Progress!

Back on line! Radio Shack had the needed powerchord and bam! I'm back! I feel really grateful that's all I lost on the cross country escapade. Our good friend, Melissa in Tucson sent an email asking some great questions to help my tired brains translate where we are and what's going on. Thanks Melissa for the help!

The house has become a drama. It isn't finished as the Amazing Realtor Mark warned me could happen. He's been a FANTASTIC guide and doing his best to keep the guys on track, but it's not coming together. Everything else is in place, the paperwork, the mortgage, we just need the house finished. So, we'll see. The mortgage window closes the 15 and then everything would have to start over…Everyone who's reading this please make sure that you are visualizing the closing, the girls in their rooms, us moving in. In other words, pray like crazy.

Abbigail started school on Tuesday. She was amazing! It's been a big change to go from a class of 6 to a class of 23. And, she is having an awesome welcome and adjustment. I'm so proud of her! She already has a best friend which is thrilling. One of her friends, Emma, brought her some bluejeans with glitter in them. She was over the moon. She wore them to school today and they were a big hit. Thanks Emma!

I'm still not sure what is going to happen with Gabrielle. I am going to go and check out the Boys and Girls club tomorrow and their program. I've heard great things and hope it will be a match. It seems like the preschool program at the school isn't going to work out right now. So, again, I'm practicing the path of least resistance and trying another option. In the meantime she's loving all the kids at Leslie's house and the high action here. It's been raining so hard she can't play outside and she doesn't understand why dancing in the rain isn't an option. She did see Leslie and Si's cat Pitchy go down to her catbox in the cellar and came in to Leslie with hands on each cheek, her brow worried, frightened, "Leslie, come on, save the cat, it went into the forever darkness! The forever darkness!" Totally awesome!

The weather has been an adjustment. I think we're all doing quite well, but it feels really cold to us. The natives are all in shorts and hoodie sweatshirts and we're in winter coats, sweatshirts, two shirts, long pants, and today I bought lined boots for Abbigail. It's going to take us a year to get in the swing of this. However, we still are enjoying the trees, the rain, the grass. They were so excited to notice, "Mama, there is grass in every yard and it touches!! Look, all the grass!" Wonderful!

I have to say that Dalton has been incredibly welcoming. Abbigail said after school her first day, "I feel like a rockstar and it's really freaky!" We've never been so cared for, wrapped in kindness and compassion. It's incredible. They've brought clothes for the girls as our "winter" clothes are already not heavy enough. They've brought wonderful promises to help in any way needed. It's been marvelous. I can't wait to have a home, with the welcome mat out, so everyone can visit and meet these incredible people. It's an amazing community. Not to mention, absolutely stunning!

Today, I got all of the new clothes, the summer clothes, the winter clothes, the suitcases sorted out and put into our rooms here at Leslie's. I found all of my things and "moved in". I am hoping tomorrow that my brain will start to reconstitute and I can feel more like myself. We all know I have a lot of energy, but right now I am feeling like I only have 2 bars. Not good. I think as I learn my way around, more things get checked off the list should all help too. Siward is home tonight after being gone for 3 weeks for work. He is taking us to the dump this weekend! We are all VERY excited! The journey continues…