New Beginnings!

 

Happy New Year!  We are happy to report that we have arrived at our temporary corporate housing in Greensboro, and are another step closer to completing this epic move.  The children are actually "cheering" in the photo above (in case you were confused about their expressions), and the only other picture of the series that was somewhat acceptable is the one below (where I may or may not be bribing them that "If you smile, you will get to watch a bonus video in the car after this rest stop..."):

When in a new state, must wield sticks apparently.

 



We've completed our Christmas travels, made a pit stop back at our house in South Carolina to take down our Christmas tree/decorations, load up our cars with toys and clothes, and have moved into our new "Home Sweet Home" for the next two months:  Apartment 2-B.

 

Mark resumed his new job on Monday, and there is still one week of winter break before Luke starts at his new school.  We've been exploring the area and adjusting to our temporary home.  Thankfully, the apartment complex is new and clean, and the unit was furnished for us.  There is a playground and dog park, and we are learning lots about our new town (like the fact that Brueggers does not have a drive-through here, so if you go in your pajamas at 6 a.m. with kids who have been up for half the night, be prepared to walk into the store with everyone in tow).  We've also made mental notes of what we need to pick up when we return to our house in 2 weeks.  Ice scrapers currently top the list, as we are not used to parking outside in the winter and have had to wait for our freezing car windshields to thaw before above bagel run/going to work:

 We are extremely thankful for new Christmas toys that have occupied L&L while we unpack and settle in!

We made it exactly 24 hours in our new apartment before we started breaking things. Leah apparently thought this cabinet was a drawer.  Somehow, I don't think we'll get our security deposit back in full, with two active little ones who are very hard on furniture, walls, cabinetry, appliances, etc.

We did have a fantastic outing today at the Greensboro Children's Museum.  There was a New Year's Eve party for children, complete with a live DJ, music and a magic show, and a countdown to 12:00 (noon) with confetti and fun activities.  I loved the idea of ringing in the new year with Luke and Leah at an hour where we were actually awake, and the kids and I had a great time this morning.    

 

L&L's favorite exhibit!

 

Can you tell she has a big brother who has influenced her interest in vehicles?!

 

The Media Room was another favorite exhibit, where Luke reported the news on live video monitor feeds and Leah served as chief meteorologist:

Anchorman Luke and his lovely co-host.

Channel 14's new weather girl!

 We've only been here for a couple of days, but it seems fitting to write this blog post about fresh starts as we welcome a new year in a few short hours.  Today at the museum, I took a picture of this street sign, but what I love the most are the background words painted on the wall.  Indeed, we look forward to a year of discovery, exploration and learning as we embrace our new beginnings!

Christmas in Williamsburg

 

We celebrated Christmas with our Winterhoff Family last weekend, and as always, it was a joyous event.  The cousins were wide-eyed and giddy with excitement at the piles of presents in front of them, and we grown-ups delighted in watching the children's reactions and interest in their gifts:

 

 

 

Even Winnie had a big role in on all of the festive happenings.  She is very loved by all of her cousins, and receives lots of attention at these family gatherings.  She was taken on numerous walks per day, was petted and pursued constantly, and was showered with presents and affection.  I'm not sure what she thought of these reindeer games, but her expression here makes me giggle:

 

Bean and Poppy prepared a special "Christmas Church" at home for the children, which included songs, readings by the big kids, and the narration of Christmas story.  Even the littlest grandchildren participated by helping to set up the nativity scene and placing baby Jesus in the manger: 

 

 

 There was also a lesson in the true meaning of Christmas giving as the children pulled coins from Poppy's coin jar, counted them, and used the money to buy meals to feed hungry people.  The kids were given stickers to represent their meals and placed these on a large world map.  All six children loved this activity, and choosing the locations and countries where they wanted to donate each meal:

 

There was also a birthday party for Baby Jesus, complete with cake!



One of the best parts of the weekend is the cousins together as they create beloved childhood Christmas memories.  This pictures says it all, and is truly worth 1,000 words:

 

Another highlight of our Christmas in Williamsburg was the Offutt Family Christmas party, with Great Grammy as the matriarch, and many of Mark's maternal aunts, uncles, and cousins in attendance.  It's another joyful, busy event, with lots of young children, yummy food, and of course Redskins football:

 

 

Loyal Football Fans!

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy these pictures of our wonderful Williamsburg Christmas!

 

Goodbye, Greenville!

 

Last week was momentous for us.  Mark finished his final days of work at GE and received this beautiful framed print of downtown Greenville, signed by his co-workers.  It was a wonderful way to commemorate his career here, and to remember a place that we have called home for the last six years.  We've been saying good bye to many of our friends and wrapping up loose ends in preparation to move after Christmas.   

 

We visited Main Street for the last time as a family, which tugged at my heartstrings.  Almost every landmark there holds a special memory for us, and we reminisced over the many, many occasions that we have enjoyed our beautiful downtown area:

Luke posing with one of the statues on Main Street.

 

Of course Leah brought Clayton downtown, too!

Leah's car buddies.

 

We also went to a Greenville Road Warriors Hockey game, and had a blast!  Both of our kids were enthusiastic fans, cheering loudly, "Go ROAD WORRIERS!"  It was too cute to correct...

 

 

 

It is always amazing how the Zamboni is one of the biggest draws of the game.  All of the little boys lined up at the end of each period to ooh and ahh at this machine.  What fun we've had attending all of the minor league sports and family friendly activities in Greenville!

 

Leah and I volunteered in Luke's kindergarten class two days last week, to help the children make gingerbread men and decorate gingerbread houses:

  We've enjoyed participating in all of the holiday units so far this year, and Peanut really does think that she's a part of the class, too.  She even went to lunch and recess with the big kids while Mommy photocopied and helped the teachers last week.  In between the Christmas-themed activities, the kids completed their morning classwork, and Leah cracked us all up when she grabbed a worksheet and got right to it, practicing her "handwriting":

 

We're certainly going to miss Luke's teachers and his wonderful school!

 Leah and her best friend, Colette, had a playdate at the zoo last week.  We adore the Greenville Zoo, and have spent numerous days at this attraction with family and friends.  Colette and Leah are such cute little buddies, who took Kindermusik class together and share a standing weekly Ladies' Lunch date with their mommies afterward.  It was fitting to share our last zoo trip with such special friends:

 

We've also had a fun time playing with our neighbors this past week.  Braden was Leah's age when we moved into our house, and we have had lots of adventures with his family.  We have great neighbors in Greenville who have watched our children grow and we've loved our neighborhood pool and playground during our time here:

 

We've also had some quiet time at home, reading to Clayton and creating winter-themed crafts and snacks.  As a stay-at-home mom of young children, I have spent more hours in our Greenville house over the past six years than many people spend in their homes over decades.  I know every inch of this house, and have watched it transform from what seemed like such a large, empty space for a married couple to a home that fits our family perfectly.  We've lovingly tended gardens, chosen paint colors, taken pride in completing home improvement projects, and have filled our space with toys, laughter, and love:   

 

 

Last weekend, we attended the birthday party of one of Luke's friends who is turning six.  These 4 kiddos made up our original playgroup and we have been celebrating birthdays together from their very first year.  How I treasure these mamas and the bond we formed during our first years of parenthood together in Greenville!

Too big for our laps now!

 

Halloween 2010.

 

In the beginning...

 We are blessed to have dear friends who we consider our family here in Greenville.  We've shared countless meals with them, celebrated holidays together, and have supported each other through many stages of our lives.  The Bertrands lived in Roanoke when we did, and we were lucky enough to move to SC around the same time as them.  Through their family, I joined my Book Club, selected a preschool for our children, found doctors, and built friendships that we will treasure forever.  Luke and Leah look up to William and Emma so much, and we know that we will see them again soon: 

Greenville will always hold a special place in our hearts.  It's the city where our children were born, and where they spent their early childhood years.  Luke and Leah's birth certificates will forever remind them of their beginnings in South Carolina, and Greenville is the town where Mark and I have lived longer than anywhere else besides our childhood homes.  We built a strong foundation here, and shared a full, rich season of our lives where we formed lifelong, lasting friendships.  We created our family here, and Greenville has been a wonderful place for us to live and grow.  As we say goodbye to Greenville this week, we look back with wonder at a city that exceeded our wildest expectations, and with love at a town that we are proud to have called home.       

 

Kids for Sale!

(If you buy the kids, we'll throw in the house for free!)

 

Just kidding: We are not selling Thing 1 and Thing 2, but we have exciting news:

 

We are moving!

 

Beginning in January, we will be relocating to Greensboro, NC.  This is apparently quite confusing to some people who interchange North and South Carolina, and GREEN-ville sounds similar to GREENS-boro.  If anyone has any ideas for a creative Christmas card/moving announcement that makes this clearer, let me know!  

 

The short version of a very long story is that very soon, we will be beginning a brand new adventure.  After 11+ years with GE, Mark is leaving the company and starting a new role with Gilbarco, which is based in Greensboro.  He will be the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for the North American Division, and we are very proud of him.  Our new town is within 30 minutes of our alma mater, and we are looking forward to going to Wake Forest often for sports events and activities. We are also thrilled to be moving closer to our family! 

 

Right now, we are immersed in what seems like millions of moving logistics, and plan to be in Greensboro by the beginning of January for Luke to start school there after Christmas break.  This move is challenging my organizational skills, as there are many, many details and steps of this process.  However, we are very excited to start this new chapter of our lives, and look forward to all of the adventures to come.  More updates to follow soon!  

Christmas Time!

We got our Christmas tree last weekend, and are proud to introduce you to "Carolina".  Luke wanted a tree that was 20 feet tall, but we convinced him that a tree in the 9-10 foot section would fit in our house better.  The children were great helpers as we picked out and decorated our tree, and subscribed to the "cluster" theory of placing ornaments on it.  The more in one spot, the better!

Both kids enjoyed placing their special ornaments on the tree from each past year, and of course Luke wanted to wear his Santa hat for most of the activity:

Luke's new ornament this year is perfect for our superhero-obsessed little boy and carries over his 5th birthday theme, while Leah's captures our sweet little Peanut's nickname:

 

 

Winnie supervised the tree decorating process, and was thrilled that I hadn't yet unpacked her holiday attire to dress her up like Santa, a reindeer, or an elf:

The last, special ornament to be placed was the star on top of the tree, and both children had the opportunity to sit on Daddy's shoulders for this:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house!