Transition

We have been moved for about a week and a half so far. The packing itself went well, well that it is over. We had twice as much as they anticipated, so it took all day on Saturday. It was too late to make the whole 5 hour drive that evening, so we took a break along the way. Kevin began work on the 6th, and I think the transition is going well. He is actually in DC this week for some training, but hopefully after that there will be minimal travel. We even made it to his company's Christmas party at the Museum of Science and Technology in Syracuse. It was fun, I was thankful to have some ready babysitters, and excited to take the kids there in the near future.

The kids are doing well with the transition, they really enjoy being around family, and love the country. Daniel exclaimed in amazement that he loves seeing the stars, the moon, and the country. I am adjusting to country living again, with all the snow, and space, and slight culture shock. I also have been facing the fact my mom is not with us, not being around all the time has allowed me to push that fact aside, but now I am dealing with it. There is a lot around here to remind me of her, and how proud she would be to have us here finally. With that, and us getting all the paperwork for the home, getting Christmas preparations still, it has been full week and a half.

Noah is a trooper, taking a break whenever he needs to! He is also enjoying all the extra attention.

Here are the cousins...look at those smiles.
Beau has found some very fun, and reasonable, indoor playgrounds. We got a chance to venture out to some of them yesterday, although the snow this week will keep us indoors for a while.

My thoughts and hearts are with my New England friends, and I am thanful for Facebook, blogs, phone calls, and e-mails, to know what is going on in all your lives. I also know that this was the right decision, and am praying for guidance and direction as we are still in transition, looking for where God wants us as we are out here now. We are looking forward to the holidays with the Gagnier family in New Bedford, and for all the future special occasions in our new home too. Also, as a discaimer, I won't be sending out Christmas cards this year, but please keep me on your lists, and I am going to try to get a New Year card out sometime in the new year, and with our new address.

Moving right along

I am not liking this moving thing. Kevin is a pro. He is packing and getting things physically ready. I am working more on the emotional side. As we say bye to friends I have made over the past 7 or so years, I know each of them have been in my life for a reason, and I am so thankful for them.

Kayleen came over and celebrated an early Christmas with us and the kids. I got some flannel directly from Michigan, and am thankful for the friend who taught me some of the basics of motherhood just as I was getting started. I have loved watching her grow in her faith, and watching God move in her.

I met my friend Angela at the mall today, she is an amazing woman of God who looks to Him in every situation. I have enjoyed her friendship, her prayers, and it seemed as we shared our lives together our struggles were parallel, and we knew that God directed both of us.
Here Kevin and I are celebrating our anniversary at the Top of the Hub, we braved Boston one final time. It was amazing to look onto the city and spend time with Kevin as we reflected on our time here, and what is to come.
A little out of order, but Noah is so cute.
We all got dressed up, here is a good family photo from this past weekend.
This is Bill, the trash man. We have had an interesting friendship only seeing him on Mondays, but it was a blessing watching the kids say hi to him, the gifts that he gave, and as we first moved to Lowell, he was a precious constant. His family has had some health issues, and now I don't think I can pass a garbage truck without sending up a prayer for him.
It is going to be a whirlwind of a week, but here is a precious clip from church this past weekend. Rachel was a pro at the singing and hand motions, Daniel said he didn't really like all the people looking at him, but I have a feeling this is going to become a family classic.

Changes

It has been a longer while since updating this post, because lots is going on! Kevin got a job in NY, we are leaving in two weeks, and we got a house in NY. So pretty crazy. Kevin is doing a great job of packing, I am doing well trying to keep out of his way to do the things he needs to do.

We will really miss the church, and the kids have been enjoying Rainbows on Wednesday nights. We have been learning about spiritual gifts on Wednesdays for the adults, and it is funny that was the same teaching I received when we first moved here almost eight years ago.

We took some time to enjoy the zoo this week. I love watching the excitement with the kids as they see the animals and explore.
Kayleen went with us, she spoiled the kids with some delicious lollipops.
Noah totally sugar high-ed.
It's not a real wolf, but the kids really enjoyed it none the less.
This week is our anniversary and Thanksgiving. We are going to continue on the packing and saying good-bye theme, and go out on Friday night to the Top of the Hub for an anniversary dinner and a night on the town. I am Thankful for a husband who likes to organize and pack, a wonderful 8 year marriage, and for God leading us in this new way!

Trees and Pees

Howdy Partner...

Noah has been playing very well with Daniel's train set...so far he can only be Rosie, but I am thinking Noah may need to have train characters of his own. He makes the noises, and stays on the tracks and everything.
The rest of the blog will be devoted to the trees and pees. When Daniel was learning the potty training, it took a while for us to teach him to go outside. Now he does it everywhere, when I least expect it. Here he is with his little brother watching at the cemetery...any suggestions? To my credit, I was on the other side of the rock, and didn't know what he was doing until I came around the corner. Maybe it is another one of those things they just grow out of.
The kids are enjoying trees, and climbing them. Daniel has discovered the roots and looks for them too.

We are heading out to NY on Friday, quick trip, and will post pictures of Michael's birthday celebration when we return!

A-maze-ing

This past weekend we tried a corn maze...and it was mostly fun. I have been thinking about going for a few years now, and a hour into it I questioned this decision. Kevin and I are bad enough navigating the roads of New England with a GPS, and we chose this? To Kevin's credit, he found the way out with the map, and we emerged without too much crying on all of our parts.

In the middle of the maze they had different obstacle courses and fun stuff. I didn't post the picture of me trying the zip line. Maybe Daniel's ready for mini-golf?
They had a kid maze that the kids conquered.
Here's to all the Survivor fans out there :-)
I borrowed this wagon from a neighbor, and although we didn't need if for the maze, the kids just enjoyed riding it around.
So here we are at the end of October, and have we made that much headway on moving? Not quite. Kevin had a really good phone interview with a company in Syracuse, and last Monday we found out he didn't get the job. Well on Tuesday another company all together in Syracuse wants to have a face to face interview next week when we go to celebrate Michael's 5th birthday. We told our landlord we would be out by mid November. There have been a few showings of the house, but nothing concrete, so we may be able to stay a little longer, we can move on base, and there are a number of good rentals around. So lets just call this a great practice of our faith. All outcomes are good. At times like this I miss my mom, but am also seeing how as I trust God, He comforts, and guides, and puts people in your life for these moments, and I am thankful.

Rachel's 3!

This weekend we had Rachel's birthday weekend. We went pumpkin picking, had family time, went to Rainforest Cafe, and decorated the home. I think her love language is acts of service because she looked at all the balloons and streamers and said that it made her feel really special. I had a hard time putting the pumpkin pictures up with these, so I'll put those up later today.

Here is her first sugar high at the Rainforest Cafe. No huge meltdowns, and it was fun.
Kevin and Noah cleaning up. Got that stool at Ikea, and we got a desk there too. Ikea was crazy, but Daniel was able to go into the play area there, and we had a great lunch too, I think I would try to go back more often now that the kids are older.
Here is Daniel following in the footsteps of the Gagnier's before him, working the camera.

Running around

I had a great time with Beau, Joe, and Dad, in Disney World, and we finished the half marathon. We finished together and it was a good refreshing time. I had a bunch of pictures I took on the run itself, but when I went to transfer them to my computer I accidentally deleted them. There were 12000 people running, and that was my first time with a group that big. Kevin had fun with the kids and got a chance to see them in a different element, and they all did well.

Here is a photo of me and my dad through Hollywood studios. I'll try to post more of my pictures later, but also Rachel's birthday is coming up, so I'll be posting more of that later too.

In the mean time it has been rainy the last few days, and really starting to feel like fall. I need to convince my kids to wear shoes and socks, but I think they are feeling the difference too. I am going to miss running as it gets colder and darker, but look forward to doing more races next year hopefully.

Tomorrow we are going to do apple picking with a group of families I am getting to know, and we have some fun things planned for Rachel's birthday. Just think pink. There is also an open house scheduled for this place on Sunday, so far no one has stopped by to check it out, good for me, not so good for the owner. I am enjoying the thought of nice warm hearty meals, and the last few days with my 2 year old daughter.

Life's a Blur

I know that different seasons in our lives go quick, and others go slow, and in some senses it has been quiet but a blur. Last week Kevin was gone for most of the week, and it was both easier, but more tiring. We have been enjoying doing the Wednesday night ministry at church, the kids love doing Rainbows, and we have been working on the letter of the week for the past four weeks. I took the kids out for a walk on the rail trail in Chelmsford, and here are some pictures:

Rachel truly does stop to smell the roses while...

The boys run right ahead.
The kids do love to run, often in opposite directions. I joke that God gave me all bright blondes so I could see them as they ran away from me.
Rachel had the camera here and took a great picture of the trees. I love trees.
As I mentioned we have been working on the letter of the week. Last week it was I. I put a few different stations up for the kids to work on things, and I love sitting back and seeing how the kids approach the different tasks and what they come up with.
Daniel is doing well tracing and with cutting, and Rachel is keeping up. We even did some cool crafts and science experiements. We do some from the confessionsofahomeshooler.com website, and some from starfall.com.

I did have a good birthday, by the way, and can honestly say I feel older. I will be celebrating a little more this upcoming weekend with my dad, brother and sister, as we are ready to run in the Wine and Dine half marathon. I have wanted to run in a Disney world sponsored run for a long time now, and look forward to completing it with my family, and also moving forward with them. It was a race that my brother signed up for before my mom passed away, and it has become a "lets complete it together for Mom" race. Kevin is a hero for watching the kids for the weekend, and does plan on taking them down to New Bedford with his grandparents with a little extra help.

Weekly update

My birthday month is going well. I went to the MFA in Boston this month, travelled to NY, and went apple picking so far. It was a nice warm fall day on Saturday, and the kids all enjoyed picking the apples and eating them. It was fun to see Noah enjoy eating and feeding the goats right along with the other two.

We got the game Hungry Hippo's and everyone played. It was especially enjoyable to watch Kevin and all the kids play together. All three have seemed to grow a lot in the last few weeks, like taller, and they are doing things more independently, I guess I am amazed how quickly the time does go by.
Talking about the time going by, we have lived here in this townhouse for 4 years now. We moved in thinking we were going to just stay for one, and now look where we are. We have still put out applications to NY, and no bites yet, but there are enough good rental places that are bigger that we can enjoy the winter in NE better with, so we are taking the steps to move. Actually our landlord is coming by today to see the state of the place, hopefully he is alright with how we have treated the place!

Well I knew the move was coming, but there is a sense of sadness and excitement. Two of the three have only known this place as their home, and there are a lot of good and bad, memories here. On the flip side, I am getting excited about hosting Thanksgiving this year, and it would be nice in a bigger place. As I was going though these different feelings yesterday, and praying in my heart, I noticed outside there was the perfect weather for a rainbow. I ran out the front door, and low and behold I saw this beauty right outside. Ok God, I get it. He holds us in the palms of His hand and is taking us one step at a time.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference ~ Serenity Prayer

Labor Day 2010

With everything that has happened this year, I have been very thankful to have seen my family members every month so far this year. I don't think I have done that since I left home for college.We were able to enjoy Labor Day in Upstate NY, and it was fun to smell the fall in the air, taste the sweet apples, and enjoy time with family.

Dirt. The kids love it. Here is the new pile in the backyard the kids spent hours playing in.

The kids were all in the bucket as they waited for Kevin to cut down some trees.
A man, his son, and some chaps. I think he looks pretty outdoorsy right?
Noah is so big, we brought his high chair, but he was just as happy climbing up at the table in a chair.
The boys getting ready to eat some marshmallows and enjoy some time around the fire.
So the countdown is on for my birthday, and I am thankful for the shortened work weeks the next two weeks. I began doing preschool with both Daniel and Rachel this morning, they were excited to do some homeschooling. I have been enjoying the running in preparation for the half marathon in less than a month.

Here is a video of the tree falling: If a tree falls in the wood, and kids are yelling at it, is it too much noise?

End of Summer

The last week or so it felt like we were trying to fit in the last minute get togethers, the ones we thought we had more time in the summer to fit in. Our great friends from college, the Clegg's, live in Manchester NH, and we finally got in a dinner last weekend. It was great seeing their daughter Morgann, and two little almost fully adopted boys for the first time. They are truly doing God's work and ministering to the people up in Manchester.

I think it is next to impossible to get the kids all looking at the camera...

I had Morgann take a picture of the adults, she did a great job!
In the mean time, Kevin is off to Georgia this week, just for a few days. I was able to go into work yesterday with the help of Kayleen, and she recommended this playground in Arlington. We had a picnic there this evening, and I got the kids really tired out.
The kids looking over Boston...or debating wether or not to run down the steep hill.
Rachel threw away her pacifier today, she fought it a little tonight, but with that done, and Noah being done with bottles, we are getting out of the infant stages. Noah is literally running all over the place. Well with the end of summer comes fall and changes. It has been super hot here lately, so the break in the weather will be nice...oh and it is my birthday month coming up. Flirty and 30 is it?

Last weekend

Weekends for us are hit or miss, sometimes we have a lot planned, and sometimes we don't. Last weekend was a nice a full weekend with friends and family.

We got together with Dave and Sandra and their three kids, and it is a good type a crazy time. It was fun just playing in their back yard.

The blonde ones are mind, the brown haired are the Libby's:
The next day we were able to meet up with Kevin's Uncle Dave in Maine, something we have been talking about doing for a long time now, and had fun at York, and the zoo and park up there.

This picture is cute, but I couldn't upload it the right way, although I am showing you anyways...

Noah enjoyed playing with the goats...well actually all the kids did.

Kevin and Daniel enjoyed doing the paddle boats. They were chasing the ducks. Rachel got in on some bumper boat action. Daniel did those bit slide rides, and really enjoyed the "Fun Houses".

Here is the beach, it was beautiful and had a nice playground right off the beach. It was also fun spending time with Dave and his friend Dan, we had dinner with them and they showed us around the area.

This week Kevin has been gone to FL, but Beau has been in town, so it has made the week go bye fast. Kevin gets home tonight and we have a fun weekend planned. I also found out I am in the half marathon that my brother and dad signed up for in the fall, so I started a training program, and it just feels good to run again with purpose. Beau has been taking some good pictures this trip, and she has posted some good ones on her blog.