It has been two years!

Two years ago today, Jim, the kids and I pulled into Flowery Branch Georgia to make it our new home. (even though now we live in Braselton Ga... which is RIGHT next to Flowery Branch)

The last two years has been such an experience for us as a family. We have grown closer. We've had to rely on each other in EVERYTHING. We've all grown up a bit... yes, Jim and I BOTH have!

I get asked a lot if I miss California... I DO! Want to hear a list of things I miss? Hope you said yes, cuz i am going to tell you anyways :) (WARNING... this may be long)

1. I miss my friends.
I miss their children. I miss the history that goes with growing up with the same friends from kindergarten and junior high. I miss having that foundation of living through the bad and ugly along with the beautiful things in our lives that make us who we are! (know what I am saying?)
I miss having that history of friends who came and saw me in the hospital after having Haley (or even sitting in the hospital room while I was waiting for Haley to come).
I miss having those inside stories/ jokes of our pasts... stories that none of my friends here would know.I miss my friends saving their scrapbook sticker tape to give me so I can roll it.
I miss having those friends that my kids grew up with.... were in diapers with.... took baths with....

2. I miss my family that still live out there.... I miss my grandparents who mean the world to me. I miss not being able to celebrate every holiday, birthday... with them. I miss not being able to have my grandpa be able to play santa for my students. (even though he never really did for my 8th graders). I miss my in-laws and my sister and brother in-law... and their daughter (my niece and soon to come nephew) and my favorite grandmother in law, Ruth!

3. I miss the Mountains (aka, MY mountains). I LOVED waking up and just looking at the fresh patch of snow that would blanket the tips of the mountains... (I DO NOT miss the smog that would occasionally cover the mountains where you couldn't see them... that always made me want to vomit).

4. I miss the winter weather there. You know the ONE week where you wore jeans... :)

5. I miss the smaller sized bugs... the bugs here are HUGE and DISGUSTING and make me want to vomit... I pray that my students don't catch on to my huge fear of bugs... Some of my friends here in Georgia are, unfortunately catching on to the severity of my fear of bugs. I fear my uncontrollable outbursts will scare my new friends away.

6, 7, 8..... I miss Vince's Spaghetti and smelling like it for days after eating there... and I miss the VG... I miss the Flipside.... I miss MOPS (which is what momtourage was called when I still was there).... I miss my neighbors... I miss walking my kids to school.... I miss the teenage girls Tping my house and leaving me cinnamon rolls on my porch....

I DO miss a lot and I am sorry for having a little missing/pity party.... truth is... I DO miss all those things....

But I do love it here in Georgia and feel so happy and content here. I know that this is where God wants us. And how can you not have peace about that????

Things I love about Georgia...
1. I love the new friends I am making and the NEW history I will build with them.

2. I feel I live in the mountains... even though Georgia people would say we don't live in the mountains... compared to where I live in Cali... this is like the mountains :).

3. I love our new church, the Vine.

4. I love the new experiences we get to have. I love what this experience (moving here) has done to our family. I feel we are stronger and healthier then ever before.

5. I LOVE SUPER Walmart!

6. I love the changes in seasons... (Even though I think Winter is a tad too long here) and I love it when Georgia people complain about the heat when it is 90 degrees... (similar to SoCal people freaking out about rain).

7. I LOVE Georgia BBQing... YUMMY....

Lets face it... if I was to move back to Cali... there would be things I missed about Georgia...

I have learned that no matter where you live, no place is perfect... you will ALWAYS have something you hate and something you love. You will always have something you miss.... You just have to learn to be content in whatever circumstances you find yourself in. Happiness is found in God and God alone... you can NOT count of things or people or places to make you happy.

Thanks for reading!