Charlotte is named after Princess Charlotte, Queen of Consort to George III of England, and therefore nicknamed, "The Queen City." It is also the place we currently call, "home." The Company made an offer and we couldn't refuse.
It was very hard to leave our friends and the community we have grown to love in West Linn, Oregon. However, we realized that one of the best things about our time in the Pacific Northwest was landing there five years ago and starting "from scratch" in a town where we had new friends to make, places to explore, and a climate to learn. Well, here we are again. I think that the anticipation of this new adventure helped to overshadow the difficulty of saying goodbye to the friends we love. Now we've been here almost two months. It doesn't quite feel like HOME yet, but it is feeling less difficult to imagine this being our home now.
The girls are making a place for themselves in their new school while maintaining a connection to their Oregon lives through letters and emails with friends on the west coast. I am amazed by their courage and resilience, proud of their kindness and curiosity, and delighted by the bond between them that seems to have increased tenfold since we arrived here in February.
Greg is tackling the job and getting to know his new team. It has not been without challenges. I am grateful that he is the kind of person who is able to leave work at work and focus on family when he is home. Our weekends are full of mini-explorations: new restaurants, bike rides, and afternoons at the park. On the weekends, we are also finding lots of time to settle into the house. We enjoy utilizing the screened porch for coffee in the morning and drinks in the evening.
I stay busy unpacking boxes (so many boxes!), learning to live in this beautiful, funky, old house and trying to create a home where everyone can enjoy a soft landing at the end of the day. Greg's mom, Linda, has been here with us for most of our time so far. Linda has been a great help in getting rooms organized and motivating me to tackle the next project. I look forward to sharing some of what we've been up to on the blog really soon.
(Image 1 via Keller Williams // Image 2 via Patrick Schneider // Image 3 via Patrick Schneider)
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