2nd Half

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to run another half marathon. I was feeling a bit hesitant about my decision to do it in the days leading up to the race. I had not had enough time to do as many training runs between the half in October until now. My lower back has also been having some issues and I was thinking it was related to the running. But never-the-less I traveled to Huntsville, AL anyways to run with my sister-in-law and some of her running friends.
I took all of the girls with me. We met John's parents in Huntsville where we camped in their motor home at a local state park. Clara Bea had not been feeling 100% and we had to stop numerous times to change her overflowing diapers on the trip there. She then awoke at 2a.m. with a fever and decided to not go back to sleep until 4. At this point I was wondering how in the world I was going to make it through the race the next day.
But the Lord provides! He gives us strength when we think we can go no further. I really felt like giving up during this race. My feet hurt; I was tired. The only way I can make it through these long runs is to rely on songs and verses of scripture. And somehow it pushes me on to the end. I finished my second half marathon, 13.1 miles in 2 hours 1 minute and 47 seconds. That was slightly faster than my first half and this one wasn't a chipped time event so by my calculations I didn't cross the start line until about a minute after the gun. So I almost beat my time by 2 minutes. Praise the Lord!

Halloween Festivities

We had a simple Halloween this year which was nice. The girls had come up with their costumes and we worked out all the accessories a few days before.
Anna had found an old dance costume of mine in a bag in storage back when we lived in NC. She had asked me then if she could use it as her Halloween costume and she didn't forget about it for the next nine months. Anna dressed up as a Caribbean Carnival dancer. Emily wasn't very sure about hers. She had wanted to be a bride (an idea she got from a friend) but it was a project that was to big to start at the last minute. We rummaged through the dress up box and decided upon an Egyptian princess. It fit in nicely since we had some of the parts to the costume and we are studying ancient Egypt in history right now. For Kelsey we had a variety of things for her to pick from. She was a bit indecisive about what she wanted to be and it changed from day to day. Kelsey got to dress up three different times and therefore wore three different costumes. Once she dressed as a butterfly for her library day, Halloween night she dressed up as Winnie the Pooh (which was a good choice for the cool evening) and then she also wore a ballet costume to our homeschool coop classes for her third dress-up event. Clara Bea didn't get a choice. We put her in a tinker bell costume - the first time we tried it on her she threw a fit so I was prepared to distract her with juice and her pacifier the next time.
We joined our friends here in Lynnville for an evening of trick or treating. We followed them around to the houses here in town since they knew where most of the church people lived. Clara Bea enjoyed her first experience with dum dum suckers. She ate about four suckers in a row withing the first 30 minutes. I finally had to make her daddy stop giving them to her! Then we drove into Booneville for a stop in at the nursing home and then to the town square. To top off the evening we enjoyed dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. It was a fun night especially to be enjoying it with another family.

Visit with Friends

Our dear friends from NC drove ten hours to Indiana to visit us for almost a week. A couple of months ago I invited them to come with us on a field trip to the Creation Museum, thinking that they would decline but hoping it would be enough to entice them to make the trip. When they replied with a yes - I was ecstatic.
We had so much fun together again. We kept the tradition going with late night games and laughter and just silly things that we do when we are together. All 13 of us shared one bathroom for six days and it didn't even seem to be an issue. Ok, except for the one time that one of the little ones forgot to close the door while using the potty, while her daddy was in the shower and I accidentally walked in. He was patiently and quietly waiting behind the curtain til everyone left. LOL - whoops!
We introduced them to a little Indiana culture - like the Rural King. We also had a fun day at the park and the kids enjoyed the chickens in the backyard. Our day trip to the Creation Museum was a success. It is really a wonderful place to see, if you have never been I highly recommend it.
As always when we are together one of the kids got sick. I guess our odds are fairly high that one of the nine will catch something. Unfortunately it fell upon Kelsey this time. She ran a high fever for a couple of days and was pretty lethargic but has bounced back nicely. Not sure what it was - something viral I guess, just glad that the rest of us didn't get it!
Since they have been gone the house seems empty and quiet. But I look forward to many more family gatherings with them. I just hope the time between visits is short.

First Half Marathon Complete

Today was a great day! The Lord provided us with great weather, perfect temperatures, healthy bodies and swift feet. John and I both finished our first half marathon in great time. We crossed the finish line within minutes of each other between 2 hours and 3 minutes to 2 hours and 6 minutes. However, I think I enjoyed the experience much more than my husband did.
I was so thankful for a restful night of sleep. That is usually always my biggest struggle leading up to a race. I tend to toss and turn and anticipate the alarm clock but this morning I slept the night thru and didn't wake up til the alarm sounded at 5 a.m. We had no trouble finding a terrific parking spot and taking the shuttle to the start line. I also always have to pee a couple of times before the race - I just call it the pre-race jitters and yet again everything worked out in perfect timing.
The course was a lot of fun. I have heard from other runners that once you have experienced a marathon you are hooked and I believe it now. There is nothing like the encouragement you receive from the people, friends and family members that line the streets, the many water stations, people passing out candy and orange slices or popsicles. The bands that are playing or simply the person who had their car stereo blasting got you pumped up or at least to the next mile marker. All the signs of encouragement, the cow bells and hand clappers - I loved it all, especially the polka lady who played her accordion somewhere around mile 4.
I usually have to walk around mile 7 and had prepared myself mentally to just be okay with the fact that during the course I would probably need to walk a portion of it. But all the adrenaline and the fact that my lower body went numbed (so I didn't feel the pain) got me through. Actually, I know it was all the prayers that were spoken on my behalf today and the constant murmurs of thankfulness that gave me the strength to run today. I give all the glory to God and am so thankful that he gave me the health and strength to run.
I am also so proud of my husband who endured this series of races with me. He never ceased to amaze me. In each race (from the 5K, 10K and now the half) he always surpassed my expectations. He says he doesn't ever want to run again though. Oh well, the marathon didn't have the same affect on him that it did on me. But I appreciate his support in doing this with me. It was so much more enjoyable to experience it together.
I also want to thank my Mom for coming up this weekend to stay home with the kids. It was such a huge stress reliever to not have to worry about them. My mind was at ease. Maybe next year they can watch from the sidelines too.
So - a word of encouragement to all you readers out there. Set a goal for yourself - something that you have not yet accomplished. Whether it is a walk or run around the block, to your first 5K or even bigger - You can do it! God will give you the strength. He created us to do amazing things. To say that you could never do something like that, is to say that God can't, and believe me, HE CAN!

Preparations for The Run

Well, my training time is over. I'm hoping that I have put in enough time and effort to make it through my first half marathon on Sunday. I am excited and anxious at the same time. I know that when I run in a big group event like this I tend to run at a little faster pace than I normally do and hopefully I will not wear myself out to soon on the course.
John had begun the training process with me this summer. Unfortunately he never finished training for the long runs but he has decided to join me anyways. He said he will run and walk when he needs too. I never made it past ten miles myself so I'm wondering what the last three miles will be like on Sunday. The goal I have set for myself is 2 hours and 15 minutes. I figure if I can finish in that amount of time I will be satisfied with a ten minute mile pace.
My mom is traveling here this afternoon. She is going to stay home with the girls on Sunday morning during the race. I'm so glad that she will be here. It relieves my mind to not have to worry about the kids plans and I will be able to focus on the run.
John and I would love for you to send up a prayer for our health and safety and speed Sunday morning when you wake up. We should be running from 7 to 10 a.m. central time.

Learning humility

Have you ever been in a situation where you were watching someone else do the job that you yourself are used to doing? Have you felt annoyed that they left out some important details or steps in the process or that their performance was less than par? And in these moments what did you learn from it or what was God teaching you?
Because I'm frustrated! But I can only vent about it here.
I am finding myself in more than one aspect of life, caught against the competition. Not that they should be my competitor - I guess I should feel the opposite, they should be more like a collegue. But yet, personality-wise I didn't strike friendship. I am learning how to be humble. Okay at least I'm trying to be humble.
So for now I will continue to do my jobs to the best of my ability and pray that the Lord will lead me to a place where I can get along well with others.

God is good.

Everything has worked out according to His will. The girls have gotten the opportunity to attend a homeschool co-op for this semester. They absolutely love it. We look forward to Mondays now - a day of the week that we used to dread. You know the beginning of the work week, but now they have these wonderful classes to go to and friends to see. It has kicked off our homeschool week with a bang.
We also started a running challenge for the older girls. They are doing a half marathon spread out over three weeks. The kick off was yesterday at the park. They ran 1 mile along with some other children. They now have three weeks to complete 11 more miles with the last mile to run on race day. They will cross a finish line and receive a medal at the end. With all the training that John and I have been doing lately the girls have wanted to run with us some too. Now they have their goal set and we are trying to run 1/2 to 1 mile with them every other day.
Emily and Kelsey also started ballet classes. Kelsey is taking through the homeschool co-op group. It is a preschool ballet class. Then we found a Dance school for Emily to attend that offers a homeschool ballet class for her age during the school day on Tuesdays. She had her first class today and came home telling us all about it. They are both learning classical ballet terms and steps - something that I have desired for them to have rather than the year-long recital piece preparation type studio.
I also got an exciting job opportunity to teach some more Zumba classes. A fitness center in a neighboring town called to see if could teach zumba for them two nights a week. The money is better than the hourly wage I make at the Y and it isn't as far of a drive. I will start teaching there in October which will up my class schedule to 6 classes a week.
So as you can see - all my worries are beginning to fade away. The Lord has always provided for us in just the right time. Things are still tight but we are relying on His provisions for us daily and our needs have been met every time.

10K Run

Today John and I ran our first 10K race together. After running off and on now for about five years this was my next goal to complete. I am thankful that my husband decided to join me because it is always more fun to experience it with someone else. At least that is my perspective.
For me, there is always a rush of satisfaction when crossing the finish line. There are many mental games I have to play along the course though. My husband asked me - do I actually enjoy this? My answer was yes, well - sort of, it's more like a love/hate relationship I have with running. It is painful and agonizing along the way but after the run is complete there is such a feeling of joy I have. I guess I feel like I really accomplished something. And yet it is also a humbling experience to know that I could not have done it without a greater source of strength which comes from my heavenly Father.
We took the girls with us this morning. We all left the house by 6 a.m. in order to get downtown and to the race location with some time to spare. They did great. I packed them some breakfast to eat and they hung out in the gym a the YMCA. We instructed them on what time to come out onto the street when we should be arriving at the finish line. It was fun for them to experience this with us. I hope that one day I will be able to run along side my girls. I hope that this will be an example to them for goals of lifetime fitness.
Anyhow - John is always a "game talker". He had decided that he was going to beat me. The kids took sides of who they thought would cross the finish line first. I didn't mind them choosing their daddy over me - they should think of him as the strong one but Emily always believes in her Mom. So during the fifth mile when I could see John ahead of me struggling a bit, I figured it was my chance to take him. So I passed with ease and thought he probably wouldn't let me get out of his sight.
I finished the race in 52:47 and John came in at 53:36. Yes there is a smile on my face now. The Shand household always rolls with some friendly competition.

homeschool activities

The pictures above include:
static electricity with balloons,
a spider web,
mummified dolls,
pyramid of rice krispies

We have been doing school for almost 4 weeks now and time has already flown by. I am so proud of the girls and the efforts they have put forth so far. It makes me thankful for the opportunity I have to educate them at home and pray that it will last. I cannot imagine not knowing what they are studying each day. I also have the benefit of relearning some things that I had forgotten along the way. It makes experiencing each thing that comes along in life a joy - a reminder that God is our ultimate Creator and Master of Everything.
Here are some of the fun things that we have been doing. We are back to ancients in our classical history cycle. This is the first time we will repeat some things that they have already learned four years ago. I'm amazed at what they remember. We are studying ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia - I love how it all ties in with the Bible stories they already know. In science we are using the Abeka curriculum. We have already learned about the moon, classified some insects, and now we are on electricity. They love science! Emily is hard at work memorizing those multiplication tables and Anna is enjoying the switch to Saxon math this year. Kelsey has begun her school work too. She is learning her alphabet sounds and beginning writing. She is always anxious for her turn with Mommy.

My Mom visits

I was blessed to have my Mom come up for a visit before her piano teaching schedule begins next week. She drove up on Friday night just in time for my Zumba class at the Y. We spent most of our days close to home, playing games with the kids. She helped me with schooling the girls on Monday and Tuesday - Kelsey was able to get some undivided attention from Grandma.
I always think it is funny how much my mom is amazed at what I do. To me, it is just a part of my every day life. It is part of all the experiences that I've ever had mixed together to make ME. She wonders how I learned to draw, how could I know the steps to teach Zumba, and so forth. Mom it was you! You gave me all these opportunities in life. I was able to do so many things growing up from dance lessons, art lessons, girl scouts, soccer, babysitting, helping teach at church, piano and music, being around other grown-ups where I learned to play cards and games - and so many more experiences that I could go on and on. You and dad gave me such a wonderful childhood. Thank you for working so hard so that I could do all those things.
Sometimes I contemplate whether it is better to do one thing really well - like a sport or playing a particular instrument. Some people focus all their energy into one activity, to become the best at it. I never really did this. I don't know if it was because I am too easily distracted or too much of a perfectionist to finish anything. But I must say - I'm glad I have a variety of things that I can do. I may not be the best piano player but I have the ability to play and also have the ability to get out on a sports field and time to enjoy other activities.
What philosophy do you have on this for your children? Do you put them on the track to learn one skill or talent really well or do you skip around from thing to thing. I guess with mine I have wanted them to have some kind of physical activity they do well, whether it is a sport or something like dance and then I want them to have a musical skill too. So far we have relied on my piano teaching. But I am finding with four children this might be an impossible expense and schedule to keep up with in time. But I long for them to have these experiences. I consider them to be my favorite memories of childhood and the influences that made me who I am today.
I encourage you to post your comments on the subject if you'd like.

Depression

Fighting off the feeling of depression seems to have become a yearly ritual I am dealing with at the close of summer. It has also been the time that after moving expenses and things begin to settle in a new home, the financial strain is felt. We have moved from one location to another for the past three summers in a row. Summer of 2008 we moved from TN to NC, then summer of 2009 we moved from the apartment to a house in Statesville, then this summer (2010) we moved from NC to IN. Let's just say that I am hoping we will stay in one place a little longer this time.
For the last two weeks I have been working around the clock. Unfortunately the positions of being a home maker and homeschool teacher don't pay. John has been working hard with the kick off of a new school year in the school picture business. We have both been preoccupied with our own responsibilities. The girls have been very diligent and have bounced right back into a schedule but I have struggled with missing my homeschool mom friends.
I don't want to have to look for new opportunities for the girls. You know - finding a new soccer team for them to play on, or finding a new dance studio, new classes or enrichment activities - new people, new routines. It has just made me sad. My heart starts to ache for the people we have left behind. With our current financial situation it doesn't look like we are going to be able to afford for the girls do any of these activities this semester anyways - which made my depression even worse. Funny right - you'd think I'd be happy that life was easier - all we have to do is stay home. But instead it has made me feel even lonelier.
I am searching for reasons why God has us here. I know it is all a part of His plan but wonder why it has to hurt so bad in the process. I feel like I've already had to deal with this once in my life and dont' want to do it again. I wonder why anyone would want to be my friend. These are the thoughts that I fight off each day. So if for no other reason, it at least feels better at the moment to write it down and release it. You can please pray for contentment for me.

Back into the swing of things

We started our school year this week. Seems strange to be starting school when it so extremely hot outside but then again it gives us a good reason to be inside. All the pools here are already closed for the season since public schools started this week as well. It's uncomfortable to be outside so I figured getting us back into the routine of things would be best.
The girls have done well with their school work this week. I think there is always a little thrill in it at the beginning - even for me. We have enjoyed science the most this week. Something I have really never put much effort into before but found an easy to use curriculum and we are having fun with the activities and discussions. I don't have all of their curriculum ordered yet. We are still lacking two subjects, but starting out with five this week has been a good reentry into our schedule.
The most difficult task for this school year will be finding enough things for Clara Bea to do while I am instructing. Her attention span is short and she is loud. It seems like the entire downstairs level of our house is completely torn up after the few hours of morning instruction. Clara Bea has unloaded every toy, pot or pan, tupperware dishes, paper, crayons, books from shelves, and so forth that she can get her little hands on. I had actually added the chore of "cleaning up after Clara Bea" to our list, not realizing what a big task it was going to be. I think it will be the dreaded chore on the list now.
We have also dealt with some behavior issues this week. After the girls have spent time away from home it seems like we always go through a period of re-entry. The good news is that it seems to get better with age. Anna has shown strides of maturity. However again it has fallen on the youngest - mostly with temper tantrums and crying to be held.
I am excited about our school year here. We are hoping to find new friends and relationships here as we pursue activities around town. Prayers are appreciated!

Running

I have decided to pursue a fitness goal of mine that I've had for a while now. I have registered myself for a half marathon race here in Evansville on 10-10-10. In order to prepare for this I have started training for the race by running on the weekends. My dear husband has also agreed to run with me. (I kind of talked him into this- he doesn't like to run.) We have both been taking a boot camp class at the YMCA over the summer. It is a great conditioning class. But I also needed to work on my endurance for the long runs. So I marked in my calender how many miles we have to run each weekend adding a mile each week. Today we ran 6 miles. Neither of us have run this far before. I did the six miles in 57:20. Yes, I'm bragging on myself a little. I'm just really excited about this and realize that I owe all my strength to my Lord and Savior. To God be the glory!

Kids are gone

So our girls are having their yearly summer vacation with Grammy and Pop Bill. This year they took all four girls for two weeks. The girls look forward to this time. They have so many wonderful memories that are created with their grandparents from camping in the RV, driving the golf cart around Chunky, MS, going to the fair and various camp grounds, and much more. Hopefully Grammy and Pop Bill won't be completely exhausted when the kids are returned.
I have some friends who just can't imagine doing this - by "this", I mean sending your kids away for two weeks. There is a part of me that feels a little guilty but then there is also a part of me that rejoices. It is a time of renewal. I am free to live at my own pace, enjoy foods that I normally wouldn't cook for myself, less laundry, more wine, evenings alone with my husband, and time to prepare for school and fitness classes without feeling guilty of steeling time from my children.
This year I have devoted one week to fitness. I have had time to choreograph new routines and find new music. I have been able to take extra classes and visit other instructors. I am also training a fellow zumba instructor this weekend as well. It has been nice to not feel under pressure to get it done.
Next week I plan on organizing the school room and writing out lesson plans. I always take a little time to go through the kids rooms and declutter them. I am hoping to also have some time to spend with my new sewing machine.
It makes me wonder what in the world did I do when John and I had no children. What did we do with all of our time? Think of where I could be today if I had spent some of that time more wisely. Oh well - retrospect is always so much clearer.
So for all you mommies out there - my recommendation to you is: Take some time for yourself! You deserve it.

Finding a new church home

So along with moving comes the chore of finding a new church home. Being in a church family has always been a huge part of our existence - something our children have always known. I want my kids to know that when things get tough or life is hard you can always rely on your extended family - your church friends. So this is something that I have been concerned about since we moved to Indiana.
We have visited a nondenominational church that is reformed in theology. It was recommended to us by a family that previously lived in Evansville. The preaching is good but there are things in the service that seem to be missing. There are plenty of families with children the ages of our girls but we feel very unwelcomed there. Not one person around us has said hello or greeted us before or after the service. We even dropped Clara Bea in the nursery and no one there seemed to notice that we were new. It is discouraging.
This week I made a connection with another homeschool mom. She is the chair person for a co-op group that meets on Mondays. I called to ask some questions about the group and the classes offered. While talking with her we found out that we both live in the same small town of Lynnville. This sweet lady invited us over to her house for a play date so that we and our children could meet one another. After talking with her we discovered that her husband was the heating/air guy that had come to our house to look at the air conditioner. When he was at our house he had talked with John about their church and had invited us back then. But we didn't listen very well about the location or the name of the church so we weren't sure where it was. Turns out it is right around the corner. So his wife re invited us to visit their church. I made sure I got the name and location this time.
Sunday John and I visited this community nondenominational church. They are currently meeting in the community center here in Lynnville and even hold Sunday school classes for the children in the Pastor's home which is right next door. However our children are away visiting their grandparents so it was just John and I this past week. When we came in the door it was like people lined up at the door to shake our hands and greet us. It was such an opposite reaction to what we experienced at the other church. Now granted this is a smaller church and a smaller town, so it was more recognizable that we were new but it felt amazing. The service was similar to the other church, the music was simple and the preaching was from the Word of God. I think we will definitely go back. It will be a great way to make connections in this town. Actually being able to know our neighbors and not having to drive a distance on Sunday mornings would be a huge blessing.
I think now I am hung up on ideals. I am sad that we do not have a PCA church to attend here. Why am I being such a snob about what kind of church we go too? If they are preaching the gospel, then I should be happy and recognize that we are all going to heaven together. But I struggle with this. I want more. I miss the liturgy of the worship service. I miss the hymns of faith. I want truths taught to my children that point to Jesus as our only Saviour.
So for now, we will make it a matter of prayer. Praying that God will lead us to where he wants us to be, showing us the place in which he has called us to.

Trip to NC

So I couldn't post any status updates on facebook or blog about our pending trip to NC until it was done. We let our friend know that we could make a trip out in July knowing that her husband's 40th birthday was near and decided not to tell him so that we could make it for the surprise birthday party. And a surprise it was!
We had to wait until my 5p.m. zumba class on Friday night was over before leaving Evansville. Knowing that it was a 10 hour trip we decided to pull an all-nighter. The kids slept most of the way which was a blessing, especially for little Clara Bea. We arrived in Statesville around 3:45 a.m. Saturday morning and slept for a few hours at some friend's house. (Thank you Millers for letting us crash at your place and wake you up in the middle of the night!) They fed us breakfast and let us shower and caffeine-up so that it wouldn't appear that we were exhausted. We made it to the surprise party to wait it out with the others for the big "we gotcha" moment.
The rest of the week is a blur. I think it went by too fast and I of course didn't get to see and spend as much time with all our NC friends as we would have liked too. But that's the way it goes I have begun to learn. Some of our dear friends in Statesville threw Clara Bea a 1st birthday party. She has a special place in the hearts of some dear ladies there. I guess this will always be our connection to NC since she is our only daughter born there and will always be a "Carolina girl". We also got to spend two Sundays at our former church in NC. I even got to sing and play a little with the worship team which was a renewal to my soul. I didn't realize how badly I missed it and struggled with the thought of leaving it behind again. We played games, stayed up late, ate too much, drank too much, and had way too much fun. I also got to substitute teach some of my former classes at the YMCA. Special thanks to the Larson family and the Miller family for hosting us in your homes. We are so glad that the kids got to pick up right where they left off and hope that it will always be this way no matter how much times passes in between seeing each other again.
Our trip home was not as smooth as our trip there. We decided to leave in the early hours of the morning in order to get John home for a portion of his work day. We set off at 4a.m. and before we could even get to the interstate Clara Bea decided she was awake. I decided to run into a gas station and warm-up a bottle for her, thinking this would put her right back to sleep (something we often do at home). But I guess the warm milk on her stomach did not settle well and two hours later she threw up. We had to stop at a travel center, wash her off in a bathroom sink and clean up the car seat the best we could with wet wipes. I threw away her soiled clothes, we bought a can of air freshener and off we went again. After about another hour of driving John decided that we would stop for breakfast - he was having a hard time staying awake at the wheel - we had definitely not slept enough the several nights leading up to our departure. So after breakfast I decided that I would drive while Clara Bea and John took a nap. For some reason the trip home seemed twice as long but we finally arrived 11 hours later.
We unpacked our vehicle and even unpacked the bags but later in the afternoon a thunderstorm rolled into town. It got really dark, and the trees began to whip back and forth from the wind. The rain down poured but did not last too long. In the midst of the storm we lost power. After about an hour of fun with flashlights and candles the sun seemed to come back out but the power did not. John ended up grilling up some dinner for us, the kids took a bath in the dark and we all went to bed. Thus ended our very long day.
Now we are settling back into life here in Indiana. The chickens grew, the garden grew, the cat has disappeared again, and more snake skin has been found.

4th of July

This year we celebrated the 4th of July weekend at home in Tennessee. Special thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for letting us crash at their home. I had a great time with my marathon runner, sister-in-law and her friends. She let me join them in Loretto for a 5K race on Saturday morning. It was fun and I had a good run. It will be a good way for me to judge whether or not I improve my pace when I run another 5K in August. John and I have been taking a boot camp class to get us back in shape. Our goal is to be ready to run a half marathon in October and then a relay race from Chattonooga to Nashville in November (we will just be 2 runners on a 12 man team).

I was also able to visit with my Mom and step dad, who is currently recovering from hip replacemnet surgery. He looked great. Sunday we enjoyed visiting our old church home and lunch with my Dad. Then that evening we attended a cookout at our friends home with the local fireworks display to follow. I enjoyed reconnecting with good friends. We drove back this morning and are all exhausted. Not sure why - maybe it's the heat. Anyhow we skipped boot camp for tonight and will all be going to bed early.

Hope everyone had a joyous holiday weekend!

June birthday girls

Once again, along with moving comes Anna's birthday. I always feel bad for her that her birthday comes and she is not there to share it with her friends. So we may have gone a little over board this year, but what the heck you only turn 10 once in your life!
Her actual birthday was on a Monday this year. Her Grammy, Pop Bill and two of her cousins were in town so we went to Holiday World to celebrate. It was our first visit to this amusement park and we were very pleased. All the kids had a great time on the roller coasters, various rides and plenty of water slides too. Anna made a comment during the day that it was the best birthday ever. We also noticed that she smiled from morning til night that day - something she hasn't done for a while.
The day before was Father's Day but while my dad was here we celebrated her birthday with cake and ice cream and of course presents! Anna got a new bicycle for her birthday which was a surprise to her. We captured her reaction on video and it was priceless.
Yesterday was Clara Bea's 1st birthday. Since two of her older sisters are gone for the week it was just Emily, John and I to celebrate. We let her open her presents and took her out for a swim in the baby pool with her new bath toys. She also received a swing from us for her birthday and she ended up falling asleep in it while swinging. Later in the evening we skyped our good friends and they helped us sing "happy birthday" to her and watched her dive into her cake. It was a fun day. Clara Bea walked lots of steps on her birthday - I think she is now going to be on the move.

The garden

Why haven't we done this before now?
One of the delights of having a yard out in the country is that there is no home owner's association to tell us what we can and cannot do in our yard. So along with the chicken coop, in far back corner of the fenced in yard, we have planted a garden. John had bought the seeds and had intended on planting it before the girls and I moved here but there were still too many cold nights. So in late May we started the garden. Now we have never done one of these before besides some tomato plants we put in the flower beds back in TN many years ago. In fact about nine years ago - because we can remember Anna being about 1 year old, toddling around eating the cherry tomatoes right off of the vine. So we are new vegetable gardeners.
We planted corn, tomatoes (many varieties), green peppers, and hot peppers, cucumbers, cilantro, and watermelon. It is has been such a fun time watching the plants bud and grow and now we have the first signs of fruit on the vines. It will probably be a few more weeks before we get to eat them but we are enjoying God's perfect design in how they are growing each day.
We also found that there is a tree right beside the garden that is blooming the most beautiful flowers. Many butterflies and dragon flies buzz around that corner of the yard and I've never experienced the joys of nature in way that I am this year.

Chicken Coop

Well you can officially call us chicken farmers now. My husband always amazes me at the things he can figure out. Today he completed the chicken coop in our backyard.
You may remember that we are on our second batch of chickens as the first six were taken by a predator. We think it was probably a racoon or maybe a stray cat. Now we are onto our second batch but this time we had to purchase 25. We have lost two over the past week, so we now have 23 chickens. Up until this point we have been moving them in and out of the garage each morning and night. But now they have a fine, safe coop to call home. Check out the pictures to see the new addtion to our back yard.

Snake Saga Continues

Well we have had more action over the weekend with the snakes in our yard. To back up a little, John had seen two at the tree in the back yard while the girls and I were gone at the beach. So the whole time that we have lived here I had personally not ever seen one myself. Until now!
John had killed one of the snakes he had seen in May but had missed the other. So we were under the impression that one still remained. But after spreading moth balls around the yard and throwing them into the trees, we figured that they were gone for the time being. But we were wrong.
Friday afternoon I came home alone, well almost alone - with Clara Bea who had fallen asleep in the van. I pulled in the driveway and parked next to the gate at the side of the house. I opened all the doors of the van so that I could quickly unload some cold groceries while Clara was napping in the van. I went into the house but when I came back out, I froze. There was a huge black snake on the trunk of the tree that I had just walked by, 2 feet from the gate and right beside our van that Clara was sleeping in. I called John on the cell phone, knowing that he was on his way home, hoping that he was close by. He told me to get the axe from the garage and kill it. i ran to the garage and got the axe but when I returned to the tree my knees and stomach got weak and I just couldn't do it. I was afraid and was screaming like a little girl. Apparently I was cursing too, but don't remember that part. I decided to hang up the phone - there was no way I could swing an axe with one arm, but gave up on the idea and rescued Clara from the van took her inside to her bed. I came outside a couple of times to check on the snake's location but it slowly moved it's way up the tree and behind a nook where he disappeared.
Now fast forward to Sunday - Father's Day.
John's mom and step dad had come for a visit in their motor home. That morning my step dad was telling us of the snake he had been watching all morning come in and out of a hole in tree. So the boys spotted it and began target practice. After some time they finally hit one and it fell out of the tree. They thought they had gotten the one that I had seen on Friday but it seemed too small to me to be the same one. My dad also arrived that afternoon for the Father's day, snake hunting festivities. He had cut into the snake and discovered about four eggs it was carrying. We were thankful that they were not yet laid and 4 less snakes to worry about.
Now it is Tuesday. This morning another smaller snake peeped out of a whole. John was able to pull it down with the garden hoe and kill it. The larger snake was seen by my in-laws yesterday so we know it still exists and another was spotted traveling across the driveway. So we know there are at least two more alive, three have been killed, how many more remain is yet to be determined.
I am a little less fearful of them. We know that they are nonpoisonous. But who wants a family of snakes living in their back yard? There is still a creep factor of walking around outside. The kids are scared to go out by themselves - I don't blame them, yet I tell them it is no big deal. We are trying to make sure that our new batch of chickens are protected so they have been spending their nights and some days in the garage.
So anyone want to come visit us? LOL Let's just say there is never a dull moment around here.

Slip and Slide Fun

On the way home from church we stopped by our local Wal-mart store and bought a five dollar slip and slide. This was great fun for a very hot afternoon. So much so that I went back for one more so that we could put them end to end for and extra long slide. The girls went so many times that they created a mud hole in the back yard. Well, with the help of their Daddy as well, who took several turns himself. It ended with a wash off in the baby pool which became a muddy mess. Fun times!

Baby Chicks - batch 1

Sunday afternoon John took the girls and me to a local farm supply store called Rural King. We left there with 6 baby pullet chickens. (I don't really know what, Pullet means, just know that it was on the tag.) The girls had a blast playing with them. John built a pen for them to be in and we decided that we wouldn't put any chicken wire on the bottom of it so that we could move them around the yard (spread out the poopy mess) and the kids could lift the box to get them out. Well, that may have not been such a wise idea.
This morning when John checked on the chicks they were all missing but one who was only partially remaining. Some kind of animal must have attacked in the night. It was such a sad sight with feathers and blood about that we decided to get rid of the mess before the kids saw it.
When we told the girls they were of course sad. However only one daughter cried over it. I think the feeling of loss has been too much on her lately. We called the store to see if they had any more chicks but of course are sold out now. Another shipment should arrive this week. If we get more we have decided that they should sleep in the garage at night from now on. If you have any other useful chicken advice we will gladly accept it as we are vrigin chicken farmers.

Things to keep us busy here

So we are back from vacation and it was time to grasp the fact that we really live in IN now. So the following is a list of activities that kept us busy and our minds occupied this week:
After vacation piles of laundry
First week of teaching Turbo Kick and Zumba at the YMCA
Trip to Lowes to purchase Air cond. window unit (for the house, cause the air doesn't work here)
Trip to Lowes to purchase Trash Can and phone call for trash service
Hanging some curtains
Kids played with their toys - too afraid to go outside because of the snake issue
Trip to Walmart to purchase Moth balls and Envelopes
Envelopes so we can write letters to friends
Filled pany hose strips with moth balls and threw them into trees to scare away snakes
Watered the garden - tomato plants, corn and cucumbers coming in nicely
Drove around town - found a cool park with lakeside beach and a really fun water slide
Another trip to town for a swim in the community pool
John and Jenn started boot camp this week
Tomorrow we have some more "Moving In" projects planned for us around the house

So as you can see we have kept busy around here. I have a feeling we will become a tighter family unit this year since we still have not met any friends yet. But we are trusting in God's plan for us and enjoying each other's company.

Home again

Vacation was a real treat this year. It was a much needed time of rest. However I did put almost 2,000 miles on the van round trip. From Indiana to Tennessee, then to Mississippi and onto Florida and back again made for a lot of driving. Fortunately I had John with me on the way home so I got to ride and even sleep a little on the way back.
We stayed in New Smyrna Beach, right outside of Daytona - provided for us by John's Aunt - thanks Aunt Patsy!!! It was great. The condo sat on the beach with a view of the beautiful water, so we enjoyed playing in the sand, swimming in the pool and the ocean, crab hunting at night, and Anna and I even took a bicycle ride one morning. I also had the privilege of having my wonderful mother-in-law with me. She was kind enough to stay indoors with Clara Bea during the brightest hours of the day while the older girls and I stayed out on the beach. Clara Bea did however love swimming in the pool - I think I will have another fish on my hands.
Saturday we enjoyed the wedding festivities of John's younger cousin and her groom. It was a beautiful wedding set on the deck overlooking the beach with the reception on the top floor of the resort hotel. Kelsey was the flower girl and did a great job overall. She did however freeze up when coming down the aisle and began to cry. She fell asleep in a chair during the wedding ceremony ( it was extremely hot outside, at noon under the layers of her dress) but woke back up at the end to take some beautiful pictures. If you'd like to see some of the pictures of the wedding I will direct you to the photographer's website. www.markdickinsonphtography.com
Click on, view my photos, then click on - other, then click on - Chelsey and Ryan at The Shores. You'll see lots of pictures of Kelsey and some others of our family that made some of the snapshots too.
Well, now that I am back home, it's time to start searching out our place here in Evansville. I started teaching at the YMCA this morning. I may put the girls in a soccer camp the the Y. And then we need to start looking for a church as well. It's always a little sad coming home from vacation. I never like leaving the beach! Seems a little depressing to come home to nobody. We have nothing on the calender now - no events. So come see us - we would love to see a familiar face!

Ready for Vacation

Tomorrow I leave on our long journey to Daytona Beach. I am stopping in Nashville to pick up my two oldest girls that have been visiting there. Then we will head to MS to spend the night at John's mom's house. She will join us for the next leg of the trip. We will probably stop half way the next day and complete our journey on Sunday so we can check into the condo. John will fly in on Wednesday night and then his cousin's wedding is on Saturday. Kelsey is the flower girl and many prayers will be sent out (yours included, please) so that she will cooperate and smile for the pictures.
I am hoping to be able to relax and enjoy some time in the sun and sand. This is our only vacation planned for the summer, especially since John had to take so much time off work right up front to complete the move. We love going to the beach. The kids have a great time in the ocean and on the beach. It will however be an added challenge this year to keep Clara Bea from eating the sand, as she puts everything in her mouth right now.

Weekend Home

We took a trip to Nashville this weekend. My Mom had taken my second daughter home with her after her trip up here too see us on Mother's Day. So we decided to all go as a fanily to visit for the weekend. This was the first time I had been home this year. I hadn't been to Nashville since October - which was a quick drive thru visit. We were of course amazed to see all the flood damage and hear all the stories from our friends and family.
My favorite part of our visit was going to church on Sunday morning. It is always so fun for me to be able to see so many people that I don't normally get a chance to connect with during a normal visit home. So many people that were a part of my life in a small way but a blessings to me regardless. Even a trip to the local Target made me miss home. Just walking through the store I would recognize faces of people I worked with at the YMCA or from other areas of my life. The hard part is that it impacts the feeling of being alone even more. I don't know a soul here in Indiana. I have no emergency contact person. As a mother it puts an element of fear in my life that I should not allow.
But for now I am delaying the process of settling. We are taking a trip to the beach! John's cousin is getting married in Daytona Beach and Kelsey is going to be the flower girl in the wedding. So my preparations for the LONG trip begin this week. I will be packing and doing laundry for the next few days. I will travel to pick up John's mom in Mississippi first on Thursday. We may stay an extra night there to break up the roadtrip. Then we will travel half way on Saturday and finish the journey to check in on Sunday. One week of sand and sunshine will remedy my loneliness! John will fly down and meet us there next week and then it will be a marathon journey home - how many hours, you ask? Not sure and at this point it may be better to Not Know. At that point, life in Indiana will begin.

windows in the sunroom

Yesterday I washed windows and screens and cleared away the cobwebs. My project for today was sewing some curtains for the windows in the sunroom. This room runs along the front of the house. It will be used as our school room / office. However the lights from across the street shine in brightly at night and since we live on a main highway, it will also serve for privacy. Again during the day the sun shines through so it will also provide a bit of shade to cool the room during the warmer months. I used the white fabric that was left here as a basic curtain. It was previously hung with safety pins and hooks in no certain style - obviously used more for purpose rather than decoration. I also took some fabric that I had made valances out of for our previous house. They had hung in our kitchen before. I needed about three more to finish off the length of the room. I found the same beading at Joanne's fabric last night - a miracle indeed. Here is how it turned out. I may still add some hooks to be able to raise the white curtains when needed. I also thought about adding some silk sunflowers here and there - we'll see, that may be a bit much.

We made it to Indiana

Well we are here in Indiana. It was one week ago. last Tuesday, when we began our journey. We left Statesville, NC at about 12:30 p.m. (eastern time) after pulling through the McDonald's drive-thru for some lunch on the road. We arrived in Lynnville, IN at about 11:30 p.m. (central time) that night - so it was a good 12 hour trip. The ride here was nice. The kids all did well, taking turns to ride in the big moving truck with Daddy and helping me out in the van with Clara Bea. With our friends driving along with us and also helping us get one of our vehicles to IN it made for a fun road trip. It was a sunny, beautiful green day. The sights of the Tennessee and Kentucky hills were breath taking. Fortunately we didn't have to endure the boring part of IN because it was dark by the time we arrived here.

I saw the house for the first time that night when we got here. It was very hard to sleep that night, even though I was exhausted after the long drive. I woke up at 5 a.m. the next day ready to just get-on-with-it. John and I started unloading the truck by 8 and had about a third of it done before our help arrived. The unloading seemed to go smoothly and quickly. I was tired of hearing my name being called from room to room to answer questions about where to put something. I realized there was no way that John could have done it on his own - which was our original plan. The next couple of days are bit of a blur to remember. Our friends helped us get beds set-up, appliances running, and the major stuff put into place. By Friday, I decided that we needed to just do something fun - especially for the kids. So we went to the zoo. Evansville has a pretty decent zoo. The animals were good, however I will not recommend it for it's cleanliness. Eeww.

Saturday was a tough one. That morning we met our friends, the Larsons, at Chick-fil-a for breakfast and goodbyes. We had joked the night before about just standing at the overpass of our exit and just waving to them as they drove by, maybe we would make a sign that said, "honk, if you love the Larsons". But in reality we were just trying to laugh about something we knew was going to be hard. More than I imagined it would be. John got the idea to get some shoe polish and write on the windows of their van - so we did. It was a fun way to send them off. But as we hugged goodbye in the parking lot, the tears flowed and the uncontrollable sobbing began. Not once had I cried over leaving NC and the goodbyes to different people. Many times I had surprised myself, feeling the tears well up inside but then not shedding any when I was actually in the moment. Until now. All the pent up emotions finally released themselves.

It has taken me several days to recover. I have been extremely tired, yet I can't stop moving around, doing something whether it is unpacking boxes, washing laundry or cleaning around the house. Something about turning a house into a home becomes rather important to me when we move. I can't rest until it is done. My mind spins with ideas of where to put things and how to arrange the furniture. I have changed the arrangement a few times already to try and best suit the space or size of the furniture in question. I am also obsessed with the basement here. I have turned one corner of the room into a storage area - which is temporary - waiting on shelves to be built. Another area into a storage closet. One side of the room is my laundry area - which I am enjoying. And then another side into some kind of play area/ work space for the children. I have a list made of things to be purchased, like a carpet piece for the basement, different size curtain rods, different dresser for Emily's room, piece of furniture to house the TV equipment - just random things that will make the house work for us better.

There is so much more to tell but for now I will move onto another project. I am hoping to post pictures of our new home soon. We are all doing well and adjusting slowly. It is taking Clara Bea time to adjust to the new time zone - hoping that she will fall into a later awake time soon! Pray for us to not feel so lonely and that this town will grow on us quickly. It is wide open here - you can seen so far into the horizon.

Beginning the Good-Byes

This weekend has been a marathon of activities, packing and loading, and goodbyes. Friday we had our last day at the homeschool PE class that we have been involved with from the first day we moved here. I was one of the teachers and of course my children made many friends through the class there. Tears were shed as we said goodbye to some of the homeschool moms and their children. Then Saturday I taught a marathon class at the YMCA. One hour of Turbo Kick followed by another hour of Zumba. Many of my class participants came to bid me farewell. I left there to join the loading crew at the house to help load the moving truck. Fortunately I was well prepared and the loading went smoothly and quickly. However we were disappointed that all of our "stuff" did NOT fit onto the truck this time. Because we already have friends following us to Indy for the move, they are being gracious enough to allow us to use their utility trailer one more time to transport they "left over" things there.
Then there was this morning at church. Our last day to worship at Harbor Presbyterian in Mooresville. The Elders shared in saying some nice prayers for us, it was my last day to play the keyboard (and we sang some of my favorites). The children's choir also sang in the service today. One of the songs that I taught them was The Blessing. May the Lord bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you and give you peace. These words the children sang and it brought tears to our eyes.
Tomorrow I will be saying goodbye to some more of my homeschool mom friends in Statesville. These ladies I have become very close to in such a short amount of time. They have helped watch over Clara Bea since she was first born and my girls have made such sweet friends - 0nes they are having a very hard time leaving.
I am most thankful that the last goodbye I will have to say will not be until I get to Indiana. It is our dear friends who are helping us move. I cannot imagine finding another family like this one anywhere else in the world. They have given so much of themselves to us and our children. They have loved us unconditionally and I do not want to lose them. They are the kind of friends who are closer than family - so much so that they have become our family. We have already become nick-named as the aunt and uncle for their children and the same for ours as well. I know their presence during the move will make the transition so much easier. I pray that it will be a joyous time together with even more memories created in the days to come.

Being without a computer

I have been packing like mad around here. Thanks to some dear friends they have offered to watch the girls for me on several occassions so that I can get it all done. John flies in today and the loading weekend will begin.
In the midst of it all my computer has died. We think the hard drive has been fried. I feel like I've been cut off from some aspects of my life. I also had our home phone disconnected this week as well. So anyone who wanted to get a hold of me had to know my new cell phone number. (This was kind of nice.)In some ways it has been frustrating to not be able to look up what the weather was going to be like for the day or check my banking, check emails for soccer game schedules and so forth. I didn't realize how much I depended on my computer for many details in my life. However, God has a purpose in everything and I think that for me this time it was so that I would have no other distractions. I have been able to stay focused on my work here and the things I had to accomplish before this move without wasting time on facebook or computer games.
I'm not sure how often I will be able to blog during the next week or so. We don't have an internet connection at the house in Indiana YET! Appartently AT&T doesn't service the area we will live in - wow, we must really be way out in the country. LOL
For the next couple of days I may take advantage of my friends computer to update the blog.
The emotional roller coaster is about to begin, starting today with our last class at PE at the YMCA. Tomorrow I have a big zumba party at the Y and then Sunday is a farewell lunch at church. A lot to take in during the next couple of days.

Snakes!

So John paid to have the lawn mowed at the house in Indiana by some local guys. They called to let him know that they found a baby copperhead snake in the yard. Yikes! Meanwhile he found out from the ladies at the office that the landlord had also had some run-ins with snakes in the yard. Something that was not mentioned in the rental agreement.
I said - get rid of the snakes or find us a new place to live!
He got something from the hardware store to rid the snakes and we understand that if the grass is kept short they shouldn't return. So John is taking the lawn mower back with him this trip to stay on top of the growing grass. Plus he figures he may arm himself as he walks through the yard just in case he needs to go "Yosemite Sam" on the snakes in the grass.

Finally going through the emotions

Well, it has started. So far up until this point I have only gone through the thoughts and feelings of moving in my head. I had not yet let my heart feel anything until now. Watching my kids play with their friends this week has been hard. I have realized what good, life-long friends they have made here in NC in such a short time. How close they are to these people and how hard it will be to be without them in IN. I have also realized what these mothers have meant to me as well. Finding spiritually mature, like-minded women who serve their families much the same as I serve mine is so essential in the everyday journey of life. I love these people and have leaned on them when I have had no family around to depend upon. They have encouraged me and loved my family without expecting anything in return. How could I possibly find such dear friends again?
I had to have some conversations with my daughters about this. I listened to the words coming out of my mouth and realized that I was doubting my own advice. Did I really believe what I was telling them? I reminded the girls that when we left TN we thought we would never again have the kind of friends that we had there. It was so hard for them to leave their best friends! We prayed each night that the Lord would give them good friends in NC and that things would be even better than they could imagine. I told them that the Lord answered our prayers. Now our job was to pray that God would give us friends in IN and prepare our hearts to receive them. True friends are ones that you never lose - you just make more in other places. I joked around with the girls that they already have bridesmaids for their future weddings, friends for a lifetime. That finally brought a laugh from us all.
Isn't is funny how God gives us children to teach and remind us of things for ourselves. I feel blessed to have so many wonderful friends in life. They all have such a special meaning to me. But I cried myself to sleep the other night, realizing that I was leaving some precious people behind once again. I feel experienced in this department now. I know the pain that is to come and I guess I started going through the emotions a little early this time. I am not looking forward to the day of departure - might cry a little longer this time. Not because I will miss NC more than I miss TN, I think your heart just aches a little more each time.
You can pray for my attitude. I want to be positive. I miss my husband and I want us to be a family together again. I feel bad that he is there alone - anxious for our arrival but that I dread losing the things I will leave behind.

Storage ideas

Anyone have some creatvie storage ideas for a basement? We are moving into a smaller house that doesn't have much closet or cabinet space. I had John take some pictures of the inside and outside of the house for me, so that I could get a better idea of how to pack things up here. A lot of things I am packing again for storage. We will however have a full size basement that will serve as storage room for boxes and some extra furniture, a laundry room, and the kids play area. Feel free to comment, if you have any useful suggestions for this area.

Easter weekend

Easter weekend felt a little different for us this year. John came back from Indiana for the holiday weekend. It was great to have him around. Friday he took the girls to a movie, a daddy/daughters date. We caught up with our friends, the Larsons, for dinner that evening- felt like old times. Then on Saturday we went to the state park for a picnic lunch, some hiking, a dip in the lake, and just good family fun. Then John took me to dinner Saturday evening so I could get-a-way from the kids for just a bit. Sunday morning was the usual rush for church, with the added fun of Easter baskets. John took the girls out for breakfast to their usual spot for donuts. We enjoyed Easter lunch with our friends again and then had to leave earlier than we normally would have in order to get John on the road. All of us cried at his departure. It was so good to have him around that it was hard for us to let him go again. I busied myself this afternoon with packing some closets. It seems to make the time go by faster when I'm depressed.
All in all, it was a great weekend! I felt a little guilty though last night. I usually try to incorporate some Easter activities that reinforce the religous meaning to the holiday. This year I felt like we did nothing to celebrate Easter. It was more about Daddy being home. Oh well, there is always next year. We did however get a few pictures for you to enjoy.

Missing John

We've been without John almost two weeks now. In some ways the time has gone by fast. Our schedule has been very busy. But there definately has been a huge void in our lives for sure.
Sunday mornings are the hardest. While John is not usually extremely helpful with getting the girls ready for church, there are many other things that he does for us on Sundays. For one, it is the traditional Sunday breakfast "on the go". Typically Daddy has always taken the girls to get doughnuts while I am dropped off at church to rehearse music. This is their father - daughters time they spend together each week. And then there is the care giver role that he exudes each week as the parent-in-the-pew. Since I am with the music team for a big portion of the service, he has always been the one to sit with the children, keeping them on task and behaving nicely. I can already tell a difference with the younger ones when Daddy is not around. And the numerous other things, like carrying our bags, picking up children from Sunday school (I have forgotten #3 both times now), standing in line to order lunch at Wendy's and so forth. I never realized how much help he was on Sundays!
The girls have all had at least one break down now. The saddest one was the other night when we came home late. My four year old had fallen asleep in the van. I had to wake her to have her walk inside while I was carrying the sleeping baby. She got inside alright, entered our den where a family portrait hangs above the mantel and began balling. I rushed back in the room after putting the baby in her crib, thinking she was hurt or something. She pointed to the picture and said, "Daddy's not here". I wanted to laugh and cry with her at the same time. I thought it was so sweet. She knew daddy would normally have carried her to bed.
We have used the video texting on our cell phones more now than ever before. The girls will send little messages to John and he will send a short video of himself back. This has been fun for them and quite entertaining. Thank goodness for unlimited texting!
The good news is that we miss each other. It puts a longing in our hearts to be together again. The girls have already said, I wish I was in Inidiana. Sometimes I remind them that we want to make the most of our time here, with their special friends. But it also gives me a satisfying feeling that the Lord gives us a desire to go. Instead of crying over what we are loosing, we look ahead at what is too come.

5 days down

Well, we have made it through five days now without John here. We have stuck to the routine of life with our school schedule and PE, soccer practices, piano lessons, church activities and so forth. We miss him. The girls don't say too much about it. I think the older girls internalize their feelings more than the younger ones. They have both cried more over silly things this week than they usually do. In fact one daughter told me this morning that she just felt like crying and didn't know why. I told her it was because she didn't want to do her spelling assignment and to get busy! (I know I'm so syampathetic.)
Last night at bedtime my 4 yr old asked me if daddy was going to kiss her goodnight when she lived in Indiana. I told her, of course he would tuck her in and kiss her goodnight EVERY night in Indiana. And in the mornings when I bring the baby to bed with me, because she's awake and I'm not quite ready to get up, she will look around the room and into the bathroom as if to say, "where's daddy?"
Right now I think it is harder on John to be alone though. He has no satelitte or cable service at the house yet, no internet, and no one to talk too. He will call and wonder what all the racket is in the background. Just the kids playing. He says he forgot how noisy it is at the house and that he probably won't be able to hear all the highway traffic coming and going when we finally arrive there. Something to look forward too, I guess.

Packing and Purging

Today I focused on getting the den, "picture presentable". In our current house we have this wonderful built-in book case/ counter top system. It is great for storage and for knick knack displays, pictures and so forth. But a realtor is coming to take pictures of the house on Wednesday afternoon. The owner is putting the house on the market to sell. So they want to take some indoor and outdoor photos for the listing. So today I cleared the den of personal things and boxed them up.
I panicked a little at first when the realtor called because the house is no where near picture ready. We had just torn the place up over the weekend getting the things John needed to take with him to IN, so the place was a wreck. The girls and I cleaned up a bit and I tried to focus on the rooms that they would most likely want pictures of. By Wednesday we should have things in decent shape.
Yesterday I took about 10 bags of clothing and shoes to Goodwill. I normally save all the girls things and pass them down from one kid to the next. But lately I have found that even my second born who only gets one set of hand-me-downs has way too many clothes! You buy a couple of new things each season and then that ends up being the only set of clothes the child will wear anyways so why am I saving these clothes? Well, not any more! I decided to only save the special items or nice church clothes and such. No more tshirts and play clothes will be passed down.
It as amazing how much space I freed up in our closets and plastic bins! This is an important factor right now because where we are headed has very limited closet and storage space. I am trying to limit the amount of things we take with us this time. There were too many boxes that came with us from TN that were never opened or used. No need in carrying them around with us anymore.
I found it amusing though. As I was going thru things my kids would ask me if I was making a pile for the garage sale. You see in the past we would always have a big garage sale and get rid of a bunch of things. I laughed - no garage sale this time. Just give it away. The girls were upset, they wanted to have a garage sale. They used to complain when I would sell their stuff - now they are the ones who want to do it. Oh Lord, I've created little mini-me monsters.

Back Pains

Today we are trying to load John's truck with the furniture he will need while there alone. I have been having some back trouble this week and last night it flared up again. I can barely walk. Clara Bea cries for me to hold her but the pain is too much for me to carry her. I can only hold her while sitting down right now.
So I haven't been much help to John while he has tried to load the truck with a dresser, mattresses, bed, table and chairs. I can really only watch.
I am a bit nervous about his departure at this point. I have canceled my zumba classes for today and tomorrow, hoping for some improvement over the weekend.The girls have been helpful in picking up their sister and carrying her from here to there (even Kelsey likes to help). But I'm scared that I won't be able to do it without him. Along with an aching back I am also struggling with a sinus infection. These have been by far, the worst sinus headaches I have ever experienced. Of course, to top off this great week it is also my "time of the month". So quite literally, I hurt from head to toe and everything in between. When it rains, it pours!
I guess I am mostly struggling with fears. I am not confident that the Lord will take care of my every need at this point. I don't understand why we always get sick when we are of course without health insurance once again. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to do this again.

Beginning details of the move

Today John called the utilities in IN to make sure he would have water, electrcity, and gas hooked up and ready to go when he arrives this weekend. I guess it made this process seem a little more real today. No longer are we just talking about it but doing it now. He will leave on Saturday with as many things loaded down in the back of his pick up truck as he can handle. He is moving straight into the rental house that we will be living in when we all get there. It is a seven room house, about 1650square feet, two bedrooms, kitchen, dining, den, bonus rec room, and get this - ONE BATHROOM! LOL Yes a family of six is moving into a one bathroom house with one toilet! John and I even had a two bathroom apartment when we got married, so this will be the first time that we have all had to share a bathroom in our entire marriage. We might have to invest in a port-a-potty that sits in the garage. There is by the way a double garage and a full unfinished basement to the house, so there should be room for storage. Only other draw back is there is no dish washer - guess who gets a new chore added to their lists?

Field Trip

The girls and I took a three day field trip to Williamsbrug, VA. We had a great time visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and the York Victory Center. We traveled with some of our dear friends and took advantage of all three days, practically using every minute from the opening to closing. I highly recommend this trip to any homeschool family that hasn't been before or for that matter anyone interested in history itself. It really made the time of early America come alive for us. I think I missed my Dad the most on this trip, wishing he could be experiencing it with us. Pictures of the trip are coming to the blog soon!

A Diversion

I am taking my two eldest daughters on an educational trip tomorrow. We are going to travel to Williamsburg, VA to visit the historical sites. This year we have been studying American history and it will fit in nicely. Of course, I am also considering the fact that it is rather close to us right now and who knows when we will get the opportunity to do this again. John is staying home with the two youngest so that it will be a much easier trip. We are going with my dear friend and her three oldest daughters as well. We are excited about the excursion and probably a little too excited about the fact that neither one of us will need to carry a diaper bag or stroller along.
Pray for my sweet Emily as she is not feeling well tonight. She is running a fever and getting a cough - something I think she caught from her youngest sister. I am hoping that she will recover quickly and have enough strength to endure the walking that we will be doing over the next three days. I also am praying against the snow that is supposed to be coming in during our trip, and God willing the 50 degrees and sunshine will last until we return home.
Bye for now - pictures to follow

preview

Yesterday, John worked a double shift at the restaraunt. Last night as I cooked dinner alone, put the kids to bed, and dealt with a fussy baby I realized it was a little glimps of what is to come. I felt overwhelmed by the thought of doing this again by myself for the next several weeks. Clara started running a fever last night and I was thankful when John came in and got up with her in the night. She doesn't feel well and cried for a solid half hour until the medicine finally kicked in. Right now I pray for patience, I pray for good health, I pray for restful nights, and for life to run smoothly while we are going through this transition. O Lord, I know that you hear my prayers.