Sunny Florida

Here I am in Sunny Florida, residing at the Ritz Carlton located on Key Biscayne. Basically, I am in paradise, the photos you see of private beaches, grand hotel lobbies, servers bringing you tropical drinks poolside....

We arrived after a 1300 mile drive from Ohio. The drive took us 2 days, as we had 2 cars to bring down with us. We stopped for a night in Savannah, GA. Which just happened to be Hubbie's and my first vacation together.

The weather is pleasant, warm and breezy. The breezy part being key as it keeps the air moving and smelling constantly of salty sea air. What a nice contrast to the yucky stagnant smell of NOLA. It was hot there, but no breeze.

Tomorrow I start my search for a new home. I have made phone calls today to clarify my needs to a Realtor. The weekend, hubbie and I drove around the surrounding areas, trying to get a better idea of what was possible. I have confidence is the realtor. She is my 6th one, and finally was speaking my language in terms of what I was looking for as a mother.

Posts will be sporadic, as I need to use the business center during their hours of operation. But I must say, everyone should experience living in residence at a Ritz Carlton for over 2 weeks. We will be here for 30-45 days. I plan on bringing the boys once our belongings are moved into the new home. Before we check out and move in, I want to let the boys experience the wonder their daddy works for. It is a nice company and they do take care of their valued employees.

We are starting to relax, even though the road ahead is still uncertain.

Homecoming

Hubbie drove up the driveway on Sunday evening. It was so nice to see his face and give him a big hug. We unloaded the truck and then went over to my parents' house, where the boys were staying. They ran into his arms and hubbie wept! Just like he did when we were married 8 years ago yesterday. It was a nice moment to see the three of them embrace.

Yesterday we had a large family meal with my extended family. The food was tasty and the company pleasant. When we left, it was hard to say goodbye. Because of choices hubbie and I have made, many lives will be forever changed. This isn't only happening to hubbie, the boys and me, but to all of the extended family. They will no longer see those little faces and big smiles. The next time I see my relatives, they will be older, weathered if you will and that will be sad for me. You tend to see the aging process more when you are away for longer periods of time.

But we move forward and do what is necessary for our children and family.

More when after the long drive down to sunny, hot, did I mention HOT, Florida!

Making Memories

I knew a wise woman who once said her best decision was not working while her children were young. This way, she was able to work hard at making memories. Well this weekend is dedicated to making memories with my boys and family.

My mom's family decided to build a mountain/forest camp site outside of CooksForest State Park back in 1969-70. Ever since I can remember, this camp has been part of my childhood. We would all cram into a 2 bedroom cabin, loaded up with beds, and cots and such. It was terrific to be together for a weekend and we never were concerned with having only one bathroom for 15 plus people.

There was always a camp fire, marshmallows, deer spotting, driving through the forest, walking down by Clarion River, checking out the latest wears at the Indian Trading post, eating ice cream, and tons of wonderful home cooked food. Did I forget the games? We would play outside games, inside board games and put together puzzles 1000 plus pieces.

I have always treasured this place and it was the last time my mother's entire family was together before my grandpa died suddenly of a heart attack. It is a special place for us all and I really want my boys to know how lucky they are to have this place.

It isn't fancy, but it is our place. A place of memory making, forest smells and laughter.

This holiday weekend will be the last time we are able to go to the cabin. I imagine it will be a long time before we are close enough to take advantage of the cabin once we move to Florida. I am sad to leave this behind, but happy that this special place is with my boys forever.

FLORIDA HERE WE COME!

It seems I forgot to give the update on where we are going! Hubbie accepted the position with the Ritz late last week. We are headed towards the Ft. Lauderdale area this next coming month.

As I am not a fan of large water born tornadoes that tear up the coast line and produce high winds that will blow off your roof, I am a fan of job security and a destination that we can figure out to the best of our ability with a lower cost of living. My in-laws live in the area 6 months out of the year, so it will be nice to have some family around for the boys. With the lower cost of living, I may not have to work right away or just pick up a part time job. No more worries of driving in the snow, or having to pay outrageous heating bills. These are all things I am thankful for.

Now I just have to work on Trader Joes to open up a location near by!!!!

Sunny Florida, here we come!

Gaining Clarity

I am starting to get it together and feel as if I have direction, finally! Now that we have a destination that is more secure, we can move forward with the rest of the action items. It will not be easy, move from one place to another that I am not familiar with in 45 days, but I will do it.

I give thanks for at least giving me a direction to go in. This is a start.