Signing Off for a Bit

Just a quick little blurb before our computer gets packed away into the UHaul. We are hitting the road for home on Sunday around 4:30 a.m. We would appreciate your prayers as we drive for 10+ hours with the wee ones and one honking huge truck! Hard to believe this chapter is over. Crazy crazy. Can't really seem to wrap my mind around it! Much love to all......

CHAOS!

One week from today we hit the road for HOME.

Hard to believe! I know I've said it before, but it's just crazy to me that we are arriving home with Jesse the exact same age that Kaden was when we left for this adventure. And now we're arriving home with TWO babes and three years of awesome memories and friendships made.

With my place no longer feeling like home - boxes and little corners of chaos everywhere, I am now really beginning to feel ready for the next leg of our adventure and for however many years this chapter may be for us!

I am in heavy nesting mode right now - culling and organizing, labeling and sorting....AND I LOVE IT! Aaaaah, a good move every few years does wonders for the amounts of STUFF one can accumulate! Much chucking abounds!

On the more bittersweet side of things, yesterday began the "firsts" of many "lasts" around here. We spent our last Sunday at our church out here which had become home to us in many ways. I never in a million years would have dreamed that I would have grown to love this little family so much or that they would have returned the love so freely and fully to our entire little family. There were many tears and hugs and promises of visits on both ends.....and now - just like that - that little chapter of our lives is over. Crazy.

Just overnite the school has come alive again with students returning and classes resuming. But, this year, we will not be among those crowds of craziness. As students are throwing away their cardboard boxes and unpacking their things to settle in, I am sneaking up behind them and stealing them back to refill with OUR things.....because in one week - seven days, count them! - we are headed HOME.

Dates

My eldest love and I went on a little date today to our local tearoom. I'm trying to get in all of the things that I really love in these last few days before we move, and I thought it would be fun if the two of us when for a wee snack. I got a sitter for Jesse, and then a friend from church with her two little girls who are good friends of Kaden's and are right around his age went out for a yummy lunch.

Kaden is secure enough in his manhood to drink out of princess cups with the other girls; although he drew the line at wearing dress up hats and costume jewelry! I was just as glad myself. :0) Anyway, it was tons of fun - we're both all about the food - so it was a really nice morning.

As the kids get older, more and more I am realizing the need to do individual things with each one of them on a regular basis. It's so easy to just be tag-teaming them both all throughout the day, that I often do not feel like I really had any great quality time with either - even though we spend all of each and every day together. While Jesse naps in the morning, Kaden and I always try to do something fun; and when Jesse wakes before Kaden in the afternoon, he and I get some just alone together, as well. So, things have been working out that way pretty well. I just want to start doing some more intentional things with each of them.

It's so easy to be involved with so many other "important" people all throughout our days and weeks, that by the time each day is done, it's easy to feel really fried and not have a whole lot left over in the evenings for the kids. We don't ever want our children to doubt their importance to us, and we don't want to give everyone else the best of ourselves. So, we're starting to try and find some creative ways to do some extras with the boys. For starters, Kev is going to start taking Kaden out to breakfast every Tuesday morning - just the two of them, so they're both pretty stoked about that. Jesse's still so young - he's content as long as he can get some snuggle time. But, while they are out, I am going to really focus on giving Jesse all of me and try hard to not be distracted by all the things that could be getting done! And I also promised Kaden that for our next date, we would do something a little more manly!

Life is a constant battle of busyness and distractions. It can spiral out of control so quickly, and it is so easy to forget about the things that are truly important. So, we're taking baby steps to try and safeguard against this. Our children are our priority, and after each other - they are our primary "ministry."

Just Checking In

The weather here has been very Maine-like the past couple of days. I have actually needed my sweatshirt in the evenings! Happy for me as the sun makes me hot and itchy. Little Jesse has a couple of spots on his back and legs; I'm praying that it spreads no farther. I can tell that it's bothering him a bit. Poor little guy. As miserable as it's made me, I would gladly take another round of the stuff if I could spare him the same misery.

As a result of being on all of this steroid stuff, my baby has been quite suddenly weaned from his Mommy. We had been slowly working towards this anyway, but it actually took place far more quickly than I would have chosen. Jesse completely rolled with it and has done just fine; but I have been a little sad! One more milestone checked off toward becoming a big boy. I've been much more sentimental this time around......:0(

Well, we settled on where we will be living for at least the first little bit when we move. A Christian family who we know and love in Brewer, Maine bought a motel awhile back and completely renovated it. It is now entirely Christian owned and operated with a little coffee shop downstairs aimed to cater to the high school and college age crowd. They have made some of the rooms into one and two bedroom apartments, and they'll rent one to us at a really great price with zero committment for how long we have to stay. Should we find a house within three months (here's hoping!), they have absolutely no problem with that. We probably won't look for a house for a little while - until we get our feet back under us again - but we like having the freedom to move whenever we feel ready.

The only kicker is that the apartment won't be ready until the end of September, and we are moving home on September 1st. So, to solve that problem, they have offered us their camp out on Pushaw Lake - at the same rent - until the apartment is ready. While part of me wants to move only once and get immediately settled in as soon as we get home, the other part of me is trying really hard to just go with the flow and view this as just an extended vacation. We've been to their camp before and love it, and we'll finally be reunited again with our beloved canoe, and lake water, and nature, and the sounds of frogs croaking at night.....so, I'm rolling with it. The boy's routines are going to be completely thrown anyway with all of this crazyness; they might as well be thrown some place fun and campy first! It'll be Heaven for them out there!

Okay, I'm still itching like MAD! And the stuff is still spreading! Shouldn't it be subsiding somewhat, by now? Merciful Heavens - my legs will never look normal again, I fear! I'm going nuts....must go find my Caladryl. Pray for my sanity.....

Day Four of the Plague

I have determined that my body has a far higher tolerance for pain than for itching. I would not wish this on my worst enemy......except Satan. I do, however, feel like today I have rounded a corner. I think the steroids are starting to take effect. Praise the Lord above. I still look like a monster, but at least I am not making a scene in public by frantically scratching and looking like I am about to go INSANE!

In other news, we're having a massive yard sale tomorrow along with some of our friends. That's always fun. Oh, how I love getting rid of things!.....except for my couches and chairs. I do like to be able to sit on things. Kev wants to get rid of EVERYTHING and start over fresh when we move home. To which I say: "My Love...whatever are we going to sit our bunsies on in the interim? (interum?)" He didn't seem too worried about that. I, however, happen to enjoy sitting on things other than the floor when I eat and watch t.v. He still has a few hours to convince me.......

Slowly Going INSANE!!!

Okay. For the first time in my life I have contracted some sort of poison ivy or oak or SOMETHING. And I am about to go mad! It started out with just a couple of spots on both ankles and arms. That was two days ago. I woke up today with oozing blisters, hives, and splotches over my entire body and finally could take it no more. I went to the doctor who gave me some sort of steroid shot and a prescription for a stronger hydrocortizone cream than what you can get over the counter and now I am waiting for it to take effect. Waiting....waiting.....waiting.....

Must.crawl.out.of.my.skin................

Quirks!

Two in one day, eh? Not bad - we're making up for lost time, here.

Okay, so I've been tagged by Shay, and here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they've been tagged.

Okay, I've been thinking about this all day, and this is the best that I can come up with....

MY UN-SPECTACULAR QUIRKS!

1. I do not consider myself a "girly girl," yet I don't believe a day goes by where I do not use makeup and hairspray.

2. I can make my tongue REALLY fat and also make it ripple in waves.

3. There is very little that grosses me out, and my standards of sanitation are much lower than most, I am sure. To this day, I would be sorely tempted to eat a peice of candy that I found on the grocery store floor, if Kev wouldn't threaten to disown me, and if four other little eyes wouldn't quickly follow suit! (Jesse takes after me apparently: Kev had to fish a worm out of his mouth tonight. On second thought, I think his standards are even lower....).

4. I talk a mile a minute and can keep up with the best of anyone in a conversation, yet I don't really like talking on the phone.

5. I absolutely love giving birth - every part of it! Granted, the intense part of my labors have both been under five hours, but I love all that comes with that whole process - that whole experience. The feelings and emotions both during AND in those immediate moments afterwards are so powerful, so beautiful, so intimate, so strong......Probably the most natural high one could ever have!

6. I am slightly addicted to all things old, wooden, and earthy such as: bittersweet berries to be made into wreaths and old boxes and trunks. It truly is an addiction - just ask Kev. He had to draw the line awhile back!

Okay, so there's more of me than you probably ever wanted to know!

Here's a big ole tag to you six:

1. Jen
2. Shannie, (I'll let you link the fellow Mainers!)
3. Angie
4. Kristi
5. Esther - (You can tag team with Shannie - that should get everyone!)
6. Yolanda