What a week . . .

What a week. This week Travis took a trip to Milwaukee while the kids and I stayed in Liberty. We survived. I'll admit it, I'm a wimp when it comes to parenting alone. My mom and my sister-in-law, being military wives, both have experience at parenting alone for long periods of time, and I have to say, they made it look easy. It's not. Really, we didn't have a bad week . . . I'm kind of proud of how well the kids and I did on our own, but I can definitely say that our family runs best when both parents are in the house. (OK, so honestly, Travis was only gone for 3 days, but when you are used to having your parenting partner home everyday at 4 pm, 3 days feels like a long time.)

Travis's trip was encouraging. As we've considered this move, the one issue that has haunted me is whether or not we will be able to find a good place for Grant to go to school. The main focus of Travis's trip this week was to interview school districts to try to find a good match for Grant's special needs. It turns out that we have some great options for Grant, possibly even some options that may be better than what he would have if we stayed in Liberty. I cannot tell you what a relief this is to me!

Travis also had a job interview with a church while he was in Milwaukee. It seems like it could be a great fit. Even if Travis doesn't end up working for that church, it may be a great place for us to start in our church hunt once we move. Travis has another interview tomorrow afternoon. Again, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have Travis doing some interviews. Once we have his job figured out, we will be able to get really excited about the move. The unknown is scary.

Well, I feel like I'm putting my kids up for adoption. Don't worry, not my real kids, my Melrose girls. (It's funny, when I started my job as a Resident Director, I liked to think of myself as a big sister to my residents and resented it when people called me a "dorm mom". Over the years my perspective has changed. While I still don't like the sound of "dorm mom"--reminds me too much of "school marm", I don't mind when the girls see me as a mother figure. It's an honor.) This week we hired my replacement as the Resident Director of Melrose Hall. I take a lot of ownership of my job and I truly love some of the girls who live with us. I will really miss having the opportunity to be a part of their lives in the way that I am in this job. Hiring my replacement is sad in the sense that it solidifies the fact that I am leaving, and it means the end is near. I am thrilled, however, about the person we have hired. The new RD of Melrose, Samantha, is actually a friend of mine, and I know that she will do an incredible job with these women. I am so excited that I can leave knowing that my girls are in good hands and that their new "mom" will love them every bit as much as I do.

Finally, I want to say a big congrats and I love you to my friends Jodi and Justin. On Friday night Jodi gave birth to their third baby, a beautiful little boy named Hayden. I am so proud of you and happy for you, and I can't wait to meet your little guy.