We're HERE! After the many months of planning and waiting with anticipation, the Duke family has finally arrived in Santa Fe.
It was not a simple task. A little over a week ago we found a place to rent. We spent last week packing and preparing for our move, along with some great friends who came to help me pack up my kitchen and basement. On Friday Jamie picked up the moving van. On Saturday, our home was invaded by the most loving people you have ever met. I lost count of how many amazing friends, some that we don't even know very well, transcended on our house and loaded it all to the curb. Many of them filled their own truck beds, trunks and back seats and joined us on the hour long trek to the new house. They unloaded our furniture and boxes and enjoyed touring around the new house. They made beds and arranged furniture and placed dishes on shelves. They made pizza and enjoyed eating it with us. They hung clothes and put toys away. They held sick kids so I could put things away. And when they left I missed them terribly. But, we weren't able to bring everything on Saturday...so Sunday afternoon, they packed up the rest of our possessions and headed here once more to unload and unpack and visit and help. We have the most incredible friends. Two of them even cleaned the old house, from top to bottom yesterday, so that I didn't have to. That is love and I feel very loved by them all.
Sadly, the majority of my family (everyone except me) has been sick for much of our moving experience. The littlest one ran a fever for several days before finally starting to feel like herself, thanks to some potent antibiotics. I'm so thankful that we had all the help that we did, because I'm not sure we could have done it all without them. In fact, I know we couldn't. It would have taken weeks instead of a few short days.
We are beginning to settle in. After only a few days, things are coming together. We are still looking for some items that have yet to appear. The garage is a warehouse from floor to ceiling with boxes and tools and who knows what, but it is beginning to feel like home here. We have a beautiful view out our front windows and I've made a few meals in our wonderful kitchen. I think we're going to make some fantastic memories here.
Tomorrow we will visit the old house for the last time, find any lost treasures and bring the odds and ends that have been left behind. I'm looking forward to making new memories here in this beautiful home we are renting in Santa Fe, but I have to admit, leaving the house that has held my sweet family for the past eleven years was much harder than I thought it would be. Two of my three kids were born while we lived there. We've had many friends stay over and held family gatherings there. There were too many birthday parties and barbeques on the deck to count them all. On Friday we will sign the papers and pass over the keys and say goodbye to the first house we've ever owned, and with it close the chapter on a part of our lives that has been an incredible blessing in so many ways.
So, here we are. A whole new chapter begins. It's going to be a page turner. I can't wait!
