God's taking a shower

Okay, well it's no secret we are not religeous... but this is cute

Over the past couple of days, Jacqueline has picked up on a God thing.. She said he lives on that hill. Then she saw a cross on the side of the road like when someone dies... she said, maybe thats where God died.

Im not sure where shes picking up, maybe on TV but at anyrate, I engage in conversations with her, after all Im not athiest! I encourage her thoughts. So, while we were driving today she said, Gods not dead! I said well no, he isnt dead why? She said, well it's raining, It rains when God takes a shower! Normally it doesnt rain cause he takes a bath. I just smiled and said, okay well he must be pretty dirty then (its been raining since Friday) she said, well maybe he just likes to take his time!



The sun is out now and the rain has stopped first time since Friday, so he must be finished now

It's Sunday

Well, it's Sunday. Adam is working today again! The guys at his office have been pretty shocked with Adam's lets get to work eithic. We don't get it either, but the guys here really have a 9-5 mentality. He gets a long with them all just fine, and has no complaints, but Adam is not the okay its four lets go home kinda guy... he's a what else can we get done before we leave kinda guy. I guess that's why they wanted him here though, so he's working today and will work an 18 hr day tomorrow then nights for the rest of the week.. he's in his zone.

Meanwhile, the house is mostly done... yesterday he managed to get the girls shelves and closet up, pictures hung and wine rack up. He was on a roll! SO, the girls (kenz and Alexandra) have most of their room put together. Makenzie said, it feels like a room! So, I think it will help her settle in now. She has made a new friend, but since I have not had time to meet the parents she has not been allowed to go play. but the little girl lives on the next block, rides her buss and is in her class. So, I need to make a point to get over there soon.

I have not made any new friends yet, you'd have to leave the house to do that!! The lonliness is starting to sink in and yesterday I cried for no apparent reason at all. I miss my friends, was the best answer I could come up with and even then I felt stupid saying it outloud.. but it was true. I think it is not helped that Adams new schedule has had him working late almost everynight and both weekends we've been here, so getting out and exploring have not been an option.

And... it's raining, well drizzeling really and has been for three days now... and will be for three more. Not a good hardy rain that you can listen to and will lull you, not a thunderstorm with all its exciting sounds... just an on and off drizzel making the air cold and the ground too wet to go anywhere... so it's added to my mood I think.

The house is almost done, and it feels great, there are still a couple of things that need to be done but I don't want all of Adams time home to be "working" and I can't do some of the things on my own... soooo I'll have to wait a bit longer to get them finished.

I start school in two weeks, so that will help keep me occupied I think. We found a preschool for Jacqueline to go to, twice a week will run me 140.00 a month! It's the least expensive we have found. Im still trying to find a violin teacher and I think I have found the football league that will have cheerleading for Makenzie.... they just have to see if they have a spot for her. ugh!

news from the homefront

We have been here a week, well just over now, and we are starting to settle into life again. Things did not go exactly to plan with our move, and we were not shocked at all. It is of course us, and we had to be ready for those little things that make life interesting! Among those were a couple of things that didn't make it in the trip such as Makenzies book cases that were damaged and a couple of things we thought had made the trip and didn't, like my broom and some things we didn't realize had been packed and spent a week looking for like our GPS. All in all, things were not, are not too bad. The weather warmed up nicely over this last weekend, so we could open some windows and get some fresh air through the house.

We have had to replace a few things, we knew we were going to have to, but now we have had to actually do it! We found a nice deal on a new grill for Adam, and with spring approaching, we are thrilled to be able to eat out in the nice weather, before the heat gets us. We also had to replace my dining room set, we got a great deal on a new table and chairs, but it was more money, we had to spend. We also had to replace dressers, I found a lovely deal on three dressers on Craigslist, very old, solid wood all three for 75.00 it was a great deal the only thing we have to replace now is two book cases. These are harder to replace since new they are pricey, and I need them to be specific, so finding them used has been a challenge. So, those have not been replaced. We have to get the car registered here and new licenses. So Im watching that money fly right by-it hurts a little! =0)

Adams grandmother sent us nice welcome home gift.. two days after our arrival the UPS guy brought us Omaha steaks, it was very exciting to get a package!
My mother and her husband made the drive down to see us over this last weekend, the kids really enjoyed spending time with yet another set of grandparents, and we put Al to work running errands, moving furniture and assembling, he was a good sport, but I think he was ready to get back to his easier job! Adam says he'd rather go to his real work cause it's easier than working for me!
The kids enjoyed their time with their grandparents, running around playing hide n seek and gave my mother a make over using every last one of their hair accessories (twice) there are pictures somewhere. When they left though, Makenzie broke down. She reached her saying good bye limit. She was crying and angry. She said she was tired of everyone leaving and wished we'd never moved. It was heartbreaking to see her so upset and sad. She cried for a couple of min and then seemed to be fine. I guess we all need to release now and then.

The girls, all in all are doing well. They like their new school and seem to be settling into it okay. They are on the bus now, and while the stop is, in my opinion too far away, they assure me it's like walking to their old one, and they are fine... uh huh. Makenzie has her first field trip here tomorrow and is very excited about it. They are going to see a play in Charlotte. They say they are making friends and seem to be settling into homework routine better this week. I am having a hard time with the home work of the new school. They are a year ahead of where they were in Nevada, with Alexandra learning the same things such as time and money as Makenzie was learning when we left.., so they are playing catch up a bit, but seem to be adjusting.

Jacqueline is doing great, she is still getting used to the time difference I think, and asks everyday if its time for her nap yet.. but when she's up, shes the same ol Jacqueline running around having fun. Shes helped a lot unpacking and putting things away, and has found a new hobby. Even though we live in a development we have TONS of birds out in the back yard. They sing and chirp and hang out in the bushes, so she asked if we could get bird food and feed them. So, now we have a 10 bag of bird food, and she throws food out in the mornings, opens the curtains and waits for the show.. I'm thinking of getting her a bird bath this spring. We have all kinds of birds even robins, so she thinks it's pretty neat. She can't start school in the fall, so she will be home one more year. Shes going to be pretty upset over that one.

Adam is doing great, so far he loves his job. He worked last Sunday 6 hours for a hotel that could only be tested at certain times. This week so far he went to SC two days and worked 11 hr days.. he loves it. The time change has been interesting, before we know it, its 7 pm, and we are just eating dinner, and no one is that hungry. It's been an adjustment for all of us. Adam got a brand new mini van for work, it's actually the 08 model of my van without all the cool stuff, but its new and he likes it. He got a brand new laptop right out of the box and a new cell phone and other cool toys, so everything they told him he'd be getting all on his first day. We have not gotten our first full check from this office yet, so we don't know what our new checks will be averaging, so that will take some time to figure out, I think. The guys here have a slower approach to things going to work at 8 and heading out around 430 or so, Adam has made it known that he doesn't sit well, and that going home because it's time not because they are finished is not in his mind set. So, they are giving him more to do. They keep apologizing to him for running him all over and having him doing a couple of jobs at once. He laughed and told his boss, this was a typical week for him. So, I think they are starting to understand what is Adam and his work ethic..., and they are giving him more room to run and more things to do.
The guys have taken to him pretty well, and he seems to get along with everyone, but it is of course Adam! The guys at the office are talking about getting together for a bbq soon to meet everyone so that's more incentive for me to finish, I guess.

I have been a busy little bee. Its hard to believe we've been here such a short time. It feels like so much longer. I have most of the downstairs put away, and this week have most of it cleaned YAY. I have hung up ALL the curtains in the house-I think, hung up pictures, assembled things and arranged things. I have painted boxes for the girls rooms, unpacked nearly all of Jacquelines room and some of ours, put away books and found towels and clothes! YAY I have re enrolled in school and classes begin next month. I am a couple month behind and was told I might have to retake Algebra... this sent me into a horrible state of.., I can't do this ... but I think Ill put off that class till things calm down a bit and take some other classes in the meantime. I have found all the shopping places I need to know about with in a reasonable driving distance and discovered we are pretty centrally loctated to a lot of things.
I have not found my keys... I know! No, not all the boxes are unpacked, but I have not found them yet. I ordered a key fob on ebay at the suggestion of a friend of my dad's... I'm going to take it to dodge and see if I can sweet talk a service guy into programing it for me.. I am sure that by doing this, I will in fact find my other set of keys! But I am pretty tired of now being able to open my can with an arm full of stuff! I know, I am spoiled to that little button on the key ring, and I want it back! I did find the GPS in a box from our bedroom!! Now, in case you were not aware... the GPS was supposed to be left out for our trip.., so we could find our new house! Well, when we left the old house, no one had seen it. When we got here, Adam looked in all the places he thought he put it... no luck. My step dad and I tore the garage apart looking and NO GPS... this is important to me, since I get lost leaving the driveway, and if you could see where the house is, you'd get it! Anyway, Id given up hope and Adam was convinced that in the dash to finish, someone had thrown away my GPS.. the other day while unpacking the 4th "last box" there it was!! YAY... then we thought Adam was going to have to steal it for work.. but no, turns out the office bought all the techs GPS's for their cars.. YAY again. SO, I have that back now that I know where the stores are! But, I am sure I will find more uses for my little talking friend.

So, life here is doing what it does... it's moving forward. We seem to be moving right along with it though. We miss everyone a lot and that has been tough for us. I agree with Makenzie its been hard saying good bye to everyone, we've been doing it for three weeks now. Every visit while we welcome it, is bitter sweet. Nicole and the boys were supposed to be here this week, but the boys are under the weather, and so they will be making it down another time. So, we still have that to look forward to. I am afraid once that visit is over it will just be us, and that will feel very lonely~

We hope to get out of the house in the next few weekends and take the girls around the area. Let them see there is more to NC than their school and home. This weekend its supposed to rain and be back in the 40's again, so we will be sitting this weekend out.

We hope everyone is doing well and hope to talk to everyone soon!

We've arrived

Well, we've spent night two in our new home...

We left Nevada a week and a half ago. It was a bitterly cold morning, but our friends braved the cold and came and said goodbye anyway. It's hard to leave such loyal people behind! Adam's parents also came out to bid us fare well. We drove ALL day, stopping only for fuel and a couple of meals. We ate lunch in Salt Lake city and dinner the other side of Wyoming, so we made great time. The kids did wonderful for us. The girls used the restroom when we stopped for fuel and meals, so there were no emergency pit stops and no complaints, except for Jacqueline getting tired mid way through day two of sitting and decided to stand and "stretch" in the middle of the van. Day two put us in Oklahoma very very late... like 1 am late! But, we made it there, climbed right into bed and passed out! Much of Monday was spent sleeping in, and we made a trip to say hi to my grandma.
We did get to meet up with my family for dinner that night, and it was fun for the girls to get to run around to so many people they hardly remember and tell them all about our trip.

The rest of the week we hung out with my family, Wed, Adam went on a few calls with my dad and ended up at a fire with the dept and helped put out a fire, this has been established as the best part of his "vacation". Thursday we went to see my aunt and took my grandma to lunch with just us girls. It was fun to have the ladies together for lunch, Grandma of course had to take the girls shopping!! We spent the night with my aunt and was able to hang out with her much of Friday as well. Friday night we spent the last night at my dads house and got to bed WAY to late. We were getting up at 430 to leave.

Sat morning we left in the freezing cold, knowing there had been reports of snow along the way. We drove all day in the pouring down rain, some so bad we could hardly see the big yellow truck in front of us, the wind was terrible! The girls-slept through most of it! We had lunch in Memphis and decided that cracker barrel is not too bad of a place to grab lunch. When we finished lunch, we had to fuel up before heading out, and midway through the fuel up... the hail began. FUN TIMES>

We made it to the other side of TN on Sat. if you've ever driven through TN you know just how long this day was. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful state... but hard to see through the rain and wind. We made it to the little town just outside of the bad part of the mountain range we had to cross, we thought it best to tackle that mountain in the daytime, with fresher-er eyes and brains. We stayed the night somewhere along the smokey mountains. I only know this, cause all the signs kept saying exit to Smokey mountain national park.

Sunday was well..... interesting. Up to this point, we had no actual problems to speak of, just driving and more driving... Until we tried to leave our wonderful little hotel on Sunday morning. It's 530 AM, it's dark VERY VERY cold....and raining.. When Alexandra points out the completely flat tire! UGH... so my dad started the truck which I am SURE made everyone happy since it's diesel and very loud... we put the kids and the turtle in the truck and watched as Adam tried to fix the flat... we used a can of fix a flat to no avail,... so we pulled stuff out of the trunk, Adam lowered the spare tire down from under the van and to our surprise, it was a regular tire... YAY since as I said it was 530 on Sunday morning. 20 min later, we got the tire changed, got fuel, skipped breakfast and headed out. This put us late as we were actually on a schedule Sunday to meet up with the new landlord at 11 am! We started over the mountain in pouring down rain and watched the temp gauge in the van go down to 34 then back up to 38 all morning.. this was important, since they were predicting terrible snow for us... we finally made it over the mountain and into North Carolina. I was sooo grateful to see that sign! We realized two things. However, one.. the guys we hired to help unload the truck, never called that morning to get an address! and Two that we were not going to make our meeting, and I could not find that landlords number... AHH So, I called my brother, who checked my email for me and gave us his number.. YAY technology. By this time the rain/hail/sleet and times made everyone in North Carolina-FREAK OUT!!! Our new landlord, didn't want to drive out to meet us in the "bad weather" and asked us to come to him-in downtown charlotte, with a 26 ft moving truck followed by a 5 ft trailer.. yeah.. okay! We met up with him, got the code for the door, paid him and were off again. By this time it is 33 degrees outside, and just dumping rain... We FINALY made it to the new house, took our first ever look at our new home and then began the terrible task of unloading the truck. alone! It was an adventure to say the very least. My dad lit the gas fire place for us, so we could come in and get warm from time to time. The unloading of the truck could not have been more laughable. We would come in for a break and the rain would all but stop, the second we would walk into the garage.. the bottom would fall out! Several times, the rain made noise.. ah yes the wonderful sound of freezing rain. It was so cold every ones hands just hurt trying to move things into the house. My dad and Adam unloaded that truck from about 1230 until almost 7 pm in the freezing rain. It was terrible for them to be out there! The last 45 min they were out there, the rain turned to sleet freezing on impact over the metal ramp of the truck.. it was down right dangerous to be moving boxes off it. By the time they finished it was snowing, we were starving and tired. We went to go find an Outback I had spotted earlier in the day... this was not easy for two reasons. I could not remember the exact location only the general area and the light snow was now thick heavy wet snow, falling at two inches and hr., We finally found outback, got out of the car and the manager said, we are closing due to snow! WHAT? Are you kidding?? Did I mention it was only 730 at night? So, we asked him to point us in the direction of some where that would not be closed! SO, again we set out wondering around trying to find somewhere.. we found a wonderful steakhouse with a great waiter that made out meal very nice. It was in the fact the best meal we'd had in a while, maybe it was because everything was finally over..., but it was great.
We then had to find a Walmart to buy some things for the house... that was a mess! The roads we were told, don't get plowed here since it doesn't snow... this confused us since we were driving in 4 inches of snow! We got lost finding Walmart since we didn't know many of the roads have two names... we don't know either! We happened upon it at 10 that night and grabbed a few things and went home. Everyone just kind of died... we fell into our beds, and into comas!

Now, apparently since it doesn't snow in N. Carolina, when it does people loose their minds... no one, and I mean no one was open Monday... the Uhaul and Penske places were close... most of the gas stations were closed and there was a spin out or accident every mile on the highway.
We had to make a trip back to Walmart for the rest of the things we didn't get the night before, and 60% of the employees had called out of work that day. SO, the CLOSED half of the store... electronics, jewelry, the auto shop, the bakery -CLOSED. they had one door and four cash registers open. It was the dumbest thing ever! So, for future reference we know that if it snows-don't bother!!

Now, the house? It's great.. the bedroom for Makenzie was so big we put Alexandra in with her, and they have a whole half of the room left... Jacqueline has a big room and then we will have a spare and there is a full bath too. Downstairs is everything else. The kitchen is nice with a decent amount of cabinet space. The master bedroom is pretty big, with a huge bathroom the size of our old kitchen and a walk in closet that could hold a queen size bed in it. The neighbor hood is nice and there are several houses for sale, including a beautiful one across the street!
I don't have pictures yet since all you would see is boxes right now! But, I will get some up soon.

Adam went to work today-thrilled to be back at it. I have to go to the new school today and enroll the girls before we drive each other nuts.. and I am still on the search for a trash can... not cause I'm picky... cause, we can't find one!

I have most of the kitchen unpacked, and we had our first home cooked meal in our home last night YAY.. itwas wonderful!

The cable, Internet and phone are all connected, email me if you need the new number or the new address.

Everyone we have met has been nice, the neighbor offered to move his cars off the street if we needed more room for our truck and cars and another neighbor stopped and chatted with us for a few min about our move... although it really could have waited since he was in his car... and we were standing in the rain... but it was a nice gesture.

We really miss our friends, and things are kinda sad for me that I can't show them our new house, or plan a big move in BBQ with everyone, Adams at work and other than a errand I have to run today, Im pretty much alone here again. It's a rather gloomy prospect that it will probable be some time before I make any new friends here.. mostly because I don't have time to get out for a while. So, Im trying not to let that get to me too much. This weekend my mom and her husband will come for a visit to see the girls, so I have to clear up some of the obstacle course by then, and sometime in the near future, my nephews and sister in law might make a trip, so we have things to look forward to, other than unpacking these boxes!!

our progress

Most everything is packed.. there are some exceptions we are finishing up today. The carpets have been cleaned and holes patched. Today, is the girls last day of school. We are taking cupcakes and juice to their class rooms to celebrate and let them say good bye. Lots of people are coming around in the next couple of days to say good bye, so its been pretty rough. Adams sister is driving up today to say goodbye and see the girls. Adams dad gets in this afternoon to see everyone and lend a hand with the packing of the truck. My dad gets in tonight to help with the long drive on Sat. Life is as crazy as it gets right now!! Over the last few days, the kids have realized that things are really happening. Makenzie demanded to know why Adam could just not quit his job and we'd stay here. So, we had to sit her down and explain to her WHY quiting your job is not a good idea.

The other day we finished Jacquelines room, taking down her bed, washing walls that sort of thing. The next day, Jacqueline realized that all of her stuff was gone. For the rest of the day, everything we said to her provoked tears. When asked what was wrong she would say, I don't know. After listing off everything that we thought could have been wrong with her, we figured out she was scared and confused over the move. She wasnt sure where all of our stuff would end up, there was too much moving around of the things shes always known. She can't understand what moving is or what Noth Carolina means.

This morning we had another bout of it, she crawled into our bed this morning to cry, proffessing she had no idea why she was sad, or why she was crying she just wanted too.... I understand how she feels!!!

But for today, we don't have time to be sad. We have a million little things to get done and only a half million min to do it all!

Our phone and internet get turned off tomorrow, so I don't know when Ill be able to get everyone caught up on how we are doing. We leave before dawn on sat for this new crazy, scarry exciting adventure!!

It's all pretty final

Well, as I write this my house is in shambles. There are boxes both packed and half packed in just about every room in the house. The kitchen is all but done, I'm working all the girls rooms today and with any luck will finish th today. We've emptied the garage of clutter, and it's now filling up with furniture and boxes. We signed the lease on our new house today and made arrangements to have the utilities turned off at this house. We've reserved the truck and bought tickets, we've scheduled carpet cleaners and trips to the dump. We've given away furniture and thrown away junk. Just a few short months ago we didn't even have a plan, and now we are less than two weeks away from our biggest move ever. To a new town, a new home where we won't know anyone. We are both super excited about what the new job means for Adam and getting to explore a new place, we are also sad at what we are leaving behind. It's a bit scary to move to a place you know nothing about, where you know no one, and even to house you have never seen! But that's where we are at! Over this last weekend, we went and said good bye to Adams grandparents. It was rather hard for us but especially Adam who is not sure he will ever see them alive again. The kids love seeing them, and they are always so welcoming to us. On our way down we ran into a close family friend and had dinner with him. Dan has been a fixture in our lives for 7 years now. He has been through just about everything with us, and we with him. Saying good bye to him, knowing it would be sometime before we saw him again, was very hard. It also brought me to the realization that this is all happening and that that goodbye was the first of many.

On Friday the 13th our friends are throwing us a party that will be bitter sweet. The ending of something we have grown accustomed to-Friday night potlucks with our closest friends. They are happy for us and several are already making plans to visit Carolina.

This will also be Adams official last day with the Sacramento office, and the start of his "vacation"

On the 14th (Happy Valentines Day) Adam and I will be super busy making last min trips to the dump and cleaning walls, it's not so romantic, but we both feel the sacrifices we are making and have made for each other to live happy lives with our family proves we love each other very much and we don't have to niche out a special day to realize that. And we don't have time =0)
I'll let him spoil me later!

On the 15th more of the same-Packing and trying to get everything painted and cleaned.. this will much of our next few days.
On the 19th My dad flys in-He is going to do what he does.. drive!! He's going to be driving the rental truck for us while we follow in the van with the kids. Thursday will also be the girls last day of school. This should prove to be a hard day for them, but we hope knowing papa will be here later in the evening will make things easier.
On the morning of the 20th we will be picking up the moving truck and rounding up some volunteers to load the thing. It should take the better part of the day! We have a couple of neighbors and Adam and his dad and my dad who will be around to get the job done.
Friday night, we will be meeting our dearest friends for one last dinner together. Friday night we will be crashing with friends.. we've had several offers of places to stay.. it's been very nice.

Sat the 21st before dawn cracks- we will hit the road! We will drive, well until we don't feel like it anymore, hopefully a good chunk of our driving will be on Sat. Then crashing in a hotel somewhere.
With any luck we hope to be in Oklahoma late Sunday. We will then be spending the week here spending time with my dad's side of the family. The girls are really looking forward to seeing my family, so we hope this will help in the transition.
On Sat we will once again head out in the very early hours and driving most of the way, staying the night a few hours outside of Charlotte if we can. Sunday the 1st we hope to arrive in Charlotte mid morning and unloading the truck into our new house!! woohoo
Monday, we will be taking my dad to the airport, dropping off the rental truck and starting the task of unpacking.. ugh

Monday, my mother and her husband plan to arrive and see the girls, and lending a hand where needed. They will be staying until Thursday-
Tuesday will be Adams first official day at his new job YAY and Thursday the girls first day back to school!

Then, we settle back into a life of normalcy-whatever ever that is!

Our new address is 4215 Sebring ct, Concord NC 28025 (yes we see the irony too, and it's pronounced con-cord) I will have the mail forwarded starting on the 18th from our NV address. Please hold any mail you may want to send until after the 1st to make sure, we get it!

Well, that's our life for the next three weeks. I won't know a new phone number for a couple of weeks there, but we will have our cell phones and won't be changing the number for a while if at all. If you need that number let me know, and we will get it to you.

The Roigs

There are so many sad diseases that abound in this world. Some, take the lives of people we know and love much to early, others just cause pain and discomfort. They limit the enjoyment everyone has the right to feel in their lifetime. It's a sad fact that many of us know people that have been affected and that is unlikely to change in our lifetimes. But, that's what they said about polio and chickenpox, and now young children are vaccinated for both!

I believe it takes courage to put yourself out there and be counted as one of the few who stand up for something, who fight for something you believe in. I also feel that when someone stands up, when they fight, we should support them. All too often we, living our busy lives, forget that we too can be affected by a sudden illness that will forever change our lives, and those around us. I never thought about cervical cancer a single day, until I had to sit there receiving radiation. Now, I contribute every chance I get. I now have to worry about breast cancer after my grandmothers mastectomy a few years ago, so I now support that.

I believe that we always want to do more, we have the most amazing intentions, but life just seems to run away with us.

Adams cousin is biking for MS. He doesn't need to raise thousands of dollars in fact his goal is $300.00 yet he's only managed to raise 15.00 of it. I know, I know, money is tight foe everyone, believe me!! We understand that completely! But, if you could just one time in the next few weeks, skip the morning coffee or the desert at dinner, and give $2.00 or even $5.00 for this wonderful cause.

Chris, is a wonderful person with a truly gold heart. He is not doing this for a pat on the back, or because the money is going into his secret vacation account. He truly is doing this because he believes in it.

Anyway, I just wanted to pass along the information to those who may be able to help.

https://secure3.convio.net/nmss/site/Donation2?idb=1158762815&df_id=21954&FR_ID=11059&PROXY_ID=2496507&PROXY_TYPE=20&21954.donation=form1

Have a great day,
Dana & Adam

oh Jacqueline

On a lighter note... How many ways can I count how much I love Jacqueline's little personality. I doubt there has been another child with as much of it as she has! She prances around here doing her own little thing and every one in a while says something that reminds us this is her world and we just happen to be here! Some of it shocks me.. but sometime the things she says just leave me speachless... I hope you can picture the following...

I sent the girls in to retrieve the clothes from the dryer, so I could continue sorting the mound of socks in front of me. Jacqueline comes in the room wearing a pair of Adam's boxers.. shes holding them up to her armpits! and says in a deap voice.. do these fit me okay? I laughed and sent her back to help Makenzie.. a few min later she comes busting in the room yelling very loudly..

MOMMY! We found your thing.. it fell out of the dryer but we found it!
Me;what thing Jacqueline? at this point I was still sorting socks...
MOMMY!!
WHAT?!? I realized she was waiting for me to look at her!
MOMMY we f ound your thing that goes over you.. (at this point she stading there with her hands in cups holding fake boobs and yelling) ya know, it holds your big things and makes them bigger!
me: trying not to laugh I said; My bra?
NOW SHE WHISPERS... yeah, we found your (looks around) bra.. but it's okay we put it in the basket!

and she ran away.. I absolutly had nothing to say! Where do they get this stuff.. I loved the fact that she could yell your big ol' things, but whispered we put it in the basket.

The next day, Adam came home and we went to walmart, Jacqueline walked up to the bras, picked up a big bra and yelled at Adam... Look I have boobs!

He just looked at me and shook his head!

Centered

Today has been .. one of those days. Not a bad day... just a long day! We've had some great news, some good news and some frustrating news. I ran a million errands, caught up on some emails, did some chores (even though you can't tell!) made some phone calls and packed some boxes and just got done with dinner with the girls. It's 15 after seven and I can't decide if my thought is, it's already seven, or it's only seven. Because either way, I have hours of work left to do tonight before I can crawl into bed. I need to get some more boxes packed, dishes and laundry done and work on a project I've been working on at night, and Adam is out of town again until Friday. It will be like this until we move.

I really do hate him being gone like this. Its tough on him, it's tough on the kids, and it's really hard on me, especially now! I could really use his help with some of this packing stuff and could use his opinions and input on whether some things should go or stay. Tomorrow, Alexandra is getting an award at school. It's the first time she's ever gotten one, and she can hardly stand the wait. But, he's going to miss it. Just another in a long line of little things he's had to miss being gone like this. It's been almost 5 months of this gone, home, gone again. The kids literally can't keep up with if he's home tonight or not.

I know it's only for a few more weeks, and I am thankful that we are not still facing a year of this!! Yet, at the end of the day when I'm exhausted and mentally worn out, when the kids are in bed, and it's silent. I still hate it! I sat down just now for a few minutes to answer and e-mail from a friend.

I am frazzled and a bit stressed trying to cram life and kids and packing and (somewhere mom) into one day. But, when checking my e-mail, I ran across something a friend sent. It's one of those that makes you smile, makes you sad and makes you think all at the same time. It snapped me back to where I am in my life and centered me.

I am happy with where we are in our lives, the future looks pretty great from where we are standing. There are going to be some hard moments, like leaving our friends and family, but we know and understand that a new life is on the other side of the sunset were riding off into. We are excited about the new house and Adams new job. It doesn't make the task at hand feel any less daunting when I look around and see what still needs to be done! I just might have to print this out and post some of the sayings around my house to remind me!

I Believe...

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born. A Death Certificate shows that we died, Pictures show that we lived!

I Believe...That just because two people argue, It doesn't mean they don't love each other.

And just because they don't argue, It doesn't mean they do love each other..

I Believe....That we don't have to change friends if

We understand that friends change.

I Believe....That no matter how good a friend is, They're going to hurt you every once in a while And you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...That true friendship continues to grow, Even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love..

I Believe...That you can do something in an instant That will give you heartache for life.

I Believe....That it's taking me a long time To become the person I want to be.

I Believe...That you should always leave loved ones with Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...That we are responsible for what We do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe...That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe....That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...That maturity has more to do with What types of experiences you've had And what you've learned from them And less to do with How many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe....That it isn't always enough, To be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...That no matter how bad your heart is broken The world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...That our background and circumstances May have influenced who we are, But, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe......That you shouldn't be so eager to find Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...Two people can look at the exact same Thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...That your life can be changed in a matter of Hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe....That even when you think you have no more to give,When A friend cries out to you -You will find the strength to help.

I Believe...That credentials on the wall Do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...That the people you care about most in life Are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...'The happiest of people don't necessarily Have the best of everything; They just make the most of everything.

And now we wait... sort of

Well, here I am again, packing for my trip. This time, I am packing to go home to Nevada. It's bitter sweet really. On one hand, it's nice to go home, see my babies and my friends. On the other hand, I have a list of stuff near two pages long of things I have to get done when I get home. To top it off, I know that now it will not really feel like home anymore, it will feel like that topsy turvey place full of boxes!

This week has been, well crazy! We got in on Wed. night. It was a very long day. We found each other, our rental car and then our hotel! We managed to find dinner and then pretty much crashed. Thursday we had to get up early and have breakfast and go meet with the new guys at the office. They were the most warm and inviting group of people ever. They sat and talked with us about places to look for a home, weather, schools, shopping, people and of course work for four hours. They took us to lunch and chatted with us some more. We felt very welcomed by everyone in Adams new office. During the whole meeting they kept saying, if you decide to come on bored. That was nice to hear, it ment, they wanted Adam, they were waiting for him to say yes. After the meeting we left and took a drive around the area, we went and looked at the area we were going to look at the house in and visited what would be the girls new school if we took that particular house. The school was nice, has a HUGE play area with LOTS of very cool play scapes. The guidance counselor could not be any sweeter, or any more southern if she wanted to be. It was a nice experience for us there. She gave us paper work for the school, a list of what the girls would need and offered to tour the girls and us around the school when we came back. That pretty much took up most of our Thursday!

On Friday morning, we drove back out to the house and looked at it. It's hard to explain! On the main level, there are 3 bedrooms, a "mud" or breakfast room, a parlor and a living room and a bathroom.
On the lower level, that used to be a basement, there is a HUGE room they used as the master bedroom.. its massive with a "closet" that's the size of 2 or three walk in closets... there is a laundry room, two more bedrooms, a bathroom and an empty room. The master bedroom has a fireplace, and there is one in the living room upstairs. There are 4 doors leading to the outside.. the outside is equivalent to one and half football fields. It's stupid big!! Half is grass and half is woods. We are told there are deer and many wildlife that come to the property, and while we were in the yard we saw, red robins, wood peckers and heard countless other birds. Its very peaceful While we can see the neighbors, the property is so big, we are in no way on top of them.

The home needs updating... they had begun the work on the place and had to stop before they had to sell it. There a several little projects we would do, but are excited about doing.

We filled out the application and are now, waiting to hear back. It should take a couple of days to hear back from them on if everything went well. The only thing that we are trying to get settled is, we don't want to start the payments until March when we would move in, leaving the whole month of Feb for them to not make any money. So, we are negotiating right now with that.

Once we looked at the house, we went to home depot and priced some of the projects we would want to do right away to see if it was something we could work with. We then took a drive around some more of the area, the other way. We accidentally found Philipp Moris USA. The plant is massive! But, not that I ever thought about it, it really had a strong oder of tobacco just driving by! (it's over an hr from where we'd be living) We found and drove around the Lowes motor speed way, which too is gigantic! We found the huge mall that looks like something I'd never want to walk through! After that we went back and relaxed for a while at the room. Then we realized it was a Friday night and we had no kids, so we went to a 1030 movie last night! It was odd to be out late and not have to worry about getting home.
Today we went and visited a plantation. It's very old and has original buildings and land, it was very neat to see. While leaving there, we passed and stopped at the Carolina raptor center. Its a sanctuary for injured raptor birds. If you don't know what those are, they are owls, vultures, hawks, eagles, any bird that hunts and kills with talons and beaks. It was fascinating to us. They try to heal the birds and release them into the wild, but if they can't do that, they provide them with a home of their own and provide as much natural invironment for them to live in.

After that, we went back to the room for a break, and I crashed!! I slept for a few hours, missing our hockey game, we were going to go to. But I guess I just needed the rest! We went and had dinner and talked for a while.. now we are getting ready to head to bed and have a very very long day tomorrow. Adam will get home around 4 and I will get home around 10 (pm for both).

After that... we wait on news. News on the house, should get the final offer letter for Adam to sign all in the next few days. But while we wait, my life gets crazy....er! I have to make appointments for the kids, pack the house and make arrangements. Its going to be a while before I "rest" again!
We feel our trip was successful, I'm happy with the way it went. I won't feel comfortable and easy about it until we have signed papers from everyone, but that's just me!

Well, I'm all packed for my trip. I need to get the rest of the laundry put away and straighten up my house a bit. I leave in the morning for the airport, man, I hate to fly. It's been quite the week for us with plans for our trip and the death of my cousin. It's been stressful for us to say the least. Iv'e been stressed out with everything that's going on, it seems a bit surreal that it all seems to be coming to the front now.
On Thursday Adam meets with his "new" boss. He will review the offer letter and sign it. That makes it pretty much official. I'm a bit nervous to see what the letter has to say, it will tell us how much money they are offering us to move. But, at the same time it will be nice to know, so we can move ahead with some plans. On Friday, we meet with a realtor who is going to show us a couple of houses. One we are really looking forward to seeing, so that's exciting for us.
The downside of our trip is that due to some miscommunications, we had to buy my ticket separately after Adam had already purchased his. Due to this, we had to book me on another airline. So, I will be getting in an hour before Adam does in Charlotte, but coming back, I will be leaving 7 hours after him. So, Ill be hanging out in the airport most of the day on Sunday. But, it's one little afternoon in the middle of the adventure our family is embarking on.

It's hard to believe that after this week, we have a little more than three weeks to get everything planned, packed and moved.
Life is about to get really busy for us!

Say a little prayer, and keep your fingers crossed that everything runs smoothly this week and weekend and that we get everything we need to get done accomplished!

Charlotte it is

My life feels a bit surreal right now. As I sit writing this I picture a scene devastated by a tornado, debris thrown about and people crying over lost homes and loved ones, then looking down at the ground and seeing a seedling growing in the midst of the chaos. This is what my life feels like at this moment. Most know that our family is dealing with the loss of a loved one this morning, it's tragic and heartbreaking and leaves me at a loss for those of us left behind to pick up the pieces of the lives of the children left with out a father. But in the midst of this stormy day in our lives while I was on the phone hearing the news of our loved one, Adam received a phone call from Charlotte. It seems that we are on our way to Charlotte on Wed. Thursday Adam is to have his "interview" which at this point is more for show. They have his offer letter waiting for him to sign when he arrives. We will be in Charlotte for a few days, until Sat or Sunday I believe to look around at the area and decide on a home. I wish I were more excited, this is the news we've been waiting on for a few weeks. I am sure in a few days, this too shall pass, healing will begin and reality will slap me in the face in the form of a hundred moving boxes! We have three houses we are going to look at around the Charlotte area. Adam will of course sign the offer letter, assuming they have the money part figured out. That is a figure for our move. With everything falling into place, it looks like we are going to be moving on the 21st of Feb. With us loading the moving truck on the 20th (Its a Friday-if you'd like to help load a 26ft moving truck-we'd love to have you) My dad will be flying out to help with the driving part of the move which will be so helpful. We will be spending a few days in Oklahoma so the kids can see everyone there and then we will be heading to Charlotte the next weekend, again dragging my dad with us so he can help unload hehehe... My step dad and mom have volunteered to come down and help unpack and sort-it's an 8 hr drive for them... so things seem to be falling into place!

I guess this proves that even in your grief, life truly does keep moving forward.

The next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind of activity and lets face is chaos! We understand that everyone wants to spend time with us before we leave. I know a couple of people have expressed a desire to do so. We will work our calender around the best we can to allow for that time. If you have a date or something in mind. Please let me know asap. This weekend we are waiting on news of services so I can't make plans yet and next weekend we will be gone.

YAY For good news!

What we know so far

Well yesterday was a whirlwind of phone calls and information. Adam recived a phone call from the recruiter from Siemens who job it is to make sure his resume and abilites matched up with the job he was applying for. We were told Siemens could pay for some but probably not all of the move, wich we were fine with.

From there, Adam recived three phone interviews in about four hours until well into the evening last night. He has talked to every manager at the Charlotte office and seemed to hit it off with them all. The guys in Charlotte seem friendly and pretty eagar to get things moving.

At 645 this morning Adam got a call from Craig the head office guy in the Charlotte area. He wanted to make sure we indeed wanted to go there. Once Adam said yes, well it was pretty much a done deal. Now it's all about formalities, paper work and confirmations that sort of thing. He did tell Adam that he was going to make it all happen and that they would figure out what they needed to do to get our move paid for, so that was great news. Adam will have to go to Charlotte to meet the guys and do a formal interview as required by Siemens and the new office has to inform the old office of their intent to hire him. (more protocall) and then the new office will have to send over an offer letter detailing everything they intend to provide and what Adam's part will be, we sign it and presto chango, we are Carolinans.

I swear all the paper work and protocal gives me flashbacks to our Navy days!

So, nothing is offical on paper yet, but other than that it looks like we are going to be headed to Carolina mid to late Feb. Adam is in California every week until then, so if you have follwed our lives you know that he has once again magically gotten out of packing! (or so he thinks)

I will keep everyone up to date as the information comes in, if yesterday was any indication of the speed in which they are moving, we should know something in the next few days

How do you feel about NC?

I said goodbye to Adam this morning and was pretty sad because this was the start of our weekend marriage. I got up this morning and did what I have been doing for about a month. Look on the Siemens website too see if there were any new postings. I found two, one in Salt lake and one WI. So, I called Adam and said, I could live in those places, although moving to WI in the winter was not at the top of my want to list. He said Okay and would put in for them when he got to his office in Sac.

Fifteen min. later Adam called me back and said, "how do you feel about North Carolina?"
Last week Adam had not heard from anyone, so he called a few of the offices he put in for and left messages for the managers. The guy from North Carolina called him this morning, and they talked for about fifteen min. The guy said Adam sounded like the guy he was looking for, and they wanted a Sr guy who could train the Jr guys. He also said for whatever reason he had not gotten Adams resume, so he didn't even know about him till Adam called. SO, he asked Adam to email him his resume, so he "officially" had it. He said he was going to check into see what he could do about getting us out one time before we made the official decision to look at the area and make sure it's what we want to do. The manager said it was a nice area and that there is a lot of work there for them.

So, this morning Adam is sending off his resume to the guy, he sounds really optimistic about it and said he and the manager seemed to hit it off. Adam told the guy out time frame was Feb. since that's when the lease is up and the guy said that sounds good. SO... it's looking like North Carolina by March?

scratch that...

Okay, I'm actually laughing because that's all I can do at this point! We had settled on a plan, it seemed like a good plan. Then we were hit with some numbers that made us stop in our tracks and go whoa! It's official, we can not afford California. I would have to quit school and go to work and put Jacqueline in day care and bareley brake even. UGH.. I feel like Im on a roller coaster... we are going over a bumb that makes your tummy sink a little...

We are officially back in a holding pattern! But it's okay, I am NOT freeking out yet... Although las vegas is looking more and more inviting these days... Im fine...
Please pray we hear something (good) back from one of the offices soon!!

Love,
US

Catching up...

So, Christmas was wonderful. It was so quiet and we did not even get out of our pj's all day. The kids got to take their time opening gifts and playing with them all. We did not have to be anywhere and no one was rushing, it was sooo nice. The kids got just about everything they wanted and were very happy to get gifts from everyone. I can say with out lying that they enjoyed all the gifts! Adam and I had a nice Christmas and received some very nice including the first white Christmas we've had in almost 10 years. It was a nice touch.

We are now moving on to Makenzie's bday party planning and I just have to say what a scam all of this is! I'm trying to avoid having a party at my house, as we are going to begin packing soon (later in this post) so we have been searching for a place to have her party. The one draw back to having so many good friends, is they all have kids! It's hard to plan a party with 20 kids and not spend $200.00... I have decided party planning places are evil and parents are at their mercy! I have yet to find a place that was not 12-21.00 per child for the 1-2 hour event! For most places, that does not include paper products-this is slang for bring your own-everything!
Makenzie has Okayed bowling, build a bear, pottery painting or chuckee cheese. If you've never had the pleasure... 3 out the 4 of those will instantly induce a migraine for the parents and a melt down for at least 2 of your party guests and will drain your wallet by about 200.00 or so not including the actual gift you are obligated to buy since your mom... YAY Birthday parties! We are leaning toward bowling...Adam hates bowling so it will be fun for all... We will make him the score keeper or child wrangler maybe he can guard the gifts!

About that move... oh my goodness... It's been fun! Since the holidays mean that no one at Siemens works for two weeks, we have not had a chance to hear anything from any of the offices we put in for. We are not sure if this is because no one wants to okay a transfer or if it's because of the holiday. Either way, we have to have an answer for the bosses this week. ugh.. Merry Christmas.. sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Since we have to give our 30 day notice this month (jan 24th) we had to make an executive decision... We are therefore planning a move to Rocklin Ca in Feb. sigh.. Unless we hear something from another office in the next two weeks.

This move will be for at least a year in the Sacramento Ca area. Not what we wanted! But, at least we won't be separated and the kids will be less stressed.. we hope! At the end of the year, we will again be looking for a place to transfer to. Though next time, we won't be under a dead line and it won't be so stressful. again, we hope. Adam will be working in Ca for the next two months until our move, leaving me to ummm pack. ugh I mean yay... I will be taking a leave of absence from school so that I can concentrate on getting us through this move. I will return to school in the summer and try to catch back up. If you live near us now or near the new place, your being recruited to move furniture.. please and thank you... Adam will be trying to secure our new residence, probably an apartment in the Rocklin area the first part of feb so he won't have to live in a hotel for the month, with the girls and I moving down sometime in feb.

We will of course let everyone know as the time gets closer and we get more details!


Best wishes for a happy new year!

The Roigs~

Merry Christmas

Jacqueline making cookies with Daddy

The first ornaments

It tastes much better on your fingers than on the cookie!

This is Kaleb (he's 19 months and pretty much part of our family his mom and I are best friends and our families spend much of our time together. It took him a while to catch on, but once he figured it out he had fun. till he figured out that little white pile was choc chips. then he spent the rest of the time eating them!

She did not want to get messy!

This is serious work! Don't bother me (isnt she getting so big?)

TADA- arent they beautiful?!?

I can hardley believe that it is nearly Christmas! It has been a whirl wind couple of weeks for us. Christmas is in fact my favorite time of year! I love the way our house looks all decorated and the excuse it gives me to bake yummy stuff. I love having all our friends around and the parties we get to attend. It's all so festive and exciting! I have to say though, the best part is Christmas through the kids. Watching them light up when the decorating is finished and they get to see it all, is so much fun. Hearing them giggle while we decorate cookies and make treats is a blast.

I have been pretty home sick this year and have not been able to shake the feeling of missing out on traditions from when I was younger. Between that and all the stress over Adams job, it had put a real damper on feeling cheery.

But, as Christmas drew near and we got into the traditions our little family has established, the Christmas season just got that snuggly, happy feeling that I look forward too every year. We have some unique traditions at our house for the Holiday some we've taken from other people, and some did not start out with the intentions of them being traditions, they have just happend that way.

1)We put up the tree Thanksgiving night- Its a wonderful feeling that with all we have to be thankful for, we can begin the Christmas season with the friends and family that have celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with us.

2)When we put up the tree, the girls all get to buy a new ornament for the year. Those ornaments are the first ones on the tree, followed by each of the ones from years past, then the family ornaments. The last ones on the tree are the first ones from last year. When the tree comes down each of the girls ornaments go into their own boxes. The first Christmas after they are married they will get the box of ornaments that they have collected over the years.

3) We make gingerbread houses or people... its a mess and the kids love it. This year we had an extra one, we were baby sitting that night so we had to get Kaleb involved. it was fun till he put his fraosting covered hands in his hair and dyed it green for a while. (we got it out before mom got home)

4) we make handprints of the kids with flour, salt, water bake and paint. The kids like it and it's neat to see how much they have grown, I figure next year will be the last one Makenzie lets us do hers with out holding her down!

5) we feel this tradition is our most important, it's pretty dear to Adam and my hearts that we do it. Neither one of us grew up with much money or had elaborate Christmasas that our girls are fortunate enough to enjoy. We never want our kids to take what they get for granted (although they often do anyway) We have always wanted them to realize that not everyone has what they have. Each year, we find an angel tree and pick out a boy and a girl who are in need. We let the girls pick out the gifts the kids wanted and hand the gifts over to the people collecting the gifts. We do the same thing with a food drive at our grocery store. The kids are old enough now that they understand that not every mommy and daddy can afford to buy gifts for their kids. Although last year, Jacqueline had a hard time giving up the doll she picked out to the Marines (she cried) this year, she was so excited to be buying a gift for a little girl like her who might not get a toy on Christmas, so excited in fact, we had to go pick out another name because, "there still more kids on the tree". It was a really neat thing to see.

A few day's before Chrismtas we drive around and look at lights, although we did notice that there were significantly less lights this year than last year. Lots and lots of empty homes made it kinda sad, but we decided out lights were the coolest!

The kids decided this year they were old enough to wrap gifts... this was a site to see and I wish I had taken picktures of the events. There are presents under the tree we can't touch because, well, they are not well hidden! But the girls thought it was way cool that they got to do it. I'd like to say it saved me time, but if you have kids, you know that's just not the case. But it did make us laugh watching Alexandra trying to wrap a basket shaped gift!

Im adding some pictures of some of the holiday events, I hope they make you smile! Merry Christmas to all of you, from all of us!

"the talk"

Adam has been bouncing back and forth for a few weeks between working in Cali and working in Reno. It's been nuts for us so much so that Alexandra has been acting out. She might not make it if we don't figure it out soon! Anyway, Adam and I have been a tiny bit stressed over finding some where we wanted to live. The criteria has been decent size office so that layoff in the next year would be worry some, but with some smaller surrounding communities as we are not city people, good schools and of course some where we could afford! I know crazy stuff we are way too picky. =-)
Then last Friday, they fired the other guy who has been working for the company for 8 years. Okay they said "laid off" which I know is technically different, unless you are the next one in line, then fired, layed off, down sized, let go... all of those mean the same thing-no job, no money! It made us a little more nervous. We were reassured by Adams supervisor that all was well and we were fine. Well, yesterday Adam went down to California for work, and the manager over the Sacramento office wanted to "talk".

Apparently it went something like... Siemens does not want to continue to pay for Adam to work out of a hotel down there..understandable. It cost way to much money for them to do it that way, okay fine. In three weeks, there will be a meeting between Adam and his bosses, okay that sounds scary! In three weeks, we will need to have a plan of action, okay deep breath.. that's like what-first week of January? Okay... In three weeks, if we don't have a plan* we will have to discuss a move back to California... okay could be worse...

This is the news I got from Adam when he got home at 10 last night. I asked if it was okay if I officially freaked out now... I was told no- he lost!

Okay so the plan* he was referring too is this... We have to with in the next three weeks or so, find an office that is willing to transfer us and have a plan of a date when that will be happening!! If we can't find an office to transfer to by then (three weeks) they want Adam to move back to California to the Sacramento area.

Well, a few side notes, we HATE California!!!! OK breathe.... The schools are terrible up there, its way to crowded and oh yes there was something else, a reason we moved.. what was it? oh yes, we can't afford to live there!!! Adam would get NO raise if we moved back. SO the "PLAN" is, we have to spend the next three weeks looking for a new home! by new home we of course mean new job, new city, new house... in three weeks. If we can't my some miracle pull that off, Adam yes ADAM will have to move back to California, stay with someone, and see the girls and I on Saturdays (when he will want to be sleeping) and Sundays and then leave either Sunday night or super early Monday mornings to go back to California to work. This will
1) leave me as a single mom with a visitor for the weekends
2) Really hard on the kids!!
3) we will have to spend extra money for Adam to help out who ever he's staying with
4) no guarantee he will make it home every weekend, he may have to work, or there could be snow!!!
we actually have friends who think this plan is a great idea.. if I snap he will be the first to go!

So, I am officially worried! Three weeks from now is Makenzies Bday, and the start of my new semester and year of school! It's also the middle of Winter.

We are now grasping at straws. There are a few offices for places we would be Okay living near... Charlotte NC, Normal Ill (we have a very vague idea where it is, for those pulling out there maps, its near Peoria) and there might have been one in Austin, TX (that's out last pick) There is one in Maryland near DC but we did a cost of living analysis and it looks like we would be in a rough spot there unless he got a significant raise.

We have put in for NC and have not heard back but it's only been a week. Normally this week thing is no biggie, but in our time crunch it feels like its been months! Today we are putting in for a couple of other offices like the one in Ill and maybe TX... kind of a see who calls first thing. I have standards don't get me wrong! I have a list of places we won't put in for like, Arizona, las Vegas, Anchorage,NJ... I won't move some where we are miserable just so we don't have to go to Cali and be miserable.

This is all such a big mess, every one ,well most everyone has been supportive, yes, it's wonderful he still has a job! Trust us, we say that everyday!! Yes, this is definitely an adventure!-I'm over the thrill now! Apparently no matter where we move, one of us will have family with in a days drive. I find that sad in a way... we are all so scattered around-at any rate, we even have my best friend who told her husband when we get settled, they were moving! It's nice to know we are loved so much.

I know everyone wants to know how it's going, how we are doing, but to tell you truth we don't have an answer for either one. All of this is happening so fast, it almost does not seem real. Yet on the other hand I have taken so many deep breathes I might hyperventilate soon! At this point I know were moving, I know it's going to be a terrible hectic mess, but I am ready for it, Id much rather be facing endless boxes with a plan... then this perpetual spinning wheel. It's like we have spun the wheel of fortune and are waiting for it to stop.

can't shake the blues

Well, It's been one week since we found out through the grape vine that Siemens was in fact closing the Reno office. I was to say the least angry! I felt it coming, but Adam thought I was just being paranoid. But after some odd questions from people in Sac, Adam called the big boss and it was confirmed (quietly) that yes, we needed to make a plan. Are you kidding? Make a plan? and just who was going to tell us this was coming and when? I can not count the hours I have spent pacing back and forth over the past week trying to wrap my head around all of this. Okay, so no, he has not lost his job... that's great news! YAY for us. Now, the questions begin... we could move back to California, at least thats what the boss in Sac offered Adam. But, we don't want to move back to California, we left for a reason! It's horribly over priced, has a great deal of rising crime where we used to live and the schools are terrible.

So, we know where we don't want to live! Gee that was helpful! so, we drag out Adams laptop and go hunting on the Siemens website for offices looking for Techs. At one point we had a longer list of places we did not want to go then places we did. I know, helpful again! We even concidered Alaska and Canada! Then we came across a listing for Project Manager, for those not familiar PM is a manager or boss who is over 3-4 job sites. They make sure parts are ordered, guys are working, blue prints are right, they attend meetings, the whole thing. It is the job Adam was susposed to do up here once Reno "took off". It's also what he has been doing, with out the title. So, we decided that we should put in his resume to that office in hopes that if we have to move some where, he could at least get a promotion out of it . The kicker? It's in Norcross Ga.

We looked at eachother and said, Whats in Ga? Well, I've done some searching and turns out there is a lot in Ga. But, it's still Ga, it's still far away from anything and anyone that we know.
We have not heard anything yet, as he sent over his resume on Monday and then it was Thanksgiving. SO, we are hoping to hear something back this week. I am hoping that he gets the job in Ga because that means so much for him. However, hearing back from them and them saying yes we want you, probably means us moving right after the first of the year.

Why so fast? Well, our lease is up the end of Feb. So, he has to find a new office, put in for a tranfer, get it approved and get a relocation packet approved, and get us moved all before the end of Feb. Plus, all of the work Adam has up here will be over in Jan. leaving him with no work. At that point they want him to move back to Ca and work from the Sac office. Why not just stay? because the job market in Reno is terrible right now. There are no jobs for what he does. Weve looked, there just arn't any!

We spent much of the week of Thanksgiving trying to make a plan of what we were going to do. SO, it really made getting into Thanksgiving very hard. We had a good time with our friends and family, but it was still just sitting there in the back of my mind like a beacon going off.
We tried to put up the holiday decorations and just can't seem to get into it this year. What we normally do in a day is now three days into it and were still not done.

For us, this is not a regular move... This is not something that has been planned and it's finally here. This was from out in left field, a here ya go, here's this news, figure it out. We were happy, content and just living our merry little life. We have wonderful friends here and the kids are settled in. Now, all of that is just going away practically over night!

We had decided to not tell the kids until we knew for sure what the plans were, but since most of our friends knew and we are going to have to begin making plans, we thought it best they hear it from us and not hear it as an accident. SO, we sat them down and explained to them that we were going to have to move to another state far away because of Adams job. Makenzie got mad, and then cried that she was going to miss everyone in Nevada and California... ugh I hate this!!

We explained that while we were not going to see Adams family as much, maybe we will get to see my family more and she could see all new family... that seemed to help a little... for now.

I thought I was dealing with all of this just fine until yesterday... I walked into my room, looked around and realized how much I hate packing! How much I don't want to pack, how much I am going to miss being in this place. Then I realized how angry I was!

Are you kidding me? I have to move all of this crap again! I have to pack everything and try to get it all into a 26' moving truck... and what if it doesnt all fit? How do you decided what should not go if it doesnt all fit... will I have to buy a new washer and dryer or freezer just cause they won't fit? I love my washer! I need my freezer! What if we don't hear anything from Ga soon? Are we going to put up a map and throw a dart? Are we going to put in transfer request to every office in the country? Am I going to end up in Alaska? What if we do hear back from them and they want Adam there ASAP like when we moved here... Am I going to have to do all of this alone... AGAIN!! Can I fit my friends in my trunk and take them with me? We are going to be moving acoross the country in the middle of winter... who does that?
I'll never be able to find Alexandra another violin teacher she loves as much as this one! Makenzie is going to be mad about this for a while... and at every holiday for the next year... trust me! I went through this when we moved up here.

Yes she will make new friends, but take it from some one who moved around A LOT as a child. It's never as easy as the parents make it sound... and what about me? Making friends as an adult is not that easy! I laid down on my bed yesterday and Adam came and laid down next to me and informed me that if I did not let all of this go, I was going to have a heartattack in a month. I supose he's right, but how do you let this go? It's not all going to get done by it's self. If not me then who?

Im angry! Im sad! Im stressed out! And, Adam is in California working for a few weeks.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Ill try to keep everyone informed as we become informed... don't be angry if it's last minute! That just might be when we find out too... Keep us in mind if you could when you say your prayers.. and if you could mention Georgia that would be great.

Holidays

Well, Halloween was a great success. The girls looked very cute when they ventured out into the cold October night to trick or treat. They arrived home with 13 yes 13lbs of candy! ugh. The kids went out with Adam and our very close friends and neighbors with their little boy. I will have to post some pictures of the girls but I have not downloaded them off my camera yet!

We are now gearing up for the holidays. Makenzie informed us that she was too old to play with most of her toys. So, I explained to her that she was going to have to come up with some things to tell the family she wants for Christmas. SO, we took the girls to Toys r us to window shop so we could get an idea of what she wanted for Christmas. We made a list and she is excited to get things that aren't for "little kids".

I am excited about the holidays I always look forward to them. Yet, some where inside me they kinda make me sad. Its a bit lonely to never have family around for them. I can't not remember the last time I had anyone from my family spend a holiday with us. SO, I guess that makes it at least 8 years. We spend most holidays with Adams family. Most of the time they are fine, we all have a great time and the kids love it. Though, it still makes me sad that my family misses out on so much of their lives and the girls don't get to share their memories with my family.

I will of course make the best of it and the holidays will no doubt be filled with laughter and fun. I guess with all the joy, the holidays make me a little home sick.

So, Today I felt festive... or fall-ish... I rotisseried a chicken, made an autumn salad and zucchini bread... Does anyone even make zucchini bread anymore? Adam, my dear sheltered husband had never even had such a thing!! How could that be???
I have been making banana bread for the past couple of months on and off and the girls just love, so I decided to make some zucchini bread and see how it played it... They said it was yummy and just like banana bread.
Im going to have to look up some more fall recipes... Im thinking of putting together some recipe books by season. Fall as you well know is my favorite time of year though. If you have a fall-ish recipe out there.... Pass it along!!!

Pictures

Okay!

So, Ive heard it from just about everyone although youd think with the amount of pictures I post on this thing youd get enough of them.... but we went and had the girls pictures taken last night... Im not sure portraits could be any more expensive! But we had some of Kenzie and her cheerleading, some of Alexandra and her Viloin and some of Jacqueline.... then some together. I did get a few for everyone. but do to the cost I did not get huge ones. So... if you don't like the size or want another pose, I will be adding the link where you can go buy them yourself.

They should be available on line in a day or so and have hard copies around the first of November. And If I can ever find some extra time Ill add the most recent pictures online of the girls from their birthdays and stuff.

Money saving....

We decided to take the kids to Disneyland in March again. Its turning into an annual thing! They are looking forward to it so much. For the past couple of years, we have given them the spending money for Disneyland (except for money family has given them to spend) This year, we've made a deal with them. They will be saving their allowance from now until we go. What ever they have saved, they will be able to spend. So, far they have been doing well with making sure they do their chores for their allowance.

Alexandra saves the day!!

The girls have spent the better part of the afternoon and into this evening cleaning up their birthday toys. Trying to get them out of Makenzies room and into their own rooms and toy boxes. This has been quite the struggle with at least 30 or so... Get back in there and clean up the mess threats. I was in the middle of seasoning a chicken for the rotisserie when Jacqueline walks into the kitchen and mumbles something about something.. blah blah blah and under Makenzies desk blah blah blah... so I told her, just crawl under there and get it out then ... Ill admit, I was in a mom zone, of getting a chicken on, making cookies and worrying about the four page paper, I had due tonight on feminism that I had not even begun or knew how I was going to begin. Soooo, I wasn't really listening to what she was saying.
I went back to finish my chicken and walked out of the kitchen and there stood a very jubilant Jacqueline proud as a peacock holding Mrs Butterfly.... I yelled you found Mrs BUTTERFLY!!! She said yes! and was jumping up and down... Then it dawned on me... under Makenzies desk! She said, she was behind a box, behind Makenzies desk the whole time! Turns out, she got Alexandra to crawl under there behind the box and get her out! I knew she kinda loved her sister...
Whew! I guess she won't be needing that butterfly pillow I ordered that I was going to try to convince her was just as good as Mrs Butterfly. So, daddy comes home and he's as excited as she is. She then sat down Mrs Butterfly and said, Butterfly, I was so worried about you! I know how fricken cute right? Well, this whole time she's been sleeping with this velvety elephant Adam gave me a few years back that sleeps on my shelf in my room... She gave him a new gender, he was a she and he was no longer Charlie, but now Eloise. She has carried, he/she around for days now. So, Adam asked her if mommy could have her Eloise back, and she looked at me and said, can I give her back to you when your three? So, it looks like Ive lost Charlie for a while, but we now have Mrs Butterfly and one on the way!

Mrs Butterfly...

Well,
If you know Jacqueline then you no doubt have heard of Mrs Butterfly. He lovey, her comfort, her I cant sleep, eat, go for a ride, be more than 10 feet away from butterfly. Mrs Butterfly is Polly velvet, teal blue, small, butterfly shaped pillow and very well loved. Shes been stitched, snuck through the laundry, rescued and yelled at. Shes been to Oklahoma, Disneyland, hundreds of trips to California and Nevada. Shes been camping all over the place. Healed boo boos, calmed a tearful girl and gave comfort when Adam was away. I can not count the number of times I have been up and down the halls yelling, "butterfly where are you?" and listening to her get a good scolding for being "lost" or "sleeping in the wrong place" . She is the only thing that calms Jacqueline down and makes her feel better when shes sad. She loves her beyond belief. This pillow was given to her when she was an infant. Given by my step sister who I believed purchased it at the dollar store. She sat in a toy chest until about three years ago when for what ever reason Jacqueline attached to her and the friendship was born.

Today, Mrs Butterfly has gone missing. We have searched high and low. Under every couch cushion, every chair, every closet, dresser, desk, blanket, laundry basket and every possible hiding place she could have hidden in. We thought she may have hitched hiked to California in papas suitcases, but alas no, she was not their either.

Amid the tears of child who feels like her world has come crashing down, I had no words to give her. Nothing that would matter, nothing that would take away the tears of her friend who is lost. Those tears usually go away with one hug from Mrs Butterfly. The only thing she could say was "I'm going to miss her!" and " I cant sleep by myself" When I asked her what she wanted to do, she just said, "I don't know ..."

I spent three hours scouring the Internet for this butterfly in hopes of finding one and getting it expressed. But no not even in the land of the Internet where you can buy anything on the planet... no Mrs Butterfly... Is there anything more heartbreaking for a mom then to sit there and listen to your baby cry over a lost lovey and there is nothing you give her or tell or that would make it better.
Sometimes I feel like there is nothing more heartbreaking than being mom with no answers!

My cake

Okay, so here is my cake, its much bigger than it looks. its three cakes wide and two tall. The center (castle) is two round cakes. It took me the better part of the day to get finished. Its half chocolate, half butter pecan cake with cream cheese frosting.

Cake time

Okay,
So I bought the stuff for the cake today. (duh dun duh) Tomorrow I begin baking all the cakes that I am going to need to pull this off. Its going to be a rather large cake. We are expecting about 30 people, give or take. So I have to make it a bit bigger than the picture shows. Jacqueline is very excited. She seems to think this is going to be "so beautiful!"


Im looking forward to it. I hope I can get it to turn out the way Im wanting it too. Any last minute pointers out there?

Ill take pictures when Im done!

just some pictures

This is our friend Nathan when we went camping. Hes trying to teach the girls how to play solataire. He was a great sport!


















This was Adam cooking our grub.... hes a yummy grill guy!























Jacqueline took this picture of Makenzie and Alexandra the other day. It's actually not a bad picture!
This is a picture of my family and my brothers family. We don't get to see them much so we were so happy that we got to visit with them before my brother heads off to Iraq. From left to right; Adam, me, my sister in law Nicole, Jacqueline, my brother Phil, Alexandra ,my nephew Jeremiah, my nephew Josh and Makenzie


This a small cake I threw together for Alexandras actual birthday. We did not want her to think we forgot about it since it was going to be so long before her party. Adam getting ready to help Alexandra cut her cake. He always lets the birthday girl cut the first piece. (oh, and his bald head!)

Her cake all lit up, we had to put the candles in the back, there was no room in the front. And Makenzie in the back ground cha cha chaing the birthday song. I blame Bear in the big blue house for this annoying rendition of the birthday song!