An update.

Amelia napping in her "clickers."

We've been in Michigan for some time now, a month actually. We've been living with Grandpa Hank and Grandma Claudia...they were kind enough to take us in during this big transition...even during their own transition from the UP. Amelia has her own room, which has been really nice. I tried to bring as much from her room in Nashville to make her feel comfortable...I think it has worked with the exception of the first few nights when she awoke confused and crying in her familiar bed but in an unfamiliar setting. Overall, the transition has been smooth. The packing process and actually getting ourselves out of Nashville took so long, I think she too was actually ready to get on with things. So hard for a little one to understand. In fact, about mid-way through the packing, while living amongst boxes and in total disarray, Amelia was enjoying her breakfast at the table with my mom one morning when she showed her the cup of water she was drinking and said, "ice, Grandma?" My mom looked in the cup and said.."no, there's no ice in there," not realizing Amelia was actually asking for some ice. Amelia then peeked back in the cup, looked at my mom and said..."no ice, it's packed." And on another occasion while playing amongst boxes, boxes and more boxes while we busily worked around her...she exclaimed..."all done packing!"
How do you explain to a 2 year old that once we put everything we own and that is familiar to her in big brown boxes and then load them all into a "big trailer" that we will drive for 10 hours and 500 miles away from the only home she's ever known...not to mention never to return to again...and then we will live with Grandpa and Grandpa until we can find employment and a house of our own to live in where she will have a new room on a new street, and we will go to new parks and meet new friends to play with...but we will still talk to our old friends on the computer and over the phone and see them only "sometime soon...and..." As best you can, that's how.
What has helped is the fact that it's summer, and and she is having an awesome Michigan summer vacation, ie a trip the Petoskey and Lake MI for the 4th, G & G Turrell's cottage, visiting grandparents, aunts and uncles and playing with her many cousins, G & G Loto's POOL! She's having a great time. However, along with the move and her rapid approach to age 2, has come some new and undesirable behavior. Plenty of whining most days and the word "NO" in all it's glory, has a become the word of choice in her times of distress, confusion, anger, sadness, tiredness, and of course just plain defiance. There are some days that I wonder if I actually counted how many times that word left her lips, if the number would exceed 50...100? But no matter, it is a phase and the more she tests, the more I am reminded that her new 2 year old self is becoming more aware and independent and at times feeling less secure. So, boundaries, in what seems to be at times a boundary less new world, are what keeps it together. Knowing what to expect from us, even when we don't know what to expect ourselves. Tough some days. But what's not tough...hugs, kisses, snuggles and lots of I love yous...even if our normal routine is all messed up and even when we don't know what is to come.
And what is to come? Well, after much anxiety and nervousness about moving to Michigan during such economic turmoil...this just in...Ford was hired to teach at Lansing Community College this fall (thank the good LORD!) and he is also interning for Senator Clark a few hours a week where he has been put in charge of some big projects and thus gaining invaluable experience and networking opportunities. He starts law school at MSU at the end of August. We have started looking at houses...houses to buy. A first for us. And that is where we are now. Faithful and hopeful for good things to come. Once again, the Lord has blessed us, life is good and we are together.