Hallelujah!

We have finally gotten word that our belongings will be arriving in two days!  It has been three weeks since everything was picked up from our house in Lubbock.  I cant even remember what my couch looked like!  We will be so glad to FINALLY get settled.  We have tried to keep the boys busy with shopping trips, going to parks and fishing.  Peter bought a fishing pole and has taken them out to the little pond down the street from our house.  They actually have caught a few good size fish.  

We had an a great 4th of July (well for the most part).  We woke up to cloudy skies and a little rain, but decided to drive to downtown Brownsburg for the annual parade.  It did stop raining before everything started, but was still about 55 degrees.  Us still living out of suitcases ( yes, now have made two trips to the laundry mat) we were not exactly prepared for cold weather in the middle of the summer.  Peter bought a folding chair for me to sit on and the boys had a great time gathering candy.....even when the rain came POURING down again.  Most of the locals had brought their handy-dandy umbrellas from home.....again not something I chose to not pack in the moving truck and bring along.  We struggled to gather our stuff and our kids, but none the less were completely soaked and freezing before we got into the truck.  By later that afternoon the weather had improved, but still a little cool.  We went out for the local carnival that followed the parade.  The food was very yummy and the boys got to ride several rides.  Koen wanted to ride all the big rides, most of which he was too small for.  He did get to ride the giant swings that go really high and fast.....made me wonder just how much I trusted the "carnies" as I watched my child be sling-shoted around and around.....

     

Down but not Out

Okay, so I knew the process of moving across the country was going way too well after the first day of traveling to Indy was over.  We had managed to drive twelve hours with the boys and everyone did amazing. ( Including myself!)  There was lots of sleeping and DVD watching.  We stayed the night in a hotel with a pool and left early the next morning after a good breakfast.  We arrived late afternoon on Monday to our new house after another day of smooth driving.  Today is now Sunday and our furniture and all other earthly belongings are still sitting somewhere in Lubbock.  Yes, that is right, we have been at our beautiful new home for a week with no furniture, no refrigerator, no washer/dryer, and God forbid no TV!!  We first went through denial: "I am sure it will be here tomorrow.".  Then optimism: "Well at least we can get the house completely ready and finish the few little odd jobs that need to be done."  Then the anger set in as no one could tell us when it might get here as they "couldn't find a driver to bring it up".  What do you mean?!?....Are you not a MOVING company?!?....isn't this what you do?!?!.....So it could be two days, two weeks, two MONTHS?!?  All we kept getting was that this is the busy season and to call back the next day.  We then became irrational (well Peter became irrational and I became a little hysterical)  Peter was threatening with not to pay, to call another mover, call a lawyer (this was actually my Mother's idea whom was both irrational and hysterical).  I was crying over every little thing.  Imagining my little boys with no food, no bed, no clean clothes.....

Then we got a hold of ourselves and realized how not so bad it was and actually learned some things that turned out pretty good:  NO TV is great for the kids and we spent a lot of time playing games with my parents when the kids went to bed.  Mom and I had an experience and went to the laundry mat (I have no idea how to spell it?)  Not so bad, spent $12 and cleaned everything.  Could read or watch TV while we waited and folded clothes with out any interruptions.  Good excuse to go to Starbucks everyday.  I can cook anything with an oven and stove, some plastic ware, paper plates, ice chests and a grocery store with a wide variety of frozen entrees.  (Lasagna, Chicken Alfredo, Enchiladas,).  Okay, and maybe a trip or two to McD's.  We are actually considering having a week at the end of every June where we don't use anything that we don't have now in remembrance of this adventure!

Luckily, the weather here is unbelievable.  Highs in the mid 80's, cool rain showers almost every night.  We haven't used our air conditioner at all and no one "waters" their lawns! (I love the sweltering dry heat of Lubbock,Texas and all, but COME ON!)

And the last bit of positive swing on the situation is they are paying US for everyday our stuff isn't here.  So, we are making due.  It is amazing the things you can do with out for a while.  But, what I wouldn't give for my TV and couch at night!

I have two days of orientation starting tomorrow and then I am really on my own for the next six weeks besides call once a week or so.  I don't start service until August, so I have time to find my way around the hospitals and get the house settled (they think things will be here sometime the first of the week.)

I am sure everything will turn out okay and  pictures will be coming soon of the house!

Yesterday we began the process of getting the house in order for our move.  We gave in, and much to my relief decided to hire packers and movers.  This has made my life a small bit easier in these final weeks.  But I must say it is a little unnerving to know that we are leaving in ten days and have almost nothing packed.  We did start taking down curtains and things on the walls.  I packed up the boys things as they are going to spend one final week with their wonderful grandparents in Portales.  They are accustom to seeing them often, but we will be so far away so it is a good chance to get in some bonding time, and, it will keep them occupied while things are being packed up and loaded.

As always the last three years have flown by.  It always seems like such a large mountain to climb at the beginning, but as the end is near, it feels as if it has gone by in a flash.  We are so excited to start a new set of adventures, but will dearly miss our friends, our first home and the comfortableness of Lubbock.  As Peter, the military child, often tells me " we can take the memories with us",  I have become sappy and reminiscent about leaving.  We have started to say good-bye to the friends we will be leaving behind and as we do talk about why we didn't spend more time together and see each other more often.

It is exciting to think about what is in store for us in the coming years.  Indy holds so many possibilities for both our careers and our family.  Koen will being preschool and kindergarten; tee ball and soccer.  Gage will be turning two and facing the challenges of potty training and becoming more independent and eventually start preschool himself.  We are talking about one more baby to round out our family and who knows I might even abandon all my rational thoughts and even get a pet. ( Not holding my breath for that one!)  Peter will have so many opportunities as he finishes his master's degree and I will finally be able to concentrate solely on my passion in the NICU.  We hope to get out and explore the Midwest and possibly the northeast and part of Canada.

We hope to try and keep in touch with many friends and look forward to reconnecting when we get back.

From Wedding dresses to shooting guns

This was the conversation I had with Koen last night as he was going to bed:

" Mom do you wear that back dress when you get married?"

"No, you wear a white dress"

"Do you hold hands when you get married?"

"yes"

"Do you hold hands with some flowers?"

"yes"

"Does the white dress have a hood?"

" Well, sort of, but it is called a veil"

"My hunting jacket has a veil"

"yeah"

"Mom do you shoot guns?"

"No"

"It takes a lot of practice to shoot guns"

"yeah"

Where do these connections come from?  It is hilarious!

Summer Time

So at our house there are a few things that announce summer has arrived.  One is that a new kiddie pool can be seen in our back yard.  It is amazing to me the difference  a year makes in the kids.  Koen always loved the pool last year, but was content to play on the outside of it.  He would occassionally climb in and splash around, but preferred being safely outside of the knee deep water.  This year he is "swimming" around, dumping water on himself and even doing the quick face dip.  Gage who wasn't even exposed to direct sun, much less set into the water, has taken to the pool like a fish.  Just when you think you have figured out which child has which personality they surprize you.  Gage who is typically found only in my arms, crying from any loud noise (including the tape dispenser!) or cuddling with one of his many blankets, took to the water like a fish.  He wanted in immediately, kicking and splashing and keeping up with Koen.

Summer also means many evening walks together as a family around the neighborhood.  This is one of my favorite activities to do with the kids.  They talk about what they see are so exited by anything!  It is hilarious!  "A JEEP!", "A DOG!",  "A ROCK!", "POOP!"  Yes, it's the little things in life that keep them entertained.

And lastly, summer means a few indulgences for me that I normally would not share with anyone.  It is something I keep to myself.  I lock myself in my room for peace and quite, and yes watch the summer reality shows!  I cant help it, I love them.... My favorite is "So you think you can Dance!"  I think it is a way for me to try and re-live my youth.  Speaking of which this IS my last summer as a youth.  Yes, I will turn 30 this fall, but am considering holding steady at 29.  It was a big joke at our house growing up, that my Mom was always 29 or 39 or 49 for years in a row.  I am now beginning to see her rational.  Especially now.  We are in the process of selling a house, buying a house, changing jobs, moving across country and buying a lot of insurance for death and disability.  There is nothing to make you feel older than buying insurance that you only get to use if you die or get horribly disfigured!

Maybe this summer I will take up some new hobbies to keep me feeling young....maybe running or dancing or arts and crafts.......or maybe I will just continue to watch the young on TV.  I don't want to do something crazy and  break a hip!! 

The plane ride

Gage and I made our first trip without Peter and Koen this last weekend.  I had to make a quick trip to Dallas for a wedding shower and Gage is still little enough to fly for free, so he got to come along.  This gave Koen some alone time with Daddy - consisted of Baseball games, fastfood and staying up way too late. 

 Gage flew on an airplane when he was a few months old, but never since.  He was so excited to go!  But, before we even got on the plane I embarrassed myself nicely in the Lubbock airport.  We had about ten minutes to wait before we got on the plane so I was trying to entertain him and keep him in the stroller.  I was sitting in front of him and holding his legs that were hanging out of the stroller.  Every once in a while I would rolled the stroller back by using his legs then pull him back to me by the same means.  He laughed and laughed and the old ladies sitting around us thought we were so cute!  Then it took a turned for the worse.....I had failed to buckle the straps after making it through the security checks because I didn't think he would be in the stroller much longer as we should have been getting on the plane quickly.  As I pulled him in ( by his legs) he started to slip down in the stroller until his chest was just above the tray.  He started to panic and cry as he thought he was falling.  I tried to push him up but all that did was push the stroller away from me.  What was previously part of the great game I had invented ten seconds earlier now made him start screaming and crying louder!  I could hear the old ladies gasping and saw them reaching to try and help.  I tried to stay calm and laugh it off, but really did kinda panic as I tried my new strategy of pulling him all the way out through the bottom of the stroller.  This would have worked if Gage would have let go and come through.  Now he is screaming bloody murder while I try to pry his hands free and yank him out.  Finally he came free and scurried up into my lap.  Not the way I wanted to start a one hour plane trip.  Luckily things went smoothly the rest of the way, well mostly.  

We did have a small accident when he took a drink of milk and then coughed, spraying milk all over me, the lady next to me and her sleeping 2 month old's face!  I again was SO embarrassed!  I apologized profusely and hoped her child didn't come down with some horrible illness transferred via sprayed milk.

Over all we had a great time.  Grandparents loved getting to spend time with just Gage --my dad got to introduce him to the Garage.  The place where he and Koen hang out and work on "things" with tools, rig up "stuff" with rope, and ride anything with wheels that a toddler can ride on while an old guy pushes him.  Its kind of a right of passage for grandsons.

Thankfully we both slept the entire plane ride back home!  Its much difficult to show the weak links in your armor of motherhood when you have a precious sleeping angel lying on your chest...... well at least the risk of flying milk is lower!

Back from Paradise

So we have made it back from Hawaii - tanned, tired and although I missed the boys ( we had never left them for so long) it sure doesn't take long to get back into the swing of parenting.  An endless supplies of "no", "get down", "be quite" and our newest "stop pulling your brother's peepee!"  Yes, Gage has discovered not only his love for his own penis, but during bath time thinks Koen's is just another bath toy to play with.

Gage, at 2o months is also having a little identity crisis.  This was our conversation yesterday:

me - No Gage you cant stand on the chair, sorry charlie.

Gage  - Me not charlie

me - who are you

Gage - Me Koen (pronounce "Toe-in")

Okay, back to the Hawaii trip.  It was a blast once we got over the shock of not seeing what we expected.  Until you

 get to the beach, Honolulu is 

just another big city.  Dirty streets, scary bums and tons of traffic.  Apparently, if you are tired in Hawaii you just lay down anywhere and take a little nap.  And I am not talking about bums, just anyone!  As expected, there was also plenty of old men in speedos - this one I just couldn't resist taking a picture of! 

Yes, that is a man and yes, that is his crack hanging out!!!!

Peter and our friend Eric were like little kids at the beach with their high quality snorkel gear.

  I personally did not need to hear about what all the fish looked like.  I was trying to be in denial that there was anything but other people swimming around me.  I sometimes have to look twice when I see a shadow in a swimming pool, because you never know when a women eating shark has swam a shore and waddled over to the pool for a salt - less swim.  Yes - I think if sharks could get out of the water they would '"waddle"

Pearl Harbor was a moving experience that I would recommend everyone go to once.  

We also drove around the island to the famous North Shore where the 30 foot waves and known to happen and all the surfing contests are held.  It wasn't until we had spent three hours diving in the jeep with the top down did I fin

d out that the waves only occur in the winter and in the summer it is actually very calm waters!  And let me tell you that even in 90 degree weather it is very cold riding in the back of a topless jeep in your swimsuit!  The occasional rain did not help either.  Not the highlight of the trip for sure, but overall we had a great time!

The Introductory Blog

Okay, so I am finally getting on the blog wagon.  After the many nights up reading friends' blogs, and enjoying being able to stay in touch and see what is going on with their lives, I decided to start my own.  Anyone who has children knows that getting some free time to catch up with friends or even a few moments for a quiet conversation on the phone will understand how attractive the idea of being able to blog in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning are.  Case in point, it is currently 5am, and all is quiet. 

 I will post this disclaimer up front:  spelling, along with geography and fixing cars is not considered my strong point.  We all have strengths and weaknesses, one of mine just happens to not be totally supportive of blogging.  I am great at knowing any gossip ( I like to call it "sharing the truth" ) that might be floating around-- people just seem to like to tell me stuff, and being in the right place at the right time doesn't hurt either!  I make a great gourmet meal for my kids that centers on macaroni and cheese and, I am the master of the house when it comes to how much I can carry to or from the car in one trip ( the last included two kids, three bags, three blankets, a gallon of milk and a diet coke!) .

So you should probably know a few things about me.  I have been married to my wonderful husband, Peter for almost 7 years.  So far, no 7-year itches have hit us too hard.  He is one of those husbands that is all boy (i.e. hunts, watches/plays sports, loves a good beer), yet he does something that most men and some women (including myself) could never do.....He stays home with our kids.  Let me just say this has been a saving grace for us.  We were the couple that decided I would finish my career journey first and then he would follow.  So he worked a few different jobs after college before finishing all his education and starting his career of teaching, while I finished up med school and residency.  He supported us very well, but when our second child came, the bills (namely childcare) started to sneak up on us.  We knew quickly something had to give.  Peter quit his job and now stays home with the kids three days a week (parents day out the other two) and also has been able to go back to school to get his masters in education.  Let me just say this has changed our lives so much.  Everyone is so happy, the stress level is down and our family time together has greatly increased.  I think it just goes to show you that God really does have his own plan for you.

Okay, number two.  In case you couldn't tell from the name, I have two boys.  Yes, it is me, the poor lonely female with three males romping thru my home.  Okay, maybe it is not so desperate, and really I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love refereeing the wrestling fights and being catcher for the backyard baseball games.  Koen is our oldest at three years old  and has found a new love of baseball, as well as old loves of dinosaurs, animals and George Strait.  Gage is my "baby" at  18 months and his current loves are books of automobiles, balls and of course his mommy.  So, I am a little proud of my youngest's continued attachment of his mother only because Koen seems to already prefer his father and have no current need for a mother other than for food and drink ( of which he would prefer his father get him if possible.)

The last thing to state is that I am finishing up my pediatric residency and am about to start a fellowship in neonatology.  This means I am about to pick up my entire household and move it 1200 miles across the country to Indianapolis.  I will be working at Riley Children's Hospital for the next three years.  I have never really moved anywhere and for sure have never lived outside of Texas.  Peter, being an Air force kid, is of course taking it all in stride; and we have yet to really tell the boys.  They have no sense of time, and telling them that we will be moving in a few months only sets me up for the daily question of " Are we going to our new house today?"  

So this is us, take us or leave us.  I would not change the craziness of my life for anything.  Okay, maybe that is a little easy to say right now, as I am writing this from Hawaii.  We have taken one last trip without the kids to this great state, (second to Texas of course) to  relax before the tornado of our lives starts turning again.  Before we go to the unknown land of Indiana and I start a job that I am not quite sure I am ready for.  Before our sweet little one's wake up one day and inform me they are not so little.  

There is not a better place to reflect upon your life, than from this balcony in Hawaii.  You can revel in God's glory and majesty as you watch the clouds brush the tops of mountains and the waves lap the white beaches, and know that He has created your life as beautiful as the scenery around you. 

When I return I promise to post the pics of our trip.  Hope this blog helps us to stay in touch or at least gives you a peak into our lives.  Aloha!!