We're still here...just in a different place

You're probably wondering where we've been.  Well it's been quite a ride for the past month.  I have gone to write several times, but things happen, and I just couldn't.  It's been a month of happiness and pure sadness.

This is how Bubby spent his last couple days at school.  Cruising around and snoozing in his wagon with his friend Jacob.

First, the happy part is we finally closed on our house and moved in...yay!!!!  It was awesome of my parents to let us live with them until we found a place, but let's face it, they needed their house back and there are just too many Kelley's!!  Our move was not as organized as we would've liked(but which one of our many moves, has been?).  I like to call it a drive by move.  We literally drove the truck down and threw our stuff in the house and came back to my parents.  Why?  This takes us to the sad part I was referring to....

The week we were scheduled to move, we lost 2 important people in our families.  First was Tim's grandma Kelley.  The sweetest woman you will ever meet.  Someone that I strive to be like and hopefully someday can come close to her awesomeness.  I admired her for many reasons, mostly just the great mother and wife she was.  To be in a room with her, was almost intimidating, because she didn't have to be the center of attention, but she was always the center of the room(if that makes sense).  She raised 5 amazing children, who absolutely adore her, and a husband who worshiped her until the day he died. I truly hope I can be half the mother and wife that she was!  Truly an inspiration!

So a week after Granmda Kelley passed away, my Uncle Ted passed away as well.  This was a long road for my Aunt Barb and Jason.  Caring for Ted in his declining health and watching them, so dedicated to caring for him.  He was an amazing man!  Truly loved his family, including his nieces and nephews.  But his unconditional love for my aunt was an amazing thing to watch.  He adored her!  Even when his mind was going, and he didn't really remember who I was, he would still tell me how wonderful his wife was.   Our family didn't just see each other on holidays.  Our family was always together.  Always!  So uncle Ted wasn't just around us sometimes, he was around us all the time!  This was pretty hard on all of us, but will continue to be hard on barb and Jason.  So please keep them in your thoughts!

There were several things brought into perspective during this time.  One, I am glad that Tim and I decided to move back.  Being closer to family is so important to us.  Growing up and being around my cousins and aunts and uncles, and talking about all of these memories, really made us realize, that that's what we wanted for our kids too.  Not just seeing them at holidays.  Spending summers together and random weekends at grandparents houses.  All of those things that we experienced growing up, we wanted for our kids.  I mean....what else is there?

The second thing I realized, is that I am surrounded by some amazing and strong women in my life.  Both my family and Tim's family!  I looked at how strong his grandma was and how Tim has all of these amazing, strong women in his family and then when my uncle passed, I looked at my own family.  My aunt, mom, my sister, sister in laws are just such strong and amazing women.  I am truly lucky!  Even though some of them have not always had the best situations in life handed to them, they handle things with such grace....much better then a man ever could....haha, just kidding (not really).

So we are trying to get situated here in our new pad.  It wasn't easy, considering the day after we moved in, all of us got sick(except Tim).  It took 2 weeks to get it all out.  Most of it was strep throat and the flu type virus.  Mind you we are not a sick family.  Patrick had never been on an antibiotic before this and Avery had only been on it once.  But the strep was a nasty bug!  This flu season was not kind to us.  It may have been a welcome back to Michigan present.  Avery had the actual flu in December and now strep, Jameson had a double ear infection a few weeks ago and then this virus, and my little bubby boys first ear infection.  I had strep too.  So we are all FINALLY feeling better this week!!!!!

Avery has adjusted wonderfully to her new school.  I told her it was more exciting to be the new kid in the middle of the school year.  The kids get so excited!!!  And they had been waiting for her.  She made friends right away, joined the school newspaper and loves her new teacher!!!  She's already had challenging homework, which makes mommy and daddy happy!!

Next week it's on to getting bubby situated.  We had to reschedule several appointments over the past month, so we are back to the grind.    And Tim is loving his 20 minute commute:)

Well there ya have it....the reasons while we hadn't written in so long!!!  I've missed it:)