Why I love where I live

These last few days have been absolutely beautiful. I wish I had taken my camera with me on my runs, and drives. I wish I could capture everything in pictures.

This morning I drove my son to school, and it was still kind of dark, it was a little cloudy, but the moon was still full and bright. Yesterday it was very clear, and the moon was huge and extremely lustrous. I was itching to run yesterday morning, which is a first.

It all brought me to remembering why I love it here so much. Which to me signifies a change coming.

Six years ago when we were starting out on our search for a home, we were hoping to live a little closer to the families. Our families are 10 minutes apart, so we looked in between them. Everything in that area was well over our base price, and we were quickly losing hope. So we decided to branch out and explore other areas. We thought we wanted to be closer to shopping and the 'main roads' so we stuck close to places like Kennesaw, Woodstock, and Cartersville. We found a few places worth checking out, but they weren't in the best shape, and others were poorly layed out. Some had wonderful homes, but the land was too small, or would have been difficult to maintain. A few were ON main roads.

I branched out my search a little more and found two very promising houses. They were priced right, and a bit off the beaten path. They're still in neighborhoods, but they were small neighborhoods.

The first house was a 8 year old ranch home on a flat lot. With it's 2 car garage and screened in back porch, with a lot of cabinet space and a good size pantry I was in love. All of the walls were white, so I had a fresh palate on which to express myself. The carpet was mostly new, one snag in the living room, but it was exactly where we would have placed our sofa. It even had a slate fireplace.

The second house was a 13 yr old ranch home. It did not have a screened in porch or a garage. The lot was not flat. Instead it had a single car carport, and a small open deck. What it had was a lot of trees, a storage shed, extra parking, and amazingly beautiful hardwood floors in the living areas and hallway.

We looked at both homes a few times. I even took my grandmother to see the first on the inside, and the second from the outside (as a family was still living in the 2nd). She agreed that both were lovely homes, which we would surely love for years. After some time and discussion we chose to put an offer in on the 2nd home. We were countered, and accepted. We moved into our home in April of 2003, and were totally in love. I painted our sons room bright blue, it had been a soft pink. We made the third bedroom an office with our computer and a small tv, and a sofa. Our living room held another sofa and the main television, coffee and side tables very nicely. We seemed to have the perfect amount of furniture to furnish our home comfortably.

We spent time outside splashing in the little baby pool with our son during the day. After dinner and a bath, we'd put our son to bed, and then spend hours sitting out on OUR back porch. Enjoying looking out on OUR land. We would watch the bats swooping around, our cat walking through the grass. Listening to the crickets and cicadias. When the lightening bugs came out we allowed our son to stay up late to watch them. And it was always quiet. Occasionally we could hear a big truck drive down the main road, but more often than not we were able to speak to each other in quiet voices.

The first few rains were amazing. The sound of the rain falling on the roof. On our roof. Of our home. There has never been a more beautiful rain. Standing in the carport and watching the rain fall on the yard, and flow down the driveway.

We watched the corn and cotton feilds grow over the summer. When the cotton bloomed I was in love. It's such a beautiful sight. After a few years I finally went out and took pictures. I will have to do it again this year and see if I can manage some worth printing and framing.

Standing outside late last night, it was almost overwhelming. I commented to my husband that we need to find a place similar to this when we move. It's going to be hard to move, and I don't know that we'll ever come close to something like this. I hope we can. Quiet, calm, peaceful neighborhood (ya know 95% of the time ;) we do have neighbors ). We can hear the cows in the nearby pasture. We can hear the crow of the rooster down the street. In the fall through early spring we can clearly hear the train whistle, and sometimes we can hear it chugging along. In the summer we see the rain clouds come in and feel the breeze. Watching it blow through the trees. The physcial feeling of peace and love when I drive down the road and see my home.

I'm going to miss it when we leave. I will not only leave behind our first family home, but i will also leave behind the birth place of my daughter. While her birth was fast and furious it was peaceful and calm in a way. Born here in the home where she was concieved, and has lived for the first 3 years of her life. Where my son has learned to ride a bike. Where my husband and I had to learn the fine art of communication. Where we loved and lost a pregnancy. Where our family grew in numbers, and in love. Where we've learned about ourselves, and what we want to accomplish with our lives, both together, and individually.

I love where I live.

Time for Spring!

Well, the new car appears to NOT have A/C oh well, at least I can put all the windows down, and cool off the car faster than the van would cool off. Not that I haven't figured out how to live with no A/C, but I was still hopeful.

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous! On Saturday we went down to see my mom and brother for a few minutes, then it was off to the in-laws. The kids were outside all day. The exception being when they went in side to eat the yummy *and HUGE* strawberries, and the juicy blueberries that my in-laws picked up. They each had 5 or 6 strawberries and 3-4 handfuls of blueberries.

I got to sit on the front porch steps with my sisters (in-law) and mom (in-law) while the kids played out back with FIL and their daddy. Swinging and sliding! They were a mess! We were there for so long we didn't have time to go to the grocery store, we came home and deposited the sleeping children in their beds. We actually went to bed early too.

Yesterday, I went for my run and a shower while the kids got to play outside, so they had about 2 hours to enjoy another beautiful day. Then we finally made it to the grocery store. I got some seeds for flowers too! I just need some more soil and a few tools and another week!! I'm excited to figure out where to plant my veggies and fruits, and of course to get started! We're about a week away from our "planting zone" and I'm itching to start priming the land!

Today I'm going to get the tag for my new car, and then probably up to Target for a little tiny shopping trip, followed by a visit to the library! How I miss the library! I have a couple things I want to look at as far as knitting, cooking and gardening books. And of course Kate is going to head straight for her favorite puzzle and be attached to it for however long we're there!!

And it's another beautiful day! I am looking forward to my errands, and cleaning my house, and then tomorrow I get to run!

Cold Weather projects

I couldn't get out of the house for almost 2 weeks to run. Between not feeling well myself, and then trying to get enough food in me for 2 days before getting back out there. I got 3 runs in, I think, before the rain came on Friday. And it started around 9:30. As it rained it got cooler. I opted out of running on Friday. Saturday I had some plans to visit a friend, and then head over to my favorite 2nd hand store and get a new pair of jeans and maybe a top or two. *just got a pair of jeans, and a nice pair of sweat pants. The sweats will be used for running, lounging and pj's, so very versatile*

On Sunday it was still raining, with a chance of snow, very windy and rapidly dropping temperatures. Today, yes it's very cold, yes, it should reach 34. No, 34 isn't bad. but the wind....sucks for running.

I have 2 projects in the works right now. I'm working on finishing a sock for the husband, and a hat for myself. And then I'll be making my Sister-in-Law another Flappy :) She loves the flappy I made her for Christmas, and has requested another. She went through my yarn stash yesterday and found some colors she would want in there, so yay! That not only thins down the stash a bit, but it also keeps me from searching forever for the right yarns! If the yarn I have doesn't work out I now have the right colors to look for! Which makes it easier :)

And, I got a new car! It's not NEW by any means, but it's MINE. Once I have the tag I'll have free reign again! I'm so happy. I can go to the grocery store by myself if I want. I can take the kids out to my grandmothers and go swimming. Or to their grandparents for visits. I can go to the consignment sale later this month, and the consignment stores when summer approaches for more summery cloths. I can take donations of old clothes and house hold items to the Goodwill trailer. (I have a LOT of clothes that I need to purge!!!)

I can consider accepting more doula clients, I can attend my friends childbirth classes. I really do want to take some more births so I can attend a CBE training and get the ball rolling there, but I need to make the money first. CBE training is expensive!! So keep your fingers crossed that I can pull that one off.


No new pictures at this time. I'll keep clicking and see if I can manage to take some worth putting up soon!

In the mean time you can all jump up and down with me! My dear friend Carrie is coming out to Atlanta in April!!!!! I'm so thrilled! She'll be here Friday afternoon-Sunday afternoon, and gets to stay here with me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I just need to get Jill and Cat, and others out here, or I need to go out there! I've never been to Texas or Oregon. Then again, I've never been to Illinois either ;) I"M SO EXCITED!!!