beautiful sunset after a summer rain!

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!

The last month and a half...

So I have kinda been a tad busy since my last post...

We had Easter...

Then Haley got her very own American Girl Doll... Rebecca.  She saved up her money and bought her!

My friend, Coleen, came out in April.  

Mid April, I started a job with Regions Bank.  I work part time as a teller.  I REALLY like it!  But it does keep me busy! (as if three kids didnt do that already).

April 23, I turned 21 (again).  

Then my life long friend from before kindergarten, Mindi, came out to visit me :).  Her mom (Jeannie) and friend (Debbie), came out to see my mom, and mindi hitched a ride!  We had a BLAST.  We went to Savannah, lake lanier, all around Braselton :) and Gainesville... just had fun!!!  Oh I missed her!!!
In May, I had mothers day... Muffins with Mom in Hunters class.  He made me this lady bug flower pot and decided he wanted to keep it for himself. :)

May 19th my bank had a "scare" but luckily the dude didnt get anything and was caught so it turned ok.  

Haley and Hunter graduated first and kindergarten!   

Hay got reading glasses.  She is opposite of me...  she can see far but not close... she does not have to wear them all the time.  She is super cute!

June 3rd... Hunter turned 6!!!  Cant believe it!!!

We thought we were busy before... man... 

What we have coming up...

- The kids start swim lessons next week.

- Our church is having Camp Kidzu (our verison of VBS) 

- Work work and work...

Egg Hunting with friends from The Vine

Joe and I get together with gals and their little preschoolers twice a month for playdates.  This month we had an easter egg hunt at Jessica Jone's house.  The kids had a blast!  Joe totally enjoyed himself!
He will actually leave my side to follow Brayden around!  It is cute.  Brayden is a year and 1/2 older, and is great with joe.  He will come over and seek Joe out and tell him to follow him!  It is cute!

Lunch time!

The kids got to decorate cookies.  Joe LOVED the decorating part... he, however, took no interest in EATING IT.  :) So I stepped up and ate it for him... :)

Jim and I celebrate Ten Years

Jim and I went to Myrtle Beach, NC for our Ten year anniverary!  It was awesome.  

My parents took all three kiddos while we went for a weekend away!  We left mid Friday and came home late Sunday.  We road in the car without any whining, or arguing, or asking a thousand questions... We took our time getting there.  We stayed up late and slept in... WOW it was a nice break!  Of course by Sunday we were ready to see our kiddos and give them cuddles!

This was Our first time going to the East Coast, since moving.  The beach was BEAUTIFUL!  Driving around Myrtle beach reminded us a LOT of California.  I was a little disappointed in that I couldnt watch the sun set over the water.  I missed that!  I also slept in, so I missed the sunrise over the water... :(

Over all... we had a GREAT time!

Kid updates

Haley...

Is  7 1/2... man time flies.  She is VERY into American Girls.  She loves the movies, the books and of course wants a doll.  Too bad the dolls are like a hundred bucks!  (I am serious too!).  

Her favorite activities at school are art and music. Haley's art work is often chosen to be displayed in the main school hall way.    She told me the other day that during PE whenever given the option to sit and watch and cheer her friends/classmates on, that she chooses that!  

Haley is still very picky about hat she wears.  She picks out her outfit EVERY night before bed... and often wears them to bed so that she can sleep longer in the morning.  Her style is very.... her.  

She is still very quiet and hard to engage. She is a LOT like her daddy!  (I say that with LOVE).  

She is VERY independent.  She wants to do EVERYTHING herself... Lets just say, as a punishment, sending her to her room as a time out would NOT be effective... 

Hunter...

Is 5 1/2 and man, is he a smarty pants.  He loves reading his books and working on school worksheets at home :).  He still LOVES Thomas the train and loves that have deep conversations about which train would be the most USEful for X event..... (ie... X= carrying loads of boulders).

During math one day, the teacher was asking students to make their own addition problems.  When it was Hunter's turn to share his math problem... his problem shocked his teachers a bit, (infinity + 0 = infinity) oh and he also drew the appropriate sign for infinity :).  

A conversation I had with Hunter the other day in the car:

Hunter: Mom, I miss Kiwi (our dog who died this past summer)

Me: You do huh?

H: Ya, Lucy (our current dog) wont play tag with me.

m: Tag? Did kiwi play tag?

H: Ya

M: How did Kiwi tag you?

H: When I would grabbed her tail, she always tagged me with her teeth

Jonah...

Is 2 1/2 years old.  He talks all the time. (Well, not when he is around anyone that isn't around him a lot)  I am sure the ladies at church think he is probably the rudest kid around.  When he gets to church every Sunday, he refuses to even LOOK at the teacher in the face and gives EVERYONE who looks at him THE dirtiest looks! 

Joe LOVES cars, Wow Wow Wubbzy, Mr. Men and Little Misses, and Hunter. :)  

Joe still cusses all the time :(  everyday!  you'd think Jim or I had a foal mouth or something.  The words he "messes up" with are: truck :) and Percy.  Both things he plays with EVERY DAY.  Joe is NOT a good eater :(  errrrr.... he frustrates me so much!  Every day it is pulling teeth to get him to eat anything!  

He is such a cuddle-bug!  

He is WAY into balls... throwing them, kicking them... very athletic.

Joe is not interested in academics as Hunter was by this age. 

The kids are showing signs of a southern accent... not in every day speech, but more with certain words... Haley and Hunter both have teachers who have southern accents.  Haley's teacher has a very thick southern accent.  

Haley's "southern" words: Hair = Hay air, There = they air... any of those... stairs... you get it

Hunter: same as Haley's words... he also uses "yes ma'am" in his everyday responses.  

It will be interesting to see how Joe develops his speech patterns.  

One month later

I think it is funny that one month from my last blog post about it snowing... it snows :)

Outside our house day after the snow fall.

Gregg, Cyndi, Brennan and Liam came to build a snowman with us.  (Pretty much, they did it and we watched ... nice friends we are) :)  

This is the most snow in a single storm, that Georgia has experienced in decades (our area and according to the news person who said it).  

A Cold January

January has been very cold for us here in Braselton, Georgia.   We have had snow... ice... closed school... So new for us Cali's  (Above is our home morning after snow)
It is cold, yes, and yet... Joe feels the need to walk around our home with as little on as possible... :)  Above is him sitting in a brand new train table given to us from another family at our church.  They were so sweet and caring in giving us this table and all the accessories to go with it.  

Joe loved the snow... :)  (Above... him when it first started to snow)

This weekend was pretty exciting... 

All on Saturday...

My grandma Smith (the one who scott and I flew out to cali to bring here) had another "mini" stroke.  She got to a very scary point on Saturday!  She didnt know who we were... I asked her what she was watching on tv and she answered, "I dont know their address"  

Jenny and Scott had a water pipe thing burst due to freezing temps... Thankfully our good friend, Jamey, was able to come and help.  He rocks!!!  Their garage and basement were flooded... :(  

Haley got her finger slammed in a door (the door was locked) and her finger was crushed!!!  We all thought for sure it had to be broken... but it wasnt :).... Thankfully!  

Since our busy/crazy Saturday... things have mellowed... Grandma seems to be doing better!  Haley's finger is feeling better (still swollen a bit and tender...)