Any time we go through a big life change, there’s this adjustment period where you’re finding your new normal. That’s where we’re at now. 🙂

We moved on Saturday, October 25th.

We’ve been here 20 days. (Already?!)

We closed on both houses within a few days and that chapter of our life wrapped up so nicely. It was sunny and 70 something degrees the day we moved in which is unheard of for late October in the Chicago area. I am so grateful for all of the help from family members when we moved in. It was like “we’re here, we mean business, here’s some yummy food, and hey look we’re done” and there was no chance to stop and think about it.

I thought I’d feel sad, but I haven’t. We returned to our old house and it felt like a shell of our house. I didn’t even take pictures because it didn’t feel right. With no stuff or with no us, it didn’t feel like our home any more. It was waiting for its new family.

Maybe that’s why our new home felt like home so instantly.

Things have been crazy but things have been good.

And…

I’m starting to remember which switch controls which light.

I’m starting to remember which knobs control the stove burners.

We have more space to spread out in. More space for us, more space for family and friends to visit.

The kids are starting to sleep through the night again.

There are enough beds for the older three, but instead they’re sleeping in sleeping bags in Lily’s room (the room with no bed, go figure).

A stomach bug has come and gone. THANK GOD.

The laundry has been caught up on. (And fallen behind on, such is the circle of life.)

We’ve gone through car troubles and gotten through them.

We already are finishing up a new room project. (Yes, we’re crazy.)

We already started painting some of our wood trim.

We are averaging a few fires in the fireplace each week.

We went a week without internet, but survived.

We still haven’t hooked up our TV to the antenna, and I don’t know that we will. (Read more on why we’re cable free.)

I’ve already clipped some trees in our yard to decorate with.

I’ve had a lot of coffee.

I’ve gotten used to the path from my bed to the bathroom. Or to a little boy who has to go to the bathroom.

I’ve found our grocery stores and our new other stores. We could walk to Aldi if we really wanted to and were only buying a few things. (haha, when does that happen?!)

Lily started her new school this week. I miss her old school but we will I will give it a chance.

There are no clothes in any of the kids’ dressers, just big sorted piles on the floor.

We’re slowly chipping away at things.

The lock on the pantry has been my saving grace. Especially after Halloween.

Having a finished basement for the kids to play is so nice. In fact, it looks like a bomb hit it and every toy is out. But hey-o, can’t see it!

But there’s still toys in the upstairs which is cool too.

There are actual real life kids in our neighborhood.

We were able to get a new washer and dryer to replace the ones as old as me. Which really came in handy during that stomach bug.

Things feel like home.

We’ve gotten back to a nap schedule.

I’m going to start some sort of schedule for me.

I’m going to try to stick to it but will probably stumble.

And before you know it, we will realize that while we think we’re in chaos, we’re really just back into the groove of everyday life. Hey, I just realized that right now. This chaos is every day and the only time my house was perfectly put away, organized, cleaned, decluttered was right when we were selling our house.

Chaos is a good thing.

Life doesn’t always have a fresh coat of white paint. The everyday is imperfect and yet it’s so perfect.

This is our new normal.