Bursting with the weight of my secret

All right, time to let this all out. Most of the family already knows, but for the few friends that read this blog now and again, I can finally spill the secret that I have been carrying like a lead weight for several months.

We are moving to St. Louis.

Josh has a great job opportunity that came our way (surprisingly) from his former firm. It's a fantastic career move - one that we could not pass up. We feel that the Lord has practically beat us over the head to get us there. Never in our lives have we felt more inspired to make a move than this one. It feels right on so many levels that I won't go into here, but sometimes - when you know; you know. And there is no disputing it. This WILL be our last move for quite some time (or maybe forever). Yes, we're plantin' some roots.

We told the kids tonight - and surprisingly, there were no tears. I think we've shown them that moving across the country isn't as scary as it sounds. They had no trouble acclimating when we moved here, and they are excited for the new house.

Which, by the way, we have put an offer in on and not seen yet (talk about a leap of faith, no?). I leave early tomorrow morning to fly out for the inspection, but we feel certain it's going to be great. We've seen similar floor plans and pieced together the layout from online pictures. It's a 5-bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2,900 square foot home (plus a full basement) in the suburbs of St. Louis. It needs a teensy bit of remodeling - but we're hoping to get it all scheduled and done before the kids and I actually move in. We'll have a smallish yard - about a third of an acre (though by California standards that is quite huge).


Josh will move out there and into a hotel at the end of this month. We hope to close on the house mid-June, and a few weeks after that, the kids and I will follow - giving them the chance to finish school. We'll have Josh home on the weekends (fun commute for him) so it shouldn't be too bad. We've done it before; we can do it again.

We will be sad to leave California (and unfortunately I gleefully threw out all our winter gear when we moved here) but there are so many great things waiting for us in Missouri. We'd love to host any visitors - so feel free to stop by if you're passing through or coming just to see us. We'll finally have the room to host. St. Louis - here we come!

Torture by drill and suction

Today I had the unwonted privilege of paying an ungodly amount of money to sit hands clenched, toes curled, mouth gaping in the dentist's chair for about two hours. Apparently, all the top-notch materials used to repair my teeth as a child are now obsolete and my fillings needed to be replaced. Some of them had cracked and had decay underneath. Lovely, no? The things no one tells you...

I loathe the dentist. And that's actually putting it nicely. To me, if given the choice of having dental work done and poking my eyes out with toothpicks - I'd most likely opt for the toothpicks. Seriously. I hate it that bad. Josh tried to cheer my spirits this morning by reminding me of all the surgeries I've had, the fact that I've birthed three children (one without an epidural, thank you very much), and that I'm tough enough to endure daily life with the likes of him.

It didn't cheer me up. All of that pales in comparison to the endurance I need to face the dental drill. It's like nails on a chalkboard for two solid hours. Awful. Ugly.

So now I'm numb from my eyeballs to my neck, I have been deprived of my favorite hobby (eating), and I can't tell that I've got drool running down my lips. I am quite the picture of loveliness. Hannah summed it up ever-so-tactfully when she said, "You don't look berry good. What did you do to your face?" She finds it quite comical and keeps coming in to say, "Show me your smile again." Then she shrieks with laughter and runs off giggling.

I am so eating all her good Easter candy this weekend. That is, providing the feeling in my face returns by then.

Three Little Words

I got tagged for this Meme from my favorite Housewife, DCRMom. You have to answer the questions in three words - no more, no less. Thought I'd play along (as I am too stressed today for any clear thinking or poetic prose - neither of which I've ever had anyway).

Here goes:

Where is your cell phone? Right beside me.
Boyfriend? Are you kidding? (One husband is all the boyfriend I can handle)
Hair? Curly, straight, thick. (Yes, I am an oxymoron, even in my hair)
Your mother? Lives in Utah.
Your father? Lives with her.
Your favorite item(s)? Camera, scrapbooks, shoes.
Your dream last night? Didn't have one.
Your favorite drink? Iced diet coke.
Your dream guy? I married him.
The room you are in? In my bedroom.
Your fear? Being publicly humiliated.
What do you want to be in 10 years? Healthy, skinny, happy.
Who did you hang out with last night? Husband and kids.
What are you not? Disorganized, graceful, depressed.
Are you in love? Every single day.
One of your wish list items? A new house.
What time is it? Two twenty-four.
The last thing you did? Spoke with realtor.
What are you wearing? Jeans and turtleneck. (Yes, it does occasionally get cold here)
Your favorite book? Pride and Prejudice
The last thing you ate? Half turkey sandwich.
Your life? Charmed, blessed, happy.
Your mood? Usually very good.
Your friends? Loved, kind, funny.
What are you thinking about right now? Our new house.
Your car? Silver Honda Pilot.
What are you doing at this moment? Eating my lunch.
Your summer? Never long enough.
Your relationship status? Very happily married.
What is on your tv screen? The Wonder Pets.
When is the last time you laughed? One minute ago. (At Hannah who asked me for the fifty billionth time if she can get her ears pierced for her birthday)
Last time you cried? During my PMS. (That's the only time I EVER cry and it's always because I feel ugly).
School? Like to finish.

Okay, so I tag Marta, Annie, and my new Scottish friend, Peter. You're it - let's learn all about you!

Old Friends



This weekend we had some very good friends come to visit. We have not seen Chris & Emily for a very long time, and yet it felt like not a day had passed. We were able to pick up right where we left off and feel as though we were home. It made me realize how much I have missed my Emily. She is pure goodness. She does not have a mean bone in her body. She is the kind of friend who laughs at all your jokes (even if they're not that funny - and mine usually aren't). She always thinks the best of people and makes you want to be a better person. She is thoughtful, sensitive, beautiful, and kind. I love her to pieces.

We had such a great weekend - loads and loads of good food (with Chris could it be any other way?), Sea World with the kids, sunshine at the beach, and laughing so hard we almost peed at the Gelatoria. Oh, and laughing so hard because our kids HAD peed on each other (seriously, don't ask!). But it was by far one of the best reunions we've ever had. We will not let too much time pass before we see them again, that I can promise you.

How was your weekend?

My very own Keats

Chase has been working secretly in his room on a mystery project. When his masterpiece was finished, he shared it with me - it was a poem. And because I cannot pass up an opportunity to brag about my children (what mother can?) I thought I'd share his simplistic brilliance with you. I don't know many seven year olds that write poetry for fun, but he is that kid. He is so creative, so original. I just love that about him.

How do the trees move?
By Chase

How do trees move,
when the leaves move,
and the twigs fall,
when you are in your bed
and school is out.
When your alarm clock goes off,
the birds fly away,
you dash to play
the wind whispers through the air.

And here is the original (because I love all his misspellings and erased re-writes ):