Changes

Well, for those of you we keep in touch with on a regular basis you know we have moved, and for those of you who we don't keep in touch with on a regular basis...well we have moved. Me and the kids are in Texas. I accepted a position with FEMA Region VI in the Risk Analysis Branch located in Denton Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth Area) I had set my sights on a FEMA career about two years ago but Engineer positions come open very rarely, and when I saw this one open up in February I applied for it. I was still gainfully employed way back then. I was interviewed in April, and I relaly thought I blew it. Actually, the first thought that crossed my mind was that it was a good thing I was still employed because I did nothing to help myself secure that job. I knew if I got a call for even a second interview that it would be a total "GOD THING". I was laid off in May, the day before school let out. I decided to take the summer off and spend it with the kids. By this time I had totally given up on the FEMA position. In late June I started throwing some resumes out to private firms and the Corps of Engineers, and even another FEMA job in Atlanta. Much to my surprise, I received a phone call the first week in July with a job offer for FEMA in Texas. It was a tentative offer pending a background investigation, but an offer none the less. Five and 1/2 long weeks later I cleared security just in time to give us a week to make a trip to find a rental house, pack up the house and get the kids here to start the first day of school here in Texas. God was with us the entire way. We were able to find a house on a weekend trip, even though the rental market was hot and every house we looked at had 10 applicants ahead of us. We were able to get the house packed up, spend an awesome evening with some very special and awesome friends the night before we left town, and get here the Sunday before school started (which was the following Tuesday). We had just enough money to get the move done, get set up and have just enough left over to get us by to my first paycheck (although it does not feel good to be down to no saving). There were a few other circumstances that clicked into place that made it obvious this was the direction God was moving us. Chris will join us in a month or two while he finished up some projects on the Georgia house. But we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We have been here three weeks today. Much to my surprise Griffin, my very OCD structured child who hates change, has adjusted extremely well. He was none too happy with me about leaving Sardis Elementary back in Georgia. Phoenix has had a rougher time. She's had girls tell her that her hair looks like a boy (not sure where that one came from), she has had a few emotional outbreaks in class when trying to keep a certain student out of ore trouble. She has a learned a very valuable lesson, sometimes you have to let someone get in trouble even if it bothers or hurts you to let it happen. The consequences are always based on decisions that person makes, not you. Lo and behold, the day she decided to not try and help him, he ended up in the principles office. She said she finally got it, and she decided it was not worth it to try and help someone who would not listen to her only to get very frustrated and disruptive in class (she was yelling at him at the top of her longs in class) and end up very upset and in trouble. To the teacher's credit instead of penalizing her she pulled her out of the situation for her to calm down. But she does miss her classmates and teachers who know and lover her so well at Sardis.

From what we have seen of the area we are pleasantly surprised. We think we will like it a lot. Every area has its upsides and downsides. The downsides of the immediate area is not very many trees. After four years in Northeast Georgia and lots of trees, it is hard to get used to. We have not gone exploring to see if there is any hiking or outdoor opportunities we like so much close by. The other downside is it is so BIG. The biggest downside is that being a Gator Fan out of enemy territory is no where near as fun. But on the upside anything we want is within 10 miles, and the traffic is awesome. The transportation network is amazing. I drove to Dallas Fort Worth airport in rush hour to take Chris to the airport, and it only took me about 25 minutes.

The neighborhood we are renting in is a traditional neighborhood, houses close together, garages on the back of the houses, with alley access, small backyards, sidewalks on both sides of the street. A resort style pool and water park in the neighborhood, hiking and biking trail, a fitness center, fishing ponds, and lots of parks. However, the kids have made it clear, they prefer a large backyard over all the bells and whistles. So we will likely buy somewhere else.

Once my job gets into full swing it will be something I enjoy. the people in the office all seem very nice. I am part of a team of four engineers overseeing Risk MAP (Map stands for Mitigation, Assessment, and Planning) for Region VI. I will be overseeing projects with the end result of helping people and/or their property (although in many cases they do not realize it). There will be some travel involved for meetings with communities, but once Chris is here, that will not be a problem. I am one of those weirdos that does not mind (actually enjoys) public speaking. There will be some stress too, the high profile counties will always turn congressional and I will be dealing with a communities congressional representative and/or their staff. Of course, all this is secondary to disaster response and recovery. When disasters happen in our region (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico) I will be deployed.

We miss all our friends in Georgia. In some ways leaving Georgia was so much harder than leaving Florida. But we are excited to see what adventure GOD has in store for us.

Love you all (even you DAWG fans)!

Blog - NWF Green Hour

Ok. As a family who would prefer to be outside rather than inside this (Blog - NWF Green Hour)is very disheartening. Go ahead click on it and read it.

So far we have not had to go to the dictionary to look up any nature words, I guess because we have always spent so much time out doors my kids just seem to know what everything is....that and the nature magazines they have received since they were about 2. But can you imaging city dwellers who do not have the access to the outdoors like us? I cannot even fathom!

A new project we are starting this month is picking a bud on a tree or bush and documenting its life cycle from now until fall (idea from green hour.org) through pictures and sketches. My guess is Phoenix will want to draw everything and Griffin will want to photography it, will be interesting how this plays out.

Oh how I dream of a white Christmas

Growing up we mostly lived in tropical locations, at least we lived in tropical locations from the time I was 4 when we moved to Hawaii until my dad retired in Orlando. So any Christmas memories I still have are of warm Christmases. Occasionally my dad would be transferring during the Christmas season and we would stop in Ohio en-route to visit family and get a small taste of snow and cold. When I married and settled in Fort Myers and started a family it seemed like every Christmas was warm. It never felt like Christmas when we were running around in shorts and swimming in the neighbor's pool. But, our relocation to Georgia three years ago promised the possibility of cold Christmases at the very least and even promised the slight chance for a white Christmas. Oh how I dream of a having a white Christmas....maybe one year!

Remembering what is good!

With a adverse and uncertain year gone by and the threat of another year just as bad as the previous approaching, I am reminded over and over again of the blessings God has poured out on me and my family. With the Christmas season here, I decided I wanted to reflect on the seasons and traditions, maybe even start a new one or two, to basically reflect on what is good in my life and the world right now, and journal it over the next month or so. There is nothing more promising than the Christmas season and the gift the first Christmas brought over 2000 years ago. So hopefully, this year and my little journal will serve as a current reminder of all that is good in my life and help me, and my family, remember that we are indeed blessed. I am taking 30 minutes each day, to relish the season and reflect on Christmases past, enjoy this year's Christmas, and and to dream about future Christmases.

Silver and Gold

One thing that has been the hardest for me with our relocation is making friends. One of the biggest reasons I did not want to leave Florida was because I had rooted….after all, being a Navy Brat, Fort Myers was the place I had lived the longest than anywhere else in my life. The idea of starting over and having to make friends all over again was not a very pleasant idea. I love my old friends. Everyone of them are dear to me. And maybe every time I'd meet someone new I'd compare them to an old friend, not so fair to the new person. Although I am somewhat more shy (yeah---me shy) than I used to be, I am still a very social person and really need that social interaction with other people. I crave it. Funny thing is, I had friends (although their football affiliations are a tad bit questionable…I mean LSU and Georgia..c'mon!) right in front of my face and was too blind or too or ..oh heck I do not know, but when I sat back and opened up a little bit, there they were, right in front of my face all along. People who would give me and my family the clothes off their back if we needed them. People who I can laugh and cry with, people who I can be myself with, people Chris and I both can count as friends. You know, the kind of people who you can just drop in to their house at any time and be received with warmth and love. I still miss my old friends somewhat fiercely, especially the really old ones, you know the ones from junior high, who went through that awkward,self conscious time with you, I mean, if we can manage to get through that terrible time together and still manage to be friends, you really have to love each other right? Although in this crazy disconnected world we live in does not allow me to see or hug all those old friends, everyone of you should know I love you and I miss you and you will always be an integral part of my life and of who I am. And to the new ones, I love you just as much, and am so glad we have each other to get through the good times as well as the tough times, and I have reached a point where I could never imagine leaving Northeast Georgia cause I’d have to leave you all behind. Wow..it took me three years to reach that point, it is the first time I have not gotten the urge to run back to Florida when the going gets tough….and for that and for you I am grateful! I love you all!

Fall

Fall is definitely in the air up here in the Northeast Georgia mountains. One of the main reasons we left Florida was to move to a place that would experience some sort of seasonal change. Although we are not near the peak of leaf changing seasons the leaves are definitely starting to change. I have the distinct privilege of crossing the Lake 4 times on the way home, as I leave work each mile brings me further and further into rural Hall County away, with each mile I leave the stress and hub bub of my work day. And right now with the leaves starting to change to contrast of the red leaves against the water and the trees yet to start their annual metamorphosis is quite striking. Combine that with the cool crisp night air the wafts through our open windows at night and it's official, fall is arrived.

In Northeast Georgia there are definite annual traditions that also herald in the beginning of fall, corn mazes dot the landscape, apple picking begins, Burt's Pumpkin Patch opens up for Business, Cumming Country Fair in Forsyth County, and the list goes on an on. These traditional fall traditions are still all so new to us migrants from South Florida, where the closest thing we had to a pumpkin patch were the imported pumpkins that dotted church lawns. And a Hayride was out of the question because the heat and humidity was stills so sweltering in mid to late Ocotber.

One of my fondest memories of fall is also fairly recent. Our first fall up here. We headed on a spur of the moment whim to go driving in the mountains to look at the leaves. We stopped at way stations along the way, took little paths, found a farm where we roasted marshmallows, took a hay ride, took a train ride, etc. From there we pulled off to waterfall hunt and found several waterfalls. We stopped at Vogel State Park for a picnic lunch and more stunning views of the leaves. We drove around to Blood Mountain to where the Appalachian Train crosses the road. That is before we knew a lot of people, were involved in almost nothing, and had nothing better to do than spend time together as a family, I kind of miss those days. Now we have to block out a weekend to even consider taking a day like that now, and I think every weekend is booked between now and the end of October.

Homework 1

So...I want to spruce up my blog, so naturally I find an online class at SISTV titled Bling Out Our Blog. So I am moving into unchartered territory. See, when it comes to handling and fondling paper and creating scrapbook pages and cards...well I can handle that, but now I am moving into the electronic world and, for all intents and purposes, digital scrap booking, and well...I guess its just intimidating to me. So this class gives me homework and homework today is what we want our blog to reflect. Well, this is me after all, and by nature I am all over the board so naturally my blog will be too. I really want this to be place where I can share what is happening in my life, reflect on my feelings or what is going on around my life or my world, and yes eventually I do want it to be a place where I can share some of my creations, I have not done much of that yet. So there you have it! Keep checking in and hopefully I will try to incorporate some of these "things" I am learning...like creating my own banner...already sounds complicated to me. We will see