I'm Back

Well, it has been quite a while. I thought I might just kind of quit this...but then I thought it might be a little theraputic. We will see....;-) So we just had the election and I kind of keep my opinions to myself....ESPECIALLY on facebook. I see people who say things and it makes me laugh because I know there will be a firestorm or opinions on what they say. I have opinions...but I can't vote...YET. I need to get on that. But I was quite disappointed on how it turned out....only because I feel like this country needs to have someone come in and get more jobs and the economy back up. It has not been done this last 4 years and now I feel it won't happen for a long while. Health Insurance is already getting us and things are going to be changing because of the cost of it. There is so much I could say....I just deleted a bunch of things because I feel it is complaining. I don't want to complain because it does not good. I need to put my efforts into getting our citizenship so we can vote in the next election and have a voice. I need to wake up and take care of my family every day and put my efforts into making lunches, getting ready, helping with homework, driving to places they need, making supper, get them ready for bed with a story (if the night is going well...;-) and then tucking them into bed to get ready to start another day. I have 6 important and fabulous kids that I need to keep track of and make sure they grow up to be hard working citizens of this GREAT country which 5 out of 6 were born in. I need to start stating things I am grateful for. I am so grateful for my family. For 4 WONDERFUL siblings who make me laugh when we are together and who will always love me unconditionaly. For my parents who I know I don't see hardly EVER but who I know would do anything for me in a minutes notice and who manage to remember every birthday that happens in this house. They are great! Life is good. Even though there are houses we would like to sell....;-)) So enjoy what we have around us and think to yourself...."It could always be worse."

Made it!

Well, I know I wanted to blog more often, and I really had good intentions to do that. But when I sit down at the computer I don't have anything to say. It is while I am running around cleaning up, dropping kids where they need to go and taking them to the parkk that I have all the great ideas. I don't think I am a blogger by any means. But I guess this is here now for my friends in Iowa and around to see what we are up to....;-) We left Iowa in July. Drove to Wilsonville Oregon. It was a great 3 day drive. We made it, all 6 kids in tow. From the time we left Iowa and then ended up back in Wilsonville after our trip to Canada I had driven over 5000 miles in less than 1 month. CRAZY. But our summer was one I am sure I will never forget. But it will always keep me grounded. I was looking for an adventure but got so much more than that. Most of it has been good. I am just so happy that school finally started because I think the kids were going crazy being around each other every day. ALL DAY. Or mainly I was going crazy. But it started and they are doing well. Getting into the swing of things again. They all seem to like it here. Austyn is even showing little signs of liking it although I doubt she will let me know for a while that she likes it. The weather here has been GREAT. I love the weather. It has been fairly sunny which is nice...and yes I do know it will be cloudy and rainy a lot....;-) I miss a lot of people but happy to be closer to drive home if we need to. My mom ended up having heart problems this last week and I was on standby if I was to go up. I was so happy that I could pick up and go if needed to help them. Well, I will try and update my blog when I can. Hopefully more often. Well the kids came in and now I have to go break up an argument. Got to love it.

Leaving Cedar Rapids.

Well, it is almost time that we will be leaving Cedar Rapids. There are times I cry just thinking about ALL the wonderful people that I know here. It has sure been an adventure. A 12 year adventure here. But it is time to move on and man I am so excited to leave these winters...haha. We have met many, many great people here that I will always remember. Neighbors, Best friends (you know who you are), people at the grocery store, gymnastics, church, school. So many people. When I feel sad, I think about how much closer we will be to family. We are still 12 hours away but that is 12 hours closer than we were. And a 12 hour drive is VERY doable. So as I say good-bye's and cry to myself about leaving I just think about the great adventure we are taking. The new people we will meet, the beach that is only 1 1/2 hours away, family, and just doing it as a family. I know we will be crying as we leave the city....and I can't tell you where we will stop crying...because it may be a while, but I am excited for this new adventure. For warmer winters....;-) I thought I would be writing more often but a lot of times I can't think of the right things to say. Things have been busy and I am trying to soak everything in while getting ready to leave our house and our belongings until we sell said house..(which hopefully won't be too long). All though my neighbor told me today that she hopes it doesn't sell so we will be back. I do hope it sells because that would make things a lot easier. Anyway, I hope to write before we leave. It will be soon because we are leaving in a couple of weeks. So I hope to say hi on here again! Take Care Everyone!

BUSY BEE...

Well, I have been pretty busy getting our house ready to put up for sale. It is quite an overwhelming thing sometimes when I think of all I need to do. But with great friends who have come over and helped it has been GREAT!! I look at something and just want to crawl in a hole rather than do it. But when friends come over I just take it on. It is always nice having someone to take it on with me. Things are coming a long. Next week I will be getting rid of many of our things which is GREAT! I have been decluttering and throwing away and it is nice. I am not a hoarder by any means. (by the way that is a scary show...lol) but I have a BIG house and there are a lot of places to put things. So all my grand intentions are going somewhere else...;-) I also think the less we have the less my kids will have to mess things up...haha. Anyway, it is all good. I am excited for this new adventure in our life. I am sooo excited to be closer to family. I can't tell you how excited I am that our drive will be 12 hours instead of 24. Very excited!! Anyway, I will keep you up to date on how things are going. Our Realtor is coming next week and hopefully soon we will get it on the market. How exciting! I am taking in all the Iowa I can right now while I can! I have loved it here! It really is a great place! Well, Happy Easter everyone! Be Safe!

Change is in the air....

I guess things can't stay the same forever...which is sad but also can bring on new adventures in life. We are moving to Portland Oregon. Iowa has been our home for almost 12 years. I love Iowa. There are GREAT schools, GREAT open land, GREAT corn....;-), and GREAT GREAT friends. People who have been my family for a long time. One nice thing is that we are getting closer to family. My family and I are SOOO excited about this because it has been a long time. To only be 12 hours away from them instead of 24 hours away from them is so wonderful and we are all giddy with happiness to think of being so close. I am hoping to see more visitors because we are now a lot closer and I know they have all said "if only you were 12 hours away..." haha...we will see.

But right now I am busily trying to get my house ready to sell. I actually have surprised myself with how much I have done. I was kind of in a slump for a long time and now am getting back to the old carrie...well not too old..haha. But I have been working hard and am very excited to get things cleaned up and de-junk my house. And yes you heard me say it...DE-JUNK my house...usually I have things that mean so much to me. But I am ready to let go. Ready to give it away.

I have to stay up on blogging so all my Iowa friends can keep in touch with our life. So I am really going to touch base every week and let everyone know how things are going..with the move, family, new job, etc. I just try not to think about leaving too much because if I do I start to tear up. So I just think of how great it will be to be close to family and NO MORE FREEZING COLD WINTERS!!! That is also something I am VERY excited for.

Well, I promise to keep everyone posted. Hopefully we have warmer weather around the corner for us all. It has been pretty nice here which is nice. But summer will be here soon.

Thanksgiving!!

Okay, I have been living in the USA now for 11 years...I like it fine down here there are are few things I would change if I ruled the world, but I don't so I am happy with what is here. One thing though that I have really had a bit of a deal with is Thanksgiving. In Canada it is in October so after thanksgiving it can be all about Christmas which is nice because you can enjoy all that time of the season... Here you have Thanksgiving and then 4 weeks later it is Christmas. Just too busy....lol.. I am the type of person that wants to give thanksgiving its own holiday so I wait to put the tree up until the day after Thanksgiving, But it kills me sometimes to wait. This year the stores have almost seemed to cut thanksgiving out. At Walmart down there isle of season stuff I saw discounted halloween things and then christmas on the other side. Where is thanksgiving you ask..??? It was on the end of the isle and only had about 2 feet of room of things. There may have been another one on the next isle that big also.

Anyway, Enjoy the quick season of Thanksgiving and Christmas...I love this time of year. I don't like the cold but I love this time of year.

Cold......which brings me to my next thought. I think if it is going to be cold there should be snow. Yes, it is crazy to drive in but I think it makes me less mad about the cold when there is snow. (k maybe not). But if there is snow then there is a reason to be cold. Right??

Enjoy the season! and the cold (I guess)!!

I know what I will invent!!!

As I am sitting here needing to fold the Mountain of Laundry that is sitting her I have figured out what I can invent. I AM GOING TO INVENT Disposable Clothes. I think it is great. They will be make of very earth friendly paper material of some kind and after you are done with it you can put it in your Fire place and burn it. Then it won't clog the garbages.... There will be no Laundry, no garbage... Win Win!!!! Yay. I need to get started....haha.


For my thought of the day.........I love days you can just stay in and get things done, especially when it is a little chili out. Enjoy your kids and make a nice warm supper. I have so many things to get done and it is nice to just have a day to try and get everything done. Or at least a few thing.....

Have a GREAT WARM DAY!!