Well, life takes changes sometimes that you don't anticipate. It never ceases to amaze me how little it seems to matter all the planning we as humans do because in reality things seldom turn out the way we planned:) It's not a bad thing. If life were always predictable there wouldn't be much adventure to it now would there? A lot has happen since I blogged last (granted...it has been quite a while).
We enjoyed a nice Christmas. My parents came for 2 weeks from Arizona (& stayed with us in our 2 bedroom trailer for a big chunk of that time...). We found a house we like (a little further than we were anticipating from Trev's work, but that's ok). We also put the kids in school. Results are not in yet on how all of this is working out, but all of life is a process.

The house is 135 years old! It has a tons of character as you can see from the picture. There is a lot to be done (soffit, facia, windows, siding, drywall, paint, carpet just to name a few) but we are in no hurry to move in, so my goal is to try & enjoy the process (please pray;) & to help Trevor to remain as stress free as possible throughout (big job).

The kids are doing pretty well with going to school. We've had a couple of small issues, but for the most part they are adjusting. I am not always thrilled with the new phrases & whatnot they have picked up, but I fully anticipated this. The jury is still out on whether or not I like the school system here. We were spoiled before with (in my opinion) an awesome school, so this is taking some time for all of us. I do enjoy volunteering in their classrooms though & I'm glad I have the opportunity to do so.

I am attempting to plug in more socially. This has been the biggest challenge for me with the move. I LOVE my friends "back home" but I am trying to forge friendships here. I am taking a weekend trip with some women from church this month that will hopefully springboard this effort. When we are finished with the house it will be nice to be able to "entertain" & get to know people that way.

I have been doing (among other things) a study on Proverbs & I am amazed at all the practical teaching offered there (ok, Solomon was blessed with wisdom so it stands to reason). I have put many of the proverbs on index cards & have been reading them with my kiddos at different times. My fav so far is Proverbs 7:20-23:

My son, keep your father's commands
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

²¹ Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck.

²² When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.

²³ For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light,

Fall in Michigan is one of my favorite things but it has been so rainy this year! On dry occasions we have been enjoying the changing colors. We have woods right in our backyard now so it's been nice to get out and enjoy the cooler temps and the beautiful scenery. The kids (& sometimes Mom) always seem to come home with our hands or pockets laden with treasures (leaves, stones, sticks, acorn tops....).

Since I am homeschooling now it's nice that we can take advantage of the days that are nice. We can get outside on a "fieldtrip" and go to the park or nature reserve & walk trails. I can also dictate when recess begins & ends depending on how much of a break I need;)
I would say that we are ajusting some to the move we have made. I still have no idea when or where we will buy a house and honestly I am in no hurry. Have I mentioned how much I dislike moving? It really is a pain.Maybe in the spring I will get the itch, Trevor has already started looking (he cannot help himself).

I miss all my friends & our old Pointe Group, but we have joined a small group here and I am trying to be excited about it. I need community. I am praying the Lord will continue to help me on the journey and I know He will. It's hard to be patient sometimes and wait to see what He is going to do. I have a feeling that there are a lot of new "adventures" in store for us but right now we're just waiting. It's not all bad. Before, I based what I did each day on what I wanted; who I wanted to see & what I wanted to do. Now, life is definetely more centered on the kids. We stay home a lot more now (obviously). When we do get out it's to the library or to do something "school" related. I am finding that I can appreciate the little things more now that I am not busying myself so much. Sometimes I get a bit stir crazy though!

Moving on

Well, I really meant to post about this weeks ago, but alas, life gets in the way. Anyone who knows me already knows that we are in the middle of moving. Trevor has accepted a job as the Facilities Manager at our old church....we're going "home." I know that "home" is supposed to create all sorts of warm feelings & that people always look forward to "home" but the thing is that "home" to me is right here. We have been here 10 years. We had our kids here, the best friends anyone could ask for are here, a school my kids adore, a great church, a home I could grow old in & the world's most perfect climbing tree right out our back door. Admittedly it's after midnight & I am feeling a bit melancholy but sympathize with me here...I'm coming off of a wonderfully planned "good-bye open house" that our Pointe Group threw for us & that was attended by most of the people I have come to love & adore over the past 10 years. Trev leaves directly from the party so he can be get a good nights sleep for work tomorrow, I bring the kids home and put them to bed then proceed to read all the sappy cards we got from the party. I follow that by watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (including the deleted scenes & gag reel)... Kind of a recipe for depression. In my head I say "It's only an hour and a half away", "It's a good move for us", "there will be a lot of ministry opportunities"...on & on, but at this moment I just feel sadness & loss. Let's pray tonights sleep will bring tomorrows hope.
If you read this, say a prayer for me. Pray that my heart would be at peace, that I would feel secure in the relationships I have built here that suddenly feel so fragile, that I would have the confidence to forge new ones, that Caleb & Moriah would adjust well, that Trevor would feel my support, love his new job, be good at it and that our house would sell quickly.
Thanks for caring enough to read to the bottom... good night!

Twice a Year Plan

OK, Some of you know that I am on the twice a year plan for haircuts. For some reason they are just not a priority to me. It's not that I don't like it when my hair gets cut or that I have an aversion to styling it a certain way. It's just one of those things that I have good intentions about, but that I struggle with keeping up with...kind of like this blog:) I have such good intentions about blogging & keeping a record of our lives out there in cyber space, but for some reason....it obviously has not become a priority to me. Don't get me wrong, I am not feeling guilty about this. I have been living and breathing and chasing kids same as always, just not documenting it in this way. So, here's the deal. It may be another 3 months before I update or it may be tomorrow...you'll have to keep checking to find out. Here's what we've been up to lately:

Schools out and summer is in full swing. Caleb is reading tons, but gets bored easily. He is excited about 3rd grade. He wants to play basketball and he's a pretty good little bowler. We have been enjoying park days & free bowling (thanks to www.kidsbowlfree.com ). We have a trip to Grandma's planned as well as some swimming excursions & other small activities. Moriah is the same devilish sweetheart who would rather ask forgiveness than ask permission...she just thinks she can do whatever she wants! She made 7 Fathers Day cards for Trev (what a crafter;). She is very excited about her first grade teacher & already misses everyone from kindergarten.

Trevor & I have been doing a lot of projects around the house. This weekend we are painting the hallway. This sounds like something we could do in a couple of hours, but no. We first had to repair the walls with drywall mud, then sand & prime.We had to paint the ceiling. Next we had to remove all the handles (we have 6 doors in our hallway) & paint all the doors (3x) and all the trim (including the chair rail). Unfortunately I picked a very dark brown for under the chair rail, which is proving to be a nightmare to cut in (please do not ask Trevor if he taped it off first or suggest that he do so...this conversation would not go well). This will need 2 coats. When we are finished with the bottom, we will move on to the cream color for the top then put on the new handles & hinges...who knew a hallway could be so much trouble! On top of our remodeling woes (& no our basement is not finished yet...don't get me started) I just found out that we need 4 new tires for Trev's truck...anyone want to loan me $450? (Just kidding, please don't comment & offer me money).

I have to send a shout out to Nikki who is responsible for the family pic at the top of this blog. We have been in need of a nice family photo for a long while & I am so grateful that she was able to help up out...budding photographer that she is! It was my desire to post this pic that encouraged me to post today, so I guess I have Nikki to thank for getting me off my duff & back into blog world too!

Catch up time!

******************Ok, I seem to be getting worse at this instead of better! Yes...it has really been over a month since I posted last. Since we've cyber chatted last a lot has happened. Among other things we've had yet another round of sickness (of the stomach variety this time...joy). Moriah won 1st place for design at the AWANA Grand Prix. Caleb won a ride on the Zambonie at the hockey game (very cool for a 7 year old). My husband performed his first (& hopefully last) eulogy & I am another year older (29...again:)

I want to send a shout out to my Sister in Law who is now a homeowner...way to go Alisha! WooHoo (hopefully you can be done with the remodeling by summers end:)

I also want to thank my awesome friends who took me out to a great lunch today...YUM! I love you guys & I appreciate how special you all make me feel:)

The weather is awesome & I spent over 2 hours cleaning out my car & my husbands truck today (we'll see how long it takes him to notice). It is so nice to be able to be outside & not freeze! Moriah has a school performance tomorrow night that sounds really cute & fun, so I'm sure I will post about that soon...TaTa for now

Oh I'm SICK of SICKNESS!

You know when you are in the midst of an illness that seems to drag on & on & on? Only you cannot get the rest you need because instead of being cared for, you are caring for those around you whose sufferings demand to be eased. You are constantly answering a cry for help, for medicine, for snuggles, for attention? There are those who unconscionably will cough in your face & wipe their icky noses upon your robe. Whose constant complaints of sore throats, tummies, heads & bodies drown out your own inward cries for relief. Who will crawl upon your bed at any hour or stand and hover over you whilst you attempt to snatch a moment of rest? If you have any recollection of such occurrences in your home you can be sure of one thing only in the midst of your ailment...you are a Mom:)

Birthday Girl

Moriah is 6 today! Before we went to bed last night we filled her room with balloons & hung streamers in her door. When she woke up this morning she ran in my room saying "Mommy, there are so many balloons I can't even walk in my room...they're everywhere!"
She wanted to have a tea party yesterday and I suggested we wait until today. Little did she know, I had already invited some friends from Kindergarten to come for the occasion. Moriah thought it was just going to be her & I, but then friends just kept showing up:) She actually thought it was coincidental, lol!
We are going to Grandpa & Grandma's on Sunday to have a cake & ice cream party with family, but this was a nice way to usher in her actual Birthday.
I cannot believe my baby is 6 years old! Time passes so quickly. I pray for her continually that she will grow to be a young lady after God's own heart. That she will love Him more with each passing year. She is such a blessing to me & I appreciate having her in my life. Happy Birthday Moriah Riah, I love you with all my heart!