I came across this today as I was sorting through old documents.
According to the last time I updated it, it was written two days after we moved here, on July 30, 2010. I suspect I was feeling lonely, Maelie was napping, and I needed something to do since we had no internet.
I smiled as I read through it…felt a little guilty, but mostly happy.
The way God provides is amazing…and reading this made me so very thankful for the blessings He’s given.
Oh, and I added my commentary ’cause I knew you’d want my reflections. đ
Melâs Rules for Moving to Illinois
1. Spend money on the bedroom. It is the place Tobin and I connect and share our most intimate moments. It is worth every single penny. Ok, ok so this one took quite awhile. But we did eventually follow through.
2. It is not wrong to have a most amazing kitchen, especially if it was already that way when we moved in…so don’t feel guilty about it. Success…I feel zero guilt and mostly love for my kitchen. Especially since there are no cockroaches hiding in the silverware drawer. 
3. Take walks every day and meet my neighbors. (Plus I have that annoying baby weight I need to get rid of anywayâŚ) We did take a lot of walks but that wasn’t really how we met our neighbors…they mostly came to say hi if we were outside. And the baby weight? Well, it took a lot more than walking! đ
4. Donât hide behind a closed door and wish for what I canât have anymore. Thankfully this only happened for a few weeks before I was rescued by an incredible friend. I learned that, having an infant, it was very easy to hide but that I didn’t want to. And once I had a way to not hide, it was pretty easy to open the door.
5. Allow myself a Starbucks or Caribou once a week. Take Maelie and go, looking for someone to talk to. Donât wait for someone else to initiate the conversation. I’ve definitely made a few friends in coffee shops…and I’ve probably allowed myself more than one coffee a week, too! I maintain that a coffee shop is a great place to find friends.
6. Make finding a good church a priority. Donât sleep in on Sundays and âwait til next weekâ. (I laugh because there was no such thing as sleeping in ever with Maelie. I’m thankful that, after trying out a few places, God provided the best place for us. We love our church. :))
7. Post pictures of life for friends back in my other âhomesâ. I’m not a big picture-poster, but I do a decent job through the blog, I think. I’m still not great at keeping in touch, but if someone writes me, I will almost always respond.
8. Update my status on Facebook more often. Epic. Fail. However, I am not a person who wants the world to know what I ate for breakfast or who I’m currently annoyed with. I update it when there’s something to share.
9. Find a momâs group, preferably one that meets at parks so the kids can play. Sunshine is goodâŚespecially when I havenât seen it for several weeks.
I love how God gives us desires we’re scared to admit we have.
10. Crying is okâŚfor a little while. But part of moving on is accepting that things have changed. I did cry for awhile…and the day I decided to like it here was the day I wasn’t sad anymore. I decided that change can bring some of the biggest blessings God has for us, if we’re willing to accept it.
11. True friends will always be there, whether I live down the block or across the world. Donât be afraid to make some new onesâthe old ones arenât going anywhere. Enough said.
12. Give myself some grace in this time of transition. Stop expecting perfection from myself and others. I don’t know how I did on this one…but I know I’m thankful for the people who love me despite my imperfections.
God is GOOD.
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