Multiple moves, Hurricane Harvey, and Kindergarten. Thats ALOT of changes in one year!

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I will NEVER forget 2017.  It was the year my oldest child started kindergarten.  I expected it to be a big year filled with lots of changes.  However, I did not realize the extent of the changes or the challenges that laid ahead of my family and I.  Due to my husband’s job and Hurricaine Harvey, my family of 5 got to live in 3 different homes within 4 months AND my oldest son got to start Kindergarten twice.  Not at all the year we were expecting.

Multiple moves, Hurricane Harvey, and Kindergarten.
Boxes, boxes, and more boxes!

In August we were supposed to move from our home north of Austin (where we had been for almost a decade) to a small town in the coastal bend.   However, we found out that my husband’s job position opening had been delayed right AFTER our home was already under contract to sell.  Talk about making things complicated.  But, after MANY hours of stress I was finally able to locate a short term rental home in a near suburb of Austin.  So we first moved from our home into a temporary rental for about 90 days. Here, my son started Kindergarten and LOVED it.  His teacher was kind, and he LOVED getting to go to school everyday.  I was so glad he was happy but also worried by how much he liked it because I knew it was only temporary. 

After we moved into the rental we took several trips down south to do some house hunting near Corpus. We looked at a lot of homes but nothing seemed quite right so we decided we would build.  At the time we didn’t know how blessed we were that it had worked out that way.  We excitedly contracted to build our new home and we found another rental to live in in the mean time.  One week later Hurricane Harvey hit.  He destroyed much of our soon-to-be hometown and also the rental that we were supposed to move into.  OMG.  Talk about crazy stress.  I was filled with so many emotions.  I was so grateful we hadn’t already moved in and that our new home hadn’t been started on yet but I was also overwhelmed with worry and sadness for our future city and all the people who had been so deeply effected. 

Once the dust had settled and electricity had been restored to the area my husband and I took yet another trip south.  We were so lucky to find another rental to move into.  We regrouped and formed a new plan to move to the coastal bend in October.  October is when my husband’s new job would begin and our new rental would be available.  The time had finally come to make the big move south.  So we moved from the rental in Austin into the new rental near Corpus while we waited for our new home to be built.  With 3 children all 5 and under and 3 dogs, this was no easy feat.

Multiple moves, Hurricane Harvey, and Kindergarten.

When we fianlly arrived at the rental near Corpus I was emotionally exhausted. I was stressed, I was overwhelmed and I was tired.  I know my children felt this as well.  Especially my oldest.  He missed our original home.  He missed his friends at home and his new friends he had just met.  He missed his previous school and his teacher.  He felt displaced, scared, and overwhelmed by the physical destruction the storm had caused.  And he was nervous about starting all over again AGAIN at school and boy, so was I.

The day had come for his first day of school.  We were both super nervous. But we both put our “big kid” pants on and marched into the new school to meet his teacher.  I was sooooo nervous about meeting her in particular.  I really liked his previous teacher and how she did things.  I knew that she “got” my son and I was fearful that this new teacher would not.  However, the moment that I met her, all of my fears subsided.  She immediately put me and my son at ease.  She had a wonderful warmth about her and I could tell instantly that we were both really going to like her.  Despite all my worry, the rest of this school year has been wonderful for him.  We had been blessed with the perfect teacher for our situation and I will never forget her or her kindness.

Multiple moves, Hurricane Harvey, and Kindergarten.

As a result of Harvey, there are many kids in my sons class that have been through big changes and deep pain.  Harvey did alot of damage to both physical property and to peoples lives.  But through all of this, I am very grateful that the effect Harvey had on our family was minimal compared to that of so many others.  Hurricane season 2017 will never be forgotten in the coastal bend of Texas.  And though Harvey caused alot of suffering, he also brought communities closer together and allowed the resilience of the Texas spirit to be demonstrated.  That has been a truly beautiful and inspiring thing to watch.  

Two months from now our new home will finally be complete.  We will move into it and next year my son will start at a new school yet again.  However, this is a move and a change that I am REALLY looking forward to.  This is the final leg of a long, drawn out move with so many unexpected twists.  This new home feels like a lot more than just a home for us.  It represents a fresh start and a new chapter for my family.  Throughout this journey, I have learned how much having a permanent home means to me and I will now appreciate it on a whole new level.  This past year has been crazy, stressful, and very unexpected but my family and I have learned a lot and I think we have come out stronger and closer because of it.  I look forward to this new season with lots of hope and a new appreciation for living in a home thats mine.    

Multiple moves, Hurricane Harvey, and Kindergarten.
standing and dreaming in their new room!
Multiple moves, Hurricane Harvey, and Kindergarten.
Baby girl checking out her soon-to-be new room!

I hope you enjoyed reading about our wild 2017.  Please join me in wishing, hoping, and praying for a much calmer or even nonexistent hurricane forecast in 2018!

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Rachel
Rachel and her family are new to the Coastal Bend. They moved here last fall from a small town north of Austin where they lived for the last 10 years. Rachel is a part time pharmacist and a full time mom of 3! Her faith in Jesus and her love of family are the cornerstones of her life. Originally an Okie, she has a bachelors degree from Oklahoma State (Go Pokes!) and a Pharm D from Southwestern Oklahoma State. She works a few days a month as a relief pharmacist for a retail pharmacy chain and as an author for a company that sells pharmacy study materials. She has been married to her high school sweetheart since 2005 and stays busy with their 6 and 4 year old boys, their 18 month old baby girl, and their 3 dogs. Rachel and her family LOVE the beach and all the activities that come along with it! She also loves to craft, scrapbook, decorate, party plan, on-line bargain shop, travel, and garden. Rachel is a big fan of sunshine, Mexican food, organization, and Diet Coke. She feels very blessed in this life and is excited to be a part of CCMB!