Five Things I'll Miss About Corpus Christi, And an Apology

1. The People.

We've met a lot of lovely families since we moved here to South Texas.  When we first came to visit and check out the city, we went to mass at St. Helena and immediately met quite a few homeschooling families and found a nice church community that has been a second home to us for the past almost-three years.  I often complain about my lack of friends and community and my feelings of not fitting in, and I was reminded recently that this might be off-putting for any of my local friends who might happen to read my blog.  So I wanted to apologize if my words have ever come across as if I don't like the people here or as if no one has tried to form friendships with us.

Many kind people have opened their hearts to us.  We've enjoyed celebrating birthdays, holidays, feast days, and welcoming new babies with families here.  We've been the recipients of meals, help with moving, and frequent offers of babysitting help or trading off children, too!  The community is different than what I'm used to, and the homeschooling group isn't the most active, but it's still been a loving and Christ-centered community for our family and we will miss the smiling faces of so many generous souls who have welcomed us here.

2. The Beach and the Bay.

Often people share just how much they'd LOVE to live by the beach!  And it has definitely been a treat.  During the summer we usually visit the beach at least twice a month, and we get to do things like go to lunch on the bay looking out at the beautiful water, which we did today!  Watching the seagulls and feeling that cool ocean breeze is quite relaxing, and it makes the hot Texas summers bearable.  We've become pros at loading up our car for an afternoon at the beach, and we've enjoyed having visitors come to stay with us for these special outings.

Rockport Beach has been a fun place to go with the kids, and Port Aransas is also a lovely area with a fun touristy town.  The Padre Island National Seashore is such a beautiful preserved beach, and the peacefulness of spending hours there by the shore without seeing anyone else is very special.  We've gotten to go to a Sandcastle Festival, a Beach Cleanup, and the kids have gotten to go on some fishing excursions with Steven too.  I know he is going to really miss those frequent fishing outings and tournaments, but I'm guessing he will still get to come down for some of them since he will be still be working here often.  We enjoyed a membership at the Texas State Aquarium our first year here, and have also visited the Art Museum, Art Center, Museum of Science and History, and the Rockport Science Center which all look out over the beautiful bay.  The Botanical Gardens were also a frequent outing for our family.

3. The Laid-Back Attitude.

Sometimes it can seem like those in Corpus Christi are just not in a hurry for anything!  Everything moves slowly and no one seems to get very uptight about things.  If an activity or event doesn't work out, oh well!  If it takes an hour to get through the Chic-fil-a drive-thru line, so be it!  This has taught me a lot of wonderful lessons since we came from a Houston suburb that seems to be in fast-forward.  It can be frustrating, but overall it's a reminder to recognize the beauty of slowing down to "smell the roses" or listen to the waves.

4. Simplicity.

I think this goes along with the laid-back attitude.  Most people are not using their money on frivolous things, and so it seems a much more simple place to live.  There's hardly any traffic and you can get to most places in 20 minutes.  There isn't even a fraction of the number of activities and events that we had going on in our previous communities.  It has allowed us to evaluate our family's priorities and will hopefully be something that sticks with us as we start to be challenged again with all those "glittery" events once we move.

All that glitters is not gold, and prioritizing our home life and our schooling is paramount. All those other activities are a bonus, but I want to be sure they are not adding to our overall stress.  Keeping things simple will be an important motto when we move!  It's been a simple summer that I know I will look back on with fondness, even though we've been a little bored.  Boring can be good, and I want to be sure our kids still have that unscheduled "boring" time in the years to come.

5. Our House.

We will definitely miss our home here in Corpus.  It's the first time we've lived in a home that has been updated with all the special finishes.  It's been so nice to sit in my home and not be constantly evaluating all the projects that need to be done.  Having a second floor has been nice, so that the kids can keep most of their toys there, and some of the noise!  We love our big covered porch, the large grassy backyard with so many shade trees, the birds that we see all throughout the year, and the cul-de-sac street where the kids can play.  We often say that we wish we could just pick up this house and move it to Houston.  It will be another exercise in simplicity and detachment to move back into a smaller, older, update-needing house.  We will treasure all the special memories we made here.

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Every few weeks it seems like someone is contacting me to ask about Corpus Christi and the pros and cons of living here.  I hope I haven't been all negative in my posts.  There have been a lot of challenges for me, but there have also been a lot of joys and many important learning experiences.   I keep referring to it as our "three year retreat" and I truly believe that God had us here for these restful years by the ocean to quiet our souls and focus on the important things in life.

I'm much looking forward to moving back to our community of family and friends in Houston, but this city of Christ's Body and Blood, "Corpus Christi," will always hold a special place in my heart and fond memories of our special years here together.