Thing 25

Small towns are great.
Surprises are great too.
Combine the two and you get a double whammy.

We heard the fire engine this morning, and the kids started looking out the window.  Lo and behold the truck was headed down our street, with Santa on top!  All of us ran outside to watch (and some of us were still in our pajamas), and waited while he made his way to our house.

It's an annual event according to the neighbors.

Thing 25 I love about this move, is that Christmas is a big deal.

Merry Christmas!

Routine

There is no routine for me as of yet.  Wait, I take that back.  I leave at 8am every morning to take the kids to school, then head back in the afternoon at 3pm.  It's not cutting it folks.

We've been in this house for four months now and I don't have a routine.  If you know me, I thrive on it.  I love predictability.  I love that I can wake up and know what I have to do, because that thing always gets done on that day of the week.  Are you with me?  But for four months, I've been humming along, doing things only as I see they need doing.  Call it a reactive mindset, rather than a proactive one.

For instance, I do the laundry when it looks like it's piling up too high.  The house gets cleaned when the gunk on the sink starts to grow fuzz (kidding!), and the grocery shopping happens when the milk has run low.  This isn't like me AT ALL.

So, I resolve, come January that my life is going to get back to routine.  A list of some sort may help me get it going.  A load of laundry a day, to keep it under control.  Grocery shopping and meals planned n advance.  House cleaned weekly so that no fuzz may inhabit our abode.  Everyone will be pleased, most of all me!

Maybe blog updates deserve their own place in this routine....

Thing 24

The greatest city in the world is right outside our door.  The last three weekends we've made trips into said city.  Does it get any better?

Today we met up with dear friends from Canada, and had lunch in Little Italy; a new place to explore for us.  We are SOOO going back for a return trip (or two or three...).  Great food, atmosphere to beat the band and steps away from SOHO and Canal St.

Thing 24 I love about this move is our proximity to NYC.  Years could be spent exploring this city, and you still might not scratch the surface.  Unending possibilities- that's the best part.

Come explore with us!  We love sharing this fabulous city with others.

It's gone!

For the past two and half months, our yard has looked like this:

Yep.  One hurricane and one freak snowstorm will tend to do serious damage to one's trees.  This pile bears proof of that.  The town was supposed to come and pick this up.  We waited.  Then we waited some more.  The town's contribution?  Coming by to place the cones in front of the fallen tree, so that drivers would be aware of the hazard.  I'll refrain from commenting about our ridiculously high taxes, and how that in itself should be enough to get this pile removed.

Enter professional tree guys.  Granted, they're all VERY busy around here with all the limbs littering sidewalks and yards.  A few extra phone calls of a the begging sort, proved helpful.  They showed up yesterday afternoon and this lady began to leap for joy.

Ninety minutes of chipping is all it took.  Another hour to prune and then they cleaned up.  Did you catch that?  They CLEANED UP THE MESS.  The leaves alone in this pile would have covered Texas.    They sucked up every last one and left my curb in perfect order.  And would you believe there was a lawn under that pile?

Here's what we woke up to this morning:

I'm pretty sure I heard the neighbors singing Alleluia.  We joined in with them.
Happy 1st of December!

Thing 23

Just a bit ago, I was looking out my front window watching my children play soccer in the front yard with our neighbor's kids.  Five kids in all, and everyone was involved.  From ages six to ten, they all managed to find a spot on the field and do their part to contribute to the game.  I love this!

They've figured out how to play together, boys and girls, siblings and friends- without any coaxing from us adults.  These kids are unique in that they find treasure in being outside, more than being in.  On a day like today, in late November, with temperatures hovering around 60, they're relishing every minute of outdoor time.

Childhood disappears in the blink of an eye, and the thing I love about this move, is that my kids are basking in their youth with simple games of soccer, exploring the creek, and games of chase.  They bounce from house to house, playing happily for hours on end, until one of us has to make a call saying "send them home!".  It's a good problem to have.

Here's to many more years of cheering from the sidelines- Go kids!

Thing 22

This post is long overdue, but I was waiting for the right time, and after this morning's event, I'm ready.

Thing 22 I love about this move is the kid's school.  That's right, I LOVE their school.  Even better, is that THEY love their school.  It wasn't coincidence either.  We looked at several schools out here, weighed the pros and cons of each, then we prayed about it.  Where we ended up is where God led us; this beautiful small campus (100 families K-12),  that takes a Christian education and combines it with a classical curriculum.

The better part of my morning was spent helping Charlie's 5th grade class make a New Jersey cake.  They've been studying the counties of New Jersey and today was the celebration.  Each child brought in a plain white cake, and then proceeded to cut out the shape of a county.  These counties were then assembled on plexiglass, forming the state.  Decorating the cake was the best part, as it had to include something "famous" in that county, forcing the kids to create with candy and goodies.  You'd be impressed with their ingenuity.

This was right up Charlie's alley- he's a cartographer already, at the young age of 10.  Seeing him in his element, enjoying the time with his classmates, brought pure joy to my heart.  It didn't hurt that the process involved plenty of sugar!

                                            The blank canvas, soon to be an edible New Jersey.

                                                          Can you say "sugar high"???

                                                            Charlie's addition to the map

                                                     It's almost done...

                                                     Ta-da!  Aren't they amazing artists?

If you've ever moved with children, you can appreciate how important it is to see your kids adjust and thrive in their new environment.  Somehow, we skipped over any "adjustment period".  Our kids seamlessly entered this place, as if they'd always been there.  That's not by chance, or luck.  It's what God does when you obey- he blesses you!

Here are a few other things I LOVE about our school (and the students)

- It's small; Charlie has 13 kids in his class, Audrey has 11.
- It's close to our house (ok, so we planned it that way, but still...)
- Uniforms!
- They expect the children to respect authority- and they do!
- The teenage boys are quick to open doors when they see me approaching- I really really love this.      
- Latin in 3rd- 8th grades.
- The way they keep my kids challenged and enthused about learning.

In short, our school is the perfect fit for our family.

No electricity part 2

You'd think after enduring a hurricane and no electricity back in August, we'd be good for the rest of the year.  NOT.

The Nor'Easter came blowing in on Saturday and dropped six inches of snow- in OCTOBER- taking our power with it.  Thank God we had plenty of firewood outside.

One day turned into two, then into three and finally, our power was restored tonight.  The town actually recommended Halloween be postponed until Saturday (out of safety), since most people didn't have power yet.  Crazy, isn't it?

Sure it was cold and uncomfortable, but I have to say- there's plenty worse we could have been forced to endure.  For all it's frustration, we enjoyed our time as a family in the confines of our home, passing the time away without electricity.

Charlie honed his fire starting skills (under parental supervision, of course).
The kids played chess multiple times, and took me to the cleaners once.
Books were read and finished.
We learned to "cook" over an open fire and even pulled out the smore fixins for dessert.

I'm done getting in touch with my inner Colonial self.  No more living in the dark.  No more cooking over open fires.  No more going without warm water and modern appliances.  Six days of it in two months time ought to earn me a pass on the next storm.  And please, for the love of Pete, don't ever invite me to go camping.

Toodles!

Thing 21

Anyone who has moved will tell you it takes about a year to feel "settled".  Since I'm nowhere near the year mark, I'll have to get back to you on that.

One thing I love about moving- and this is thing 21- is it forces you to make friends.  Or not, if you're good with being a recluse and talking to only yourself all day.  Me?  I need friends.  They make my world all the sweeter, and it gets me focused on something other than house duties (which is all I seem to be doing these days).

In the last week, I have been blessed to see my social calendar filled.  Coffee dates, lunches, book club, and exercise class, have all allowed me to get out and meet with friends.  It's beginning to feel more "normal" that way now...

Granted, it will take time for those friendships to grow and mature into the deep lasting kind, I treasure.  For now, it's perfectly alright that they aren't.  Time with friends remind me of how blessed I am, and I love that.

Toodles!

Thing 20

On this day, my 14th wedding anniversary, it seems only fitting to have this post dedicated to my husband. Do you know the 20th thing I love about this move?

That out of all the people in this world, I get to go through it with the man I love.

Life is crazy, and moves are even crazier.  Marriages can surely be tested through such circumstances.  Ours is no different.

Every laugh, tear, and frustration of this move, is made all the more memorable because I have the pleasure of sharing it with my husband.  And I wouldn't trade that for anything.

I love you Nelson!

Thing 19

We've had some unusual circumstances in which to get to know our neighbors.  Hurricanes and kitchen disasters make that easy, I guess.  From day 1 of the move-in, people have greeted us warmly.  Really, we couldn't ask for anything better.  I'm just thankful it wasn't winter with snow coming down, and a baby in my tummy at week 37!

One of my sweet neighbors invited me over for a brunch to meet some of the other neighbors on the block. How thoughtful is that?  I wasn't about to refuse since most days I'm left talking to myself. Three hours of chatting, and  a delicious meal, left my tummy and heart in "overflow" mode.

There was one conversation that was a first:  talk of the bear that roamed the block last weekend.  Trying to picture that happening in our previous location is a bit awkward.  But here, while it's expected because of the landscape, it's a bit frightening to endure. Welcome to the country Lori!

The ladies are down to earth and so sincere.  We're planning on beginning a book club, something that I sorely miss- (shout out to the Lexington Ladies!).  Trips into NYC to explore/shop are also on the docket.  Looks like we found the perfect place after all.  Not that I had any doubts.

Remember these photos?

We were confident that we'd been blessed on Lexington Rd.  We trusted that God would do the same here.  And He is.  It will be different, but no less important.  

The 19th thing I love about this move is that my neighbors are people I'd happily choose as friends.

The good and the bad

I could complain about all the little (or sometimes not so little) glitches I've had in the last few months.  But where would that get me?  Besides, I repeat so often to my children, the scripture "do everything without grumbling or disputing" that I have to follow it myself or risk becoming "that" mom.

Anyhow, back to my lovely Monday morning.

Good thing- it was a lovely crisp clear morning for running.
Bad thing- the air compressor at the local gas station was "out of order".  My tire would hopefully wait for air.
Good thing- we made it to school in one piece. Car parked in the lot, this mom heads out for a run.
Bad thing- run finished, I come back to a car with only 3 tires inflated.
Good thing- I'm in a safe place, in the daylight and have no where to be for awhile.
Bad thing- car jack operation- enough said.
Good thing- roadside assistance comes to my rescue.
Bad thing- creepy roadside repairman-  eeewwwww.
Good thing- my running legs could have me sprinting to safety if I was feeling creeped out too much.
Good thing- tire gets fixed and I was on my way to finish out the day's list of chores.  Wait- is that a good thing???

Hope your Monday is as bright and sunny!  Be thankful for the little things...

Paradise

New Jersey can be paradise on it's own- when there's not hurricanes or flooding, or ditches jumping out at your car.
But when that just won't do, we get out of Dodge.  And let me tell you- we needed this vacation like a southerner needs their sweet tea.
A week in paradise- total bliss for the entire family.  The photos aren't yet in, so I'll make you wait. Suffice it to say, we had an AMAZING time AGAIN.  St. John, USVI is our new favorite spot.  We snorkel,  we boat, we sightsee, we pool floozy, we relax, we float, we snorkel.  You get the idea.  My only worry all week, was which bathing suit to wear each day.  Rough.

Hope your week was great too!

We're making a dent!

Today is September 20.  We moved in on August 22.

Yesterday was the first day we began hanging things on the wall.  We're not normally slackers around here.

There were a few things that set us off course:
Irene came for a visit.
School started.
The sink overflowed.
Hubby traveling.
We're just plain tired some nights.

Now that our pictures and decor are gracing the walls, it's FINALLY feeling like our home.  I've missed seeing favorite photographs and posters.  Numerous items have traveled with us from house to house, and in a way, that means each house comes with us every time we move.

I told myself I wouldn't clean the house until things were hung.......now that we've made a dent in that job, I guess I'll be playing Cinderella.

Last piece of the puzzle

Church shopping is NOT the kind of shopping I enjoy.
Normally, shopping is relaxing, productive and dare I say?- Fun.
Church shopping is productive, but NOT relaxing or fun.  See the problem?

We just left a church in Oakville that raised our standards considerably in every department.  From proclaiming the gospel, to believing in the power of prayer, to preaching the truth without apology- they had it covered.  In 7 years, we were blessed to watch God grow this congregation from two services to four, packing out the sanctuary each week, making overflow rooms necessary.  People are hungry for the TRUTH.

Our children grew up in this church, it's all they know and remember.  For them, this is the standard by which they measure every church we visit.  It's good to have a standard.  Nelson and I knew in leaving Oakville, that we had to expect God to do great things.  It was inconceivable that a God so loving and so faithful would bring us all this way to let us down.

Every thing, and I mean EVERY thing we have prayed for God to provide, he has.  The kids have a wonderful school, they have met kids on the block that are their friends, we love our neighborhood, we have settled into our home (as much as one can in a few weeks), and are seeing friendships blossom.  The one missing piece of the puzzle is finding a church that we can call home.

Some might think that finding "the" house is the pivotal piece.  A house is important in a move, but you can alter it to suit your needs.  It doesn't have to be "perfect".  Our home is a prime example of that- slap on some paint, throw away the carpet, and oila!- you have  a new home.  A church, however, can't be changed to suit the whim of it's congregants.  What we encounter in their service, has to be enough for us.  That's a difficult concept to take in when we're coming from a place of extreme satisfaction.

Why is He making us wait on this one piece?  Is there a church where all the components that are of importance to us, can be found?  Would he put that desire within us to find such a place, only to have us be disappointed?  I have to believe that he keeps his promises.  He does not want us to be without His word, His truth, or His promises in this desert.

Neither of us wants to settle for a church that's "good enough", and we shouldn't have to.  Our God doesn't give us blessings that are merely "good enough" he gives us His BEST.  If I only expect him to give mediocrity, what do you think he's going to give me?  Even in His word he says "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph 3:20).  Did you read that?  God will exceed our expectations, and be abundant in them too!  He knows our tendency is to settle.  We are content with mediocrity too often.  We assume it's the best we're going to get, and then live with it.  But what if I decide that I'm not satisfied with it and expect God to go above and beyond where my requests and head won't let me?

This is what I'm going to do.  For the next 30 days, I'm going to sit and pray, waiting, expecting God to do something powerful when it comes to guiding us to "the" church.  We've got some other churches to visit, and maybe there's one we haven't yet heard of that we need to see.  Either way, he's got us covered.  I can't wait to see how He does it.

Thing 18

The good thing about high taxes and hurricanes?  Free pick-up of you fallen tree parts!

Guess I know what I'll be doing the next few days....

Thing 17

We all remember where we were on 9/11.  It was my generation's day of infamy.
Some people don't mind watching the video clips over and over, or seeing documentaries on the event.  For me, I find it incredibly difficult to relive that day.  My world changed and for awhile, everything stopped.

Now, 10 years later, my eldest is old enough to understand the events of that day.  We live 30 miles from the epicenter, where those two towers used to stand tall.  Just last week, we visited the site, and fortunately for me, we were unable to see much due to the large fence encasing the area.  It never would have dawned on me that ten years later we'd be emotionally invested in this event in a different kind of way.

Where we live, thousand of people comment into NYC every day.  Given that fact, it's highly likely that people around us either lost someone they love, or know someone who lost a loved one on that fateful day.
That day defined history for all of us, but for the people here, it was a catastrophic definition.  Their backyard was attacked that morning, and it shook the people of this region in a way that we who were thousands of miles away, could never understand.

We opted to attend a Sunday evening church service this weekend.  Figuring there'd be some sort of a 9/11 tribute, we were prepared for something.  We couldn't have envisioned what took place, however.  Two large cranes in front of the sanctuary held up the largest American flag I'd ever seen.  Surrounding the cranes were a plethora of first responders; fire men, police men and EMTs.  Would you be surprised  to learn that my eyes were moist walking into the church?

A packed church welcomed us, and at the beginning of the service, the first responders walked in as a unit, followed by a lone bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace".  There wasn't a dry eye in the place.  The entire service was a memorial with testimonies from various responders who were there, as well as a 9/11 widow.

It was a beautiful tribute and the right way to honor those that fell that day.  Had we been living anywhere else, I'm positive there wouldn't have been the same attention paid to the memory.

Thing 17 about this move, is the opportunity to reflect and remember those that fell on 9/11.  This locale provides for us, the chance to experience it with new eyes and a better understanding of the damage done that day.  May we never forget.

What next?

Anyone have a great joke to tell?  Because I could use some laughter right about now.

It's fast becoming the running joke around here, to ask "what next?"  Surely in reading this blog, you've been prone to think the same.

Let me put to rest the notion that we're back to normal.  The plumber has been called- our kitchen sink overflowed and the entire kitchen floor was covered in water.  Suffice it to say, it was NOT a good evening.  Or the normal one I'd been aching to have.  Thank God for two helpful kids who could run and get the neighbors.  Who couldn't use a little neighborly bonding over a broken pipe?

Laughter IS the best medicine, and I intend on overdosing today.

Dodged a bullet

It's been raining for the last 24 hours.  Rain in and of itself is a good thing.  When you have to drive on the highway, however, it can become ugly.

New Jerseyans (is that a word?) are notorious for their driving.  It can be a bit frightening at times if you're not used to it.  This morning, I took the inlaws to the airport so they could head home.  On the way, we encountered an accident where someone skidded off the highway into the mud and on into the bushes.  Not a good way for one to start the day.

En route to coming home, with both kids in the back, we were chatting about something when it came time to take the 3 lane exit onto another highway.  Things were starting to back up so I slowed down.  Ahead were vehicles slamming into the guardrail, and behind me cars were spinning, trying to get into the shoulder.  In every direction there was damage- and I had to refrain from looking in the rearview mirror.  It was UGLY.  Everything came to a stand still and I just kept praying for protection. Miraculously, my car and the one or two in front of me- which weren't all but a few feet apart- were spared any damage.  In a quarter mile stretch- if not longer, there were at least 10 vehicles damaged.  The road would be blocked for quite a while.  We managed to make our way through the wreckage slowly, completely shocked by what just took place.

A doozy of a morning.  My life has been anything but normal these past few weeks.  I'm craving normal, need it.....desperately.  A life without hurricanes, and ditches, and highway accidents, would be just fine by this here housewife.  Any one else for mundane?

Thing 16

The yard was screaming for attention today, and with rain in the forecast we had to do it or else....

Nelson wanted to finish chopping up the fallen tree (it's the job that keeps on giving!).  I really really really wanted this ugly shrub removed near the driveway as it impedes my view when backing out into the street.

My inlaws aren't afraid of a little physical labor- plus I reminded them they had to earn their keep.....
We put them to work on hauling a few branches, and oila!  The yard is vastly improved.  They deserve a round of applause <clap clap clap>.

One of my neighbor's walked her dog as we were working in the yard, and we chatted briefly.  She's a very sweet lady that watches out for an elderly neighbor, so I know her heart is full.  Not long after we'd retired from the work, she came over with a plate of cookies, saying we'd worked so hard, she thought we'd like some goodies.

Really?  People are still this good?  Every neighbor we've met thus far, has commented on what a great street this is.  YES!  I love that the people here love this place, and take care of each other.  That's exactly the kind of neighborhood we desire.  That's thing 16- neighbors loving on neighbors.

Now...what shall I do to return the favor????

Thing 15

I drove my car into a ditch.  There, I said it.  Completely my fault, although I'd like to say the ditch just jumped out and grabbed my car.  But I'm a better woman than that- I can take my lumps.

You don't need the details- or do you?  Let me set the scene for you....I was on my way to pick up the inlaws and Charlie, who were hiking not too far from our house.  I went to make a u-turn in the road, and thought I could clear the turn with the grass in front of me.  Turns out I was wrong.  Very wrong.  Under the grass was a huge ditch, and a concrete block in front of my tires.  Forwards or in reverse, the car wasn't budging.  Neither Audrey or I was hurt, but we were blocking traffic, and at 5pm, that's not so good.

A nice older man asked if I needed help.  In between making calls on my cell phone, I was able to answer him.  He was kind enough to call the police.  Within minutes, I had a Doctor in scrubs stop and ask me the same thing, then a guy on his motorcycle walked up and asked if we were all right.  Wow.  Luckily I had the ability to answer clearly in between trying to keep my cool.

Before long the police arrived.  Turns out, he's a neighbor.  Guess I better behave on the block from now on, right?  He called the tow truck and within 15 minutes they had my car out of the ditch and my pride partly back in place.  Not exactly how I wanted to meet my local law enforcement officers, but I'm thankful they were there to help.

It's been a wild ride these past 10 days.  Now that I've taken one or two for the team, I think we'll be good for a bit.

Thing #15 that I love about this move.....friendly helpful people, in time of need.  With 9/11 right around the corner, it's a true testament to the spirit of this country.  All those people could easily have kept driving, laughing at my ridiculous mistake.  Instead, they chose to pause and see if anything was needed.  It was proof that people are still good and kind.  May I be so blessed to return the favor.

For my hubby

Last night, Nelson mentioned that it was time for me to write another post because he was needing one to uplift him.  "You manage to put a positive spin on negative things" he said so sweetly.  It was going on day 4 of no electricity, so you can understand his pain (and mine).

Four days and 108 hours of no electricity.  Makes you wonder how people in the "old days" did without it.

I could bore you with all the things you should have on hand if a hurricane ever comes your way, but I won't.  The only thing I'm going to tell you is this : get a generator.  If you do nothing else, buy one.

We could have had it WAAAAYYYYY worse, trust me.  All around us, rivers were flooding, roads collapsing and people evacuated.  My home and family were in tact, which we can only attribute to God's grace.

It would be easy to tell you all the awful things about going through this.  Truthfully, there weren't that many- they were inconveniences if anything.  There were so many positives that came about thanks to Irene, and I'd like to share them with you:

- Our home is situated on the top of a hill (albeit a small one), which protected it from much of the basement flooding fears we had.  Our neighbors across the street had the town firetruck in on Sunday, and they spent over 7 hours pumping out their basement.

- Two large branches/trees fell in our yard.  Neither hit the house or garages.  Can you say LUCKY?!!

- A co-worker loaned Nelson a chainsaw to chop the tree, and all four of us bonded while stacking the wood.  Charlie, ever the optimist mentions "one good thing about this hurricane- free firewood!"  Love this kid.

- The same day, our neighbor loaned us a generator.  <cue the Hallelujah chorus> Now the frig could be hooked up to keep our food safe, and so could the coffee maker for morning survival.  The neighbors are owed big time (gift idea suggestions?).

- The kids were supposed to begin school on Monday.  Two days of postponements and they finally made the call to start next Tuesday.  Secretly, I was thrilled to have a bit more of summer, even though I was mentally geared for getting back to routine.

- School being cancelled meant the kids had to come with me to a Dr. appointment.  It was a mere ten minutes away, but we saw the congestion on the opposite side of the road, en route, and knew we wouldn't be coming home that way.  Charlie is a phenomenal map reader, and thanks to his skills, he was able to navigate us home with no less than 5 detours.  Over two hours of trying to get home and we did.  On a normal school day, I'd have had to navigate that treacherous experience alone- I'm so thankful I didn't have to!

- Running water.  We had it.  It was cold, but I'll take it.

- My tendency to save stuff, saved me.  For some reason, I held onto a portable propane burner.  This wonderful little contraption allowed us to have food and hot water, when needed.

- Dishes by candlelight.  This is by no means something I would choose to do nightly, but in this case, it was soothing, in a weird, mindless, kind of way.

- Not having to cook.  I mean really cook, as in needing a recipe.  It was simply enough to look in the cupboard and try to be creative.  No one complained.  Now that it's over, does this mean I can't cry foul?

- All of the emails, calls and messages from friends and family, wondering how we are in this circumstance.  We are so blessed to have so many praying and pulling for us.

We move on from here, forever remembering our first week in this house- what a memory!

I love electricity

Today is Wednesday.
We lost power on Saturday night.

There's a lot of things in life I could do without.  Electricity isn't one of them.

Say what?!

I'm a California girl.  That's where I spent the first 24 years of my life.  We lived with earthquakes.

Then I moved to Maine.  Snowstorms became a usual occurrence, and I quite enjoyed them.  A pot of soup on the stove and a good book with which to curl up, and I was set.

But hurricanes?  HELLO- I don't know a thing about dealing with those!
Here we are, the first week in our house and in between unpacking boxes, I'm supposed to think about getting batteries (because of course, any I may have, are in a box somewhere!) and gallons of water and plenty of food.  WHAT?!

This is me yesterday- off to Walmart to be prudent as my smart hubby suggested.  Thought I was ahead of the game, but apparently hundreds of locals had the same idea.  Walmart was cleared out of D batteries.  The kids and I weren't leaving the store until we'd covered every corner, making sure every display of batteries was checked.  Sure enough, in the toy aisle, there were a few packs of D's left- BINGO.  Mills family score: 1

Today, I had to return some things to Lowes, and figured we try to get more batteries (I hear my father's voice in my head telling me to have plenty on hand).  Surprise!  They were all sold out of batteries and flashlights.  You wouldn't believe the number of people buying generators.....Mills family score: 0

We've got an ample stash of candles, a battery operated radio (boom box anyone?) and board games to combat the boredom that will arise should we lose power.  This is a head's up that I might be off the grid for a few days....

The kids are well prepared, and we're trying to keep them calm in what could otherwise be a very frightening scenario.  It's better to plan for the worst, we keep telling them. That doesn't mean it will happen.  There's lots of prayer happening here too; praying for those getting hit first, and prayer for us as we try to deal with a unique "adventure".  The kids are supposed to start school on Monday, but that may not happen given the extenuating circumstances.  That's one way to avoid making those dreaded school lunches!

I love having visitors.  But I don't know any Irene and she has plans to drop in soon.....

Keep praying.  Everyone along the east coast could sure use it right now.

Thing 14

It might be a little thing for some of you, but for me this thing is a BIGGIE.
I have windows in my laundry area.  Did you catch that?  Windows- plural.

Are you envisioning  me doing a happy dance?  Because I am!  Almost fourteen years of marriage and all of that time spent doing laundry in dark, dank, depressing spaces.

That time is over.  My walls are a nice bright, HAPPY color, and there's a window in front of me and behind me as I launder.

This is one super happy housewife.

Bring on the dirty clothes I say!

Baker's Dozen

My mind and feet need a serious break from all the unpacking.  I LOVE to organize, but moving forces you to do it,  and where's the fun in that?  Plus, it's the ENTIRE house that needs organizing, not just one closet or cabinet.  So here I am, trying to forget about what needs to be done, knowing it will all wait for me.

Since we're up to thing 12, I thought I'd give you a "twofer", a baker's dozen if you will and add in an extra thing we're loving.....

Yesterday,  the moving truck announced to the neighborhood that we were here.  We had 3 neighbors come by at different intervals to say welcome.  It was a relief to take a break from the work and enjoy a few minutes of conversation in the sunshine.  Every family that stopped by was friendly and each one stated what a great street this is.  There are more kids on the block than we realized, which is wonderful news for C and A.  Thing 12 is that God put us smack in the middle of another awesome neighborhood.  All those little things that led us to THIS house on THIS street were not coincidence.  We'd been telling the kids all along that God already knew which house would be ours, and who our friends would be, but we just had to be patient in waiting for Him to reveal it to us.  I LOVE the revealing of things that he'd promised us.  God is good!

Thing 13 is this: we enjoy listening to contemporary Christian music on the radio.  In this region we are blessed to have 2 stations that provide such music, one being KLOVE (a national station).  Driving in the car is a pleasure when you have great music to sing along to!  My kids are accustomed to it now, and the bigger blessing is listening to Audrey sing along to the music in the car.  Sometimes at home, I even catch her singing the songs to herself.  Talk about a positive impact.  I love that our daily time in the car includes praising our creator.

Time to head back to those boxes.  Hopefully I won't be underwater for too much longer.....!  :)

Thing 11

We had no plans for this weekend.  Nelson wanted to get the last of our belongings over to the house, but I quickly dissolved him of that notion.  My rationale?  If we don't get away this weekend, we won't have a chance for quite awhile.  Besides, I told him, I worked my tooshie off all week to make this weekend a fun one.  A little rationalizing, with a whole lot of sweet talking can work wonders!

I had a hankering for Maryland crabs and longed to sit in a crab shack with butcher paper on the tables, and hammer in hand.  My fabulous hubby had the perfect locale in mind, and it was only a 4 hour drive to dinner.  That's much closer than from Oakville!  Cantler's Riverside Inn outside Annapolis is THE place to go when you want the atmosphere and crab eating experience.  Here's an insider's tip: get there early.  We figured 4:30 pm would be less busy, but we still had to wait almost an hour.  It was messy, it was fun, it was DELICIOUS, and most of all, it was memorable.  Both the kids tried crab, and only one walked away loving it.  Still, it's more about the adventure and trying something new, which I find is easier when you're doing something out of the ordinary.

It would have been nice to stay and see more of Baltimore and Annapolis, but that will have to wait for another visit.  We still have SOME work to do before the movers show up in the morning.  Darn.  On the work part, not the moving part.  FINALLY, we'll get to sleep in our own pad tomorrow.

Thing 11 I love about this move is that Maryland crabs are much closer.  Tie that in with my family going along with my crazy idea of driving to Baltimore for dinner, and we have a winning combination.  We shared plenty of laughs and jokes as a result of the trip, and that wouldn't have been the case had we done boring old work all day.

Maryland crabs rock.  But not as much as my family does.

                                             Guess who wasn't loving the crab....?!

                                            Her smile grew wider after losing a tooth that day.

The truth

Truthfully, I wanted to post another "thing I love" but I would be dismissing the fact that life isn't always a bed of roses, especially when it comes to a move.

This move has gone more smoothly than I could have planned (shout out to the Big Kahuna upstairs).  We've had a beautiful apartment to live in for the past three months.  Our contractor has been amazing- even finishing ahead of schedule.  The "U and left turn" sign isn't leaving me cursing nearly as much.

Yet, three weeks of back and forth to the house, and not having it be our home just yet, can play with one's emotions.  Something in me snapped the other day.  I was grumpy, tired, and just plain fed up with having a nesting instinct, but not being in my nest.  Patience anyone?  I think- no - I know, God was using that moment to teach me.  Driving back to the apartment alone, I broke down in tears.  It dawned on me that we've invested in this house, so that we might enjoy the fruits of it.  But God wants us to invest in people (using our house) so that we might bear the fruits on the other side of heaven.  My prayer from day one of this move has been that we might be used to further His kingdom.  If my house can exude anything good, let it be the love of Christ.

A few more tears were shed, and then KLOVE played a perfect song- what a surprise.  NOT.  God's got me covered.   I just needed a good smack on the head and a strong reminder that there's a much bigger picture here.  Losing sight of that wasn't helpful.  Now with only a few days left until the movers appear, I'm confident that whatever frustrations take hold with boxes, or lost articles, or chaos, there's a perfect God who has it all under control.

That's the truth.

Wanna peek?

We spent a week in Maine, trying to escape the "normal" here.
Turns out it was a great call.  The floors were finally being done, and the painting in the kitchen, family room and mud hallway were being finished.

Surprises and me are the best of friends.  I love them- it's precisely why I waited to find out my children's sex until they were born.  When we left last weekend the biggest rooms weren't yet painted, and I'm so glad I had to wait a week to see it.  All week, there was the anticipation of seeing what the paint looked like on the walls.  Would we like it?  Did it turn out as I planned?  Was this a huge mistake?

Yes, yes and no to the above.  WHEW.  Dodged that bullet!

And can I tell you?  The floors are the cat's pajamas!  We made the decision to have them darkened slightly and they turned out stellar.  It's all fallen into place perfectly and I couldn't be more pleased (or excited, truthfully).

The down side of this is that we now have to begin moving our belongings from the apartment to the house.  Silly me, I thought we didn't have that much stuff here in this small flat.  WRONG, WRONG and WRONG.  It multiplied overnight, that's all I can figure.  My "we don't need a minivan" minivan will come to the rescue, yet again.  She's handy that way.

I thought of you when I was taking photographs there tonight.  Really, I was.  I'll show you a few to whet your appetite.  No peeking at the kitchen, however, until later.  Until then- enjoy!

                                                    Piano room before .......

                                                                  The piano room after.

                                                     Family room before.....

                                                         Our soon to be American family room.

                                                      Dining room before.....

                                                                  Dining Room after.
                         

Thing 10

We were all set to head to the Science Center this morning....a fun activity by all accounts.  One that was sorely needed since apparently all we ever do is "visit the house and run errands".  Whoa....back up the bus!

In an attempt to make things more palatable, I called Nelson's co-worker's wife.  We hadn't yet met, but from what he told me I knew we'd get along (plus she stays home with her two kids).  I asked if she's like to meet up with the kids.  She was game and suggested the Science Center.

Today was the day. Excited kids, well rested Mom, and we were good to go.  Except for the car.  It began making this horrible noise.  I put it in park and walked around the vehicle to see if I ran over anything, or if something was hanging off the undercarriage to cause such a racket.  The one thing I noticed was a half-flat tire.  Lovely.  Those two excited kids I mentioned?  Now they weren't so excited.  They understood completely that we shouldn't be driving 45 minutes on the highway, only to chance something worse happening.

Our day's drive took us to the local dealer instead.  Luckily they could fit us in and fix it.  Not so luckily, it wasn't cheap.  (Is a trip to the dealer EVER?)

All this is to say that when I called my new friend to tell her the bad news, she was disappointed, but offered to have us over for dinner instead, so we could still meet and talk.  How cool is that?  I'm telling ya- people like that are instantly high on my list!  Another confirmation that God's got us covered here.

Thing 10 I love?  That one person was willing to be hospitable on the fly.  My day easily could have been soured, but by one small act, she turned it around for us.  You never know how your actions will affect someone else.  Keep that in mind next time you do something kind.

Moving along....

 Week one of renovations is over, and the house is an entirely new house.  Whew!

Most of the house hadn't been touched in over 20 years, and needed lots of TLC.  It was the era of wall to wall carpeting, with each room a different color.  Wallpaper in hideous prints abounded, and in the master we hit the jackpot- painted walls with wallpaper UNDERNEATH.  Yippity-do-dah.  Thank God for great contractors.

The wood floors are visible throughout now, and luckily, are in great shape.  There's not a stitch of wallpaper left anywhere, and the walls have been patched and primed, even painted in some rooms.  Finally, the house is no longer lost in time, but has been brought forward to 2011.

We've been visiting the house daily to see what transformations occur.  Sometimes we even find little projects to keep us out of trouble.  Just today, we tearfully removed some brown and orange window treatments (sniff sniff).  If you believe that, I've got some ocean front property in Kansas I can sell you.
The decor that was left behind couldn't make it's way to the dumpster fast enough.

Enough babbling.  I bet you'd like to see some photos of what the rooms are looking like now....
Wait no longer!

                                 Upper hallway is now wallpaper free and has lovely wood floors.

                             Our Master, with all new dry wall thanks to the painted over wallpaper....

                                                   Master looking into the bathroom hallway.

                 Soon to be piano room, off the front hall and kitchen.  It's now wallpaper free too!

                  My kitchen is finally wall paper free and white.  Won't reveal the paint color until later....

                                   Look Ma!  No ugly wallpaper!  This mama is much happier now.

Ahhh....yes.

You knew this post was coming sooner or later- admit it.

What's the one thing every out of state (or out of country) move involves?  Anyone?  Anyone?

A trip to the DMV of course!  And today our number was up.  Nelson had been told by others to expect the process to take 5-6 hours.  Yep- you read that right- 5-6 HOURS.  Granted, we had to attain our licenses,register the vehicles, take a written test, and get the cars inspected.

I'm a big believer in planning ahead.  My plan of attack was to get there well before they opened so we could cruise right in and be ahead of the rush.  We showed up at 7am and were the first in line.  (Pat on the back for that move.)  An hour later we were greeted by the "boss" who was quite chipper, and requested us to "greet his employees in a friendly manner", because-  "if you had to see all these people in one day, you'd want people to be nice to you."  I swear on my Bible- that's what he said out loud.  Only  in New Jersey.

 So would it surprise you, that in stereotypical DMV fashion, not a single employee was friendly, or helpful?  In fact, quite the opposite.  But then, you're not surprised.  Please say you aren't.

It's a good thing I'm reserving judgment of New Jerseyans here.  The saving grace, is that I'm pretty sure all DMV experiences are the same everywhere in this nation.

7 hours in total spent in that building.  7 hours I won't get back.

Now it's time for a stiff drink......

Thing 9

There's a Texas sized dumpster sitting in our driveway.  Does this tell you enough?

I'm not going to share photos just yet of the work.....that will come later, in a transformation post (bet you're just itchin' to see the befores and afters!)

You'll be happy to know that today, I finalized paint colors throughout the house.  Many times I had to remind myself that being "risky" is good, and that life would be terribly boring if all decisions were "safe".  Of course, my idea of "risky" could be another person's "safe".  With any luck, our personalities will be showcased in our choice of colors.  You'll have to visit to give your opinion.

But I digress.  When the contractor was removing the sheet rock in our master bedroom he found something interesting in the wall.  The house was built in 1967.  Just setting the stage....

Here's what he found buried in between the studs:

Are you kidding me?  Not just ANY beer- but Schaefer beer.  I about fell over laughing!  My maiden name, on a can with a nearly perfect spelling (short one f).  To me, it was another confirmation that we are exactly where we're supposed to be.  Call me crazy, but I'm keeping this can and framing it to display somewhere in our humble abode- maybe next to the really old built in radio that I refused to let Nelson remove.

Thing 9- I love that an old beer can from 1967 can be a reminder today, that nothing is a co-inky-dink!

Jersey girl?

Does owning this-
officially make me a Jersey girl?

We signed on the house today, making us owners of a slice of New Jersey.

I have to say....it feels great.  Being cooped up in an apartment really creates that longing for something more homey.  With a yard.  Lord knows we've got plenty of yard to go round at this place.  Did I mention the ride on mower we now own?

The contractor comes tomorrow to begin the "makeover".  My part in this?  I have 12 rooms which need paint, and I'm borderline Linda Blair on the decision making.  How does one go about choosing 12 colors?  Actually it's 10 rooms, since the kids picked their bedrooms colors.  I've never had to paint my entire house all at once.  And certainly not before the furniture arrived.  It's not like a bad haircut, where you can live with it until it grows out.  Oh no.  If we don't like the paint on the wall, it's either my job to repaint it or deal with it.  Hubby won't write a check for a do-over.

Here's what it boils down to- picking the same color palette as the previous house (SAFE), or doing something a bit different (RISKY).  Not sure where I sit on this one.

The paint deck and I will be spending time together this weekend.  We have much to discuss.

On a different note, Nelson will be earning his "Daddy of the Year Award" when he takes Audrey to the American Girl Doll Store for lunch, in NYC tomorrow.  $50 says he's the only Dad in the restaurant.  Another $50 says she never forgets the lunch.

Toodles!!

Thing 8

We've been gone for a week and just returned.

In our "old life" friends would call and see if we were back.  Neighbors would notice the car in the driveway after an absence, and come over to briefly catch up.

That's hardly the case here.  No complaints.  It's just the way it is for now.

One thing hasn't changed, however.  Our 3 furry "children" can't contain themselves when we waltz through the door.  You'd assume we were lugging suitcases full of catnip for all the excitement they possess.  It's a true welcome home party, cat style.  No matter where we go or where we live, these 3 are always happy to see us- especially after a long period away.

No one else may notice our absence here, but to these 3, we were missed.

And that's thing #8 I love about this move.

Thing 7

Maine is ONLY a mere 6.5 hours away now.

Perspective is everything.

It used to be a 12-13 hour drive split over two days.  The fact that we can hop in the car and be there in half a day, is no less than awesome.  Heck, we could meet my folks in the middle for lunch and still be back in time for dinner if we wanted.  How cool is that?

The 7th thing I love about this move is being closer to family, seeing them more frequently, and without some tedious two day excursion (with all the fun and insanity that accompanies such a drive).

Know what's even better?  No thought of duty, or exemptions or passports or.....

                                                       Uncle Craig and nephew Charlie

                                                                   Silly cousins.

                                     My brother's two beauties; Maddie age 8 and Elaine age 5.

Thing 6

Does it get any better than this?  I mean really....

A day at the "shore" with my kids....

Sunshine, sand, giggles, and plenty of cool refreshing waves to catch.  The New Jersey shore is my 6th favorite thing about this move.  Getting to share #6 with my kids, is the best part.

There's one little thing I did learn today:  DON'T let your kids put on their own sunscreen.  Yeah, not such a good turnout on that one.  Ouch.

Exploring

It doesn't take much convincing to get us out the door for a road trip.  We love 'em in this family.  Since we've no yard to contend with, few social obligations and beautiful weather predicted, we took advantage to get out of Dodge for the night.

There's no shortage of good choices of where to go, but high on our list was Philadelphia.  We'd been wanting to take the kids for awhile, and now that it was only two hours away, it was the perfect destination.  Plus, it was a great bookend to the Revolutionary War lessons we'd learned recently.

(A great traveler's tip BTW for you spontaneous types- priceline.com.   We use the site frequently, especially the "name your own price" option.  If you want the pointers email me and I'll give you the tricks- but it can save you bundles when traveling.)

Back to Philly.  Staying in downtown afforded us the chance to walk and be close to the historic area.  One of the things we always try to do in big cities is take the touristy bus tour.  The hop-on-hop-off kind are the best.  One can attain a great perspective of the entire city and then later go back and see things in detail.  The kids thoroughly enjoy the bus rides and frankly, it minimizes the grumbling.

In a little over 24 hours, we managed to knock off the top spots to see.  Can you guess what they are?

- The Liberty Bell (that was a gimme)
- Independence Hall (another gimme)
- Betsy Ross' house
- Elfreth's Alley
- Rocky Steps
- Pat's for a cheesesteak hoagie

Philadelphia is such an amazing place of history, art and architecture.  Sure, there are parts of the city one would do well to not visit, but the rest of it is well worth seeing.  Independence Hall had to be the most meaningful building we entered.  As Americans, it's such a vital, if not THE most vital building in our nation's history.  To envision the men sitting at their desks hashing out the details of the Declaration, then later, the Constitution, defies imagination.  I am so thankful the building has been preserved for all to see and enjoy.  If you've never seen this place, put it on your list.  Truly an awe inspiring locale,  if your American or not.  Before you go however, make sure to reserve your tickets online (getting in is free, but requires a ticket) for a nominal fee.  It behooves you to plan ahead, as only a limited number of tickets are available each day, and no one likes to be disappointed.

Of course, it wouldn't be Philly without having a cheesesteak hoagie.  Delectable, greasy, and not for the healthy at heart, this is one of those treats that defines the city.   What's the quickest way to stand out as a tourist?  Fumble when you order your cheesesteak.  Here's how it was defined to us:  you don't have to say "cheesesteak" since they know that's what you're ordering.  Simply say "wit onions" or "witout onions" (and no, that was not a typo) and the type of cheese you'd prefer: cheese wiz, provolone or American.  It's that simple.  If you end up with indigestion afterwards, you can thank me later.

Rocky Steps

Our little champion

                                                  City Hall with statue of William Penn on top

                                                        Audrey at the Liberty bell

                                                         Charlie at the Liberty bell

                                           The room in Independence Hall where it all took place...

                                                            On Independence Mall

                                     Enjoying a cheesesteak at Pat's (or not enjoying if you're Audrey)

History class

I'll be the first to admit that I never paid much attention in History class (shhh don't tell).

Most of my current history lessons come from historical fiction books or my personal encyclopedia, (AKA Nelson).  Pretty sad, I know.  Time to make up for all that lack of learning.

New Jersey is chock full of Revolutionary War History.  Forget textbooks and writing essays. We're on the fast track to learn history in the BEST way possible- seeing it firsthand.  Today we visited Washington's Headquarters, a mere stone's throw from here.  With the 4th of July so fresh in our minds, it was the icing on the cake, if you will, of our weekend celebrations.  The more we learned about these places, the more it came alive, and the more it affected me.

There's something that stirs at the heart of me, lost amid the artifacts and details from this era.  Picturing the men- starving, freezing and often shoeless, I can't help but feel overwhelmed.  Many of these young soldiers were untrained for war, but were willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater cause of independence.  This was no picnic for them, and yet, they served in conditions that were deplorable.  Selfless, God-fearing men put everything on the line for freedom.  It took years of battling, but eventually we won. Our spirited men and the people behind them, were declared a sovereign nation by the King of England.

That fierce spirit of independence still rings true today.  It's a part of our American DNA.  Our forefathers fought to the death for it, and soldiers today, still carry that same determination to see freedom win.  Our birth as a nation is unique, unlike any in history.  Taxation without representation was unacceptable, and if the King didn't succumb to our demands, we'd revolt.  You know how that turned out!

This is precisely why I don't take freedom lightly.  People are flippant about it today.  They assume the freedom we have, is always going to be there.  That's no guarantee- EVER.  Our freedom can be taken in the same manner it was given.  Freedom comes at a cost.  This nation's freedom was bought with blood, no one can claim otherwise.  To think we could get by with any less today, over 200 years later, is foolish.

My life, and the freedom I have today is not of my own doing.  Back in 1776, men stood up and took arms; knowing their lives would be given, but that the freedom they so desperately desired, was worth more.  Men, who didn't know me and the life I would be leading today, gave their life in sacrifice.  All the men who came after them, fighting in wars to preserve our freedom, did the same.  Unknown me, loved by a soldier.

Now that's AMERICAN.

There are two people who lay down their life for you:  Jesus Christ and an American soldier.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nUDFlzK-f0