handsful

My mind is full these days.  Full of big things and little things…

The annoying way the washer and dryer hookups are backwards, which makes doing laundry a pain.  Thinking of my grandmother’s possible last days in a hospital in NJ.  The huge task of finding our doctors, therapists, horse riding trainers, homeschool groups, etc. etc. in a brand new town where we know no one.  How DO you homeschool high school??  What is Dylan doing right now?  Missing someone we don’t even know yet.  Thinking of the repairs going on at the FL house.  Will it sell?  When?  Finding our new church home…and friends for us and our kids who miss their FL friends terribly.  Randy making his way in a brand new job, with lots riding on it.  The pressure he undoubtedly feels. 

In the midst of this season, full of all these big and little things, I know that God is closer than ever…walking with us, guiding our path, our steps.  Giving us a peace that the bumps will smooth out according to His will in our lives.  I believe that because it’s true.

So, we’ve been in our new place for a week now.  What did we do yesterday to celebrate? 

We slept in a bit.

Did some major unpacking in the family room and kitchen. 

Went to the Dockside Deli for lunch

Took the kids for haircuts

Mom and Marley went for a pedicure (we skipped haircuts)

Went to the store for various house items

Came home, grabbed the camera, and enjoyed the dock…

As of today, we FINALLY have our internet back (woo hoo!), so I thought I’d do a quick post with some pictures of our new place.  We had a few rocky moments during our move…maybe I’ll do a post about the “adventures” of moving? 

Anyway, we’ve been here 4 days and LOVE it.  The area we’re in – Mooresville/Lake Norman – is absolutely wonderful.  We are renting for now, until we sell our home in FL and find the home we might want to buy.  Randy found an amazing home that’s on a cove of Lake Norman.  We feel like we’re on vacation…

Until we look around and see ALL these boxes that need to be unpacked.  Little by little, we’re getting it done.  And, I’m loving my new GPS that allows me to explore our new area without getting hopelessly lost. 

A few shots from our first days…

A view of the back of the house. 

First morning here…Ethan and Marley woke up early to fish.  Ethan caught a catfish (since then, they’ve each caught more of those, plus brim).  They throw them back in :)

Looking down the cove.

On the second day, they decided to take a swim. 

Goofy boys.

Lainey and I just enjoyed the sun and the view. 

Abbey decided she’d stay dry, too. 

Tea party time in Lainey’s room.  She knows she might eventually share it with Dylan (depending on the timing of our travel), and it’s causing her to ask about WHEN he’s coming home a lot.  It’s hard to explain the long process of adoption to a little one. 

We see this bluebird everyday…beautiful!  Abbey took this picture. 

Marley and Ethan were back out this morning to fish (yes, in their PJs).  I looked out the window and saw two families of geese swimming by.  So, of course I ran down with bread and the camera.  8 babies total, flanked by their respective parents.  The dads were hissing at us! 

A little while later, Abbey got this shot (along with about a zillion others…she loves to take pictures)

In a nutshell, we love this place.  We miss our friends.  But, we know we’re where we’re supposed to be.

Today is moving day.  We are very sad to leave this home we’ve had for 5 1/2 years…our life here has been extremely sweet.  But, we know – even when the sadness hits – that God wants this change for our family.  So, we are trusting that He has amazing things for us in NC. 

See you there…

Just like last year, our homeschool co-op held an Amazing Race for the middle and high school students.  Abbey was joined this year by her siblings…but, they were all split up and put on different color-coded teams.  This year’s theme was Bible, and the kids had a blast in the Florida heat.  Most of the kids are easy to find in the photo…Ethan is behind the girl with the white sunglasses. 

Abbey and Marley have their game faces on. 

Payton is volunteering for some unknown thing…

Ethan had a hard time finding the rest of his purple team members…it was confusing, his headband was a darker purple than the others! 

I wasn’t sure about all the challenges…it was difficult chasing down each of the 4 teams AND making sure Lainey got her playtime, too.  Here, Payton’s team is trying to put together a paper skeleton, putting the bones in the right places. 

This came from Matthew 7:6, where it talks about not “casting your pearls before swine”.  The kids had to dig through slimey mud to find 21 white “pearls”.  Some loved this, some did not! 

There was LOTS of running involved in the Amazing Race!  Go Ethan!

Lainey LOVES to swing.  I’m doing double-time here, swinging Lainey and her friend Elizabeth. 

Abbey works to put together a puzzle, so that she can read the verse on the back.  Part of their activities required them to write down the verse in a notebook that went along with each challenge.

Marley races to dump water that she gathered from another bucket, into this one.  Problem is the cup has holes in it.  I totally forget what the point of this one was.  I knew it at the time!  My brain cells are consumed with our upcoming move.  On FRIDAY.  And, I’m here posting…

We’re so thankful that our move was put off by a week, so that the kids could enjoy this last activity with our fabulous homeschool co-op.  :)

for downtime.  Lainey has had a change of heart, and is back to swimming.  Not sure why she had such a slow start this year?!  She swam in the fountain yesterday, and held onto Payton in the big pool too.  Today, we told her she should wear her floaties and she went right in, like nothing had ever been wrong.  A few pictures of their pool time…

Ethan, I told you if you made that face it WOULD end up on the blog…

Lainey says water is good. 

Twins, by accident.  Lainey’s suit if from last year.  Marley just got hers this week. 

Pictures from today’s homeschool co-op Amazing Race coming tomorrow!  During a packing break…

Catching a toad in the pond.  Currently buying crickets to feed said toad.  He’s Marley’s newest best friend. 

Swimming IN the pond that the toad came out of.  3 out of 5 kids think it’s just grand.  Marley only wades in a little. 

Comtemplating.  Lainey has decided that all water is bad.  This is her after we forced her to swim in the pool.  Not sure what’s going on there. 

Being tackled and/or dunked by their friend, Ian.  Why are we at the beach instead of packing?  Because our time with our FL friends is precious. 

Speaking of friends…here’s Abbey and her friend John.  John is in our homeschool co-op.  His mom was the girl’s geography teacher.  We’re really going to miss our co-op friends. 

Practicing a new skill.  Those new chop sticks are really fun to use.

Must. go. pack.  But, I blog instead :)