Breathing again

Has it really been over 2 weeks since my last post? I suppose that's a sign of how crazy our life has been lately. But it's been a good crazy! We are breathing again and marveling at how God continues to work everything out for us. For those who were kind enough to pray for us while we traveled through uncertainty, thank you. We would not have made it without you. I have lots of fun picture posts to add but wanted to give an update on our family first. I am working full time again at the freckled frog and loving every minute of it. Coco is thriving at MPNS and Sebastian is playing hard every day at "Mimi June's." Want to hear the best part? (Insert drum roll here.) Donald has a job! He absolutely HATES it when I use the terms "real job," "unemployed," or anything remotely close to those words. But hopefully, I'll never have to use them again. He is working for a good friend Steve Acree at his rockin' business Seismic Audio. The job began as temporary and praise the Lord is going to be permanent! Finally out of the manufacturing world, Donald is not having to get up before the rooster crows and actually getting to eat breakfast with his family. We are living upstairs at my parents and will (hopefully) start a house hunt after Christmas. While our current living arrangement may not be ideal, we are super grateful for the roof over our head and refuse to rush into a home purchase. I have already warned Donald I will be super picky because I do NOT want to have to move again for a very, very long time! Now, those are words I never thought would come out of my gypsy mouth. Finally out of what seemed like a hopeless situation, we are reminded that God's plan is far greater than any one we could ever create. (Romans 8:28)

9/11: We will never forget

It's so hard to believe it's been 10 years since the 9/11 attack. Like most people I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. I was driving to work when the radio waves were interrupted with beeps and panicked announcements. Once I got to work, the entire firm was huddled around a t.v. in the conference room. We all had blank stares and exchanged no words. However, and maybe unlike most people, I'm not sure I grasped the gravity of the situation. At nearly 22 years old, I was still so "green" and didn't fully comprehend that this attack would forever change the history of the United States. Kathryn Schurch, my good friend and co-worker at the time, said between her tears that day, "America will never be the same again." She was a little older and much wiser than me. Filled with naive and unrealistic optimism, I couldn't understand why she would say that. Well, 10 years later, I understand exactly what she meant. I also have come to better understand the tenacity of the America spirit and that freedom is not free.

The Twin Towers: awesome structures and symbols of democracy, freedom and the American dream.

The attack: gruesome. cowardly. barbaric.

The Memorial: Proof that the American spirit will not be silenced and that we will never forget.

Weekend with Buddy Bear

Coco just finished her first full week of preschool. (I have cute pictures from the first day of school that I can't get off my camera yet. It appears the printer power cord is just the first of what is sure to many things missing from the fast & furious move.) Anyway, her first week ended with a double-whammy treat! She got 10 "good behavior" stickers earning a trip to the Treasure Box. The diva glasses in the picture were her treasure treat. Buddy Bear was the other treat! Buddy is the class bear and Coco's name was the first one to be drawn to take him home for a weekend visit. Lucky girl! We had a low-key but very fun weekend with Buddy. She didn't want to take him EVERYwhere she went because she was afraid "someone would take him." She played dress up with him, slept with him, put a bib on and fed him a banana, swung with him in the tree swing and did manage to take him to Taco Bell of all places! We completed her homework in the Buddy Bear notebook tonight and she was super proud. I'll keep my fingers crossed she maintains her enthusiasm for doing homework.