Grace in Transition

Hello all!
The weather is finally turning in lovely Washington, and with the rains and cozy layered clothing comes the realization that summer is now a chapter swiftly closing. And, truth be told, this has been a summer to beat many a summer! Pat and I have had an amazing time traveling, spending time with friends and family, and preparing our hearts for the little one that will soon be joining our lives. She is announcing her presence more and more every day through the aching in my back, the restless nights and the visible curve of her limbs beneath my skin. This creation of life is such a beautiful mystery to watch, and despite my years as a nurse I am still utterly in awe of it. So while it is a bit surreal, I know she is on her way, make no mistake!

36 weeks and counting!

Decor at my TriCities baby shower :)

And with the change of season I am reminded more and more of the idea of change itself. This has come up more than once in my blog, I suppose because Patrick and I have encountered so much of it. We have now been living in Seattle a little over 7 months, which may sound short but for us is nearly the longest we've spent in one city since our wedding 2.5 years ago...truly

We move. That's what we do. 

Or what we did. 

Until last week, when we planted our feet firmly 

on a little plot of land we now get to call Home :) 

In mid-September we signed on a house just north of Seattle - again, this is utterly surreal. I never thought that we would be able to welcome our baby into a home. Seriously, I purchased a bassinet for the corner of our one-bedroom apartment in hopes that we would find a bigger place by the time she began crawling, lol. But after weeks of house hunting and praying, this little gem came along and we jumped on it. And a month later, we were handed the keys!

Moving Day 2013!

Our fantastic moving crew, still smiling :)

So we are in a joyful flurry of activity, attempting to get as settled as possible before our baby comes. On the one hand, thinking of the to-do list seems incredibly overwhelming. We have already done so much over the past month, and there is a LOT left to do. From wrapping up my nursing contract to ever-increasing baby appointments, painting bedrooms and putting together nursery furniture, and traveling near and far in a last ditch effort to see loved ones before she arrives - let's just say we know how to make a pretty mean to-do list :)

But I've never been one to be overwhelmed by "the List". In fact, I thrive on it, as does my husband. We jokingly like to say that we get things done and make it look easy :) But I think the more accurate statement would be that we get things done and choose not to be stressed by the doing.

I have been so surprised by some of the reactions I've gotten when telling people about all of our life changes this year. I've heard everything from "Wow, you must be stressed" to "Are you sure you want to do all that??" And I find myself staring dumbfounded, wondering if they were audibly stopped in their tracks by the sound of the tasks before understanding the miracles that the tasks accompany. I want to shake them by the shoulders and cry, 'Don't you see?? God's timing is incredible!' My work contract ended literally the same week that we closed on our house, which happens to be a month before our baby is due. Meaning that I get to shut the door on the "job" chapter of life and open the "motherhood" chapter without skipping a beat! I get to prepare our home without juggling a work schedule. I get to stay busy before the birth instead of twiddling my thumbs for four weeks until she gets here. Honestly, I couldn't have planned it better if I'd tried.

So while I could complain about having "too much" to do with the house and a baby on the way, I can't help but be grateful. Because I still remember the faces of those who have "too little". Those who wish they had a home to fret over or a newborn to prepare for. I am blessed to have so much on my plate, and the minute I forget that is the minute that blessings get mislabeled as inconveniences. And that would be a sad mistake indeed.