July 5, 2007 | Mama Smith

the return

I’ve started and stopped this post over a dozen times. The right words and proper thought process just won’t come, so I figured it’s time to just dump over the box and let the the pieces fall where they may.

The sudden time lapse between posts over the past few months has been mostly due to the fact that big stuff has been brewing in the Smith homestead. Sorting through the haze, weighing pros and cons, and making decisions has sapped most of Matthew and I’s free time. Leaving me to try to focus on other things to write about instead of the large elephant in the room.

But now that we’ve told our close friends and community here in Philly, it’s time to announce to the blogworld that the Smith family will be returning my childhood southern roots and will be moving to Greenville, SC at the end of August.

Yes, a deep gasp would be appropriate. We’ve taken plenty ourselves as the reality sinks in with every dear friend here we share our news with.

This whole process has been both exciting and deeply painful. Our across-the-street neighbor, who has become one of my closest friends here wrote me today expressing how devestating this news was to hear. When I think about her and our immediate little community here in Mt. Airy, I couldn’t agree more.

But at the same time, when I think about the dozens of doors Christ has flung open and practically pushed us through in this whole decision-making process, this next chapter in our lives couldn’t be more clear.

We’ll be moving to Greenville where majority of the Hall clan currently resides. Between my cousins there are 8 (and one on the way) offspring all under the age of 4 years old in the vicinity and my grandparents and all my dad’s brothers within a few towns. We will no longer be lacking for family, to say the least!

We’ll be moving to a place where Matthew’s able to grow and expand his business to a greater degree and with less financial pressures accompanied with living in a city.

We’ll be buying our first home (yikes!) and giving us all some breathing room for Matthew to run his business and myself to run our family all under the same roof.

We’ll be moving to a place where our family will be able to rest and be restored from the craziness the past two years have held – namely having these two small boys enter our world.

And we’ll be entering into the various stories God’s weaving there in Greenville, even though that seems scary and uncertain and hazy to us at the moment.

We both remember feeling this exact same way 3 years ago as we packed up our tiny apartment in the August heat of Fort Collins, CO and headed cross-country to Philadelphia, where we had no jobs, no place to live, no community and no idea of the amazing story we were about to enter in to.

What a sweet chapter in our lives this place has offered us. Our two sons. Our incredible church body. Some of our closest friends. It will not be left behind without much grieving and a deep sense of loss.

Yet with similar energy we are excited and curious for what Christ has in store for us in Greenville. We have great hopes for this next chapter in our lives. How it will change and stretch our family. Who we will be three years from this point. What Christ will have done and unfolded in us and the lives of those around us.

As much as I am a fear-monger, I am equally an adventure-seeker. This lastest transition would definitely qualify.

So needless to say there is a TON to accomplish in the next 6 weeks. Yard sales, packing, closing house details, emotional roller coaster rides, tears to be shed, last walks to the co-op, last cups of Highpoint coffee, last underdogs on the swings at Allens Lane Park, last walks through the Wissahickon, last sushi roll from Osaka to be savored, last Sundays at Liberti, last margaritas on the porch with Matt & Marcie, last moments in the home our two boys entered our lives, last summer evenings in our yard soaking up the sights and sounds of Mt. Airy drawing a close to it’s day.

These bittersweet breaths of life.

Leaving Colorado, headed east – August 04

The moving disaster (NOT looking forward to that again)

In our cozy kitchen, pregnant with B

The Smith’s become three. Brighton’s baptism – Jan 06

Learning to crawl

Learning to walk

Our Philly snows

Fun in our funky, old tub

One of our many outings to Frenchtown and our favorite orchard

One of our many mornings at Highpoint

Mom & B time

Surprise! B is a big bro at 10 months old! Well, in 8 more months.

The Smith’s become 4.

Levi joins the team

On to the next chapter…