In recent weeks, the bulk of our spare time and energy has been squarely focused on the girls’ participation in a local musical production of The Wizard of Oz. Performances now behind us, I’m left reveling at the hard work and tremendous courage that singing solos and memorizing page upon page of lines required of each of them. (Check out the video montage at the bottom of this post.)
We’ve gone a little Emerald-City crazy, actually. Can’t stop, won’t stop with Oz-tastic quips.
The resounding refrain in Center Sister’s solo was this timeless truth: There’s no place like home.
Back to the topic of home… there really is no place like it. Thusly, our family is excited to share that we are moving back to Oregon. We’ve accepted an offer on our cozy countryside property (without even putting it on the market– thank you, Lord!), and while we’ll miss the mountains, wildlife, and outstanding neighbors, we’re eager to return to our homestate and embark upon the next chapter/season of family life.
Almost five years ago we ventured here to Montana seeking adventure and a change of scenery… but also to pull in and hunker down: to cement our family unit, refine our family culture, establish healthy boundaries, and adopt Little Man in (relative) quiet. Montana’s been good to us, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do here, and more recently find ourselves longing to be a tad closer to extended family. I’d be lying if I said the recent losses of my grandma and Husband’s grandpapa weren’t contributing motivators.
We’ve hosted much of that extended family here since relocating, running a veritable Bed & Breakfast at times; but we desire that our kiddos be blessed with a closeness to grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins similar to that which we enjoyed, growing up. In 2016 alone my much older sister and I ventured back and forth almost a dozen times betwixt us to facilitate visits– all parties are weary of that monotonous stretch of freeway.
We adore our current homestead, and lament that we cannot simply scoop it up and bring it along with us to transplant on Oregon soil. We’ve lived here just two precious years*, but we are hopeful that the sweet family moving in will equally cherish and maintain it.
*Realtor tip: If you plan to turn a profit on the sale of your house, NEVER sell prior to exactly two years and one day from the day you bought it, lest you pay through the nose come tax season.
Wizard of Oz montage; color me a proud mama.
Linked in this post: 4 Years a Montanan – a list of lessons learned; Growing Up Around the World: A Slice of Life in Montana; On Hospitality; Cocooning & Christmas. They’re Kind of Related; Bon Voyage, Grandma; Optimist Eternal; Over the Rainbow
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