Moving

Last week early Tuesday morning we embarked on out almost 14 hour journey to our new home in Kernersville, North Carolina. We left at 4am so the boys would have less awake time in the car. I slept some while Matt done and when he was tired I drive while he slept. I do think he got more sleep than I as Matt is fond of finding the rumble strips on the side of the road! We drove until about 10 before we stopped for breakfast in Indiana at a local breakfast restaurant.

Then we were back on the road. We had planned on stopping in Cincinnati for the night, but Matt thought we shouldn't reserve a hotel in advance not knowing how the boys would do. I disagreed but we didn't have a reservation therefore no place to stay in Cincinnati. Traveling with our cat Gideon definitely made it more difficult to find a hotel last minute.

There want much on the other side of Cincinnati so we ended up making it all the way to Huntington, West Virginia for the night about 5pm.

We got checked in, Gideon settled and changed into or swim stuff. We grabbed some dinner at the hotel and were off to the pool. The boys had fun swimming and spent most of their time jumping in.

It was late to bed for all of us so we decided to take it easy and leave later in the morning. We got away about 9 in search of coffee, coke and breakfast! Once all of the above was located we were on the road. This part of the drive was beautiful, driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains. I am glad Matt did all of the driving! I tried multiple times to get a picture, but none did the beauty of God's creation any justice.

We stopped at Bojangles for lunch, a place we had heard about. We weren't that impressed.

We stopped at the North Carolina state line for a picture of the boys with the sign. Carden slept while Cavin did the cutest little celebratory dance. We made it into Kernersville about 3.

It was a long drive, but the boys were awesome so all went well!!

PK Theology

Tonight at dinner, out of no where, Rance told his cousin Samuel, "Well, Jesus was married to the church."

Matt and I just looked at each other and quietly chuckled. Matt eventually explained that it wasn't a literal translation but an example, and what it means.

This isn't the first time our boys have said something they have heard or learned that while true, they don't begin to understand.

It's Going To Be A Late Night...

We still have a lot of packing to do...really more organizing than packing, but regardless, a lot to do. Hopefully it will go much quicker with three little ones in bed!

God Told Noah...

Cavin and I's after bath conversation...

C: God told Noah to build an arch...

M: Yah, would you build an arch if God told you to?

C: No, God tells us to do different things.

M: What did God tell you to do?

C: To move to North Carolina and make new friends, me, Rance, Carden, Mommy and Dad...

I am continually blown away by his understanding of God.

A Weekend With Family

Last weekend all of my family came our way for a weekend of fun. Friday Matt and I took Rance, my brother and his wife their two oldest and my sisters to Six Flags. Rance and my niece and nephew had earned a free ticket again this year for reading. This made the third year in a row we have taken them.

This year we broke tradition and diss the water park first since in years past it had rained in the afternoon. Rance was tall enough to ride all of the water slides and I was surprised he did some of them! We did a big funnel one you go back and forth and Rance and Matt did a green one that is practically straight down! It was a fun but exhausting day!

Saturday we all headed to the zoo. It was a beautiful day and crazy busy. We have a zoo membership but the lots were full by the time we got there. We still had a lot of fun and was able to see a good portion of the zoo. The kiddos got to ride the carasoul, pet and feed the sting rays-maybe a shark too-and see the sea lion show.

We had all just sat down when a storm rolled through but we had the perfect seats and didn't get wet at all.

This is the only picture I grabbed on my phone as we were heading out of the zoo, Carden and Josiah were already headed to the car for much need naps!

Laughing

A couple of weeks ago Carden wad playing with a pen that has a Christmas light on the end that lights up. Carden was hitting with it so Matt told him no.

Carden typically always cries when you tell him no, but this time he laughed, as in am all out belly laugh. Of course Matt laughs and the game continued. Carden hitting with the pen, Matt saying no, Carden belly laughing, Matt laughing.

So now almost everytime I tell Carden no, he laughs. I am totally blaming this on Matt! Oy, this child is a mess!

Cavin's New House Wish List

So this weekend we are having a moving sale as well as an open house. We are trying to save some money and sell our home ourselves.

As we talk about selling our home and getting a new one the boys have had lots of questions.

Rance's biggest concern is if it will be a bigger house.

Cavin, on the other hands, said he wanted a basketball court in his basement.

I asked him what else he wanted at his new house and he said a swimming pool and toys.

Oh the life of a four year old. Although I have to say, a basketball court in the basement would make this mama pretty happy too!

Missing Wien

Vienna is never far from our thoughts or hearts, it will always be such a special place to us. I often find myself homesick for the city, but especially for our overseas family. Its bittersweet when fellow missionaries are back visiting Wien and posting tons of pictures, or past students post pics, and recently posts of graduation pics of our first sixth grade class.

So when I am especially homesick I am thankful for Aldi, Hofer in Vienna, and the few familiar Austrian things they carry. Lucky for me, these were (still are!) one of my favorites!

White Stuff

We are in the midst of VBS this week which makes for late nights for my boys. Two nights ago Cavin asked to rock and there is no way I could have said no! As we were rocking he kept saying something was cold, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. He was pointing to his hand so I guessed hand, fingers and names of individual fingers. Exasperated, Cavin again pointed to his hand and said, "no, this white stuff!" Ah, he was saying his skin was cold! Made my day!

Shark Boy

Cavin loves sharks and after searching high and low for cute -not scary- shark shirts, Gymboree finally came out with a line of shark clothing! I wish I could have went crazy and bought all of it, but just the few pieces I caught on sale made his eyes light up!

Since our VBS started yesterday we dressed the boys more casually for church since we wouldn't be home the rest of the day. -Graduation party, more VBS set up.-

Cavin was so excited to wear a new shark shirt and his shark flip flops to church! He got his flip flops for Easter and hasn't worn them yet. I am not a huge fan of flip flops so my boys mainly wear them to the pool, so this was a special treat. -Tennis shoes were taken for later.- To top of the look was his beloved shark spikes!

Fyi, according to Cavin this is his mean face!