I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.

-Unknown

It is a new year with new opportunities for our family. We made a big decision last year to move from a big two-story home to a much smaller one-story. My husband John, a disabled veteran, has had eight surgeries in ten years. Through those years, he hauled himself up the stairs with crutches and casts, and his body is worn. His pain management doctor mentioned a possible back surgery in the coming years, and the thought of climbing stairs through another surgery recovery was not something John felt he could do. The house we are renting now is much more manageable for John’s needs. The quieter neighborhood and smaller town are better for his chronic migraines as well. It has been quite the process to simplify all our stuff as we transition into a different house with less space. After caring for him through all the surgeries, fetching water and food, and helping him up and down the stairs, I don’t think I want to “do” stairs anymore, either! The layout of the rental home is much easier for us. It gets John closer to being more mobile and hopefully will aid in him feeling better than he has in years.

We have been able to do some exploring since we moved to New Mexico last month and I am still recording the graces, still capturing the stray gifts in the day. Here is the latest! Photo descriptions will be shared below the collage.

Top Row (left to right) – 1) This was the view from our dining room when we moved in. Our next-door neighbor has a big, beautiful tree in their yard and I love to open the blinds in the morning to see it. 2) We love taking leisurely drives on back roads to see what we can see. The mountains are beautiful here. 3) Cows roam freely on open-range roads – such a neat thing to see after living in the city!

Center Row –1) A sunset over the mountains is such a beautiful scene. 2) and 3) On one of our days exploring, we stopped at this free-admission Space Murals Museum and enjoyed the space program’s artifacts.

Bottom Row – 1) Before we moved, I was able to complete a Christmas card order I had received. I made more than these six, but these were my favorites of them all. 2) I squeezed in enough time to make Christmas cards for me to send out and used an embossing technique to make poinsettia cards. Time to create is always a gift to me! 3) Lastly, here is the container we used to pack our belongings. We hired a company that specializes in moving. They delivered the empty pod and we loaded it with the help of my dad. The company then picked up the pod when we were ready and carried it to the new address. This way of moving was such a blessing and help! We are still in the process of unpacking and figuring out where to put our belongings in a much smaller home. We have been simplifying over the last few years and we’ve made some progress. We aren’t where we’d like to be, but living in a smaller space will help define our priorities as we find balance with John’s health needs.