One Year Update

Things I have learned this year:

1. I vastly overestimated my awesomeness at being a stay at home mother. I have made major progress in this area in the past year, but home-made bread is still not being baked in my spotless and laundry-free kitchen, maybe next year.

2. Always wash your dishes the night before and do the above mentioned laundry on the daily. It just makes the day start better.

3. When your children are driving you crazy (and you are probably boring them out of their minds) take them outside. I am a much calmer mother outside and my children love dirt and water. It's really a win-win.

4. Smile at your spouse, it's easy to forget. Sit next to each other and even hold hands, even if it turns into everyone on the couch holding hands. I would rather be snuggling with my family then have Esme trying to eat stuff out of the First Aid kit.

5. Time away from the kids is good for you and for them. Esme loves our cat Skippy, her Papa Timmy and then me. I'm okay with that. I get her love almost everyday and Skippy gets too much of her love all of the time, so the time she gets to spend with her Papa Timmy is incredibly precious and she needs that. Phoebe treasures every moment not with me, just because it's something different and let's be honest...that kid loves people. I no longer feel guilty about time apart because I don't work away from them and we have seen more of Shambra this year than the last 4 years, because his schedule is much more flexible.

6. Don't make plans a year in advance because God will surprise you with things like moving 4 hours away or a BABY. Babies look at your calendar, laugh and then spit up on it.

7. Change is hard, but good. I miss all of my family and Anderson peeps, but Phoebe and Esme have grown so close to Shambra's family this year and it is wonderful to see them experience being part of a big family with tons of little ones so close in age.

That's it for now, but I'll try to be better about updating at least a few kidisms....like how Esme always begins any story with, "once upon a time". Oh and pumpkins are her favorite.

Well...we have had everything but the plague around here. Hopefully we will all stay well now that we have been decontaminated. Our Pastor's wife, Beth, had thierry daughter Kayley Elizabeth right before Easter, so Shambra was really busy leading up to Easter Sunday. The alarm did not wake him up for Sunrise Service, so he was late and he was the one leading it. Overall we are looking forward to smooching new baby cheeks, going to the beach next month and the possibility of eating tomatoes from our own plants courtesy of Matthais Wentzky.

Settling in...

I know you have been wondering about us, well we finally have a new computer so you will be getting regular updates. If you are wondering where Johnsonville is, it's under Florence and about 45 minutes above Myrtle Beach. We have been here for almost two months and I thought we would be more settled in by now, but it must take longer than I imagined. Johnsonville is already starting to feel like home and I am getting used to the differences between the Low Country and the Upstate. I still miss Ingles and having almost any store I want 15 minutes away. Shambra just left for Walmart, CVS didn't have the medicine he needed; and he very casually said, "I'm going to run to Walmart." Walmart is 30 minutes away in Lake City. Unless it is Fred's, the Dollar General or Hemingway, we don't run anywhere. We carefully plan our trips around naps and lunch. We do get to see Shambra's family more often, I'm sure they are getting tired of seeing us, because we have seen them more in the last two months than we normally do in six months. I enjoy small town life for the most part, no traffic and we can walk to church, Shambra and Phoebe do almost every Sunday. We are close to the park and walking track. There is a small pretty library close by and I already have a library "donation". I just have to get used to my new job as a stay at home mom. It is not coming as naturally as I first thought it would, but neither did breastfeeding and I bested that. We are getting Esme' used to sleeping in the crib and Phoebe took right to her big girl bed. I need to get a schedule going for us, but that will be next week because the Edney's are visiting this weekend! Super excited about that! Other big news is that Esme' turns 1! Phoebe turned 3 last Sunday!