MY MOM IS THE BEST MOM EVER!!!!!!!

I just wanted to let you all know that my mom is the best mom in the whole world! If you have read our last couple of posts, you know that my mom has had all three of our children with her since we left 11 days ago. Caring for her grandsons, in and of itself, makes her the best! But, on top of providing the day to day care, running them to school and back, helping with homework, feeding them, etc..., she also visits Mimi and Papa quite often and helps out there a lot as well and she helps her mother and father in-law as well. That is a lot for her to do, and we love her for it. In addition to all of this, my mom has managed to find us a stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer, dresser and a love seat to put in our new home, in the course of just 10 days. Isn't that great?!

So, I just wanted everyone to know how awesome my mom is! And, I want my mom to know how much we appreciate her and everything she does for us and our beautiful children!

THANKS MOM!!

Moving madness!!!

Wow!!! John and I managed to get everything packed in just a little under a week. I hate moving....really, I absolutely hate packing all of our stuff in boxes and piling them up. I hate having to load them into a truck and trailer...I despise carrying them down the flights of stairs. There is one thing that I like about moving, in general, that is that I get rid of stuff that is no longer used or is unnecessary. I still hate packing and moving. This move makes me feel better only because we will be back with family and our children are so happy and excited. I am VERY ready to be back to my boys....my heart jumps every time we talk on the phone and I think about them constantly. I am so blessed with awesome kids! I know that I say it a lot, but really, I am blessed!
So, John and I have everything packed and Monday morning we will load it up in Salt Lake City. Then some big rig driver will drive it to Santa Rosa for us. Then we will have friends help us get it from there to our new home in Scotia. I will post pictures of our new home once we are there, I promise. We will head out after loading everything up and be on our way. Tuesday we will be home with our boys!!!!

Ireland family news!!!!!!!

So, as any of you who read our blog know, Sarah's grandpa has been ill. On October 21, her mom called and said that things were not looking great and Mimi wanted us home. So, John got time off work and so did Sarah, then we headed out to California. Papa was in the hospital for the 3rd time in 5 weeks. He finally went home yesterday, by the way. Papa has been through so much!!! The doctor has taken veins from both arms to graft into his leg and attempted taking one from the "good leg" as well. It is going to take some healing time, and a lot of help will be needed. So, after much prayer and thought, we have decided to move back to Humboldt County! Our boys are so much happier there, close to grandmas and grandpas and great grandmas and grandpas. Of course the schools are smaller, and in many ways they are better. Of course Sarah will have to go back to work, but Ga-ga is quite ready to have the boys each day! John will work also and he will continue to finish school. The upside is that he will be able to get his degree in Health and Exercise Science, which is what he really wants. By the way, he received a A and two B's this last term. We are proud of him!!!!
We have a cute little house to move to in Scotia, the mill town, and we are trying to quickly get packed for the move. The boys are already going to school in Scotia and loving it. In fact, we had Aidan tested and he jumped right out of Kindergarten and into First Grade! He is much smarter than we are sometimes...what will we do?! Yes, this means that we left the boys with Ga-ga and Pop while we pack. And yes, we even left Korbin! I have broken down in tears several times, and I expect that I will do so until I get back and hold them in my arms....motherhood does that to us!
We know that we have made the right choice, because we prayed about it a lot. We each prayed and we prayed as a family. That is how decisions are made. We do not expect, however, that the move will be totally easy. We expect to have difficulties for awhile...we are leaving behind our jobs and our stability. Thankfully we have a great family who is willing to help us get back there. Of course, it may just be that they want Connor, Aidan and Korbin back....and we just happen to come along with them.
So, wish us luck in packing..or come help us if you want to. We are ready to be done with the snow and back to the beauty fo the redwood coast!