Halloween

Our Halloween pumpkin that Keith and the kids carved! Jake, of course would have nothing to do with the pumpkin guts but Abby loved playing with it! We were going to carve two but time just got away from us. We are still trying to find a way to work in family time. It has been an adjustment getting used to Keith's new work schedule and Abby's gym schedule.
This is a group of kids we went Trick-Or-Treating with. It was a lot fun and our neighborhood is GREAT for Trick-Or-Treating but the holidays really make me miss all my friends in Alabama. Sometimes I drive around and still sort of wonder how I got here! But, we are trying to make the best of it!

Mean Mean Garbage Man!

Ok, for those that know me know that I have always had a GREAT relationship with the garbage men in Birmingham.  I always gave them cold water in the hot summer, extra cash at Christmastime and an occasional baked cookie.  WELL...it is not so easy here in Raleigh!  I got blasted by a garbage man today!!  He literally came to my door and yelled at me for having my garbage cans too close together!  All I am saying is that if they came more than once a week and allowed you to put bags next to your can then I wouldn't have to have THREE garbage cans!  He told me that because they weren't 5 feet apart he had to get out of the truck to pick up my garbage cans.   Well, he didn't mind getting out of the truck to come to my door to yell at me!!!!  Stupid Stupid Raleigh!

I haven't posted in a while.  A lot has been going on.  There have been some really good things: Abby won it all at her gym meet (a post with pictures will come soon!)  Jake is playing basketball and seems to really like it!  They have had some spend the nights and play dates...BUT... I am still struggling!  It seems like each day that I try to take a step forward I move a few steps back.  Keith is STILL working 2 1/2 hours away everyday.  It is really putting a strain on our family.  Moving is one thing but adding never seeing Keith to the mix is really tough.  When he traveled in Birmingham it wasn't a big deal because I had such a network there, but here I have me, myself and I to take care of all that needs to be taken care of.  Not to mention, the CRAZY school situation.

I long desperately to move back home!  I know that may not be in God's plan and I am trying to accept that and I will, but I still long for it! I get tired of people acting like I just need to get over it and move on.  Those people obviously weren't as happy as I was in Hoover!  

Charlotte...the next big decision.  So, we have learned a lot being in Raleigh.  One of the main things is we don't feel like this is the right place for us.  So, we have a decision to make.  Do we move to Charlotte???  It is closer to most of the facilities Keith will be working at, it is closer to family and friends, the schools aren't tracked in/tracked out-reassigning all the time.  So why is the decision hard?  I will tell you....the thought of moving AGAIN!  And deep down I secretly hope that when the time comes to move Keith will have found a job back in AL (the REAL south) and I can go home!  

So I have been awake since 4:30 (which is pretty typical when I have a lot on my mind) sitting here thinking about where God is going to take my family!  I will continue to get on my knees and ask him to open the doors that need to opened and close the doors that need to be closed and to make it CRYSTAL CLEAR what the right decision is.  

A lesson I have learned...I am human and nothing more.  God is in total control and all I can do is wait and see where he leads me and yes, I will follow even if he has to drag me!

It just takes one!

So, I have been a little worried about my upcoming visit back to Alabama.  I am so excited to see my friends and for my kids to see their friends but to be honest I am a little apprehensive about being able to leave once I get back there!  I haven't really connected to anyone here.  I haven't felt like my neighborhood is very friendly or that there is anyone around me that I will be able to just hang out and drink a glass of wine with or just talk to or ask a favor of.  I have been very lonely here.  I keep telling myself it has only been 2 months but it has been two very lonely months.

I am a people person and I LOVE my friends!  I NEED my friends!  With a husband that is gone a lot you rely on your network of friends so much!  I have so missed that!!  So, I have been worried about seeing everyone again.  I just don't think I can rip that band-aid off again.  And especially now, knowing what I am going to come back to!

BUT...God sure knows what we need!  I have always told Keith it just takes one person to get you connected.  Well, last week I went to a volunteer meeting at school and sat across a lady who introduced herself to me, asked me where I was from, what neighborhood I lived in, how old my kids were.   Would you believe she lives in my neighborhood and has a daughter Abby's age and in that time has introduced me to 2 other ladies in the neighborhood who one of them called me and asked me to go to Bunko tomorrow night at a ladies house who I can walk to whose daughter is in Abby's class!  UNBELIEVABLE!!  All that right before my trip back home.

It is like God knew that I needed at least one connection before I went back.  So, do I need to go to Bunko the night before a 6 1/2 drive?  No!  But am I going??  You bet!  I even walked across the street to ask a total stranger if her daughter could babysit (She was recommended)!  

It just takes one person to get you connected!!  So, if someone new moves into your neighborhood or you see a new face at school...be that one!  Help them get connected!  

Room Renovation- Abby

Abby loved helping take down her wallpaper border!  She was a HUGE help!!  Give the girl a spatula and she was a worker bee!
She picked out her colors!  Two walls purple (her new favorite color) and two walls lime green!!  
After we were finished she said, "I love my room!"  It was the first time she had said anything positive about her room since we moved!  It is amazing how a little paint and personal touch can make things feel like home!
We still have to hangs some things on the walls and get a rug BUT...it is so much better!!  It is so "Abby!"

Room Renovation- Jake

This is what Jake's room looked like before...lovely for a boy huh!!  He was quite ready for a change...and FAST!!!  It took forever to get all that border down, but hot water, fabric softener and a kitchen spatula did the trick!  Now we are ready to paint!
Well, almost ready!  We have to prep the room.  Jake loved taking all the fixture plates off the wall.  Give the boy a screwdriver and he will work!
This rooms needs some blue!  Here are the boys ridding the room of all things yellow!!
WOW!  What a transformation!  Jake loves his new room and is so glad there are no more "girl colors" in it!!  Of course, now he wants his dinosaurs back on his wall!  YIKES!!!

Wallpaper Border...WHY???

I have been trying with all my might to remove wallpaper border from both of kid's new rooms!  My poor Jake is dying to get his room painted a "boy" color instead of the yellow sponge paint with a flower border around the top!  Also, Abby, my not so girlie girl, doesn't like the pink flower border around her room either!  So, my mission is..NO MORE BORDER!  It is not an easy mission!  I will post pictures when it is all done and the new paint is on the walls! 

 By the way, nothing really works well.  I have tried it all!!!  My latest find is fabric softener (thanks mom!).  It doesn't penetrate all layers but if you can get the top layer off and then spray it on the 2nd layer it comes up really well.  Oh, but get white.  The blue gets all over the ceiling!  Wish me luck! 

Abby's first Raleigh friend!

This is Gracie.  She and Abby are in class together and our neighborhoods are right next to eachother.  It was so nice having her over to play.  It was the first friend Abby has had to our new house and she was so excited!   They played for hours and of course, the play date ended with a plea for a spend the night!  We decided the spend the night would be better for the next play date but I definitely see many in the future!  

It was so hard for Abby to leave her friends and she has missed them so much!   It can be very lonely when you don't have your friends around (believe me, I know!)  Sometimes it just takes one kind person to put a smile on your face!  It was so nice to see that excitement back in my sweet little girl!

For those of you asking, "What about Jake?"  Well, never fear...anyone who knows me knows I would never have a play date for one and not the other!  Jake's favorite friend in his class (Jackson) is coming over on Friday!   It should be a fun filled day!

Abby and Jake's first day of school 2009

I know I am a little late with this one but this was Abby and Jake's first day of school.  I wanted to get a lot of pictures but it was a rushed morning so this was all I got!  Just to remind everyone, this was taken on July 7th!  It is just so wrong on so many levels to send your children to school in July!!  

I am still struggling with their new schedule and fear that next summer it will be even worse when they have to go all of June, July and half of August!  I am praying every day that God will   guide me in the right direction...keep them there with no summer, private school, or yes believe it or not, I have actually considered homeschooling.  

HOWEVER, they like their teachers and their classmates and that is a blessing!!   Their school is a nice school and everyone is very friendly!  So, for this year we are going to focus on the great things about Brassfield Elementary!  Go Bears!!  : )

Weekends...Our Summer!

I have decided that because my sweet children are somewhat cheated out of a summer due to the year round school schedule, we are going make our weekends...SUMMER!  Ok- so I know I am probably creating a very big monster.  However, we have to have some fun this summer, right??

So what if Friday afternoon snacks after school are root beer and cookie dough?  So what if we let the kids stay up as late as they want and hang in pajamas until we go to the pool?  It's summer!  I miss our 2 1/2 months of lazy summer days by the pool.  I loved the time with no rules (or at least not many), do what you feel, play with friends and have many many sleepovers.  So, we are going to do our best to create as many "Summer" memories as we can.  We'll just do them on the weekends!!

One day we will look back on this as an exciting, growing experience!  I hope!

 

I haven't been blogging much because I didn't want to be a "Debbie Downer".   I want to be the person that can wake up and say. "OK, I know I moved from friends and family and a life that I LOVED, but this is an adventure and we are going make it great!"  I realize I need to be that person and I really am trying.  There was one day this week that I woke up and said that.  But, by noon I was lonely and missing friends.  With my kids being in school all day I don't even have them to hang with.  Keith works ALL the time so I rarely see him during the week.   So, the lonliness sets in and I get that, "I really want to go back home" feeling again!  Although, I will say there have been many less tears this week!  

I also do realize how lucky we are that Keith has a good job.  We have a nice house and we are all healthy!  I am thankful for those things every day!  So I am going to focus this post on the positives and maybe just maybe I will feel better for it!

Abby (who goes by Abigail now at school by the way) and Jake have been doing really well in school!  Of course, every day Jake doesn't want to go but at least he isn't crying anymore.  They each have met one good friend and have play dates set up for the coming week!  Even though they don't like going to school in the summer they like their teacher and their classmates!  I am so thankful for that!  Also, Abby's friend's parents invited us to try their church so we are going this weekend.   Good things ARE happening here.

Abby is doing great in gymnastics and seems to like it more every day!  Jake is starting golf lessons this week and is going to play Upward Basketball.   Also, because we are only 2 1/2 from the Coast we are going to go to the beach for a weekend during their break from school!  

WOW!  How was that for upbeat and positive!  God is good, no matter where we are!

Ok-I am finally posting on my blog!  There are several reasons why it has taken me so long to start.  One, I couldn't remember how to and second, I was so depressed after moving I didn't want to scare anyone away from my blog!  

Well, we have been in Raleigh now for almost 4 weeks.  It truly feels like 4 months!  We have had so many adjustments to make...as does anyone who moves.  I think school has been the biggest adjustment for our family.  We have not only started year round school, but it is multi-track year round school which means there are 4 different year round schedules for our school.  It is INSANE!!!  I think I could handle year round but I don't like that there are 4 different tracks.  It has made it really hard to meet kids in the neighborhood because there are so many different school schedules, not to mention the private schools, charter schools and magnet schools.  It is all too strange for this Alabama girl!!  BUT, the kids seem happy and are enjoying their teachers and their class.  As long as they are happy I can deal with the schedule...I guess!!

Even though I moved as a child I was not prepared emotionally for this move.  I thought I would be.  I thought I would be the ROCK for my family.  I thought I would allow God to help me.  I thought within no time we would have tons of friends.  I thought WRONG!  It has been so much harder for me than I thought it would be.  I long for my old life back!  I long for my friends and Abby and Jake's friends!  I long for Deer Valley!  It was so hard taking them to a different school on the first day, none of us knowing anyone.  There were no familiar faces anywhere to be found.  But, we survived it and we will continue to survive!  I have started leaning on God a lot more.  I should have from the beginning but I was a little mad at this whole situation.  I feel guilty for that, but I know he forgives me and has been waiting to help me!  I am now determined to have a good life here, yes deep down I hope desperately we will move back in a few years, but until then I want to make this work.  Keith works A LOT!  It took a me a few weeks to remember that this has been hard for him too..a new job, a new city, a new house, etc.   It hasn't been easy but we are making it!  God love him, he is helping as much as he can!

Abby and Jake are doing great!  The first week was rough for Abby.  Adjusting to a new gym was very difficult but that is much much better now.  The first week of school was really tough for Jake but that too is much better.  I am so proud of them!!  They are amazing!!  They are my Rock!

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