I always like to have things to look forward to in January, or any time really. I'm really, really excited about our upcoming move to Utah this summer. There are about a million options for me and the kids within arms reach, and the possiblity of a lighter workload for David. There will be kids museums, all the outdoor options we have living near the mountains, not to mention a Costco and a Target in my zip code. SO excited. I have had to put myself on time-out from searching for houses, though. The rental market there has so much variety and you get so much more house for your money out there vs. here in Clovis. We haven't decided whether or not we are going to live on base or not. It will depend on a variety of things. But if we choose to live off-base, I'm finding really great rentals now that I know won't be available in July when we move. So I'm making myself (mostly) stay off the rental websites until about April as to curb the disappointment of missing out on a great house.
I did our taxes last week and discovered we will be getting a really great return this year. While there are a lot of good things we could do with that money (put it toward paying off our van, divy it up and put it into kids savings accounts for college or missions), we decided we are going to take a portion of it and make some memories instead. We are going to DISNEYLAND over Spring Break!!
It's about 14 hrs from here. Flagstaff, AZ is smack in the middle, so we will stop and spend the night there and take in a little bit of the Grand Canyon. Then we will drive the rest of the way to Anaheim. We are going to stay in one of the Disney resorts and everything. I'm not sure who is more excited; me and David or the kids. We LOVE Disney. I have such fond memories of going with my parents as a kid. My Grandma lived an hour from Orlando, so I was fortunate to have been able to visit quite a bit as a child and teenager. I went to Disneyland one day with my cousin Yvonne when I was visiting her one summer (she lived in San Diego). But I've never stayed in the park. And as fun as it was when I was a kid/teenager, taking my kids a few years ago was about the most fun I have had in my life. I didn't know we would have the opportunity to go again so soon, but I'm thankful David was agreeable to my plan and is excted with me. I have a cousin that lives in L.A., so we will be able to spend some time with him and his family, and do some other sight-seeing around L.A. before we head home. We'll be spending three days at the Resort and in the park. There are just two parks at Disneyland, so I'm certain we'll be able to see and do all that we want, especially because we get in early since we are staying in one of the Disney resorts. We're eating breakfast with Goofy one day, the Princesses another, and I am SO excited. Sara Katherine was at a great age the last time we went. She was about 2 1/2 and remembers a lot. Elyse will be younger than that and I doubt she'll remember this trip, but I still think we'll have a great time.
Another big thing we are doing with this return is buying a nice camera.
We've gone through a couple cheap digital cameras, and I've just had enough of buying them and having to replace them. I want good, crisp, clean pictures of my kids. They will only be little once; I don't just want good pictures to document their childhoods, I want GREAT ones. I found a FANTASTIC deal on a Canon T3i Rebel on Amazon complete with the accessory kit, and so we just went for it. Now I just have to figure out how to use it beyond the automatic functions. I've been wanting one of these cameras for years, and I'm thankful we could just buy one outright. The thing coming up next I am so excited about is I'm going to see the Broadway Play, Wicked, in El Paso!
I've seen Phantom of the Opera in Atlanta, Aida on Broadway in NYC, Billy Joel's Movin' Out on Broadway in Boston, and so I think this will be my 4th Broadway show. I don't know much about Wicked except that everyone who sees it LOVES it. So some girlfriends and I are headed to El Paso next weekend. I'm calling it an early birthday present, and David is off the hook for having to do any birthday shopping, obviously. I'm thankful he is willing to tend to the kiddos solo so I can go. He's a good man. Also, the week before we leave for California, I am going to the same Breastfeeding Convention/Conference in Albuquerque I went too last year, but this time solo. My mom has graciously agreed to take some leave from work and fly in to tend the kiddos for the few days I'll be gone. At first I had said I'd pull the kids out of school and she could watch them in Albuquerque, but we decided it would just be easier on everyone if she watched them here at home. David will be in Florida for work so if she hadn't flown in, I wouldn't have been able to go. It's a really great conference information-wise, and I'll also be able to make a nice chunk of change to put toward our Disney trip. Not to mention I have no idea what I will do being completely by myself for three days. Don't get me wrong, 99.5% of the time I love being a stay-at-home mom, and I certainly love my kids 100% of the time. But I'm already making plans for things to do when I'm not in the conference. A movie by myself, roaming the book store by myself, and maybe even a museum or two by myself. All by myself! It will be nice for a few days, and every good mom should take an opportunity to have a few days to herself if she has the chance. So I am!
That should get me through March, then it's looking forward to Utah! I feel so very blessed in my life. I love my husband, I love my children, I am thankful for the stability of David's job, and I am thankful for my church which brings peace always; even through the dark days of January! Here's to making memories!
2 comments:
Hi Jeni
what a fun update to read from you. I feel like I just had a conversation with you, and here are my responses... first, I KNOW what you're talking about with the whole January thing. Such a hard month, isn't it?! Glad you have a lot to look forward to. I totally understand about having to WAIT to look for houses to rent. I started looking too early when we were moving here, and I know there's no sense in it -- get your heart set on something that will be sooo gone by the time you need it in a few months, eh!?
So, I was reading along and I saw your awesome picture of Disney, and started getting sooo excited because WE were just talking last night about going to Disney during OUR spring break. Only, we'd be at Disney world in Orlando -- IF we even get to do it. But it does sound sooo magical, doesn't it?
About Wicked -- I really liked it, but my one recommendation would be, if you can, listen to the music and get to know it a bit before you go. I didn't and I found it would have been more enjoyable if I HAD known some of the songs, if that makes sense.
Your conference by YOURSELF sounds dreamy. That's so nice of your mom to come be with the kid. Every good mom definitely deserves a good break every now and then. Enjoy!
I've now written you a full-on conversation here... see, doesn't it feel like we just chatted?! ;) Miss you!
Kamber
Sounds like lots of wonderful things to look forward to! I hear really great things about WICKED also... I wouldn't mind doing something like that, but I'm never up on what's going on ;). Haha... Perhaps I should be. I hope the last couple days of January are a breeze and that February brings nothing but goodness :). And Jeni, thanks for being a great example to me of Visiting Teaching.
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