We Have Arrived

One week ago, we packed up the necessities and I drove the kids with my sister 5.5 hours south.  We left an hour before the movers arrived at the house.  Probably on purpose.  It would have been crazy tugging on little arms to stay out of rooms and attempt to entertain two energized and overly excited kids for hours upon hours while our house was being boxed up and shoved into a yellow truck.  But more than the chaos of two littles running around, it would have been hard seeing our things lose their place in our home and become a home no longer.  It's sad seeing friends move and it's sad being the one that moves.  Very.  But our adventure continues...

Chelsea and I got a head start on the road and drove south til we hit a lovely little town you may have heard of.  Ok, it's actually not a little town, but one of the most popular destinations that CA has to offer.  Yes, San Diego.  And we found just a lovely little home in a suburb south of the city.  First off, I have to say it is very great being so close to so much.  Yes, the beach is a short little drive away, but the shopping...  Oh the shopping.  We're surrounded by all kinds of shopping and it's marvelous.  This is very, very different from Lemoore, considering Lemoore's shopping consists of Starbucks, KMart, and Fresh and Easy supermarket.

Emmy starts kindergarten next week.  I'm very excited for her.  She's been asking to meet friends and we haven't met any neighborhood kids yet.  We have a family next door that has 2 older boys.  And they seemed a little bummed that our two are... how did they put it?  Oh yes, "babies."  That made me laugh.  She will be going all day at this school, so I'm anticipating how she'll do.  But, my heart swells knowing that she'll be just. fine.  Brenner will be starting school soon too.  I just need to stop in and check things out.

We've had amazing help getting situated in our new house.  My sis flew in for almost 2 weeks.  Wade's sister and her husband flew in and stayed for 4 days and Wade's fantastic step-sister, Ashley, drove down from Vegas to join in our craziness for the weekend.  Thanks to them, we got through an insane amount of boxes (in record time too), got the tv hung, surround sound speakers in place, (you know, the important things), got a quick tutorial on my fancy schmancy camera, and the list goes on.

Wade and I are so grateful for the love, patience, and support of our family that got to be with us during this crazy move.  If it wasn't for you all, I don't know how it would have happened.  I know we'd still be swimming in to-do lists and it wouldn't have felt like home for a very long time.  So, thank you!

I've got more to post, including our New Year's Eve going-away party and pictures of the new house.  Stay tuned!  Happy day to you!

Oh Yes, He Did

I may have opened my Christmas gift a tad early this year.  Maybe an entire week early.  But, in Wade's defense, I needed to use my present before Christmas Day.  What is it, you ask?  Why it's my new fancy, schmancy camera.  Oh yes, he did.  He got me a DSLR camera that I have been wanting for years.  And he's right, I've got to practice with it so I can capture the beauty that is Christmas Day.  Yes, absolutely.  So, my begging of an early opening of presents, actually worked.

And practice we did.

Brenner is spunky in person, but ducks his head into his turtle shell at the sight of a camera.  So, when I get a full-on smile, that's the greatest accomplishment.  Well done Brenner boy.  If only you saw the out-takes.  =)

Yes, I'm in the middle of painting.  Therefore, we've got outlines on the wall and drop cloths piled in the background.  I'm keeping it real...

Emmy loves to read and be read to.  Here she is, reading one of our favorites.  And she always has an eager audience.

Happy couple days.

Family Pictures 2012

My great friend took our family pictures a few weeks ago.  We haven't had pictures taken since we moved out to California.  So, when she offered, I jumped at the chance.  We did a little swap, and it worked out perfectly.  Although, I've never worked a fancy camera before...  Ours turned out just lovely.  We found a cute little spot just behind our neighborhood.  And just like that... bam!  Family pictures 2012.  There you have it.  I also need to thank my other dear friend for editing them.  Friends, thank you both for your time and talent!  I will treasure them for years to come...

 

New Day. Start Fresh.

I have been completely overwhelmed with the idea of updating this blog.  I think of all the events that have happened since September, and I start to brainstorm ideas of things that I want write about.  And then...  I start to get flustered over all the pictures that I need to upload.  Or how to get my Instagram pictures on my blog.  And what exactly do I want to type about?  Questions, questions, and more questions.  And then I just choose to immerse myself in Pinterest, my guilty pleasure go-to website.

Anyways, it's December now.  So instead of catching up, I'm kind of just going to start here and now, where we are today.

Today is Wednesday, December 12, 2012.  We are currently getting ready for a BIG new year.  Our family is moving to San Diego January 3rd.  And we couldn't be more excited.  I am a very routine person.  I'm predictable.  And practical.  But there's something about a change of scenery, a new house, new shopping, new friends, new neighbors, getting your new footing in an unfamiliar area...  It's going to be good.  We've already got great friends down there.  They've been friends of ours since the beginning of our life in the Navy.  And somehow, we both randomly got chosen for orders in San Diego, where jobs that our husbands do, are slim.  Which makes it that much more exciting. 

The kids and I headed down to San Diego to meet Wade during one of his dets this last weekend.  He found us a house, and I went to take the kids for a sneak peek.  Believe it or not, I fully trust Wade picking out a house.  I really do.  As much as I like surprises, I wanted a peek at the area, and obviously what will be our humble abode for the next 2 years.

It's perfect, just as I knew it would be.  The neighborhood is one that I've always dreamed of living in.  The houses have a nice southwestern architecture to them.  The landscape is decorated with hills.  The shopping is close.  The schools are within walking distance, supposedly, I still need to figure out the trek.  There are wide sidewalk trails on the side of the house that while we unloaded in the driveway of our soon to be new casa, I couldn't help but imagine our future afternoon walks when Emmy gets out of school.  She'll be riding her scooter, and Brenner will be on his yellow zoomer, and Chantilly and I will be keeping up from behind.  The kids will be speeding along, so I'll have to say, "Slow down kids!  You need to stop ahead and wait."  I can picture it already.  And with San Diego's weather, we can do this year round.

In the meantime, our 3 weeks left in Lemoore, are going to fly by.  I know it, and I'm excited about it, but at the same time dreading the good-byes.  Fortunately we're only 5 hours from our friends.  And if any of them is in need for a San Diego vacation, we can turn into Hotel Ashley at anytime.  Reservations not required.

Emmy's last day of school is this Friday.  And oh, another big change for Emmy is that she will be going to year-round school.  Yes, you read that right.  Year-round.  But, it's not as bad as it sounds.  She gets a 3 week Christmas, 3 week spring break, 5 1/2 week summer, and a 2 week fall break.  So, her last day of kindergarten will be June 10th, and then she'll start 1st grade July 25th.  After we move, she won't start her new school until Jan. 15th.  So, she'll be out of school an entire month, so mommy will really have to work with her so she doesn't forget all the things she has learned.  =)  And she'll be going full-day.  Good-bye 3 1/2 hour kindergarten days, hello 6+ hour long kindergarten days!  Yet another huge change for Emberlyn, but as adaptable as she is, I don't see her having any problems with it.  She is excited about eating lunch with school friends!  These big changes are going to be exciting ones.

Brenner finished up his preschool on Tuesday.  I have 2 schools that I'm going to look into once we're there.  He's super adaptable too.  Although, it may be awhile before "home" feels like... "home."  He's like me, in that after a vacation away, he just wants to be at his house, in his bed, wrapped in his airplane blanket.  Maybe I don't need an airplane blanket, but the comforts of home are what makes me feel comfy-cozy.  So I can see us at our new house, and Brenner saying, "I wanna go home."  Then having to explain how this is our new home, this is where we're going to live.  And I'll wrap his airplane blanket around him and snuggle him with hugs.  It'll feel like it soon Brenner B.

This is our life as of now.  Maybe I can look at this blog now and not feel pressured and embarrassed that it is never updated.  Sorry, friends and family.  It just felt like this never-ending project that I would try and catch up day after day.  And as months went by, it was piling up.  And I thought, ya know, I just want to start over.  New day.  Blank sheet.  What is happening now.  And here we are.  Thank you for reading.  And my new excuse is, we're moving soon.  Although, I hope it doesn't turn into a blogging excuse.  Talk to you soon.  Hope your 12/12/12 was as great as ours...

And for recent pictures, look at my Instagram link on the right side of the page.  It's updated nearly everyday from pictures that I take on my phone.  Which, for some reason, I've been taking more of them this way, than my camera.  My poor camera... 

New Instagram Link

I added a new link on the right hand side of the page.  They're pictures taken on my phone and then uploaded to Instagram.  I haven't found an easy way to save all these pictures so I can upload them on my blog.  So click, search through them and see what we've been up to...  Oh and it's constantly being updated.  Unlike this here blog. 

Stay Tuned...

I promise that I'll work on some new posts.  Hang in there, I'll be back very soon...

Back to School

Emberlyn started kindergarten!  Sometimes that's hard for me to say.  Kindergarten, really?  She goes to school on base, which is awesome because on days where we are not running late, we walk to school.  The little kids love taking their big siblings to the big school. My neighbors and I pull out the big strollers, just in case one is tired or needs some rest, but most of the time, we are pushing empty strollers. 

Emmy's been adjusting super well.  She has homework every week night.  It takes us anywhere from 5-15 minutes.  They're fun activities like putting the right amount of cotton balls on the correlating number flashcard (5 cotton balls on the number 5 etc...).  She enjoys her teacher.  She got some new shoes in the mail today and immediately says, "I think my teacher is going to love them and want them in her size!"  As Mrs. Martin releases the students one-by-one to the parents after every school day, she lets you know what kind of day your child has had.  Emmy always has great days.  However she is a chatter and has to be placed a distance from one of her best friends in her class.  I'm so proud of her.  She's a social butterfly and her smile and her go-with-the-flow nature is absolutely contagious. 

Brenner has started his first year at preschool.  He goes twice a week and enjoys it.  However, he's a tough starter.  After we drop off Emmy and hop in the car to drive to his school, he says, "I don't want to see Miss Kelly today.  I'm not going to have a good day."  Immediately I tell him that he is going to have a good day.  Then we talk about the things he does at school, playing outside, snack time, which toys he likes to play with, his friends' names...  Once he gets there, he's a little hesitant and says he wants to go home.  So I warm him up with his friends and ask what they can play together.  And then when it's time to say goodbye, he's fine.  And then when I pick him up, he's excited to see me, but he's usually eating lunch.  So, he finishes his meal, because let's be real...  Brenner loves food.  Then he tells everyone good-bye and fills me on his morning as we walk to the car.  Yesterday's big news:  Brenner was finally the line leader.  He's been waiting on this for a few weeks.  "I was the line leader at school today!  I was happy about that." 

We are enjoying the start of this school year.  It's just hard to believe that it's all going by so quickly. 

Brenner is THREE

Today is Brenner's birthday.  I remember the moment this little man came into my life.  He may be occasionally high-maintenance, slightly whiny, and sometimes temperamental.  But he's mine.  And we love him.  It's in the way he loves and cuddles, it's the way he plays and creates, it's his quirky expressions and killer puppy eyes that each takes hold of my heart and makes me proud to be the one he calls momma. 

Happy 3rd Birthday Brenner

Brenner's turning 3, so we threw him a shark party to celebrate with his friends.  We played pin the fish in the shark's mouth, played in the pool, threw and launched water balloons (you should have seen the dads, pretty entertaining.)  An extra beautiful, happy, and fun day it was.  Happy birthday to you Brenner, you big three year old.