The Silver Lining

Instead of dwelling on all the things in Utah that I will miss, I have been making a list in my head of everything I am looking forward to in our move east. I am very grateful for friends and family so close, but I have to look forward to our new adventure. Here are some things I am excited about experiencing next year:

1. Clean Air. After these past couple of gross, hazy days, I am very excited to be somewhere where the air quality is not a concern. Small town, less pollution = healthier Caden (I hope).

2. NYC. I have always wanted to visit NYC during Christmastime. I want to see the tree in Rockefeller Center, maybe see the parade, or the Radio City Music Christmas show. We will now have the chance to see this.

3. Washington, DC. We will be able to show the kids so many great things. Rocky has never been there either, and I am glad he will be able to explore as well.

4. Schools. The school system in our town is one of the best in the whole country. I will be excited to get the kids out of the over-crowded Utah schools, and into one where they actually spend money on the students and have the staff to teach.

5. Traditions. I am excited to create our own family traditions. I have spent every single Christmas and Thanksgiving with family. And I have loved it. But now I am excited to start my own traditions with my own family. It will be hard, and I will miss my family a lot, but it is about time I started my own traditions.

6. Family. Not my parents, but my own little family. When we lived in Denver, we acted much more like our own family, instead of someone else's kids. When we are constantly surrounded by our family, I feel that Rocky and I act more like our parent's kids that like and individual family like we should. I look forward to growing closer to my husband and to our children.

Lewisburg

For those of you not on Facebook, here is the big news:

We are moving to Lewisburg, PA.  Even as I write this, I still can't believe it.  I really didn't think this would happen, but it has.  We have house plans for a lot in Mountain Green, UT which we will never get to build.  I was picking out appliances, counter tops, and furniture.  I was so excited.  And then this.  

The Lewisburg firm called Rocky back in July.  He wasn't that interested, since he had a good paying job here.  But we figured that we could get a free trip and see Philly.  Which we did.  Rocky liked the firm, and PA is beautiful.  But we were comfortable here, and the money was better here as well.  The firm kept in contact with Rocky over the next couple months, and even flew him out there again in October.  Again, the firm was great, Rocky really liked the partners, but the money just wasn't good enough to get us to move across the country.  We started to put in offers on lots here, Rocky drew up house plans, and then on a Monday a few weeks ago it all changed.  His current firm had a meeting where they told everyone that they had to go to a mandatory 32 hour work week (with a corresponding cut in pay as well).  It wasn't the cut in pay that made us reconsider, but how unstable the cut made us feel.  What comes next, being laid off (again)?  Rocky was not confident that this firm would have enough work in the coming months to support everyone, so we decided to go where the work is doing well.  And it happens to be in Pennsylvania.  

When we were first toying with the idea of moving (back after the first trip there) I thought and prayed about the decision for a long time.  I wanted to do what was right for my family.  I waited and waited for an answer, and never got one.  I assumed that meant we were meant to stay.  So we made plans here.  On a Thursday, Rocky called the PA firm and told them that he really wasn't interested.  The following Monday was when the Utah firm cut his pay.  That was the only sign I needed.  I know many of you may scoff at my decision making, but I do believe that things happen for a reason.  

So off to Lewisburg we go.  Rocky leaves on Dec. 8th, but then will come back for Christmas.  Then in January we will all go and become PA residents.  I get butterflies in my stomach every time I think of it.  But I know that we will be OK, and that it will all work out.  

The F Word

I think about this word sometimes. No, I am not talking about the real F Word (you know, the mother of all swear words). I am talking about the word "fat." My kids are discovering this word, and they like to use it. I understand that this is not a bad word, but when you are out in public with your kids, and they see an extremely large person, it isn't fun when they say (very loudly), "Mommy, that man is fat!" I understand that they are just saying that as a statement of fact, and not as an insult. But I think that the word "fat" has become an insult. When did it stop being a fact? I am sorry, but some people are just fat. I am torn between agreeing with my kids and telling them that it is not nice to call people that. When they see smokers and say, "Mom, that man is going to get sick" I whole-heartedly agree with them. Yes, smoking will kill you. But with everything we now know about obesity, is it wrong to also say that the morbidly obese will also get sick? This is such a touchy issue, that I hate to address it. How do I explain to my kids that they need to be healthy without ruining their self image? I believe there is a big difference between being overweight and being fat. But it is hard to define that line. For the mean time, I will just try to ignore the fact that my son likes to say that people's butts will pop.

Devious Child

I will post the obligatory Halloween pictures soon, I just don't have my camera handy and I thought I would share this lovely story.

Yesterday morning before school Ciara commented on how it would be a good day to wear her flip-flops to school since they were not having recess.  I explained that it is way too cold to wear them, and also I don't allow her to wear them to school.  She said OK and put on her regular shoes and socks.  I sent her off to school and that was that.  She comes home from school and is wearing her flip-flops.  I asked her where she got them, to which she replied, "In my backpack."  I asked her when she put them on, and she told me that she changed her shoes while she was in line waiting to go into her class.  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't think I would have to worry about her changing her clothes at school until she was about 14.  What other 5 year old would take different shoes to school to change into?  What kind of devil child am I raising??

(On a totally different note, my Frye boots are so comfy!  I could wear them all day and not complain!)