We seem to be making headway in the belonging aspect of living in Indiana. I mentioned a few posts ago that we met up with three different people we knew in Walmart. That felt good. Coming from such a small town in Iowa where we knew just about everyone, the lack of stopping to talk during a Walmart trip has been a drastic change – a lonely change. Another drastic change was the fact that we used to get our meat from a local butcher shop. The missing butcher shop here did not affect me so much, but a small part of Jeremy’s manliness was taken when he found he did not have a place to get Manly Meat. At a recent Mom’s Get Together, I was told of a butcher shop nearby that sounded amazing. I knew immediately that if I could get Jeremy to that shop, he would feel instantly better about Indiana as a whole.

We drove there this past weekend and spent a couple HOURS examining all that was available in the specialty store. I bought some honey that had been collected just down the road, and Jeremy filled our freezer with Meat. On our way home, Jeremy couldn't express how wonderful it felt to have a Place Of Meat to rely on. What wonders Meat can do for a man’s outlook! It’s funny to me.

The girls and I on the other hand have been focusing on making relationships with other moms and kids. On Monday, we went to my friend Calle’s house where Liberty and Mercy played with Calle’s daughters – girls their own ages – while Calle and I hung out together chatting and laughing and having a grand time. On Tuesday, we three stayed home from Mercy’s Storytime at the library because Liberty’s milk allergy was causing her problems. On Wednesday, we attended Liberty’s Storytime (this is a new time slot for us), and I was able to introduce myself and have a nice conversation with another mom. That was very encouraging for me. In the afternoon, Calle and her girls came over for some fun, and that evening, I attended my Ladies’ Bible Study and sat next to a lady who I’ve spoken to slightly before. We got to know each other a little better, and she invited our family to her family’s house next Saturday for supper! She and her husband LOVE to play GAMES!!!! Another huge missing ingredient in our belonging feeling has been that we haven’t met many people who love to play games. I cannot wait for this evening! On Thursday (today), the girls and I went to the YMCA for an exercise class. This is the second class we’ve attended, and this time I felt more familiar. I introduced myself to a mom who I had seen at the library before, and we ended up going to McDonald’s Playland with our girls after the class. (You know what kind of restaurant would make a KILLING? A cozy café that serves healthy, hearty food and has an indoor playground. I ought to start one.) We also both signed up for something called the Mom Squad (the name just attracts me) which is a bunch of moms and kids who meet once or twice a week to play and talk. There’s no schedule or activities planned, although some days they meet at a park or a pool. Their next meeting is on Monday, and Ellie and I (my new friend from the Y) and her daughter and my daughter are going to attend for the first time together. Tomorrow (Friday), another friend I’ve made from church is coming over to our house with her little son to play with us, and Saturday evening Jeremy and I and our girls are going to the house of someone in our Sunday School class for a Mexican-themed class party.

Which reminds me, Calle was going to give me her recipe for White Chicken Chili. I’ll have to call her.

See? Belonging!