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Next Steps & New Blog Name
Living in Florida has resulted in a new hobby for Bradley. And, we found out yesterday that we’ll be able to take this hobby with us! Virginia Beach, here we come!! We’re looking forward to being closer to family and still being able to live near the water. Now, we have a lot of decisions to make before the kids and I head out of here in just 6 weeks. I already started looking into housing and schools yesterday. This process can always be a bit overwhelming, so we’d appreciate your prayers as we strive to be wise in our choices. I couldn’t get to sleep last night thinking through…
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Our Weekend
Weekends have increased in value since Isabella started school. I don’t remember being this excited for Friday night since I was in high school! We turn off the alarm, let the kids watch morning cartoons, nap, and try to find something fun to do around town. This past weekend found us hosting our first overnight guest. As we were cooking breakfast on Saturday morning, sipping coffee, and catching up on the past few years with our friend, Bradley leaned over to me and said, “I forgot how much fun it was to have company.” We made our way to the weekly downtown market, purchased some cinnamon…
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Finding Our Rhythm
Moving always has its way of shaking things up a bit. I like consistency. And that translates into just about every area of my life. Each time we move I have to learn a new place, unpack our belongings and figure out a new home for the pictures and dishes in differently positioned spaces. New jobs take time to become familiar, and relationships start from nothing. All of this takes time. Time that isn’t so free when you’re also trying to figure out change for the other five people in your family. If it was just me, I could wander aimlessly around town, hang pictures on the walls a million…
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First Weeks of School
We are three weeks into school and still going strong! Isabella loves going and always comes out of the building with a smile on her face at the end of the day. Watching her enjoy this new season of life has been a privilege for all of us, and we are so happy with our decision to send her to school this semester. I’ve always known that she was a social girl, but this has come out even more in the past few weeks. When I ask her about her day, the first things she tells me are what different people were wearing that day, including the little girls who…
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Post-Vacation Catch Up
Last week we spent seven wonderful days with my parents, sisters and their families on the gorgeous Alabama Gulf Coast. Although we weren’t too far from our home, it still felt like getting away and coming back was pretty hard. The alarm went off at 5 this morning and I had to hit snooze twice before finally turning on the lamp and forcing myself out of bed. Reality stinks. Not really, but that’s how we feel right now when we are still tired from sleepless nights with our #4, who has the hardest time teething. None of my other babies struggled with this, but when she gets teeth, only snuggling…
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Five Years
“Thou shalt not murder,” the Pastor read as he began his sermon. I sort of grunted under my breath, “Oh, good grief.” And Bradley kindly put his arm around me. I didn’t want to hear an entire sermon about murder. I know how awful it is. I know it’s wrong. And five years can’t erase the sting of that very word. A lifetime won’t erase the pain. I remember the call as if it was yesterday. It was my Dad. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon in CA, 5:30 where my Dad was. I don’t remember the exact words, but something like, “I have some bad news. Your brother…
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Emotions I Didn’t Anticipate
Tomorrow is the big day. Kindergarten begins and Isabella will sit in a classroom with 27 other students, learning and experiencing things that I’ll only know about from what she shares with me at the end of the day. Sending my oldest child to school has stirred emotions in me that I didn’t anticipate. The sadness about her growing up, jealousy of the teacher who will get to watch her learn everyday, and fear of leaving her in an unknown place–these are things I was prepared for. What I hadn’t expected was feeling nervous for me. I have no reservations about Isabella’s ability to be a good student, make friends,…
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A Great Date Night
Date nights since having kids have been few and far between. We’ve never had the privilege of living near family, so we’ve relied either upon the generosity of offers from friends or the occasional hired babysitter. I could probably count on both hands the number of times we’ve gone out on a date since Isabella was born, almost six years ago. Saturday night, one of Bradley’s classmates offered to watch all four of the kids! She is a Mom herself, attending school here, and her family was unable to accompany her. She misses her family, and was longing for the opportunity to be with children. I can’t imagine being…
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Our Education Choice, for Now
Last summer we found out that we would be moving to Florida for Bradley to attend a six month long training. We knew that this move would take place right before school started for Isabella, and that we would be moving again halfway through her Kindergarten year. All year we would talk off and on about what to do for her education. Public school? Private school? Homeschool? There were, of course, pros and cons for each one, and we certainly tried our best to weigh all of the options, praying for wisdom as we made a decision.Much of me wanted to homeschool. The thought of pulling Isabella out of school…
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These Two Couldn’t Be Better For One Another
Jennavieve took her first steps the other night. The pure delight on her face was priceless. It’s like she knew that her little legs were figuring something out and she nailed it. She didn’t go far, just a few steps a time, but that was enough for me. We clapped, cheered, and squeezed her tight, reveling in her new found freedom. Then, something amazing happened. Mason scooted over to me, looked up at my face and I knew that he wanted to try. I lifted him to his feet, helped him to get going and before we knew it he had walked across the whole room. He had taken a…