The Move

So...the move. Crazy that something we thought about and stressed over for so long is finally over. Well, kind of. But yes, we made it safely here to our new home in St. Louis. Here are a couple things we experienced and/or noticed during our trip:

loading and reloading and shoving as much of our junk as possible in a too small truck and then having to leave a bunch of things behind anyway,

it is impossible not to have an "odds and ends" box

2-kid trikes can be transported on a trunk bike rack (although they do obscure your vision enough to make changing lanes a bit tricky)

worrying that Cambree had pink eye during the two days we were on the road,

noticing that BJ's sister Mindy doesn't believe her cell phone is capable of transmitting her normal voice,

Cambree deciding at a dirty gas station toilet somewhere in Tennessee that she was ready to start potty training,

how much more enjoyable it is to look at the hind side of a Budget truck as opposed to a Penske,

that, at least between the Triangle and the Mississippi, there are at least 3 x more Cracker Barrels than there are McDonalds,

a good friend's tip to number all the boxes and then keep a notebook with a detailed description of the contents is a fantastic idea! Just a suggestion though, make sure you don't pack that notebook away...ours is still missing!!!

So yes, overall, a good move. We were so blessed/surprised/very relieved to have so much help on both ends, including BJ's mom and sister Mindy, especially here in the near 100 degree heat!!! And, yes, MO is just as humid as it is in NC!!!

We are making lots of progress unloading and unpacking boxes to the point where our place has become rather homey. Luckily, we are now the proud renters of a house with a basement. It is the perfect place for all the boxes that we don't quite know what to do with yet.

So yes, the house. Everyone's most favorite aspect about the house is by far the backyard. It is fenced in, there is a beautiful wild flower bed, a swing, a porch that is ideal for our new mini pool (given to us by our neighbors) and some grass (even if it is a bit itchy and possibly full of chiggers).

We probably had more boxes labeled "kitchen" than all other labels combined...funny thing, the kitchen is the smallest room in the house

Yesterday I Learned...

...that changing a # 2 diaper is amazingly more difficult if you change it immediately after the wearer of that diaper consumes 1/2 a bottle of syrup. I guess I shouldn't have used the term "consumed" because I really don't know how much she actually swallowed. By the time I got to her though, she was pretty frustrated. First, the syrup was all gone. Second, her eyelids were stuck mostly shut. Her arms too were "glued" half bent at the elbows so that she couldn't really move them either. Her hair was stuck (literally) out straight. As I prepared her for a bath, I noticed that various rolls and creases in her body were also stuck together.

Yes, our "busy" little almost 2 year old likes syrup. She also happens to be a very good climber (I think she gets that from her rock climber uncle) and can pretty much get to whatever she wants. So she saw her chance while Mom was busy on the phone for 5 minutes.

There have been aftershocks too. Like, every time I pull out the toaster (which happened to be on the counter while Cambree had her snack) there is a puddle, if you can call it that, of syrup underneath it. I've tried to clean it out 3 times. Also, there is still all kinds of syrup somewhere inside the handle of the dishwasher so that every time we open it, our hands become covered in sticky gunk. Finally, each and every time someone goes up (0r down) the stairs, our feet stick to the carpet.

How grateful I am for the many opportunities my children give me to laugh each day. One kid just happens to give me more of those opportunities than the other one.

My only regret is not having a camera to take a picture of the whole thing.

5 years later...

So Jules and I move out to NC 5 years ago for me to go to pharmacy school. It's hard to believe that it's been 5 years but it has. A few weeks ago I finally graduated from Campbell. For my 5 years of hard work all I got was 2 large pieces of paper and this funny looking hat.

At least Cambree liked the hat.

It sure feels good to be done with school though. OK almost done with school. I still have to pass my licensure exams. They shouldn't be too hard though. They just cover everything I have learned over the last 4 years.

Graduation day was nice. My Ma flew out along with my sister Millie. They tried to surprise me with my sister, but my Ma gave me a few hints and I was pretty certain she was coming. It was fun to see her even if I wasn't surprised. Jules' sister Mindy came over with her family to cheer me on and were very disappointed when they didn't get to really cheer when my name was called.



So the green thing around my neck is a hood for my Doctoral degree or Pharm.D. So I guess I got more than some papers and a funny hat. It also comes with the title "Dr." so if you feel so inclined you may now call me Doctor Beege. The yellow hood that Julie is holding is for my masters degree. That's right I finished two degrees in 5 years. What a haul that was.

People ask me how I made it through pharmacy school with a wife and two kids. Well here is the answer...

No, Seriously, I wouldn't have made it without her. In fact I am not sure I would have had enough ambition to get into school without her. I love my wife and I thank her for her support through out my last 6 years of school.

Glorified Picnics

We have discovered a new favorite activity to do as a family. Hiking. BJ and I both love to hike but we haven't done much since we moved out here. Maybe because we haven't had very many free Saturdays the past couple years and then babies too little and lately we weren't sure how Haylee would do just walking on her own. Well, we decided one rainy afternoon to throw the excuses out the door... and we followed.

Cambree does ok in the backpack. I think she likes being up high but by no means allowed the buckles or restraints or whatever to stay on very long. So far we've been lucky that she hasn't wriggled her way out. Her favorite part though, is when we let her down to climb and dig and find bits of nature to nibble on (as if all the fruit snacks on the way weren't enough!)

Haylee at first wanted to be in the backpack and was a big grump about it for a while. BJ, softy that he is, actually let her try to get in but of course she was way too big. (Reminded me of getting her in and out of the baby swing at the park the other day when she convinced me to let her swing next to her sister. Not a good idea. There were knees everywhere. Same idea here.)
We were eventually successful, however in distracting her by having her find all the trail markers on the trees. She also noticed other wonders of nature like "rainbow trees" and "tree sits" and roots and moss and even a snake!

And of course we always bring a picnic. Who doesn't like picnics? The mere mention of it makes any outdoor activity worthwhile and hiking is no exception. Plus, PBJ tastes much better with a little dirt on your fingers (or, in Cambree's case, mud and bug guts).

A Season to Celebrate

BJ's birthday, Julie's birthday and Easter come very close together for our family...they sort of just get all combined together into one big, extended holiday (sort of like how every state east of the Mississippi is like one big state to someone who lived in Salt Lake all his life) But no one's complaining here. Parties, cake, candy, presents and extra time spent with cousins make for a giddy, if extremely overtired, happy family.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Making apple pie for Mommy's bday...I didn't help one bit, well except for some tips here and there, and it tasted delicious.

This year, I was concerned more about getting a picture of the girls in their new, homemade, Easter jammies than in their dresses. Probably since I stitched and unstitched each pair an average of 3 times. So, although my seam ripper is now duller than the blunt end of my butter knives, I have successfully completed sewing my first items of clothing.

Sweet Haylee. She is always one to keep things in perspective. Why do we celebrate Easter I ask? Because Mommy. Jesus was "rerected" and He got lots of big owies because He loves us.

Look Mom, no hands!

First egg hunt for both kids. Once we explained how it worked they did great, well for the most part. We thought Haylee would be pretty hesitant because it was new and all and she usually is with stuff like this but somehow this time, she overcame her anxieties and raced the big kids for the eggs.

Cambree had a couple handicaps. For example, she doesn't run very well on uneven ground without watching where she's going and carrying something other than, say, a half-empty sippy cup. She fell a bunch, not that she cared or even noticed. Secondly, she opened each egg she found and ate the contents on location. Often the contents spilled in the muddy grass and she ended up with mystery "jelly beans". I don't think she'll be one of those kids that keeps her Halloween candy through the 4th of July.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

So, while BJ and I were romancing in MB SC, Haylee ran her very first race too back in Sanford with her cousins. A kids' 1 mile fun run. I know she had fun and was even more impressed with herself to see that she got a bib number just like Daddy's!

Then poor, strong Aunt Mindy got to push Haylee and Cambree (and another nameless toddler) through an entire 5k. Go Min!

Please note Haylee's racing attire. Skirts with hearts on them (for Vday of course) do help you run faster.

Green Thumb

I know in the very deepest part of my heart that someday in the very far distant future, I will laugh at this. I might even laugh about all the dirt that fell on the floor off her little bod in the bathroom as I threw her in the tub that quickly turned to a mud puddle when several cupfuls of tub water were thrown on the floor when I went to get the broom.

I might laugh.

Maybe.
Let me just add that although you only see the table in the pictures, the floor around the table probably had 3 times the amount of dirt. Just a note.