Unpacking





















Well at least that is what we are supposed to be doing! As you can see it's slow going around here. Actually we decided that we did still really need to paint and thought we may as well get that out of the way before we unpack too much. Not much point to unpacking pictures and things for the walls if we aren't going to hang them up or have a place to keep them.

Besides this weekend yard work really needed doing, the grass was so high that when he finally got through it was nearly dead underneath. Nice. And we discovered last night that one of the pipes to the yard sprinklers has a pretty good leak going on. The things you find as you settle in. lol.

We also went this weekend and purchased Princess Julia's (yes that is how she refers to HERSELF these days!) new bedroom set. So we definitely want to get her room painted at least with a base coat before the furniture arrives August 5th. So that was a little side trip into Pensacola and since we were there we just had to go to McGuire's for dinner. I need to get back in the habit of carrying the camera around with me again as some of these places are pretty cool.

Believe it or not we are making progress, I spent today cleaning and need to get back to it. I still want to run the vacuum a bit more, got the mopping all done for today anyways. Ray should be starting the paint in the next day or so! I feel a bit rushed on it and honestly don't have a complete plan for Julia's room yet and that's not like me. But we'll start with a light base color and add accents from there. ;)

Day by day we should see some progress and no idea at all what we are going to do for little miss J's birthday this weekend. Hopefully we'll have made enough progress to take a break and cook out or something with some friends. We'll figure something out, at least her best friend is in town so we'll get together with at least him and his family:) It's nice to have friends around still. Keeps things familiar at least for now. She's sure going to be disappointed when he goes back to Texas.

We made it








Yes, if you look close you can see someone had gotten out of her shoulder harness.


This is where I busted her, so she hid.




And here our little contortionist is shrugging back into her harness, believe it or not this didn't happen too often this trip. Thank goodness!










And lastly this is just a glimpse at how loaded down we were. My poor car and poor Julia, good thing she is still required to be in that car seat and doesn't expect to have more space!







Well, with very few glitches we pulled into Florida about 3 pm today, and the first thing we did was meet the realtor and do our walk through of the house. Hopefully all goes well for the closing tomorrow, but if it gets slipped a day or so, at this point, so be it. We are checked into our suite and will be very comfortable until things are all set at the house.

As I said, we did have a couple of minor glitches, the one most affecting our little princess was the DVD player deciding that it didn't want to work anymore last night. Fortunately it was a fluke and was working again this morning, off and on anyways. Basically it would work for the space of one movie, and then not again for an hour or so and then click it would work again. Guess it's on it's last legs. Good thing she likes music almost as much as movies. I really do not want to have to pick up another portable player as we are hoping that the next vehicle we get has one built in. Time will tell I guess.

For now we are just enjoying being here and not giving too much thought to the next trip yet. I've also discovered one other thing through this process. Julia has never had a favorite blanket but when going to bed has always wanted to play with the sheet. As I found during our play day at Christi's a pillowcase will suffice in a bind. So when she would get tired in the car she would reach for the pillowcase. I turned to find her with her feet tucked into the pillowcase and her fingers twisting in and out of the end of it, as she does with the sheet, fast asleep. Very cute.

Well, Ray is out shopping and getting dinner, no way were Julia and I getting back in the car today! I do have some pictures to load later if I can get the card reader to work with the lap top. If not you'll just have to wait a week or so for more pictures. :)

And a HUGE THANK YOU


Before you start thinking we have been doing all of this work alone, I need to say Thank YOU to my dear friend Christi W. for pretty much being at my beck and call this last couple of weeks. And to her dear hubby for letting her be! From working with me all week on the yard sale, up late every night tagging and sorting and setting up early that morning and working it, to giving Julia and I place to hang out and relax while the packers were at our house so our girls could have some play time, to last night bringing step ladders, a vacuum, steam cleaner and being willing to stay and use them with us. Whether she knows it or not there are not many friends willing to go to such lengths to help out and we appreciate her more than words could say. While she was cleaning out the kitchen cabinets, I was able to do the windows, clean the bathroom, and use the vacuum. Then she stayed to nearly midnight with us using the steam cleaner while I continued vacuuming, all while Ray was painting. She is beyond a true friend and I can not begin to say how much I am going to miss her company. They better plan a visit to Florida before they head off to parts unknown from here. And all that time her hubby was keeping their two little girls and getting them in bed all by himself at night. Like I said, not many families out there like this one, I'm humbled and honored to call them our friends.

Still going

Here it is 1:30 in the AM, our house is nearly empty, all but a borrowed vacuum, steam cleaner, painting and cleaning supplies that is. Pretty boring place for an almost 3 year old to spend an evening. Should have planned that better. But even though we didn't she's a trooper and a night owl. We stayed at the house cleaning and Daddy painting til Midnight before he brought her and I back to the hotel to crash... she still didn't get to sleep til about 1 AM and obviously I am not yet asleep, and Daddy? Well he went back to finish up a few more things at the house. The landlord comes through at 10:30 in the morning and I think he is hoping to just be completely done with everything by then. I'm not sure he will be, but he just may, that's how he gets when he gets an idea in his head sometimes. I hope that he gets some rest tonight, but we have no plans tomorrow afternoon besides recuperating so I think we will be doing just that.

I know I seem to be excessive in my praise of Julia sometimes but right now she genuinely deserves it. We have moved 6 times in our 15+ years of marriage, but this is the first time we have moved with a child. Wow what a difference that makes. But even as we have turned her world upside down and inside out she continues to trust us that her things will be in Florida and that everything will be okay. That's a pretty abstract concept to grasp for a 3 year old but she's doing it. I'm in awe at just how much she trusts us as this is the second time in her short life that her world is completely changing and familiar things are disappearing. I think she is going to be delighted when the movers show up in Florida with our things.

Speaking of the movers, this info is for my Dad and brothers as it will make sense to them. We got our total on the weight this morning... 11,240!!!! I knew we had accumulated more things but honestly didn't think it was THAT much! The driver was supposed to pick up two more loads after ours, don't think that is happening now. Guess we filled the truck. We are only allowed 11000lbs, but they take of 10% for packing, they didn't figure the pro gear, oh and the driver actually bought our Crossbow Home gym so I won't have to figure out what to do with that in Florida either!! So we are actually still under our weight, but STILL. Who knew having a child could add quite that much to our lives?! But of course she added so much more than that. :)

We would have had an earlier start today, but it was also Daddy's going away at work and I FORGOT the camera! But he did get a nice plaque and they of course said some very nice things about him, oh and me too I guess. I'm just glad he didn't make a mushy scene and present me with anything or make me talk, he knows me so well! It was his going away not mine and he's put the work in. So anyways, that's why we got a later start at the house. As I said the rest of the weekend shouldn't be as hectic and Monday morning we will be on our way to Florida. Right now, I think it's probably a good thing that we have to wait til Monday, the rest will be good for us!!

Thanks everyone for checking in and thinking of us. Jen, I can't wait for the fun pics and posts from Florida either or to see Betsie again (bald or not!!). I really can't wait to see the girls together again! I just pray mine is not the most spoiled! LOL! But she probably is...

Missing Moose, among other things


Anyone remember the missing moose that we thought got thrown away?? Amazing the things you can find when the packers show up. Moosey had apparently been in hiding under the computer armoire, a very big, very heavy piece of furniture, that honestly there wasn't that much room under to begin with.

The packers finished up today, amazingly enough as they were definitely behind this morning. Important thing is that they are done and our stuff will be loaded on the truck tomorrow. Julia didn't quite know what to think when she went into her room and it was all packed up. Her daddy asked her "what happened to your room?" her kind of scared reply "I don't know". She seemed better when we told her that they had packed it up to take it to Florida for us. Good thing she wants to move to Florida.

So far we are one very tired family, especially Daddy as a lot of this is falling on him this week, seems a bit fair as a lot fell on me last week for the yard sale. But over all we are all wearing out and will be glad to see the end of this move. Almost done on this end at least. :)

Silly time break












Julia is taking all of this chaos fairly well. She is, as you can see, having fun going through the things for the yard sale. This was from Daddy's Halloween costume a few years back. I'm not sure where he found the shorts but they are obviously a bit big yet on our skinny mini. I know she has to be confused about the house being turned inside out and the whole sorting process we are in right now and she's definitely missing out on some Mama time, something she is definitely not accustomed to, but over all she is doing well and is still excited to move. I think she is just becoming as anxious as we are to have it all over with.


You might not be able to see it but she also has on her Dora backpack in these pictures, full of blocks I might add. She has taken to wearing it again these last couple of days, maybe as a way of making sure some of her "treasures" stay hers. Either way, it's quite the look, shorts too big, Daddy's hat, new Cinderella slippers (she out grew the others ages ago but kept trying to cram her feet into them, so I felt obligated to get her some new ones, you should have seen her face)and the Dora backpack. She's a trendsetter all right! LOL ;)

Tagged


My blogging buddy Missy tagged me the other day. So I'm supposed to describe how I'm feeling in 6 words and then tag 5 other people. Does she know me at all?? Just 6 words... well, okay here goes RIGHT NOW I'm feeling... BLESSED, TIRED, NERVOUS, EXCITED, HAPPY, and AMAZED.

1. BLESSED because well because I am, with a beautiful daughter, a wonderful husband, a loving and supportive family and great friends. And that is just the tip of the ice burg.

2. TIRED.. despite a rare good night's sleep I still feel a bit wiped out today, we have had so much going on and so much we are doing to prepare to move.

3. NERVOUS....for that same move, the next chapter in our lives, buying a house, all kinds of nervous energy attributing to that usual lack of sleep. ;)

4. EXCITED.. Did I mention buying the house and moving?? despite being nervous I am at the same time so ready and so excited to be there.

5. HAPPY.. because who could be this blessed and not be happy? I am where I am supposed to be right now and I am content with that.

6. AMAZED.. as I sit listening to Missy's music on her blog, she has the song "Amazing" playing that I used in Julia's One Year video, Julia came over and said "Mama's song?" and sat and listened to that and Steven Curtis Chapman's "Cinderella" with me before going back to her play. I am and will likely always be "Amazed" at this child, who truly thinks she is Cinderella and has more than her fair share of sweetest moments.

So there you go. :)

Here are the rules... you need to describe your life in 6 words, then link back to me, then tag another 5 people. Leave them a comment to let them know that they are tagged. It's fun. So I tag:

1. Kim . Kim and I joined this adoption ride very close together and found we were on some other rides together too. She has become a true friend. Her blog is open and honest and a window to her heart, and always interesting. She comes up with the best quizzes and things. ;)

2. Jennifer is a true blessing in my life. We share the bond of adopting our daughters and traveling to China together. She is very good at keeping things in perspective, showing how God is first in her life, and is my go to person for education questions!

3. Jennifer, yes, a different one, lol. She is a wonderful mom I know and is one of the most outgoing, sweetest people I think I've ever met. She worked on getting a group of Families with Chinese Children started in our area just by going up and talking to people and our first event we had a wonderful turnout and have started a web group. All thanks to her willingness to say "hello".

4. The Lewellen's here is a Mom that has her hands full, always can make me smile with her stories and is just over all a lot of fun.

5.And Angela. She's a new mom to one firecracker of a little boy just bursting with personality and a zest for life that is a joy to see! They are friend's of ours here, that we know because our hubby's work together. I remember him telling us soon after we got home from China that they were thinking of adopting from Russia. I'm thrilled to say they did and they got to bring him home before we moved on! I hope they keep up the blog so that we can keep in touch easier.

Okay ladies, you've been tagged! :)

Mother..and George??

Of course with all of the traveling this summer, Julia has had ample opportunity to watch movies in the car, and thankfully has gotten better about taking breaks from said movies and listening to music. One of her more frequent picks on the trip to Ohio was Peter Pan. Frequently since then I have been referred to with an almost British accent as "Mother" but the funniest was when she was trying to get Daddy's attention one night and said "oh George!" he certainly did a double take and of course had to ask who George was.. as I had been "mother" that whole day I was pretty sure she meant the father in Peter Pan. LOL. He just sighed and shook his head and reminded her he was Daddy. Last night when "mother" didn't get my attention it was quickly replaced with "hey Heather"... this child is going on 3 right?? Again she was reminded I was "mama", mother even is okay, but let's not get too carried away.

I have been looking at some preschool curriculum's to start once we are settled in Florida. I've gone back and forth on whether to find a preschool for Julia or keep her home this year and with the move and many changes we have coming, I feel like it's important to have this time with her at home, she will start regular pre-k at 4 soon enough. So on the advice of my friend, Jen, I have been checking out some websites this morning and am pretty sure we are going to go with Before Five In a Row. It perfectly suits our needs and what I want to expose Julia to this year before she starts school next year. I am really excited about it, just one more reason to look forward to getting settled in FL. :)

We also are planning on a small reunion with our travel group in late August, we are so looking forward to seeing them again! Yeah, we just don't know how to slow down what can I say?

I found some more videos the other day from our trip to Ohio that I had forgotten to download. Finally got that done, so here is one of Julia and Alivia at the park again, with sound. Can you tell which girl is used to the Texas heat? LOL The other videos are on dropshots but you will have to sift back through the dates starting around mid May til June 14. There are some cute ones so it will be worth it. ;)