I'm BACK....well, on the blog anyway!

Sooooooooo.....it was a month ago yesterday that I drove away from Reno and into an unknown world. It's been almost a month since the last time I've blogged. There's way too many feelings and events to encompass in one blog so I apologize in advance for this being so vague. One month ago our worldly belongings went one way and the boys and I went another. We stayed with my parents for a little over 2 weeks while Rob got settled in our new house in Louisiana and started his new job. On June 10th the boys and I boarded a plane to start a new chapter in the journey we call "Life". I won't sugarcoat it and say it's been a bed of roses. It's been just as difficult, if not more so, than I thought it'd be. Sundays seem to be the hardest days for me for some reason but Monday-Saturday have their moments as well. I miss my family and friends terribly and struggle with loneliness. The first week Rob worked a ridiculous amount of hours, causing him to pretty much miss Father's Day. The second week he got really sick and today is the first day he's started feeling somewhat normal again. He's tried to do family things, to get us out exploring but then it wears him out and he'd come home and crash.
It hasn't all been bad and, although I've cried myself to sleep, it hasn't been every night. The scenery around here is beautiful, lush and green. It makes me want to have my camera in hand every time I leave the house. Speaking of the house, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!! I love that there is no mouse poop. I love that it's single story. I love that the water is clear AND drinkable. I love that it's in a development yet quiet. I love that it's across the street from a small lake so P and Rob go fishing a lot. I love that it's a very quiet and clean neighborhood where I feel safe. I love that it's a bright, open floorplan. I love that, for the first time in 6 months, Rob and I have our own space without lil ones sleeping a few feet from us. I love that P LOVES his room and doesn't wake us up to tell us there's monsters in his room. My absolute favorite thing about our house is that P and I have started taking evening walks that are so special to me. If he's not riding his scooter, he holds my hand and we tell stories the entire time. Once in awhile he'll stop to pick up a "treasure" he finds in the gutter (Yes Dad, I have him throw them away and wash his hands when we get home). We listen for the ice cream man. But most of all we just enjoy some quality Mother/Son time.
I also like the exploring that the boys and I do almost on a daily basis. We've found a lot of fun things to do around the area. We've also enjoyed getting to know P's 4th- or is it 5th??- cousin and his siblings. Rob's cousin, Colleen, has been an absolute Godsend. We get the kids together once a week to play and afterwards all P can talk about is his"best friend, Riley". He doesn't have any first cousins so he doesn't really grasp the cousin concept. I've also joined a Mommy Group, trying to get to know other SAHM moms in the area. I've only been to 1 event so far due to scheduling but P and I had a nice enough time. I've found a great church that I enjoy. The congregation is extremely friendly and has made me feel welcome both times I've attended. Last Sunday we took P to Children's Church and E to the nursery. Afterwards P asked if he could go back the next day. He's talked about it several times in the past few days, a great sign considering he screamed when I'd take him to Children's Church at SRBC.
As far as the climate goes, I could definitely do without the humidity and bugs. I don't think I've ever sweated so much in my life! I've also learned to not trust ANY bugs, not even the little ants. They ALL bite and it all hurts or itches. My body looks like a war zone but is on it's way to healing....for now. I've experienced a lot of Southern hospitality. People come out of the woodwork to help me when they see I have a baby. They also stop and want to have full on conversations in line at Wal-mart. There have been a few people that I have found to be hard to understand but for the most part people's accents aren't as thick as I thought they'd be.
I'm sure there are many more pros and cons to our new location but I'm winding down for the day and want to get back to my book before calling it a night (E had me up most of last night). Enjoy a few pictures that I've taken since being here.....