So much has changed....again.

I just looked at my blog and started laughing.  The last blog was about how everything in our lives were changing.  What a joke!  Little did I know how much things were going to be even different shortly after.

I'm blogging today from our newest new home.  Good ol' Idaho.

I started crying all over again as I read about the guilt I felt moving Mara's schools.  I can't believe we did that to her again.  All in all she's been registered at 3 different kindergartens!!  Luckily she's only attended 2 different ones, because we transferred her records before she began the first one.  Of course, in usual Mara fashion she has handled it like a champ. She's cool like that.

Moving to Idaho was hard for me in some ways and easy in others.  The adventure that awaited us sounded amazing.  Just our little family all on our own for the first time.  I've always loved Idaho and visited it regularly growing up so it didn't seem scary at all.  The chance for Sean to grow in his company (at record speed might I add) was exciting.  He works so hard-he totally deserved this promotion.  Not to mention the pay raise sounded beautiful.  Is that shallow of me to admit?  Well, it's true.

I was apprehensive about it as well.  I was nervous about being all on our own for the first time ever (even though that's part of why I was so excited too).  Would I be an okay mom without all the extra help I'd been receiving since the kids were born?  I've always relied on our families for so much support and it wouldn't be there anymore. Plus, Idaho schools apparently stink.  They're ranked 48th in the nation.

So now we're here.  It's been....interesting/hard/fun/exciting etc.

We were told that Sean would need to travel 1-3 days out of every week, but that it would mostly be only 1 day a week.  Well, we've lived here for a month and he's been gone basically Monday-Friday every week.  He has even worked weekends out of town!

My days are pretty darn boring. The kids are dying to make friends.  We've moved in the winter before and we didn't meet anyone until the Spring when people start coming out of their houses again.  Plus, we don't go to church so that greatly limits our "social" interactions with others.  (That story is for another day...maybe).

Anyways, so much has changed in our lives.  I imagine they're going to keep changing.  

Life's happenings

I hate to sound only negative and keep focusing on all the C-rap that keeps happening around here, but it just feels like that's all that is happening.   I say feels because I know that isn't reality, it just seems that way.  So this post is to document (mostly for me) all of the good things in our lives right now.  I need to see it in print.  I also believe that family blogs should be genuine, and that means putting my real feelings down and not just the "fluffy stuff".  Nothing can make me feel worse than looking at all these cute blogs and feeling inadequate about my own life.  I wish we could all just be more honest with each other.  Oh well, that's a post for another day.

Mara started Kindergarten.  Shut.the.front.door.  When/How did she get soo big?  I was so excited for her (and not gonna lie, for myself as well).  We start walking up to the school and suddenly I feel these sobs starting in my belly.  I was able to contain myself and not shed a single tear...for a moment.  When I saw Mara standing there all by herself she just looked so uncertain and and scared out of her little mind, I lost it.  The tears started pouring.  I'm not even talking a tear or two, I'm talking borderline hysteria.  She just looked so scared.  So cute, but so nervous.  All the other kids were chatting it up with each other and Mara seemed all alone.  I think my sobs were because of the guilt I felt moving her away from all her friends and planting her there all alone.  Despite my sad departure she was full of fun stories when we picked her up for the day.  Each day she gets a little better telling me about her day and the friends she plays with, and each day I feel a little less guilt about moving her away from her friends.

Logan started Preschool.  That day couldn't have come soon enough.  As much as I adore that little man, we both needed a small break from each other.  Twice a week he goes to Ms. Brooke's preschool that is in our neighborhood.  He came home from the first day with the cutest drawing of a truck, and didn't surprise me at all by the detail.  He did however surprise me by attempting to write his name.  He did a perfect L and o then a funky g and some scribbles.  This kid is a genius.  I know we all think those things of our own children, but it's true!  I sadly cannot take any credit for it.  He honestly figures everything out by himself.  He looks at something and then replicates it.  It is adorable.  It's so fun to watch him become a little kid.  His listening skills improve every day (for which I am deeply grateful).

Both kids are in soccer.  Mara is timid and careful when she plays.  Logan doesn't know what planet he's on.  Both ways to play are equally adorable and frustrating!  Isn't that the funny thing about parenting?  I don't care if they are soccer stars, but then we get there and I find myself wanting to be the screaming parent telling Mara what to do (don't worry I don't, but I'd love to).  Watching Logan is another thing entirely.  He is the weird kid that doesn't pay attention at all, randomly sits down, runs and bops his head up and down...you know the type?  It's hilarious and slightly embarrassing.  Don't call the mommy police on me for saying that.  Just keepin' it real.

Sean started a new job.  It kind of sucks.  The positives: working M-F 9-5.  That's where the positives end for me.  I hate the pay and I hate the benefits (or lack there of).   I guess we'll just keep waiting and see what happens.

As for me, my business has taken off running.  I feel so excited every time I see a sell.  I get between 30-40 each month the past couple of months.  Soooo cool!  Right now I'm trying to expand into the digital scrapbooking elements.  It takes a bit of computer time, but I think it's worth it.  Piano lessons have started again too and that helps us out a lot.  The combination of the 2 "jobs" make me feel like I'm actually worth my weight to this family sometimes.  I always feel like Sean works sooo hard especially compared to me.  As the kids get older and my parenting job gets easier I feel guiltier and guiltier about not contributing to our family financially.  These "jobs" lessen that guilt.

I feel like that's about it for us right now. 

Easter with the Evans family

We left my parents house and headed to the Evans for another hunt.  It was cute.  At the Evans' you have to find you easter basket first!  That is always a fun tradition I think.

Afterwards we went inside for a nice Easter Feast.  I ate waaaay too much that day!

Easter Egg Hunt with my family

To start easter weekend we had an Easter egg hunt with my family.  My aunt Valerie and her family were in town!

 Mara was somewhat obsessed with the chicks that my aunt Marcie brought with her.  It was pretty cute.

 Melissa was showing the kids videos of Lilah on her phone.  If they can't play with Lilah (she was trying to nap) then they have to see her some way!

 Logan was very nervous about the chicks, but wanted to play.  It was a funny combination.

 Uncle Mike was helping Logan during the hunt.  It took him several minutes of standing right there for Logan to finally notice the orange egg on the tree post.  It was pretty funny.

Overall it was a fun quick hunt!  We had some lunch and just chatted outside forever.  I got my first sunburn of the year!

BOOM! BOOM!

We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and take the kids out west to go shooting.  Gotta say, it's nice living not too far from where we shoot!  Sean dropped Mara off at school and then went to pick up some ammo and a target.  After he'd been gone for a while I decided to call and see what was up.  No ammo!  He'd gone all over and called a bunch of places.  Seriously, people calm down a bit about gun control.  Wowsa.  Anyways....I suggested we call our friend Will and see if we could buy some off of him.  He said no.  Then said he'd give us some ammo. 

As soon as Mara got home from school we were off!

 First thing we had to do was teach Logan how to pee in the bushes.  It was hilarious.

 Then we'd been there for about 5 minutes and this happened.  The picture above and the two below tell a funny/not cool story.

 Mara got dirt bombed by Logan.

 The kids used their BB Gun (with Sean of course)

 Mara was pretty cute trying to keep one eye open.

 If you know Logan at all, you can totally hear him in this picture.  Tongue out, giggling.

 I kept hearing Sean say, "Logan!  Don't pull the trigger until I tell you too!"

 Naturally they had to hold hands to go down the hill.

 Mara desperately trying to get Logan to look at the camera.  Unsuccessful.  But look at those snotty dirty faces.  Aren't they adorbs?

We had a lot of fun, and look forward to doing it again!

Picture Purge

This past month has been pretty uneventful.  Just full of overtime for Sean, and sickness for me and the kids.  More comfy clothes and snuggle time.

 Of all the places they choose to chill, they almost always pick the tile entryway.  I can't figure it out.  It's hard, and it's FREEZING cold.

 Sean finally got himself the T.V. he's been wanting for a while.  That meant decor changes for me ;)  Here he is putting the finish on the tv stand we got from Ikea, but of course I had to paint it first and replace the boring knobs.  I couldn't have a boring old tv stand!!

 I knew Sean wanted a large T.V.  What I didn't know was exactly how big it was...I almost pooped my pants when the box showed up at our door.

 Look closely at Logan's face...he was in man heaven with his dad while they set it up.

 I mentioned sickness, and on this particular day Logan wasn't doing good so he was laying on the couch watching a movie.  The next thing I know, Mara was dragging out all his blankets and pillows.  She meticulously tucked him in and then climbed up to spoon him.  She is seriously so compassionate.

 Logan is a back seat driver.  No joke.  He yells at me to STOP, GO, SLOW DOWN, GO FASTER!  It drives me bananas.  Sean's brother bought him a PS3 for Christmas and a few games.  Logan has taken his love of backseat driving to new heights by bossing around Sean while he plays the PS3.

 I am pretty lucky because my kids really do love vegetables.  This was Mara devouring her asparagus.  She kept asking for more, more, more!  No one believes me how veggie crazy my kids are so I had to get a pic.  I love that they love healthy foods.

 Daddy makes them laugh whenever he's around.  The noise level in our house goes up exponentially when Sean is home.  It's out of control...

 After mentioning their love of veggies, here is proof that they love the regular stuff too ;)