January is my favorite desert month. The holiday busyness is over, my home is clean and simpler with the seasonal decorations put away in the garage, the weather is sunny and silent–which makes me smile inside, the new year has begun with whispers of goals to be met, and my mood is both reflective and hopeful at the start of a new year.

At least that’s how Januarys have felt in the past.

But in 2016…January is a different story.

This would be a good time to mention that we’re planning to move to Portland, Oregon this spring. Our upcoming move has been planned for a while, and we’ve told our family and friends our intentions, but now our move date is approaching and things are starting to get real.

Our project this month was to paint the interior of our house. I began by gathering paint samples, and after a patchwork of colors was painted on the wall in almost every room, we chose Churchill Hotel Ecru as our neutral. Our home was built in 2006, and most of the rooms hadn’t been painted in those ten years. Believe me, white flat builder-grade paint shows every scuff mark and dirty fingerprint.

As of now, the guest room, hall bathroom, front room, and entryway are completely finished. The kitchen and family room have just a few touch-ups left, and then we’re on to the master bath and bedroom and the hallway. The front room has been the worst so far. The people who lived here before us had painted the walls and the ceiling a dark tan, so it took primer and several coats of paint before we were satisfied.My days have been filled with moving furniture, clearing out clutter and unwanted toys, puttying and sanding holes in the walls, taping, painting, and washing out paint brushes and rollers. The kids are at a great stage now where Brynn can’t really get into the paint supplies, and Silas and Cooper know enough not to bother all the paint gear.

Add to that, the search for a school for Silas’s kindergarten, and it’s been kind of an overwhelming month!

We’ve also been busy transitioning away from our responsibilities at Crossroad. Reminiscent of prepping for a substitute teacher, it’s often more work to teach your job to someone else, but we’re thankful for the opportunity to have served Christ at Crossroad.

I guess I should also explain the exciting news surrounding why we’re moving. For the past five years, Stephen has been employed by GreenLoop IT Solutions. It’s been a wonderful fit for him and a great company to work for. Their main office is in Phoenix, and a few years ago, they opened a branch office in Bend, Oregon. Now Stephen will be opening another branch office in Portland. It’s a great opportunity for him and for us. He’s worked his way up to Head of Engineering, and I’m very proud of his diligent and capable hard work.

We are sad to leave our dear friends here in Phoenix, and we will miss them! But we are also excited for this new beginning (and we can’t wait to see some green again).

Our move out here to Arizona was stretching, to say the least, and we learned to walk by faith. However, our move to Oregon will be its own kind of stretching as we move with babies in tow for the first time, as Silas starts school in August, and as we search for a church home in Portland. Hang on for a roller coaster ride!