Time for an update

OK, so my last couple of posts have been downers. Sorry. So, I thought I'd take a few minutes to spin you up on what is going on with our family.

I'll start with the kiddos. Haley is almost done with 2nd grade. She is doing VERY well. She is reading at a 4th grade level and her math skills are amazing. She continually scores in the top of her class. (She must get that from Woody!) She has a "best friend" that lives next door and they are together ALL the time. Mariah is growing like a weed. She had her 4th birthday in January and thinks she is 14-with the attitude to match. She is definitely a middle child! She is so much like me; dramatic and over the top! She is also very free-spirited. She begs me every day to go to school, so I'm looking into local pre-schools for her. Grayson is approaching his 3rd birthday and it's setting in that he is no longer a baby. He is now potty-trained, even at night. It happened in less than a month's time. He was easier than the girls! He is a very emotional child and needs to learn to express himself through words and not tantrums. So, I'm trying to work with him on it. He and Mariah started a new sitter and we'll see how it goes. She thought she was ready for them, but I think they are going to end up being too much for her.

Nathan and I are doing OK. I'm working 3rd shift, which is difficult, but I'm trying to adjust. Obviously by my last few posts you can tell that I am homesick. Nathan thinks it's because of my job, and that may just be the case. I'm trying to get ready for a garage sale. I have 3 tubs full of clothes and a few other things. But, I need more than that for a successful sale. I've never done a garage sale on my own, so it should be interesting! Nathan is still working for the same company. I guess he likes his job. I wish they'd quit screwing with him, though. They expect him to do the work of a foreman without the pay. He drives pretty far every day and with the price of gas (especially diesel for the truck), a raise in pay would be nice!

It's hard to believe our journey here started just under a year ago. Who knew what started out as an innocent phone call to compare pay scales would result in a move! I'm still trying to make friends, but it's hard working 3rd shift. Plus, I'm just not the outgoing person I used to be. I find it hard to put myself out there. I need to work on that. I also started my weight-loss journey around this time last year. So far I have lost over 30 lbs. I have about 10 more to go and I'll be at my goal. Anything after that is just icing on the cake.

That's about it for now. I'll try to post pics once I figure out how!

You're Gonna Miss This

I thought I had it rough growing up in a small town. I always thought there had to be something more out there. I was bored with the way that NOTHING ever happened there. I complained about eating Dairy King all the time. I hated not even having a decent grocery store in town. My parents always tried to tell me it wasn't that bad and that some day I'd appreciate it. I grew up and moved away. Yet, when it came time for me have a family and put my first child in school, I wanted to be back in that same town. I didn't want my daughter to feel lost in a big school where she was just another number. Well, a series of events occurred forcing us to leave our little has we'd grown to love and town I knew like the back of my hand. A couple of moves later and I'm still trying to find that "safe place" that was provided to me all my life. I can't find my niche in a town or in a job. I miss my parents so much that I tear up writing this. I miss my family and friends so much that my heart hurts. There are days it hits me out of nowhere and my emotions make it hard to breathe. All those times of my parents telling me, "You're going to miss this" I never listened or believed. Now I wonder if it's too late. We moved to try and provide a better life, but how is it better if you're miserable? Then again, how can I make the kids move again and switch schools again? I can't turn their lives upside down and make them pay for the mistakes that I've made. Is there a way to find that happy medium?