We are moved...

Well, we are officially moved.   It took Lance and the moving company 11+ hours to move all our things just a short few miles.  WOW...did we under estimate the time and energy it would take.  I guess we have just a little bit more

 junk than when we moved into our last house 10+ years ago:-)  The move has gone fairly easily for everyone.  The kids are all adjusting just fine and sleeping in their rooms here.  All the unpacking and cleaning has been a lot on top of our already busy lives but we are making it through. I have been really struggling with a head cold/allergies for a few

 weeks now and I think the move hasn't 

helped but hopefully I will start feeling back to normal soon. We are ALL excited to get started on our new home.  (I will have to share more about our house plans soon.)  And in just 4 more days...we are off to Disney World.  Life it GOOD!  

PS...I added a few pics.  Lilyan and Lorelle made sure to decorate the new drive way first thing and Lorelle helped unpack the pantry boxes.  She is such a good little helper!

The Land

    Fall 2006

I thought I would share some background, thoughts and feelings about "the land".  When Lance and I first bought our current home, it was a small neighborhood. Our house was located on a culdasac and we had nothing behind us besides open fields.  It is now booming and our view from each window is a neighbor.  Not that we haven't enjoyed most of our neighbors but life in a neighborhood can get old.  I think it was especially nice when the kids were younger.  It made my life as a stay at home Mom not feel as lonely and I made some lifelong friends here.  But several years ago Lance and I started to dream and think about our future being surrounded

 more by nature and the beautiful outdoors so we began our hunt for land.  

In 2006 we found and fell in love with 24 acres.  It has some hills and a wooded area, lined with tons of raspberry bushes.  And then last year some connected land became available and so now we have 50 acres of God's beautiful creation.  Did you know it possible to bond with dirt?!  Well...we have:-)  Lance and I actually go on dates to the land.  We take a blanket, bottle of wine and enjoy the sunset and most of all each other.  It is SO peaceful. 

   September 2007

 We take the kids to ride dirt bikes there, to pick raspberries and just play in the woods.  Three of the kids are riding dirt bikes already and Lilyan and Liam are determined to be on them soon. We even had a camping party there last Fall for Leytan's Birthday.  The kids had a blast playing in the woods, corn and just getting good and dirty.  Even our dog, Chip, LOVES the land.  He is a Brittany Spaniel and  bred to be a hunting dog.  He runs, sniffs and has a blast when we take him out there.  Each of us have our own visions and dreams of life on the land.  The kids have visions of motocross and 4-wheeler tracks, pool, tree houses and forts.  I picture us there for the long haul...a pond with a small sand beach and me sitting on a bench beside a weeping willow tree watching my grand kids play.  I can't wait to be out there!

10 Days and Counting...

We moved into our current home in Nov. of 1998 when Landan was just 16 mo. old.  I can't believe 10 1/2 years has gone by.  Time goes much too quickly:-(  That was even before digital camera's or before I had one at least.  And in 10 days we will be moving out and moving on.  I have mixed feelings about the move.  I mean...I wanted to sell and build on the land, we bought a few years ago, but we have also made so many GREAT memories here.  This is really the only home the kids remember.  I know all will be fine and no matter where we call HOME, it is really just about being all together.  I was looking back at old photos taken here and these are the two I chose to share.  Don't the kids look SO little?!  Oh...I miss those days:-(  And Liam and Lorelle weren't even home yet in the first one.  We will be fine and I know this is where God is leading us...but just feeling a little sappy today.  LOL!   

A couple of my faves...

We went to church Sunday morning, to lunch and then to visit with my Dad and his family.  The kids had a BLAST playing outside in the woods and fishing in the pond.

 This picture of Lilyan and Liam fishing is my favorite picture I took this Easter. The other is of Lilyan and her FIRST fish.  She caught it all by herself and she was SO excited and proud!

  

Happy Easter!

As I lay here in bed listening to Lance snore, the kids all tucked into their beds... the baskets are filled and ready for the kids in the morning, I can't help but think of my Jesus and all that he has done for me.  He paid the ultimate price for all of us so that we could live our lives here as sinners and be forgiven on a daily basis.  I owe all that I have to HIM.  And although Easter has become a lot about hunting and coloring eggs and the Easter Bunny, I am sure to remind the kids of why we celebrate this special and most important of holidays.  HE has RISEN!!!  Thank you Jesus!  Love you...

Just another day...

When you get to a certain age, I don't really recall what age it was exactly, but probably in the late twenties or so, your Birthday just becomes another day.  And the reason I believe, is because when you are younger it is an honor to get older.  It feels good to have another year of "knowing it all" under you belt so to speak:-)  I must say today, 37 years after my birth, I really wish things would slow down a bit.  I couldn't wait to get out high school, cosmetology school, get married, have kids, etc... NOW I have it ALL!!  And I just want it to all be still for a few years.  The thought of growing older and mostly my kids growing older and leaving me is very sad for me to even think about.  Lance and the kids are my daily life.  I thank God for all that he has given me over the last 37 years.  I have indeed been BLESSED!!!  And so today...on my special day, I have decided to start this blog (online journal) not only for all of you to read and enjoy but most of all for me.  I have a feeling the memories jotted down here over the next 37 years will be ones I will always cherish and enjoying rereading in years to come.  Enjoy:-)