persevering in spite of the chaos

Packing is bad but packing with a nursing infant and an almost 2 year old felt impossible at times.  Thank the Lord for the amazing Ekornes family because we may have not made the deadline.

December 26th we drove back from Rapid City after celebrating Christmas.  We were meant with a large semi like truck and a very nice man willingly taking our $3,000.  Haha.  Imagine that.  This really kicked us in the gut.  We knew the move was happening and quick but never really imagined how fast everything went.  I mean we just said yes to this promotion 3 1/2 weeks ago! 

Movie watching was unfortunately a staple need for me to get any packing done so now my daughter is addicted to the Incredibles, Monsters, Despicable Me and Finding Nemo.  Not to mention she watched movies the entire ride to Texas as well.  Anyway...Just right that in my "Mom of the Year" book because this wont be the last of these moments.

The truck was big and we thought...Oh well we are easily going to make this!

We don't have that much stuff!

Well we do, and we filled this truck up (and by the way that was actually an accomplishment because they quoted us at needing 1 1/2 trucks for the size of a home)

 

This is actually not the end.  We packed this thing to the very end and then even began throwing items and hoping they would catch on something.  The driver that dropped it off said he started to open the door and realized he may have too many items falling on top of him, so he stopped.  (Actually it was just a yard hose but I could see where it might feel like everything is falling out).  We used our packing money wisely ;) That is for sure.

penguin vs kitty

Penguin...Please pick the penguin

Well....

But...

Priceless

Now on to more exciting things like seeing SANTA!!

Or maybe it was not so great

perfect

I want to be that mom that is walking in Target leisurely strolling the isles with two children sitting nicely in the cart and not asking for the mickey movie we just passed or the baby doll that is just wanting to be bought.  That was not us today or ...ever actually.

Today instead it was ....

Madison trying to crawl out of the cart,
kicking Carson's carseat,
startling him,
causing a mass melt from him,
picking him up,
Madison mad that she has to stay in the carseat,
her beginning the cry/scream/yelling mommy thing
Carson now content because mom is holding him and
now I'm restraining Madison,
eventually putting her in the other arm....

That was just getting into the cart.

Well kids, lets make this a quick trip.

rewind so we can fast forward

Christmas celebrations were once again a wonderful time for our families. 

Spoiled - Check. 
Too many toys that all Mommy and Daddy could think of was how much more packing we needed to do - Check
Wonderful Family Time - Check
Screaming child for the second year in a row - Check
A child who could careless about his trucks or awesome new toys and clothes - Check

Sounds like our type of Christmas!

Art time with Aunt Keila

And Grandma cleaning the mess

Gingerbread house with Daddy

But this is really what happened most of the time

Singing the wheels on the bus with Grandma and Grandpa

Great picture of Grandma and Madison

Such excitement...This was after an hour nap

Aunt Kari and Uncle Matt with little man Carson

Love these two boys!

He looks thrilled!  Right!

I wish I could remember what this was...

Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandbabies

The Stewart Family

Cousin Lucas

Cousin Ryan

texas pride

I was at the park the other day speaking with another mom about Texas.  She said this, "I have never known what my state flag was until I moved to Texas, and I have only been here for 4 months." 

Yes!  That is exactly what I was thinking!

Texas pride is evident.  People have the stars up like you wouldn't believe.  The metal ones that you put on the outside of your house.  Or the big Texas Lone Star flag is waiving in the wind.  The whole thing makes me laugh a little.  But hey!  I like the pride!  Now all I hear is about the GREAT things Texas has to offer!!  What a difference jumping a few states makes.

survival

I couldn't leave you without a few pictures of our ever evolving family.  Horrible, failing mother comes to mind when I say only don't have as many pictures as I should.  We truly lived in the moment during our move and unfortunately that meant not taking pictures.  Any how, I haven't heard of any child dieing from a month of only have  25 pictures of themselves instead of the typical 150 so thank goodness for that!

just pretend

I was just looking over my blog to see where i left off and I couldn't believe in such a short time our life has been completely flipped upside down.

I have pictures of events with friends, Christmas celebrations and yet here I am sitting in a nice home in Houston Texas just a few weeks later.

I feel slightly overwhelmed by the amount we have been through from listing our home, staging our home, showing the home and ultimately selling our home (8 days, yea!).  We have packed a gigantic 3400 sq ft home ourselves, placed the boxes in the garage, placed the boxes into the truck and then unpacked it within about 1 - 2 weeks.  And who could forget the horrible, awful part...Saying goodbye.

All the build up and excitement of moving is fun.  I enjoyed most of it (not the packing) but hated saying goodbye.  I still get choked up about it, I still hurt from it and I still miss all my beautiful family and friends.  There were a few goodbyes that I honestly felt like I could not handle.  I couldn't handle how strong my heart ached to say goodbye.  I pretended for so long that it was not really happening when I was around them.  Like, I wouldn't think about not seeing them until that day.  Well, that day came, and my heart nearly broke in two.

I spoke with a good friend of mine, Erica House, who is a military wife, moves frequently and yet handles it all so well.  She explained how I felt perfectly.  Deep down you know you may never see these people again but you just have to pretend you will.

That is how I have handled it. 

I hate for one of my first posts to be sad but I really do want those wonderful people to know I think about them everyday and even shed tears for you.  I love you all so much and I feel like our life in Colorado was made substantially better by you in it.

Now on to the many adventures of Texas!  I mean the OCEAN is just over an hour away.  Come On!  That is so crazy to me!  Cruises, like the Disney one, leave from there!  WOW!  Hello, we are doing that for sure.

This will be the first of MANY posts to come about the transition to TX and what we have been up to these last few weeks.  I promise...Many pictures (as always) and many stories.  I mean I am a stay at home mom...I have TONS of time.  Haha (not really for all of you who do not have children, that myth is just that, a myth and my day is full, all the time, with no lunch break or 15 minute breaks or even really time to use the restroom for that matter).