Blogging is hard.

Especially when you have a family that is busy... yet, not busy doing anything that is fun to share! We have done some notable things since my last post. Most importantly, our sweet Evan turned 4. That seems completely impossible when I think back on his life so far. 4 seems so... "old". He's not my baby anymore. Granted, he will ALWAYS be my baby because he is the youngest. But 4! Almost to 5, which means almost to Kindergarten. Can. not. go. there. yet. Evan has been so much to have home with me. (Don't get me wrong - Zach was fun, too. His time at home was spent going back and forth to doctor visits, timing medication, doing breathing treatments, etc.) Evan has gotten to be my errand-runner, shopping partner, and relocation expert. He can point out places even I have forgotten we've seen in our new city. And promptly points out "Daddy's work" when we pass it during our errands. He is so happy, most of the time, and just easy to get along with. I feel blessed to be his momma, and to have been home with him all 4 years.

One big thing when we relocate is finding a pediatrician. Anyone that knows anything about Zach knows that he has had an extensive health history. At my breaking point, he was on 7 medications a day - all trying to fix a problem. A problem no one could figure out. He had a pediatrician, an ENT, a pulmonologist, a gastroenterologist and an allergist. All that to say...when we moved out of Knoxille in 2010, I was terrified we would never find a pediatrician like the one we left. After one horrific experience in Chattanooga that I refuse to talk about because it still makes my blood boil, we settled in to a small practice that we really liked. That was in June. We were told we were relocating in December. Cue my anxiety over hunting down a new pediatrician. I think that was actually one of the first things I started hunting for. In a city this size, I was determined to find one for us. Not a huge practice, not medicine-happy, male... oh and accepted our insurance.

Well, today was appointment #1. I could not go to sleep last night. After the experience last year, I was terrified of a repeat. And going alone with both boys meant I would be distracted enough not to stand on my own two feet should this man turn out to be like the last. I am happy to report that the doctor we found is a *perfect* fit for our family. Both boys loved him. He sat and talked with us for a solid 20 minutes (did I mention I was in and out in 35 minutes??). Close by. Small, small practice. Absolutely loved it. So, score 1 for Charlotte. ;)

Now, we are counting down the days to summer vacation! 6 school days left, and I don't know who is more excited - Zach or me! We have lots of exciting things planned this summer to keep us busy, and hope to meet more people in the area!

Rain, rain, glorious rain!

I love a gorgeous sunny day as well as the next guy. There's just something appealing about a rainy day, when all I'm expected to do is be at home, taking care of our home and the boys. The rain is comforting, in an odd sort of way. Because of the rain, it's "ok" to just be home. It's "ok" not to take off running to a playground, or play basketball, or ride bikes. It becomes "ok" to be a bum. Don't be jealous. There are still clothes to wash, breakfasts and lunches to fix, toys to pick up, dishes to clean, beds to make, floors to vacuum, etc. Today, I just get the joy of doing it all in my pajamas. ;)

The rain does make it a tad more depressing that we're not traveling to see our families for Easter. That was in the original plans, but Rusty's new work schedule coupled with a stress-inducing move...well, it's just not happening. We are bummed. Our family is bummed. And it stinks. But what can ya do? It's currently a toss-up between an Easter Brunch cooked at home, a Honeybaked Ham coupled with some homemade sides, or blowing tradition and finding a restaurant to go to after church. None sound as appetizing as my mother-in-law's banana pudding or strawberry cobbler... or anything else she might be making. But this year, it will have to do.

And on that note, I'm going to finish enjoying this cup of coffee and get busy on the aforementioned house work. The boys and I are making Resurrection Rolls today. I hope everyone finds a way to reflect on what this weekend truly means. To those of us that are believers and followers of Jesus, there is nothing more bittersweet than Easter morning. I don't want to get all preachy on the blog, but the lyrics of this song completely sum it up...

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

Into a new era...

Why, yes. Yes, I am 10 years behind this phenomenon. Completely out of my control that this fabulous establishment hasn't opened in Tennessee. Shame on them! We are a family who loves to eat organic and natural when we can. (Don't get me wrong - we don't skip out on Chick-fil-A or anything that would cause you to question our sanity.) That being said, eating healthy is expensive. Enter my new love of Trader Joe's. The boys' favorite cereal is typically $4.99 a box at a big box health food store. At Trader Joe's, I was able to get 2 boxes for $5.98. Imagine that! A variety on a budget!
The boys loved carrying their own baskets around picking up random items: bananas, yogurt, oranges... love that they go for the good stuff! Trader Joe's has completely won me over, and we will definitely be headed back soon. With a list.

From the Scenic City to... Hail?

So, disregard in the last post where I said I was calming down. We just found out we likely need our roof and 1 side of our house replaced. (The siding. Not the whole side of the house.) Evidently, 2 days before we moved in to our "new to us" house, there was a huge storm. Golfball to baseball size hail, winds, the works. Keep in mind, we were blissfully unaware and still living in Chattanooga. We found the cracked siding after we moved in, but never considered the roof. Until now. I've noticed more and more ladders headed up when driving through the neighborhood, so I decided to talk to some neighbors when I was outside playing with the boys. Yep. New roofs. All around. Holes. Cracks. Thankfully, this is my husband's department as I would surely freak out at the massive expense all of this is. Waiting to hear from our insurance company. For now, I'm hiding out in the loony bin next to Daffy.

Week 1.

After 12 short months in Chattanooga, we packed our bags and headed to Charlotte. We knew no one (other than our Realtors), had no idea where the nearest Target was, and really weren’t sure how to find the nearest hospital. But we did it. We put on our big girl pants (er, boy pants for the husband) and made the move. A move neither of us saw coming. And one that, for the longest time, my husband was sure he didn’t want. See, Chattanooga was “home”. No, it wasn’t where either of us grew up. However, it was where we saw ourselves retiring. After raising our own family, it was where we saw our grandchildren coming to visit. It was well within our comfort zone of our families. It was that perfect small town/moderate city combination. It was our perfect southern-roots city. But alas, it was not meant to be. When the current economy says “move”, you move. When your big boss likes you and requests a relocation, you relocate. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

So, here we are. One week in and only moderately stressed. Last week was another story. By Wednesday (day 2 for those that are counting), I was in full panic attack mode. Sitting in line to pick up my five-year-old from his first day at a new school, I was somewhere between hyperventilating and throwing up. I wasn’t sure what would happen first, and what my poor 3-year-old would think sitting in the back seat. Poor guy had to deal with me all week. Just the two of us. Thankfully, he’s an easy-going kid. Ha! But we’ve survived! I’m thankful that first week is behind us. I’m not sure it will be smooth sailing from here on out, but at least the house is somewhat organized. We all have clean clothes. And we all have toilet paper in our respective bathrooms. Oh, and food. There is finally food in the pantry. Here’s to next week… ;)