Slowing Things Down...

HAHAHAHAH!!

Just kidding!

We don't know how to do that around here...

instead,

its just more of the same,

absolute

CHAOS!

We started off our weekend with a
visit to daddy's "office".
We got to go on BASE!
The kids (and I)
were so excited.
We went for a picnic
and
as usual,
we closed the party down.

Then we headed out to a

Friday night soccer practice.

We skipped

2 soccer games

and

a baseball game

on Saturday
and headed to a 

small border town

for a good old fashioned

family reunion!!

It wasn't huge.

It wasn't like the ones I was 

used to either...

but it was so nice

meeting some new

family on 

my husband's side

and visiting with

those I already knew.

Before we headed out of town though...

my sweet husband wouldn't let me 

tempt those "men in blue"

and informed me

that the "extra" tag I received

wasn't a 

spare!

So instead of worrying about 

"the men in blue"...

I should have been worried about 

"my man in blue" jeans!

Dirty dog took my NC State tag off

and put a stinking license tag on.

He told me I had to move back to NC

to legally put it back on there.

OK!

I'm ready when you are.  

(wink, wink!)

En route, 

we grabbed some good old McD's breakfast 

YUM!

(loaded with sarcasm here!)

But our sweet little girl,

started making letters with 

her pancake strips!!

These NEAT little trays you see her 

using (and the others)

are a MUST

for traveling!!

We purchased these a few years ago

and use them ALL THE TIME.

We started out with 2

now we own 4.

They are used for:

eating,

writing,

games,

legos,

play-doh,

you name it!

And on our last trip out west

2 years ago,

we only turned the DVD player on ONCE

on the way out there.

Anyways,

we got to visit with a lot of family

while we were at the reunion.

This little shin-dig didn't get 

STARTED 

til 7:30pm!

Here is the sunset over Laredo...

Luckily the little ones took naps...

My husband's grandfather is 

totally enamored with these kids.

Our oldest was named after him

(and his son, and his son...

so yes, our child is the 4th)

Grandpa LOVES hearing

our oldest say his 

FULL name.

He asks him a couple of times,

everytime we see him,

to say his full name.

Grandpa swells up with pride

and I think even gets tears

in his eyes.

And our daughter's middle name

is after my husband's late grandmother.

So grandpa loves saying her name too.

And he loves J's red hair!

And calling the baby...

anytime he would walk by,

grandpa would call out to him!

We met Tia Lupe,

98 years old!

She drank more than me

AND

stayed longer than us!

MERCY!!!

J made a friend...

he and "Sugar"

were best buds.

Anytime we couldn't find J,

we just hollered for Sugar.

Here is what 4 kids look like at 1am.
(this was one party we didn't close down)

It was only a 10 min drive to the hotel,

but they were so tired,

they tried to fall asleep.

Poor J!

A serenaded us the whole way there.

I told her to be quiet

(cause she just wouldn't hush)

and got the response

"I singing mommy".

Oh, ok, since you are singing...

Sunday, we drove 2 hours

through butterflies

LITERALLY!

You should have seen my car!

I sweet talked my man 

into washing the beast...

he had a little help.

More than he wanted.

(so he says)

After the car wash,

we took them to the 

neighborhood pool to rinse off....

this was our first visit to this pool

and apparently we were a few weeks to early

for them.

We didn't last long til they were 

FREEZING

and

ASKING

to go home!

Random picture of the week...

A made this at co-op on Thursday,

I loved it so much,

it went up in the window of the kitchen.

A LOVES having her art work up there!!

Forgotten Detail from Road Trip...

So after our Texas shaped waffles...we piled back in the suburban and headed south again...

-New info starts here-

We got about 9 minutes down the road before someone had to potty...

imagine that!

Luckily we thought ahead and put a little potty

in the car for Alexis so we didn't have to stop every time she thought she had to pee.

Needless to say - it wasn't her we were stopping for.

We stopped at a rest stop just out side of Temple, TX

and it was a VERY nice and well built

rest stop complete with a nice playground.

So even though we had only been in the car

for 9 minutes...

we took a 30 min break!

But 

all 4 of the kids (and the Nana) 

enjoyed it!

Road Trip!!!

What does a suburban look like stuffed to the RIM with necessities for a move 

half way across the country?? 

A 22 hour venture??

And yep - we got it closed!  And could even partially see out the back!!

So we finally got on the road around 2pm on Wednesday, Oct 12th.  

We made it as far as Asheville the first night.

We stopped before we were really ready, 

but I am kinda glad we did, 

cause I-40 through the mountains

was both beautiful and white knuckling!

There aren't too many vehicles on the road that intimidate me

in that big ole beast...

 BUT

being squeezed between a 6' tall concrete wall and a semi...

I am intimidated!  

BUT - we did get a few good pics on the way...

Day 2:

We made it all the way through Tennessee but it was 

dreary and rainy and we didn't stop...we made it all the way to

Little Rock, Arkansas.

I loved seeing all the green along the highway in Tennessee.

Here is the only picture worthy of posting of our venture through 

Tennessee...

(This should be a advertisement for Britax! - ha!)

After a day in the car, we decided to stop in Dallas

and do some sightseeing...

So because I love my oldest son,

who has been brainwashed by his father...

We visited Cowboys Stadium!

And even got to walk on the field!!

Needless to say - it was pretty overwhelming!

We can't wait to go back and take Daddy...

I actually got to call him while standing on the star...

Pretty neat experience!

We also went to a park nearby and

burned off some energy.

 (Who knew you could fit two little ones in the same swing?)

We got back on the road headed south toward San Antonio

on Friday evening about 7pm, we still had about 5 hours 

ahead of us - but we were ready to get there...

however, we had not idea what exactly

we would be arriving to...

no bed for A nor Nana,

was there coffee in the house?

breakfast?

So instead of sticking it out 

and making it all the way into San Antonio

we stopped in Temple, Texas...

where is Temple, Texas?  About 3 hours north of

San Antonio!  

And how did we definitely know we were

in Texas?

The Texas shaped waffle iron at our hotel,

of course!

So after our Texas shaped waffles...

we piled back in the suburban and 

headed south again...

We finally arrived, 

almost exactly 4 days

after we started...

Saturday, October 16th

right around noon.

(noon CST made it 1pm EST)

And in case anyone needed reminding

why we made this venture...

He's worth it!

How do I spell relief??? T-E-X-A-S!!!

WE ARE HERE!!!

The real fun started on Oct 7th.

We began loading the truck...

Husband, father-in-law & me

(with 4 kids underfoot!)

Worked HARD all day

then went to my parents to celebrate my 34th (shhh...don't tell)

birthday with family and a few close friends.

Got up the next morning and did it all over again,

but this time with the help of my mom.

Things were looking good until about lunchtime...

then we slowly started to realize...

its not all gonna fit!!!
(In the 26' Penske truck we rented!)

At 8pm, my husband and father-in-law, freshly showered...

piled into the moving truck and set out for Texas!

I was hoping and praying and imagining that 

when they drove out of the driveway 

I would feel this immense 

RELIEF

come over me...

OH NO - QUITE THE OPPOSITE!

All I saw was a filthy house FULL of stuff

that somehow had to make it down to Texas!!!

So my stress level actually went through the ROOF!

The hubby and father-in-law

drove straight through...

I checked in with them about every 3 to 4 hours.

They finally made it on Sunday evening about 10pm EST.

I finished packing the rest of our "stuff"

(half of which will be sold or donated when it gets here - 

so why did we ship it?  cause I didn't have time to go through

it prior to all this!)

Called a moving company and the movers thankfully came in 

with a price that was very reasonable.

(We still saved about 50% or more had we just had them move it all)

So I am satisfied.

I spent the next couple of days packing and cleaning and doing what I could

with 2 little ones under foot.

My mom volunteered to make the 1400 mile drive with me and the kids.

I had a plan in my head to leave Wednesday morning, Oct 12th.

Bright and early!

Due to all the "stuff" left in our house...

Wednesday morning, 

my bestie and I headed back over to the house

and packed and moved and put all of our "stuff" 

in two rooms in the house so the movers would have an easier job.

SHE WAS AMAZING!

We got back to my parents' house around noon.

I jumped in the shower and then literally 

 BURST INTO TEARS!!!

Why?  Because I had this immense feeling of 

RELIEF!  

This was ALL finally coming to an

END!

I cried and cried.

I really couldn't explain why...

they weren't sad tears

they weren't happy tears

they were tears of RELIEF!

We were FINALLY loading the car and starting on

our trip

our journey

our adventure

our new life!

My family was going to be complete again...

my kids would get to hug and kiss their dad goodnight

(not say goodnight via Skype)

I got to sleep next to my husband every night

(not just look at him via Skype)

we get to see him EVERY DAY

(not put him back on an airplane after a weekend visit)

the kids get to play with him on the floor

(not just sit and "talk" to him via Skype)

The list goes on and I could be here for days...

but I won't...

Needless to say...

We are in TEXAS!


(It only took us 4 days!  HA!)


We arrived Saturday, October 16th around noon
to a very happy daddy/husband
and father-in-law.


Then Monday,
The kids and I put a very sad momma/nana
on an airplane back to Raleigh...

Now we begin our new life in Texas...


(When are y'all coming to visit???)