The packers are here and the packing has begun.
I thought this time around would be so easy because we have movers.
Nope….
Still stressed.
I think I am certifiably CRAZY. Lock me in the loony bin.
I can’t wait to be settled in to our new house. The key word is SETTLE.
We are finally settling down.
Two cheers for life being permanent instead of temporary.
P.S. If I am missing from my blog for a while; you know why.
Let the moving begin.
I want a shirt that says Baseball mom; I would wear it proudly.
I love baseball, and I could just sit at the park all day.
There is something so relaxing about being at the ball field.
Even though it keeps us all so busy this time of year at 3 nights a week, I actually look forward to those nights. The kids love to be at the ballpark too; even when it is hot and muggy.
I look forward to getting out of the house, and having a break from the regular nightly routine.
I love sitting outside, enjoying the weather and cheering for my baseball player.
It has been fun to watch him grow and learn.
He is becoming such a good ball player; just like his dad.
It is fun to watch these two play catch together. What a bonding experience.
Jonathan has taught Jex to be quite the pitcher.
Jex gets in the zone, and once he is there he can strike out anyone.
Way to go Jex!!
Thanks for making me a Baseball Mom!!
February has been a month full of it’s up and down.
I always know that life has been busy when I don’t have single picture taken with my Nikon during the month.
My camera is my passion. Thank heavens for iPhones and the ability to take pictures with ease and convenience.
What have we been up to?
We started the month making a 100th day project. Money does grow on trees.
$100 dollars for 100 days of school.
We had a few sick days around here.
At the end of the first week of February, we received shocking news that our dear friends lost a daughter and a sister.
Alesa was serving a mission for our church; and was killed in an accident.
The Smith family(including Alesa) was like our second family while living in Arkansas.
I was lucky enough to travel to Arkansas to attend the funeral. It was a beautiful service that touched me and taught me.
I felt blessed to give the opening prayer.
I was touched to read these words in her program:
Missionary: Someone who leaves their family for a short time so others can be with their family for eternity.
We love you Smith Family. We miss you Alesa.
Before I left for Arkansas, I worked quickly to get my kids Valentines done, and pack for Utah.
I sent their Valentines to school early because we were in UT on the actual day. I will share more about those little love notes later this week.
I came home from Arkansas late on Thursday night and we left for Utah early Friday morning.
We were happy to arrive in Utah.
It was nice to see “the greatest snow on Earth.”
Jonathan and I had the opportunity to visit with several medical practices in UT; to decide if “This is the place.”
If you are from Utah you will understand my pun.(wink wink)
Along the way we also enjoyed:
being in Park City for a couple of days. Jonathan did some skiing at the Canyons, and did a lot of convincing that this should become a new hobby for me. However, I really enjoyed hanging out in my nice warm hotel room in the Canyons.
enjoying the little treasures in Logan; Herm’s Inn for lunch and Bluebird Chocolates(for Valentines of course); listening to our Nephew’s mission talk and saying goodbye as he leaves to Eugene, Oregon to serve our church for 2 years; he is also holding our new nephew that Jonathan and I got to meet for the first time; meet Joseph; and bowling with my family(six little people bowling, and seven adults; Tess was the winner.)
We are still in the process of figuring out where we will be in the next four months. It is scary to finally be making the decision about where to settle down and plant some roots. It is also exciting to decide where to settle down and plant some roots.
We are using a lot of faith on this decision. Pray for us.
We are back in PA now. Trying to settle in.
I threw a baby shower the day after we got back. It was really fun. I love friends. What a great gift from God.
Speaking of baby; my sister decided to have this little cutie just two days after I left Utah. Meet: Liam Mark Robbins.
Liam you were two days late! I guess you will have to wait a few more months to meet your Awesome Auntie Andrea.
I have also been trying to catch up on housework, laundry, 1/2 birthday treats for all 3 August birthdays, visits to the dentist, helping out some friends; and fighting a nasty cold.
Not to mention Stella is home sick today with the stomach flu. YEAH!!
It’s good to be home.
I swear it is so much colder here in the East then it is in UT. This wet, windy, chill you to the bone cold is extreme. I think I like the dry sunny cold better.
Maybe Utah really is the place.
It is Monday, October 29th. I am sitting here at my computer trying to get some things done before we loose power. I thought I would try to get some posts in to my live writer, and hopefully they will just post for me even if we loose power. We shall see if that works. I plan to have this post on Halloween Day. I tell you this so that my writing makes sense. I am writing this pre-hurricane, but this will post after the worst of it has hit here.
We are sitting here in our house all hunkered down preparing for Hurricane Sandy and the wrath of it’s storm. It is raining like crazy here, and water is starting to puddle. Our basement already has water in it. It’s a good thing it is just a dungeon down there. The winds haven’t picked up yet, but I am sure they will this evening and in to tomorrow.(remember I am writing this on Monday, but the worst is to hit us Tuesday)
Post edit: Ok so it is 2 in the after noon here on Monday, the winds are starting to pick up now, and tree branches have started to fall. The house is starting to rattle a little.
Schools are closed, and even Jonathan got sent home from work. Which is a miracle for a doctor. Usually doctor’s work regardless of what is happening outside. I am thankful to have him home with us.
The sounds of the storm are getting louder. I once heard that the sounds of a hurricane will drive you the most crazy. It has been referred to as the sound of a really large freight train. I feel lucky that in our two years while living in the Caribbean we never encountered a hurricane.
Now, here we sit waiting out the effects of Sandy here in PA.
I will say that it is nice to just be at home all cozy with my family. I say that now because we still have power. A few days without power might make me a little crazy. I will get back to you on that one.
I am feeling bummed that we may not get to celebrate Halloween this year. It doesn’t sound fun to trick or treat in a massive storm. Our church trunk or treat has already been canceled and I am guessing that trick or treating might be as well. I am hoping PA might reschedule that for another day. I love Halloween night. We might just stay inside and dress up anyway.
In honor of Halloween, and the possibility of not celebrating it. I wanted to share a few of my new favorite Halloween additions.
(please note: these are not the best pictures. I wanted to share these, but it is awfully gloomy outside which doesn’t make for great pictures inside, but you are getting them anyway.)
I received a package in the mail the other day from my friend from High school.(hi Chelsey!) We were cheerleaders together and never really ran around together, but friends none the less. We have reconnected through blogs, Facebook, and Instagram. Even thought that is the only form of communication we have, and not to mention I haven’t seen her in 15 years; I consider her one of my dearest friends. She recently moved from Utah to Washington state. It is fun to have a friend on the other side of the U.S. It was so fun to receive a package from there as well. She picked up these darling tea towels for me.
I saw them on her Instagram and fell in love. They are even cuter in person. They look so cute hanging on my oven in the kitchen. Thanks Chelsey, maybe someday we can meet up in Utah and have lunch.
(taken with my iphone)
While my Mother in Law was here she picked up these adorable place mats for us. They look so cute on our table.
They look even cuter with this quilted table runner that she brought me. She made this for me, as a thank you for supporting Jonathan along his journey with medical school. Isn’t that so sweet?
She knows how much I love Halloween, and just had to buy the kit and make it for me. It is my new favorite. I told her I need one for every holiday. Ha ha ha. I can’t imagine how many hours she put in to making this. I will treasure it forever.
I grin from ear to ear every time I look at the fabric on the back. I think it is just so adorable. (everyone all dressed up in their vintage costumes)
Whenever she makes something, she sews a little pocket on it.
Inside the pocket she tucks away a message. I just think that is such a clever way to leave a thought.
Thanks Grandma and Chelsey for adding to our Halloween fun.
Now here’s hoping this storm lets up so we can do some trick or treating.
Our family is trying really hard to live it up here in the East.
Our time here is short; so it’s important that we make the most of it.
There is so much to see and do, so we are trying to do as much as we can.
Here are a few things we have enjoyed since we have been here.
The beautiful farms and countryside.
I am in love with Strasburg in Lancaster county. It is the cutest little town. We stumbled on this neat little band concert one evening; so charming.
It is also Amish Country.
It is fun to drive around this town full of old charm.
It has a great railroad that you can ride. We are hoping to make time for this.
We enjoyed a Saturday in Hershey, at Chocolate World.
The kids had so much fun taking the tour, I think we did it 3 or 4 times.
It was fun to hear all about how the city of Hershey was made, and how Hershey chocolate came to be.
We really wanted to take the kids to Hershey Park. The more we read about it, it seemed like the kids wouldn’t be able to ride a lot of the rides because of their height. We opted to take a trip to Lancaster over Labor Day weekend.
We stayed in a Hotel, which is magical for a child…
…and did what every good set of parents would do:
We let them jump on the bed.
The next morning, we took the kids to Dutch Wonderland. Which is an amusement park that is well-suited to our kids ages.
We had a blast. I love hanging out as a family.
As you all know, our family loves baseball.
We had to make sure we made it to an Orioles game while we were here.
Camden Yards is really neat. The kids loved being at the ballpark.
We have also enjoyed being a part of a soccer team. It is nice to be a part of something after only a few months of being here.
Jex and Stella have a chance to run around and play with all their friends from church, and it makes them so Happy.
What else I love about PA:
the fall leaves on all the old established trees in these historic neighborhoods
roadside stands and farmers markets everywhere
beautiful farmland
What I hope to visit before we move:
Washington D.C.
New York City
Gettysburg
I am grateful for opportunities to experience new things.
It is never easy to move to a new place, but I enjoying finding the good in life and new places.
Don’t forget to check out Ruby’s giveaway today. It is Awesome.
Day one giveaway is still open. It is the most adorable mobile that my sister made. It is beautiful. Go here to enter to win.
After a month, I am finally reconnecting with my blog. It has been a crazy month. One of the craziest I have ever had. In fact, it really has been a crazy year. I have so much to say, and so much to share. In fact, part of the reason I haven’t gotten to this sooner is that I really don’t know where to begin. Today, I decided I would buckle down and share a little bit of what we have been up too. Once I get that done, I will feel more like sharing my real thoughts and feelings about our life over the last few months and weeks.
So… what has been up with us?
First of all, we sold our home. As you may recall, it sold quickly. We have spent many months preparing for our move.
To give you the short story, Jonathan is starting a new job in Pennsylvania in July. He has to finish up his job in Arkansas and is under contract to do so until June 30th. We had to be out of our home by May 13th. The kids still had school until May 24th. The dynamic of the situation posed just a few problems for us. Among the move, life still went on. We still had school, work, activities, vacations, and time to spend with friends.
This is what we have been up to:
The months of April and May, were full of lots of school activities. Each child had a field trip; Jex had two.
There are so many of our activities that don’t even have pictures because I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind.
I did however take pictures of Jex’s field trip to the crystal mines. I enjoy going on the kids field trips. I haven’t missed one yet, and I don’t intend to. It’s the little things that make kid’s feel special. Even though going during this crazy time in our life seemed stressful, I wouldn’t change those memories. I may forget to bring my camera along, but I wouldn’t miss being with them.
Jex played a lot of ball. I don’t have many pictures, but I do have lots of memories.
Jonathan and I went on a trip to the island of Saba. The island that we grew to love as it was our home for two years. It was the best week ever. The timing was perfect as it allowed Jonathan and I to enjoy one another and forget the move.
My parents came to take care of the kids. The kids had a great time, and I can’t thank my parents enough.
I can’t wait to share our trip with you. Until then, a sneak peak of the beauty of Saba.
While we were gone, Stella had her dance recital. I was so sad to miss it, but I love that my parents could be a part of it. I don’t have any pictures as of yet, but I have friends who have some for me. (Marji and Pam, I need those pictures… hee hee.)
Once we got home, we kicked it in to full gear. We had to be out of our house in just six days.
We are so grateful to our friends who helped us load and unload the moving truck.
Once, it was all loaded, we unloaded it all in my friend Lindsey’s garage. She is awesome. She let us stay with her for two weeks while the kids finished school, and is housing all our crap in her garage until we can move it to Pennsylvania.
We had a great time living with Lindsey. This is me and Lindsey getting ready to go out with some of my girlfriends. Behind us is her cute house that she welcomed our family in for two weeks. What a wonderful person who welcomes six people in her home. She is a great example to me of kindness.
We spent the next two weeks at Lindsey’s wrapping up the school year, and laughing with one another. Lindsey is a kindergarten teacher at the school our kids go to.
The kids each received awards.
We enjoyed their field day.
I took them pizza for their last day at school.
It was really hard to say goodbye to teachers and people who have made an influence on our kids over the last four years. Bye Davis Elementary…. We love you and miss you.
We also had such a hard time saying goodbye to Jex’s baseball team. Jex loves those boys and his coaches. We love the parents, and our kids love the siblings who come to watch. My friend Randy took some nice pictures of Jex at his last game because once again my brain was not in picture mode. I am hoping to get those from her soon.
We did go to lake Catherine with some of our baseball friends and spent the most wonderful day. One of those days that will go down in Arkansas History for me.
Jonathan gets husband of the year award as he went all out for Mothers Day, and our anniversary which all happened while we were living with Lindsey. It would have been so easy to let them slide with all that we had going on. He still made time to acknowledge both. He is awesome. 13 years with the most wonderful man. I couldn’t be happier or more in love.
My Mother’s Day lilies. This picture was taken with my Iphone so it doesn’t do them justice. They were so beautiful.
We enjoyed some great evenings out with friends, and said our goodbyes. I will miss you all.
On Memorial Day, we made the journey to Utah. I came alone with the kids, so that we had somewhere to live. Jonathan stayed behind to finish work. He is living with his friend Brady. Thank you Bradford’s for welcoming my hubby.
We have been here a week now. I am beginning to feel settled. I am feeling less anxious and worried about all we have going. I am enjoying being in the home I grew up in. It helps me feel like I am “home.” While a home is something that I don’t have. It is so nice to be home with my mom. I am grateful that she still loves me enough to let me come back to my old bedroom.
We have spent a lot of time with family. All the cousins on the Swenson’s side enjoyed spending the day together.
taken with my iphone.
The kids have loved being with their cousins. I think it has helped them with their feelings about leaving Arkansas.
I have enjoyed hanging out with my family, and Jonathan’s family.
taken with my iphone
I have enjoyed just chilling at the park, or sitting around catching up.
Although I haven’t had a minute to breath as of yet, I am feeling better.
I got to help my mom redecorate her office. Here is a sneak peak. We are not quite done; but I love the way it is coming together.
I have also been busy editing pictures from the last few weeks in Arkansas. I had several photo shoots. Here is a little peak for those clients.
Speaking of photography; I am so far behind on sharing my photography on my website. I promise to catch up soon; so stay tuned for some awesome shots.
As for our future, I plan to leave Utah sometime in July to meet Jonathan in Pennsylvania.
Jonathan will load up the truck once again, and drive with his dad to our new place in Pennsylvania at the end of June. He will start his new job the beginning of July.
Speaking of new place, that is one more added stress. We had a home to rent all lined up. That recently fell through as the family is no longer moving. Jonathan is now on the hunt to find us something new. We will only be there a year, so it shouldn’t be a big deal to find a rental. I totally trust him, and know he will do well for our family.
After Pennsylvania, I just don’t know. We have lots of dreams for our family, and I am sure we will try to make as many as we can come true.
However, a lesson I learned long ago; my plans are not always what God has planned for us.
I just hope he is listening to my prayers and takes some of those thoughts in to consideration.
Thanks to everyone who has helped us in this crazy time.
We are truly blessed.
