Hello Missouri

When pioneers moved to the west, with courage strong they met the test...

These last few weeks we have pushed ourselves to the limits: cleaning the house, painting the walls, unpacking boxes, preparing talks, settling in.... but we have found a lot of things to pull us through: a new house to call our own; new friends to meet at the park, have over for dinner or play some games; cable tv :) (though I have yet to actually catch one food challenge or allow the children to surf the channels); cooler weather; all the major stores bunched on just one street; the beautiful green trees and endless rolling hills (the children are a chorus of wheeeeeee's as we drive along); the super cool parks; and last, but not least FAMILY! What a blessing to be able to send the kids to Aunt Heidi's while we cleaned, painted and prepared the house for them. Of course, there's never enough time (or money) to do it all, but the kids were delighted as we brought them back on the Fourth of July and welcomed them home.

Here it is: 2425 Camel Back Rd

Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

Lindsey and Aimee went straight for the flowers.

so pretty!

My favorite part is the kitchen bar (although I love our new table behind it!) The kids and I feel like it's a diner, "may I take your order?!"

But, nothing is more exciting than having your very own room and even better, a brand new bed. (If only we had enough) After much deliberation about who to have downstairs, we decided that Lindsey and Aimee needed the space, while Elise would really enjoy the privacy of a smaller room upstairs. I was worried when Lindsey walked in and saw Elise run to her room and bounce on her bed in the pretty pink room and then listened to Nathan oooh and aaaah about the bunk beds in his smoky blue room, and then scooted down the stairs to her pink and purple room to see this......Lindsey's brand new bed. :)

But, she loved it! :) She dove onto the blankets and squealed with joy: "Mom, I LOVE my brand new bed!" She rolled around admiring the pink and purple walls while I laughed at her simple delight for her bed, or the obvious lack thereof. :) Won't she be surprised when Jim gets a paycheck and she gets a real bed?! :)

The best part of all is having family to share it with (although I bemoan the fact that my friends don't get to come and see it!). :(

uncle Andy and Baker

I think the best discovery so far (aside from some really cool people we've met) is the library. WOW -this is the best library I've ever seen for kids. There is a children's section about half the size of the entire Oviedo library and it comes with a wii, computers to work on, a puppet showcase to play with and a play center for the children that promises happiness on those wintry days ahead.

Katie

Griffith

I was able to quickly return the favor and watch my sister's children while she prepared for a letter boxing convention and the arrival of my parents (who are house hunting in St. Louis!). It's funny the comments you get as people see seven little children pile out of Heather's monster white van. "What do you DO with all those children?" "How do you do it?!" and really, I think that's not so hard as the real question: "What do I FEED all those children?!!!!!" :) You can see the start of the day with a line of cups and a PILE of french toast sticks!

We made fairy puff cookies found at the back of the fairy book Elise checked out from the library. Here are the little fairies rolling the dough, we all got a good laugh at this picture because of Nathan's new nose. :)

TA-DA!

And now that we have settled in, it's time to take off. We are headed to Idaho for a family reunion next week. So while the kids are playing, I've been packing.... each row represents a child and each column is a day of the week (mon - sun, and pjs).

The challenge is to take all that and fit it into the smallest space possible (we are aiming for carry ons to avoid the luggage fees)! It reminds me a bit of my talk last Sunday. It was on Romans 1:16 (for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ...). I realized one night that it's not so much that we will be ashamed of what we say about the gospel in this life as the things we don't say. I then compared that to our move and the fact that though I'd packed all of our life into neat, little boxes we soon realized that not everything would fit in the truck. In the end we were left deciding if we wanted to keep the dresser or the night stands, the generator or the kitchen chairs, etc. And that is just like life. Sometimes we fill our lives with conversation and details, while the things we value most are left on the side wondering if they will fit. Even thought it's so clear to me, it's still a challenge to make things fit as they should. And, I learned the hard way (through this talk experience) that everything fits best when you are focused on Christ and led by the Spirit.

That talk kept me pretty focused (if not worried) last week. But, I've still had a lot of "what to do?" moments since I've been here. We've unpacked down to six boxes and have left it at that. The pictures are still waiting to be hung by the chimney with care.... ( Oh Ruth, you are my inspiration!). :) But my momentum died and I knew we just had to get outside because the kids are wandering around, wondering what to do with themselves. If I think about it too hard, I tear up and miss knowing where I am and what to do that day (the aquatic center, beach or friends) and then I miss my friends and Allison with a vengence and I know the kids are all missing her too.

At least it's easier for me because I can chat with my friends on the phone, but we worried how the kids would do. They've actually done quite well talking on the phone (Elise always goes to her room and shuts the door). :) I know Elise enjoys it. Of course, it's helped alot to have Katie and Baker here. That's instant entertainment, although I've no idea how they keep running late into the night and still wake up so early?

You'd think the stairs would wipe them out. After a few hours on our first night home, Lindsey sat down in my lap and confessed, "Mom my legs hurt from all that walking!" :) Ahh, the joys of youth. It's all fun and games until someone knocks over Griffith (Heather's little one). And so our day ends and today I've managed to fit in a few thoughts on the blog before we take off for a bit. I'm very excited about this reunion because it will be a real vacation for us. I can't work on the house and Jim will be away from the office. Here's to some fun family bonding and the hopes that it won't take a month before I blog about it. :)

Goodbye Florida

As we crossed each state line on our drive to Cape Girardeau, the kids and I would say goodbye to the state we left (Goodbye Florida -goodbye Allison, goodbye Miss Krista and Mr. Dale, good bye Stephanie, Ruth and the boys, good bye beaches and brusters, good bye alligators, palm trees and flip flops) then we would say hello to the new state for all we knew about it -first Georgia, then Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and finally Missouri (Hello Missouri, hello Cape Girardeau and our new home, hello Aunt Heidi and Uncle Andy, Katie, Baker and Griffith, hello new job, new friends and a new life).

Although we say goodbye for now, it's not for long. We may just follow the birds south for the winter. :) Until then...

goodbye house, goodbye friends

goodbye fun that never ends.

Goodbye Brusters, goodbye shared meals

goodbye to the Villreals. :)

Goodbye sunshine, goodbye river run,

Goodbye Disney, we had lots of fun.

Goodbye wild animals, goodbye gators,

goodbye magic kingdom, we'll catch you later

Goodbye Treasure Island,

goodbye beach,

Living here was such a treat!

I'm still so sad to realize that Krista is not right outside my door, Stephanie and Ruth aren't right down the road and everything I love is so far, far away. I hold on to the quote "If I am in your thoughts then I'm closer than I'll ever be" and then, I keep thinking. I love you all.

The things you miss....

It's a little crazy at times with Jim gone, but I'd take the chaos any day over being the one away from home. Because as much as I'm dying to sneak out on my own, it's hard to be the one on the phone thinking about all the things you miss....

...The Sun 'N Fun primary activity which quickly turned into a wet and wild party as it started to POUR five minutes after the we started. ...The most amazing thunderstorms and some good ol' Florida flooding.

...Stephanie Nixon huddling with the girls to stay dry
while Nathan danced in the rain.

...Nathan's wild hair day (to say nothing of his personality) at school.

...Nathan rifling through legos for twenty minutes and then placing this creation the desk, "Don't let any one see this! It's the start of Annikan." :)

...Nathan's piano performance at the talent show.

...our biggest fans!
...getting ready for the big day!
...our little dancing queen.

...watching your little girls grow. (whose feet in Lindsey's shoes?!)

..."heee, heee, heee"

"Look at me!"

..."Tickle Me!"

...."Nigh, Night daddy, I love you!"

And just when you think everyone's in bed, Aimee need's a pacifier, Lindsey needs more water in a sippy cup, Elise has a dot on her finger that itches and Nathan has a million questions in his head he just has to get out..."What if daddy doesn't find a house for us in Missouri?" "We'll live in our van." "How will we change clothes?" "We won't. Isn't that fun? And when it rains, we'll step outside for a shower!" "Where will I play legos?" "We'll keep the legos under your seat and when it's not raining, we'll find a parking lot, pull them out and play." "Oh, well, I guess it I'd like to live in the van." "Great!" :) ....."But, I'm not sure what I want to be when I grow up." "That's okay, you've got eons to think about it." "Do you think they'll have a new job for me?"

..."If I die and you give my kidneys to someone else, what will happen when I am resurrected? Will I not have kidneys? " "I'm sure God will find them for you" "How will they take my kidney's out?" "Nathan! No one is taking your kidneys, so go to bed!" (this came after making cookies one night and explaining he can't eat the dough because he'll get salmonella poisoning which could make him very sick and then his kidneys would fail and he'd have to get new ones and have an IV and every other not fun thing in life) :) "Then why does Mr. Dale get to eat some?" (because Dale just happened to come in right AFTER my explanation and snitch his favorite part of the cookie -the dough) "Because he's an adult and our big bodies can handle it."

So many questions, so little time. "Mom, can I see what you're typing?" "Nope, go to bed." And now, it's a good night. Aaaah, take a moment to enjoy the silence. I'm off to a very inviting queen size bed with the softest sheets that I get all to myself! But, I do miss you Jim. :) Life isn't the same without you and I'm sorry for all the things you miss.

You're a mean mom

Sunday, May 17, 2009
It’s deliciously hot outside. I love it. Yesterday I went to check the mail and was lured to lay on the driveway and bake like a cookie in the oven. Elise decided she’d rather be one of the cookies in the freezer. :) Not me, I love feeling all toasty from the outside in.

After Elise’s recital yesterday, we got our summer pool pass to the aquatic center and spent an hour splashing about in the cool water –what a treat. Elise did so well in her recital. I was so proud of her. Nathan was riveted and wiped his eyes after seeing her performance. “That was my favorite one,” he declared in her honor. That made me happy to see his support and love for her. Especially since most the time, lately, they are teasing, rolling eyes and sticking out tongues.

Elise wondered why she got flowers last year…. and I melted, of course. “Oh sweetie, I just didn’t get a chance to slip away and surprise you with Daddy not being here to watch the kids.” “I could go with you….” She softly suggested. How could I resist. Off we went to Walmart because I needed milk anyway and we arrived home with four beautiful roses (one for each girl), a hot wheels car (because Nathan does NOT want flowers!), and a box of pop tarts since it was such a special day. We chose the box with the most fiber and the least amount of sugar and I told them we wouldn’t be indulging like this at every recital. :)

Nathan had surgery last Monday. He had a skin tag poking out his backside which was understandably uncomfortable for him. It was supposed to be a quick snip, cauterize and off we go. The anesthesia made him so loopy, it was weird to watch as he slowly went off to la la land. The doctor informed me that he had to do sutures, but not to worry, they would dissolve. The surgery took about five minutes and forty minutes later I got to see Nathan recover happily with a purple popsicle. After going through two more, he was off to the bathroom to pee so we could go home. There he experienced his first real sensation of pain and cried for about five minutes before I could convince him to stop trying and to lie back on the bed.

Tylenol was the best they could give him and away we went. Around 2:30 in the afternoon Nathan had to REALLY go to the bathroom. He spelled it out for me, “Mom I have to go p-o-o-p-y!” It sounded more like he was going to have a baby than just a visit to the restroom. He screamed for about ten minutes solid, while I called the doctor a little frantic about the fact that Nathan was in so much pain. They could do nothing, of course. So, after what felt like he “broke a bone” inside and much screaming, he finished what he started and went to recover (completely drenched in sweat) with an episode of toot and puddle (how appropriate). :)

Well, now it’s Sunday and Nathan still cries every time he has to go. I kept him home for two days thinking he’d be okay by Thursday. However, he’s still bleeding, crying and now he’s just plain not going. He keeps wishing he’d never gotten his skin tag off as he’s dealing with his first bout of prolonged pain (hindsight is 20/20… ha, ha). I wish he hadn’t done it either since it takes him about45 minutes in the bathroom, the most part of which he’s crying out for me to be with him. We were 40 minutes late to church this morning so he could try. I bet everyone thought it was because I couldn’t get the four kids going by myself. I did get two invitations to dinner (Thanks Ruth and Jana). :) Of course, we couldn’t accept either because we are waiting for the inevitable moment where Nathan REALLY has to go.

Jim took off for Missouri on Tuesday. He arrived Wednesday, settled Thursday, prepped for his class Friday and Saturday and is checking out the wards today. As busy as he is, it’s probably not enough. He misses us and we all miss him too. Aimee is such a daddy’s girl, she asks for him every day. Yesterday she said, “I miss daddy. Daddy’s at work.” I’ve only been scared once: at 2 am, when Lindsey dragged herself across the living room in her leg braces instead of simply calling out to me to go to the bathroom. I’ve learned to lock the doors while it’s still light outside and go to bed at a decent hour.

Aimee was so cute today in pig tails, I could just eat her up! She has a new trick. If you ask her how old she is she’ll say, “two.” Then, if you ask her her name, she’ll say, “two.” It works the other way too. If you ask her her name, she’ll say, “Aimee.” Then, if you ask her how old she is, she’ll say, “Aimee.” That’s her daddy’s girl! :)

Monday, May 18, 2009 “you’re a mean mom!”
This morning I made the usual Monday breakfast of muffins and eggs. The eggs must be eaten first. Lindsey took one look at the table and declared she wanted cereal. “Tough!” I said and kept cooking. “You’re a mean mom!” she let me know as she huffed away from the table. Realizing it had no affect on me whatsoever, she came back and said it a little louder. “Hmph!” was followed by the chant, “you’re a mean mom. You’re a mean mom. You’re a mean mom!” I smiled when Elise and Nathan both came to my rescue, knowing full well it would only be a matter of days, if not hours before they, too, took up the chant and let everyone know just how mean I am!

Krista bought me twilight and new moon to complete my collection! That was a very sweet surprise to my day.