Let the Fun Begin!!!

Step One:  Find a renter or a buyer for current house...

Check!

Step Two:  Find a home to rent in Texas...

Check!

Step Three:  Start the move process...

Lord Help Me!!!

Flights have not been booked

and

Rental trucks have not been reserved 

BUT

it appears that the weekend of the big move

just so happens to be

the weekend of my 34th birthday!

What a present...

However - I have to get through this week first!

On the schedule:

Irene bought us a new roof - so that will be done this week

Inside we are getting some work done as well - that will ALSO be done this week

(guys came today to clear out the boys bedroom...

they will get to sleep on mattresses on the floor for the next 2 weeks)

Packing has begun (one box at a time - I have only done 5 so far)

Work needs to be done on the car - that will also be this week

Meanwhile - there is still

carpool twice a day

(four times on Wednesday)

the soccer practice shuffle tonight

breakfast, lunch and dinners to fix

baths to give

homework to do

I am so thankful that we can afford to do all of this stuff now

it still HURTS...

BAD!

But it is finally do-able!

I have shed a LOT of tears over the last few days 

and 

I am almost certain

that this will be the most emotional birthday of my life!

But I am trying to remember that we chose to do this...

and once we get settled and back to being a family...

I will, again, be thankful...

Right now - I am still somewhat in a state of dread and fear.

What am I dreading?

Being away from everything I have known my entire life

(but I am looking forward to that part as well)

What do I fear?

I fear that we will never be back...

What is the hardest part of all of this?

The fact that it is SOOOOOOOO far away...

I was talking to a lady today at Starbucks and had the babies with me...

Just in that short conversation - 

she said she could tell that I was a strong, independent woman

and that I was going to be FINE. 

I thanked her and told her I appreciated all the encouragement I could get right now.

I am looking forward to joining my best friend and partner in life again...

We have tackled so much together these past few years.

I have said MANY prayers through ALL of this...

one of my most recent ones has been asking God just to keep my family together.

Just keep the 6 of us together and we will be ok.

By October 15th, my family will be back together!

Long Good-byes

The kids. my mom and I went to my grandmother's this weekend

for a quick trip.

We went down for a family reunion 

which includes a group of ladies known as

"the crazy aunts".

They are my late grand-daddy's sisters and

they are NUTS!

And I love every minute of it.

It was nice to see people I haven't seen in a while

and I got my first dose of saying my first good-byes.

I like to think my extended family is close...

we used to be a whole lot closer though.

We would spend a week at the beach together

EVERY YEAR.

We were always doing stuff, and seeing each other

(at least it felt that way).

Today - I quite possibly told

2 of my aunts

1 of my uncles

and my grandmother

good-bye...

Those were the longest hugs today...

And it really makes me dread the other goodbyes that are coming.

I am excited that my family,

my husband,

myself 

and 

our 4 kids

will be back together

back under one roof

daddy will be coming home to us every evening

we will get to see him every weekend...

But I am saying good-bye to my sisters, my dad and my mom...

My mom and I kinda grew up together...

We have been through a lot together...

And up until about 3 years into my marriage...

she was my absolute best friend.

My mom knew more about me than most moms know 

about their daughters.

I know I am lucky to have had my mom

right down the street for so many years...

But for the first time in my life...

my mom will not be 15 min away...

She will be 22 hours away,

by car

and 5 hours

by air.

That is going to be the hardest good-bye

and I am 

NOT

looking forward to that

one!

But its coming

and its coming fast...

Thankfully,

we have

Skype,

e-mail,

texts

and

phones...

God is good!!!

Hubby and I have been dealing with A LOT 

the past few weeks...

heck - 

the past few years!

It all started with a nasty friendship breakup for me...

then a miscarriage

then a lost job/main source of income...

All within a 12 month period...

HOWEVER...

we have been taken care of 

and 

provided for through ALL 

of this.

We have done our part and grieved when necessary,

then rejoiced when we had our little "Ms."

less than a year after our miscarriage.

We have scrimped and saved and pinched every last penny...

(who would have guessed you could feed a family of 6 

on $100/week?!?!)

Then slowly - things have been presenting themselves

to us in ways we wouldn't have imagined...

and opportunities we wouldn't have dreamed...

(well, I wouldn't have - who'd a thunk I would be heading to TEXAS????)

It is amazing and humbling to see how things have worked out

"just right, just in time"

I realize it has not been in "my" time...

Apparently God and I have a MUCH different

timetable!!  

But we are all happy and healthy!

I am thankful that we are realizing these opportunities 

that are being presented to us.

We are still figuring out a lot as we go 

but thankfully, 

if we don't know the answer to something

we are engineers 

(well hubby is anyways - I can't claim to be officially)

we will research it and figure it out..

or ask someone!

And let me just tell you...

Knowledge...

is a dangerous thing!

(In a good way!!)

STEP 2 - Check!

WE ARE MOVING!!!

We have had a very busy few weeks.

We were blessed with LOTS of interested

renters on our home in the last 2 weeks.

Long drawn out story - 

but the first couple

that came to see the home 

decided they wanted to rent it!

I am VERY pleased with this outcome!

I think our house will be in good hands!!

Now the next stressful part - finding a place for us to live in Texas!

However, after 3-4 days of SOLID searching on-line...

it is quite possible that we found a house today!

Hubby is going to check it out as soon as I can 

get an appointment for him.

The school is GREAT!

There is a Starbucks, Target, Kohl's and Barnes & Noble 

(among tons of other stores)

literally 5 minutes away...

I have already found an amazing looking church less than 10 min away.

(including a scout troop for the boys & a MOMs group for the mom (me!))

Found a great looking preschool for our daughter less than 10 min away.

Now we just gotta hope we get this house!

We are still figuring out logistics...

so no move date yet.

I am starting the really big purge...

tagging items for a consignment sale this weekend.

And donating what doesn't sell, so once it leaves this house...

it is NOT coming back!!  

AHHHHH!!!!

(I am a HUGE packrat, so this is HARD for me!!!)

Once we find the house and sign the lease for the new house

we will set a move date and it will probably occur in 2 phases...

Phase 1 - all the stuff goes

Phase 2 - all the people go

But we are still working this part out.

Once the move date is officially set - the packing and more serious purging begins!

I am so thankful everyone is back in school.

But then again - the boys have been such big helps lately...

I might wish they were home with me to help!! 

Will keep you posted!

YEAH!!!

(kinda)

Daddy's Visit...

First off - it makes me sad to realize that my husband is just

"coming home to visit"...

We had a WONDERFUL weekend!!

I had a small honey-do list ready for my sweet husband.

But he had LOTS of help!!

We picked him up LATE Thursday night and put him back on the plane

this afternoon - so we got 4 1/2 days with him!!

Daddy's Honey Do List:

- Lower T's Bed

- Fix the screen door

- Fix the gate to the fence

- Fix the fan in the bedroom

- Mow the grass

- Enjoy your family!!!

We did all of that and threw in a few fun things too...

First the chores...

Fix the screen door - Check!

Lower T's bed - Check!

(She helped with this one too I just didn't capture the evidence)

Fix the gate - check!

Fix the fan - check!

(No evidence here either - gotta trust me!)

Mow the grass - check!

(However I do think he got off a little easy on this one...

looks like the boys are doing all the hard work!)

While we were all outside enjoying the weather

(and not leaving daddy's side)...

daddy had to check out his "Texas Tree"...

When R was 2 and J was about 4 months old,

we flew to Texas for a visit.

While we were there - we went to a park and while the kids and I were playing

daddy sat under a mesquite tree and peeled a bunch of seeds out of their pods.

He put them in a baggy and we brought them home to plant.

We started out with about 12 plants and

we wound up planting 2 in our backyard here...

that was over 5 years ago...

Here is the lone survivor and needless to say

Daddy is PROUD!

He likes this plant so much that he had already decided

we would be taking it with us when we left this house...

this was BEFORE we knew we were moving to Texas where these things 

grow ALL OVER!

Then it was time to relax!

(No they haven't missed him!!)

Saturday we went to our first NC State football game of the season...

(yes this is where our kids watch the game from...

has been their seats for the past 3 years!!!!)

Super Mario made an appearance.

TOUCHDOWN!!!

Post-game photo op...

(Posing with the brick we purchased YEARS ago!)

Sunday we relaxed and did more chores (I think that's when the grass actually got mowed...)

Monday - we had a small celebration for T's First Birthday!!!

He doesn't turn 1 til Sept 23, but we weren't sure

when daddy would make it home again...

so we decided to celebrate a little early.

A did not leave her daddy's side the ENTIRE weekend...

she was his little helper every where he went

(EVERYWHERE!)

and then tonight after we put him on the airplane, 

while we were making dinner,

she asked

"Where daddy go?"

I told her he was going back to Texas

her response

"No Texas, airport - he be right back"

Sorry baby girl...its gonna be another few weeks.