December 19th

We've been here 5 months, exactly.

I'm not sure if it is this rental house or what, but something about it here just feels like we are in limbo.  A funny state of being inbetween.  I guess it stems from living the last 8 years as college students, between Paul and my schooling we relocated every 2 years for school.  We were apartment hoppers, and our extended family - well they were fabulous in helping orchestrate all of our moves.

So it is weird, to finally be here, at that place where we can, and should, settle down.

I'd say that we've more than earned the right to settle down.

I just never thought I'd settle down somewhere that is thousand of miles away from our family.

I grew up just 1 block away from one of my aunts and uncles house, and within a 20 minute drive from all my other cousins.  I was so lucky to have a relationship with my grandparents.  One that spanned more than just the yearly visit.  Nope, I was able to head over to hang out with my grandma on a random Tuesday, just to bake.  And I got to see my grandma when my mom needed a sanity break, or to go back to school clothes shopping.  I was so spoiled.  I never imagined that my kids would have to set up Skype dates to build a relationship with their grandparents, or have that yearly visit from an aunt or uncle.  So being here, where my kids don't have that, well it is hard.

Today Jovie has officially been a Kentuckian longer than she was an Oregonian.  It has me all sorts of emotional.  Oregon will always be near to my heart.  Kentucky has a lot to live up to because Oregon, well Oregon was us.  It will forever be the state where I grew up, fell in love, got married, had our 3 babies, became a RN, watched proudly as my Mr. earned the right to be called Dr. Loprinzi...

and since I'm not through that 6 months of uncomfortableness yet (you know that uncomfortableness that comes when you pick up and move across the country away from your support system, and best friend), I'll just suck it up and continue to try and make here, home.

it is getting easier.