Corn Maze - NC Style

Our family tradition for the last few years has been to go to a corn maze the day after Thanksgiving.  However, here in NC all the corn mazes close the first week in November so we've had to change the tradition a bit.  We've decided to move it to around Chris and Amber's birthdays instead.

I'm not big into Halloween (understatement).  So the fact that corn mazes and Halloween seemed to be tightly connected was an issue at first.  Then I found the Naylor Family Farm & Corn Maze it appeared to be benign and as a bonus was designed by the same group as the one we attended in Florida  so this past weekend we packed up to check it out.

However, other than using the same company, things were extremely different.  One thing we liked was the lack of rules.  They seemed to depend on people to be honest and responsible.  When Chris and I got tired, we were able to just hand Lance & Jared my phone and take Titus and Amber out.  They didn't require the kids stay with a parent or that the kids not run.  The boys had a blast finishing the maze and finding all the clues by themselves.  Titus and Amber enjoyed playing in the kids area.

Rubber Duckie Water Pump Races

One thing that was really neat in the kids area was the sandbox made of dried corn.  Amber was so enamored that she had to take her shoes off to experience it fully.  She also liked the cows which she thought should come if she commanded them "Come Cow!", however the cows had apparently not gotten that memo.  LOL

The other activity she and Titus enjoyed was the tractor train.  All the boys rode it once, but little miss made multiple trips and thanks to the easy going driver sometimes all by herself.

The last thing we did was to take the hayride to the pumpkin patch.  Here they did have one silly ghost and a spider that dropped down toward the hay trailer but the boys found it funny not scary so it was no big deal.  I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pumpkins as well, especially since they were included with the price of admission.

The weather was beautiful the atmosphere laid back and cheery.  All in all we had an absolutely marvelous day.

Piano Lessons

Miss Pam was one of those people that we saw so often, I guess we sort of took her for granted.  Well now that I've spent a month looking for a new piano teacher for the boys I really, really appreciate that she is a truly rare and awesome lady.

Miss Pam was not only the boys piano teacher but also our family friend.  She came to my house every Wednesday for what we joked were marathon piano lessons.  She would teach my boys before the Parays got out of school and then teach the Parays after.  So for over three straight hours we had piano of lessons every Wednesday.  For Mae and I it was our time to talk and connect.  For the kids it was mid-week play time too.  I say over three hours because often after the lessons Mae, Pam and I would talk for a while too.  It was nice....we miss Wednesdays.

When I started looking for a teacher here I had a really hard time.  I ran into piano snobs that wouldn't teach the boys because we didn't have an acoustic piano and then there were the Theory Marmes who seemed to care more about how the kids did in theory competitions than if they learned to love playing the piano.  I talked about my frustrations with Miss Pam and she suggested we get a real piano stand for the keyboard, boys were getting too tall to stand with proper arm alignment anyway and think about getting some theory books.  Then she offered to try to teach the boys over Skype.  It wasn't ideal but I wasn't having much luck finding a local teacher and I definitely wanted to boys to keep playing.

New set-up looks rather fancy if I do say so myself

I also voiced my frustration to our friend Dawn here and she gave me the name of a friend who she assured me wasn't a "snob" and liked kids.  Well do to illness we didn't get a chance to try out Skype before we had a chance to meet Dawn's friend Miss Kat.  The fact that she liked being called Miss Kat (instead of something more formal) was a good sign, but the fact that she taught theory as a part of the lessons instead of giving them books with homework was a major plus.  We had been so spoiled by Miss Pam teaching theory using all these fun games. Theory books really intimidated me because they did not come with an answer key and I had no idea how I was going to help the boys do the sheets during the week since I had no idea.  The final good sign was that Titus liked her (He had actually ran out of the room when asked if he was ready for his lesson with one of the teachers we met).  So we are going to give Miss Kathy a try on Mondays.   Wednesdays remain special time with the Parays when the kids spend a few hours talking and playing over Facetime.  I'm so thankful for today's technology.

One Month Later

We have now been in North Carolina for a month.  I still have a hard time calling it home but that will change over time.  Lance said the other day that he feels like we are just on a very long vacation and I totally understand.  Part of that could be that I've not unpacked anything personal yet (i.e. trinkets, treasures, pictures/paintings, etc.).  Its taken a month just to get the house functioning.  This weekend we finally finished the boys closet so that we can spend this week transitioning their clothes out of boxes.  The linen/laundry closet was completed last weekend, which went a long way to unloading a lot of boxes.  After taking four weeks to get two closets up and running I'm a little over closets so I think I'll make due with mine for a while.  There is clear evidence of nicotine on the walls but because it has a window at least there's no smell.  Plus if I return one more mis-purchased closet item to Home Depot I think they'll cut me off  LOL.  We've made changes due to moisture, structure, and plain old mistakes that have resulted in way too many trips to THD, there were a lot more challenges than normal closets.

We have made more headway though than just two closets.  We've gotten the Home School Room up and running.  Set up the piano and finally found a way to get the boys beds upstairs (narrow stairway challenges).  Outside the boys have embraced their new "chore" responsibilities as Lance calls they with a smile.  We got a bunch of rakes and a modern twist on a reel lawn mower so that the boys can safely help us mow.  Mowing is Lance's favorite.  Blowing off the back porch is Titus' and I think Jared likes raking and filling the bird feeder best (more about the feeder later).  

I'm happy they are enjoying all the new space.  They realized this past week they can climb up the Red Maple up front and have been playing the part of monkeys ever since.

Chris' favorite part is destruction he says ie. gutting the closets and removing all the nasty blinds.  He also likes to dream about his plans for the yard, boys like to help him start to make head-way.  He plans to clear all the under growth between the current yard edge and the creek.  We plan on leaving the area past the creek wild for now.  My goal is to be done mucking with the house by spring so that I too can focus on garden plans for the yard.

Beside the house we have made headway on getting connected in the community too.  

The first thing we did was sign the boys up for the home school Swim Team.  This is a much bigger affair than what we did at home but the boys are enjoying swimming and more importantly meeting new people.  Through one family we've befriended we have also joined a homeschool field trip group that we hope to start attending different events on Friday next month.  

In our neighborhood, our neighbors have been very friendly.  Coming to introduce themselves and bring baked goods (Yum!).  One of our neighbors invited the boys to attend AWANA at a church literally across the street from our community on Wednesday nights.  I went the first night and though I have some doctrinal issues with the program Chris and I decided nothing is perfect.  They do bible memory work and at least 30 minutes of gym games (dodge ball, relays, red-light-green-light, etc.) which the boys really like.  When Amber gets old enough, if the boys still like it we'll actually have a few hours alone each week, now there's a novel idea.

We also ventured out last week and got our new library card.  Boys were very excited.  We chose the Holly Springs location first because it was closest and were very pleased.  It also meets my current criteria of being off one of two roads I'm comfortable traveling.  Thankfully those two roads are all I need so far because everything is off them; swimming, Whole Foods, Harris Teeter and now the library.  My little world is coming together.  Tight and compact just like I like it.

Kitty Kitty Turns Two

I'm thinking about putting this quote up in her bedroom; that is when she sleeps in her own room, for it describes her so well....for now.

Though she is still a little girl, she will not be a little woman.  At the two year mark she measured in at 35.5 inches and 30 lbs.  According to the old wives that means she'll be 5'9" tall as an adult. 

I'd like to say our Amber is a polite young lady but adorable bully would be more appropriate.  She is the master of all she beholds, especially her obliging brothers. 

She can thrust her hip, bat her eyes to get her way and everything else "girl", which is proof they come pre-wired since she certainly wouldn't learn those things in this house.  She adores her brothers and they her. 

She has a special bond with each of them; she and Titus are two peas in a pod.

She is loving and compassionate.  Taking the time to kiss each brother good night, give them a hug when they are sad and hover over them like a good mother hen when they are hurt. She always wants to help; be it cleaning or walking the dog.

 
She started really talking at 22 months.  With things like "That hurt Sarge" when he bumps into her, random "Shnop the car!" when I'm driving and her adorable quick emphatic "Yep"s and excited "eeeYaaa!".   I could do without all the "No tanks" though, especially when no isn't an option (like getting dressed).  I dare not wish for her talk more but a little explanation of the reason for her defiance from time to time might be helpful.

For now, she gets what she wants with the words she uses and likes to test drive new ones everyday; even if they don't find it into her regular repertoire.  She prefers to work on her acting talents as the house cat and sometimes house dog.  She crawls around, makes noises and eats accordingly, which means we need to keep Kitty Kitty's nails trimmed.  Which goes along with her being fearless of animals.

Happy Birthday Amber!  May you life be blessed with an abundance of happiness that your beautiful smile need be seldom from your precious face.  We love you Amber!

My Husband

It seems appropriate that today is his 44th Birthday (oops!  Should I have told his age?).  Its a year of symmetry, and Chris has always brought symmetry to my life.  He compliments and balances me and I him.  We are truly two who have become one.  

Tomorrow marks the 18th anniversary of our first date.  In some ways it seems a life time ago and in others only a short time has past.  We have both changed so much, thankfully I think the changes have been for the better.  

Chris is such an attentive and involved father.  He always was good with kids, so I suppose this is no surprise but it is a great blessing to us all.  He truly has an interest in the concerns and interests of his children and his wife (though he teases me a bit more about my wacky ones LOL).  

He has embraced his role as leader of our home, much to all our comfort.

Above all Chris loves.  He loves God first, then each of us with an intensity that is hard to explain but wonderful to feel.

We love you Chris with all our heart!

Is it a boat or a house?

This has been one of those weeks where I was thwarted at every attempt I made to make forward progress.  Each step forward revealed a new issue that sent us sliding backward.  The last few weeks had been stressful enough, moving to a new town and all that involves was plenty on its own, all these unanticipated issues with the house were really building on my fortitude and Friday was the final straw.

I'm the kind of person who needs a plan and closure.  By Friday I saw no future, no plan.  Not a single room in the house was up and running.  Every room in the house was in the need of some major or minor fix that was keeping me from completing it and getting at least a small amount of closure.  I had reached my emotional bottom, and didn't stir much from it till Saturday evening when I started to see a light.  Then Chris ventured a guess on why this week had been so hard..  He felt God was slowing us down so that we could really come up with a plan we'd be satisfied instead of just reacting to the issues before us.

Therefore, rather than stress what went wrong this week, I'd rather talk about what went right this weekend.  I found out Saturday, that the only reason I got my hot water heater fixed on Saturday morning (so I could finally do laundry), was because our sweet GC was eating lunch with a friend on Friday telling him about our boat/house and his friend volunteered to help out and do it.  The helpful, kind hearts of these men talking about how to help my family, that they really didn't know, over lunch really started raise me back up.  He even called Dawn to tell her how things were going and she sweetly volunteered to come by and do all our laundry for us.  Having people be so kind was a major emotional boost.  Having hot water and being able to do my first load of laundry Saturday night helped me make some forward progress too. Yay! The clouds were clearing a little!

One of the big issues in this house is that only one of the closets is even useable.  Thankfully, its Chris' so he can hang his work clothes but the others all need work.  One of the common themes is they smell really musty.  After doing some research on the cause and the solution to musty closets, I realized we had a moisture and circulation issues.  Unlike our newer house in Florida none of the walk in closets had vents for circulation, they all had old wood shelves that had probably absorbed a lot of moisture in 27 years and none had been painted in a very long time. These were issues Chris and I COULD address ourselves and make more progress it would just take time and learning new skills but at least we new what to do.

This weekend we took out all the old wood shelving and spackled the two main closets to make them ready to paint. Saturday night we put the dehumidifier in the closet easiest to fix ran it all night.

Then Sunday we went to Sherwin Williams and got their "Harmony" paint which is apparently a favorite with hospitals because it is zero VOC and is an odor eliminator.

Today I went ahead and tried it out in our stinkiest closet, the coat closet by the front door.  Whoo Hoo!  I think it actually worked!  The clouds are clearing more.

We've realized that now that we are owners of an older home we are going to have to step up to the plate and start learning the skills we need to make fixes and changes ourselves.  Chris doesn't like to paint but thankfully I don't mind so that will be my job.  Chris' first job will be to learn some carpentry skills to replace the closet doors.  Painting helps give us a clean start but if we don't address the circulation issue it won't last.  Our solution is to replace the six panel solid doors to the closets with louvered doors.

Choosing to go with louvered doors on the closets, led to the idea of eventually getting louvered doors for the kitchen cabinets as well.  This led to the idea of decorating the house in a Island Plantation theme over time.  Yay!  A plan was unfolding too!

You may be wondering what all this has to do with the photo at top.  Well what we also did on Sunday was to take some time as a family doing something fun.  We went to Hemlock Bluff Preserve, which is a beautiful park only 10 minutes from our house.  We walked the shortest trail today (about a mile) and it was beautiful.  I felt like we'd been transported to the Smokey Mountains.  The kids all ran wild and Sarge was energized by all the smells.  It was revitalizing for everyone.  And as a treat we even saw a group of deer in our neighbors yard as we were heading out.  I realize we have a lot of challenges before us, that its going to take time, and new challenges will arise, but tonight I am also able to see all the potential our future here. 

Not sure if this is the same group that sleeps in our backyard or another one.

Perhaps this too is for the best...

That's a quote from a rabbi in one of my favorite books to read aloud to the boys "Solomon and the Ant: A book of Jewish Fables".  The rabbi says this every time something goes seemingly wrong and drives his companion nuts on their short journey till they discovers the rabbi was right.

I found myself saying this a lot the past week as we journeyed and transitioned to our new home in North Carolina.

We started packing up the 26' Foot Penske Truck on Tuesday night with the help of the Parays to entertain the kids, Miss Natalie to deliver the food and our awesome packing team:  Hanif, Kassie and Kyle.  By the end of the night the majority of the house was loaded in the truck.

Kyle came back to help Wednesday night.  So I decided to reward him by introducing him to Thai Food :-).  Parays came to play again and help with Little Miss. Grandpa Harv came with desert and took a turn at entertaining Little Miss as well (trust us she needs many keepers).  That got everything from the garage loaded up and it didn't seem like we'd have much left in the morning.

Thursday morning the Parays came by before school for one last playdate. :-(  Kevin came by to help Chris get the mattresses in and Christina came to help with the rest.  So glad she came because for some reason the "little" we had left took a long time to get loaded and filled the truck, that seemed plenty big Tuesday night, to the brim Thursday morning.

During all this I was still conversing with the Lender and we remained on the edge of our seat as to whether we would close or not.  Then by noon Thursday we looked clear to close Friday and we started the first half of our drive around 1:30pm.  That's when our trip with the rabbi began.

• Overturned semi on 1-4 stops traffic completely on I-4 30 minutes into our trip and delays our forward progress over an hour.
• This was "for the best" because the lender called and told me I could not use a personal check at close for the down payment.  Since the car wasn't moving I was able to call my bank to find out what needed to be done to send a wire. 
• It turns out I needed to fax the information in and I didn't have a fax in the car.
• However, the stopped traffic was for the best again because we were only in Sanford and hadn't passed my parents house where Chris' dad was dog sitting.  So Chris calls Harv to prepare for our arrival and we take a detour to send the fax.  Of course the fax didn't work and we had to take pics and get a secured email, blah, blah, blah.  But at 4:01 the email was sent and we loaded up to start our journey again. 
• All this too was for the best because I had been worried about hitting rush hour in Jacksonville but that was no longer a problem.

We arrived at the hotel in Savannah at 9pm.  What should have been a 4 hour trip turned into 7.5 hours (we had a poop incident along the way too that lengthened our trip).  However, all that said the kids never complained once and neither did the dog.  They were really troopers.  I swear as I was starting to really worry about my night vision it suddenly and miraculously improved as I was driving as we were making our way to Savannah (I have avoided driving at night for years).

Next morning we head off without incident, only issue is the Penske truck is really, really, slow.  We cannot even stop for lunch if we are going to make our 1:30pm close.  When I asked the lender if there would be space to park the truck.  Ken quickly changed the location to someplace where there was room and Sarge would be allowed inside.  He had jumped through some serious hoops to get us closed in ten days and this was just one more and we are very appreciative.

We got within 500 yds at 1:30pm when Siri miss directs us into a neighborhood across the 8 lane road from building we need to be in but that too was for the best.  As I pull over to the side and turn on my flashers.  People from the neighborhood just wait patiently behind me, no one honks.  When I wave them around, a lady actually stops beside me rolls down her window and asks if she can do anything to help.  I'm sorry to say that's not how things would have gone down in Orlando, it gave a me good feeling about our new home.

Our realtor had called me on our way and knowing we were running late (b/c of the slow truck) offered to pick-up Panera.  Dawn has met and anticipated our needs about our home over the past few weeks and this was just one more thing.  Having food to eat somewhat entertained the kids at close.  All the kids but Amber that is who kept escaping and running down the hallway to sit in this one office (Oyeevey!).  Luckily no one in the office seemed to mind, I'm sorry to say Sarge was better behaved than Amber LOL.

We arrived at our new home for the first time a 3pm.  Dawn, gave us our first tour of our new home.  Everyone had told us the property was beautiful and they were right.  It was a much denser forest than we anticipated.  It was the sanctuary we have talked about having for years.  Inside the home was more spacious than I anticipated as well.  But more on the house in another post where I'll explain how we've been excercising the saying of the rabbi a bit more.  Here's some compare and contrast photos.

Front yard - Florida

Front yard - North Carolina

Backyard - Florida (22x30 synthetic grass)

Backyard - North Carolina (.89 acre half is a Forest with deer)

A time to Swim

We have had a wonderful, fun, and productive time swimming this year.  The children have shown such improvement during the past season.  It's ironic that this weekend was planned to be our year-end party for the younger swimmers turned not only into a celebration of Jared's One-Year anniversary of his surgery but also a farewell party for us.  

After their final lesson, the kids played for a long time between the pool and the park, then filled themselves with pizza.  We adults spent the time reminiscing about how small the kids were when Hanif first started teaching them five years ago and how far they've come.  We spent time getting know Hanif's mom and sister and enjoying each others company and conversation as we always have. 

This summer we had fun not only swimming in the pool but also playing at the playground as the kids took turns taking their lessons.

Little Miss is not pictured probably because she was either refusing to get off the swing or ruling the rest of the playground :-)

The "Sportsmen" will continue swimming through the fall, but Coach Hanif was kind enough to have a pizza party for Lance after practice Friday where he expressed what a key member of the team Lance has been over the years.

Words alone will not express how we will miss all our friends in swimming; the camaraderie between the kids, the parents and our friend/Coach Hanif.

Michaelmas - Season of Change

For the last three years, Michaelmas has been a season of huge changes in our family.  Three years ago was our last big Michaelmas party that ended in a visit to the ER which triggered another journey that ended last Michaelmas when we returned home after a month-long stay in Boston with more hope in the future for our family than ever before.

This year, as we reflected day-by-day and gave thanks for each part of our journey last year in Boston, a new journey began to unfold.

On Labor Day this year (which was the day before Jared's surgery last year), Chris got a phone call from a recruiter about a job in Raleigh, NC.

On the subsequent Thursday (the day Jared woke up after surgery last year), Chris had a phone interview with the company.  After Jared woke up, we expected him to be in ICU for a week, and we expected it would be a week before we heard anything, if ever, about the job.  In both cases, we were wrong and things started moving forward at lighting speed.

They wanted Chris in Raleigh for an in-person interview on Monday, 9/9.  So, he drove up Sunday night.  The interview wasn't until 2pm, so he checked out one home in the area and met the best friend of a friend of his who was a realtor in the area.  The home wasn't a good fit but it was nice to look around the city. Afterwards, he went back to study some more before his interview.

All his studying for tricky technical questions turned out to be unnecessary; the interview was very casual and Chris was excited.  He hoped to hear back in a week or so and began the 9 hour drive home.  Two hours into his drive, the recruiter called; he had an offer.

When he had driven up, neither of us really expected anything to come of it, and if it did we figured we could stretch things out until the end of baseball season in November.  Once again we were wrong.  They wanted him up there no later than October 1st.

Since then, our lives have been in hyper-drive.  Finding health, home, and car insurance, finding a home and all that entails (financing, inspections, etc.).  Thankful that Dawn (our realtor) and Ken (our lender) have been amazing.  And if everything goes as planned we will be in our new home on Friday, 9/27.

A home in a town I've never been to.  A home neither of us have seen in person.  To a town where we know no one.  But also to a town full of possibilities for our family.  Chris getting out of the defense industry and into the banking industry is a huge opportunity and into a position where he can really contribute and learn new things again.  He can still bike to work, though its 4 miles longer each way.  Sports and Homeschooling seem to be really big for the boys.  Lastly, our new home is HUGE and sits on nearly an acre of wooded land; in a rural part of town; yet still remains close to everything.  We are hoping it is the sanctuary we have wished to have for years.  We can even have chickens!  

The possibilities are enormous, but so is the change.  We have always lived in Orlando since the day after our marriage.  We have lived in this house for the past nine years.  Though we have out-grown it (literally), it is still home.  The hardest thing to leave behind is the friends who have become family to us.  I feel like doing a tribute to each of you here but I would rather do that personally.

However, separating from our best friends/family, the Parays, is the hardest part and tears at the heart of each of us so much, I don't think I could say it out loud.  I am not good at expressing my feeling in words, yet though I may fail miserably I must try.  Our lives have been so interconnected for the past 8 years its like leaving behind half our family.  But we have prayed for years for God to never open a door that we should not pass through.  Our simple prayer has always been "God don't let us screw-up our family by doing something that is not your will."  We have to believe that this change, though terribly hard, will be good for ALL our family, the Otto's and the Paray's.  That this change will not harm any of the children but build them up to serve Him better.  That this is not the end of our families closeness but just a new and different phase.  

This time next week (the day before Michaelmas) we should be in route to Raleigh to close on our new home.  Let the journey begin.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Try a Tri (Again)

This is the third year of Lance and Matthew participating in the Mini-Maniac Triathlon run by some friends through the YMCA.  They had been practicing hard for the swim...

But what was really different is that this year they had another friend join them...

On the 11 month anniversary of his surgery, Jared participated in his very first triathlon!  They were all really excited!

For Jared, the course involved a 50 meter swim (one length, and he finished ahead of two kids), a 2 mile bike (That part was the easiest for him, averaging 10.1 MPH) and 1/2 mile run.  His performance in the run is what really surprised us.  Coming after the swim and the run we expected him to be tired out but he came into the finish jogging strong and smiling; beating two kids in his age group (equivalent of 12:46/Mile)!  What a kid!

For Lance and Matthew the course was a bit longer:  100 m swim, 4 mile bike and 1 mile run. They both did great! 

Lance got kicked in the face in the swim, which slowed him down a bit but he kept going strong.  He averaged 14.7 MPH on the bike.  Lance showed awesome improvement in the run; breaking a 10 min mile with a time of 9:51.

Matthew had trouble with the girls again - they keep trying to knock him off his bike for the third year in a row!  I keep telling him stay away from the girls :-)  LOL  He came 4th out of the water, averaged 14.2MPH on the bike and ran a 10:47 mile.  Another great performance!

And a photo credit to Titus who got up really early and road with the boys to the Tri to help dad take pictures! (Amber and I made it before race time by car)