a little bit of normal

Who blogs about a normal, plain ol' salad?

Me.

But it's not really the salad that's worthy of praise -- it's the fact that I was finally able to use my own bowl, in my own kitchen, with my own knives and cutting board to make it.

It's been a very frustrating move from Texas to New Hampshire, and I'm not talking at all about the geography. Due to more red tape mistakes and mishaps than I even have time (or the desire) to mention, our movers were over a week late in delivering our household goods (we sat, and waited, and sat, and waited ....). And once they finally arrived, things were a mess. Furniture was damaged and broken, unwrapped pictures were stacked on top of other pictures (resulting, of course, in broken glass), personal and irreplaceable items (i.e. artwork of Aidan's that I've been collecting since he drew his first picture) were carelessly crunched and crammed into boxes. Again, I could go on and on, but I'm hoping the worst is now behind us.

So, as we continue to open boxes and begin to put our lives back into some semblance of order, I was thrilled and so appreciative when the owners of the house we're renting in Hampton dropped by to check on us, as well as deliver some fresh produce from their garden. My first and only thought was, "Salad!"

We've been eating at restaurants (many of them of the fast-food variety) for the past several weeks. And to be honest, I don't know when, if ever, I'll be able to eat another McDonald's breakfast again. But in the mean time, I don't think I've ever enjoyed a salad so much as I did my fresh, homemade concoction in our new home. And it was a huge one, so I was able to nibble on it for two days. Ty kept laughing at me each time I dished up another bowl -- it just kept getting better and better.

Hopefully my little salad will be the first of many yummy meals in our new home over the next few years. But above all else, I'm just glad that we're together as a family again, happy and healthy -- even if I can't find my favorite wrought iron candle wall sconces.

roadtrip, day 6

We made it.

I'll do some exploring in the next few days and blog about the area (the first of many entries, I'm sure), but my initial impressions are positive.

The town of Hampton where we'll be living is most definitely a popular tourist stop during the summer months (which we already knew). It was full of activity today as we passed through on our way to Portsmouth, NH, a town about 10 miles north where we'll be staying until the house is ready.

We drove by the house we've rented, and it looks exactly like the pictures we've seen of it. I'm looking forward to making it our own, complete with our stuff, our furniture, our pictures, and our family. I'm hoping it will help immensely, as far as providing that feeling of being more settled in and "at home."

The area is picturesque -- there are just no two ways about it. The houses are amazing. Many have the dates when they were built proudly displayed on plaques on the exterior. It's pretty breathtaking looking at homes that were originally built in the 1700s.

These old homes line narrow streets, and most fly American flags, just like you'd expect to see. Big hydrangea bushes are growing everywhere, completing the totally New England look of the area.

The temps are perfect (50s at night, high 70s during the day), and it's a festive time of year to arrive to the area.

So, let the exploring begin.

roadtrip, day 5

Today was crazy-exhausting.

We had great intentions, but things didn't fall into place exactly how we had hoped they would.

We woke up in Pennsylvania and decided that we had plenty of time for some fun. Our plan was to drive to Brooklyn and take Aidan to Coney Island. He was thrilled about the prospect (one of his favorite Wonder Pets episodes involves rescuing a baby squirrel off a Coney Island roller coaster).

Unfortunately, we completely underestimated the amount of people who would have the same "great idea" we did -- it was packed with thousands of people. We drove around for about an hour looking for a parking place anywhere in the vicinity, but in the end, had to give up without so much as a nibble of a Nathan's famous hotdog or taste of saltwater taffy.

And bless is his little heart ... Aidan was such a trooper about the whole thing, despite the fact that we kept passing ferris wheels, roller coasters, hot dog stands, balloons and the beach. Talk about torture for a four-year-old. But we've promised to make it up to him, and he seems o.k. with the agreement.

But our New York City [mis]adventure had only just begun. According to our trusty Garmin GPS, we should have arrived in Stamford, CT by 3:15; however, at almost 5:00 pm, we were still sitting in some of the worst traffic I've ever experienced (which is saying a lot coming from a Houston girl). It was especially baffling, considering it was mid-day on a Tuesday.

So in the end, we spent most of the day in traffic in New York City while Aidan watched Thomas & Friends DVDs in the backseat. Again, he was awesome.

Tomorrow is our last day on the road, as we finally arrive in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, our house won't be ready until July 6, so we'll still be sleeping in a hotel until then. But at least the drive will be over.

Finally, I wrote the other night about missing the fireflies ... last night they came out to play again, and I was able to snap a picture of Aidan with them. So if you look real carefully, you can see the speck of light to the left of Aidan's head in the picture. Those little flashing buggers are hard to take a pic of! :)

roadtrip, day 4

Today's highlight -- visiting the Gettysburg Battlefield.

I can't imagine any tourist walking this hallowed ground is ever able to prevent his or her mind from wandering, as well as wondering, at the 50,000 young men who occupied the same sacred ground, spilling their blood and giving their lives in such a violent conflict. The peace and beauty of the area today makes it almost impossible to fathom the original carnage of the area -- the emotion it inspires is incredible.

We left Virginia after breakfast and crossed back and forth across the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania until reaching Gettysburg. After spending a few hours in the historic area, we ended up in Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania, for the night. We just ordered Chinese and are planning to kick back for the evening at the hotel.

It looks like we've got about two days of driving left before we reach New Hampshire. I'm so glad we made this drive together as a family. Seeing America in the way we have is pretty cool.

roadtrip, day 3

I'm sort of cheating and writing my day 3 update on day 4, but last night I was just too beat to do anything except fall into bed and sleep.

Which was actually kind of a bummer, because Ty and Aidan informed me that when they were outside walking the dogs, thousands of lightning bugs came out to visit once the sun started to set (apparently disturbed by the frolicking pooches). I wish I'd snapped a picture of it, but I was sawing logs in room 218 of the Best Western in Lexington, Virginia -- home of the Virginia Military Institute and Washington & Lee University, as well as birthplace of Sam Houston.

Yesterday took us across the remainder of the Tennessee portion of our trip, and then through Virginia. I especially enjoyed the Black Hills and passing through Blacksburg, home of Virginia Tech. It's a scenic drive, no doubt.

Tomorrow we head up to Pennsylvania, officially taking us out of the South. The adventure continues ....

roadtrip, day 2

Made it to Knoxville.

And to prove it, I just saw a grown man at a restaurant wearing a University of Tennessee t-shirt and jorts.

We're thinking of re-evaluating our travel plans some. Driving eight hours a day is productive, but around hour six or so, the car ride really starts to wear on Aidan. So we're talking about slowing down some tomorrow and doing something touristy -- maybe taking in a water park (going against my rule of never visiting one -- they're big ol' toilets, if you ask me -- but Aidan would love it) in the Black Hills of Virginia, or driving into D.C. We haven't really decided yet. It just feels right, so I think we'll do some investigating.

Today's drive through Dixie was pretty -- more of Mississippi, then Alabama, Georgia, and finally Tennessee. We're definitely in the heart of SEC country, which is kind of ironic, considering my beloved Texas A&M almost pulled the trigger a few weeks ago and joined in on the fun that is college football in the southeast. But I won't digress onto that tangent, as it still burns my blood to a boil thinking about how we passed up the opportunity. It would've been a fun (and beautiful) place to visit in the fall.

So tomorrow looks to be Virginia and Maryland. We'll see where we end up and what we do. As I said, I'm feeling a bit impulsive.

our journey has begun

I haven't blogged in a while. We've been swamped getting ready for our move, and to be honest, it was very difficult to leave "home" -- much more so than I imagined it would be. And writing about it was a reality I just didn't want to face.

We're now officially on the road ... yours truly, Aidan, Ty, Daisy and Pepper (2 adults, a four-year-old, and two dogs) -- quite the crew.

And as I type, I find myself in a hotel room in Laurel, Mississippi, feeling sort of lost, if the truth be told.

Aidan is watching a new Tom & Jerry DVD with his dad, having the time of his life ... after taking a dip in the teeny, tiny (but clean) Roadway Inn pool. He seems pretty much oblivious to the monumental changes going on around him, which makes me happy. It also helps keep me from getting too emotional about temporarily leaving the life I'm familiar with and those whom I love -- knowing that I have to be strong for him gives me a purpose during this period of limbo.

We traveled through three states today (Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi), and I'm exhausted. But I'm relieved that the most difficult day (crossing the border out of Texas and saying goodbye to the familiar license plates and state flags as they became fewer and fewer in number) is behind us and new adventures await.

Tomorrow night we're scheduled to land in Knoxville, Tennessee.

moving

Ranked up there in the annals of fun, right next to swim suit shopping and stomach viruses, is moving.

For the past several days, we've been knee-deep in boxes, dust and forced-organization (or a lack thereof). It's just not much fun, but unfortunately, there's really no way around it when you have to do it.

The positives? Throwing stuff out. After hanging on to them for far too many years, there's really no need for me to keep the old blue bathmats and towels from my first apartment. They're gone now. Good feeling. Less bulk. Another positive? A sense of new beginnings usually settles in after a move, when the dust settles and your mind is once again, [semi-] clear.

The negatives? Wow. This time, unfortunately, there are quite a few. Leaving our very first home has been gut-wrenching for me. I've tried to keep a stiff upper lip about the whole thing and not get overly emotional (I've failed miserably, at times) about the bricks, sticks and paint color. In the end, it's the people in your life that really matter. And that's what I'll truly miss the most -- having my best friend far away for the next two years. You just get so used to seeing the faces you love, that when you try and close your eyes and imagine them not there every day, it sort of rips you to pieces. But I'd be lying if I said that it hasn't been difficult entrusting total strangers to pack up our life, load it up into boxes, and ship it to some non-descript building.

I haven't written about any of this much because frankly, I haven't had the heart. Plus, it usually makes me cry, and I'm all cried out. But I'm anxious to get the ball rolling on all of this and get it over with. The sooner Ty leaves, the sooner I can start the countdown for his return. And I'm a master at countdowns! The bottom line is, we'll be stronger after all of this is behind us.

Oh! I forgot to list the MOTHERLOAD of all positives! I won't be driving 2 hours every day to and from work! We're gonna get rich on the money we save in gas alone!

Once again, onward.