One Month Ago

We were saying goodbye to New Jersey. It was the hardest place to leave yet. Our friends were really good about sticking to my "No goodbyes, only see you laters" rule. That definitely made it a less dramatic drive away.

It took 4 days to get everything packed on the truck, and at 5 pm on the Thursday before Easter, we hit the road. We made it all the way to NW Virginia that night with the plan to make it to Louisiana the next day. The next morning the Plan was out the window when Lise' couldn't keep anything in her stomach. I thought we had dodged the virus that was going around school. I guess I was wrong. Luckily it was the only symptom she had, so we trudged on with me at the ready for her to call Mommy at which point I would quickly hang over the seat with a bag ready to catch.

I offered many times to drive, but B wouldn't switch with me for the world. It was a long day, and we didn't make it to Louisiana. By the time we reached Alabama, Abri had the back end of the virus, so we decided to stay the night in Tuscaloosa. The next morning, we arrived in Hammond just in time for lunch. Lise' was feeling much better, and Abri looked as if she was doing fine. It was Mommy who was now sick to her stomach, but we were in the middle of a move, so no time for sickness.

Dying eggs with Clare & Kaye





Unfortunately, the truck was arriving the day after Easter, so B and I said goodbye to the girls and headed to our new home in Jacksonville, FL.

Our welcome was the opportunity to see the Space Shuttle liftoff into the night sky. B and I have seen it once before 14 years ago when we worked at Disney, and it was still as thrilling as the first time.

The bright light is the shuttle

The sunrise reflected in the exhaust trail from the shuttle.



We finally arrived to the new house just in time for a quick peek inside before the truck arrived.

Welcome Home


The dauphin doorknocker


What it looks like when you enter the front door.


Cabana Bath that connects to the pool outside.


Master bedroom. How do you like my Gone With the Wind curtains?


View of the pool from kitchen.

Kitchen

The first flaw. After closing on the house, B came over and heard a hollow sound below one of the tiles. It's his nature to investigate, and when he did, he popped up an entire two rows. For two weeks, we walked around and tripped over the DO NOT TOUCH zone.

Mural in Lise' & Abri's room.


The Jack & Jill bath off the girls' room

Spare room that will become a guest room and playroom.

What a 3 car garage looks like when it's empty.

The stuff that won't fit in the 3 car garage at the end of the day because it's too FULL!!!! Where's the basement?

First photo of the deer checking out the new neighbors.


B and I had the luxury of having a week to unpack without the girls being here. They stayed behind in Louisiana and spent time between Hammond & Baton Rouge. When they did arrive, it didn't take long before they had to try out their new pool.

And it wasn't long before we bought a dishwasher off Craig's List.


All in all, the new house is great. We wonder why we ever considered not buying a house with a pool. The girls are in it everyday.

Florida and the house do come with its flaws. For starters, you have to pump your own gas here. The pantry needs to be ripped out and redesigned. And, where in the world did all this heat and humidity come from????? It's positively suffocating, and since my 3 car garage is currently crammed with junk, my poor car has to sit out in the sun all day.