All Things New Again

We are slowing adjusting to our new life in our new town! Actually it doesn't feel too different since this has been our stomping ground for the last 10 years. Now we are just right in the heart of it.

Maeve actually put it into perspective for us when she observed, "So the only thing new is our house. Everything else is old!" She just about summed it up pretty accurately. 

Some of the "new" things we are loving are our neighborhood sidewalks. Pearl feels feisty as she parades around while Cam and Maeve pedal around on their bikes. We love our new drive to school. It takes approximately 2 minutes for us to arrive on campus. We love our front door friends as people always had to come to our less than picturesque garage before. Now I can close that puppy down and welcome my guests to the proper location. We love our neat and tidy basement and our organized closets. We vow to keep them that way! We love our new comfy couch which was long over due. We love our new location to the places we frequent a whole lot. We are just a stone's throw to church, a few miles away from the Childs, and super close to Butler's crossing or Epps Bridge.

And through all the changes, we have felt God's guidance and touch on even the tiniest of details. We have so much to be thankful for this year.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 

Lamentations 3:22-24

The Patch

We couldn't wait to pick out a pumpkin with the cutest pumpkins in the patch! Love these three little pumpkins! 

The Boot

Our last night in our house was filled with boxes- lots of boxes- and a small moving crew who had to help get the giant armoir out. Our strongest friends and family came to help. Maeve was excited to have AB in our nearly empty house. They were running around and Maeve hurt her foot. She kind of skidded on the floor, but didn't skid smoothly. As soon as she hurt it, she knew it was bad. She didn't cry but she hobbled over to me and asked, "Mama, do you still have your crunches? I need them." 

I didn't think much about it until we were enjoying our last bath in the big bathtub. The entire time she was bathing, she kept one hand on her hurting foot. Then she wokeup crying with it the next morning. It was swollen and bruised at this point too. Uh oh.

We decided she should stay home. Tony was already scheduled to stay at home anyway to supervise/assist the movers. Luckily Moo was able to come get the injured girl out of the way. She textedme while I was an hour away at a training, that Maeve wouldn't walk on her foot. She even forfeited outside time! I assured Moo I would take her for an x-Ray as soon as I got back that afternoon. Moo didn't think that she needed to wait, so in all of her grandmother glory, she took her to get it x-rayed. I texted the insurance card and waited anxiously to hear from them.

Buckle fracture! is what her text read! I was a basket case at that point. Not only had I left my husband with the moving responsibilities, but I had also left my broken baby! Extreme mama guilt washed over me. It was a huge distraction to an already emotional day, however. 

The boot has not slowed her down in the least. She even perfected the booted skip! Our three week basement stay will also be booted. 

Home Is Where the Heart Is

On September 25th, we got the call that our house had sold. It was late that Thursday night, but right on time. If it had been later even by the next morning, we may not have been able to put a contract on the new house we had our eye on. We came upon this house right at about the finishing time but were still able to pick out some of the final finishes. We actually did this the next Monday after putting a contract on it the Friday before. We also got a timeframe for moving out of two weeks! Needless to say, our lives have been a whirlwind since then. 

We sat the kids down and told them that it was official after months of talking in "ifs" - If someone buys our house....If we move...If we live somewhere else...

Cam had two questions: "Would Santa still visit us?" "Will our new house have grass?" Luckily we could answer yes to both of those! Maeve didn't have an immediate reaction, but then went into the mode of asking, "Will we take this with us?" pointing to a picture. Or "How about this?" as she runs her fingers over the bannister.

We began the process of packing, and I am not sure this is a process I ever want to undertake again. I really didn't know where to begin. We started that Sunday with the kitchen. After 26 boxes and several loads to Goodwill, we knew this task was even greater than we imagined it would be. Why had I not prepared over the summer when I had the time and the energy?  Each night I conquered one more small task, saving some of the major things for the weekend- like the closets. Cam and Maeve's weren't too bad since I have to reconfigure theirs each season, but mine and Tony's were quite a different story. We weeded out a lot! We also had to think about what we would need during our basement stay. So some were boxed up while others were put in the "take with us to Nonna and Pops" pile. And then there was the closet in the extra bedroom- aye, yiy, yiy! My poor sister staged an intervention as I let go of ribbons and bows from our wedding and tons of "I might need that one day stuff!"And let's not forget the attic and the basement and any other possible places I could stuff something. It is amazing that we ever made it out alive! (Or by our deadline!)  

From the time we began considering leaving our custom-built, forever home, we prayed for just the right people to come along and want it. We didn't want just anyone to have our home; the one we drew up the plans for, spent endless hours building and working to complete it, brought our babies home to. We didn't have an abundance of lookers- a couple every couple of months. We knew when a certain family asked to come back again, it must really be serious. We actually met them and their sweet one year old and felt like this may be the hand-picked couple God had in mind. And it was! I don't think they could be more perfect! I know they will continue to pour themselves into that home and make it all that we imagined it could be. The movers came the 10th. We took out the final things on the 12th. They moved in on the 13th. And we officially signed it over to them on the 15th. 

We moved into a temporary basement abode with Nonna and Pop. It is fully equipped with a kitchen an even a washer and dryer, so no one can really feel sorry for us at all. It is quite cozy and very convenient if you run out of a kitchen  essential or if you need for your kids to hitch a ride to school! 

That Sunday night after we had said our official goodbyes to 535, I laid my weary head down for a much needed rest. My eyes popped open when I realized that I had forgotten something- the kids' fish! Both of them! Luckily the new owner and I had become Facebook friends. I sent her an SOS declaring my motherhood failure. I had to go back one last time to retrieve our pets- Crunchy Bacon and Bob Emily. To our disappointment, they are hearty little things and were fine even after days of neglect. I guess I will have to find a place for them in the new house. 

The ones I worried the most about- Cam and Maeve- haven't missed a beat. Of course living with your grandparents is just grand! I don't think they miss the only home they have ever known a bit! It just proves that home truly is wherever your heart is. 

Wiped Out

No. I am not referring to the wipe out I had on Hillary's last step. The one that took the beautiful tan skin off of my knee forever. Wiped out is how August leaves us feeling. We are wiped out from early mornings that school requires. Wiped out from all the extra tears Maeve has shed during her transition to big school. Wiped out from the hot football practices and Saturday morning games. Wiped out from weekend grocery shopping, from paper grading, homework, folder signing, and lunch packing. If we remembered what Augusts were like each year, we would rip it from our yearly calendar altogether. 

This year we have an extra factor contributing to our wipe outs- house hunting. Our house is officially under contract, which means we are searching for our next home. I think we have riden through each nook and crany and reviewed all the online pictures. Phew! This week, we will start actually visiting some houses. I am hoping for a Griswald moment where the light will be shining down and we will just know.  

Here's to getting used to our new routine! September has got to be smoother. 

M is for Maeve

 In just a few short hours, another school year will begin. This one is different from any other. This year I don't have to cart my little ones off to separate places. For three years now, I have had Cam as my morning companion on the short drive to school. This year my backseat will have both of my babies headed to school with me. I have joked that we will all be in one place, if we can get there! 

As much as I am excited about us all being under the same roof during our school days, I am sad about losing my baby. Kindergarten brings a whole new status- Big girl. Old. Growing up. Big school. School aged children. The beginning of her educational career. 

I am nervous for her as she is leaving the tiny security of her preschool. The one she has been to since the toddler room. She is coming to a place where she has no friends. She is leaving the safety of her automatic friend, Anna Belle, whom she has had in class with her for the last two years. She won't get to enjoy a slow-paced morning routine with her Moo where she was able to ease into the day. She will literally have to wake up ready this year. 

As much as I worried about her beginning and how I wanted it to be a smooth transition, I should have known He would work it all out for us. Just a couple of days before starting, my friend and team teacher was offered to go to kindergarten. When she called to ask me to help her think of pros and cons, the only pro I could think of was that Maeve could have the very best kindergarten teacher. As sad as it is to lose her being my right-hand girl in third grade, I find great comfort in knowing my baby will be safe and secure in Ms. Laura's classroom. After all, I have trusted her to give my third graders their reading instruction for the past three years. I can surely trust her to lay a firm foundation for my Maeve- one that is not only strong in academics but in friendship and in confidence. There is no better place she could be in the whole wide world! 

Thank you, Lord, for knowing just what this mama needed. Being where my children are- this is exactly what I thought of when choosing my teaching career. I failed to realize how hard it would be to be apart from them for the first five years. But, that time is finished and here we are together. Right where I pictured us to be. 

Fireworks. Fun. Family. Friends. Funnel Cake- The Fabulous Fourth

We were home for the 4th this year. We are usually on a beach somewhere. We enjoyed a relaxing and restful day by the pool, ribs on the grill, and fireworks with friends and family. So thankful for our freedom!