Makes Life Interesting

 Here are some interesting or challenging things about living in Oakland.

We currently do not have a dishwasher.

Because we don’t have a dishwasher I am constantly washing dishes.  This is especially difficult because the water busts out of the faucet and it is nearly impossible to get warm water, because it is either boiling hot or ice cold.  Finding the perfect middle warm spot is quite a challenge.  Also they have water treatment with salt here, and it is difficult to get the soap off your hands and dishes.

These ladybug things are everywhere. (Asian beetles) I had one in my eye when I was going to sleep the other night.  Yuck!

There is no garbage collection.  We have to take our trash to the dump.  It is open on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and all day on Saturday.  They do recycle though :) 

We don't have internet at our current house.  We use our phones for internet and have a limited data plan.  I miss Pinterest and browsing the internet.  We will have internet when we get to the parsonage.  

On a more positive note…We joined a gym.  It is Anytime Fitness.  It is open 24 hours a day.  It is brand new.  Not only do they have great treadmills for running when it is super cold outside, but they have Fitness on Request.  I can choose to do an aerobics or spinning class at anytime.  I choose the class I want, close the doors, and a screen drops down and the video begins.  I did an aerobics class by myself at nine o’clock the other night.  It was great.  You know how much I love to exercise.  I am super excited about this.  

 Overall, I am really happy here.  I am super excited that my mom is coming to visit next week.  She is riding with my friend Amy who lives here in Nebraska.  She will have to fly back to KY on her own.  Pray for her, she hates flying.  I can't wait for her to see  Oakland.   I think it will remind her of Mt. Eden, where she grew up. 

One Year Ago

October 15, 2010 my amazing father went to be with the Lord.  So much has happened in the last year.  Audrey was born, I left my job, we moved to Nebraska.  It is hard to believe that he has been gone a year, but it seems so long since I have seen his sweet face. 

Moving to Nebraska was much more difficult knowing Daddy was gone.  I feel tremendous responsibility for my mom and being so far away makes it nearly impossible to make sure she is ok.  On the other hand it makes it easier because I never wanted to disappoint my Daddy.  It would hurt me to think that he was disappointed we were moving and he would be unable to see Audrey and Alexander frequently.  I feel this same pain about my mom.  I know that Daddy would be supportive of our ministry here in Nebraska, but he would have hated for us to be so far away.  My mom mentioned how if Daddy were here that he and my mom would probably have driven to Nebraska to help us move.  I can only imagine how helpful he would have been helping us get our new house ready.  I wish he was here for so many reasons. 

All week I had hoped to think of some way to honor Daddy today.  I couldn’t think of anything to do.  When Adam came home from church this afternoon he said we were going to Harvest Moon Pumpkin Patch.  The Pumpkin Patch is owned by a sweet family at our church.  

After dinner we headed to the farm.  It was amazing.  Alexander loved riding the tricylces, racing the roller coasters, doing the zipline, and eating smores.  I even did the zip line.  The salted caramel apple cider was amazing.  We brought home a 19 pound pumpkin.  We saw lots of animals, including miniature ponies, Daddy’s favorite.  Without even knowing it we had done something special in remembrance of Daddy.  When I think of Daddy, I definitely think of living on a farm.  We love and miss you so much Daddy.  We look forward to the day we join you in heaven and spend eternity there. 

I have been reading Heaven is For Real.  I hope that what is portrayed in this book is true.  I hope that we can recognize our family and they can see what is happening on earth.  I don’t know if this is true, but it gives me a little more peace about Daddy. 

Packing, Moving, and Life in Nebraska

On Monday, September 19th we started packing. The moving trucks would arrive on September 28th. I know this isn’t much time to pack, but I had to maintain normalcy until after Alexander’s third birthday. After living in our house for five and a half years it was difficult to take apart all that I had worked hard to get everything just the way I wanted it. The hardest part was taking apart sweet Audrey’s nursery. 

On Wednesday, September 28th, Adam and I picked up two U-Hauls. One was a 26 foot truck and the other was 17 feet. At first I thought there was no way we would fill two trucks. Early that afternoon I realized how wrong I was. As we started packing the truck, with the help of family and friends, I came to realize that not everything was going to be going with us to Nebraska. It was overwhelming at moments. I would just walk around wondering what to do next. We got to the point where we just started putting things in boxes regardless of the unusual combination. I am so thankful for all those who helped us pack and move, my brothers Rob and Derrick, and many from Providence Community Church, Ryan May, Paul & Carrie Valentine, Derek & Jessica Bostic, Colby & Christi Willen, Stephen Burnett, Carolyn McDonald, Lisa Karam, the Skidmores, Jerry Robinson, Keith Walters, Anthony Karam, and ….
On Thursday, Adam picked up two guys from Nebraska, Johnny and Daniel. They went straight to the Bostics and helped to pack their truck. We all quickly came to the same realization that all their things were not going to fit on one truck as well. Thankfully, they were able to make two trips rather than leave behind some things like we were going to have to do. We headed back to Lexington and began unloading their things while continuing to load our belongings onto the truck. Can you imagine what the neighbors were thinking? Three U-Hauls, two moving out and one moving in, simultaneously.
On Friday morning the trucks headed back to Frankfort for more packing. We squeezed in a few more pieces of furniture and lots of clothes for Alexander. In the end we ended up leaving the following things in Lexington. Porch swing, two rocking chairs (I pulled from the neighbors trash), kitchen cart, dresser, Adam’s smoker and grill, and Christmas tree. There just wasn’t enough room for these things. After the trucks left I realized several items had accidently been forgotten. The major thing included Alexander’s basketball goal. Guess we know what to get him for Christmas now.
Adam and Madeline drove to Nebraska on Saturday, October 1st. They didn’t get far when I realized Adam had left his new pillow. This isn’t just any pillow. I knew I wouldn’t have room for it in my luggage so he had to turn around and get it. Not a good way to start at 14 hour drive. Oh well. The brother and sister combo made it to Kansas City Saturday night. They finished their road trip Sunday afternoon. They arrived in Oakland where the church congregation was eagerly unloading the U-Hauls. Since our parsonage was not yet ready they provided us with a house to live in temporarily. The major downfall was that the house is only two bedrooms.
Sunday I went to Evergreen Baptist Church, where I grew up, and saw many familiar faces. It was odd being there without Daddy. It was also difficult to see many people who were young and vibrant, in my memory, aging. I am certainly thankful to not have to see my father in that state. He would have hated to be old and losing his physical capacities slowly.
On Monday the kids and I enjoyed dinner with the Geldhofs. Parker and Alexander have become good buddies. Jenn and I have grown so close as we have had several similar life experiences together in the last three years. Our boys are very close in age, we both lost a parent, and had our second children this year as well. On Tuesday I took Parker, Alexander, and Audrey to Monkey Joe’s. Alexander kept saying he wanted to go to Monkey Joe’s, “one more time.” Karla, Carolyn, and Ariel joined us as well. It was a quick trip, then we headed to Dixie for one last school responsibility. We gave several goodbye hugs. Earlier in the day we said goodbye to Derek, Jessica, and sweet baby Addison. Derek and Jessica have invested so much time and love in the lives of my children. Jessica and Alexander were so close. You develop a special bond with the person who takes care of your children. I couldn’t be more thankful for having such a wonderful childcare provider for my precious babies. Jessica and I have become extremely close friends as well. She spent many days with us early in Audrey’s life. She was there through the difficult colicy days when I wasn’t sure what to do with my crying baby. It was a difficult goodbye with lots of tears. I am thankful that Derek and Jess have the opportunity to live in our house, and that we don’t have to try to sell it now, but I know it will be difficult or awkward for them to live there since we are gone.
After Dixie we had dinner with Kelley. Adam said Chinese food may be hard to come by in Nebraska so we enjoyed some Moo Goo Gai Pan at IChing. We then made our final return down I-64 to Frankfort. We were greeted with many visitors, Rob, Cissy, and the entire Hudson family. The kids played and we all tried not to cry.
 

 On Wednesday morning we packed our things and went to visit Nana and Cissy one last time. Then we headed to Cracker Barrel for one last southern meal. We enjoyed our pancakes and eggs and headed for the airport. I was not sure how I was going to manage two children on two flights and two hours in Chicago Midway, but knew there were lots of people praying for us. From Louisville to Chicago, Audrey slept the entire flight and Alexander enjoyed playing with the tray table and eating pretzels. While in Chicago, Midway we got a snack and played. Passengers and airport staff were very helpful with the kids. Shortly after takeoff from Chicago Alexander fell asleep. I was hopeful that Audrey would go to sleep as well, but that didn’t happen. Not long into the flight I began to feel sick. I kept looking around trying to figure out who could hold Audrey if I got sick. I kept asking God to keep me from getting sick. I was counting the minutes until I could get off the plane. Upon arrival in Omaha I headed straight for the restrooms. By the time we were greeted by Adam and Madeline I knew I was turning green. Immediately upon reaching the car I threw up. This continued all the way to Oakland every twenty minutes or so. Due to a road closure the one hour drive turned into an almost two hour trip. I was never more excited to be at the new house. As soon as we walked in the door Alexander threw up on the kitchen floor. What an awesome welcome gift! I knew I was in for a long night. Alexander and I slept together taking turns getting sick. It was the night that would never end. By 5:00 am we had finally stopped throwing up. When I would throw up, Alexander would say, “Mommy, I know, I know.” Such a sympathetic little guy.
On Thursday we began to explore the new house as our energy returned. It was difficult for me to not be able to jump right in and get the house in order. I knew Friday I would feel much better, but guess what happened Friday morning. Yes, Adam was sick. Welcome to Nebraska. 

 This is just our temporary house.  The parsonage is not ready yet.  It is undergoing major renovations.

Alexander is 3

It is hard to believe my baby boy is three. I offered to prepare him a special birthday breakfast and what does he choose? Peanut butter toast. I was excited about pancakes or waffles, but peanut butter toast? On Saturday we spent the day preparing for Alexander's birthday. Adam woke up early and smoked two pork shoulders and two chickens. Alexander's party was on Sunday due to the UK vs UL football game. Sorry to say that the Cats lost.

Sunday afternoon Alexander's friends and family arrived for a fun filled afternoon. Alexander asked for books for his birthday. Well, maybe Mommy asked for books for Alexander's birthday. Alexander got lots of fun books like "A Mouse About the House," "Trucks and Diggers," and "The Busy Bug Book." He especially loved his microphone, John Deere fishing pole, and yo-yo.

We had a balloon release for Daddy. Each of the grandchildren, Alexander, Conner, Jaxson, and Caroline released a balloon in honor of Daddy Bob. We miss him so dearly. Alexander's second birthday was the last time the entire family was together before he died. Daddy was at the party, but already walking with a cane and very sick.
Did you know there is a helium shortage in Kentucky. Well, that is at least what the lady at Kroger told me. She would only fill three balloons with helium for me.

It is 10:16pm and Alexander is still singing his ABCs in his bed. Definitely a great birthday.

Today was the last time to see a few of our family and friends before we leave for Nebraska. Saying good-bye is definitely going to be harder than I thought.

So thankful for our little "Grasshopper."
Mommy and Daddy love you Alexander.

Goodbye

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Our Mini Vacay

After realizing that we would be moving so far west, I felt the need to head to the east coast for one last visit to the ocean.  I soon realized that this was probably not a great idea with a wild almost three year old and my demanding seven month old.  We tossed around the idea of a Kentucky State Park and Gatlinburg.  We gave in to the idea of Cincinnati. 

On Tuesday, we headed north and first hit up IKEA.  Alexander loved crawling into each toddler bed and taking a nap.  Adam and I were overwhelmed.  Trying to decorate a house 1000 miles away is a little difficult even without two babies.  We decided it might be a little easier without the kiddos.  We escaped with only buying two blue, rubber pot holders, which Alexander used as crab claws. 

We arrived to our hotel and headed for the pool.  I was a little disappointed it was indoor, but enjoyed it none the less.  Audrey loved hanging out on the float and Alexander was very content in his circle, as he calls it.  We enjoyed dinner at Behle Street Cafe followed by a walk by the river.

On Wednesday morning I took advantage of the fitness center and then indulged in the free breakfast.  Omelets, pancakes, and waffles to make up for that jaunt on the eleptical machine.  After our tummies were stuffed we returned to the pool.  Alexander wanted so badly to join us in the hot tub, or hot pool as he called it.  He frequently dipped his toes in, but always quickly returned to the cold pool. 

Around noon we headed to the Newport Aquarium for the debut of our vacation.  Alexander had enjoyed the aquarium several times before as a toddler, but we knew he would love it even more as an older child.  He ran from display to display and even touched the sharks.  He was overjoyed watching the penguins as he sang, "Penguins like to waddle, waddle, waddle.  They have wings, but they don't fly." 

We all enjoyed a night away from home and especially letting someone else cook and clean up after us.  It was great to spend some special time together as a family.

A New School Year

August is here.  For me, this usually means returning to school to prepare my classroom and get ready for the students.  Today we tested our kindergarten students and welcomed their parents to our school.  While our kindergarten students and their families said hello to Dixie, I said goodbye.  After seven years at Dixie, I am leaving to become a different kind of teacher.  Adam has accepted a call to pastor a church in Oakland, Nebraska.  I will be able to stay at home with my own children now.  I am so excited about being a full time mommy.  I have always been a very focused and driven person.  This was especially evident in my teaching.  I have struggled for the past three years, working and having children.  

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people."  

Whatever I do, I want to do it well and with all of my being.  I either wanted to be a superior teacher or a patient, super organized, energetic mother and wife.  Before having children I stayed at school until six o'clock each night.  After the birth of Alexander I rarely saw the clock strike 3:15 at school.  I often felt tremendous guilt about this.  I wanted my students to receive the best instruction possible, but longed to spend time with my own kids.  

While I am thrilled with the new opportunities before us, I am filled with such grief about moving so far away from our families and friends.  My mom doesn't fly, so I don't know how she will ever visit us.  I long for my children to have a close relationship with their grandmothers. 

Speaking of grandparents, one year ago today Daddy was taken to UK hospital and diagnosed with cancer.  I was at school, at the same Kindergarten Kickoff that I was at today, when Adam came and got me to go to the hospital.  It was all I thought about today.  I miss him so much.  

I wanted to leave Dixie with a bang.  Well, I think I really did.  As my principal was helping me load my things into my car, a can of Dr. Pepper fell out of the car and exploded on Mrs. Isaacs and myself.