dicoccoville is still here, but we dicoccos have moved...


Okay, first of all... Mike and Christine...
THIS is what it looks like out in our yard
TODAY, April 11th.
This is for real.
I am not kidding.
look how dark and blowy and snowy it is.
and it is cold.
and we've already packed up the snowpants and boots and such.
Because, let's face it... who would have guessed?

But if we are being honest here, this is not really our yard anymore. I mean, we still OWN it and are still PAYING for it... but this is not longer the view from the front window of what is now home. THIS is now our view... and Mady's snowman she made this afternoon. Hopefully, he won't be around for too much longer.

Our decision to move wasn't about our house selling.. because it hasn't. It was more about moving forward. Being active on this journey. Somehow, coming back from Colorado make home seem, well, like a step backward away from South Africa. Not that I won't have dishes to do and laundry to fold wherever I am.. we simply needed to let go of this and take that next step.

We have officially moved in with friends in Easttown. Just the beds and clothes for now - and we are coming back to the old house to clean up and out all this week and next. If it ever warms up, we are in perfect walking distance to a great many of our favorite hang outs - and a good hard run to downtown. I've already mapped out my new "circle" that will take me about four miles from our new home to our new home again - Do you want to know something that makes me laugh?? The furthest end of my circle is the exact same loop as my four mile circle from our old house. I think maybe I was subconsciously looking to hold on to something familiar in this ever changing world.

Eric and Alisha have been great with all our moving in chaos and nonsense. It is going to be great to be a big old family in a big old house- and Ella seems to be MORE than thrilled to have three new siblings to play dollhouse with - every waking minute :O). When it gets warmer, there are a couple neighbor boys who are learning to skateboard- and Harrison is excited to get to know them. The kids have adjusted quickly. We had a few days of fussiness, but they seemed to be just before we moved. On Monday night, we were at our old house and Harrison came and curled up on my lap saying "I just want to go home where my bed is." Thanks God for easy transitions. You must know we are going to have a few of them in the future... huh?

- we had our last fire in the fireplace and random gathering of friends who are more like family a couple nights ago. It was nostalgic- and meant a lot to us. So much has happened in that living room. So many late conversations, and tears, and dancing, and picnics. It has been a gathering house. A safe place. Hearts have been spilled in there, and picked back up and held tightly. I know it isn't something magic about the house ... Our house has always been too small and our furniture is all still early marriage hand-me-downs that are now falling apart - but it can be said that it has had a spirit to it.. so my prayer is that it is that spirit follows us around into our new spaces.

- Billy still has a job for now - (which is good since we still have a house payment)

- kids are all getting in to the dentist before we loose the insurance - 8 cavities between the three of them. darn.

- Isabelle moved into her new home the day before we moved.

- I am in the market for a laptop since I can't take the desktop to Africa... thinking about changing platforms... I know what I want (kind of)... any idea where to go to get a killer deal besides just watching the referb page every day on apple.com?