Sick day...

so, just after this pic was taken, i was getting nora dressed. (she has a fever, sore throat and went to bed last night at 6am. and, slept in the latest since we moved here this morning!!) anyway, jamey accidentally kicked nora. i told him to be careful, he hurt nora. WITHOUT PROMPTING, he said "so-wa, hug". (translation. "sorry. hug") and then gave her a big hug. it was so precious! i was so proud of my FIGHT with him yesterday to get him to say sorry! (he's turning into a hitter... and i am trying to stop that! we had a 5 minute stand-off to say "i'm sorry" to mommy yesterday. which also involved a lot more hitting before i got the "sorrry" i was looking for!) it's good to see his sweet spirit!

the other day, he just reached up and gave me kisses. it was so precious! and, i had him say good-bye to the nursery lady yesterday, and he reached out and gave her a kiss! gonna have to work on that one, too!! kissing strange women is cute at this age!

nora is feeling so much better, btw!

Reading

foghorn...

so, i have a cold. and lost my voice yesterday. thankfully, it's mostly back today. but, it's a bummer. i sound like a foghorn!

on that note... it's been SUPER foggy here this week. warm, but this fog that just won't lift. think point loma on a bad winter's morning (for those of you san diegans...). like today, i was at Bible study, and usually you can see this lake from the windows. it's maybe 20 feet away. couldn't see it today. it's weird. it's a low fog. anyway, from my house, i can hear the foghorns blowing! it's so fun! (only if i am standing in my kitchen with windows open.)

a fun week...

random family pic...

cousin dorothy...

grammie!!!

grammie, auntie sarah and cousin dorothy drove down to visit us on monday. we had such a fun day! we did a little exploring of newport, places i didn't even know existed! and just visited. i think i am really going to like being this close!! we were so thankful they chose to spend the day with us- especially dorothy as she is about to fly to the other side of this big pond. (and, we got to celebrate grammie's birthday!!!).

we went to a playgroup this morning and got to meet some fun new ladies. after my car battery died again. and i had to be rescued by a friend. but, fun to meet new friends!

my pumpkins!!

trying to be daddy!

at the pumpkin patch!

wandering the "maize", as they called it!! nora led the way, and did a great job!

in the corn maze...

a bridge over the corn maze. it was cool to look up and see the whole thing! (google escobar highland farm if you want to see it!)

picking out pumpkins!

he loved rolling the pumpkins. thankfully, we only had to pay for the ones we bought!

she thought she'd picked out the perfect one. daddy had to tell her that it was rotten, and help get another one. thankfully, my kids chose the $3 ones! (our friend chose the $15 one!!)

dayton REALLY wanted to pull, not ride. however, two kids, three pumpkins and the cart are REALLY heavy for a 2 year old!

we convinced him to ride in the other one. so we could go on the tractor pulled cow ride. this is where my camera died. sad! i have to get the rest of the pictures from dayton's mom!

in all, a FUN weekend! ballet first on saturday, which was so great for nora. then, a pumpkin patch. THEN... i LEFT THE ISLAND!! it was fun! i hit up the few stores they don't have on the island (borders- and they didn't have what i wanted... jo-anns, whole foods, trader joes...), but SURPRISINGLY not target! (i ran out of time and had spent too much money...) but, a fun afternoon. oh, and i had to take our books on tape back to cracker barrel. that's what started the whole "get off the island" trip. (it's an $8 round trip until we get our ez pass, so it's an INTENTIONAL trip! with lots of things stored up for that!- also realized that for some things, paying shipping might be cheaper!!)

that being said, there is a TON on the island, and not a ton of reasons to leave on a regular basis, as far as shopping goes.

anyway, saturday night, david and i watched "avatar", which i hadn't seen. we just had a fun night! then, sunday was a new church. we walked in, got the kids settled, then walked into the sanctuary. this old man accosted us and our friends and asked the four of us to be the ushers for the offering. david said we were new, so maybe next week, and the guy wouldn't take no for an answer. our friends also said one of them needed to stay with their 5 week old, and the man was almost offended that they wouldn't do it. he said he would watch the kid! then, someone stepped in and said they could be off the hook. so, david and i were the ushers with another couple.

i don't mean to make it sound horrible, because it wasn't. more funny than anything. a very odd experience for me, because i don't really remember ever going to a church with less than 1000 members. and, when four adults and four kids walk into this church, we stick out as new!!

we really liked it. i am doing a women's Bible study there on thursdays, and we are trying to get more involved. so far, so good! AND... it's right on this pond, so there is a gorgeous view!

first day of school...

the best pose i could get... first day of school!

my big preschooler!!!

auntie byssa and radio co-host and friend kristen. aren't they awesome!!!

nora's first day of school was last thursday. she LOVES it! she hates that she can't go every day. it's so fun for her. yesterday, she got to bring home a book with each kids' picture in it. each kid takes it home once until the next class time. she just loves to sit and look at all her friends.

she loves what she is learning. she loves the centers. she LOVES her teachers.

james just came over and wanted "up" on the couch next to me. he is getting SO BIG! he is talking so much, and singing a bit. this morning, i was sitting in his rocker, getting him dressed and just talking after i got him out of bed. he gave me about three bear hugs and said "love". totally unprompted! it was awesome! what a sweet boy! he also just leaned in so i could give him a kiss!! my snuggly boy!!

he HATES when nora goes to school. he HATES leaving her. he loves to sing with me. if i sing "oh where is my hairbrush", he will finish with "oh where oh where oh where is my hairbrush". if i sing "jamey. jam-ey", he will sing "wah-wah-wah-wah-wah" like melly and byssa do!"

he is ALL BOY. he loves to put his drink on the edge of the table, say "whoa, whoa", and knock it off. he loves fries. any bag we get, he asks for fries in it. he loves to run and climb.

nora keeps asking if this is rhode island. then, she checks to make sure we can bring her things to hawaii. poor confused girl. today we have a playdate! our same friends... we are so blessed to have them. the dads were friends in virginia and introduced the wives and kids last week. the best part- THEY ARE GOING TO HAWAII!!

A walk in the park...

sweet girl... all bundled up! it was WINDY!!!

the picture i was trying to get the other day... today we had daddy with us! he got out of class early, and we all went to play! i got a little run in and the kids had a blast with their daddy!

sweet boy all bundled up!!!

this morning, i was cleaning up in the kitchen while the kids sat at their little table and ate. i kept telling jamey he had to sit at the table to eat. and, he would get up and walk around. nora kept asking, "mommy, can you be the mommy again and tell james to sit down?" awesome... because, apparently, i had abdicated my position!

... where the heart is...

so, i had a rough night last night. i think i already talked about it. but, david was sweet and told me how thankful he was that i would give up so much to follow him. i told him i didn't mind. it was worth it to be with him. i was sitting today, listening to my sister on the radio (redhawkradio.com @ 4pm on weds!!!), and she played some kenny. the song was called "the good stuff". it reminded me of my conversation last night, and a WONDERFULLY, encouraging email i got this week. home is where the heart is. it's where my family is. this house might be more shabby that chic, but it's home. the house is four walls, wood, brick, mortar. you can't exchange any of that, or any friend (although i have some AWESOME ones!) for the four walls that build my home (david, me, nora, james). i am sad at times. i miss my san diego friends. i miss my ohio friends. i miss the presley family. but my home is here, and there is no where on earth i would rather be.

our life...

morning walk... the cliff walk

morning walk...

still walking...

the kids enjoyed the beach, sand and park!!

who wouldn't love that face??

two kiddos!!

my navigator!!

still fascinated with the sand!!

me-cheesy, james-angry, nora-not in the pic, but wanted a pic to remember our first day on our own, moved in, in rhode island!

playing...

did i mention it was windy??

nora kept telling me she was afraid she was going to blow away!!

our new friend, dayton, over for a playdate!

james taking a "cheese" with his puzzle piece!

cooking in her kitchen!!

so, we are getting adjusted. slowly! monday, we got up, got our insurance switched to this region, then went for a walk. the kids even fell asleep in their stroller! then, they got to play outside! it was so much fun. i loved being by the water (which is only about 5 minutes from our house), and still getting to be outside! we came home, took naps/quiet time, had dinner with daddy, then he and i just enjoyed being together. we played cribbage, watched monday night football, and relished in the fact that we lived in the same house again!

yesterday, nora had preschool. the only thing she finds wrong with it is that it's not every day. she absolutely loves it!! i wasn't sure how jamey and i were going to fill our time. i went to base to get gas with plans to go to the commissary. when i went to start my car after getting gas, it wouldn't start. so, there went a nice chunk of my morning!! i got some nice guy to jump the battery, and it seems to be working again. i was even more frustrated, because there wasn't a good reason the battery didn't start. oh well!!

we got nora, came home for lunch and naps, then set out on another adventure! we took a walk and then visited this local grocery store/cafe. it was cute, with not quite the selection i had hoped! but, should be a good cafe to visit!!

last night was nora's preschool parent's night. it was so fun to see what they do every day. the preschool is WONDERFUL and so are the teachers. she adores it and it's so fun to watch her. yesterday, she told me she learned that "God is healthy"! awesome!!

she also told me that i am her favorite in the whole world. she is growing up and it's so fun to watch! (also makes me a little sad...) i did have a moment of panic yesterday when i was at the gas station and NO ONE to call!! but, that will come. as always, God is good. our days have settled into a nice little routine. i might venture off the island again (an $8 round trip affair) this weekend... but then again, we'll see! the island has everything but target and trader joe's. thankfully, at least those two are close!

sewing room/closet and new project...

seriously....

a sampling of what i emptied out of the fridge and cabinets for them...

the oven...

the non-working upstairs bathroom... i think they made it a slash-closet!

the junk drawer... one of four with stuff in it!

life...

a snack in the kitchen!

stuff collected from house and set out for them...

all the paper used to wrap our stuff... made a wonderful pile to jump in! guess who loved it most??? daddy!!

he got quite whiny while mom and i tried to clean and unpack the kitchen. after trying to appease him, mom put him on the box. kept him happy for a good half hour!!! awesome!!! why are boxes the best form of childhood entertainment?

behind the washer and dryer after they were moved. awesome!

i might have mentioned that i started this devotional in july. it's a 31-day thing. i am on day 23. you can see how well it's going! actually, i LOVE it! and, it's been so cool. i hit things on certain days that are OVERWHELMINGLY appropriate to that day.

like today... i just moved across country and know one other person. kind of. and i like people! it's been a little anxiety-inducing. and, i have been reminding myself that God is in control and we are exactly where we are supposed to be. but, today in my study, we read Rev. 4. it talks about the throneroom of God. the throne is described and everything else in the room is described in relation to the throne.

the author then points out that "nothing stands alone because nothing can be understood apart from its relationship to the One on the throne.... He never abdicates His authority nor resigns His role as Sovreing Ruler over heaven and earth...Your life, your family... your circumstances- how differently would you view these things if you could see them only in relationship to God on His throne?" (beth moore) i'm trying to have that perspective. it was both encouraging and convicting!!!

did i tell you that we missed ballet today. first of all, i couldn't find her ballet shoes. so, we had enough time to go buy new ones. then, drove to ballet. except, i was on the wrong side of the island. i drove back and forth for a few, then called a friend and she directed me. to the other side of the island! fun times... good for teaching my daughter life lessons... but, we got there in time to meet the teacher and some friends!!

butler's pantry

kitchen... breakfast!

dining room... plus a few boxes and a couch that will be moved!

family room...

i love this entryway. the twisting staircase, the wallpaper...

the wood arch.... (the box that needs to go upstairs!)

this is the second story... at the end of the hall are the stairs to the third story!

jamey's room

guest bedroom

still guest room

the play room... still needs curtains!

another play room angle

the play room is an equal opportunity venture. anyone can enjoy it!! (note my cute stolen desk... thanks em! it's perfect in there!!)

our fireplace. we guess it doesn't work (since NOT MUCH does!!). to note. most of the outlets work. however, only one outlet on each works. you have to guess which one. and we learned today that when we use the toaster, it blows out the power in the fridge. guess i have to move the toaster. and, the ice maker works, but you can't get it through the fridge. david's closet door was never really on its hinges. there are light switches that go nowhere, and lights that just won't turn on. there are exposed wires where, i think, the smoke detector used to be (in the kitchen... so maybe they just cooked like me!). you have to almost stand on your head to use the stovetop! just kidding. it's touch, not knobs, which is great for the kids, but it's interesting to try to use! we had to call the owner to get talked through it, then still had to figure it out on our own! there are certain closets that you can't open from the inside, so don't get locked in!!

on tuesday, david got here early to make sure he was here for the movers. LESSON LEARNED! always come at least a day before the movers to clean. he called me and was less than encouraging in his description of the house. although, for his benefit, i will say there was a vine growing in through the window when he got here. he put it out of the window, and it needs trimmed.

also, there was still a bed in one of the rooms, along with piles of clothes and other bedroom paraphenalia. he called the guy who said he would come get it. mom and i got here with the kids, and at first glance, it wasn't so bad. then, we started to see everything. i would guess it had been quite some time since the house was cleaned. there was poop in the toilet. seriously! dishes in the dishwasher. a dirty pan in the oven. food in the fridge. dog/cat food on the floor of the pantry. a junk drawer full! including their checkbook. i got panic attacks opening another cupboard- never sure what i would find. there is a bathroom (in the guestroom) that doesn't work, and really looks like it shouldn't! another sliding door is stuck shut for some unknown reason. there are cracked windows, missing outlet covers. paint peeling. things that i might not have noticed or really cared about if it wasn't such a shock to find the house so utterly just LEFT.

the owner stopped by and said he was disappointed with the person he had clean the house... although he admitted it was someone who just stopped by his house, asking for money. he admitted that he never came back to check it out. when i talked to the real estate agent we went through, she said they just moved to a fixer-upper and have five kids. i wanted to laugh and yell at the same time- "HOW IS THAT MY FAULT?". while he was here, he said he would talk to his wife about having someone come out and clean it. then, later told me that because we were already here with movers, making a mess, he didn't feel comfortable having the house cleaned (because we had made SUCH a mess!!).

all that to say, NOT AT ALL how i thought i would move into a house. ever. but, my mom was here and did extreme makeover, haile edition! she was awesome! it was such a blessing to have her here. in the middle of the day on tuesday, nora came down the stairs and said "i have a happy heart. that makes God happy." it was such a good reminder.

i could see God working throughout the day. and, the house is great now. okay, maybe good! it's an old house, with old house charm. you can hear the wind whipping through the house (and it's way windier than i expected!). it's made like they don't make houses today. gorgeous windows with gorgeous paneling. the kids have an AMAZING play room that the LOVE! it's really fun. it has its quirks, but we are enjoying it!!!

more on the move later...