Moving Plans

Well, it looks like we have some official plans now. We'll be moving back to Arkansas this summer. I've known, tentatively, for about a month now. I was waiting to tell people until I could come to terms with it. ;)
Don't get me wrong, I love my friends and family. I love the beauty of the Ozarks....the hills, rivers, caves. I adore all that! I grew up hiking in those woods, canoeing those waters.

However, it was my dream to move farther south. I know eternal summer isn't for everyone, but I'm pretty dang happy with it. And I love the beach. Love. Plus, we had started to make great friends in our last city, and joined a wonderful homeschool group. I was hoping our plan would be to move back to that city, as soon as we were able.

The things is, Fred is just not happy here. It doesn't feel like home to him. Growing up, I had traveled quite a bit and moved across the country....but Fred spent his entire life in Northwest Arkansas, and being uprooted has been very hard for him. Couple that with the cultural differences I mentioned before, and Fred is ready to haul it all back "home." I get that. Really I do. I've been lonely, too.

He tried this for me, and I can't express my appreciation. When we leave Texas, in June, I'll have had almost a year to live my dream near the coast. An extended summer-y vacation. And, if nothing else, it has brought us closer together. We came here knowing NO ONE. We did everything together, tried new things, explored, made friends, got involved.

We also missed an unusually cold and long Arkansas winter. Perhaps that's why God set this whole thing in motion. ;)

Still. Guys, I was HERE on Monday. On the pier, overlooking the bay at South Padre Island. 

Just a regular Girls Night out. 

I'm going to miss that, fiercely. 

 Sunsets over the ocean are something I don't take for granted. 

Amazing. 

Okay, yada yada. It's going to be hard for me.
But Fred brought me here, because my heart desired it. His heart desires to go back, and I will follow him. We'll return to our gorgeous hills and cliffs, caverns and caves, rivers....things that are hard, if not impossible, to find around here. We'll return to our friends and family, who I have also missed, fiercely. The beauty is that we can really be happy either place! We'll continue to travel and explore, wherever we're planted! So, while part of me feels sad about leaving, I am truly also excited about returning to our wonderful area in the beauty of Arkansas!