Close ups

First Day of School

August 10th was the kids first day of school.  Haley, first grade, and Hunter, Kindergarten.  

Hunter with his teacher, Ms McNeal

It figures

It figures that once I update you guys that we are staying in our home 6 more months, that it changes... :)

Well, today, Jim got a call from the owner... and basically, they have changed their minds in extending our lease.  They would like to stick to the original lease agreement, which stated that our last day would be October 31.  This is fine with me because I have been looking forward to moving into a subdivision where the kids have freedom to ride bikes in the front yard.  

The only headache is 1... starting Sept 1, the home we are in goes on the market and therefore, people will be coming by to see the house. 2.... we now have to find another place to rent.  AND 3... we have to pack up and move... AGAIN. (to another temporary place) 

The fast pace of life...

The kids started school this week... Haley, first grade (again).  She was in first grade in California before we moved, but being that her birthday is Sept 26th and Georgia has a different cut off date, she went back to kindergarten when we moved.  It turned out to be a HUGE blessing.  She is doing so great in school and loves it.  She looks forward to school.  She loves the learning part so much.  She comes home and tells me more about what she learned then who she played with.  (maybe she will be a geek like her mom) :)  

Hunter on the other hand... He started kindergarten this week and well, as he is VERY INTELLIGENT... he doesnt have the social graces that he should.  :)  I peaked on him while I left the school the other day and saw him yell at the kid next to him for taking his black crayon. Yesterday he came home and told me that he got in trouble .. this was our conversation:

"Mom, I got in trouble today."

"You did?  What for?"

"I talked."

"You talked huh?  Were you not suppose to talk?"

"No it was time to be quiet and I just dont like to be quiet, I like to talk. So I talked and got in trouble."

"Are you going to start being quiet during quiet times?"

"I dont like quiet!"

Which is funny because he is mister i-hate-loud-things!

I know he will do just fine in kindergarten this year.  His teacher is great and sweet.  She emails me and keeps me posted through a log everyday on his behavior.  (She does the log with all of her students - as a teacher I would think it would be a pain to do EVERYDAY, but she also has 20 students and a full time aid.)

Jonah and I are home most of the time.  I am trying to get connected with a moms group in my area.  It will be nice to be out of the house, give Joe something fun to do. 

 I am planning on subbing soon.  I am excited about it... I will only sub at the kids school (my choice) just to get involved with their school without being in their class.... Hunter wouldnt do well with me in there.  I have know idea how much they pay... but it is all good... I am ready to get out and be involved.

As far as churches go... we have been visiting this church 5 minutes from us called the The Vine.  There is so much to it that reminds me of our church back in Cali - Flipside.  I have been moved to tears a few times on a Sunday morning... feeling at home.  We love that it is five minutes away and that kids in the kids classes are kids from our kids school.  (wow... i never thought I could write a sentence using the word "kids" so much)  I know for me, having friends who went to my school and also my church helped me in my walk with the Lord.  (Yes even in my elementary school years.... without Mindi... I was such a follower, who knows... Mindi was a great influence and support for me)... What drew us to try the Vine was this youtube video we found... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKN-kwHrkkI If you are praying people :)  keep us in prayer as we search for a home church.    

I am starting to work out.  :)  I have always done cardo type stuff in the privacy of my own home... :)  but lately I have wanted to get out of my house for some nature/ quiet time.  I have started running again and love it... (well, love it my not be the right term yet) I have also started swimming laps and riding a bike.  NO I am not doing a tri... I just want to have an activity to do that gives me some alone time and keeps me in shape :).  These things do not cost money to do... so it is something easy for me to go and do.  I want to run in a 5k in late september... we will see.... I want to, mostly for me to have  a goal to workout for.  

Our "one year mark" is coming up... In October it will be ONE year since we did our big move.  The time has flown by!  Our lease was up at the end of October, but our AWESOME landlords are lowering our rent by 200 bucks and there is no additional deposit to pay... for 6 more months... so we will be staying put till April 30, 2010.  It is kinda hard not being in a home that is ours and we can take ownership of it...For example... as much as I love the color pink... it wouldnt be my first choice of paint color for my walls....  but the Lord has provided for us and we dont want to go against that!!!  :)  we have made stupid moves for vain reasons and have paid the price... 

I do miss California!  I miss the beach so close by and our mountains :)  oh how i miss you mountains!  I miss our family and friends there... our church family... I miss california size bugs :)... :)  But I do like Georgia too... they are both SOOOOO different.  Good and bad.  Different... It is like comparing beaches to mountains... both are fun and beautiful and you can love both, but they are both sooooo different... one is flat and one is hilly... you get the idea.  

Well, this has been a long enough post for you guys... :)  Keep us in your prayers.  

Update - as of July 30

Hey there friends and family... who ever reads this blog...

It has been a while since I last updated folks about things going on with us so this will be a boring long, no, picture, post... :)  so if you dont wanna read.. no worries :)

Jim is still doing Title Insurance out of our home... He works a LOT.  It is nice to have him home even if he is working.  

Hunter and Haley start school August 10.  Haley will be in first grade and Hunter in Kindergarten.  He is a little apprehensive.  He has told me many times that he misses Mrs. Jones and wants her to move here and be his kindergarten teacher.  (She was his preschool teacher from Cal).  He also talks all the time about his friend Nate :).  He told my mom when she was out here last that when she comes next time to bring Nate... When my mom told him that his mom would be sad if Nate left her, he said, "Well, she can come too... they can live with us!"  

Haley and Hunter are now sharing a room... (Haley and Jonah were last I blogged).  Jonah is having sleeping issues... well, more like going to bed issues... once he is asleep he is good to go, he just needs to have a good cry before hand and that tends to get in the way of Haley's needed sleep.  With school coming... we made some changes... Joe has his own room.  Haley and Hunter sleep in the same room yet have their own rooms down stairs with all their things.  Our house is a 5 bed room home, but two of the rooms are in the basement and I dont want my little children that far from me... 

We are looking for a new church.  We have been attending Corner-Stone Baptist Church in Jefferson and have really been blessed by the church.  However, it is kinda far from the community we live in.  After a lot of prayer, we feel we need to find a church closer to where we live. 

Jonah and Haley's birthdays are coming up... FUN!  It will be different (like Hunter's was) not having our family and Flipside family around to celebrate with us... 

My parents came out to visit us in July.  We celebrated my dad's 60th birthday!!!  It was a nice visit!  I started to do a post with pictures and all from their visit during a lightening storm and lost internet connection right at the end and it didnt save... so I am a little bitter and will post those pictures later :). 

That's it for now... :)  

Indy baby!!!

July 8 - 11 Jim and I packed up the kids and headed north to Indianapolis to visit our good friends the Lassiter's.  They were out visiting Carrie's parents who live in Indy.  They drove all the way from Cali so the least we could do it drive 9 hours to visit them :).   When we pulled up... we were greeted by fireworks... and a small lawn fire :). 
The kids hung out like a day hadnt passed.  This is Hunter out in the back yard swinging!

Their boys... Wes and Wyatt 

We wen to the Zoo!  It rained... but it was warm and we made the best of it...

Wes and Hunt

All of us (minus Bill) at the Dolphin show.  It was fun hanging out together!  

While we were up there... I took a side trip to go visit my friend, Kim, who lives 9 miles from Carrie's parents.  Kim and I were teaching partners in California!  

JIm and Joe in the back yard

We shared so great laughs... It was hard to say good bye... especially when you arent quite sure the next time you will see them will be.  None-the-less I will never pass up a chance to see a good friend!

I love this picture of Haley and Wes... they look SOOOO grown up!

Fourth of July 2009

For lunch we went to My Uncle Roger and Aunt Pam's house for a BBQ.  It was delicious... 
Rodger and Pam live like five minutes from us.  Above is Rodger with Joe and Hunt.  Jonah loves the boat floaty thing Pam got for him to use.  

Get your sunglasses out... me, glowy white chick, next to the tan goddesses... Me with Pam and her sister.

After hanging with the McElrea's (Pam and Rodger), went to the Harris' for dinner... and fireworks.  

Jonah riding on Lukes Gator... :)

Crystal and Jamey got fireworks and put on a show for us :)  

We roasted marshmellows... This is Hunters roasted marshmellow :)  HE likes it white :)  but claims it is roasted... but cold... :)
The kids, crystal and I (me - well, that is kinda a different story in and of itself) caught Fire flies (AKA Lightening bugs).  Crystal got Haley and Hunter to catch these slow moving flying bugs... I tried... I actually caught one opened my hands up to put it in the jar, and I screamed... I REALLY struggle with bugs... :)  

After a FULL day, the kids fell asleep in the van on the way home.

RIP Kiwi Smith - Vandegrift

Well, we are a one dog family now.  Above is a picture of Jonah with Lucy.   

A few days ago, our dog Kiwi, went to the Rainbow Bridge.  :(  She was 12 years old.  She just took a turn for the worst her last few days... She couldnt walk more then five feet before laying down and shivering... she would pee and poo as she walked, having no control... she wouldnt eat... she would let Hunter and Jonah poke her in the face (something Kiwi would never let happen before)....  It was hard to see her go but even harder to watch her suffer.  

Blessing each other...

When we moved here to Georgia, my Uncle Rodger blessed us with a set of leather couches for our basement.  They are very nice... but we never used them.  WE never really come in our basement to hangout.  Well, a friend of mine really liked the couches and wanted them for her living room.  So we did a trade :)  She gave us these three things for our couches... Which I feel very happy with.  She is now blessed with two very nice couches and we have items that will be used instead of collecting dust in our basement.  

Above is a solid wood rocking chair.  Something very common here.  People have these rocking chairs out on their front porch, or screened in rooms... 
Jonah got his cool buggy thing that he loves and I am looking forward to  using this when we go fishing or to the park... 

And the main thing I am thrilled with is this over sized arm chair and ottoman.  YAY!  Fun.  It fits upstairs next to all our other chairs :).  

Thank you Crystal and Jamey!  We are very happy with our trade.  Hope you enjoy your couches.

A game I recommend...

I went Yard Saleing yesterday and found a NEVER BEEN USED cranium game for kids called Cadoo... I got it for a whopping 2 bucks :).  We played it last night and had a BLAST!  Haley is still BEGGING me to play again today... in fact, her first words out of her mouth to me this morning was asking to play Cadoo.  For those of you who have played Cranium... this game is similar in that you have the modeling clay, and you act things out, and you doodle... but it more geared down to kids ages 7 and up... (hunter who is five was able to play just fine).  Jonah, well, he enjoyed playing with the pieces :)

Living Room Camp Out

The other night, me and the kids had a camp out in the living room.  We watched movies and ate junk :).

The dogs joined in.

Even Haley's groovy girls joined in on the fun.

Hunter started out with us but ended up in his room.  He likes his bed :).  

Just a side note... the quilt I am using and the quilt Hunter is using I made :)

Moon Sand

Hunter got moon sand for his birthday.  He loves it!!!  LOVES IT!!!  In fact all the kids love it.  Jonah enjoys throwing it :).  I DO NOT enjoy the mess it makes... :)

Lake Hartwell

Jamey and Crystal took us out to a family friends place along Hartwell Lake to go fishing with the kids and for dinner.

the family had an open dock... no guard rail... a little scary for this mom of three.

Jonah was cranky but still super cute.

Haley was a great, patient fisher-woman. She had a ton of fun and caught on great.  She could cast her own line out. She amazes me :)

Jimmy had fun too.  I think he really enjoyed fishing with his daughter.  

This is Hunter's fish, "whopper" who was really the bait... :)  He was so proud of his pet fish and wanted a picture with it.  No one caught anything on this fishing trip, my guess was that the kids were a little too loud... Hunter loud?  No way!

Happy couples... 

We grilled up some burgers :) and dogs :).

The lake was beautiful!

This is the house we were at.