Moving: It is what it is

Well, as of today, we have about another week until we are climbing in the car and driving away from our home.

Our house is full of boxes that Aftyn likes to run around. Full of boxes almost entirely thanks to Alyson. Thanks Alyson!

There are bare spots where once there was furniture. I've had to say goodbye to pieces I never thought much of but once they're gone I miss them.

It's a little sad to pack up what was your life and know that when you arrive at your new destination you will create a new way of life. Good thing we have so many pictures to remember our good life here.

We have had a bit of a melancholy week here but we just keep reminding ourselves how excited we will be once we get to our new city and see all the exciting new things we will get to explore and discover.

More than anything we will be taking with us, the most important are the 4 of us. I love my family. And each of our own sides of the family as well. And I love my ward family. What a lot of support we have gotten from you all. Thank you for it. Sincerely.

Christmas Eve.  These car seats in the house kept Aftyn busy for quite some time buckling and un-buckling herself.

On a floor full of toys, her favorite new toy is her sippy cup. She protested anytime it came near to her and would squawk until you shoved it in her mouth and she got a drink from it.  What a kooky kid.

My Thoughts Today

I took down most of the pictures on our walls today.
 I realized something. 
I have an emotional attachment to all the pictures of my family that are on our walls.
I had a hard time taking down the last few because it felt so final.
Now it has finally hit me that we're moving.
And I'm sad.
I'm going to miss all these people that have become a part of my life in big ways.
Darn it.

On to happier things.
Aftyn is living in a confusing world right now.  This morning I was packing a suitcase with clothes for her and Bronwyn for the next week.  Aftyn kept saying, "my blankie can come too!".  When I kept reassuring her that yes her blanket could come but that we weren't going anywhere, it didn't seem to keep her from continuing to tell me that her blanket was coming too. Poor kid. 
And Christmas is certainly going to be a little different, but just as good.  Certainly! It's hard to work in traditions when your house is in upheaval. I guess we'll get them worked in for next year.
Aftyn is so very excited to open the presents under our tree.  And we don't even have them all wrapped and under the tree yet! I have fun imagining the smile that will appear on her face tomorrow morning.  She's going to love it!
Bronwyn is trying to crawl! And has also figured out how to go from a sitting position to a tummy position.  And then she spends a few minutes pushing up with her feet and her hands making a "bridge" with her body and then lowering back down.  Baby pushups.  Very cute.  Until she gets tired of that and frustrated that she's not moving and starts to cry about it.  She'll get there soon enough.
Also, no teeth yet! Bronwyn is such a happy go lucky baby most of the time she makes Reed and I laugh a lot.  Very funny little girl.  Can't wait to see more of her personality as she grows.
That's all for today.
Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!

And Then Sometimes Your Whole World Changes

Almost one week ago, all of my plans for Christmas completely changed.
You see, one week ago Reed heard back from a college he had applied to for their MBA program.

We had been waiting and waiting to see if we were even accepted and yet while we were waiting and waiting all those weeks, we had decided that it was going to be too expensive and was probably not the best opportunity for us.

And then the acceptance letter came with a scholarship that made us really stop and think.

Think about the possibility of moving WAY across the country.
Here, actually.

And so after lots of praying and fasting and pondering and weighing all the options,
we decided it's the option we're supposed to take.

We're moving. In 15 days.

With essentially our beds and clothes and a few other important things.

It's always nice when you know you're doing what Heavenly Father wants because then He's got your back.  And that's how we feel.  In spite of a quick move and not having a concrete plan yet of what's happening with our house, we feel peace that we're doing what we should.

And we're excited!

P.S. Oh the irony of the last post about missing my mom.  Only a few days later, I've got so much on my mind and least of all is missing my mom.  :)  

I need to get this out.
I feel as if I'm floundering a bit this Christmas season.
I may or may not have mentioned it but when my parents left on their mission, I didn't "have time"
to be sad about it. Nope.  For weeks I waited to really feel the void that their leaving left in my life. But generally life was so busy there wasn't an opportunity for me to sit down and really think it out and start to "feel" myself missing them. Maybe I'm odd in that way but I guess I've learned to push aside some of those harder to deal with feelings.

No more trips to grandma's house whenever I needed a break and someone to care. No more borrowing things quickly or having my mom drop them off for me.  No more little drop ins by my mom and dad at our house when I hadn't been over to see my mom in a week or so.  I loved the instant lift that just seeing my mom and knowing she cared brought. I loved seeing the joy on her face as she spent time with my kids. I miss that.  Somehow seeing how much she loved them helped me to see my kids in a different more patient light. 

Well, obviously, it's hit me.  Actually it hit me last week at the oddest of times and I've been in a bit of a funk ever since.  Probably because it's Christmas and for me that means family.  Not that I'm not seeing family but I'm missing what feels like a vital part.  And I guess I'm just feeling sad about the whole thing.  Hopefully I will get over this really sad feeling and move on and find different ways to enrich my life, but in the meantime just know if I seem unlike myself or not blogging as much as usual, it's because I'm dealing.

Our Little Night at the Ballet

First question you might ask is, where is a picture?

Friends, alas, there aren't any pictures.  Not a single solitary one.

But let me try and paint a few in your imagination.

Picture a VERY cold night, with Reed and Bronwyn and Aftyn and I bundled up.

Picture us walking across the College of Idaho campus,

making our way to their Auditorium.

Picture us getting there a few minutes late, and walking into an

already darkened room with seemingly every chair already full.

Picture us finding 2 seats together and only having to squeeze past
2 peoples knees to sit down. Into seats that were precisely the
size of the average person not wearing a coat and leg room that
must have been spacious 15 years ago to people who on average
were not as tall as people now. 

Picture us squeezing into these 2 small spaces wearing our coats and sitting 2 children on our laps also wearing their coats. Picture Reed's arm and shoulder taking up part of my space. (But please picture me already used to that.  ;)  )

Picture the small child behind Reed saying "Hey!"  as soon as Reed's tall head and shoulders blocked his view of the stage. And the mother quickly hushing her child and moving him to HER lap so he could still see.

Picture us looking down onto the beautiful wonderland onstage

and all the beautiful costumes and dancing of The Nutcracker.

Picture a beautiful night of dancing and music and delight.

Picture a quiet 6 month old baby.  Who fell asleep at the end with no fuss.

Picture a 2 year old who kept saying, "Look Mommy, they're dancing!".

Picture a beautiful memory and a wonderful night.

Bronwyn's First Word Is :

Reed and I had a competition going.

I was really hoping for mama and really thought I had a chance

to get one of our kids to say it first before dada. 

But no such luck. 

Dada it is. 

And just today Bronwyn has REALLY started saying it for sure. 

Ear to ear grin when Reed first heard her.  :)

And almost every time since.

Can't blame him, she sure is sweet.