Happy Email

Still working through the hiring process of sealing the deal for a job in corporate America.

Lots of hoops to jump through...taking lots of time.

Email came today that said they were working through the process. 

It just goes slow. 

I am staying realistic...this job is not yet to be claimed as mine.

I am staying positive...things are moving in the right direction.

But my feet are planted firmly on the ground, I'm not making any crazy assumptions. 

I am remembering that corporations can be finicky and this could all drop out from beneath me.

I am letting myself get a little excited...I have worked hard for this. 

I hope this is it.

Finding Beauty

I could not sleep.

The mixture of excitement and anxiety of the unknown future has me restless.

I decided to get out of bed and read old emails.

Unsure of what caused me to do this.

There was one post in particular I longed to read.

In searching for that email, I began to read the correspondences between myself and another.

It was like reading the letters of a long-ago girl written to a confidant.

A girl who had been battered and bruised.

Who was hoping to find beauty.

It was amazing to see the communication evolve into a deep and trusting relationship.

To read the emails of bantering back and forth ~ giving encouragement and advice.

Then finding that email.

Weeping for her pain.

To read the compassion in the responses.

And the belief that there was value under the rubble.

I cried harder.

Reading over the past three years,

And the last few months.

Seeing that I have come so far.

I am unsure what is up ahead.

I trust that  beauty will continue to rise from the ashes.

Lincoln Museum {Springfield, IL}

This past weekend we took a quick trip to see my friend Michelle who lives in IL (almost into St. Louis).

The last time my kids were there was 4 years ago.  We did the arch and discussed how it would be fun to do the Lincoln Museum when they were a little older.

Somehow 4 years went by and we never made it out.

She called me a few weeks ago and said she came up with the idea of her parents driving the kids and I out. 

With the way things are progressing, I'll soon be 1100 miles away from her instead of 500...I thought this would be a good opportunity to get out and see her before it was too far.

We decided to head out Friday afternoon and then spend Saturday in Springfield at the Lincoln Museum.

I love that my kids are weird and love museums as much as I do :-)

In the main rotunda of the museum, the Lincoln Family stands to greet you:

The Lincoln Family + Riley, Rhianna, Reagan & Ashton. 
 

Abe was sitting outside his childhood log cabin with a book. 

Riley noticed he was holding a book and commented on the fact they are both book-lovers. 

 

 There was a child's area called Mary's Attic.  Inside was all kinds of fun things for children of all ages to do.  There was a dress-up area where you could dress up as the Lincolns, different Generals, the Lincoln children, etc. 

Rhianna as Mary Todd Lincoln

 

Reagan as Abraham Lincoln

 



 

Riley as Gen.  Ulysses S. Grant

 

 

 

 

Of course there had to be a little reading corner. 

It didn't take Riley long to find it.

 

Rhianna and a dollhouse (I think resembled the Lincoln Home in Springfield)

Kitchen area where you could pretend to cook over a fire. 

Riley noticed on the floor in the center of the main room came to a point with a penny.

 

***

We had lunch at Union Station in Springfield. 

 

I had to laugh when I saw the transit drive by on the city streets.  It said 'Springfield Mass Transit'.  I shouted out "Look, there's a Springfield Massachusetts bus."  Guess we know where my mind is always drifting...

 

We then drove a few blocks across town to the actual site of the Lincoln home in Springfield.  There were free tours, but you had to wait your turn.  We decided that waiting 3 hours with 5 tired kids on a hot afternoon wasn't the best idea. 

 

We walked around the little block instead.  A breeze picked up and it was a perfect day for a walk. 

 

The sidewalks were the old clapboard walks and along each yard was a picket fence.  Definitely nostalgic. 

A woman dressed as Mary Todd Lincoln was walking around.  I asked her if I could have my children's picture taken with her.  Riley was annoyed with me wanting a picture and Ashton was quite taken with her get-up.  It was darling, he couldn't quite stop staring at her, but did for a quick moment for the picture. 

 

***

 

We drove the hour back to SW Illinois and the spent the evening catching up, teaching the kids to play Risk, and having popcorn. 

 

Sunday we drove to church on the other side of St. Louis and heard wonderful sermons that encouraged me tremendously. 

 

We left around 3:15 pm (CST) and made it home a little before 1:30 am (EST).

 

A quick weekend with plenty of car time (just ask my kids :)  but it was nice to spend time with the Rassi's!

State Motto

Even the state motto {of CT} is telling me I'll be fine.

A friend {she is also a transplant} sent me this link to CT.gov to check out the state motto:

The motto "Qui Transtulit Sustinet," (He Who Transplanted Still Sustains), has been associated with the various versions of the seal from the creation of the Saybrook Colony Seal. While the origin of the motto is uncertain, the late Charles J. Hoadly, a former State Librarian, suggested in an article entitled "The Public Seal of Connecticut," which appeared in the 1889 edition of the Connecticut State Register and Manual, that we look to the 80th Psalm as a possible source. "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it."

 

....

 

"He who transplanted still sustains"

 

I think that might have to be written somewhere on the walls of my new home.

 

....

 

Sometimes we need to bloom where we are planted; sometimes we need to be transplanted to bloom to full capacity.

 

 

Progress {Job Update}

Just a quick post to update you on the progress. 

I have to keep reminding myself that all of this can fall through and nothing come of it.

But I'm still really excited :-)

Last week I emailed one of the contacts.

She said she had a lot to do and to nudge her next week.

Nudge?

That didn't seem overly exciting.

I was going to wait until mid week to nudge her again.

Then Monday afternoon an email popped up telling me to go to the corporate website and apply for job so and so...if I was interested.

Um. Interested?

Yea I was interested!!!

She said that would get me in their queue and we could move forward from there but I had already covered considerable ground.

She closed the email with  "I'll talk to you soon"

That sounds better than: "I'll be in touch"....right??

Of course, I went to the website as fast as I could and submitted my resume and information.

It's now Wednesday evening and haven't heard anything.

I know 2 days isn't that long.  I know that it all takes time and it all has to go through the process.  I know, I know....

But I'm dying to know what is next.  And when that next step will be.

As I look at the calendar, I wonder what my next month will be.  Will it be waiting? or frantically packing? and finding a place to live? 

I'm trying to enjoy the summer days with my kids knowing that this will probably be the last one where we can have unplanned picnics and friends over (almost daily) doing fun things.

In the meantime I watch my email account like a hawk.

4 Seasons {Family Photos, 3 down, 1 to go}

It started with a trip to Rocky Neck in June of 2010 for a photo shoot at my favorite place.

I had them done as a gift to myself for my 30th.

And to prove to myself that we were okay.  It was 10 months into my journey of being a single-mom and I needed something tangible in my hands to see that we were okay.

***

Fast forward to October 2011. 

I had been working at an orchard and I can't think of a more beautiful place than to have family pictures taken.

 

***
This spring I worked out in the orchard and I noticed the blossoms were extra beautiful this year.  We hadn't had pictures of all of us taken in over a year so I thought this would be a great opportunity. 

***
I'm going to wait until Winter '14/'15 and do a shoot in the snow to complete the 4 seasons family photo collection.  It seems so far away into the future, but will be here before I know it. 

JUNE 2010

OCTOBER 2011

 

 

                                                                                         MAY 2013

 

 

Introducing: Chinchie the Chinchilla {our mascot}

A few months ago I received a text from a friend: "We are moving and can't take our chinchilla with us.  Would you like him?"

My kids had been begging for a dog and seeing that a dog is completely and totally out of the picture, I did consider the chinchilla.

Riley and Chinchie

I had a chinchilla years ago and they are tons of fun to have.

Very low maintenance, but yet still interacts with you.  {Dog meets goldfish type of pet}

I thought about it for a week or so and then finally relented. 

I have yet to regret doing it.

The kids LOVE their pet but when we travel I can easily give it extra food and throw in a few sticks {they love apple wood...how appropriate is that?} and off we go.

 

Reagan and Chinchie

He had another name and we tried our hardest to keep it that.  But our family is notorious for finding nicknames and Diego soon became Chinchie and it stuck. 

When we come home he comes to the edge of the cage and looks out at us, waiting to be talked to.

Rhianna and Chinchie

Its so cute when the kids' friends come over, he hops on his wheel and runs as fast as he can.  He's rather a show-off.

Hannah (Riley's friend) and Chinchie

Be sure to watch for more tales of Chinchie the Chinchilla!!