Memphis livin

Our first month back home was a whirlwind.  Moving across the country, buying a home, unpacking, renovating and lets just throw in 4 kids... it's been cRaZy!  Michael texted me one night when he was driving to Memphis and asked how it was going.  I sent this picture and it captures how we were doing to a T

We've survived and most things have settled down now.  Savvy and Cohen have handled the transition like all-stars.  They are loving their new school and really really loving being back with grandparents 

 Caleb had a harder time.  He still doesn't fully understand what "Memphis" is.  He cried the first couple of nights because he wanted his bed and just couldn't comprehend what was happening.  He has lived in Washington longer than Tennessee but I wasn't expecting him to struggle with the move.  He is doing much better now but still talks about our friends in WW a lot :(

                         Our old friendships have picked up right where they left off

                          Caleb's made some girlfriends :)  He loves to hold hands

                             And I got a much appreciated girls night out :)

Adventure

Savannah, Cohen, Caleb and Norah,
                       My main reason I try to keep a blog is for you (actually the main reason I do most things is for you).  I hope that in 15-20 years you can look back at this glimpse of our lives and it rekindles memories and brings laughter.  I imagine one question you will have as you grow is "why the heck did we live in Walla Walla for 2 years?" So I'm going to write it down here, because I can hardly remember anything now and in 10 years I will probably be asking "why did we move to Walla Walla :)   When Savannah was around 2 daddy and I went out to eat and one of us mentioned how neat it would be to live in another country while you guys were young, to see a different part of the world, for you to experience a different culture, and right then and there we decided we were going to start looking for some international jobs.  He applied everywhere, Africa, Germany, Australia, you name it we tried.  Then 3 years later, and a new job at the Corp, and a Caleb, and after every single door being shut we thought maybe God was telling us we needed to stay in Memphis.  In October of 2011 we decided that if nothing happened by January 1st then we should stay put.  So he kept on applying and then we got and accepted an offer to Walla Walla December 1st :)
       I had never even heard of this town.  We were so excited and terrified and kept telling each other this is going to be such an adventure and even if it ended up a horrific adventure at least we would be together.  It has been far from horrific, actually it has been even better than I could have imagined.  We have learned so much and you have learned so much.  We have made lifelong friends and memories and fallen in love with the northwest.  But one lesson that has been made clear to me is that you don't have to move across the country for an adventure :)  Don't get me wrong, moving across the country is an adventure but you have the choice to have an adventure every. single. day right where you are.  Waiting an hour to get my oil changed... adventure, 3 hour plane delays... adventure, up to my eyeballs in laundry... adventure.  Our happiness and attitude is totally up to us, regardless of circumstances we choose.  And I choose life and love and pray you do too.   Its hard, life is hard and there are times I've wanted to throw in the towel or I've failed you or things just aren't fair.  BUT there is hope, for me, dad, you but again you have to choose.  Most of life is out of our control but in Jesus there is life, love and hope and saying yes to him your life will be changed and will change the lives of people who are around you.
     Each one of you are so crazy precious to your dad and I.  I pray you know you're worth and who it is rooted in then choose to go live your adventures.  I love you forever and always

Winding Down

Our time here in Walla Walla is winding down and my emotions are all over the place.  I'm ecstatic to be living back home... just writing the word home warms my soul.  But then telling my friends bye has been really, REALLY hard.  We've been soaking up our last weeks

We have a chain length count down

My crazy man when camping and snow shoeing in the snow

Visiting the BEST toy and candy store ever

                                  Norah has been telling her friends bye

We had the Nelsons and Giovando's over for Super Bowl and we got snow :)  Savvy came in soaking wet, she washed her hair with snow outside

The Windy Wizard of Walla Walla

Savvy had her ballet performance last Saturday.  It was so different from anything that I was used to and I LOVED IT!!  Instead of a recital, the owner of the ballet company writes a show and all of the classes get a part in the play with the main characters coming in and out of most of the performances.  It felt like a date night for Michael and I :)

 Look at her name in the playbook :)

She was a snowflake and wanted to have a  photo shoot before we left :)  I LOVE HER

She was absolutely beautiful and did amazing.  I get so weepy and giggly seeing the kids perform anything, they  could stand on a stage and pick their nose and I would think it was the most amazing thing I've seen.

New Tricks

The kids have been making leaps and bounds lately.  Norah says momma, dada and bye-bye and has started waving her hand.  She is pulling up on everything and putting absolutely everything into her mouth.  Her favorite toy is by far a spoon.

Caleb is talking up a storm and I think he is going to be artistic like Savannah.  He loves coloring and has drawn his own smiley face

 He has also become an expert in sneaking things into the van... :)  He is very close to being able to buckle himself in the carseat, oh happy day!

Cohen loves school and his teacher, who is amazing.  His reading and spelling is blowing us away.  He is hilarious and we never know what is going to come out of his mouth.  He can play 4 songs on the piano; "peanut butter honey", "short, long, short", bounce lizard bounce" and "twinkle twinkle little star".  He named 2 of those songs :)

Savvy's reading is going great too!  Her favorite thing to do is play teacher.  Her class has 4 students, Rose, Cohen, Savannah and Sam.  She teaches everyday and gives tests and read stories to them.  I love to sit outside of her door and listen, she is an excellent teacher :)

And she still can talk her brothers into letting her do their hair and paint faces

Sled Day

Last Saturday we went with the Nelsons and Giovando's sledding.  This was Norah's first time in the snow outside of the womb.  She was done after 15 minutes :)  

Christmas

We went back home for 10 days over Christmas and it was wonderful and exhausting!  So many people we want to see and things to do we just don't stop while we are there and worn out by the time we leave.  Lets throw in throwing up, stomach bug, ER visit for vertigo and kidney stones, migraine during those 10 days.... We've all been asleep by 8:30 since we've been back :)  But even with all that it is so good to go back home

I know I've said it before but the kids are such great travelers and this year we might have had the best captain ever.  He let Savvy and Cohen pretend to be Co-pilots before we took off

We were at dad's on Christmas and had a sweet morning.  Santa brought a karaoke machine, BB gun, kitchen and exersaucer.  Everyone was super excited

Mom let us borrow her BRAND new car while we were in town.  On Christmas day Michael backed into his cousins car...bummer bummer bummer.

We got delayed at the Memphis airport for over 3 hours.  The kids had me belly laughing riding these things.  We searched the airport to see how many we could find.  After several rides got a little crazy.  What's even funnier was that Caleb is sitting on it right behind me the whole time while Savvy and Cohen were dancing and rolling around in front of me.

                                                           Then we cleaned shoes

Then jackpot!  We made it on the plane.  We made our connection literally by the skin of our teeth!  I sure do love Christmas and love our family and loved being back at home.