Moving pains

I thought when we decided to move literally one street over that moving would be a breeze. I could take things here and there, get it organized, bring some more, repeat.... hahaha!

Hindsight, it just meant I was prolonging the agony because it still got to the point where we were just throwing things in bags and boxes and the end and cramming them into the garage, forcing us to park on the driveway for weeks until we could clear enough out.

Don't get me wrong, I love our new home. But we are still in unpacking mode.  We did get a lot of yard work down and I must say, it looks really good out there now.  Luckily, our friends who owned the home previously took really good care of it inside and out, so we are just maintaining. The outside just needed to be weeded from a long winter's nap.

The upstairs has 4 bedrooms which means that Ethan is finally back on the same floor as the rest of us.  Believe it or not, he really really didn't like being in the basement (2 floors down) from us in our last house all by himself. I admit too that I do like all of us a lot closer together. 

We still need to get pictures up on the walls. I've reorganized a couple of closets/drawers 2 or more times, because it just wasn't "logically working" for us.  Or should we call it OCD?  I don't mind.

Our basement is 50% finished. We are going through ideas of what to do and have a couple of neighbors with lots of experience and tools offer to help.  Speaking of neighbors, we love our neighbors. Really we love this whole neighborhood, hence the need to only move one street over. So many have brought over meals during the first weeks of the move, helped with the "big move" of furniture and boxes, mowed our grass until we resurrected our law mower that hadn't seen any action for about 5 years, borrowed another law mower while ours was getting the tune up. Another neighbor also came and help me clean out the garden boxes that were over grown with grass weeds.  We were so excited that we have a garden, that we've already planted 3 tomato plants, several peppers, herbs, cantaloupe and strawberries.

I admit, some days I just come home from work tired and not wanting to "unpack" but that's what weekends are for. 

Happy Home, Happy Day!

What a difference 2 years make?!

I find it hard to notice the changes and growth my kids are making on a day to day basis. So when I find pictures to make comparisons.....wow....WOW!

 

Feb 2011

Josee, Ethan and Sheridan getting read for their first church dance.

 

Now, almost 2 years later, Dec 29, 2012

Josee, Ethan, and Evelyn getting read for another church dance.  Notice the change in Ethan's height by referencing the lines in the glass...WOW!

A reminder of how fast time flies

This week, Brady is "star student" in his class. The teacher invites the student to either bring a DVD or poster to class about himself. We jumped at the opportunity to make a video. Jared asked me to go back thru pictures and send them to him.  

This was a big "gentle" reminder of how time really does fly. I remember as a child how each year seemed to go on FOREVER and yet with each passing year, it seems to get faster and faster. I thought I would take you down memory lane with just a few of the "sibling/family" photos. This is not even close to the number of pictures we used in the video, most of which were just of Brady's crazy faces... maybe I will post that one too!

officially a family of six

Easter

Hill AFB Airshow

Hill AF Museum

Dinosaur Museum

Day that Nana retired from MoTab Choir

Visiting Uncle Erik in MN

Easter!

Mesa Verde

Easter, again!

Fall leaves in backyard

Disneyland

 These are only a miniscule percentage of pictures we have, but wow, how they grow! I feel like in no time they will be off to college, missions, on their own. With the new change in missionary age, Ethan potentially could be going on his mission in about 2 1/2 years -- it will come too fast. His life is flashing in front of my eyes...speaking of that, he drove home from church on Sunday.......

"Whirlwind" would be a great way to describe it!

These last 7 months have a ... (I've thought of so many adjectives for this) whirlwind. Jared and I were preparing for the change at the beginning of the year. He started a new job in January and I got hired back where I used to work pre-kids. Getting him up and going was not too bad. However, for me to go back, it was much more of an adjustment...for everyone. For one thing, I had to re-license all over again, when meant going to training full-time for the first 6 months back and then intermittingly over the next few months mixed with a part-time 30 hr week.

The kids had the "white book" of daily routines, cleaning zones, emergency phone numbers, etc to help keep some symbolance of a routine since I wasn't getting home until about 3 hours after they were done with school. We kept telling them and ourselves that this was just temporary, its just temporary. It would be worth it in the long run. Boy did it feel like a LONG run. I did pass my licensing exams, and actually enjoyed the process much more the second time around, verses the first time 17 years ago. I really understood many of the concepts, instead of just relying on memorization for the test only and then forgetting.

Part of the planning out these crazy times was figuring out how we were going to manage summer - aka - kids out of school.  This was definitely a concern of Jared's and mine. Much to our delight, my mom offered to come and stay with us during the summer and help out with the taxi-driving and activity helping duties. She has been a trooper and I can't even begin to describe how awesome she has been. Jared and I both have said that we have not worried about the kids, knowing that she was here with them this summer. She has taken them to the pool umpteen times, having her special spot in the shade by the lazy river/big slide. She has taken them to see a couple movies. She has been the chauffer for all things soccer. I wish I could have joined them on their Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt runs. We have been so blessed to have her here.

I started my part time, 30 hrs week schedule. (I actually took yesterday and today off - hence the time to actually post a blog entry). The kids went back to school today. Mom heads home next week. Things may actually settle down a little...or maybe not! Offically, soccer season has begun...

I will try to go back and post some of what has happened over the last 7 months - ie - braces for Ethan, 12 bday for Rachel, camping/hiking as family, Rachel crowning her successor for NAM, and back to school of course.

All I can say is I feel blessed. I have a great family and great neighbors who have been such a support over these last 7 months....thank you!

Jared's "silent surprise 40th bday party"!

I have felt like I have been living event to event for this past year. Not a great way to live but it worked for me this last year. Once we got home from Disneyland, my next event to prepare for was Jared's 40th bday. It has been a difficult year, work-wise, which of course affects the finances. So I knew I needed to be creative without a lot of cost. I had thought about a surprise party but many people I would invite, live far away. That is when I got this great idea!

I contacted many friends and family members to write down wishes, memories, anything to Jared. Then late the night before his birthday, after he went to bed. I covered our dining room area with all the thoughts everyone sent. I then wrote him a letter and posted it on our bathroom mirror. At the end it said there are more than 40 reasons why you are loved! (I had close to 70 responses)

Unfortunately for me, he woke up early!!! He said he couldn't sleep. It was about 6am! What this breaks our family tradition, for those of you that know, of cake in bed!

I knew I needed to get up with him. I had him go back into the bathroom and read my note. Then I walked downstairs with him. He was shocked, utterly speechless. He finally whispered "it's like a silent surprise party!" He then read every single note.

This is him after, goofing around of course. He was very touched. Some funny memories, some touching tributes, some fun notes from nieces and nephews.

We did make him go back to bed. The kids gathered his gifts and Rachel carried the birthday homemade peppermint cheesecake with a candle into him in bed!

Then of course, it was playday outside with the kids!