HOT July 4th

We decided to stay in for America's Birthday this year.  I think maybe next year, or even the year after - we'll venture out for the girls to see and hear the fireworks.  Late nights are a very rare thing here, maybe a few times a year...sitting outside in a huge crowd until 10 at night in the HOT, humid weather with two tired, sweaty children doesn't really sound appealing to us quite yet.  I have fond memories as a child of all the neighbors meeting up in the cul-de-sac to share all of the fireworks we all had.  It was always something I looked forward to, so I know when our girls are a little older, we'll certainly enjoy our July 4th holiday just the same.

We had friends over on Saturday for a cookout - great to see everyone and let all the kiddos run and play.  And my Mom was in town for the weekend to help me with Madelyn's curtains and get one last quick visit in before she heads out to the midwest to visit her family for a few weeks.

I finally pulled out my camera after moving in and got some cute pictures of the girls outside doing our "poppers" and having fun in our new big yard.  Emily officially started walking a few days ago, even barefoot in the grass - funny to see her determined expressions!

Movin' on...

I can honestly say that I do not wish to move again, unless we have movers who will get rid of our junk, take donations to Goodwill, clean, feed our children, AND pack us up, move our belongings, unpack our belongings and go to the grocery store the day after we move in.  Think there's anyone out there for that?
I am finally starting to regroup and feel settled in our home.  The week of June 18th is a blur...it was sad to pack up all of our family possessions (including our children!) and start fresh in a new home.  BUT - it's been great and we know it was one of the best decisions we've made for our family.

Before I go on - I have to send out some VERY special THANK YOUS to some very special people who helped in so many different ways.  We could not have made this move without BOTH of our Dads who worked way too hard, yes - both of you - who would've thought that our two biggest helpers would be a 50 something who survived a heart attack and a 60 something who survived cancer??!!  But they are our Dads and they are MARINES and in our eyes, they can do anything!  THANK YOU - WE LOVE YOU!!!
All of our friends - Kim & Kyle, Fred & Amber, Erica & Brian, Jake & Catherine - thanks for your blood, sweat and trucks!  We're so thankful for our friendship with you all - know we're here for you! :)

Whew - now onto our move, it was quick - but it took forever, if that makes sense.  Closing was hectic but we had the keys to our new  home by 4:00 on closing day and we were elated to have that part of it behind us.  We had that 26 footer loaded up in a few days and unloaded in about 6 hours...and the zebra truck was gone from our lives for good, thank God!

It took a few days but for the most part, we had boxes unloaded and things in place by the end of our first week here.  We love it - the girls love it - Kona loves it.  We have room to spread out and a great big yard for the girls and the dog to play in.  We feel very blessed to have been able to do this for our family in such "uncertain" financial times.  Things happen for a reason, and everything fell into place for everyone involved. 

    Holding zone moving week, HATED this!

Madelyn was such a helper!

So long zebra truck!

Our final destination:

Busch Gardens

This past Friday Ben took off work and we headed to Busch Gardens for the afternoon.  Sort of a celebration of the end of Madelyn's preschool year, and a day to have fun before we get down to moving and all the hassles associated with that.  We've been a few times this year and I know we'll go plenty more.  The girls love the Sesame Street area and seeing all their favorite characters.  We packed up lunch to eat when we got there, had plenty of snacks - but still ended up spending at least $50 on food and drinks.  I admit some of that was so Mommy and Daddy could enjoy a nice cold adult beverage!  Yes...Ben and I each had one beer, and we got one bottle of Gatorade for Madelyn - TWENTY dollars!!  But it was worth it - she was fascinated by her "blue juice" since that was a special treat for her - and we enjoyed our drinks while she was quiet with hers!!  HA  Emily loves to watch all the people, she can't really ride anything yet - but she loves to be pushed in the stroller and see all the different faces.  Not 5 minutes after we left for home, the girls were passed out in their seats.  It was a great day!!

Lunch in the truck before heading in...

Good-bye Dear Friends, Good-bye!

This was the final song in the end of year celebration at Madelyn's preschool - and if you know me - you know I cried as her sweet little hands waved good-bye and all the children sang farewell!  I still can't believe Madelyn has finished her first year of preschool, it's been so fun and she has so enjoyed it - we're so glad we made the decision to start her at Chester Presbyterian Preschool.  She loves her teachers and has made new friends, and so have I!  We're looking forward to a week of summer camp next week and then she'll start again in the fall.  I remember last year sitting through the orientation, feeling so nervous and wondering if we were doing the right thing for her - but it didn't take long to realize it WAS the right thing for her.  Here are a few pictures from the end of year performance and her last day...

My sunny, light filled dining room...

....in the previous post, has turned into a storage unit!!  The boxes are getting filled, there are stacks of "to be boxed", "to be donated", "to be trashed", everything is off the walls downstairs and the holes are patched, it officially looks like we are moving now!  ONE MONTH from today!  I am so thankful I don't have the pack-rat gene - while going through things and getting things wrapped up, I'm so glad we don't have a lot of STUFF!  It clutters my life and takes my focus away from the things that are important to me - my family!!!

We've finally gotten really excited about the move, there were a few weeks we were really stressed, and wondered when it would all be over...we had some repairs to make here for the new family moving in, some repairs we hoped would be taken care of at our new house, and of course - we've worked the numbers a zillion times - the scariest part.

I'm over my attachment to this house - it will always be so very special to us - so many wonderful memories, but we'll make many many more in our new home...and the next family that moves in will have wonderful moments here as well.  My friends have laughed at me when I called them crying that I was taking my girls away from their home, that I knew where all the lizards lived that Madelyn and I would hunt for, that we were leaving our favorite neighbors...I was an emotional mess!

One thing that helped me over the "attachment hump" was that I found out the couple moving in also has a little girl and I'm sure they appreciated Madelyn & Emily's rooms when they saw them.  I'm glad there will be another little girl running through the house with squeals and giggles.  It's been a great house for us, and it will be for it's new family as well!

Madelyn is in her last few days of preschool - only 3 days left after today.  Then she'll be in the preschool summer camp, which works out great since I'll be able to get some last minute packing done the week before we move.  Emily's session at Romp N Roll is about to end as well, it's been so fun to be with her there - special time for the two of us to play :)

Will post more soon!!!

Spring days

We have really been enjoying all this nice weather.  We've done some planting at home, spread some mulch, moved a tree growing in a flower bed to a sunny new location.  If and when we ever move, I'll sure miss my flowers here, I've put in so much time and care - if I knew we were staying, I'd do a whole lot more...just because I love it!  Here's a picture of lilacs I cut to bring inside, the house smelled so pretty for a few days.  This was taken in our dining room, which is in the front of the house and faces the east.  The morning light is amazing in there, I love how warm and crisp the pictures are in that room...

ps...I think this is my new favorite picture!!

We've really had our hands in the dirt lately!  The girls really love being outside, and I love getting pictures of them outside.  We spent a day out at Mimi and Grandpa's house in Amelia - what a fun afternoon.  Madelyn helped "chop" the dirt with the hoe, spread some seeds with Mimi, and she and Grandpa did some mowing on the tractor and planted some more.  It was a beautfiul day to spend together.  It was just the girls and I - Ben has been at work nonstop with the turnaround going on.

We've had several showings on our house - seems like at least once a week Shelly calls to schedule a showing.  But no offers yet...which isn't too big of deal seeing as we don't HAVE to move, we're just in need of  more space.

The girls and I are staying busy with Ben working...playdates and outtings.  Dinners have been quick...and bedtimes couldn't come early enough!  I am so blessed to have these two wonderfully behaved girls - but some days I look forward to nothing more than 8:00 when I can sit on my butt listening to...QUIET!!!  I'm looking forward to a girls day at a wine festival this weekend here in Chester.  We didn't make it last year, Emily was just 2 weeks old and I certainly wasn't thinking of indulging in all the yummy wines Virginia has to offer...well, OK, yes - I WAS thinking of it!!  But it's suppose to be nice weather and I'm in much need of some girly ADULT time :)

Here are a few pictures from our day of gardening at Mimi and Grandpa's house:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY!

It just doesn't seem like Emily is one year old already!  I remember her arrival like it was yesterday...labor was easy - I laughed and texted and talked with Ben.  It was going so fast until I had my epidural at 8 cm. and then it halted...if I would've known that, I probably would've skipped the epidural all together!  But she made her way out into the world, screaming LOUD and quivering her little bottom lip.  She was small and so itty bitty and I felt TRUE love all over again.  AND again when Ben brought Madelyn in to meet her later...and we all cried together - it was such an awesome moment the four of us shared. 

Happy Birthday Em - you are loved more than you know!