Durham Bulls Game

GE Aviation owns some tickets in the first and second rows immediately behind home plate for home Durham Bulls baseball games. We were the lucky recipients for Saturday night's game. We had a server and were fully enclosed by wire ... so no foul balls hitting unsuspecting children. Whoo-hoo!

It was HOT .. even when the sun went down, so had no idea how the kids would react to the game. They loooved it! It helped alot that it was Military Appreciation Day (lots of neat songs to sing and things to watch). Sargeant Slaughter (remember him from his wrestling days?) was there ... as was Pablo the Backyardigan. Too bad my batteries died ... missed a good photo op.

We did not stay until the end ...even though the kids begged us to. The Bulls had a big lead and it was pushing 10:30 pm. We piled six tired, hot, and sweaty bodies into the van hearing a chorus of "When can we go back again???"

Future baseball fans I think....

Highcroft Swim Team

Today marks a week we've been here in Cary. It was also our second meet as Highcroft Hurricanes. It was hot again ... but I seem to be getting a bit more used to it. In fact, the kids complained all day today it was too cold in the house. They even had blankets on to watch TV.

They are acclimating well. They all had fun at the meet and quickly found friends to sit with and pass the time between events.

Watching Emma, Grayson and Claire all swim just puts a lump in my throat every time ... no matter how they do. They have all come a long way ... in the pool and out ... and I am so proud of them.

Cary, NC

Here we are. The boxes are (almost) unpacked. We've eaten a meal that has not been wrapped in paper. The sheets are on the beds. Everyone knows where the bathrooms are.

But it doesn't feel like home yet. The area is beautiful. The people are nice. The sweet tea is delicious. Our friends aren't here. There is no pond (or swans or ducks) behind the house. The phone is not ringing nonstop ... "Can _____ come over to play?"

It's not Ft Wayne. Or Morton. Or Milwaukee.

Moving is hard. It always is. But we will get there. Thanks for all of your support.

I Hope We Find ....

duplicates of the friends (and their parents) the kids have made while here in Ft Wayne. Both Grayson and Emma have a special "core" of friends... they may not see them every day outside of school ... or they might. But regardless of how much time they spend together, they just seem to pick up where they left off. It's special. I have that with some people ... and I understand what it means to "hit if off."

We had a going away party last weekend (more on that later) and I got to live that experience with my friends ... and watch my kids live it with theirs. This is an incredible picture of Grayson and some of his "peeps." They played together for HOURS ... with nary a word from them. More importantly, I love their parents. I trust them with my child ... and they trusted me with theirs. They are special. Thank you for being there.

Hope there are more just like you.

Picking Wildflowers

We are a mere five days away from leaving Indiana headed for North Carolina. So many things to do ... so little time. For that reason, we have stopped the lawn service. That sounds pretentious. Rather, Monte stopped putting weed stuff on the lawn. Being 700 miles away makes that tough to do.

Little did we know what fun it would be for the kids to have "flowers" to pick. Many a bouquet has been made from clover, dandelions, and other weeds. It has kept the two "littles" entertained for HOURS.

Why didn't we think of this years ago????

Little Ballerina

This has been a busy weekend. Dance recital, going away party, and Grayson's 7th birthday party. Claire and Phoebe and her dancemates entertained us with "Gitchee-Goo" and "Swiss Miss" routines. They were so cute we hardly noticed the other 27 numbers.

Ok - maybe we noticed them. While there is something a little bit painful about sitting through alot of little girls twirling and whirling around the stage, the smiles were totally worth it.

The End of An Era ....

starts today. For the first time in 13 years, I do not have a job. I saw my last kiddo today. I thought it best to use next week to try to get the kids (and myself) in the proper mindset for the move to NC. I won't even lie to you about how it went. I got to the car ... then cried.

And so it's gone throughout the day. One moment I am excited about using the time to spend with Cooper ... reading books and doing the shapesorter ... and the next minute I am terrified .. thinking about losing my skills ...missing the work ... and turning into a Facebook junkie.

I am aware of how fortunate I am that I happen to love what I do. I am doubly blessed in that I can do what I love ... part time ... during the hours of my choosing. Few get that chance. Fewer still have gotten what I have from my job. The people ... moments ... and life-changing experiences are indelibly etched into my memory.

I love my life and my kids. I know how many working moms would kill to change places with me. I understand that position. I just know that for me ... my job makes life make more sense. It quite often gives me perspective that I need. It is, quite honestly, my ministry.

So ... the idea of part-time work ... sometime down the road ... is something I would like to pursue. It is the perfect blending of my universes.

But for today, I am going to wipe my tears, sell my riding lawnmower (who needs a John Deere when the lot is smaller than a postage stamp?), and enjoy the homemade cookies I made today.