Now Welcoming House Guests....

We are having our first houseguest since moving here to NC. My mom is coming for a nine day stay. Hope she is easily entertained as I don't know my way around too much as yet!

Many people have asked about the house.. so I am posting a picture here so you know what it looks like when you come visit. No basement here .. but we do have a "bonus room" on the third floor. It's equipped with a bed and a full bath. And four kids who would love to see you!

You are officially invited as the Savage Inn is open for business! No excuses now Northerners!

Say Cheese!

Seriously... was there any other choice for a title?

This is what happens when you combine a toddler, processed cheese food, and a mommy trying to fold laundry.

Sigh.

Highcroft Hurricanes Swim Banquet 2010

We came. We ate. We sweated. (Is that the correct past tense?)

Despite a heat index of 111 degrees, the swimmers and their families attended a great end of the season banquet at Bond Park in Cary. The kids all received trophies with their names on them ... big stuff at this age. And... they got to watch a slideshow full of pictures taken throughout the summer. On the way home, we topped off the evening with frozen ice treats from Rita's. Our new family favorite - think differently flavored snowcones in a cup... only smoother.

Throughout the evening I kept thinking ...we didn't really even feel all that new anymore. Good times.

Prayers for Health

And so it goes.

The every day marches on ... bringing with it a host of minutia. Activities, schedules, commitments, fires to put out and dramas to stop watching all keep the mind on the smaller things. Then something happens to bring it all back into perspective.

In the past two days, we've had some fairly serious medical blips on our personal and extended family radar. I am reminded of a certain radiologist and what he told me back in my hospital days. "It only takes a moment for a life to be turned upside down." How right he was.

So, in the midst of the minutia - I am saying a prayer for health on the part of our loved ones. May they know the ways of our hearts, the strength of our spirits, and the power of our prayers.

Serenity Now....

It is 9:43 am and with coffee in hand, I am trying to go to my happy place. The "littles" are squabbling, I am "reliving" a committee meeting from last night that infuriates me, there is copious amounts of dry cereal on the floor, the organizational status of the house is nowhere like I'd want it to be, and we have an away swim meet tonight. On a school night... which means tomorrow may shape up to turn out ALOT like today.

So ... since I am looking at some "zen" beach pictures from last week, I thought others might enjoy them too. Calgon.....take me away.....

First Full Day of School for All ....

While Emma and Grayson started school on Friday, Claire had to wait until today as they have a staggered entry school system for Kindergarten students here. We now have a 4th grader, 2nd grader, and Kindergartner! And ... one in preschool!

The "bigs" were ready to roll ... and Claire was too ... last night. This morning she woke up with a bit of a tummy ache. I think her nerves were getting the best of her. Thankfully, we had purchased a (huge) bag of guinea pig food to take to donate to Lucky, their class pet. With pet food and princess lunch box in hand, it was hard to feel down for very long.

With all the school supplies, backpacks, and other extras, we had to take the wagon to school. At the end of our street, there is a backpath that leads directly to the school. From our door, it is literally one street over. That's nice. Especially because it is already 90 degrees.

They just look so big - don't they?

A Day at the Beach...

We took a day mid-week to take our first excursion to "the beach." The kids had been begging to go since we arrived here. Wrightsville is only two hours from here ... thought we'd take a day trip. It was 100 degrees so there were people there ... but we found parking and were able to spend about five hours getting our crevices filled with sand.

"The Bigs" immediately began to body surf and boogie board... while "the Littles" started out on the sand and moved more slowly into the waves. By the end of the day, we had to literally "go in after them" to put them in the car.

There is an aquarium 15 minutes south of the beach ... and next day we vote to spend the night so we can get more things in ... aquarium, ice cream ... and some shopping for the discriminating seashell seekers. Not that we had ANYONE who fought over who-got-which-shell. Not us.

A Special Kind of Bond...

exists between each one of the kids. Their bonds are strong, sacred, and as unique as their personalities. It is fun to see how they change ... how one may step up ... and another steps along side. Their relationships are, despite many changes, one of the truest constants.

Does that mean my house sounds like a Hallmark commercial? Hardly. I think these just about capture it. Underneath it all... I think they really love each other. Maybe. Some day.

North Carolina 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

We spent our first major holiday here with a pool party followed by a fun-filled night with friends on a cul-de-sac behind our house. Food, fun, and fireworks ... what more can we ask for? Thank you to all our NC friends for making today a special day for us!!!

What a Difference ...

four years can make. I was browsing through old pictures and found some from summer of 2006. Four years ago... we were living in Morton, IL with three kids. Claire was using floaty arms and a ring to enjoy the pool. Here were are in North Carolina (after a three year stop in Indiana) with four kids ... and Claire is swimming in three events in tonight's meet.

I remember that summer well ... and we never would have dreamt our lives would change in soooo many ways. How many new people we would meet ... places and experiences we would see. Not that we wouldn't have been content to stay there... but what would we have missed out on? What would we have gained?

One thing is for sure ... they are growing up so fast.

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.

A Letter to Our Kids ...

I don't know what you will remember about this move in the years to come. I imagine some of you will recall a feeling of uncertainty .. and leaving your friends.

I want you to know that we are so insanely proud of you. For your ages, you have weathered this season of change with surprising maturity. I wish I fared so well.

For the record, this move to North Carolina came on the heels of our move to Indiana from Illinois three and a half years ago. It seems like a lot of transition. It is. Especially for a family with four young kids. But ... you are precisely the reason we are doing it. We want things for you ... but not the "things" you accumulate and have to move. We want the things for you that you develop. Insight. Character. Maturity. Coping skills. Education. Experiences that Broaden Your Horizons.

You don't have to move to acquire these skills sets. But in our unique case, GE can help us by being a means to an end. Moving is uncomfortable. Most change is. But it means we learn something new ... and that opens different doors. Our advice to you ... open as many doors as you can. You never know when you may need to knock on one ... or five.

You will need to further your education. I don't know what God plans for each of you. I know this - that it is our job to prepare you the BEST we can. You need to know how big this world is... because by the time you are grown, it will probably be shrinking. We want you to know you can go anywhere and do anything. In order for you to really know that, we need to model that behavior.

It isn't easy. It isn't comfortable. It is necessary. It builds us. We can do it. As long as we are together. Thanks for understanding.

Hillary Was Right About Something ...

... it really does take a village to raise a child. I imagine it takes a small city to raise four children. If you don't live close enough to family, that village had better be full of amazing selfless people. It is.

As we prepare to leave this village and settle in the next one, I can't help but look back and thank all those people who have left indelible marks on us ... and our children. Especially when Monte has been gone. You have called, stopped by, sent cards, delivered dinner, taken the kids to preschool, play dates, ballet, and watched them during marathon swim meets - taking the time to text me their times when I couldn't be there to cheer them on.

You've listened to me when I didn't think I could show the house one more time, leave one more neighborhood, or join one more church. You've reminded me there are good people everywhere ... and then proven it.

To the friends and family in all our villages - we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope you know how much you mean to us.

A Lot Can Happen In a Month ...

Sooooo.... turns out, in a month's time, it is possible to ...
- sell a house
- buy a house
- show a house (fourteen or fifteen times)
- take a stress-filled house-hunting trip to NC
- manage the daily routines of a family of five without a husband ... who has already left.
- hold down two part-time jobs
- not lose, maim, or injure any children or enter rehab of any kind. Yet.


Things are actually starting to come together. Turns out, the southeast is considerably more costly with FAR different school system stuff to work through. I won't even go there now. That is post-worthy on its own. There are other issues to sort through - like child care, a job for me and year round school ... starting three weeks after it gets out here. Oh yeah ... the kids are thrilled about that one.

It will all get done. Eventually. If I can only get the moving people to call me back ... I might have a better idea of when that actually might be.