What I Left Behind (Part 1)

I know, it is embarrassing. You probably just received my new address announcement and these are some of the things you are asking yourself. Mike and Susan..who? or, didn't they move forever ago? or, what? they moved? from where?

Well, the truth is we left our small house, huge yard in Morristown, TN June 17. Loaded to the max, even having to leave a few things behind.

We left about 2 hours later than we had planned, not bad considering we weren't just leaving to go on some long vacation. We had packed everything we owned and with one last prayer of thanksgiving with tears flowing from our eyes,  we drove away from the home we had lived in for 10 and 1/2 years.











Needless to point out the enthusiasm of my 12 year old (holding the ipod of course)

I never thought it would be as hard as it was to leave that place. I had wanted to move for years, but the Lord had me wait and off we were driving away with the flood of tears I could not stop from flowing. I realized then that there was so much more than 3 acres and a 1100 square foot house we were leaving.

We were leaving a home FULL of memories, a church with the only family we had had for 11 years, a School that we loved and friends that had become such a huge part of our life. Something else we had left behind was innocence. A time that has come and gone, a time I will never get back, a time that is treasured only in the recesses of my heart.

It was a time I nursed my babies, changed diapers and sang lullabies.
It was a time when we had themed birthday parties with pinatas.
It was a time when my kids went outside in their underwear and peed from the front porch.
It was a time when the boys played Indians and roamed around in the woods dressed with nothing but a loin cloth.
It was a time when Mike and the boys spent hours jumping on the trampoline and playing games like ball crusher (yep, it was exactly THAT).
It was a time when they often chased chickens and gathered up eggs or rode around the yard in the makeshift go-cart the boys and dad built together.
It was the time we racked leaves- there were more than we could handle-and jumped in them.










It was a time of bonfires, picnics and camping, football and family baseball games, all in our front yard.
It was a time before ipods, youtube, and facebook.
A time when it was fun to help mommy clean.
It was a time when mommy and daddy still knew everything.

It was a hard home to leave, it was a hard time to leave behind.
But, it was time to move on...
So as tears roll down my eyes I'm asking myself as I do from time to time, what you may be asking yourself just now, why DID you leave?
I have an answer for that. Stay tuned.