Cruisin' it up

The cruise of 2012. Right after our home selling stress should have been peaceful and stress free, ay?
Nay.
Nay.
Nay.
Are vacations ever stress free with kids? lol.

We decided living with my in-laws for 6 months during the winter (watch out The Shining...I may give you a run for your money) was not enough time with them. So we went on a 7 day cruise with them! And with Brett's brothers' fam as well.

The weather was so gorgeous!! God's beauty is what restores my soul. We got a balcony room and had a view of endless peaceful water and blue skies whenever we chose. Or whenever we weren't napping.
I dont know what was wrong with Bryer this trip (it's not like he has had any significant change in his life lately, hey, lets add a plane ride and a strange new place one more time)...but this kid was whiney. The king of whiners. To his credit, he did fall out of his tiny bed that he shared with Sadie three times in the middle of the night, AND get a third degree burn on him arm. It bubbled up. Blistered. Nastiness all around. Some rude, impatient women ran into my back while I was holding a scolding hot cup of water for hot chocolate (darn you hot chocolate!!! I didnt even need you!!) The water spilled slightly on me but mostly on my little man. The awesome doctor on board gave us cream to help it heal quickly and Motrin...for free baby. Now a week later his arm looks swell.

Here are some of pics of our trip.

We did some rock climbing. Brett starts off. 

I close in.

and........... I win.

Also did some zip-lining across the ship. Brett did not do his husbandly duty and take any pictures of me doing this. So you all miss out on pics of me spread eagle across the zip line with my head thrown back to the wind.
Just.
 Picture.
 It. 

LaBadee. 

                            

Rocky little island.

Nice views. 

More nice views!
Brett did the flowrider...until he fell on his shoulder, it poped out and he's been in pain ever since...

Pure hotness in the middle

                                 
                                      It was Dreamworks week so many characters onboard.

Formal night at dinner. (Kari....dont' hate. I didnt' buy the same shirt I got O.  I did try :) But it wasnt' in Bryer's size! lol. My  MIL works at Babies R Us and just happened to pick it up for Bryer cuz she liked it. I laughed as soon as I saw it. So long explanation short....I didnt' copy...but I accepted a copy :)

Jamaica. We dont get off in Jamaica. Creeepy!

They had a kids club on board that Sadie had a love/hate relationship with. This was pirate night. They had a show for parents to watch...we missed it....Sadie noticed. Bryer went to the babysitting room a lot!! A lot!! He loved it. The women in there loved Bryer! And we loved being free for awhile! I mean, we LOVED it :) Win, Win, Win all around.

Who is that little stud sitting on the bench with such swag?

Glad to be back in Morgantown to spend the winter. Patiently awaiting our new home to be finished. Ill be driving Sadie to school, back and forth, everyday while here. Which is awesome for her! This is the school she will be attending when we move into our new home, so its not the school she should be attending while at my in-laws...so to avoid switching the poor child three times in one school year the Super let me drive her farther away to her new new school she will be at this Spring. So think of me, everyday, living with my in- laws, and driving a half hour to and from school each day. See you all in the Spring!!!

Chaos

So moving is easy.
So easy.
It's easy to make the decision to move.
To actually find a realtor.
To say yes to an offer.(unexpected after three weeks)
To go through home inspection and appraisal.
To find a new home.
To go through a new mortgage approval.
To deal with mounds and mound and mounds of paperwork.
To make upteen phone calls to cancel things and stop things for your home.
To pack up your entire house and put into storage for 6 months, pack everything you need for the winter to stay at your in-laws, and pack for a cruise all at the same time without forgetting or mixing anything up.
To deal with a water leak from your fridge that floods your kitchen and leaks down into your basement ruining: your kitchen floor, heating duct, carpet padding, ceiling and walls, insulation.....yup. (after our house was sold we had a flood, had to fix it, had to tell the new buyer, had to live in a mess)
It's easy to start your daughter in Kindergarten only to pull her out and start her again at a new one six weeks later that is full day.
To change your children's world. Help them say goodbye to their home. Their friends.
It's easy uprooting your life. Leaving your awesome neighbors. Your comfy life.
I mean, why in world do people rate moving as one of the top three most stressful things in life?


Let's just say the Fisher household is in a bit of chaos 'round here so the blogging has not been blogged for awhile. Soon to resume I hope...of course all of my recent pics are on my computer backup thingy which is packed away...along with 8920910843048 other things.

These views I get driving around Morgantown are one peace I get living out here. It's so invigorating. 

Changes...

SOLD

5 Cranberry Circle- 2005-2012

Where I slept the past 7 years. It was just Brett and I. Then Sadie crawled into our bed in this room, Then Bryer crawled into our bed in this room.

I logged a ton of hours in this nursery. I'll never forget...the formula stains, the gallon of brown paint I spilled on the carpet, the way the street looks lit up a night through that window while rocking a sleeping babe, the sound of cries coming from this room (over and over), the excitement of having my first baby in this room, the excitement of moving my first baby out of this room, putting my son in this room. This, this was a special room. 

Sadie's big girl room.

Our front room that we never used. 

And this view. The top of our steps. I remember sitting here when Brett and I snuck into our  house while it was being built. Only wood planks for the floor and steps. No railing yet. And I sat right here. Looking into the two empty rooms we would have. Smiling and so so happy, knowing that my kids would be in these two rooms. Kids I could only imagine would be here. In this house. In these rooms. There was so much excitement for this house. It more than met our expectations.

I'm in mourning. Too much thought about my home makes me tear up. Brett and I did a walk through after the movers took all of our stuff out, we cried and smiled at our wonderful memories in this home. It's funny how much you become attached to something. You dont' even know it.

So much time and work we put into our home. Finishing the basement. Completing it ourselves. Knowing it was our sweat and blood..and tears down there. All the landscaping we picked, planted, and watched grow. We have to give it all away.

My heart breaks everything I see or think about my home. Home. The only home my kids have known. The home I brought my babies into. The hardest part is knowing all my memories of my babies are forever linked to this house. In our new home (God willing) there will be no more babies. I only have 5 Cranberry Circle to remember all the good and bad times of new motherhood and crying infants.

I keep holding onto all of the many many many many many....many great memories to come in my new home. Hoping and praying this next house exceeds all the memories that this first house did. That God blesses us there as a family.

I made it through.

Yup. I made it. One week of Kindergarten down, many left to go, but I made it. I shed a few tears. Told you I would. I was fine leading up to the big day. Fine walking to the bus stop. Fine seeing her step up to the bus. Not so fine seeing the doors close and the bus drive away with my child. Cue tears welling up. Cue the realness hitting me.

Somehow I made it through the past four days without my first born. I gave attention to my littlest one, did household chores, and other stuff I can't even recall anymore. Thanks for the prayers and phone calls. I did great!

Sadie, she did great too :)

all excitement. she cant wait.

hanging at the bus stop with her buddies. 

waving bye to daddy.

getting on the bus for the first time.

she did it. she actually got on...and left me.

getting off the bus to come home. it was a quick three hours.

Sadie was excited and loved her first three days of school. Day four? Not so much. She did cry and held onto my leg, not wanting to get on the bus. I peeled her off and forced her on. It was hard. All the other moms at the bus stop staring at us. The bus driver waiting on us and trying to get Sadie on the bus. Nothing like a little pressure as I am trying to soothe and rush my kid on the bus. She's scared. I can't do much but reassure her it's okay and push her onto the bus steps. OK, I didn't push her, but I did pick her up and place her inside the bus. It's tough seeing her leave while she is crying and not knowing what is going on at school until I pick her up. Did she cry all day? Did anyone help her? Was she scared? Did she get over it quickly? Did she feel safe?
She needs to cope with the newness of school and leaving home for a little each day. Hopefully she is growing and learning how to handle this Kindergarten thing on her own. On her own? At 5? This seems hard. Apparently preschool didn't' help too much in the department of leaving mom for awhile.  Kindergarten and the bus are a whole different ballgame then being dropped off at Preschool, which is at your church, that you have known forever and feel comfortable at. Here's to a nice four day weekend, then we will see how next week goes. Fingers crossed.

Good luck Sadie! I know you'll do great. You are my social butterfly who can't stop talking, playing, imagining, and learning. You love teachers and doing what is expected of you. You are the perfect student. You are my kid and you are awesome!

Ladies and Gentlemen, She's Five.

 I didnt' think 5 was a big deal. Until it happened to me. My first born is 5 and it IS a big deal. Why? I don't know why. I didnt' think going to Kindergarten was a big deal either. I mean, she went to Preschool last year, right? So how different is AM Kindergarten? I'm not going to be one of those moms who cry at the school bus stop. I won't. I won't. Watch me. I will.

Sadie had a fantastic fifth birthday. Two of her best buds came over Friday night, on her birthday, to party the night away. Tangled theme. Again. Repeat from four year old party.

 It was a movie party. Complete with a pinata, pin Pascal on Rapunzel, pizza, cake, ice cream, candy, popcorn, soda....making candy necklaces, and candy, oh, and candy. The little best buds had to give me a ticket to get into the movie, pay me money for the candy, pay me for the drinks, and pay me for the cool princess flashlights. They loved it. They brought their sleeping bags and pj's and had a "slumber party" during the movie.

 Pre-party warm up. Favorite song of the moment. "Boomer" has it- Adele.

Pizza party and Girl talk.

Princess tattoos. Cheeks and arms. Sadie like to show the wrong cheek :)

 Coloring and making letters. Sadie wearing her cool "glasses" she picked out at Target. She likes to wear them when she reads and writes. Fashionista. 

One blow for the candle. Out.

 Same. Exact. Cake. From. Last. Year. 

 Pre Movie Pictures. Best Buds. 

Love these girls. Friends for life....or until we move!

Gavi. Madison. Sadie.

Movie time. Pj's and sleeping bags.

A few quiet minutes during the party.