Hello Texas!

I'm not even sure where to start other than to say that the past few months have been quite insane. In fact it really has been wild since we left for our first trip to Texas in December, returned in January, remained in Orlando for five weeks before heading back to Texas for three more weeks, returned home in March having made the decision to pursue moving to Dallas at the end of May. The following seven to eight weeks were filled with packing, organizing, taking trips to Goodwill, showing the house, a garage sell, me working lots of extra shifts, little routine for the kiddos, some crying, much exhaustion & a general sense of sadness coupled with excitement.  Warning....feeling wordy. 

In the last day of packing when everyone was there, Robby caught me in the middle of the living room & asked how I was feeling.  I said, "I feel great" & then broke down when I thought about the many laps I have made around our home in the middle of the night, in complete darkness, with babe(s) in arms singing "He's Always Been Faithful" hoping they would drift off to sleep so I too could return back to my cozy bed. Thinking back, that experience was one of the many things that made that house our home, a place full of life & now a place full of memories.  A post to come one of these days will have all the favorite things about life in our home there but for now, back to how we got out...

We were thankful for the best idea EVER offered up by my parents. My mom flew in to spend the final week with us which offered exactly what we needed to finish strong in the packing category & gave me the emotional support I needed. Part 2 of the great idea...Saturday May 3rd, my mom & I flew all the kids to Dallas where they stayed with Gaga & GGran until Tuesday when we arrived with the moving truck & the rest of our vehicles.  We also had Robby's parents in town on & off that last month as they shared time between helping with Livi- Lou (the newest grandchild) & our bunch. They rearranged their anniversary vacation plans to beat us back to Dallas & prepare for our arrival. What precious parents we have. 

Our flight was around 9am Saturday morning so we were up early, loaded everyone in the car, told the girls to say "Bye Bye house!" & we were on our way. Thankfully they are still a little on the young side to really grasp what is happening so their were no tears with that farewell.  Robby pulled up to the curb at the airport where we put the boys in the stroller, packed up three car seats & loaded them onto a cart with our suitcases & backpacks. We were off in a matter of minutes. If anyone has been to the Orlando airport you may remember that there is a mini Disney Store near the security gate. The girls were soooo excited & asked if they could get another "baby" ie stuffed animal. I couldn't say no, it was a last Disney themed purchase in the land of the Mouse. I saw I sign that said "Buy one get one half off" so they each picked one. Apparently the sale did not apply to those chosen so I forked over about $37 for a miniature Pluto for Eloise & Pascal, the chameleon from Tangled for Charlotte. It was worth it. Here we are before making our way through security.

Security was extra fun with extra kids as you can imagine...much like the rest of our "airplane experience." Once we were to our gate, I took the boys to the bathroom to get some fresh diapers & by the time I returned speedy Southwest Airlines had already let Group A, B & C on the plane! The guy at the gate was like "Ma'am, didn't you hear the pre boarding for families with young children? I hope you can find seats together!" I thought, surely someone would rather move than sit next to an unattended two or four year old! Thankfully the back two rows on one side were open so my mom sat with Owen & Eloise on one row with Me, Charlotte & Anson behind her. Within minutes the seats next to us were filled & we were on our way. The girls were thrilled with the take off & counted down ending with a loud "BLAST OFF!" 

Favorite memories from the flight:

• When I glanced back at the two flight attendants (a male & female) & was pretty sure I saw them making out. Soon after that I hopped up to take Charlotte to the bathroom & leaned over to where my mom was sitting & said to her & the woman next to her who had been pretty chatty with my mom "I swear I just saw those two flight attendants making out!" My mom kind of smiled at me funny now that I think about about it. Within 20 minutes the woman next to my mom hopped up to pass out peanuts with her SOUTHWEST AIRLINES BADGE ON! Awkward haha! She assured my mom that those two were not kissing....oh my goodness, I was embarrassed!
• When I took Charlotte to the bathroom with a rambunctious Anson strapped on in the Ergo. I helped Char get onto the potty which she was already freaked out about & she began yelling at me to "BACK UP! Please, I can hardly go to the bathroom! You are way too close to me!" Sadly I had no where to go & I couldn't stop laughing. Really though, could they not have extended the plane length by even 12 inches to provide more of a family bathroom style restroom for the crazies?
• Anson was sooooo grumpy & I spent more than a few minutes standing in the back of the plane trying to calm him down. The male flight attendant, from favorite memory number 1 listed above, was making conversation with me but due to the noise level at the back of the plane we had some difficulty communicating. He said "Oh, what a cute baby girl, what's her name?" Sidenote: the boys had on pink SHARK shirts...possibly confusing but I replied to his statement confirming the gender of my child & his name, Anson. He then said "Oh, Hansel, that's a pretty name!" I gave up on correcting and contained myself when he asked "What is her twins' name?" I so badly wanted to say "Gretel." 
• Last but not least, it was pretty great that precious, sleepy, perfectly behaved Owen fell asleep on my mom's lap as she sat across the aisle next to me.  You might think this was a great thing, it was minus the fact that I was left with one wild buckaroo & two girlie pies to manage.  I was just praying that no one would need to go to the "non-family" bathroom. My mom asked if I minded if she closed her eyes for a second....that was code for going to sleep. I looked longingly (and jealously) at her as she drifted off to sleep with Owee snuggled up in her lap. I did have to intervene when she was leaning way to the left almost resting her head on the man's shoulder next to her hahahaha. 

Overall, the girls did pretty well & were content with NOTHING I brought in our "busy bag" but happy to read the instructions on exiting the plane in an emergency, drink ginger-ale & eat peanuts. 

A smattering of our time in air....

When we arrived in Dallas, my amazing friend Brooke, fellow mom of her own fab four met us to tag team getting bags & installing car seats in my mom's Expedition. My mom said Brooke & I should get us a job at the airport installing car seats for families....we did it NASCAR style. I kissed the kids goodbye & sent them on their way before flying back to Orlando. When I finally talked to Rob I told him that he needed to give Anson a "fankin" (as Elo says) when he see's him next. He easily won the award for worst behaved child on the plane ; ) I must say I enjoyed my two hour layover complete with lunch alone, going to the bathroom alone & reading a book...alone but by the time I got home I was needing some goodnight kisses & snuggles. It's so strange how exhausting it is to take care of little ones but after a short break I want to be right back in the middle of it!

In the meantime, Robby along with about eight guys loaded the 26ft UHaul in record time, Tetris style including rolling the 850 pound safe onto the truck in a "smooth as butter" like fashion. That was wonderful to hear since Rob had lost sleep over how to get that thing in there! He was thankful for the help, the scattered showers instead of an all day Florida rain & a delicious lunch provided by Jenny & Steve. 

Part 3 of the plan of the year was to fly my Dad to Orlando Saturday evening. We arrived at the same time, met up in the terminal & hopped in the truck with Rob to get some dinner. After we ate, we headed over to the Alrdidge's house. They offered their cozy guestrooms for us to stay in while our house was (almost) packed. It was amazing!! We were spoiled rotten by LouSena's cooking, comfortable beds & a laugh or two....or more : )  We stayed there Saturday & Sunday night. I was really happy about this arrangement because it meant that for our last night night in the house, we were there as a family. 

We spent Sunday morning at CCC followed by lunch in downtown Celebration with Dean & LouSena.  We headed over to the house to finish up. Our afternoon included picking up an additional trailer, a few more boxes & a bag of dog food for Ol' Beller.  I wish I could say it was a super fun, sweet last afternoon at the house but it was SO STRESSFUL! Robby & I had some trouble getting along well if you know what I mean...ha! 

Favorite memories from trying to get the heck out:

• When I lost SO many things it was ridiculous. The best was when it was pitch black outside, we were trying to leave for Dean & LouSenas', there was NOTHING left on the counters but car keys just moments before BUT, it was time to leave & my keys were no where to found! We looked and looked and looked for about 30 minutes & do you know where we found them? In the trash can in the garage?! Let's just say I am glad we found them. My brain was somewhere else. 
• When I was trying to be helpful & touching up paint in the playroom. My Dad & I touched up multiple rooms while Rob was loading the trailer. I grabbed the paint that was labeled "playroom," gave it a good stir & got to work.  There was LOTS of free art on the walls from when the girls had a hard time keeping their crayons on paper. The touching up that I did was quite a bit of long swirly lines. You know how the color is not exactly the same when wet? I just assumed it would would blend but within 20 minutes, it was dry, Robby walked back into the house & glanced that way. He was not impressed with my "help" since it was a completely different color haha! I felt really bad but my Dad's laughter as he fixed my mistake was quite contagious & soon we were both laughing as he painted over all my free art.  They both said that it looked like Eloise came in their with water color paint & went wild on the walls.  I was just trying to help : ) 
• After all that inter-marital frustration we shared a last hug & kiss in the house before walking out that night.  What a special home that had been for us!

We were on the road about an hour & a half behind schedule on Monday morning since the guys had to head back over to the house that morning to finish up the emptying out of the garage.  Again, stressful morning!! Honestly, it felt nice to get moving in my own car packed to the brim without space for another person. For the next two days, we were all by our lonesome selves while en route to the Lone Star State. Rob in the truck, Me in the Expedition & my Dad in the Truck pulling a trailer, topped with kayaks & a cute little Pit Bull in the backseat. Overall, our driving went well. We made it to Baton Rouge around 9:30 that night after twelve hours on the road. We slept hard, got up Tuesday morning & were on the move headed straight to Texas! We made fabulous time, Robby & I were in much better moods & we pulled up to the Valentine's around 3:30. Happy day! My mom & the Fab Four arrived soon after us & it was quite the reunion in the front yard!

This picture says it all. Look at those smiles! I had never seen the four of them SO excited!

We relaxed in the backyard & visited before eating dinner together.

Anson enjoyed some snuggles with my Mom to commemorate their last of four days together while Owen cozied up on Jeannine. 

Anson got his first sniff of some true Texas brew...

and all four got settled into the greatest sandbox ever! Grandpa Bob built a sandbox within a couple days of finding out he was about to acquire six new roommates.  What a great host! The kids LOVE it & so do we!

We will be seeing lots of this in the coming months!

Wow, we made it & are officially Texas residents once again. We are transitioning well as we have been cared for so incredibly well by the sweetest in laws I could have ever hoped for. In over two weeks they have not uttered one negative comment about the increased noise level/work load around here.  The kids are absolutely loving getting to spend so much time with them along with other family & friends that we have seen since our arrival.  So far we have celebrated Jeannine's birthday, Mother's Day, both sets of parents anniversaries & my birthday...all in TWO weeks! Next up, Lolo is turning three!

There is much to be celebrated, much to be thankful for & much delight in our hearts as we reflect on what we left behind in the Sunshine State. Hello Texas!

Get ready Texas, here come the Valentines....

We have quite the announcement to make & no, we are not expecting another set of twins ; ) The big news is this...

the Valentine's are moving back to the 

LONE STAR STATE!

We are experiencing many emotions as we think through what it means to leave our nest in Orlando & build a new one in Dallas but trust that the Lord is leading us in this direction & will provide exactly what we need when we need it. I am at a loss to know where to start in explaining all that has happened to contribute to this decision but I will give it a fair shot this afternoon. 

Backtracking to the very beginning, here is a bit of the story of how we ended up in Orlando.  It has been a joy-filled & refining (almost) six years of serving at CCC. God has sustained us through some difficult times & blessed us abundantly with the dearest of friends who have walked alongside us through life here in Central Florida.  We have seen CCC go from 50-75 people meeting together in a high school auditorium to a steady 500+ meeting in our own building.  We have seen the Lord change hearts, strengthen marriages, grow families & reach those in the nearby communities. We have celebrated with various friends as they have gotten engaged, married & welcomed babies into their families...life moments that have changed the person I am today. There is much to be celebrate as we look back upon our time in Orlando & we are grateful for the life we have experienced here.

Our plan was to evaluate at the five year mark & consider what God might have for us as a family in the next five years. Then.... we had that surprise twin pregnancy whose due date fell just a month shy of the five year mark so we decided to push the decision back to when we might be sleeping on a regular basis ; ) Over all, since adding children to our little nest, the desire to be back in Texas near the majority of our family has slowly increased & completely maxed out through the pregnancy & first year with the twins.  After spending a few weeks over the holidays between Dallas & Houston we began discussing the possibility of moving back in another year.  In God's providence, due to some changes with Robby's job which is based out of Dallas, we were faced with the opportunity to make a decision rather quickly & have decided that the Lone Star State is the place we would like to build a new nest for our little brood.  

I can hardly believe it is happening even as a write those words but it's true....we will be Texas bound the first week of May!  It has been a wild & crazy few weeks since we arrived home from our second three week trip to Dallas & Houston.  Once the decision was made, we were in go-mode to prep the house for renting. We have packed lots of boxes sometimes at a slow pace with our four helpers....

Robby walked by & snapped that picture saying "you will love this one." He was right, I do. Precious Owen "helping" his mommy who unpacked boxes nearly six years ago in that very room hopeful that this would be the home she would bring babies home to.  The fact that God has given us Charlotte, Eloise, Owen & Anson during our time in Florida is enough to make us tear up at the drop of a hat. What a gift they are & to think that they are all Florida babies will forever be a reminder of God's faithfulness to us in a time of trusting Him as we moved far away from home.

In all our evenings where the uninterrupted packing gets done we have had lots of conversations. We did spend a late night sorting through our closet to get rid of things. It ended with the two of us sitting on the floor, beverages in hand for a good two hours talking about memories shared in our home. We laughed, we cried & we felt deep thankfulness to the God who orchestrates everything in our life for His glory & our good.

In the midst of packing (so far), we survived a good 10 days of sickness between the kids, extra shifts at work for me & Robby picking up the slack with me away. It has been crazy, not exactly super fun all the time but we are doing well & the kids don't seem to mind all the changes. Speaking of those sweet kids, when we asked the girls what they would think about moving to Dallas & living near (name any person they know & love) they were so excited for a second then Charlotte's face got really sad & she said "I don't want to move to Texas! It takes TOO long to get there!" Haha! So true...it is a stinkin' long trip & she would know as we did it twice five weeks apart! Thankfully, my parents offered to get tickets for my mom & I to fly the kids to Dallas to stay with Gaga & GGran while I fly back to drive with Rob & my Dad a couple days later. At first we were thinking it would be really special to leave as a family but then we drove in the car for 45 minutes, all the kids were screaming & we looked at each other & said "let's take them up on the offer!" I think it is a fabulous plan for all involved!

My dear in laws are welcoming the Valentine Six in their home for as long as we need upon our arrival in Big D which we are thinking will be a couple months.  At that point, we hope to find a rental home near where we lived prior to our move here. That is quite the offer to let our crew move in & we are very thankful & excited to spend time with them. I'm pretty sure Grandpa Bob is excited too considering he built a huge sandbox complete with four little seats & an umbrella the day after we said we were really coming ; ) The service of our parents is a practical way God is caring for us and our children in this time....it is overwhelming & I pray that I will have that same desire & ability to serve our children & their families when they are all grown up too.

In the in between time:

• I am on the job hunt for a full time Labor & Delivery position in Dallas
• We are keeping the house spic & span so we can load up our wagon & go for a walk if we get a call saying someone would like to see the house
• Boxes are being packed & check lists are being checked
• The house is getting painted thankfully not by us
• We are scheduling in time with those we will miss dearly when we leave
• We are processing, processing, processing
• We are answering questions daily from two sweet girls like "is my bed coming with us?" "What about Bella, can she come?"
• I feel sad, excited & exhausted at many points throughout each day
• I struggle to trust God will meet every need we have & provide for all things to be completed in the right time
• I then laugh when I throw a "fit" about job application issues only to receive an email the very next minute confirming a phone interview the following day...God knows & he provides...always.

ALL that to say, I'm guessing it makes sense as to why I am still writing posts about the boys birthday, each of them at one year old (good news, they are still one), meeting my newest precious niece Olivia etc etc. All in due time, they will be published ; ) 

For now, please pray for us in this time of transition as we say farewell to friends & family here & reunite with others in Texas. My friend Annie had a shirt on the day I shared our news with her & it had the lyrics to an old hymn called "Soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed."

I almost broke down & cried right then & there when considering the friends that we have sent on their way along with saying goodbye to our friends here.  I will close with the words that touched my heart that morning. 

"We meet to part but part to meet, 

when earthly labors are complete.

To join in yet more blest employ

in an eternal world of joy."