Mid pleasures and palaces ...

though we may roam,

Be it ever so humble there's no place like home!
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere:
                                              --John Howard Payne, 1823


Our time in California is drawing to a close and we will soon be surrounded by beautiful blue water and lush plant life.  I know you're all so very jealous but please don't be.  This move is probably the hardest one to date.  I really cna't stand the area where we live, I hate the weather and the air quality is just horrific but I'm still finding it had to get motivated to get things done so we can move.  I have amazing friends here.  Leaving them is the hardest thing I've had to do since saying goodbye to my dad and my babies.  They held me up when I couldn't stand any longer.  When I thought my world was ending they encouraged me and prayed for me.  I can't even put into words how I feel about these ladies in my life.  I have only known them for a little over 2 years but I feel like we have spent a lifetime together.   It's hard to imagine my life with out them in it. Thank God for Facebook and the blogging world and of course cell phones and free long distance, and Skype. 
One more big reason I don't want to leave is because of Nathian's 2nd grade teacher.  We LOVE Mrs. A!!!  She has had an amazing influence on Nathian's behavior and his acedemics.  He has excelled this year in everything and I'm just so proud of him.  I know that Nathian is going to miss her too.  She has a way about her that Nathian just gravitates to.  She was a PE teacher for 12 years and with budget cuts they had to cut out the PE classes and move teachers around.  This is her first year as a 2nd grade teacher and in my opinion, (as much as I hate that the states keep cutting classes) God ordained the whole thing.  She understands that bodies learn better if they can move, so she does lots of fun activities through out the day as long as the kids do their work and listen to the lesson.  For Nathian this is very important because he HAS to move- often- so he knows that as long as he works hard he will get to do something fun and active when he's finished.  We are praying for his teachers in Hawaii.  We know that God has it all under control so we don't really have to worry about it, but as a mom, these are the things you worry about it.  As of right now we don't even know where we will be living or what school he will be going to so it makes moving even harder since there's so many IF's going on. 

Even though I don't want to leave right now, I really have to.  So the organizing and seperating has started and the cleaning is underway.  Soon this place that we have called home will be just an empty building ready for another family.  I hope they appreciate our neighbors as much as we have over the past 3 years. 

I will try and post once we get to Hawaii with pictures of the island life and our Christmas on the beach.
I'm sorry this wasn't a more uplifting post but I'm sure that those will be coming just as soon as all the stress of moving settles down.  But on a bright note-  Baby is doing well, growing and moving and everyone in the house is excited to meet her. 
Love you all