We moved just about six weeks ago, although it feels longer ago than that. We only moved about an hour’s drive, so we can easily go back to visit. But, it has been a big adjustment.

The first two weeks were the hardest. Day one, we had a leak in the basement. A few days later, the alarm on our septic system went off. Getting everyone enrolled for school also proved to be a big challenge. A lot, a lot of stress was wrapped up in those first weeks of getting everyone settled.

Now, things are much better. The kids have been in school for about a month. Lyuda is loving it and the other three are enjoying it for the most part. They have good days and bad, but no major complaints. Gus is going to start getting speech and occupational therapy at school. Gus struggles with sensory processing (very common in kids adopted internationally) and I think this will be beneficial for him.

The older 3 kids are started to get involved. Lyuda is playing volleyball and has already had two games. Reed is joining Boy Scouts. Lena starts Girls on the Run this week and would like to do Girl Scouts, but there isn’t a lot of interest for her grade. There don’t seem to be a lot of opportunities for Kindergarteners, but that’s okay because adjusting to Kindergarten has been enough.

As for the new house, it’s great. It feels much more spacious and functional for our family. Everyone likes to comment on the fact that we now have an acre. Perhaps because we still have neighbors fairly close to us on either side, it doesn’t feel like too much of a change. However, I love that our property backs up to a farm. There are cows behind our property who love to walk along their fence and moo at us. We can also see many stars and night and hear lots of different insects and birds.

Community is the biggest challenge right now. After living in the same town for 8 years, we knew people. At local events, or just running errands around town, we would run into people who we knew. Not so here, and at times, that feels isolating. We are adjusting.

There definitely is community here, though.  The elementary school had a great back to school night. Complete with water slides and a visit from the fire department.

Oh, and how could I forget the snowcones.