It's Been a Long Time.....

a really long time....

I'm finally able to make a little sense of things amongst the many changes in my life, so I thought I'd take a shot at my blog again. Some of my friends may have given up hope that they would ever hear from me again.... I hope you understand that my life has been so crazy! I actually feel like I have a grip on things again and for the first time in a very long time, I broke out my stamps, ink and paper and spent a couple of hours being creative today. What a breath of fresh air! I will post some pictures of the work I was doing after I fill in some of the missing pieces first....

So we left Virginia on October 1st. We set out with our Beverly-Hillbillies-Lookin'-Caravan.... really, Ray was driving his truck towing our pop-up camper, my Dad was driving his truck pulling a trailer with our partially disassembled '66 mustang on it and I was driving my SUV loaded down with kids and Grandma. We had our 2-way radios ready, DVD player locked and loaded, the GPS dictating every turn and a snack box close at hand to keep the boys happy. We were quite a sight for the five days it took to cross the country. The boys were really amazing... it was only the last day that they started getting sick of the whole thing so Grandma had to really entertain them while I kept driving the final stretch. It was great to get to AZ... the boys got to cut loose at Grandma and Papa's while Ray and I continued on to CA to start house hunting.

House hunting was tough. I really thought we would be on top of the world with the way the housing market it.... We had a little money in our pocket and I was sure we would be calling the shots. Well, we were quickly set straight and set back to square one with our requirements for a home. But like everything else in our lives, things seem to work out above and beyond our control and our expectations. We stumbled upon a new construction home and fell in love! The price, timing and conditions were completely on our side..... we went back to AZ with smiles on our faces.

After a month long stay with G'ma and Papa, we were ready to move in to our new home. Luckily for us, the SoCal fires missed our area and we were spared! We moved in, even before our belongings did, so the boys enjoyed "camping" in our new house for a week. We used that time to do some custom painting and get some fixtures installed. We had the whole clan here at one point... G'ma and Papa came to help and my little brother, sis-in-law and their two kids were here, all to lend a hand. OK... that's why I am so happy to back on the West Coast!

Our things arrived, with only minor breakage and we began getting settled in. Before I knew it, Thanksgiving and Christmas were here and the family was back. I still had cardboard boxes and unpacked stuff stashed around the house, but I cooked up a storm for the 10 of us. New Years was quiet... it was just the 4 of us and we were all in bed before the ball dropped.

So now it's well into the new year- the boys are settled in to their own little routines. Connor is in love with his Kindergarten teacher and can't wait to go to school each day. Jake is growing like a weed and loving the CA sunshine. Ray likes his new job and doesn't mind the commute; he's enjoying his new garage and having that partially disassembled mustang parked in it. I have managed to get the house situated.... I think I have 1 box left, stashed in the master bedroom closet. I have been enjoying my time with Jake during the day and exploring the area. I've spent lots of time working to get my craft room the way I want it, and as I mentioned before, I actually had a chance to stamp today.... Life is good!

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Bittersweet

Is it possible to be jumping up and down with excitement and dragging your heels at the same time? That's exactly how I feel about our upcoming move to San Diego. Ray got orders to transfer to San Diego and for months I've been preparing.... well now we're only a week and a half away from the official move and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

The house sold fairly quickly and we got what we were asking.... The Navy packs and moves us so I don't have to do much with our personal property except unplug the electronics and take the pictures off the walls.... My parents are traveling here only to turn right back around and drive back West with us, just to help us get our vehicles where we need them to be.... It's all coming together very well and I couldn't ask for much more, but there are mixed emotions about leaving.

Things I will miss most about Virginia:

• Having had the same address for more than 5 years! Since I left my parents house is 1989, this is the longest I've kept the same mailing address.
• "SweetTea" - This is definately a Southern thing and if I try to ask for this one word indulgence in California, they will look at me like I'm from another planet. Out there they will tell you they can bring you Iced Tea and you can add some sugar from on the table.... not the same.
• Accelerating on Yellow and running Red lights - I learned quickly that you really have to do that in Virginia Beach; the guy behind you is counting on it. It was a shock when we first moved here, but I've gotten rather used to it now. I'll have to switch my thinking so I don't rack up the tickets, or worse get sideswiped in CA.
• Changing Seasons - I will surely miss the beautiful foliage and raking the leaves for my kids to jump into. The median temperature in SoCal is around 73, so there isn't really definiative changing of seasons.
• History - The rich history of our country and being in the thick of it here is a great thing. I have loved visiting Colonial Williamsburg and I wish my kids were a bit older to appreciate it. I will also miss my family history here. When we arrived, it was just the two of us. As we leave, we are a complete family. This is the place my children were born, the only house they've known. Though it's only for a few weeks, this is the place where Connor started school. So I am a little sad about the end of this chapter in our lives.

Things I am most excited for in California:

• Real Mexican food - My dear friends who have lived here most of their lives just don't understand.... Virginia Beach restaurants don't serve REAL Mexican food although they try real hard. I still don't know what that white sauce is, but I can assure you it is not Mexican. I can't wait to enjoy a Carne Asada burrito or some Carnitas... Yum!
• Beautiful weather - Now I'm not saying it's perfect... it usually does rain a couple of days in January, but other that that it's really mild and enjoyable. So long earmuffs - we had a good run for a few years, but I won't be needing you any more!
• I'll take an occassional earthquake over an annual hurricane season any day!
• A new perspective on my old stompin' grounds - I lived in SD for 10 years before we moved to Virginia Beach. I'm looking forward to seeing how things are with two kids in tow. My blog updates will not be focusing on the bar scene in the Gaslamp district, but rather reviews of the amusment parks and zoo!
• Exploring all of the scrapbooking and stamping stores! When I came to Virginia Beach, I had never scrapbooked or stamped before. This obsession of mine has only developed in the past 5 years.... By the sheer volume of stuff, you wouldn't guess that nothing in my craft room was moved into this house, it's all been acquired since the transplant.... and Ray wonders where all our money goes :)

Whether I'm happy or sad about it, or a little of both, the move is coming very soon. I feel strongly that this is a good change for us.... good for our family, good for Ray's career, good on many levels. I can't express how happy I am that my boys will be growing up within a few hours of Grandma and Papa's house. We will be surrounded by family and the holidays will be so crowded and crazy, just like they are supposed to be. I can't wait. But in the same breath, I am leaving all of my friends - the girls that have made this place fun and kept me inspired in my crafting. I know, though, that through email and blogs we can stay in touch - and thank goodness, Southwest has pretty cheap flights between Norfolk and San Diego. I had a great time with some of these friends this weekend and I will update with pictures and details of that soon. For now, I've got to start unplugging some electronics and taking pictures off the walls....

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