Oh my goodness, we're here.
Sorry it has taken me so long to update, it's just that life has been like the tumble cycle on the dryer for a few weeks and once it slowed down I found the debit card my blog was billed to had expired and then I had to get that payment sorted...and now here I am.
We left Fiji and went to Nashville where we spent three lazy days with my parents, my brother and sister-in-law and their girls, and my sister. We all worked on a massive platform tree house my parents started before we got there, we took woods walks and collected wild berries, we sat on their platform deck that is cantilevered out over treetops, with a creek rushing far, far below.
Then The Captain and I left our sweet kiddies behind for a week with their Omi and cousins while we flew to Houston to set up shop.
People, we went from morning to night looking at houses, buying a car (we actually bought a minivan in Nashville), setting up bank accounts, buying furniture, and on, and on, and on. We had four nights and a horrid little hotel where the air conditioning vent was pointed straight onto the bed so you alternately baked and froze all night long.
We were overjoyed to spend the weekend with some friends from our Nashville days who live up in the peaceful Woodlands area. Every day we enjoyed the groups of deer passing through and the fawns that would nestle down in the grass of the yard. We took walks and went to church with them, talked into the night, and refreshed our spirits.
Monday we moved into our new house which is a charming 50s - ish ranch painted dark grey with white trim. It has lovely old hardwoods, and a bright sun room opening onto the most exciting feature - the best pool ever.
Tuesday night my mom and brother arrived with our kids and my nieces and for the next three days after that we had an explosion of swimming, and eating, and sleeping. That's all they did!
My brother and his girls left yesterday and today The Captain left for Holland with little Finch to attend a family wedding. I'm thankful for my parents who are staying with me, helping me to settle in.
Our house is sparsely furnished, with most of our belongings coming in our shipping container mid August. If you wonder whether or not sitting on a squashy airbed to write on a laptop is comfy, it's not. We've done several massive IKEA runs but they've hardly made a dent.
The kids are registered in the local public school and I just applied for preschool for Finch.
We got our little doggie on Thursday after some major dramas. We're all so happy to be somewhere we can call home, and nesting. I went to my first garage sale today and scored some beanbags and craft activities to keep the downtimes from growing lonely.
We miss "home" (Sydney) terribly, and all have a good cry now and again, but also see how this house, this place, will become amazing very soon. Big hugs, and more later!