well, its official!

Things are starting to change. I am now a stay at home mom. I have just about 2 weeks left in IL. It was hard leaving my job for the last time. It was sweet and scary and happy and sad all at the same time. I love my work family and I don't know what I am gonna do not going there every day. But I get to be with my actual family now more too. So I am excited about that. 11 1/2 years is a long time to be somewhere. So on to the next chapter. 

I have a good bunch of stuff already packed up and in Tennessee. Making all kinds of lists. Lord help me if I lose my little notebook. I will be lost. I checked into a ton of stuff in our new town. It is a good sized town of about 10,000 people. Has 3 or 4 parks a bunch of schools, 2 grocery stores and all the usual little stores. The kids school that they will be going to is brand new. (well 2 years old) so I think that will be cool. Everything is all new.

I am a bunch of nerves though. Jeremy is going to be working quite a bit so I am afraid that I will get lonely since my efforts of trying to get Pat and Del to come have fallen flat. So I have made a list of all the things that I wanted to do for the last few years and I fully intend on doing them!  And if all that gets done and boring, I am going to go back to school. I would love to do some photography stuff as well but I need to learn some more about lighting and just everything in general. That would be very cool if I could start something like that. 

Austin is getting so big and mature. (well in some areas not so much in the bodily function part. MAN that kid can fart!) He is looking forward to starting school in Pekin. I still can't find the 2011-2012 calendar online anywhere yet. BOOOOO I want to plan things!  I finally made him get a hair cut. It was getting pretty rough.

Alana. Little girl. Big girl. So not ready for the next few years. I hope that you stay sweet and good forever. I remember my teen years with my mom and they were really not pleasant. We got to take a walk today with Katie. That was really fun. I miss hanging out with you and plan on starting again real soon. Dad wants to spend more time with you before we go. So actually all this week I am gonna let him come get you after school so you guys can hang out too.

Gavin is gavin. What else can I say? He still is doing well in school, loves going. Loves being right. And is missing his daddy. He has on the whole been really good since Jeremy has been gone. You are kinda  a flighty little boy. Your head is God only knows where most days. You amaze me at how well you have picked up roller skating. You have only went twice but you are going around so good!! I am thinking that I am going to have to keep going with you guys. You really like it too!

Katelynn. My little Katie that isn't too little anymore. You are constantly growing and changing. You are getting so frustrated when I don't understand what your little noises and looks mean. And TEMPER! sheesh girl. Cut me some slack okay?  You are starting to tell me when you need your diaper changed. So once we get settled, guess what we are gonna start? Along with getting you off your bottle. Sorry chick! It was really hard to get you to drink cows milk, start taking a bottle, and apparently going to be hard to get you off the bottle and to drink cold milk. (yes, I still bow to your wishes [for fear of getting milk spit on me, which you do!] and heat up your bottle. You also say nigh nigh, and run to your crib and try to crawl in when you are ready for bed. That is really nice. I hope you keep that habit!!

I thank God every day for my kids and their health. A friend's great nephew is on life support right now. I just saw the little guy on Friday. His parents brought him into see my coworker after getting his shots. He developed a high fever that night and was taken to the hospital. He has no brain activity and they are just waiting for whatever before they let him go and donate his organs. Poor little guy was just 4 months old. He had been born early (like 6 weeks or so). He had a rough little life. But he was perfectly happy and healthy when I saw him. I was talking to him, and cooing at him, and loving on him and he was smiling back and talking to me. So very tragic. I cannot even begin to imagine what his poor parents are going thru. May God have mercy on his parents and keep him held close to Him. Things can change so very fast. May you rest in peace little Carson.