Saying Goodbye

Before we left Russellville we had quite a few good-byes to say.  We have met some special people during our time in Russellville.

This first picture is a friend we just chanced to meet one day.  We have known Ms. Bonnie for 3 1/2 years. We started talking with her one day as we were walking by her house and we developed a good friendship with her.  She would invite us over a few times a year for  play dates.  She had so many fun toys and the kids LOVED going to her house.  She always sent the kids home with little bags of candy and remembered them at birthdays and Christmas time.  She was the perfect in-town Grandma for the kids.

Ms. Bonnie, Rebecah and Kimball

 A lot of these women were either sisters I visited monthly or who visited me.  Two of them were Rebecah's nursery leaders at church.  It was sweet that so many people came to have lunch with me.  

At lunch with friends before we moved. 

 This last picture is of a sister that I have visited monthly for almost 3 years.  Usually I was her only contact from the church each month.  The kids always enjoyed going to her house because she usually had a large plate of cookies for them and toys.

Annette, Rebecah and Suzanne Loftin

As Long as We're Together

For those of you who may be avid Little House on the Prairie fans, you might recognize "As long as we're together" as a title to one of the episodes for the show when the Ingalls family moved from Walnut Grove for a time to the Dakota Territory.

The phrase, "As long as we're together" has been going through my mind a lot this past week.  I must confess that it was sad leaving Russellville.  Realistically,  we probably won't have an opportunity to visit again and it was sad saying goodbye to our first house.  We loved that house and we did so much to make it nice.  It was hard holding back the tears as I drove away from that house.  I just kept telling myself that it didn't matter where we lived as long as we were together as a family.  I know that is true.

Saying goodbye to our Moms was the second hardest thing about our move.  For the last 6 years we have lived about 6 hours from our family and it has been so nice to visit them 2-3 times a year.  I think we all held it together pretty well and when my moms were about to lose it, I just told them we would still visit.  If they had broken down, I wouldn't have been able to keep it together!

We arrived safely in Syracuse after a 3 day journey.  The kids did remarkably well, so much better than Joseph and I were expecting.  It helped that a few different people gave them various things to keep them entertained in the car...movies, books, coloring things.  It was very helpful.  Another big help was having Joseph's dad drive the moving truck and then help unload the truck once we got here.  Rebecah loved having Grandpa with us and unfortunately she fell asleep in the car on the way to the airport and she didn't get to say goodbye to him.  When she woke up and was aware of her surroundings the first question she asked was:  "Where's Grandpa?"  She missed him.

We will miss the friends we made in Russellville, but we know as long as we're together, we will be happy and we'll make new friends and buy a new house.

Annette's Birthday

I celebrated my 33rd birthday while we were at my mom's house.  It was nice to spend my birthday with more than just my little family.  Mom's always seem to have a knack for making birthdays special.  My mom's birthday was the previous week so she kept up her birthday decorations for me.  Mom, Heather, Joseph and I all went to the temple together.  It was amazing being in the temple with my family.  It was a wonderful experience.

For my birthday, Joseph gave me a new dress that I wanted.  It was hanging up in the kitchen after I showered for the day so I quickly changed clothes.  I love my new dress.

In my new dress.

The birthday girl with my handsome husband.

For my birthday dinner I requested spinach burgers.  This is a recipe that I recently found and my family LOVES them.  I wanted my mom to try them, but I knew she probably wouldn't have the chance if I didn't request them for my birthday so that is what I did.  They were so yummy and my mom liked them too.  I also had my traditional chocolate truffle cake.  It was heavenly.  I told my mom I didn't need to take a piece home with me since we returned the Russellville the next day, but by the time dinner rolled around the following day I was wishing I had brought a piece with me.  The good news is that my birthday will roll around next year and I'll have another piece then!

Cake Time!

Good thing there were only 12 candles...I barely got them blown out!

I felt very loved and special on my birthday and I was glad I could spend it with my mom and Heather.  I hadn't had a birthday at home with my mom since I was a senior in high school...which was a long time ago...  Joseph enjoys reminding me that I'm getting old.

Family Pictures

While in St. Louis we took advantage of Heather's nice camera and took some family pictures.  I didn't really care for our color scheme, but it was the best thing we could pull together that coordinated without going out and buying coordinating colors.  

Joseph and me...looking  a little squinty eyed.

Kimball and Rebecah sitting on a stump together.

One of the best shots even thought Rebecah wasn't smiling very well.  

It is so hard to get the kids looking at the camera and smiling all at the same time.  If one was looking the other wasn't.  The individual shots turned out a little better. 

Now we have documentation of our family for 2012.

Trip to St. Louis

Last week we returned from a trip to St. Louis.  It was great to spend the week visiting family.  It wasn't the best timing since we are moving 2 weeks after our trip, but it was worth any extra stress to spend time with our family one more time before we move 15 hours away from them.  

We spent General Conference weekend at Joseph's parent's house.  We enjoyed family time as we listened to Conference.  Here Rebecah is showing her affection for Kristi and is all smiles.

The kids were very good during General Conference.  I was surprised they didn't spend more time in the basement playing with toys.  Here Rebecah is coloring her General Conference BINGO page and Kimball is building with his Hero Factory men.

I was actually surprised how well Kimball listened to the talks and was able to recall who said what a few days later.  When we were at my mom's house we were trying to think of the speaker who said a specific phrase multiple times and while the adults were thinking Kimball piped up with the correct answer. 

When we weren't watching Conference, Grandma had fun activities planned...like Pumpkin Carving!  Kimball is hard at work here concentrating on his design.

Grandpa saved the day when Kimball needed a little assistance.

The finished project all lit up.  

Monday morning we went down to my mom's house to spend a few days.  Here we are with Heather.  I just realized that we didn't get any pictures with my mom.  She was always behind the camera. 

Laura's family came down one afternoon for a few hours so we could see them as well.  Here Laura and I are posing.

We had to get Chandra in on the action as well.  She was sporting her baseball spirit and I believe the Cardinals won that day.  

The Minsters and the Coffeys...a good looking couch full of people.

On Tuesday, Joseph took the kids to a local park while I was helping my mom and Heather.  

Wednesday, Mom, Heather, Joseph and I went to the temple.  While we were gone Kimball and Rebecah stayed with someone that my mom knows from church who has a son Kimball's age.  Rebecah did NOT want me to leave her, but she ended up having a good time.  While we were gone they made spider hats.  Both kids were so proud of their hats.  

We had a great time visiting our family and it was nice to take a break from packing and not feel guilty about doing nothing toward our move.  We'll make a brief visit on our way through St. Louis when we leave Russellville next week.

Trike Derby

 At Kimball's preschool they have an annual fundraiser where the kids collection donations and then all of the classes participate in a little Trike Derby.  Each class goes outside and rides their trikes around the parking lot.  I thought 20 minutes didn't sound like very much time until I stood there watching the kids go around and around in a circle.  I thought they would never stop.

Here the kids are at the starting line.

Joseph and I tried and tried to talk Kimball into taking his bike, but he felt more comfortable on his trike so we let him make the decision.  There was another boy in his class that had the same trike so he didn't feel leftout when everyone else was riding on a bike.

Rebecah and me watching.

Kimball's class at the "Winner's Circle". 

Kimball with his medal.  Every child received a medal for participating.

Taking a drink with friends.

With Kimball's time at preschool being very short we are trying to give him the opportunity to participate as much as he can.  He loves preschool.