On the Road At Last!

Well folks, we are officially on the road, heading across the country!  I'm not going to lie, things got off to a pretty shaky start, but we are definitely having fun, and everyone is sleeping soundly now, so tomorrow should be better.  :)

So far we have made it to our first destination, Fort Worth, Texas.  The drive from New Mexico to Texas was the longest of our trip, so we had the GENIUS idea to drive through the night so that the kids could sleep the whole way. Then we would arrive in the morning, and everyone would be happy and wonderful.  This was possibly our worst idea ever.

We left at midnight Sunday night (Monday morning?), and let's just say that our kids apparently are not able to get good sleep in the car after being awakened in the middle of the night.  There was screaming and stopping and nursing and crying and stopping and whining and...until about 4:30 or 5 in the morning.  They finally did fall asleep, but by 6:30 a.m. it was time for us to stop and get breakfast, so then everyone was up again.

After breakfast, we were still about 2.5 hours away, but we thought it would be an easy drive.  Everyone was so wiped out, we thought for sure they would go back to sleep and we could just head straight there.  Well, no such luck.  We must have stopped four times in the first 30 minutes on the road.  But eventually we made it, safe and sound, and had a good time getting some things done in Fort Worth.  We then had a picnic lunch, and headed to the hotel to unload, wind down, and take a nice afternoon nap.

I will have more pictures to share for sure, but here is a peak at what my kids are up to when they are not running wild in Target, chasing ants out on the lawn, or throwing a temper tantrum from their sheer exhaustion:

Yes, they are indeed playing the piano in our hotel room.  They were SO delighted to "play" and sing all afternoon.  And I'm sure the other guests are just as delighted, haha!  Can't wait to see what other fun surprises this adventure holds!!

Cleaning House

One of the great things about moving is having the opportunity to clean out the clutter.  And with this move, that is just what we intend to do.  Of course, this time, it's out of necessity really.  But it still feels good to clean out boxes that have not been opened in years.

Over the past two weeks I have spent everyday sorting boxes into trash, yard sale, keep.  Because we just don't have the space to take very much with us, I would estimate that for every 3 boxes I unpack, we keep about a box (or less).  Although I really have no idea if all my hard work is even good enough yet.  I guess we will have to see if everything we have left fits in the moving truck next week!

It has been amazing to see the kinds of things that you come across when you go through every single box.  There are boxes that have not been opened in years.  So far, I have discovered countless school notebooks and textbooks (from high school and college), every single card we received for our wedding, a box of kitchen mixing bowls and decor that has been missing since we moved from Virginia to Texas (3 years ago), and my retainer, obviously being put to good use (oops! sorry mom and dad!).

Although it was difficult at first to put so many things in the yard sale pile, it feels SO GOOD to have so much junk cleared out!  And I know when we get to where we're going it will feel good to have everything cleaned out and organized.  

Here's a glimpse of our yard sale pile so far.  You really can't see how much is there, but trust me, it's a lot.  I'll get some better pictures this weekend once we have everything set up.  I think it's going to be fun!  Although, it will also be exhausting.  But that's ok, we can rest when it's over, haha!

I just hope it's not too hot.  But around here, that is probably wishful thinking, especially considering the high for this weekend is 108 degrees.  Too bad we don't have a tent to put over everything to keep it shaded!  Oh well, guess we'll just lather on the sunscreen.  : )

You Know Your Two-Year-Old Watches Too Much TV When...

These are probably not things that I should admit, but I have started to see and hear some things from my lil' pumpkin that indicate to me that she might watch too many cartoons.  Or it could be that she just has an incredible memory, and applies everything that she sees and hears on TV to her everyday life.

But more likely, it's the former.  If you are unfamiliar with children's programming these days, you might not recognize these references, but here goes.

I know my daughter watches too much TV when:

She refers to the burgers we're eating for dinner as Krabby patties.

She quotes Dora the Explorer on the drive to church, and I feel like I've just watched an entire episode.

She walks around the house singing, "This...is...serious..."

At nap time I say, "Do you know what time it is?" and she responds, "Time to build a word!"

She refers to the fox we saw at the zoo as "That sneaky fox."

She and her brother will stand in the kitchen and "crazy shake."

We watch an episode of Wonder Pets and she says, "Momma, wonder pets have to save the bird!"  before the Wonder Pets have even figured that out themselves.

And my favorite:

When I smiled at her and said, "Sweetie, you make my heart feel SUPER happy!" she responded in chinese.

Good thing we're about to sell our TV!  I think it's about time we took a break from her Nick Jr. "friends," and started reading more books!!  : )

Moving Stinks, But...

Moving stinks.

But at least we are getting to see and experience lots of different parts of the country.

Moving stinks.


But at least this time we will be moving closer to our family.


Moving stinks.

But at least we have the opportunity to clean out lots and LOTS of clutter, and sort through boxes that have not been touched in years.

Moving stinks.

But at least other people can benefit by us selling and giving away all of our stuff.

Moving stinks.

But at least we will get to meet even more amazing people and make new friends.

Moving stinks.


But at least my babies are small, and not fazed in the slightest by the fact that we are moving for the fifth time in four years.


Moving stinks.

But at least we have the opportunity to make a fresh start.  And we're pretty excited about that!

This is How We Play

So because my babies are still pretty young, they don't really play "together" much.  Or really at all.  Mostly they just play near each other.  Pumpkin and Bubba play some, and sometimes they talk to Baby Doll or make faces at her, but in general, they do their own thing.  So as far as all THREE of them sitting and playing together goes, this is as close as we get.  It's still incredibly cute though!

Considering they already have some much fun with each other, I know they are going to LOVE playing together as they get older!  I'm looking forward to watching how their interaction and "play" changes as they continue to grow.  :)

The Adventure Continues

A lot has been happening around here lately.  Some challenges, lots of prayer, and some very difficult decisions.

The bottom line?  We are leaving New Mexico.

And so, the adventure that is my life continues.

We didn't plan things this way.  We never intended to be here in this desert state for a mere six months.  But this was God's plan all along.  Therefore, I'm ok with it.  That doesn't make picking up and leaving any easier, and it doesn't make saying goodbye to some truly wonderful people and friends any less painful, but sometimes certain seasons in life and your time with the people you meet there, is just short.

I don't really know if I can express the varied range of emotions I feel about our decision, but trust me, I have felt every emotion in the book in the past month.  I'm definitely heartbroken to be leaving our church.  But I am also excited about the future.  What exactly the future holds, I'm not sure, but I am excited to see what's in store!

What I do know, is that we are about to embark on a great adventure.  Well, I hope it will be great anyway!  At the end of June we are packing up, loading up, and hitting the road.  We are going to make our way across the country until we get home to Virginia.

Yes, we are driving all 1,960 miles with three small children, in a car that barely fits the five of us, much less all five of us plus luggage.    

But we're going to make it, and we're SO EXCITED!!!  We will get to see lots of friends and family along the way, and then we will get to spend some much needed time at home, where we have not been in TWO AND A HALF YEARS.

And after that?  Well, I'll keep you posted.  ;)

Right now, we're focused on hitting the road, relaxing on the beach, playing with our babies, and spending time with family.  I can't wait to share our adventure with you!!