Life Lately

Hi. It's cold here. I know, you already know that. But it's insanely cold. The kind of cold that makes your fingers shrink and your wedding ring spin around on your hand. The kind that makes you lose your breath when you step outside. That kind of cold. And while there are moments that I want to pack up our car and move to Miami and escape this craziness, it really isn't THAT bad. Sure, we can't play outside and we have to put on 10 layers of stuff before we leave the house, but this weather is so widespread, that even places that typically don't have snow/ice/cold temps are experiencing it this winter. It's just a bad winter and there's no way around that. Al Gore and his global warming. When the wind chill is in the negatives for a solid 2 weeks, I think we can all rest assured that Al is a doofus.

So enough about that. Cold schmold. Let's move on.

Our family is adjusting to life in our new town nicely. The girls are doing well at their new school and have made friends. They like their teachers a lot and according to Maddie the school lunch at her school is awesome, so I mean that says something, right? I couldn't pay them to eat lunch at their old school - not sure why except that they claimed it was "the most disgusting food EVER". We may have a little drama at our house from time to time. :)

Mabrie started going to preschool at our church. She goes three days a week for 2 1/2 hours each day. She really enjoys it and it's a nice break for me to run a few errands or come home and get things done around the house. She's in a class with 3 little boys and the first day her teacher said that Mabrie hold her own with the boys. HA! Yes, if there's anything Mabes can do, it's "hold her own". She's a feisty one.

Mike's job is going well and he truly loves his new role. He has always loved working for this company, but this new job is exactly what he's wanted to do for several years and it's great seeing him in his element and excited to get up and go to work every day. He works so hard to provide for our family and for that, I'm very thankful.

We have found a great church and joined a small group. I've also started going to their MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) group and have met some new friends through that. I've had lunch dates, play dates and am planning get togethers for the next couple of weeks. I joke that I'm like a tiger - I pounce on anyone that will be my friend - HA! All kidding aside, I just have learned from all our moving one very important thing - if you want friends, you gotta get out there and make an effort. Join activities, join a church and more importantly a small group, talk to people and get to know them. I read a quote right after we moved here and before we knew one single person that really stuck with me. It said "You have friends everywhere, you just haven't met them yet" - that is SO true. I think back on all of our moves and all the friends we have made in so many places and I'm so thankful for each of them. We have friends from our very first move in the Joplin area that are truly some of our dearest friends. Mike still talks to and texts his buddy from there on a weekly basis. They have a special friendship that will last the test of time. Then there's our Arkansas people - my goodness, after 9 years, those people are family. They have been there with us through 2 of our 3 pregnancies, served with us at church, kept our girls countless times when we needed a date night or had to leave overnight, invited us over on holidays when we weren't traveling to see family, and just loved our family - and so much more. Those friends will forever hold a special place in our hearts and I have no doubts that Arkansas will always be "home" to my kids. And now we are a little over a month into our new lives in Indiana and what do you know, we are making friends and forming new relationships that I have no doubt will be a blessing to us. They already are. I say all of that to say this - if you are in the middle of a huge change in your life, maybe you are moving, maybe you aren't moving but you are starting a new job with all new people, maybe your kids are switching schools, or going off to college soon - don't worry! God will provide! You really DO have friends everywhere. You just need to meet them. And you will, just like we have time and time again.

Speaking of friends - 1 week from today, I'm meeting a few of them for a little weekend girl's trip!! WOO HOO!!!! I'm SO stinking excited! Pretty sure we will eat too much, laugh like a bunch of fools and talk our heads off. I haven't had a girl's weekend in so long and I'm so ready. One funny thing - I was telling the girls about it and how I'd be gone Fri-Sun. Maddie goes, "Who's gonna fix our hair?" I said that daddy would have to do it on Saturday and Sunday and she goes, "WE ARE GOING TO CHURCH AFTER DADDY FIXES OUR HAIR??" Then Macie chimed in and said, "I'm just not taking a shower until you get home!" HA! I assured them that it would be ok. They might not look like they do when I fix it, but that daddy wouldn't let them look like the 3 stooges all weekend. They crack me up!

Have a good weekend everyone - time to get out from under my warm blanket and do some laundry.