The Why

Grandma Mary-Ann showing the kids pictures of Maine the night that we told them about the big move. They took it with mixed emotions until I told them we might be getting a wii next winter since it snows so much in the northeast and it will be something fun that we can do together as a family. Cue cheers and squeals of delight. I'm not above bribery. 

As the reality of our cross-country move sets in we are knee deep in preparations to get our family back to the east coast. Housing arrangements, movers, boxes, trips to Goodwill, you know the drill. I wanted to record my thoughts and feelings about this move before they get swallowed up in the inevitable stress of the next few months.

This job change came about when Ryan decided that he would shoot a couple of resumes out to different job postings around the country. He has a good job here in Phoenix but it isn't one that either one of us could see him sticking with long term for various reasons that I won't bore you with. A couple of those potential jobs got back to him, and the one in Maine was particularly interested in setting up an interview to meet him. They invited both of us out to the east coast for a long weekend of interviewing and exploring the town. I must admit that it was really, really nice to spend that time with just Ryan and I (a first), knowing that our babies were safe in the hands of my in-laws.

Although the town is small, snowy, and very far from home, we really liked it. Children were playing hockey and ice skating outside, it is right along the coast and the water was so so beautiful, and everyone in the town was so welcoming. It has a really small town feel along with a hint of tourism. I got the feeling that it is where Mainers go for a getaway (sorta like Park City for Utahans but on a smaller scale and with an ocean instead of mountains).

It was comforting and a relief to know that we liked the town, especially since the people at the hospital really seemed to like Ryan. From the day that this opportunity presented itself to us, we have really tried to be prayerful about our decision (if there ended up being one). Both Ryan and I decided that if we make this move, we want it to be long-term. We want it to be because we see ourselves raising our family there. We were able to attend church there the Sunday morning before we left. It is a small branch of about 75 members. I prayed and prayed that if this were the right move for our family, that I would feel good about the branch since it will be such a big part of our life in Maine. We entered the chapel right after the opening prayer, and as we began to sing the sacrament hymn I felt a wave of peace wash over me and I knew that Heavenly Father wanted us to be a part of this small town. The thing is, Arizona doesn't really need another strong family, and they don't need another podiatrist. Maine needs both. And so when he was offered the job we accepted it. I have thought back to that moment in the chapel many times as doubt has crept in and I ask myself, "Why on earth are we doing this?!?!!" And then I inevitably feel peace about what we have chosen. This General Conference address has also brought me a lot of peace and direction for our particular situation.

So years from now when my children ask me what brought our family to Maine, I can tell them this story.

Mid-Coast Maine

Photo taken outside our hotel room. 

Ryan was recently offered a job in a little coastal town in Maine. It was just too good for us to pass up, so it looks like we will be making our second cross-country move in less than a year. I can honestly say that until this job presented itself, I never once thought about living in Maine. But I also never thought I would live in Iowa or Connecticut. Life is funny that way. Arizona is a great place to live and I have loved the desert. I'm sad that we haven't lived here quite long enough for it to feel like home.

Both Ryan and I were able to go to Maine when he interviewed and it was really, really beautiful. The hospital is located in this cute little tourist-y lobster town. Other than on my mission, I have never lived in a small town. It looks like I'll be trading in my convenient suburban life for one in the country.

I guess I better learn how to raise chickens.

I'm really, really excited.

From the Mouth of My Babe

Ike and Dave before school. We live close enough to walk and if they are ready on time in the morning they get to ride their scooters. Isaac is pretty much always ready on time. 

I made sushi last night and when Isaac saw what was for dinner, he groaned and asked, "Is that the totally disgusting food that you have to shove in your mouth all at once so it doesn't have to taste so horrible?"

We are anxiously awaiting a visit from Ryan's parents this weekend and the excitement level is through the roof. Yesterday morning when Maddie woke up she said, "Ican'twaitIcan'twaitIcan'twait!!!! I wish I had a time machine so I could go into the future and Grandma and Grandpa would already be here!!!"

Maddie @ 6 1/2 Years Old

Maddie with her bow and arrow at the park on Christmas day.

While the days are sometimes long, the years seem to just speed by. I can't believe my only daughter is six and a half. I was reading through the blog, reminiscing about what she was like when she was three and a half and it seems like it was just yesterday. At least once a week (sometimes it's more like daily), I can't help but think how this parenthood thing is the hardest, most humbling, soul-searching, challenging job I have ever had. I hope it is refining me in good ways and helping me become a better person. That said, it sure is rewarding to watch my children learn and grow. And our little Madelyn seems to be learning and growing so much lately. Here are a few things I want to remember about her at six and a half:

• She loves bacon. She told me it is her favorite food. I indulged her on New Year's Eve and wrapped Little Smokies in bacon and baked them for her and the boys. Now that is her favorite food--processed meat wrapped in more processed meat. Her second favorite food is snap peas. This girl can down a pound of snap peas in a single setting. Do the snap peas balance out the bacon?
• She loves to ride her bike outside, play Legos and "house", read book after book (The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary is a current favorite), and play with her baby brother. She thinks everything he does is adorable. 
• Her new favorite TV show is Studio C.
• Most of the time she is a peacemaker in our home. Except when she's not.
• For Christmas she got the card game Sleeping Queens and has wanted to play it almost nonstop ever since. Her brothers seem to love it as much as she does, and frankly, so do I. 
• Maddie is very outgoing and makes new friends wherever she goes. 
• She still loves to be tucked in at night.
• She told me that her New Year's resolution for 2015 is to learn to play hockey. That might be tricky here in the desert but we'll see what we can do. 
• She is a great teacher to her younger brothers and is usually very patient with Davis and Nathan. She loves to teach them new things. 
• Listening to her use big words (in or out of context) is comic relief for me. And she has recently taken to using air quotes (usually incorrectly) and I have to hold the giggles in every time. 
• Getting her out the door on time each day is a monumental feat. I'm crossing my fingers that this is just a phase she will grow out of. 
• We took the kids to a fun center yesterday to celebrate the new year. They had a very small indoor roller coaster. Having never experienced the thrill of an amusement park before, Maddie jumped on the coaster and had her hands in the air seconds after it took off. They remained high above her head the entire ride while she squealed with delight as it went around and around. That is how I always want to remember my Maddie at six years old.

Christmas 2014

Christmas Jammies, Dec. 24, 2014.

Christmas 2014 was the first year that, aside from getting together with friends in morning to decorate cookies, our little family spent the holiday with just the six of us. I wasn't sure how it would all end up going down (i.e. would I get desperately home/friend sick during those two days?), but we looked for to spending time with one another. And while we did miss our family and friends over those few days, we had a really nice time together. We took the kids to the park on Christmas Eve and just let them play and ride bikes until the sun went down (thanks AZ sun!). Then, instead of heading home to cook our usual Mexican feast, we headed to Cafe Rio and let them cook it for us instead--it was awesome!. No clean-up and everyone was happy.

Christmas day we spent the whole day playing and building (Legos) and eating and just hanging out (confession: I didn't even take a shower!). We ate a nice meal that I had mostly prepped days before so I didn't have to spend hours in the kitchen. I was worried that this would be the first Christmas of pure disappointment because none of my kids were getting anything with an "i" in front of it (they all had primarily electronics on their initial Christmas lists. When I told them that wasn't going to happen, they revised the lists to include Legos and action figures). Luckily, all three of the older ones declared it, "the best Christmas ever!" just like they do every year. I'm sure that won't last forever so I am clinging to those words as long as I can.

I love this time of year and I'm always a little bit sad when it's over, but I think January can bring an excitement all it's own. We aren't celebrating the birth of our Savior, but we are celebrating new beginnings and new resolutions to be more like Him. I have high hopes for 2015. I can't wait to see what this next year brings.