Near Completion

The new house is coming along nicely.  I stopped by to check on it yesterday and when I pulled up to the house I noticed the landscaping had been almost completed, the gutters had been installed and the house number was up.  I am loving how this is turning out!  I then walked into the house and noticed that the knobs had been installed on all the doors and the best part my granite counter tops had been installed in my kitchen! They are so beautiful!! I can not wait to start cooking in the kitchen.

There are only 3 weeks left until we close on the new house and it will become our home. I have already purchased the patio furniture, picked out the paint color for the inside of the house, picked out the fencing that will be installed two days after we close. I am so excited to move in. I am so thankful I have been able to watch this house be built. I have taken photos of each phase and can't believe how quickly it has all come together. 2 months ago I was still in Cary, the foundation hadn't even been poured yet and now the only thing left to do inside the home is to install the appliances and carpeting and those will be completed by the end of this week.  

Actions

You know that saying "Actions speak louder than words"?  It is true. I am a person who believes in following through with what I said I would do. I am one who lives by the golden rule, due unto others as you would have done unto you.  Not everyone lives by that rule.  If everyone did then there really wouldn't be any conflict. 

I have been hurt by a persons actions recently and I am trying to deal with it. I thought this person would never hurt me but then again I should have looked at this persons history and known that it would only be a matter of time before I was the next person to be hurt.  I am not one to put myself before others, I offer to help whenever I can, I support my friends when they need it. I encourage people to do things they think they can't do. I am a good listener, I a loyal friend, I am there for my family, I love with all my heart and when I get hurt it hurts deeply. I do not strike back when hurt by ones actions, as much as I want to I don't.  Instead I am walking away...........

Week One in Tennessee

Sunday January 22, 2012~ Day one in Tennessee. Rained. Did a little exploring close to the apartment complex. Found the market, a few parks, and some neat places to have picnics in the spring.

Monday January 23, 2012~ Day two. Rained. Found the Health Department to switch Hunters immunization records over from NC to TN. Not a fan of that place.. Registered Hunter at Blackman Elementary.

Tuesday January 24, 2012~ Day three. Rained.  Took Hunter to his first day of school, drove around a little. 

Wednesday January 25, 2012~ Day four. Rained. Movers arrived with our belongings, began to unpack and set up the apartment.

Thursday January 26, 2012~ Day five. Rained. finished unpacking all the boxes at the apartment.  

Friday January 27, 2012~ Day six. Rained. Cleaned the apartment. Watched Cars 2 at the clubhouse for movie night at the complex.  

Saturday January 28, 2012~ Day seven. SUNNY!! Spent the day outside since it didn't rain, we went to the park, walked along the greenway. Explored the town and drove around the country, drove the back roads to JB's office (not doing that again). Took Sammy to the park as well and he swam in the river, he was one happy dog!! 

* I did check on the progress of the new house each day when I would take Hunter to school and pick him up.. It is amazing the progress that was made in just a few hours... 

New House

They have made a lot of progress on the house in just the first week of being here. They have completed all the framing, placed the roof on, installed the tubs, showers and have almost completed the plumbing. This week they will begin on the wiring for the house and install the insulation. Next week they will begin to drywall. 

Over this past weekend we walked around the house and couldn't believe how quickly it is going up. It was so neat to stand in the kitchen and see where the waterline is for the new fridge before the actual walls are complete.  I was actually able to visualize where the furniture will go, where Sammy will take most of his naps, where Sierra will "chill" after school, and where Hunter will play with his Lego's. 

The new house isn't a huge house, it is a two story and has 2,200 square feet.  It has 4 bedrooms, 2 and a half baths, laundry room, living room, office, and an eat in kitchen as well as a two car garage.  They yard is just perfect for us as well. 

I can not wait to make that house our home! I can not wait to cook our family meals in the kitchen and to start new traditions and create memories in our new home.. 

Difficult Decisions....

So today I have made the hardest decision, I had to decide if it was best for Sierra to stay and finish out the school year or go with us to Tennessee.  I decided after talking with Blackman High (the school in Tennessee) that it would be best for her to stay and finish her Junior year at Cary High.  

Blackman High is not on a block schedule like Cary High. So the first half of this year Sierra has taken Algebra I, Science, US History and yearbook.  So that means she has completed a years worth of each subject in one semester. Next semester she is taking English III, Geometry, Sports Medicine and yearbook. So that means if she transferred to Blackman High should would have missed the entire first half of English III and Geometry and would have put her behind and therefor would have to be in summer school for 8 weeks at 8 hours a day just to catch up.  I just couldn't do that to her. We are moving to a new city and I don't want her to spend the entire summer in school. So with her staying she will only need to take English IV and Algebra II next year in order to graduate. She will have 5 elective classes so it should be a pretty easy Senior Year for her. 

I will miss her more than words can say and I know I am doing what is best for her by having her stay but it breaks my heart that I won't see her every single day and I won't get to hear about her day when she comes home from school, I  won't get to take her lunch to cheer her up when she is feeling down. I won't be able to watch our shows together each week.  

I am trying to think of it as a test run for when she leaves for college but it doesn't make it any easier..  

Thank goodness for Skype, text and cell phones... 

Carolina Friends.....

In just 12 short days I will be living in Tennessee. I will have said goodbye to my friends, my comfort zone, to a town that I have grown to love.  In the 14 years that I have lived in this town I have watched it grow, I have made the best friends, watched my daughter grow up into a beautiful young lady and had my son.  I learned more about myself. I learned that I am strong, talented, dedicated, loyal, hard working, and a great friend. 

I will miss my friends more than anything when I go. I will miss meeting them for a quick lunch or a long chat over coffee and cocoa. I will miss our families hanging out in the summer. I will miss being here for them if they need me. I will miss being the shoulder to cry on or the person to vent to. I will miss the laughter. I am so thankful for the memories I have created with each and everyone of them. I am so thankful for all that they have taught me. I am never going to find friends anywhere near as wonderful as the ones I have here.  I know it will take me a while to even make friends in Tennessee and I am OK with that.  Thank goodness for Facebook, email, text messages, phone and skype so that I can stay in touch with my Carolina friends. 

I have told my daughter to create memories with her friends at school and to not waste anytime with them, and she has. She has made some wonderful memories with her friends and I couldn't be happier for her. I know she will miss her friends just as much as I will miss mine!!

Tennessee

We are moving to Tennessee!  I can't believe we are leaving North Carolina in January for our new home just outside of Nashville. I have loved living in Cary for the past 14 years. It is a great place to live!  I have enjoyed the many road trips I have taken so I can learn about this wonderful state. I have loved going to the beach several times a year with the family. I fell in love with the Ashville in the fall. I have made some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for here. My son was born here, my daughter found her passion for the martial arts here. I will miss this town when I leave next month. I will miss seeing all the trees, I will miss my friends more than anything. I ache knowing I will not be able to meet them for breakfast, or grab a coffee/hot coco on a whim. I will miss not being able to just stop by and say hi or them doing the same. I will miss my wonderful neighbor Ms. Lynn. My son calls her his other Grandma. He has known her his entire life, she has never missed his birthday, she has always treated him as one of her own grandchildren. There is so much I will miss, but there is so much to look forward to. I look forward to my children going to better schools that are walking distance from the house, the new house that we are having built. Open floor plan, big kitchen, twice the size of our house now. I am looking forward to making new friends and watching my daughter graduate next year, my son growing up and making new friends. I am looking forward to the future. I am looking forward to spending time with my family as we learn and explore our new town. I can't wait to move into our new home and making it a home. So even though I am sad to leave North Carolina I am excited to move to Tennessee.

Paris

In two weeks I will be on a plane meeting my husband in Paris.  He came home from work this week and told me he had to take another business trip in a couple of weeks. I asked if he was going to Brno again and he said he was then he got this look on his face like I don't want to tell you where I am going after that, so I told him he better not be going back to Amsterdam without me, he laughed and said he wasn't, then I said you better not being going to Paris without me. Dead silence... not a single word was said... I told him that since he was going to Paris without me I wanted my birthday present early, I told him he couldn't go unless I had my kindle next week, he laughed and said ok. Then I went off to kickboxing class, when I got home he asked if I wanted to meet him in Paris.. I thought he was joking.. I went up to bed and he asked me again if he wanted me to book my flight to meet him, I told him I couldn't go and to stop asking.. He said ok.. Now my reason for saying no at first was because I thought Sierra would have been totally ticked off because once again I was going to Europe and she wasn't. While I was at one of my Coordinators house I told her about my declining JBs offer and she said "No you are going to call him right now and tell him to book that flight. You have to go, you will regret not going." So I did. I am now going to meet my husband in one of the most romantic cities in the world. He has made reservations to have dinner at the Eiffel Tower the first night we are there. I am so excited... I can't wait to experience Paris.... This is one happy girl!!

Hunter

Hard to believe that next week the kids will be back in school and summer will be over.  I have mixed emotions about school starting this year. Happy because I have to answer 500 questions from Hunter all day, seriously that boy will ask me questions ALL day LONG!  Hunter " Mom, why is the speed limit 65?" Me " because that is what has been deemed a safe speed to travel on this road."  Hunter" Mom, why is it a safe speed and by whose standards is it safe, yours, the troopers, the people who sit behind a desk and make all the laws?" Seriously people those are his questions all though my favorite question he had this summer was " Why do I know so much?"  Hmm maybe because you ask so many questions..The other day he was at a birthday party and his friend received some glow in the dark stars you place on the ceiling along with the planets that hang down. Hunter thought it was cool, the other kid not so much. I was listening to a conversation between Hunter and his friend. Hunter was asking the little boy if he knew what an asteroid was, the boy didn't know, Hunter explained what was, then Hunter asked him if he knew what the solar system was again the boy didn't really know so Hunter explained it to him, then Hunter asked him if he knew what a Milky Way was and the boy said, and I kid you not "Yeah it is a candy bar."  Hunter response " Dude you're killing me." and walked away..  I love that Hunter is curious and wants to learn so much but I just wish there were not 20 questions to every one original question.  I seriously hope that when we meet his teacher next week she is as good as Mrs. McCallister.  She was one of the best teachers I have ever met, she set the bar high for all the teachers that follow her. Looking forward to seeing what new things Hunter learns this year and to see how he is challenged.  Nothing like a six year old reading at an 8th grade level and knowing some algebra.. oh how I love my Hunter!!

Some of the high points of January...

January was a great start to the new year...

I interviewed for a different position with The Produce Box two weeks ago and was offered the job of Area Manager for North Cary and Morrisville.  I started the season last year as a Neighborhood Coordinator and really loved it but I wanted to be more involved with the company so when I learned they were hiring for Area Managers I put my name in for an interview and boy am I glad I did.  I can not wait to start working with an amazing group of women. I am so excited for the season to start.

I also went on my first field trip with my son.  His class went to this play and he LOVED it.. I had no idea how they would make The Very Hungry Caterpillar into a play but was very impressed with how they did it.  I am looking forward to many more field trips in the future..  My son also got his very first report card and did fabulous! He had 4's with a few 3* . For those of you who do not have children in elementary school those are good marks.. I was very proud of him...

I also went to the NHL All-Star Game with my husband over this past weekend.. I had the BEST time. We sat here

That would be Section 126 Row A seat 8. In my opinion the best in the house for a hockey game. I saw some of my favorite players like Toews, Thomas, Skinner, Staal and Lindstrom. I am so glad JB asked me to go with him. It was a chance of a lifetime and I enjoyed every single minute of it!! 3 Doors Down played during the first intermission and it was amazing, they sounded sooo good!!  Clay Aiken sang the National Anthem and did a beautiful job. 

Finally I have been trying to lose weight forever, and so far this year I have lost over 20 pounds.  I am looking forward to February and the rest of the year!!

Goals

Goals for the new year....

• learn to love myself
• be more organized
• don't be so shy
• be a better primary teacher
• do another half marathon
• be more crafty
• write love letters to my husband
• be in the moment with my family

Self Image

I hate the way I look. I hate that I workout 3-4 times a week and am still fat. I hate that I had cancer and because of said cancer I do not have a Thyroid and therefor I do not have a metabolism. I hate that I use to be skinny and could wear anything I wanted. I hate that I can no longer find cute clothes. I hate that I hate myself and that I can not accept my body the way it is. I hate that I long to be skinny again. I hate that I miss out on life because I don't want to be seen because I am fat. I hate my picture taken so I do not have many photos of the kids and I. I hate that I put value on my weight and not the person that I am.

Friendships

This past year I decided to rid myself of people who did not influence my life in a positive way. I said goodbye to a friend I have had since my freshman year in high school because I just couldn't handle the constant gossip about the people back home. I didn't care who was cheating on who or with who. I didn't care that so and so was arrested for a DUI, drugs or that so and so is still living in the same town.  I then learned that she cheated many times on her husband and three times with her best friends brother. That is pretty much when I said goodbye, you have nothing to bring to this friendship that is meaningful.  I thought it would be hard to end the friendship but really it was one of the easiest things I have ever done.  I feel good about it actually.

I want friends who I can learn from, have meaningful conversations, who I can talk to about anything and know that it isn't going to turn into gossip. I want friends who want to give back to there community and have values and who support their spouses when times get tough, I want strong women who stand up for what they believe in. I want friends who set amazing examples for their children. I want friends who teach their children that if they want something in life then they have to work hard for it.

I feel I have that now.

Allergies

After over 30 pricks in the back we learned that my son, Hunter is allergic to nuts, trees, 8 types of grass, dust mites, mold, and cats. I will say that I am glad his doctor didn't say he was allergic to dogs because we would not be a happy family if we had to get rid of our Samsun.  Hunter has an Epipen that goes with us everywhere. He is to sit at a special table at lunch time (away from his friends, I think that is just sad) he sits alone at snack time just in case other kids bring in nuts for a snack. He is allergic to peanuts, brazil nuts, cashews,almonds, pistachios (those can kill him if he eats them) and peacans, those will just make him uncomfortable according to the doctor.  My house is now a nut free zone. No peanutbutter, no pistachios (my favorite snack of all time) nothing. I must read every lable when I go to the market to make sure nothing he eats will have those nuts in it.  

some changes in the house

New Camera

Last weekend I was able to go by my new camera. I have taken my time researching different cameras and I found the one I love. I purchased the Nikon D5000 and was able to get two extra lenses, 3 filters, camera bag, 20 lessons and free prints for a year for less than $1,000..   I have taken a few photos with it so far and am totally in love with it. I am glad I took my time doing research so I could get just the right one for me. It was a toss up between the Nikon D90 or the one I purchased. I felt the D90 was just too much for me, I didn't think I would really need everything it had to offer since I am just starting out. Once I become more familiar with my camera I will be doing a photo blog or something along those lines..

Things I am Thankful For

Here are just a few of the things I am thankful for.....

• My Husband ~who shows me everyday how much he loves me
• My Beautiful Daughter ~ who has a heart of gold
• My Handsome Son ~ who makes me laugh everyday
• My Parents ~ For everything they have taught me, I miss them terribly.
• My Brother ~ For being the best big brother a sister could ask for, who is always there when I need him
• Fabulous Friends ~ For being such amazing examples in life, you are strong women who I admire and love
• A House to call Home
• To be able to attend church
• Heavenly Father
• Jesus
• The Holy Ghost

The other day something was brought to my attention that I never really thought about. I had my daughter when I was 20. It was my choice to start my family when I was young. I never thought that I missed out on my life because of it. I just felt that this was the choice I made, this is what I wanted and I didn't regret it. I am glad that I had my daughter when I was young. We are close, we are best friends, we talk about anything and everything. When she was first born she slept in my bed with me, I couldn't sleep with her in another room. I had to hear her breathing. It gave me such peace to hear that and to touch her. Everyone thought it was a bad idea for her to sleep with us in the same bed but I disagreed. I am glad I had her sleep with me the first 6 months the foundation for our relationship was formed. When my son was born I had him sleep in the same room with me for the first few weeks but something was off, I didn't feel the bond with him, I felt like he was not mine, no closeness so I tried having him sleep in bed with me and after the first night we both slept better, I started feeling the bond that a mother should have with her child.  My husband hated having the children in the same bed with us, he didn't sleep well at all, always thinking something would happen to them but I on the other hand slept great and so did they. Hunter starting sleeping through the night at 3 weeks, Sierra at a month.  I know that this may not work for everyone but as a parent you learn to do what works for you and your children. My daughter is now 16 and my son is 5. My daughter and I still have "camp outs" in the living room we stay up late watch movies share popcorn and catch up and I sometimes sleep with my son when he asks.  I wouldn't trade anything for the one on one time I have had with my children. I would never trade staying at home for working outside the home. I am lucky enough that I am able to stay home. I don't judge those who work outside the home we all do what is best for us, we do what works for us. I know my husband could never stay home with the kids, he needs the challenge of working outside the home. I am thankful for my children and have zero regrets..

Camping

In two weeks we will be heading to the mountains of North Carolina to do some camping. I am so looking forward to time away from the "city life" and just relaxing for a week. I can't wait to go rafting down the river and to take the kayak out again. Do a little hiking as well and just hang out with my family. Sierra will be home and I can't wait to catch up with her after being away from her for almost 8 weeks.  I am looking forward to the campfires, smores, playing games at night and just being in the moment with my family. We are turning off the cell phones while we are there so work can't get in touch with John.. I am counting the days...

Duh!

Two weeks ago I did something so completely stupid! I ran over my leg with my own truck and it crashed into a house. I know lame right.. Well I was out delivering Produce Boxes to members and I thought I put the truck in park, guess what I didn't. I was reaching into the back of the truck to get a box and I noticed the truck start to move.. Well I being the intelligent person that I am thought I could just jump in and put the brake on and all would be fine. WRONG!! I lost my balance while attempting to get in and that is when the back tires of the truck ran over my leg and then proceeded to crash into the garage. Yeah I know pretty lame. I was lucky though I didn't break anything in my leg or foot but I did manage to get some pretty bruises and cuts on the leg and foot. I lost feeling in my toes and have started to get most of the feeling back in them . My doctor said I should regain all feeling once the swelling is completely gone and in 4-6 weeks I should be good as new. All I can say right now is that my foot is killing me. I have taken the pain medication (anyone who knows me knows I don't take anything for pain, not even for a headache) and I am still hurting.. I just wish the pain would stop already. I wish I wasn't such an idiot or in such a hurry to get things done that day... I am thankful though that Hunter wasn't in the truck when it happened.