SERIOUSLY ! ? It's snowing here ! ?

I'm glad I knew right where the snow gear was packed, because after a week here in Olive Branch, we had seen snow for a third time... and this one was a significant snow for this area. They are not equipped for this.

This is not familiar to people here at all... a snow plow. (I snapped this photo in PA of the plow truck) . There are no salt houses here. I think there was a truck out treating the roads with brine, but I'm sure that is not plentiful here either. It's just not necessary... ( usually), but this has been an unusual Winter for the South.

The Move ...

This is what Jackson thought about moving. Why wouldn't he... he is loving life, in the fifth grade, has a lot of friends in PA, hanging out at Spring Mount Snowboarding every chance he gets ! He had the greatest teacher for 5th grade, he was involved in the student council , in the chorus, and variety show practice was about to start. And I am feeling terrible about the situation. A situation that I know we have wanted for a very long time, an opportunity to get back closer to our families , yet I am having a hard time getting excited about it. I never ever expected to have this tug at my heart like this has.


Grant & Maddy among the boxes. Amazing, it is how quickly 3 men can pack up your life and load it into a truck in 2 days ! On that morning we woke up in PA and that same night we lay our heads to rest in MS.

Jackson on the plane. The trip was great... it was a very early flight. Grant & Maddy slept during the flight. We finally get to see Olive Branch ! We finally get to see our new home and the kids new schools !

Fear, Excitement, Sadness, Loss ...

Katrina Kenison best describes my current existence ...

Home was this whole perfectly contained universe-town, friends, acquaintances, the streets we traveled everyday, the restaurants... the baseball diamonds... the library, the church."

And we were about to leave it all. Panic stopped me in my tracks, heart hammering in my chest and eyes filling with tears...

In her book " The Gift of an Ordinary Day "

So, friends ask me "How are you doing?" To be honest, I am trying to not think about it all and push my emotions to the side... "FOCUS" I tell myself ~ at the same time putting off what I should be doing to get ready for the next few days ! Trying to make the most of our days left here !

Dear God, Please get me through this week and let this be easier for my kids than it seems to be for myself. Please hold me up and don't let me fall apart ! Amen

Home is where your heart is, and my heart is scattered from Alabama to Pennsylvania and very soon will land in Mississippi. I will definately be leaving a big piece of my heart here. So many memories , so many wonderful friends.

It's all going to be fine... I know this. It's just not an easy thing to do....

Will blog again soon.... from Olive Branch !

The Olive Branch...

The Olive Branch is known as a symbol of peace & goodwill. In the book of Genesis, following the great flood, Noah sent out a dove to find dry land. On the third flight the dove returned with an olive branch which meant that the waters had receded and there was dry land. It would be a new beginning for Noah and his family. Ironically, the Olive Branch will become a symbol of a new beginning for my family.

image credit

My husband has been offered a position in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We will be moving there soon after Christmas. It is exciting and scary. We will be closer to family. Still a 6 hour drive, but it sure beats a 22 hour drive ! The kids will be changing schools and that's never easy to do. It's not easy to leave a place you've called home for nearly six years. A place where my daughter was born and my boys have lived more of their lives here than their birthplace of Alabama. A place that holds so many memories we have strived to make as a family. A wonderful suburban little town. This is much harder to do than I thought it would be. If I allow myself to think about it , (lately) I just fall apart. So, I try not to . There have been so many treasures I have discovered here in beautiful PA. The treasure of watching four seasons turn. I'll start with Summer...my first memory after arriving here in July of 2005, was it being in the wee hours of the morning, getting to the apartment we were in temporarily, and there were so many fire flies flittering all around us ! It was just beautiful and the boys were chasing them all around. Summers... catching fireflies and playing at the creek. Fall... the most beautiful, vibrant pallet of colors I have ever seen. Collecting & crunching leaves with my kids. Pumpkin patches and all things Fall. It is my favorite season here. Winter... while I do not love the freezing cold... my kids do not seem to mind it. They love the snow. Snow IS beautiful when it is fresh and falling ! I love watching my kids playing in the snow , making snow angels, snowmen, sledding & snowboarding. Spring blooms here are so pretty. Buttercups and tulips are plentiful. The purple crocus peaking up through the snow covered ground. And my favorite is the return of the robins. Something I never paid attention to , ever. Robins everywhere, collecting items to build their nests, then collecting worms to feed the baby birds.

And these are the four seasons I have known for the past 5 and a half years here. I will never forget our days here. I will never forget our friends who have become like a family to us. I really hope that we will return to visit friends & this beautiful place one day.

A New Beginning. It is exciting and overwhelming. It is fearing the unknown. It will be challenging to put a new home back together after being off loaded from a moving truck . It will be ambitious...meeting new people... getting involved in schools and community and church. It will be crazy at first... but it WILL BE OK .
I pray and I pray and I pray... that it will be okay and it is the place we are meant to be at this time in our lives... Olive Branch , Mississippi.

My trust lies completely in my God and he tells me..

For I know the plans I have for you , declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you , plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29 : 11

Posting "catch up"

October was Maddy's Birthday ... we took a trip over to NY and her big birthday gift and memory was getting her American Girl Doll. It was a perfect day. We got to show the boys some things there. Went to Central Park. Wish we could've done more, but I am grateful that we went over, even for a quick trip.

Central Park

Here are my kids in Central Park. I really cannot believe that we took them all to NYC ! It was a quick day trip, on My girl Maddy's Birthday ! We were making a memory on this day ! ( I can explain later ). It was a beautiful October day and not crazy crowded in the city ! After the drive to Jersey, train ride to NYC and alot of walking.. I'm glad we did it !

Getting crafty...

I love these apothecary jars ! sooo many ways to use them all year long !
I cannot remember what blog I took the " Boo " idea from. sorry. If I find it I will edit to credit!

I found this awesome idea HERE and it was so super easy. I have loved these fancy pumpkins! I hope they store well for next year !