Canning...

I've been canning the past few days and it has felt great to do something I love. Lisa let me take 2 boxes home the other day and they were perfect for applesauce and apple pie filling! I have 1 more batch to make but I've been pacing myself. I've also learned the art of slowing down, relaxing and resting, Tv watching, lunch packing, baking & trying new reciepes! It's been really strange to allow myself to do these things, I have felt guilty & unworthy as I've slowed down, but I'm working through the feelings and trying to embrace this time before things pick up. I'm just not good at relaxing and slowing down, but I've been trying to a little more. It actually feels nice when I can relax my mind enough to enjoy it. When everything is done, I sit and watch a show or close my eyes for 10 minutes! It's so weird! I feel like I know the towm now (There's only 6000 people in our town and the one 5 miles away) so it isn't too hard to find things, but I feel like we have a little routine down now. I love having Trav home on Fridays now because I'm still feeling lonely, sad and unsure. He helps ground me and having him gone for 12 hours is hard some days. I've been really happy and really depressed since we've been here. Some days I don't want to get up- and so I don't. I've actually watched a lot of TV and I'm kind of ok with it. Other days I want to go for a drive and look at the beautiful scenery or check out the houses for sale. Somedays I want to bake or eat a lot- and so I do. I'm trying to just feel the emotions. Some days I cry a lot, others I can't stop grinning at the beautiful apples in my kitchen. It's all so normal. This depression is so much better than the "I want to kill myself" kind so I don't worry. I'm still taking care of everything and the kids, so it's nothing worrisome, its just bothering me because I feel like I shouldn't feel so sad. Everything is great and has been great and because of that I assume I should be void of any negitive feeling. It's just part of setteling, changing & moving. It's just really hard though. I hate change with all my heart. I hate the unknown and I must have predictability in my life- but I don't and so I feel a little crazy. It will settle, or pass or not- but whatever it does, I'll just keep breathing, enjoying and soak in the strange feelings of relaxing!

Making friends...

It didn't take long for the girl's and I to make instant friends! We were invited over to Lisa's house last weekend to press apples! It was amazing and lots of fun! It was so interesting to watch and then even more amazing to come home with 5 half gallon jugs to drink on for days! I've been invited to go/do a few things with a few ladies from church who are really sweet. We are already texting, on Facebook and having our kids play at houses. We are sharing carpool responsibilities, sharing baked goods, hanging out at each others houses and planning other activities too.It has really helped with the sadness too. We had the branch pres and his wife & family over a few Sunday's ago and they were awesome too! It's been fun having the kids in church activities, we had lunch over at the Bishop's house on Sunday and have the RS pres over and my VT's already! It's been a lot of fun although missing home has been really hard for me to adjust too. Having so many kind people drop off baked goodies has been overwhelming, but SO yummy! Seriously, we have had so many kind people from church drop things off! 2 different sets of neighbors have brought things too-a pie & and a loaf of bread! Willow already has a friend across the street too. It has been really great!!!

Random fun...

We've been busy having fun these past few weeks!

1st day of school and Kayla's soccer game!

I kept the kids out of school the first week we were here so we get settled. By the following Monday I was delighted to send them off to begin their new life at their new schools. So far things are going super! The girl's ride the bus to school and Tristin walks. Tristin is in band and plans to play basketball soon. The girls missed soccer, but plan to play as soon as possible and Willow & Roman have had fun going to the parks here, the library, friends houses and relaxing with Mom! We were able to drive to Wenetchee the other weekend to watch my niece, Kayla play soccer! It was great fun and I'm really glad we made the drive over to watch!

The new house!

Here's the new house! We are definatly using every inch of it and it's been great so far. We were so blessed to get the house and when I'm hand washing dishes a million times, I remind myself of that! We did have to sell a lot of our treasures which was sad, but we knew they wouldn't fit here. Plus it was good to get rid of some things. We sold our fridge to Annikan which we miss terribly, and life without a dishwasher is kind of sad :( But we are making it work, enjoying the neighborhood, making friends and enjoying school. Everything has gone so well from the very beginning and we are beyond thankful. It is only a 6 month lease with the possibility to rent month to month as she tries to sell it- so we will see. Things do not move fast here in this little town.

Mom & Brent come for a visit!

My poor Mom had been SOOOO sick the weekend we moved in and she felt terrible that she hadn't been there to help- so she made up for it the following weekend by bringing all my favorite things! (Seriously, it would have been soo crazy having anyone there that time, I was so happy the following weekend worked out, we were much more relaxed!) She brought my favorite enchaladas, lemon squares & potato salad. Oh, to die for! She also brought a housewarming gift (A bigger skillet which I love!), presents and her sweet spirit. Oh, and she brought my step dad along too! I love Brent so much because he's such a blast to be around and the kids adore him. He's always paying them money to run down a street, sing a song, perform or do something mildly embarressing. They love it and they each made $10.00 doing it! We had a great time! The boys went out the river and rode a boat around while us girl's hit a few yard sales and looked at houses. We had a feast that night for dinner, took them out to the dam and relaxed a little. After a long day they went back to their hotel to finally rest. We went to lunch the next day and then said our goodbye's. It was so wonderful having them come visit and the drive wasn't terrible. 4 1/2 hours to our place! MUCH better than the 10+ it took to Idaho!

Uncle Caleb comes for a visit!

My sweet baby brother came out on Thursday and stayed a few nights with us. I put him right to work after he arrived too! He helped us crush a million boxes and get them carried off in a 100 trips it felt like. We had fun at the park, eating pizza, listening to him play the guitar, visiting, reading books and enjoying the kids. His stay overlapped Mom & Brent's which was the following day. We twisted his arm and he stayed another night so we could all be together! Thank you for coming brother- I love you with all my heart!