doors

The neighborhood Walmart just got a little louder and the one back home will be wondering what happened to us.

We started our summer off with summer school and a bucket list of stay-cations. Two weeks in we became unemployed and two weeks later found us buying packing boxes.

It was a whirlwind of a summer!  Silly me never even thought to put moving to CA on our bucket list... I'm usually so prepared!

It was a long seven weeks filled with lots of emotions.

Saying good bye to good friends and reaping the benefits once more of kind people willing to help out. Mr. Zookeeper flew home on weekends but I was alone manning the zoo for about 5 weeks. Yip. Just me and the animals. Don't worry, I never got bored.

Rhino insisted on learning everything he could about the state's capital and thus needed someone to share his new found wisdom with. I now know every animal that resides in the Sacramento zoo.

Tiger was ready to move. He boxed up all of his pipe-cleaners and then boxed up himself. He was extremely inconvenienced to be unpacked every night for bed.

Puppy was on call making sure the house stayed ready for someone to come and buy it. That way, we could buy a new house and she could have her own room.

Monkey lost 99.9% of her toys to packing boxes right off. It was the only way Mom and Puppy could keep their sanity when "the call" came from the realtor. We plan on getting them back out for Christmas and killing two birds with one stone.

Mr. Zookeeper realized that life in the crazy zoo is much better than being alone. He missed us. Who could blame him?

I spent every day packing and re-packing. Cleaning and re-cleaning. I might have told the kids they didn't sell ketchup in California... then I cleaned and packed some more.

Moving day arrived and Mr. Zookeeper and I began loading the truck. It was like stuffing my post pregnant belly into my pre-pregnant jeans. A little sucking in, a lot of breath holding and a few rubber-bands and wallah- everything fits- mostly. Together Mr. Zookeeper and I laughed at the never ending pile of things that once seemed so valuable but as time moved on got closer to getting a for sale signed attached.We also enjoyed riding on the furniture dolly down the ramp. It's the simple things in life that keep us sane.

Some muscle and fresh energy showed up and the rest of the house, minus the walls and floors was crammed into the truck, trailer and mini van and the interior was cleaned one more time.

Then, the day came. I shut my bright, smiling, yellow front door for the last time and slowly made my way down the driveway.

I knew moving was the right thing for our family but it was so hard leaving my home behind. Behind the door I heard sounds from the last seven years of our lives. Crying and tantrums mixed in with feelings of loss and struggle. Giggles and laughter. Stories told and songs sung. Birthday celebrations and milestones reached. That door is where we welcomed guests; friends that became family. Behind that door is where we grew as one and became a family of six. Where meals were eaten and love shared. Behind that door seemed to be my whole life. I had done so much learning and growing behind that door and it was hard to turn the key and walk away.

Then, a beautiful thing happened. I removed the door from its hinges and carried it off with me cackling in the moonlight. OK, not really, but I wanted to. Instead, I cried and drove away.

I drove away into the unknown following two trucks carrying nearly everything I owned. I drove down my street and looked at all of the other front doors that carried me into the homes of so many people I had come to love. I reminded myself that the door was merely a symbol for openings and closings. It was in fact the passageway from my personal home life into the world. And as much as I loved and cared for my home- it was just a body. The body we needed to do what we were called to do at that time. The soul comes with me. And it did. Right along with the ketchup covered table and dirty mismatched socks.

When one door closes, another door opens.

My bum stills hurts from the long drive but we are here adding on to the wonderful life we have already built. Our home is smaller for the time being but it still has a fully functioning front door- and it's yellow...