Settling in

I have missed being here.  
Life has been nut-so lately.  
We moved.  And then family came to help us move our big things.  
School has been really busy.  I have a Bible study going on.  
We've had *chances* for winter weather a few times.  It actually snowed here today, but it was AFTER the decision to go to school had been made.  Bummer.  
But, my Bible study class was cancelled, so I have the day to unpack and organize!

The kids are doing great.

B Boy is excelling in kindergarten by leaps and bounds.  He is so very, very bright.  I hope not to sound braggish, I just want to document how things are going with him.
They are blogging in his class and doing online chats.  I love reading all of the things he writes.  He is very descriptive. Math seems to come very easily for him too.  Both kids are even doing some basic multiplication. Blows my mind.

First grade is going wonderful for C Girlie.  She is learning very exponentially as well.  They are both so bright, but she is more introverted with it.  She will talk sometimes about things, and we had no idea she knew those things!  She is reading very well.  They both love to read.  Her writing is gaining more stamina.  She is excelling in math.  
They both have good friends and love their teachers.

Church activities are going well for them too.  They are learning God's Word and asking many questions. It's just amazing to see the things they learn and hear the things they talk about.  

They are really enjoying the new house and love having a playroom.  C Girl loves that their bathroom connects to her bedroom.  We all enjoy having a fireplace that comes on with the flip of a switch!

As I said, some of our family came to help us move the rest of our big things this weekend.  It was also my brothers' birthdays!  I LOVE having family around.  I was so happy that my brother and his family were able to stay with us all weekend!  We love all of you and appreciate you so much for helping us move! AGAIN!  {they will all get this!}

 B Boy was a big helper!

 These girls had really missed each other!

 The guitars come out every time they are together.  Not joking. Every time.

 C Girl mixing the gravy for breakfast Sunday morning. Love her hand on her hip!

 Enjoying lunch!

B Boy and Uncle Keithy

 Sweet Parker boy playing with B's hot wheels.

 Girls!!!!

 I have missed you so much my friend!!!

 Keith and I.  I was kicking myself that I didn't get a picture of me and both the boys on Saturday.

 My love!

 They love their uncles!

 Oh goodness! I love this boy!

I do believe that she does too!

 Our snow this morning!

Moving stories

***This is my 700th post!  crazy!  So glad it is about such a happy topic!***
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I'm sorry if you thought these stories would be "moving" to your heart.  

These stories are actually about well, moving.

I want to talk about our upcoming move and other moves I have made in the past.

I moved a lot while I was growing up.

My dad was in construction and specifically, building bridges.  So, we had to move to go to where each job was located.

I was born in Arkansas and I spent my early years here, in Texas, and in Oklahoma. 

My kindergarten-part of 2nd grade were spent in Choctaw, OK.  We then moved back to Arkansas to stay.

Once we moved back to Arkansas, we lived near dad's family.  We lived there for a few years and then moved to another house.  I do remember living in both places.  After moving back to Arkansas, dad started working another job that was not in construction anymore.

In 1992, I was 11, and my parents bought the house that they still live in today.

My next move was when I moved to Arkansas Tech for college.  I lived in the dorm the first year.  

After the first year, I moved into an apartment with a friend.  I stayed with her for the summer, and then I moved into another apartment with another friend.

I lived with that friend for a couple of years, and then finally moved into an apartment by myself for the remainder of college.  I did have a couple of roommates during that time, but not the entire time.

Those moves didn't seem like a big deal at the time.  They most certainly were easier since I was only moving one person!

I moved in with Tim at the very end of college (we were married the week after I graduated).  Again, that move wasn't too bad, I will still just moving me.

We lived in his house from 2003 until he got a new job in the summer/fall of 2007.  That move was cuh-ray-zee.  I had a not-quite 1 year old and a not-quite 2 year old.  AND we were closing on the house we were selling and the house we were buying within a day of each other.  I STILL remember how stressed out all of that had me.  I was so close to a breakdown. So close. 

So, it was to my immense relief when we moved into the house at Paris finally.  I really thought at the time, that it might have been the house where the kids would grow up all the way up in.  We were in my hometown, Tim had a great job right up the road, and we were very close to family.

We were there for two years when Tim received a dream job in the part of the state that he had always wanted to be.  I will admit that I was not nearly as excited as he was about the job.

I was even more not excited when we had to live apart that entire school year because our house would.not.sell.  It was awful.  I still remember how the kids cried for Tim every night at bedtime.

We finally bit the bullet the next school year and found a house to rent here in Bentonville.  We moved and were paying our mortgage on the house in Paris and the rent on the house here.  It was a very tight time for us.  We also lost Tim's mom that fall.  I truly do not have the best memories of the time we lived in that house.

That spring, we received a notice that the house we were renting was going up for auction. APPARENTLY, the owner had stopped paying on the house a long time ago.  So, 7 months after moving to Bentonville, we had to move AGAIN.  

Not a happy Lenette.

Praise be, our Realtor had a home in our price range that we LOVED.  We have spent two wonderful years in this house.  I will really miss some aspects of it.  It's been a great little home for us. And we sold our other house not long after we moved in!

I say all of this to preface our upcoming move.

We have been looking for homes to buy for 2-3 years.  We have always been conflicted on what part of town to live in, what do we want in the house, and just a million other things when you finally go look at a house and it doesn't measure up to what you read online.

We finally found a house that both of us were cautiously optimistic about.

When we went to look at it, we found out that it was still under construction! What's that you say?  A brand, spanking new house?!

I loved so much about this house and it was fun to pick out paint colors and carpet.  Tim is extremely happy because we will have a 3 car garage!  That's been hard to find in our price range.  I'm happy because it has 4 bedrooms, a lovely kitchen and a gas stove!  We also will never have anyone behind us.  That was a big selling point for us.  To be in town and not have someone up your rear is a big deal here!

I can truly say that this may be the happiest move that I have ever made.  I'm excited and I can't wait to be in the home that my kiddos will finish growing up in.

Without further ado, here is the outside of our new home...

The painters were here that day, hence the random car in the driveway.

And the front door is now brown and not the tan color like in the first two pictures.

It's a wonderful neighborhood with sidewalks to walk and let the kids ride their bikes.
It's very close to the school we will probably be attending.
It's in town!
It's so funny the things that matter when buying a house when you are a parent! ha!