We have been in our new house for one month. I love it and am finding new things to enjoy about it every day. My backsplash STILL isn't done (they did it once, incorrectly, and taking the tile down caused the tiles to break, so they had to re-order it) but I have been told it will be finished soon. I hope so! My cleaning lady came over yesterday to walk through the house with me.....she will clean for the first time on Monday WOO-HOO! After she left yesterday, I got a wild hair and cleaned all the bathrooms and swept all the floors, mostly because I was ashamed of how they looked when I was walking through with the cleaning lady. I love our central vac system!

Now that we are moved in, I am so ready for some new furniture! There is a Bedroom One (don't know if that is a regional or national chain) near us and they are going out of business, so we got some cheap bedroom furniture for the two older boys, but I want/need a new table & chairs, bar stools, and living room furniture for our greatroom area. Our old stuff (bought for cheap with our house in Wichita Falls) is ugly and I can't wait to get rid of it! All in good time, I know.

We are still waiting for the landscape company to come and work their magic. We have had so much rain here that they haven't been able to get started. Consequently, my house is an island in a big mud pit. We did get an in-ground bball goal installed for the boys, but when they miss a shot, they have to run into the dirt/mud to get the ball. Ugh. I know we won't have grass for a while, but I will be glad when they at least level things out and get it seeded.

Luke turned 14 two weeks ago. He was just barely taller than me (5'7 or so) when he turned 13, and now he is within an inch of DH, who is 6'2 or maybe a little more. He has been going to open gym nights at the high school, to work on basketball and to meet kids for next year. At the high school is a kid who signed with Purdue when he was a sophomore. He will be a senior next year. Luke has gotten to scrimmage with him several times and has rebounded/scored off of some of his shots. This older kid (Travis is his name) has been very kind to Luke and has encouraged him quite a bit. The cherry on top was that he "friended" Luke on FaceBook this week. Luke was in 7th heaven! Even if Luke ends up not playing basketball, he will remember scrimmaging with this kid for a long time.

The other two boys are doing well. Joel is getting geared up for 6th grade next year in a new school, same building as me! Nathan will be a 2nd grader in the lower elementary and will be riding a school bus. He has already made some friends in our new neighborhood, so I think he will transition fairly easily. Both of the younger boys are going to do swim team again this summer, which should help in the friend department as well. It is gut-wrenching to help them through these transitions yet again, even though we didn't move far.

After hearing all year that I would be full-time next year, I am likely looking at the same work schedule next year that I have had this year, which is teaching four periods with one period of prep time. I don't mind getting to go in late/leave early (whichever it turns out to be) but I am going to have large classes next year (2 sections of 44 each in 7th grade) if they keep me on my current schedule, and that is always challenging.

My half-sister had a second baby boy (her first baby was born a year ago with a serious heart defect) on April 11th and they are doing well. However, my Dad called me last week, wondering "if Adrienne had her baby yet?" Grrrr. I have no idea why she didn't call him, and I was embarrassed for him that he didn't know yet. His kids from that marriage don't keep in contact with him, and I have no idea why not. He didn't leave them, and the reason the marriage between him and their mother ended was because SHE had an affair. My half-brother was in the Army (band) during the time the affair/divorce was happening, and he dealt with it by volunteering to go to South Korea for two years. He is done there and will be in the states within the week. (I only know this through FaceBook.....he was the reason I joined in the first place.) He has not spoken to my Dad in two years, nor has he made plans to see him during his time off before he reports to his new duty station. I could just shake both of them. My Dad is 77 and he is not/has not been perfect, but he was a much better father to them than I ever had. I feel caught in the middle a little bit. I can't make Adrienne and Jordan have a relationship with their Dad if they don't want one, but I can't make my Dad stop asking me "what I hear from Adrienne and Jordan" either. It is heartbreaking to me.

When I look back at what has gone on this year (DH's office move, my school move, our move, plus all the other normal stuff.....sports for the boys, concerts/contests for me, call for DH) I can't believe we have come through it all. It has been a LOOOONG year. We are getting to end of it, though. Luke leaves on his class trip to Mackinac Island on Tuesday, swimming starts for the younger two next week, track for the older two is ongoing, basketball open gym for Luke is ongoing, I have my last concert on May 14th, and Luke has 8th grade graduation on the 28th. Only a month of school to go! We are going to an amusement park (King's Island for you midwesterners) tomorrow....I am chaperoning for my school, so my family can go for free! I think the weather will be sub-optimal, but I couldn't pass up free transportation, no driving, and free admission to the park. DH and I both have the day off today (and the kids DON'T!) so I am hoping we can get caught up on some stuff and also do a little shopping. I think we are going to get Luke a cell phone for his "graduation" gift, so we need to check them out.

I promise I will post pictures once the backsplash is finished! I don't think I have posted pictures of the hardwood or carpeting, either, or the decks. We are really enjoying all of it and DH and I are very pleased with the final result.[/QUOTE]