Update: WE'VE MOVED!

Hello Stranger! It's been awhile.

I’m giving myself a proper pat on the back for coming back to this little space and actually writing something amidst the crazy that is moving and settling into our new home.

The past month and a half has been filled with many moments in which I dearly wished I could sit down and string together a few words, but like as not, they would have been a mess of gibberish.

In short: we safely made the move (James and friends by car, and our toddler and I (plus utero baby) via plane). We are settled into our big multi-generational family home now, and trying to find places for the little belongings that keep us rooted in our own family story.

In excruciating detail: we’ve vacationed in a Maine beach house with 23 fellow Thibodeaus, toured Boston College, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and met up with some old childhood and college friends. Tiny Thibodeau in the womb has become outwardly visible and quite the little dancer. I’m thrilled our baby is healthy and eager to join the world! We will find out the gender and release the name in August, so be on the lookout!

Our transition has been surprisingly and blessedly smooth with a few wrenches thrown in to make it more interesting. Traveling always brings out the worst in our immune systems, so that plus the end of my first trimester illness has kept us on our toes. Our toddler’s transition to a full house and new spaces made for a rough first week, but she’s now very much in love with her big family and back yard!

My own coping with the change is a work in progress. There’s both a sense of belonging and wilderness up here for me. I greatly love the support of family and the challenge to get to know a new city, but I am beginning to miss Texas and the mundane routines we used to know. I am both surprised and not at all surprised at the fact that I miss my own selection of coffee mugs and little things that remind me of home.

Always an introvert, I’m looking at the opportunities to meet and make new friends as a true test for my character. I’m enjoying the time to read new books off of someone else’s shelf, and I’m reveling in the quiet sunlit 5 am New Hampshire mornings with my father-in-law’s strong coffee (thanks, Frank).

You tend to overlook how many things have to be settled when moving across the country: things like new doctors, dentists, grocers, parishes, coffee shops, walking routes, parks, etc. I’m happy to say that within the first month and a half I’ve fallen in love with the new midwife at my prenatal practice, found an amazing local hazelnut latte, become an Aldi mega-fan, and am enjoying Church hopping until we find our new home parish.

Writing this and sipping a coffee at a cute New England haunt is excellent, but I can’t deny I dearly miss my Summermoon fire roasted beans and Torchy’s Taco dates. There’s something about those Texas skies; and it only took me 12 years to notice them.

As a family unit, we are still learning the ins and outs of our new life, before it changes once again for school in the fall. We’re continuously communicating and trying new routines to find what works best for everyone; praying to maintain patience. I am completely astonished at the resilience of my little family and can only account for it being a gift from God and the fruit of our devotion to St. Joseph. In the hardest of moments, I’ve still felt that this is where we have been called for this season and God will provide for whatever financial or emotional trials that come in the future.

James and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary this past week, and I always marvel at the sacramental graces that come with Catholic marriage. I don’t think I am naturally inclined towards huge transitions, but I do think God gave me James to help me (and to spice up my would-be-very-boring-and-stationery life). I also know that His providence and kindness is helping us every step of the way. I can’t imagine choosing this adventure all on my own, but I know good things are going to grow here, if I can accept them gracefully.

In conclusion, thank you for your prayers and following our little story. I am very hopeful and excited for what this new season will bring, the friends we will meet, and the family we get to love on more closely.