Finally pictures of the house

Here are a few pictures of the house and the floors we did.  I couldn't get a good pic of Julia's cute polka-dot room so I'll have to sent that another time.

Pictures

I know a lot of you are anxious to see some photos of the place.  I haven't forgotten about you but my camera has seemed to have grown legs and walked off.  As soon as I locate it and have some time to take pics, I'll share a few!! :)  We're getting settled little by little.  The realities of life continue to slowly sink in.  I miss Rob so much.  You don't realize how much you take someone for granted until they're gone.  Rob was such an amazing father and husband.  He helped with the house and kids so much.  It's very overwhelming doing the every day things on your own.  When Rob was deployed all those times, I was able to do them because I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.  I was also able to ask him questions and get his advice.  Now, I feel like I'm blindly walking through life praying I do the right things.  As strange as this may seem, I can hear Rob talk to me.  Whether it's me saying the things that Rob would say to me, or him actually saying them to me, I still find comfort in it.  There have been several times when I didn't know where something was at or how to do something when I would "hear" him and then I would find the thing or figure out how to do it.  It's super crazy but I feel we are that connected.  I cling to our memories and cherish the time we spent.  I point out daddy to Eva in pictures and she says "dada".  She will grow up knowing what an amazing daddy she and Julia had.  Julia's doing great.  We have our moments where she likes to "test" me, but for the most part, she's a great help and most definetly a wonderful big sister.  It's hard not being part of the military anymore.  When you move to new places, the military "forced" you to meet new people through coffees and other gatherings.  Being new here, it's hard for me to get out and meet people.  In honesty, I'm too exhausted to even think about meeting people.  I'm still consumed in paperwork and being the "all in one" parent takes a lot out of you.  But, in time, things will get better.  I'm blessed to have the support I do and could not ask for better friends and family.

Making a home

As I'm sure you can all guess by the lack of me writing recently, I've gotten moved into our new house.  We finished the wood floors Wednesday evening just in time for the movers to come the next morning!  We didn't think we'd get it done, but I was very determined, and by golly, we did! :)  Anyways, you really forget just how much stuff you have in your place until the movers keep taking it off the truck.  Just when I thought I had everything in it's place, my parents would come over with a bunch more things that I accumulated at their house.  So, I'd find a place for those, take a sigh of relief, and then wouldn't you know it, my brothers would come with a bunch of things I had left at their houses!!!!  But, amazingly enough with a lot of help from my family and friends (and staying up VERY late nights!!), 10 days after the movers arrived, I've gotten everything (I think!!) in it's place, curtains up, accessories bought, pictures on the wall,  and able to fully live in it without tripping over boxes.  The only place that we still have to do is the garage.  Rob always did that and besides a screwdriver and a few other tools, I don't know what 90% of his garage things do (and he has a LOT of them).  So, my dad is going to do that part and show me where to find things.  Of course, there are a few rooms that I still need to "perfect" but I can't do everything now because then I can keep my mind busy doing them on other days.  I didn't go through Rob's things yet.  They're in their own boxes in a store room.  I need to give that time.  Although I feel like this house is finally feeling like a home, there's still a HUGE void in it.  I know he's gone but when I see him in pictures, it makes it feel like he's still alive.   Of course I want pictures up of my husband and the girls' daddy up, but they also make me sad.  I hope in time, that feeling lessens.  On another note, Eva finally decided to start walking!!!  She's been taking a few steps here and there for several weeks, but now she's walking around more and more.  It's so cute watching her because she looks like a drunken sailor! :)  I continue to thank God for my girls.  They definetly keep me busy and with all the firsts they will be doing, it helps keep my mind off of things.  Well, I'm really tired and so I'll end here.  I'll try to write again soon (especially now that I finally have internet at my home!)

I must be CRAZY!!!

I am SO EXHAUSTED!!!  I wanted to give a quick update since it's been a while since I last wrote....  My trip to TX went well.  My dad and I rode down in his truck and my brothers took my truck and followed us.  We arrived Saturday evening.  On Sunday we were busy taking down the swingset, Julia's loft bed, and putting the wheels back on the boat trailer among other things.  Monday morning, my brothers headed back up to NE pulling the boat behind them.  The packers arrived soon after.  My dad and I decided to get a hotel since there wasn't much left to sleep on.  I enjoyed my "extra" time in the evenings spending time with my TX girlfriends.  On Wednesday, the movers arrived and loaded up all the boxes and furniture.  Once they left, dad, and my friends Paige and Ali helped me clean the house.  Dad then went back to the hotel which allowed Paige, Ali and I to have one last "hoorah" at my home.  It was SO hard leaving it.  It's always hard leaving a home, but this one was especially hard to leave.  But, as we left for NE early Thursday morning, I was able to close that chapter and start another one.  We arrived in NE late Thursday night and by Friday afternoon, I had pulled up the carpet in the main floor.  Saturday my dad, brother, sister in law and I started laying hard wood floors in the dining/front room, living room, and kitchen (somehow among this I also managed to paint Julia's room).  I have been working from 8:30 in the morning to about 9 pm with my dad and my brothers and sister in laws have been coming over after work to help.  By Sunday evening I was wondering what the heck I was thinking starting this project!!!!  Laying floors is definetly hard labor and there are parts on my body that I didn't even know could hurt!!  But, things are coming together and we may actually get done tomorrow evening just in time for my house hold goods to arrive on Thursday!  My garage is filled with carpet, vinyl, and flooring boxes so I am going to have to take those to the dump to make room for our boxes from TX.  And boy does doing flooring make the house dusty (and messy)!  In the end, I will be SO GLAD I did the floors now before my furniture arrived.  Rob and I have laid floors before in our house in KS and he didn't mess around.  He wanted them done YESTERDAY.  So, I've been called (kiddingly, I think) a slave driver by my dad and brothers, but hey we're getting it done! :)  I'm sure Rob's had a few laughs at us during this project but I also know he's pretty impressed at his girl laying the floors like an old pro! :)  Anyways, I'm exhausted and I have another long day tomorrow.  Maybe one day this chaos will end and I will finally be able to relax....