A couple of weeks ago the kids and I went down to spend about 10 days visiting our family in Oregon. I wanted to get a visit in before we become Texans and don't make it up this way as often, and the timing was just right because I also wanted to get out of the house while the open house happened etc. Of course, who knew that the day after our arrival someone was already writing up an offer! Everything has worked out so well and we've been incredibly blessed - even though everything has been somewhat of a whirlwind. And really, I should be getting some sleep or packing another box tonight, but I just wanted to slip in a post, because it's something I enjoy - and I hate getting too far behind! So, Oregon...
My mom has two horses - Angel and Piper. They are sister and brother. They are her pride and joy :) The kids are always really excited when they talk about the horses, but when they get very close to them, they are quiet and a little overwhelmed by their size. Our first evening there, the kids rode their bikes over to help Grammie feed the horses their "dinner".
Sawyer actually did end up helping feed them some hay, and Aspen just watched with her wide eyes :) Maybe next time. It's funny how they talk about the horses - so exciting! Yet they're too scared to sit on them.
It was nice to have nice warm weather and a cool breeze in the evening, just sitting in the yard and letting the kids run wild. Made me excited for when we have a big yard in Texas (you know, everything is bigger there, they just can't help it!) Part of me still can't believe we are going to be Texans! Who ever would've guessed!?! Our girls are going to grow up as Southern Belles instead of Granola Girls :)
Well, just as we were getting back to the house, Grandpa showed up. He had been gone several days on a "Pioneer Trek" with the youth from church. They pulled handcarts and walked and really got a feel for what some of their ancestors had gone through as they walked across the plains years ago. Grandpa sure looked the part! He's a regular Indiana Jones, too! The kids almost didn't know what to think - he was dirtier and more dusty than they were!
One thing is for certain: we love our Grammie and Grandpa and we are going to miss them! Thanks so much for letting us come visit and spend some leisurely summer days with you! It is always a treat to visit, and our trips always feel short (although since I was flying solo on this trip, it didn't feel as short - we were all missing Daddy by the end!) I must give huge props, too, to my three little kiddos - they were amazing travelers on our 6 hour drive (which of course was more like 8 because we had to stop and nurse the baby and eat lunch) They didn't have a DVD player, or the iPad, all they had was a little magnetic doodle pad and some little superhero figurines. Somehow that kept them busy for the lengthy drive. Hazel did great too, except for the last 2 hours on the way home when we got stuck in traffic and she was hungry. That wasn't fun for any of us! But overall, it gave me hope that our 5 days of driving 8 hours a day to Austin will be okay. And I caved and bought a DVD player for the long journey - and am going to download some games onto our iPad. One day traveling is one thing - but 5 long days in the car seems like it calls for more extreme measures :)
On an unrelated note - we gave away our TV today (free items offered on Craigslist are HOT!) I'm glad it's going to a nice family. As Jacob helped the woman carry it down the stairs to her car, Sawyer suddenly looked at me and tried really hard to hold back a big sob and said "it's kind of sad that we won't have a tv in Austin". I told him it was okay to cry if he felt sad about it :( I told him that we can have family movie night and watch a movie on our computer (which is bigger than our tv was anyway!) and that perhaps one day we'll get a new tv, maybe even a BIG tv (because...you know the answer). He was still a little sad, so I let him test out the little travel sized dvd player. He felt a little better. And he didn't seem to mind at all when someone came for the rug under our feet :) Which is good. Things are so hectic, sometimes I forget that we are turning our kids world upside down just as much (probably more) than our own. Deep breath, take it slow.
I suppose this is my chance to say that things are pretty crazy busy in these whirlwind days of prepping to move across the country, wrap things up with the sale of our home, research and find all sorts of new insurance policies, research and find new physicians and dentists, pack things up, sell some stuff, say goodbye to friends, etc. Yes, crazy times. Oh, yeah, and shoot some senior pics and also a WEDDING, before we drive off into the sunset. Crazy times are good times and good memories, ya'll. So please excuse me if I'm absent for a bit. Or maybe I'll sneak in a few more posts - it's kind of a de-stresser for me. We'll see! Either way, though - we're ready to be Texans!
