I’d like to talk to you this month about our recent move to Holland, Michigan. Please bear in mind that this is a quickly written article by a woman with a stiff neck and a tired brain. It’s getting late, but I want desperately to update The Nest soon – so I’ve decided to try writing this for a few minutes before heading off to sleep in my recliner. (I’ve had neck pain for the last couple of weeks and I can’t sleep in bed)
We left Orange City, Iowa on July 30, 2001. Gary drove the 24 foot U-Haul truck with our car tagging along behind it. I drove our van. We borrowed some 2-way radios and were able to talk as we traveled. (“Let’s stop at the next rest area.” “Hey, I found another good radio station.” “How is the car riding back there?” “Allie has to go to the bathroom!”) We stayed at a motel one night and arrived in Holland on July 31 – only to find our new house locked up and no one around to give us a key! Luckily, my parents live about an hour from here and we stayed with them for the night. We moved in on August 1 – the hottest day of the summer. Of course, we have no air conditioning, so we just sweated it out and borrowed lots of fans. The house is…(how can I put this?)…old. It has lots of good points, like beautiful woodwork, a pretty leaded glass window, and hard wood floors. However, it also has its share of inconveniences. No air, no dishwasher, some windows on the main floor don’t open, plumbing that is a little sluggish, and a very old furnace. Well, I think we will be quite comfortable here, but after we moved in we were miserable for a couple of weeks. Holland experienced a heat wave and so we ran fans around the clock and were constantly sweating. We did figure out that the beach was a good place to get some relief, so we went there quite a bit during those days. Gary’s brother and parents came out to visit for about a week soon after we moved in, so we tried to find museums and places to go where they had air conditioning and we could have a break. They insist that they had a good time while they were here, but I think we were all desperate to get some relief from the terrible heat. Oh well, we lived through it – maybe we’ll buy a window air conditioner next summer.
Now that we’re pretty much settled here, our first days in Holland are becoming distant memories. I do remember that moving was very stressful. I should have already known that – we moved to Orange City from Rock Rapids just two years earlier – but I underestimated how stressful this move would be. I was quite well organized with packing, but found that I still could have been more ready on moving day. We had way too many empty boxes in the basement (in case we needed them for packing, we had figured) and I could have done quite a few cleaning jobs (like cleaning under the refrigerator) before the big day. Once we got here, I was so focused on unpacking boxes and getting things put away that I neglected to go grocery shopping and have good foods on hand. We ate lots of fast food the first week and we all got very sick of it before long. Finally, one day I made meatloaf and mashed potatoes (even though it was soooooo hot in the kitchen) and we enjoyed a home-cooked meal once again. For our next move, I’ll make sure that getting groceries is one of my first tasks after we move in.
Another thing that was very difficult at first was leaving friends behind. We are gradually meeting new friends here, and I’m sure they will be wonderful, but the friends we made while living in Orange City are very special to us. Our neighbors Darwin and Koreen invited us out for pizza and surprised us by having Gary’s Bible study group (and their families) there, too. It was fun to spend time with them and then drive down to LeMars, Iowa for Wells Blue Bunny ice cream (the best!). Another night we had a family supper with my Bible study group. Laura, Colette, and Dori are three of my closest friends there and I will treasure their friendships always. They are very special ladies who helped me grow closer to the Lord and taught me many things about friendship. So many people touched our lives and we appreciate them all!
It was also hard to leave our friends in Rock Rapids. Even though we didn’t see them as often after we moved to Orange City, it’s hard knowing that now we can’t see them whenever we want to. We think of them often, and I need to write or send e-mails more often.
The kids are adjusting well to their new home. They have been sending letters back to their Iowa friends quite often. Once in a while they say that they wish we still lived on the farm or in Orange City, but for the most part they like it here. We all have enjoyed living so close to Lake Michigan. We’ve been out on the big lake twice when the waves weren’t too high – the kids even went tubing on Lake Michigan!
Well, that’s it for now…nothing too profound or inspirational this time, just a few thoughts on moving and how we are adjusting. I pray that each of you reading this can enjoy the friendships you have – wherever you may be living right now. Don’t miss out on happiness right now just because you may plan to move sometime in the future. Pour your heart into your friendships and don’t hold back!
© Robyn Mulder 2001, therobynsnest.org