Change

Life is full of change. As I stated in my very first post on this blog, our plan and Heavenly Father's plan for us aren't usually the same. But His plan never changes. He knows what is best for us. Knowing that, doesn't make changing your plans to fit His any easier.

Today marks a big closing of a chapter for my family; probably mostly for me. We sold our house. We are no longer home owners. I feel so blessed to have been able to sell it quickly and with out too much fuss. At the same time I'm really sad.

It's been almost 4 years ago that I went house hunting with my Dad. Michael had to work, so S and I flew to Utah from Arizona where we were living at the time. Dad drove around with us and the realtor all day so we could narrow down the search. That way, when Michael flew up, I could have a few houses for him to look at.

After a lot of looking, it was pretty easy to narrow down the search. I had about 5 houses to show Michael, but really only liked 2 of them. I wanted him to see what the options were, though. So he came. We looked. He agreed. Two houses. Now which one to buy. In the end, we picked the move in ready, mostly finished, 2300 sq ft home. It had fun colors. A nice yard with a fence. A laundry room and play room. 3 baths, and 3 bedrooms. We figured we could raise a family in this house. It would be a good house for young kids and for teenagers. So, in one weekend we found and put an offer in on our first house.

Looking back, I realize it was a whirlwind decision, but a good one none the less. We made that home ours. We only lived there for 3.5 years, but it feels like a life time. We moved in with one kid and left with 4. We came for Michael to be the newbie at a job he didn't really know much about, and left because someone wanted to give him a promotion and pay for us to move so he could work for the. We came never having before stepped foot in Tooele, UT, and left with lots of "local favorites" in mind for our next visit. We came not knowing anyone, and left wising we could take dozens of friends and neighbors with us. We came a young couple, not knowing much about life, and left knowing a little bit more.

Tooele was our dream. It was the job that would take us closer to family. It was where we saw ourselves for a long time to come. But it wasn't what Heavenly Father saw for us. He saw it as a stopping place on our road to wherever we will end up. It was place we needed to live so we could learn some much needed life lessons. Now we need to learn something else, somewhere else.

I know that we haven't been in Tooele for a while, but now that our home is no longer our home, I feel that finality. As I reflect, I feel so blessed. I'm thankful I can look back with happiness, sadness, and a knowledge that I get to move on. Though I didn't get to stay in that home as long as I wanted to, I know there are more homes, more friends, and more experience to be had. That is how I am able to move on. But, just for today, I'm going to look back and be a little sad.