And then everything was packed...and my emotions came out so now you have to read my novel

So 2013 has been very eventful for us. Russ got a new job in Montana so he is gone 2weeks at a time and then home for a week. This has brought us lots of opportunity, lots of change, and lots of faith. He just left today for work but will be coming home in 10days to drive us to our new home in Nampa, Idaho....and no, I never thought I'd write that haha. While I'm excited about our new adventure and know it is the right thing for us, I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me that is kicking and screaming about it too. I'm going to miss my California weather, just 2 weeks ago the kids asked if it was summer again...I'm pretty sure this doesn't happen in Idaho, Then I get excited again when I see the boys light up when they tell their cousins about how we are moving to a place that it snows, then right back to sad because I can't kidnap their cousins and take them with me, I seriously pray that someone there will let me take their kids on adventures like I have gotten to do with my nephews since the first one came 8 years ago, I love having a herd of children with me at least once a week, to me that is nothing but fun, seeing my boys walk hand in hand with their buddies is priceless. My family is everywhere here, a little overwhelming at times, but it has been such a blessing to us and my kids, I love that they are so close to my aunts and call my cousins their aunts, they are bonds that will never go away. Then there are the friends...dang friends, why oh why do you have to be so fabulous??? Why do you have to love us so much??? If it weren't for the fact that I already have at least two fabulous friends waiting for me in Idaho I think I'd be lost without you and I'd probably be a cyber stalker or make you do Skype with me wherever you go so it could be like I never really left, but don't worry I won't be that crazy (not saying I won't want to at times). Sometimes I feel like I'm cheating because I don't have to start from scratch, like I'm not really taking that big of a leap, But I am, and that's ok, its ok to admit I'm doing something a little crazy. I'm not just leaving my weather that I love so much, I'm leaving my family, my friends, my whole support system. Its scary, its hard enough sometimes as it is with the hubby being gone so much, right now its midnight and my baby is up crying unless I hold him because he is getting sick. When I'm tired tomorrow there is no one to hand off too, he won't be here for 10 more days. Packing mostly without him was tough, I had a breakdown or two over it, but I have amazing friends that showed up and helped me and missionaries from my church that were more than happy to come over and serve, but I still never want to do it alone again. When our stuff arrives in Idaho we will have people there to unload it, it doesn't get any more awesome than that, thank you in advance friends and soon to be friends for making it so that every day Russ is off we aren't taking boxes in the house. Hope this isn't too down or boring but if I don't make someone read this I might go insane and then who would unpack all of our boxes and set up our house. We get to live in a house...not a trailer, not a studio, an actual house. A house with more than one bathroom for our family of 5, a house with a yard, a place for a kitchen table, room to invite people over, I still can't believe it. I wonder if our kids will remember living in a tiny room all together, or that our table was right by our stove and fridge and counter, and window...and everything else in the house. I know I will, and I will appreciate what I have been given even more because of it. I'll always remember our broke Christmases and the friends who dropped off a bag of presents at our door. I'll remember the empty gas tanks that were filled by family that appreciated us driving up to see them. I'll remember family buying us simple things we wanted like our kid's school pictures for Christmas presents. I'll remember my friends covering my bill more than once. I guess I feel like I'm not only leaving where I grew up but I'm leaving behind so many struggles, all because we sent my husband on a plane to Montana with no money, no place to stay, no idea of how it was going to work but with faith. Faith gave him a friend on the plane who gave him a place to stay, a ride into town and a place to come back to. Faith gave him drivers to pick him up off the side of the road and drive him until he got to his interview...and he got, he did just spend almost two grand on a plane ticket (thank you tax return), crash on a strangers couch (who happened to be a member of our church), and then hitchhike to his interview so really I think it would have been against the law to tell him no, but he did it, he got it and now we are moving to Idaho. We will be closer to his work so this means shorter flights, more time with the boys and less stress over cost of living. Life is good, Heavenly Father has blessed us so much during the 8.5yrs that we have been married, and I'm so glad that I am able to see that or life would be pretty depressing. So we will be off on the 22nd of December, you should expect another novel shortly thereafter as I unload the shock that I really did move.

Two Years!!

I have two years of pictures, two years of stories, two years of typing to catch up on!!! So starting Wednesday I am going off of FB and I will start blogging, for reals this time ;) I started to think about all the pictures I take and all of the awesome adventures I have with my 3 boys and FB does not do any of those justice! Here I will be able to write down every silly, embarrassing and inspiring story that comes from my life as a mom and someday when my boys need a laugh, or are bored and can't sleep, they can come here and see what life was like through my eyes. Looking forward to this!

This is Levi's blog debut!!!

Camping June of 2013 at Sunset Beach

My Surfer Baby