The Big Move

We couldn't believe the time had finally come--our new home was complete (mostly) and we could move in!  Will and I had worked hard for hours at night after the kids had gone to bed to get the house packed up.  We have so much stuff!!  We made almost daily trips to Goodwill trying to lighten our load from things we no longer use or need.  We tried to leave the kids' rooms mostly intact until the end, not wanting to raise their anxiety levels anymore than they already were.  Our house looked so empty already and the furniture was still there!  

Mimi came up Thursday night before we moved on Saturday, November 17th, and kept the kids for 5 days!! I know that we wouldn't have gotten half of what we did get done without her help.  It was priceless!!  On Friday morning, she took Anna to school and then both kids over to Sarah and Jason's for two nights.  Then the three of them spent two nights with Greg and Michelle.  Thank you to my sweet siblings and sibling-in-laws for housing my kiddos for a few days!!!

Friday was spent over at the new house getting last minute things accomplished like cleaning (for me) and getting the TV mounted over the fireplace (for Will).  Then we headed back to our old house to start packing up the kids rooms and last-minute items.

The kids on the empty furniture Friday morning...

...having the last bit of fun in the old house.

After a rather late night and early morning, Will and I were ready when the trucks pulled up at 8:30 on Saturday morning.  Here we go!  It took the guys until 3pm to load those two trucks.  We were really impressed with how well they wrapped all the furniture and packed everything so tightly.  After a quick late lunch, they started unloading at the new house and finished up about 8:30 that night.  Twelve full hours!!  In the middle of the afternoon, we got a showing request for the old house for the next day.  Are you kidding me??  We hadn't had a showing request in 6 weeks!!  Greg and Michelle were absolute saviors and spent several hours cleaning our old house Saturday afternoon while we were unloading at the new house.  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!  After the guys left, Will and I found enough stuff to make our bed and collapsed into it.  What a long day!!

The beginning of our long day!

For the next four days, Will and I unpacked.  Mimi would bring the kids over for short stents and Anna stayed for several hours Sunday afternoon to help us put together her room and unpack most of the playroom.  It was really hard on Jack to see us and then not be able to understand why he couldn't stay.  It became easier on Mom to just stay away until reunion time.;)  After four long, hard days of unpacking, we both felt really good about where we were--the house was mostly unpacked and we had been cared for by special family and friends who had brought meals to us and checked in on us along the way.  On Tuesday night, the whole Collins clan came over to the house for spaghetti dinner and Mimi and the kids spent their first night in the new house. With huge, thankful hearts, we waved goodbye as Mimi drove back to Wilmington on Wednesday morning.  We would see her the next day for Thanksgiving!!

Hiatus

I wanted to get caught up with blogging today because our moving truck is coming a week from tomorrow!!  We are slowly dismantling our house to pack it up and I'm not sure when the desktop computer will be next.  I also don't know when it will ultimately get hooked back up and am worried with Thanksgiving and then Christmas following the move, that I may not be back to the blogging board for a while.  I know I will catch up at some point, but wanted to explain the hiatus in advance.  It's exciting to think that the next time I enter a blog post, we will be settled in our new home!!!  Hooray!!

We Have a New Pastor!

Elizabeth and Don, Jane, David, Ann, Me, Billy, David,
Kim, Rick, and Matt

For the past year, I have been a member of the Pastor Search Team at our church.  We started in October of 2011 with the grueling and difficult task of ultimately recommending a pastor for the church to call as it's new senior minister.  I was so very honored to be selected for this duty and felt blessed for the opportunity.  I owe much to my sweet hubby who spent many hours playing Daddy-daycare as the team often had weekly 2-3 hour meetings and multiple out-of-town trips.  Looking back over the past year, I can say now that it truly was one of the most spiritually rewarding experiences of my life.  The nine-member team gelled like I have never witnessed a team gel before and we relied on prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit throughout the process.  We witnessed God in action through events that took place along the way and knew His hand was in all of it.  I have come to admire, respect, and love the other eight members of this team and am a bit sad that we will not be spending nearly as much time together in the future.
It was with excitement, pride, peace, and relief that we presented Dr. Don Gordon to our church this past weekend to be called as our new pastor.  We are all giddy with anticipation and have so much hope for what the future brings with him leading us.  After a long but successful presentation weekend, the church voted 285 to 1 to call Don as our new pastor beginning the first of January.
I cannot wait for what is in store for our church.  And I especially can't wait for the rest of the congregation to get to know Don and discover how inspiring he is.  He is absolutely the perfect person to lead our church into the next decade and beyond.  God is good!

Reading to Daddy

Halloween!

This year, Jack was a lion ("rooaar!") and Anna, at the last minute, decided to be Cinderalla again.  On Halloween late afternoon, we headed over to Nannie and Pops' so they could see the kids in their costumes.  

Such a cute little lion!

Then we walked over to trick-or-treat at Aunt Erin's.

 After a speedy dinner back at the house, we raced out into the neighborhood to see some friends.

Anna with Sophie and Ellie

Jack shocked us this year.  Anna at his age might have trick-or-treated at 5 houses, then she was done.  We kept waiting for Jack to be done, but he was loving it!  Once he figured out he got candy in his bucket, he was all about it.  He would run from house to house and got frustrated that he couldn't keep up with Anna.  And towards bedtime, Anna was the one to say she was tired and ready to stop.  I bet so--you both ran all over two neighborhoods!

Ready for a lollipop!

Proud of her loot!

Preschool Fall Festival

Last night was the Fall Festival at the kid's preschool.  The kids get to wear their Halloween costumes and the parents get to see the classrooms and watch the kids do a couple of songs.  Luckily, the two classes were staggered so we could take turns in each class.  It was a little crazy with so many kids and siblings and parents all in one place, but Anna and Jack had a blast!

Jack and Maddie were class leaders during circle time.

Ready to sing!

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

Jack and his friend Hudson, the dalmation.

Anna and Ellen trying to pick up pumpkin seeds with a straw.

All the kids were going crazy and
we looked over and found Anna like this.
Such a little reader!

Anna and her classmates.

Pumpkin Carving

Sunday afternoon, we had the Dash Collins clan over for pumpkin carving and for the chance to get photos of Jack and Caroline in their costumes together.  So fun!!

Jack, what does a lion say?

RoooooaaaaaR!

Miss Sassy Pants in her elephant costume.

Let the carving commence!

Anna and Jack with their jack-o-lanterns.
My attempt at Elmo didn't turn out quite like I planned,
but it was still cute.

Caroline and her daddy's fantastic monogrammed pumpkin.

We tried to get Anna to dress up as a zookeeper to tame this elephant and lion, but she said, "There's no such thing as a Barbie zookeeper!"  (She is planning on being Barbie for Halloween.)  I bet we could probably find a zookeeper Barbie somewhere in history!