Tattoos

So upon moving to GA, I did something new. The first tattoo was the outline of NC on my right wrist. A salute of a type to my place of origin. I then went back and got a 4 leaf clover on my left ankle, the 4 leaves representing my 4 kiddos. I added the three dogwood flowers around the outline of NC to represent, my grandparents and my sister Dona.

I added a teddy bear on my right upper arm to represent the hubs. Then in April, on a trip to Charleston with family I got the outline of Georgia with the Georgia state flower, the Cherokee Rose surrounding it. My sister Ragan also got a tattoo at the same time of Cherokee Roses, and my DIL got a favorite quote on her arm.

The family that tattoos together.......

 

Country Classroom

My classroom decor last year! Trying to teach them right...haha

 

Answered Prayers

As a mom, we pray for our children. We pray for their safety, their discernment, their health, and for years I have prayed for their future. The friends that they will hang around and the people that they bring into their confidence and trust. I have prayed for girls that are true, helpful, loving and that can care for, support, encourage and bring out the best in them.

I have prayed that their future partners are wonderful, secure, positive and kind people. I feel God was listening because my four boys have bought 4 delightful girls into my life and I love each of them dearly.

#1. I was beginning to despair. He had taken a job several counties away where he knew no one and was lonely. I was repeatedly telling him to go out, find a church, meet people. I reminded him that the odds of God dropping a girl on the football field and saying 'here's one for ya" were very slim. Well, God laughed at me and instead when #4 was pulled to coach Baseball that year ( a sport he knows little about), there was the girl. She was arriving with her sister to take her nephews to ball practice and noticed him. I'm told she noticed him because he was rude to her as he got out of his vehicle hurrying to get to the field. But eventually they talked, he apologized ( I am told) and now.....

2 kids and 7 years later, they seem to be doing all right.

#2      I knew her before he did. She worked for me at the child care center that I managed. She had loaded up her truck and her pet goldfish after college graduation several states away and moved to N.C.  I was so impressed by that. She knew no one here and was determined to make it. She became friends with a co-worker who had gone to school with #2 and they all went out on a group get-together one evening to bowl.  He met her and was instantly sold!  She took a little persuading. We continued to work together. When I moved to a new position in the public school she came with me as my assistant. It was later that they got engaged. They are married, love traveling and being dog parents.

#3   Met her in college. He told me that he noticed her in class and that they had 2 classes together. She says that they only had 1. She was an athlete and he was there studying agriculture. Two different worlds. She has since gone on and completed her Masters degree and he is raising cattle. She has moved here from her homestate and they are currently living together in our old home in N.C. We are excited for their future.

#4  This relationship began in high school and it has been sweet following them along as they have grown up together. They both went into the work force after graduation and are just now hitting their stride in their respective careers. They were living in our old home in N.C. and have recently moved out into a neighboring city to their own apartment. They support and encourage each other, love to travel and are cat parents.

I never knew how much these girls would bring into my life as they love my sons. I am so grateful for each of them and try to be loving, supportive and good to each of them in ways that speak to their individuality and needs. Cause heaven knows, these boys can be trying!

Painting!

I have never claimed to be a painter. Once, as a child, I was helping my granddaddy paint their new porch and painted myself into a corner, and that level of skill is what I bring to the table.

So, upon looking at our new home and the darkness of the walls, I knew it would have to change and I also knew that I was the only one available to complete the task.

So, gathering supplies, consulting with #2, who conveniently manages a hardware store, I got down to it. Here are some before and afters.

Before!

After!

I like a bright and airy home.

The Fireplace

Ok, to be honest I thought the house was a bit dark on the inside and it felt like we were living in a lodge.Which is what I believe the previous owners were going for, so good job to them, but not my style. This is the fireplace and side walls when we moved in and I began looking at alternative ways to make this area not so dark.

So while still using the campus apartment as backup, I began painting. It was summer in Georgia and it was hot! But I am so happy with the finished project.

 

Move

 3 years ago, we did something I never thought we would do, we moved to Georgia. It started innocently. The hubs got an interest check on a new position just over the mountain but in our neighboring state of GA. He talked to people, people talked to him. He went to visit, more talking and emailing and eventually an offer was made. The idea of creating a new team from the ground up really got him buzzing with the what ifs and maybes and after much back and forth he accepted the position. But I wasn't ready to move. Yes 2 of the 4 were out and on their own. #3 was at college, but #4 still in high school and I was not about disrupting his life two years before he was due to graduate.

So the decision was made that the hubs would accept the job, live on campus until I was ready to make the move down in 2 years. We had a marriage where every other weekend I would drive the 2 hours and stay with him until Sunday night and then return in order to get to work on Monday morning. Of course, things happened and sometimes it wasn't consistent, the visits, but it worked out.

Finally time came where we began to look at houses and the market was brutal. We would look at something in our price range and often before I even made it back over the mountain to NC, there was another contract on it or it was already sold. We knew that we were nto going to sell the NC house, as the 2 youngest were planning on living there. #3 when he graduated from college wanted to return home and #4 did not plan on college but immediately going into the work force.

Someone at the hubs new job was thinking of selling his house and it checked all our boxes (porch, land, not in a development, etc.)

Nothing is the same....

 So many things...

Oldest 2 are married, #3 is in college and #4 graduated high school this past May. And....we moved! I now call the state of Georgia home. So many things.  

Still teaching....special needs preschool, college and community college. Hubs still coaching and boys are still doing well.

Picture of one of my new neighbors.