Getting settled

Hello everyone!!! We are finally moved in and unpacked. It's been a hard transition but it's getting much better. We just celebrated Aria's 1st birthday and she is getting so big. We are having so much fun with her. Watching her with Isabella and Micah is great, she thinks they are so funny. No one can make her laugh like they can. Isabella likes her new school, but says on a regular basis that she wants her old friends back. She really misses them alot. All I can say is "I know baby. I miss my friends, too." We have shed many a tear together since moving here. It has bonded us closer.
We have visited several churches and all fall so short from what we are used to. I equate it to living in the house of your dreams and that house burns down and you are forced to find another home. You can look at other homes and they may similar things that your old house had but it doesn't have a bay window like the old one or the bedrooms are too close to the kitchen unlike the old one. So you don't like it because all you really want is the home that you loved that burned to the ground. That is how it was this past Sunday. We visited a church about 30 minutes north of us and it had many similarities of our previous church. The pastor was good, but not Jeff. The music was good, but not JD. The people were nice but not family (although I know that I can't expect that to happen immediately---that will take time!). Positive things are that I did get alot out of the sermon and God has used it for the past couple of days to really minister to me, which is something we haven't gotten at any other church that we have visited. And the fun thing is that the people in the church are very energetic and vocal during the music and the sermon. The music was lead by black and white people and it was very soulful, but definately different than what I am used to. I have just decided that I am going to focus on God from here on out and let him lead us in where to go to church. This may wind up being our church home but that will be up to God and what he wants for us.
Please continue to pray for us as we continue to make this transition. The prayers that you have prayed so far have definatley been felt. I will download pictures soon.

Christmas at BeBe's

Well, Christmas has come and gone and it was a wonderful holiday. Isabella and Micah had so much fun with Santa this year. Now that the holidays are over we will be leaving for Illinois. Michael found us a great house and he's been feverishly working to get it ready for us when we get up there. While there is sadness about leaving there is also anticipation for what the new year and this new chapter in our lives has to bring. Michael is very excited about his new job and the future that he has with his new company and I am very excited that he is going to get to be a "hockey dad". Micah has decided he wants to learn how to play ice hockey and he wants to learn to snowboard. Isabella wants to start ice skating and learn how to play the piano. Aria will be 1 year old in January and has started walking and talking. And my goal for the next year is to learn how to play the violin (big asperation I know, especially at my age). It will be an exciting year.

You can take us out of the south...

Well, Michael may be able to take us out of the south, but he won't take the south out of us.

I found Micah his first pair of cowboy boots at a consignment shop last week. He has worn them everyday, and even has slept in them a couple of nights. When we got home from buying them that day he immediately went to get his cowboy hat. He walked in with his hat and his boots on and said, "Hey mom, I have my hat and my boots, now all I need is a horse." I agreed with him completely since it's always been a dream of mine to have a horse. I love living in the south and even though we will be "mid-westerners" soon, I will always be a "southern belle".

For my Aunt Judy

At the request of my Aunt Judy, I am putting some recent pictures of the kiddos. Aria is 8 1/2 months and a carbon copy of Isabella (at least in appearance). She is so joyful, she smiles all the time.

Micah is 3 (turning 4 in November). His favorite thing to do is hang out with his dad. He loves doing "guy stuff" with him.

Isabella is 5 and her absolute favorite thing in the whole world is ART, just like her Aunt Amy. She's really good too.

These three beautiful babies are my and Michael's greatest joy AND greatest headache. Just kidding!!!

TRYING THIS BLOGGING THING

So, at the suggestion of a friend I have decided to start a blog for our family. With as much moving around as we seem to be doing, this seems the best and most logical way to keep people we love informed with what is going on in our family.