Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Goodbye Little Shouse on the Prairie......


We've done it.  After praying and dreaming and hoping for years, God has moved mountains and we're moving house.  And this, dear friends, is not easy.

Sir Knight and I have known for many years, that although we thought we would raise our children and grow old here on our little prairie, our hearts weren't truly here.  Our hearts were in the mountains.  We have prayed for years that we would be able to move, however, until now, that has been but a dim and distant hope.  Now, in the blink of an eye, it has happened - we are moving!

The emotion of the move has taken me completely by surprise!  I somehow thought I would skip out of here with a spring in my step and a smile on my face, but the reality is that I am preparing to leave the only home my children have known, and therein lies the rub.

As I go through shelves and cupboards, clean out under beds and in little used nooks and crannies, I find remnants of the bygone days of my children's childhood.  I've undressed the garage door for the last time.  I've taken my last tray-full of ashes out of my trusty wood cook stove.  I've sold the farm table that caught fire when a gasket cracked on the Petromax lantern I was lighting the first year we lived here, when we were well and truly "off-grid".  We've sorted and packed and discarded.  And cried.  Just a bit.

Our annual Highland Hunt

The children's skating rink

Sir Knight reloading

Little Shouse providing the backdrop of our lives
Sir Knight and I are excited and terrified and overwhelmed, all at the same time.  The children are giddy one moment and in the depths of despair the next.  They are excited about their new life in the mountains, near their grandparents, and sad to say goodbye to the friends they've known since birth.  They are soaking up the last few moments of their childhood home, listening to the sounds of the lid rattling on the wood cook stove as I stoke it and the sounds of the garage door being opened to let the spring air permeate Little Shouse one last time.

The kitchen shelves

The fabric of our life


Miss Serenity in the only backyard she's ever know

The Shouse that Built Her
Soon, we'll begin another adventure.  We'll make new memories and learn new lessons.  We'll turn the pages of our lives, anticipating each new paragraph, page and chapter.  But Little Shouse on the Prairie will always be our prelude.  We'll always have the joys and the sorrows, the feasts and the famines.  And we'll always have the lessons.  Little Shouse has taught us more about life than any education possibly could have.  We have learned to love each other and to encourage each other.  We have learned to suffer together and to mourn together.  We have learned to do without and to find a way when there is no way.  We have learned what we can live without.  Most importantly, we've learned to lean in to God.  We have learned that He is trustworthy, that He is faithful and that His timing is PERFECT!

And so Little Shouse, goodbye....and THANK YOU.

38 comments:

  1. Don;
    I don't want to publish our location....but yes.
    Enola

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  2. Awesome!!! Your location is safe. Don

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  3. Congratulations! I am so excited for you!

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  4. David and I have so enjoyed following you! We rejoice with you in your move and feel the tug of your heart as you embark on a new chapter! Go with God!

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  5. Best of everything to you in your new adventure....amazing how events do just happen in the twinkling of an eye when you look in the right direction.

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  6. We are very happy for you. Bittersweet yes. But just as soon as your family moves to your new 'house' it will become your new 'home'.
    Montana Guy

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  7. It's all in God's timing. He has a plan. Will you still be blogging? I hope so. You will be missed if not. New adventures, stories and wisdom to share.

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  8. Is Maid Elizabeth moving also, or is she staying in her house?

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    1. I am staying in my house at this point, I don't have any plans to move but who knows what can happen

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    2. The one thing certain in life is change (eventually)...

      I've wanted to move out west, preferably to the mountains, for quite some time but it hasn't worked out, so I am focused on doing what God has me here for, living and growing where I've been planted.

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  9. Moving house is never entirely fun, or without regret. Even when it's something you very much want.

    Good luck.

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  10. God bless you and your family on your new adventure! I hope you'll be able to continue this blog - it is inspiring and educational...may the Lord bless you all with success, protection, peace, joy and lots of love! Your sister in Christ from Iowa. (-=

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  11. I've experience a similar move from the childhood home to a new destination. Cherish the old memories but the making of new sweet memories adds to an even more happy home. God has surely blessed you!

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  12. Enola, you could write a whole series of books, like Laura Wilder. From Little Shouse on the Prairie, to Little Cabin in the Woods. Sounds like something I would love to buy and read. : ) Best wishes. And I also hope you keep blogging. You feel like family to me.

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  13. OMG I love the idea of doing a series of books. Good luck to you and your family. It's so exciting. Please keep blogging as you have helped many of us. We love you!! Congrats!

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  14. Blessings on your move. May God bless you and yours through this change in your life. I hope you will continue blogging.

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  15. I had read your blog regarding "The blessings of no faith" and bookmarked it to read more than once and cried then and my eyes filled up once again when reading about your new home and how our precious Lord fulfilled your heart's desire. May you and your family experience joy, peace and good health in your new home. How I would have loved to have you and Patrice as my neighbors and hope you will be able to continue blogging as your thoughts are so appreciated and are a blessing.
    Ramona in NC

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  16. Your post reminded me of my Dad. He'd always say that a house was like a chapter in a favorite book. When one chapter ended, another would begin.
    Wishing you all good things in your new home. SJ in Vancouver BC

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  17. I look forward to hearing about your new adventures! I hope you'll keep blogging after your move. Godspeed!
    Kim

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  18. Thinking of you and the family as you move and settle into your new home. May God continue to bless you. I have enjoyed reading your blog for years and do hope that you will continue, especially in sharing your new adventures. Jenny

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  19. I am very happy for you and the family. I know that you have been trying to sell for a long time and am glad that the right person finally found you. Good luck in the new home and I am sure the house will become a home in short order. Please keep writing the blog as I love all the stories of your family and watching the children grow up. Best wishes!

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  20. Congratulations and best wishes on your move! God has given you a blank canvas to continue on!
    Fran in CT

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  21. love this tribute to your home! I know you will make the next one equally inviting and it will quickly feel like the new homestead in short time. Congratulations on this new milestone and on meeting it with such a full heart.

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  22. Still off grid? still going to blog? help!!!

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  23. Wow! I'm very happy for you!
    I hope we will still see you here, sharing more of God's wonderful providing in your lives. It's encouraging.

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  24. I'm missing the shows already. Is another family taking over the spouse homestead?

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    1. That was supposed to be shouse both times :-)

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  25. Thank you for your postings. I have enjoyed them very much over the years. Your family are an inspiration as you combine your faith with an admirable work ethic. Blessings on your future endeavour.

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  26. How exciting! Congratulations!
    A.jones
    Florida

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  27. i wish you all nothing but the best. as you know, The Lord always provides exactly what we need, exactly when He decides we need it.

    i hope you continue to blog - i love stopping here for inspiration!

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  28. I don't think I commented the post, but I loved your posts along the years now and will be looking for a new blog from you when you are able...I so miss reading and seeing the wonderful photos of life on the prairie.
    Gob Bless you and your family....
    Love from NC

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  29. I miss your posts already! I'm hoping to read about your new life in the mountains and how God continues to provide for His own. I have learned so much from you that has helped with my own family and homekeeping. Thank you!

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  30. How exciting!.. and yet sad. Will you be too far away to come back and visit your old Shouse and community once in awhile?

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  31. Is the Shouse for sale? I'll enjoy reading your blog wherever you go. God Bless you all.

    Margo
    USA

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