Another Update (sorry no pictures this time)

While Daryl has been waiting for that company to call him (pretty much blowing everyone else off since they really didn't have any work for him anyway), he made the decision that maybe he should just make the most of his time while we are here and go back to school as well to finish up his degree. He has pretty much decided to stay away from anything construction related and has enrolled at Rio Salado online for the remaining of this semester taking accounting, a business class and another one..I think Psychology..not sure though... So in addition to helping me with my online Math class (which I am SO glad this is the last semester of that), he will be doing that. He's really thinking along the lines of Hotel Management..but he could still change. He's just too smart not to go back and do something else. Next semester he will have a pretty full load along with myself at CCC (he will eventually have to transfer on to NAU). We have been approved for financial aid (our special circumstances was approved) and he will now apply as well. We are definitely doing things backwards as far as marriage/family and going to school, but at least we are finally now doing it. He still may try and pick up something very pt, but we figured out our bills and what we need to live and we should still be fine despite everything. I know many of you have been curious as to what we are doing or are going to do, so I wanted to give you a brief update. Hope this answers any questions :)).

Oh and I forgot to add that that company decided to "finally" call him the day before he enrolled at Rio saying they just couldn't pay him what he was worth and didn't think they'd have the work for him come winter, but really wanted to hire him..but just couldn't. The guy who interviewed him didn't even have the gonads to call him, he had the guy from the Phx office call. Fine for us...this ended up working out well and I know that God has a plan for us and I really feel now that school is in "his" plan :). It also works out nice with the kids and organizing our time around school and around them not having to leave them at daycare for 40+ hrs a week while we are in school, since we can schedule classes at various times (or at least that's what we are hoping for).

Fair Time!

This was our first time at the Coconino County Fair. We have been looking forward to this for a few weeks now and our friends (the Moreno Family) have been wanting to come up, so we figured this would be the perfect opportunity to have them up. The best part was the livestock. There was a HUGE rain cloud over us the entire time, but only dripped a few times (but soaked our neighborhood). So we really lucked out!

This is Corbin's "smiling" face. He almost looks a little creepy when he does it lol. He's definitely not as photogenic as his sister. It's either this face, frowning or just looking in another direction altogether lol.

This is what our van read on the way home from the fair at 7pm. There was snow on top of Snowbowl as well..the pictures were just a little too blurry to post.

The girls first sleep-over.

Corbin enjoyed taking the boys (Max pictured) for some driving time. Corbin is now "officially" potty trained. He has been day trained for a while now, but night trained for a little over a month (Tatum didn't night train until 4 1/2, so this is awesome). He had one accident up here at night in his pull-up, but tell him he can't go driving the following day if he goes pee in his pull-up that night and that has really worked like a charm!

Eating kettle corn at Art in the Park (love it)!

Tatum is a hula hooping Queen now!

Finishing off our visit at Oregano's for lunch :)

It's a small world afterall...

Corbin, Tatum, Jordan and Emily :)

Tatum had her first ice cream social the other night. So we packed up the van and made the 20 min drive to her school. As soon as we were walking up to the front door of her school, these random kids whom I've never seen before are saying, "Hi Tatum". I'm proud she has many friends and she is so social, but it was also really weird since I have never met any of her "bus" friends before. I don't know..maybe it's just me, but since she's been little, I've known everyone she knows and now she is so independent..I kind-of like/don't like it..I'll let you know when I figure it out lol.

So on to the story...Tatum has this girl in her class, Emily (pictured at the very top with Tatum). Tatum talks about her every day and how they share snack on the bus and Tatum just thinks the world of her. So we walk into the cafeteria and Emily runs over to us saying, "You're here!" So her parents immediately come over and introduce themselves to us. They have 3 other boys (she's somewhere in the middle). Their youngest one is Corbin's age. So we get our ice cream and sit with them. Her husband is an nephrologist which is awesome, since I've seen a few urologists in my life due to my kidney issues when I am preg and it was really refreshing to find someone who actually helps to prevent them vs. getting rid of them. Okay, so on to my story. So I get to talking with Emily's mom and she tells me they just moved up from Phoenix about a month ago (well the PV area). They live about 5 mins from our "new" house. Then we talk a little more about where we grew up and come to find out, we grew up in the same area and went to Encanto and Clarendon elementary school (not the same years though). For about 6-7 years, I swam on a private swim team called the Rons Club. Our rival team was The Terrace Club and she swam on it. So we talked on finding out we were both in Brownies and Girl Scouts (she's going to start a Daisy troop in Flag and Tatum will join it with Emily..can't wait)...then I find out her mom was my brother's 3rd grade teacher! So her mom Facebooks me today asking me about my brother and saying how she remembered me and has already met Tatum when she was helping out the other day. I really had needed that since I was starting to feel so isolated and lonely and that really helped. So we are done eating our ice cream and Emily comes over and starts cleaning up everyones bowls and putting them in the trash. My jaw literally dropped to the floor. Her mom said that she has always naturally been this way. Definitely a great influence for Tatum :)).

Gotta love these kids!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Homesick :(

I didn't think I'd ever have to post this in my blog...we've literally been on fast forward for the past several weeks, that I really hadn't had the time to really let it all sink in. So Sat morning, we are driving around running errands and I start to get choked up. I mean really emotional and I feel silly since the kids are happy and so is Daryl. I'm sitting there thinking, "Okay, I'm done with my vacation and ready to go home and go back to my life". You know the feeling you get towards the end of any vacation where you know you are just ready to get back to reality. Well that reality is this reality and it never really hit me until a few days ago. It helps to have a Facebook and a cell phone to stay connected, but it's really not the same. I really miss my gym classes, my friends, the ability to just send my kids outside to burn off energy (in a fenced backyard) without worrying about whether or not a mountain lion is going to eat them since there is no fence here, being able to meet friends at the drop of a hat for a pizza play date, the e-vites to birthday parties or GNO that I will have to miss due to us being 2 1/2 hrs away and I miss the kids having their own rooms and their own space which everyone really needs. I worry whether or not I will be a good student or not or whether I will pass my classes and really fulfill my dream of becoming an RN. I miss my house and my things. My house is still there (it's being rented), but our things are gone. We do have Tatum's bedroom set in storage since it was our first set and a few other small things. But as far as couches, tables, tv's...all gone thanks to craigslist. Tatum even told me the day after my meltdown that she missed playing in her room and all of her other toys that I gave away since I had no choice (we just don't have the space). Her play area is literally next to my bed. We are living in a 700-800 sq ft area in the basement and are trying to make it "home", but it's still really an adjustment. The kids are doing well a few flights up sharing a room together. But it's still not the same since they just have beds up there and it's really not their bedroom.
And to top it all off, those people never contacted Daryl about the job that they supposedly wanted to hire him for. We still have a fund set aside for our van and house payment, so that won't be a problem. But still no fun! Our in-laws have been here the majority of the time we have been here so far which is great, but is hard because I feel like I need to keep a close eye on them at all times so they won't bother them (even though they told me they are fine), I just still naturally feel that way, so it just adds to it. I feel somewhat guilty for even posting this post, but it's only natural and I'm sure most of you would be feeling the same way. Yes, we are very blessed for this opportunity and it could have gotten pretty bad for us. We'll make it through and things are only going to keep going up from here and one day we'll look back at this time in our lives and just be so thankful for everything we have.

Time for another round of randoms...

These will be in no particular order...just a few over the past few wks I've had a chance to snap :).

I took this one today. I had an idea this morning to take Corbin out on the trail nearby the house for some exercise. Might as well get out in this fresh air and enjoy it before it gets too cold. I also figured I should get a few more uses out of this brand new stroller before he decides he won't ride in it anymore and then have to realize it really was a waste of money ;P. I miss my gym :( But hopefully if I do this a few times a week, it will help offset the extra snickers/chips/drumsticks that come fully stocked at this house that I can't stop eating lol.

Tatum started riding the school bus a few days after school started. I was always the type of mom that said I would never do that. Corbin sort-of broke the mold last year when the parking at Litchfield Elementary was just too much to handle and the fact that they would drive right up to our house and buckle him in a car seat made me agree to it. This on the other hand is not right up to our door since we live in a private neighborhood in the backwoods. So we have to go out to the main road to meet the bus. We LOVE the bus driver. He is a pastor for a Baptist church up the road and I fully trust him and his driving capabilities (we followed him the first day as you can see from the picture above lol). Tatum rides with her best friend from her kindergarten class and she has made friends with a few other 1st and 2nd graders which she loves.

This was how Tatum's classroom looked the night I went to the open house for parents only. So far no homework which is shocking to me because Sechrist is the top elementary school in Flagstaff with top notch grades, parents/students and teachers, but I've been told it is to come. I am practicing with Tatum every night on her reading skills and she's getting much better, so at least I don't feel she's falling too far behind everyone else. So far, I have not been a top notch parent though. I failed to put a note that she would be riding on the bus home in her backpack, but attached it to the outside (so I got a small lecture that night from her teacher lol). Also, I guess the girls are not allowed to wear spaghetti strap tops or tank tops to school. I should have gone over the manual (hey, I have been a little busy these days), but didn't and Tatum had to come home and tell me no straps like these (pointing to her spaghetti straps). Then I sent her to school on another day with thick straps and once again, got another lecture from Tatum passed down from her teacher (I don't get it, she went to a Christian preschool last year and I never got that lecture..must be her class only since Tatum said plenty of other girls wear shirts like that). So so far, I'm not parent of the month..but oh well..I'm trying...I have signed up for a few days of helping out in the class, so hopefully that will make up for it.

The kids usual position after a bath lol.
A self portrait of Tatum she drew at home one day..she's even designing outfits now for them.
Corbin now insists on dressing himself from head to toe. Usually he does pretty well as far as what he pairs together. This is just another random picture of him playing in the garage with a toy. He's been really into remote control cars and driving the hot wheels lately.
This was awesome! So I'm driving Corbin to school on the first day and right there (at 8:30am) on the side of the road (across from the house) was a young deer...just hanging out. Because I had my camera on hand to take pictures of Corbin's first day, I just started snapping away. I must have gotten at least 10 pictures. But I won't bombard this post with them..I think you get the idea :))