Week One Highlights

We didn't have a "Family Field Trip" day planned for this week because of lack of time, unpacking, etc.  But we still have had a great week!  We've visited the pool, workout room, game room, playground, one hiking trail next to one of the ponds, my new hospital, etc.  Plus, I've met some great people that I'm going to be working with and even visited a new church.  We also have had a family dinner every night this week with movie time watching the series Little House on the Prairie.  We've had our drama too!  Tyler got sick with a fever that turned out to be an ear infection.  Plus, Tyler and I have developed wonderful new allergies to Northern Virginia!  However, it's nothing a little antihistamine can't fix!  Nathan is being a champ in his new role as Mr. Mom.  He's kept up with the laundry, the house and the kids!  He also was making a peach pie from scratch one night when I got home from work!  That's my kind of man right there!!  I also mastered the art of making my own caramel popcorn...the second attempt.  :)  We are so excited about how this new journey will work out for our family and for him and his health.  We've had a great week - we're ready for a relaxing weekend - and we have our first family field trip planned on Monday!  Stay tuned!

We're All Unpacked!

My goal was to be completely unpack and ready to go by this first weekend.  Which I honestly thought was going to be hard since I had orientation from 0800-1700 every day this week.  However, I am very pleased with the work accomplished!  The home-school room turned out GREAT!  And all we have left to buy is the chairs for their desks and for the teacher's desk area.  I'm so ready!!

It's Moving Day!

So if you know me well, then you know two things for sure: I'm very OCD about certain things and I take a lot of stuff/clothes with me when I go on trips.  But hey, that's okay with me!  We ended up upgrading the truck to one that we could drive when we realized that we were bringing more than planned.  I've heard that I needed go treat this assignment as a 13 week vacation from a lot of people.  However, it's not a vacation.  We moved.  And my biggest fear in all of this has been that the boys would have a hard time with the move.  I don't know how to make this new condo look like our home without making it our home.  So, we loaded up a lot and hit the road!  We did the trip in two days and it went very well.  I mean, we expected a little of Barnes Drama and got it when Tyler started throwing up the second half of the trip.  But, what can you expect when (unknown to us) the snack bag and candy bag ended up between him and Eli.  Needless to say that ALL of the snacks were gone by Saturday night and about four packs of gum were completely gone!

Byron went with us to help us move in - which was a blessing because we couldn't have done it without him.  When I heard that we had a two story apartment with a loft it never occurred to me that we wouldn't be on the first and second floors.  But no, alas, we pulled up and are on the 3rd and 4th floors.  Lesson learned.  Needless to say that we will be making SEVERAL donations to the local Good Will before our next assignment.  :)

Even though the moving part was rough and tiring, we made it through and we love our new home!  I worked hard on Saturday to get the boys' room done first.  And, as Zachary put it once their room was finished, "I'm glad it looks like our old room.  At least this room feels like home to me."  Therefore, all of the aches and pains are worth it.

Just as Nathan and I were looking at each other and asking, "Are we crazy for doing this??"  A beautiful double rainbow appeared with the end of it staying on the road as if it were leading our way  Being that the rainbow was created as a reminder to God's people of His promise to always take care of us, you can't tell me that this wasn't Him looking down on us and saying, "Way to go guys!  I'm with you."

More Goodbyes!

Saying good bye to best friends, work places, family members and our boys' best friends turned out to be tougher than we realized!  We love all of the people that God placed in our lives and are so thankful for all the memories!