*Spreading Your Wings*

As our *adventure* creeps closer and closer, my thoughts and emotions seem to become crazier and scarier!

K and I August 2012

I went to high school with this lady!  However, we knew each other in high school, we never really hung out; but we shared a chair when we graduated!  We had some mutual friends tho~ Just like everyone else around here, it wasn't until F@ceBook came around that we got "re-united" with all of our past friends from back in the day!  Anyway, she lives in South Carolina now while I still live in North Carolina (well, only for a matter of days!).  And for anyone who hadn't spoke in 12 or so years, we became instant friends when we found out we were pregnant at the same time ~ we ended up having our first child with in the matter of a couple of weeks of each other.  As of matter of fact, we both had boys which made life easier to hang out.  I say that, but we both truly enjoy each others company too!!  Well, at least I do!  We have visited several of many times over the past almost 3 years; usually she drops by my house for a couple hours when shes driving to/from visiting her parents; we are a good midway point for her little guy to get out and run around.  She has even stopped by and crashed for the night so she could be just that much closer to getting to her parents house the following day~ Plus it gives us a chance to visit and the boys a chance to play. 

Anyway, enough of my little rant, and onto my point about bringing her up in conversation!  Her and her a.dor.a.ble little man H came to visit this past weekend.  Such a great visit before we move away!  She sent me a sweet little note with some strong encouraging words.  Here is what she said:

 "....I really am proud of you for spreading your wings, 

you are making the move of a lifetime, try not to stress 

and enjoy every minute of this, it is making you a 

stronger wife and mother, major props girl!! 

And we will totally visit you guys! Much love, K"  

When I read this, I cried~ yes, I cried!  I needed to hear those words.  It was kind of like a "reassurance" that IS okay to move and it's just another *adventure* in life.  I'm just sad because our relationship has grown over the past 3 years; and it's been great!  Even tho we live just about 4 hours away from each other, we've been able to see each other several times a year and get the boys together to play!  I am going to miss our little visits from K and H..... Going to Cracker Barrel isn't going to be the same when we are in Arizona!  It's been fun hanging out with them and fun to watch our boys learn to fight  play with each other!  I hope we continue to see each other when i come back to NC to visit and that our boys will be life long friends~  K and H... you two are like family and are always welcome in our home (or RV) in Arizona!  We love you two to pieces!

Here are some pictures of the boys together over the past year~ I know there are more of them, but I don't have them readily available right now!

August 2012

June 2012

February 2012

 

 

November 2011

June 2011

*Yes, We Are Crazy*

WOW!!  We are down to about 17 days until we move to Arizona!!  I have packed half of my kitchen, half of my closet/clothes, and half of our office (3rd bedroom)!  I don't feel I can pack anymore since we still have 17 more days!  What if I need something in that 17 days which I have already packed???  AAGGHHH!!  I think my last 5 days here are going to be ab.so.lute.ly CRAZY!  I have to pack my whole house to go to two different places!  Most of our possessions which we will not need for at least 8 weeks will be in a storage unit, and then the items I will/might need for 8 weeks will be going to the RV!  How does one decide what they JUST MIGHT need for a couple months, maybe longer?? 

Brent and I will look at each other every-now-and-then and just say "we are crazy"!!  Needless to say, I think I am more scared than crazy! 

Keep up with this blog, I will be posting more often as we build on this move and our family's adventure on this new chapter of our life!!  Yes, we are crazy!!

*Start of the Madness*

Consolidating our possessions when we moved in with each other was not a difficult task.  Consolidating our possessions when we bought our first house, was not a difficult task.  Consolidating our possessions as a family of 4 getting ready to move across the country, DIFFICULT!!

We are planning on getting rid of most of our possessions~ like the couch, washer & dryer, the composter, train table, and other big plastic kid items.  We are also planning on getting rid of all the yard tools which we know we won't need~ lawn mower, blower, edger, etc.

One item, I will not allow Brent to get rid of is the large green "Love Sac" beanbag we have!  It was the ONLY piece of furniture Brent owned when I met him just under 7 years ago!  This is the only picture I could find of it semi fluffed up.  We went round and round on how to pack/transport this thing!  

Well, here you go...

We researched on-line how to move the thing!  And here you go~ we did it!  It only took about 20-30 minutes and wa-la!  We could have spent about $50 for a kit to help us get the thing to fit back into its original sac in about 15 minutes, but, instead, we invested $4 and 20-30 minutes to get the job done!  We were completely proud of ourselves!

The other boxes in this pic.... well, one of them is going with us, and the others are to be picked up by someone else!  YaY!  We are on a start to get this "Project Arizona" on it's way!

***My Countdown is on.... 31 days until we leave my lovely state of North Carolina***

*Scared and Prayer*

I've been thinking a lot about saying good bye to all my friends and family here in Charlotte~ I will be back, and I know I will be!  My entire family is here, with the exception of my little brother and his lovely wife!  I have tried to spend more time with Sy's playgroup buddies. Their mom's have become some of my closest friends.  I'm not good at long distance relationships!  Friendships in this matter!  I'm scared because I don't want to know they are still getting together for play dates & MNO's without me!  I'm scared because I found them (or did they find me) when I needed them most~ as a new mom with no local friends with babies the same age as mine!  I'm scared I won't find other buddies & mommies who will fill their shoes and have hearts of gold like they do!   I am scared for Sylas!!  Scared for him being confused!  He has had such a BIG year (well, I had a big year too!!)!  I quite my job, I had a baby, and we are MOVING across the country!  When I quite my job back in April, he was great for a couple weeks but then started asking to go to my office, started asking for his teachers BY NAME, started asking for his buddies at school BY NAME!  It has been almost 4 months since then, and he still asks about them BY NAME!  He had a baby brother come into his life and ruffle up his parade!  He was the center of our lives, and always had our attention 100% of the time.  Now, we are packing up EVERYTHING he has EVER known into boxes which he/we might not see for the next 4 or 5 months, and live in an RV!!

Yes, an RV!!  Who does that??  Stereotype: old retired people!  Are we really going to live amongst older retired people??  Will we really be the youngest people in the RV Resort??

I am so scared, i don't have clear thoughts in my head about this adventure!  The only thing that is clear to me, is that I made a promise to God, to Brent, to myself, and all of my family & friends almost 5 years ago!  I will support my husband in his decision to love and support me & our 2 boys.  I trust he will will take care of us and keep us safe.  I trust we will make wise decisions for our family and make this next chapter of our lives something great that everyone will wish they had!  Please pray for me and my family in this adventure!  Pray for my heart that it will stay strong and will continue to trust in God.  Pray for my head that the thoughts will stay strong and positive.  Pray for me mentally and physically.  Pray for me, that I will get out and met new friends with children the ages of mine!  Pray for my marriage, that we will grow stronger and closer.  Pray for my children, that they will adjust well.  Pray for my family & friends here in Charlotte~ I will miss them all terribly!

I love that my husband recognizes this is not going to be easy for me to do!

   

*Addition and Adventure*

Well, I've been waiting to make this post for when i had the time.  But, I have now realized, I may NEVER have the time!  So, here we go!

In April, we were blessed with the birth of a healthy (so far) little boy, which we named Turner Alexander!  This was truly a surprise as we didn't find out the sex of our baby before he was born!  Our first child was a boy, and since this pregnancy was 110% different than the first, we just KNEW we were having a girl!  However, right after birth, the doctor plopped the baby up on my belly for my husband and I to see the sex of the child, and we were COMPLETELY SHOCKED!!  Even tho I thought we wanted a girl so bad, we are totally in love and would not want anything different at all!!  I just have to prepare myself to lose every battle to my 3 boys!

Turner Alexander was born on Friday April 27th at 2:47pm weighing in at 7lbs 15oz!!!


Next on my list... is *Adventure*!!!  Yep, this *Adventure* is NOT FaceBook material yet, but I have to talk about it somewhere, or I will go NUTS!!  We recently put our house on the market, with hopes to move out west around the first of September!  If our house doesn't sell before we move, then we will just rent it (i guess).  We will be headed out to the Phoenix, Arizona area.  And this will be our home for the first few months we are there!

Not the house, the RV!  That house was the first house Brent and I lived in when we got married!  The RV, well, it's belongs to Brent's parents, and they are generous enough to allow us to borrow it for a bit when we get to AZ!  We just need to figure out what part of AZ we want to live!  If you have any suggestions of where about's to live in AZ, please let me know! 

Some people have expressed their concern about living in an RV for a bit with 2 little ones (2.5 yrs and 12 wks; as of now).  My response: Everyone A lot of people dream about traveling around the country in an RV.  Well, I have never dreamed about doing it, until now!  I am fairly excited about this adventure, but not excited about moving away from my parents and the family I grew up with!  I am excited about packing up our "American Dream" and living in an RV for a bit, and realizing I CAN LIVE without all these "things" in my life!

With all this being said, It means I will have something to blog about!  I will just have to learn and figure out what how to blog from my phone.  Stay Tuned for more about the "Buntyn Adventures"!!!

*One of My Most Favorite Family Outtings*

Jimmy Buffett 2012

Earlier this year my awesome parents took 2 of my siblings, myself, and all of our spouses to a Jimmy  Buffett concert!!

I do believe this was one of the first times, I have had a blast with this girl!!  This would be my older brothers wife.  I just *love* her!!  (I couldn't say that 15 years ago)


We made our way over to the amphitheater and did a little hanging out in the parking lot.  I'm sad this was the only picture I took, but if you have never been to a Buffett concert, it is just ONE HUGE PARTY!!!


Once we were inside, my camera died, so I don't have any more pictures, however, I believe we all had a great time!  I can't wait to go again!

*Field Trips*

Since I became a SAHM, we (my son and I) have decided that we will take 1 fun field trip a week!  This "1 fun field trip" is not written in stone, but is something we do together which we both enjoy, and is out side the normal weekly outings (grocery store, play dates at a friends house, the gym, T@rget, Wal-M@rt, etc).  Whether it be to the bouncy place (a place similar to M@nkey Joes), to the local farm to pick Strawberries, M@nkey Joes, an indoor play place, etc, and sometimes lunch follows our Field Trips.

Honestly, my favorite field trip we go on is to the local farm!   Right now is Strawberry season, and Sylas has completely enjoyed picking them!  We have had to work on not eating them right away and even not eating them off the ground!  Also at this farm there is a little area where they have a couple of pigs, a goat, a sheep, a donkey, and sometimes they have a couple of ducks which swim around in a wheelbarrow!! 


Another Field Trip we have enjoyed is going to the "bouncy place".  This is a picture on the right is of me going down the slide with one of our little buddies!  She wasn't so sure about going down the BIG slide herself, so I went down with her!  There were a few other mom's there with us on this field trip; but I was the one who got in and went down the slide with the kiddos!  And I have to add, this was right less than 2 weeks after having a baby!

These two pictures on the left, are of Sylas and his little cousin MA.  I use the terms "little cousin" lightly, she is only 4 months younger than him, but might be a teeny tiny bit taller than he is~ anyway, these two are going to be trouble together!  They both are little dare devils!  She is the youngest of 4 children, where as Sylas is the oldest of 2!  They

just followed each other everywhere!  The bottom picture is them actually in a bouncy thingy which is for children at least 5 years old!  There was a sign that said something to the extent of "if you can't climb in here by yourself, then you shouldn't get in here".  Well, some other completely random mom PICKED THEM UP and PUT THEM IN!!  Umm.. HELLO... can she read??  Apparently NOT!  Reason being, is that is was like an obstacle course.  I had to climb in after them to help them through a portion of it, and then came to this climb~at the top of there is a huge slide down!  It was much steeper than the slide in the above picture on the right!

Here are a couple pictures from a couple "family field trips"!!

Here are a couple pictures from a trip to the mall!