Trick or Treat and a trip to Tennessee...

We were able to take a trip to Tennessee a few weeks ago. We stayed with my mom, the leaves were at their peak and were absolutely beautiful! I drove up to NC with my dad one afternoon and it was so pretty, the air smelled so good. The whole thing made me so home sick! I cried as soon as we left to go back to Florida. But, I know in my heart as long as we are together as a family we will be okay. Also we had the big trick or treat 2009. It was a success! Noah was Elmo, Jack Tigger, Bella was Belle, Bella's friend was a fairy! They kids had a blast and got lots of candy!

So...

I'm a negative Nancy, I know. I miss the mountains. I miss our back yard. The kids have been sick for a month it feels like. Noah's eardrum ruptured from his very first ear infection it was awful. I just rocked him for hours and he cried and cried. Now Bella was home for a week with the flu...
I hate Tallahassee. There, I said it! I feel so much better now. Josh is still applying for different jobs all over the place. Mainly in the South, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Virgina, a couple in Florida, some up north. Please pray and send out positive thoughts he will find something soon and we will get out of here.

Moving on.

So... it looks like we may not be in Tallahassee that long after all. After lots of talking Josh decided the 4 yr. Grad program he was beginning wasn't for him. He told me his heart just wasn't in it, he wasn't passionate about it. He was ready to try something new, to get out and try to make a difference. From the beginning it didn't feel right to me either. It was just such a relief for him to finally talk about it! After we both decided for sure he was going to leave the program he called and talked to both his parents. And they both completely understood, and are behind him. So off on another adventure we go! We will stay put for now. He's applying for jobs in the Fl panhandle and mainly in the south.Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina... we will certainly not be going back to East TN anytime soon. But anything else is a possibility. So we will see what happens.

The past few weeks have been so busy! We've had family come to visit for the past two weeks. And we all had colds that wouldn't quit. Noah got sick for the first time ever! And it took him nearly a week to get over it. But he's doing so much better today! His first ear infection, with a fever and cutting 3 teeth makes for a loooong week.

Birth Matters

Your birth matters! This video is amazing! It brought me to tears. It was also awesome that many of the couples who chose to home birth were doctors. Spread the word. Women need to know the facts, know the statistics,be aware. Then make a decision that is right for you and your family. If we ever decide to have another baby the closest I will be traveling is to my bathtub or living room.

School Days

Here was her first homework assignment. Her about ME poster. We cut out pictures of all her favorite things and glued them on. Hello Kitty, ice cream, doggies, Nail polish, and Mimi. Ha!

Nearly three weeks ago Isabella started school! She did much better than I thought she would. She was supposed to start last year but because the school district was so bad where we used to live we decided to wait and held her back a year. We thought emotionally, socially, she wasn't ready either. Some of her her fine motor skills were lagging and I really wanted the extra time to work with her.

Josh didn't have his first class until late in the afternoon so we were all able to go and take her together. I felt fine until we got right outside her classroom and then it hit me. My eyes welled up with tears which I sucked back because the last thing I wanted was for her to see ME cry. I was scared that she would lose it. She did great though! We found her little cubbie and I helped her put her stuff up then we found her desk and she sat right down and started coloring a worksheet.

Then after lots of hugs and kisses I went out in the hallway with the boys while Josh said his goodbyes. I started tearing up more then Jack started wailing and tears were streaming down his face. "Isabella, I want my sister, I want Isabella!!" I picked him up and cried with him and said "I want Isabella too!"
I actually saw a lot more parents breaking down then kids.
The NEXT day was the really tough one. We didn't get to walk into class and get her settled in. I had to force her into line with her class when the bell rang. I watched her ears turn red and I knew she was crying a little and it broke my heart!!! I wanted to run in and grab her and race home. I seriously thought about going in to check back on her. But instead I went home and looked at the clock about every 3 minutes until it was finally time to pick her up! My baby is growing up! Afterwords she was fine, she was all excited about her music class, and show and tell day. And even met a new friend and they colored together. I can't believe my baby girl is growing up!

so tired!

Beach trip is being postponed... Bella and Josh were sick last week. Josh thought it was just his allergies... then Bella got sick and got a fever. Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat and by the end of the day both the boys had coughs and runny noses sooo... I think we are going to try to go early Tuesday?

Last night was rough Noah was up late, didn't want to sleep in his crib, he felt clammy and was congested. I couldn't find the baby vicks. Josh just held him and gave him ice water and played Jack Johnson for him for an hour. He made a new play list called "sleepy time." For some reason Jack Johnson has put all of them to sleep as babies. Then Bella was up 4 times, at least?? I lost count, she was scared. When she wakes up she stands in the living room and yells until we come get her. She gets scared sooo easily. She won't even go upstairs by herself. I know part of it is just being in a new place. FINALLY at 4:30 she fell back asleep! Then Jack was up at 6:30 along with a very fussy Noah bear. So to keep the boys quiet I let them watch...
BARNEY!!!
Josh can't stand it! Anytime it comes on he immediately turns the tv off. It always makes me think of my best friend from middle school. Whenever I would go over to her house her Mom would have tapes of Barney on for her little sister. Sad thing is I think the episodes they watched were probably that old!

Fun at the beach!

We took our first trip to the beach since moving!! We went to Mexico beach and stayed two nights. It was so much fun!! We couldn't have asked for better weather. The kids had a blast. Bella was a little fish in the water. If we were out of the beach then she was in the water. She also got TONS of shells. Now she wants to make necklaces out of them.. So I'm trying to figure out how to do that. They also had a chance to use their boogie boards Derek's mom had sent them. Bella just floated around on hers. But Jack, kept standing on his and asking me to push him, on his surf board. LOL! It was so cute and funny. Noah liked it too. Josh just held him in the water for a long time and he just laughed and floated around. An awesome trip! We are already making plans to go back to the beach for a day trip Saturday!




The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Noah is now scaling this HUGE chair we have that used to be my Grandpa's. He thinks he's so big. Now, not only does he climb and sit up in the chair. He sticks his feet in the little holes in the back of it and climbs up it! Like a little rock climber. Then he tries to get he blinds so I had to turn it around. I have the funniest video of Jack and Bella sliding down it! When Jack was about Noah's age.