Love/Hate and car trips no more (at least for a little while)!

I wrestle with this whole blog thing. Do I really have anything of value to share? Is having a blog proof that I am just self absorbed and in need of affirmation? If it is just a journal for my family why in the world do I care how many people read it? Oh how all of those teenage insecurities rush back! Anyone else with me on this? I really enjoy reading blogs and am much more inclined at the end of a long day to read other blogs, not update mine (obviously). I find it relaxing and fun and have found tons of great ideas, but I also find that often I end up feeling inferior in some way. Have you ever picked up a People magazine, read for 10 minutes and in that short period of time felt overweight, poor, and ugly? Sheesh! I often feel the same way with blogs. Oh what a lovely vacation they had. Look how cooperative her children are. If only my kids would sleep. If I  had a nice camera I'd take great pictures too...and the list continues! Oh what an ugly covetous attitude I have. It is embarrassing, but it's the truth. I know where my eyes need to be "turned", and when they are focused on Jesus, as the song goes, "the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." Truth be told, I have been hugely distracted as of late. Today I went to a Women's Bible Study and I am really excited about delving into God's Word with a wonderful group of women and for two uninterrupted hours of adult time, something I have not had in at least 8 months or more. I look forward to refocusing!

With that said I will share a bit of an update since it has been over two months since my last post!
We have moved to the sunshine state, and yes it's true the sun does shine most days, a great change from years in New England and other notoriously gray geographic regions. The three months of separation from Paul was really difficult but I was so thankful to have my mom available to help with the children and to share life with. My mom and the boys and I drove from Massachusetts to South Carolina at the end of July to see Paul after six weeks away. I will not say the drive was easy, because that would be a total prevarication, but it went much more smoothly than I expected.  And I am not ashamed to say the DVD player we had for Witt was a HUGE lifesaver. We made tons of stops along the way and we had many "comedy of error" moments from our trunk flying open because it was to full to not being able to find a hotel from Wilkes Barre, PA to Harrisburg, PA because of a NASCAR race. WHAT!?! We finally settled into our Podunk motel in Lickville, PA at 3:00 am... You have to laugh at that one. I could go on, but I won't.

When we reached SC, my mom went home and we spent time with my brother and his family in Charleston and my mom, dad, and sister and brother-in-law in Pawleys Island with trips in between to see Paul. I packed and unpacked over 15 different times from the time we left MA to our trip back. After Paul graduated from Chaplaincy School on Nash's birthday, we left and began our drive back to MA for the move. We spent 5 nights in our house and then hit the road again for the drive to FL. And you must be thinking we've lost our minds and you would be correct!:) We arrived in FL 3 days later, moved into The Navy Lodge for three weeks while we house hunted. Paul began work immediately and I managed the boys and one neurotic dog in a single hotel room. Trying to keep a three year old and a dog quiet for three weeks so a one year old can nap everyday was more painful for me than having a tooth filled sans Novocaine. We are in a great house for the boys, still living amongst boxes and dirt and walls that need to be painted, but it is really so nice to be somewhat settled after months of transition. I am exhausted and lonely and missing my friends but really excited for all that is ahead. The new blog picture of the boys makes me smile. When I first looked at it I could not figure out where I had taken it. And then it occurred to me that it was in one of the many Chick-FilA Playplaces we visited along the way, one of several attempts to tire the boys in hopes that they would snooze in the car. So happy to not be 'on the road' anymore, and so thankful Chick-FilA is only a mile away from our new home.
Ciao for now....