polkadotglasses

Whew! 2008 is drawing to a close - and what a year it has been! Here’s a look back at the action of 2008…

Seems like January and February were filled with stresses from various sources - and Conner had a lot of asthma issues due to the cold, windy air of Oklahoma.

March was crazy. Our house was on the market. I started a wonderful part-time job at LIFE Senior Services - I adore those people and the job was very fulfulling. At the end of the month, I also flew out to Arizona for my brother’s amazing wedding. It was so much fun to be pampered at the spa before the wedding and just hang out and enjoy the festivities.

April brought more mayhem as we received an acceptable offer on our house. Tim and I gathered up all our gumption and made the decision to relocated our family to Florida. It was extremely hard to put in my notice at work as everyone there was fabulous and I enjoyed the work so much.

May was super crazy as we frantically packed up and vacated the house. The actual day of closing could have filled up several sitcom episodes - huge tubs of Legos spilling on a slanted driveway, numerous runs to storage, a closing where the people’s funds from the sale of their house hadn’t shown up yet, but they were waiting on the keys to my house… I will never forget the generosity of my friend Megan and her family - allowing us to stay with them for 2 weeks. My entire family enjoyed the experience so much - they had fun stuff to play with and constant playmates. I can’t describe how wonderful it was to get to spend loads of time with my best friend. After our stay there, I took the kids to stay at my mom’s. Again, we had a fabulous time being there with her. It was hard to be away from Tim while he finished out his work in Tulsa. At the end of the month, it was time to load up in the van and head to Sarasota.

Moving — I will never forget the day Tim left out for Florida. It was so stressful to not be with him on his journey. I kept calling him on his cell phone. I couldn’t sleep and late that night, he confessed that the “check engine” light had been on in the truck for hours. I was so petrified that he was going to break down on a dark highway in the middle of nowhere - all by himself. I can’t describe the relief I felt when he arrived safely. Then Mom and I loaded up the munchkins and headed out. That was such a crazy adventure. I am used to being the copilot/navigator while Tim drives. Mom and I didn’t quite match up with our travel skills - so it was comical at times. I was also so anxious to see Tim and our house - so the 21 hour drive seemed to last for a month. I won’t forget walking in the house for the first time - the view of the lake was fabulous.

Summer - Going to the beaches; watching lizards, turtles, birds and otters in my backyard; going to the Farmer’s Market; watching gorgeous sunsets; watching Ian learn to paddle around the neighborhood pool; enjoying a wonderful visit from my mother-in-law and another visit from the Hoey girls that was action packed and full of fun! (trips to museums, aquariums, and a huge water park were fabulous)

Fall - The frustrations of being so far away from family and friends started to set in as the kids started school and Tim settled into his job. Then, mother-in-law had quadruple bypass surgery and it was so difficult to be so far away. We did do our best to keep busy and to take advantage of the area attractions and amenities. Boy, that trip to the pumpkin patch event just about killed Tim and me - but the kids had a ball! My mom came back for a brief visit and it was so nice to have her here. Tim and I got to have a few evenings out for the first time in four months. I started writing some web content and have actually gotten paid for my work - granted it’s not huge dollars - but it has been nice - and a lift to my ego too.

Holidays - The holidays were very difficult - I was not mentally prepared for being so far away from everything familiar to me. Plus, my mom was literally leaving the country for Christmas. Then Tim got really sick with pneumonia and was down for the count for almost 3 weeks. That made it even more difficult to face our first Christmas in Florida. The holiday event at the Ringling Museum was a highlight and something that I will never forget. The instructors at the kids’ Taekwondo school have also been very wonderful and comforting during this difficult transition.

Looking Ahead — I am trying to focus on why we moved here and to keep finding ways to enjoy the stuff here. I will continue to try to make connections here. I am also planning a lengthy trip at the end of the school year to Arkansas and Oklahoma - and that has lifted my spirits immensely. Life is an adventure - and we have definitely stepped things up to a new level by our relocation to Florida. Can’t wait to see what 2009 has in store!