughter’s piano recital where we learned she placed first in an international composition competition, beating out almost 800 other entries her age! Rock star training is well underway!I already bid adieu to Randa once when she moved to Saskatoon but this goodbye seems bigger. I’m so glad she was able to visit before we headed south.Turns out we can’t take our spirits with us, so had a big party to use up what we could, gave the leftovers to my cocktail-loving friend, and packed a couple bottles of Sortilege in our suitcases because #priorities.I think this means me and Sortilege are BFFs. I can’t wait to make some new Texas friends a Sortilege Mojito!“Bon Voyage Rowans” was a wonderful opportunity to see so many of our friends and family and they spoiled us rotten! xoxoxoxoJune is also birthday month for my youngest so we threw another party in June! My kids have grown up with Kim’s and now it looks like we’re BOTH growing…. er, in different ways! But we still dress the same! 😉Our house sold quickly THANK GOD and then we had to start clearing out everything we aren’t moving to TX including the playhouse lovingly made by my hubby a few years ago. Selah’s cousins have already settled in! Not gonna lie, seeing parts of your life drive off was not easy.We pulled the kids from school one day to have an Edmonton bucket list hooky day! Where else to go but West Edmonton Mall!As luck would have it, WWE stars were there for a meet and greet so the boys got pics with Kalisto! Then we saw Wonder Woman – our last movie in Canada! It was PERFECT.I can’t wait to do this bag full justice in a future blog post but just want to shout a huge thank you to my favourite Megan and her talented dad for this handmade leather tooled bag. I am blessed and spoiled and humbled by your friendship and generosity! xoxoxoxMy last day of work was tough. I have been working in this school for 11 years and I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job, love being an OT. I trust God has a plan for my future in Texas but it still feels a bit raw. I will miss my team, my families, my kiddos. It has been my honour to serve you all.My team just gets me. They got me a specially engraved travel mug as a parting gift – it’s in my suitcase waiting to be filled with … the second we land! 🙂Saying goodbye to my small group was also tough. The two families are my my chosen family, my sisters, my kids’ cousins. It’s only bearable because I know we will stay in touch and see them again.How am I going to find a church in Houston with as good a mirror as this for Sunday selfies?!!! xoxo City Life Church!This was my last thrift haul at Value Village (at least until I visit home). Same VV Boutique as where this whole adventure started nearly five years ago!! Sniff sniff.I am truly blessed with many friends. My Splurge sisters had one last gathering and treated me to a Canada-themed event complete with butter tarts, Caesars, rockets, Nanaimo bars, ketchup chips and even Corey Hart on the LP! They conspired with my hubby to get me a gift certificate to a spa near my new home in Texas!! Thank you ladies for years of friendship and fun!! Sniff sniff SOB!Nothing like moving to the US as a good excuse to have poutine at every opportunity!Saying goodbye to my big sister was the hardest of all. I can’t even…. But pretty sister rings made by the jewelry-designing daughter of my grade 1 teacher will keep us in each other’s thoughts. Basically this is all your fault Shannon for telling me “If you can dream it you can do it” which I took as flat out truth and sure enough, all my dreams come true. Love you more than I could ever express. This was the last time we were all together at the house.Moving Day was also surprisingly hard. Eight years of memories in such a beautiful setting! I thought the acreage would be our last home!! We will no doubt make a new wonderful home in Texas but I bet there won’t be any Alberta Wild Roses on our property there!!It is neat to be able to celebrate Canada Day 150 here then move just in time to celebrate July 4th in Texas! This is a screen shot from my IG story of moving day… sniff sniff.
Just imagine, that’s just a snapshot of all the goodbyes!!! Don’t get me wrong – I am excited about the future, excited about all the newness ahead (not to mention the thrifting, the pool, the margaritas!)!! I’m not afraid of change or worried about making friends or finding a community in Texas. I know with 100% certainty that is where God is calling us and all that is left to do is say au revoir Alberta and howdy Houston!
Reading this about the time you’re boarding your plane. Requires tissue. Looking forward to see what comes next. Hugs.
Vicky
Awww, it IS hard to leave all your family, friends and co-workers… You seem so friendly and nice that I’ll bet you will meet new ppl rather quickly. Good luck!!
D
We moved last year to SFO and we went through same emotions. While reading your post I could was in tears. We had amazing 1 year in SFO and I am sure you guys will rock it. Good luck on your trip. Just remember once Canadian always a Canadian..:)
Thank you ma’am!! I would love to hear your recommendations! I have been out exploring but by no means have found everything!! I’m using the Houston’s Best Resale Shops calendar to go to each “store of the month” throughout 2018. In March, it will be the Guild! Hopefully we could meet in person one day!
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Reading this about the time you’re boarding your plane. Requires tissue. Looking forward to see what comes next. Hugs.
Awww, it IS hard to leave all your family, friends and co-workers… You seem so friendly and nice that I’ll bet you will meet new ppl rather quickly. Good luck!!
We moved last year to SFO and we went through same emotions. While reading your post I could was in tears. We had amazing 1 year in SFO and I am sure you guys will rock it. Good luck on your trip. Just remember once Canadian always a Canadian..:)
Amen to that! We are thinking of putting up a Canadian flag but not sure if that will make us a target b/c people will know we don’t have a gun! LOL
I’m a little late but welcome to Texas! I have some great recommendations for thrift stores in Houston if you haven’t already been out exploring!
Thank you ma’am!! I would love to hear your recommendations! I have been out exploring but by no means have found everything!! I’m using the Houston’s Best Resale Shops calendar to go to each “store of the month” throughout 2018. In March, it will be the Guild! Hopefully we could meet in person one day!