Christmas looks very different for my family this year! We are in the middle of our big transition and move for us, leaving our Denver area home of 20 years to realize a dream of moving to the Colorado mountains. I wouldn't have chosen to move in December right before Christmas, but sometimes life has other plans for you!
To recap, my husband and I decided to pivot on our plans to build a home in the mountains after challenges with the lack of trades and increasing building costs. We are moving into a home that was an unexpected blessing that allows us to live in the mountains now and on a little of bit land near Arapahoe National Forest. You can find the full story about our pivot in this earlier blog post here.
We made the first part of our move last week in a snowstorm over Berthoud pass, that was worse than predicted. We made it, my husband in the moving truck and me in our car, doing 20 miles an hour over the curves and switchbacks. This isn't our first snowstorm on the pass, nor will it be the last, but it will be one of the most memorable ones!
My longarm made it through the snowstorm, too, with the frame in the moving truck and the sew head safely packed in the back of my car. Now it's in my living room, where we'll assemble it next week. I'll longarm there until this summer when we build a quilt barn, which I am very excited about! For now, I'll sew on my kitchen table until we build the new space. This is very different than my large studio I've enjoyed in my former home's basement for several years. However, I've sewn in small and large places and know that I can make the best of wherever I sew if I have a space to create.
One exciting aspect of this move is relocating my business to Grand County, Colorado. I plan to continue longarming, also planning to visit Denver at least once a month to pick-up quilts from customers there. I am also excited to explore some opportunities to teach and create events in this new area. I’ll keep you posted on what develops and invite you to join in, too! I’ve had a lot of time to dream up some new patterns and projects as I packed many, many boxes. I can’t wait to try those and share them with you!
This week, Christmas will be celebrated with moving boxes in the living room of my new home. We are looking forward to Christmas dinner with family in the area (another bonus of moving here). There's no Christmas tree and fewer presents. We figured a new home was a big enough gift. My China cabinet is filled with one box of my Christmas dishes and is serving as a good replacement for the tree, holding our gifts. I found time to make a couple of batches of toffee between packing and moving, an important tradition for my family. There’s been no time to make homemade gifts, which I love to do at the holidays. But my sketchbook is full of ideas for next year!
This year, I am reminded Christmas is best celebrated with the best gift - those you love, especially in a favorite place!
I hope you are looking forward to spending the holidays with your loved ones and you can enjoy the precious gift of time together!
Merry Christmas!