Just cause...

Ever since we moved to New Orleans, I have fallen way behind on my blogging.  I use to look forward to doing it, and get excited to post.

 I really don't have an excuse...I just have never been good at change---with ANYTHING.  Too bad that is what life is all about.  When I changed to be a missionary, came home, when I moved, changed my status to being married, became a mom, became a mom of 2...

 I am not exactly sure why I take so long to adjust to knew roles and changes in my life...I actually like change, I think it is good for us, and necessary.  So why then, can't I ever just get into a new rhythm and flow.

I also believe that people get things out of life what they put into life.  Having said that, let me just say that I am still having a hard time adjusting to New Orleans.  I don't feel like I fit in anywhere, I feel ackward in every single way you could think of, socially, emotionally, financially...

 I just don't know.  Maybe that is really why I haven't  blogged at all ( doesn't explain my lack of picture taking for my second oldest)...I am hoping I can get out of my funk and back into a newer, better rhythm...

 HERE's to hoping....

MIckey Mouse is Truly the BEST!!

 

We had the wonderful blessing and privelage to be able to go to disneyworld over Christmas (apparently the absolute busiest time of year...only blackout days for military), and ANDY has this obsession with Micky Mouse....As soon as we saw him, our life was complete.

 This was the very first thing that we did at disnworld.  Totally worth the hour and a half wait...

Andy has met several "characters" in her day, but has always been afraid of them!   She usually just stands by them for a pic, and cries after.  This guy she ran right to, hugged him, and couldn't get enough.  I actually started crying!

Insecatrium!

 Umm yeah, we have passes to go to all the cool kid attractions in NEW ORLEANS.  Including the BUG PLACE.  So, I thought I would post pics froma  few months ago when we were within walking distance of everything..

 Yeah, you can dip the bees and aunts in chocolate.  I was alone with the gals, no witnesses, so I had to take a pic

 Very crunchy, a little weird....

 The stamp says I ate a bug...I deserved that stamp!  Still can't beleive it!

 Andy loved the whole thing, it really was so much fun!

 There is a butterfly place that they just fly around you.  Can't even describe, just so cool!

Ode to our Hotel Hopping days...



This is how one of our "one bedroom rooms looked



 I miss blogging...I miss updating my life and keeping track of everything...I miss people commenting on everything.  I could have updated my blog, I am not sure exactly why I used "life" as an excuse, but I am back to my blog in full swing.





 It is official though--WE SPENT 3 MONTHS IN A HOTEL---now we are out, in the most amazing place!

Here is a video of how we entertained ourselves, and the "growth" of Rodda J during our hotel stay ( granted, she thinks she can almost walk now, but I have to backtrack with everything)

 Of course, in hind site, it doesn't even seem real that we pulled off living in a hotel.  But in reality, it worked out really great.  Steve was seconds from his school, and we loved the ward we were in.  We made friends there we otherwise probably wouldn't have met (consequently are having a hard time even thinking about not being in the ward).


this was our supposed hotel "pool" that we swam in until they changed it to feel hotter than the hot tub



 Since we were , in fact, in the hotel, for so long, and I am not going to be able to recount everything , yet I still want a "document" of our time spent there....I am writing a brief summary of our stay below"---


 --We checked in our "time share" on July 21st 2010, and checked out Oct 25th 2010.  Throughout our stay there, for the first little bit, we switched rooms every couple of days (from a one bedroom to a two bedroom, to a studio, etc).  Due to the nature we arranged things, that is how it had to be done. 

 I wish I would have planned better.  Moving was the hardest part, especially on days when we couldn't get a late checkout, couldn't check in early, and Steve couldn't help me.  We had packed for his school, and life for that long, thus had a computer, printer, three suitcases of medicine alone. 

 The hotel would not allow you to use those bug carts yourself to "haul" things, and we couldn't afford t o pay someone to carry everything ( kind of defeats the whole point of saving money in a hotel).  One day when we moved rooms, it took me over three hours to haul our girls back and forth with all of our stuff ( that was a day they just let us transfer rooms, we weren't always so lucky).

Another layout of a different room...Some were set up much better than others, we got so many different layouts)

 The hotel had a fridge, and microwave.  Sometimes we were lucky to have an oven in a room, but it wasn't always guarantee.  Because of the location of the hotel, right downtown, it wasn't a "drive up and park your car kind of place.  You either paid the valet $26 a day, or parked yourself with a deal we worked out for $200 a month.  This means you would have to walk about fifteen minutes away, and navigate through the very slim one way streets. 

 That part was hard as well.  I could never anticipate how long everything would take me, especially when it came to groceries.  Let's just say, I got my workout--literally lost a few pounds having to walk to the different places just to get the car.

 While in the hotel we were centrally located e children's museum, about a ten minute walk, so we went there two or three times a week. 

 At first we thought the hotel staff really disliked our situation since we technically did live there ( we called it our hotel house so Andy could feel like she still had some sense of a home, as she slept on her "couch bed).  They were always a little put off, but then we came to realize that is the mentality here...No customer service exists in Louisiana anywhere--something I am still getting use to.

BIGGER AND BETTER

Now we have officially moved onto the Navy base in a four bedroom ( the only unit they had available for us) amazing place ( larget place I have lived as an adult, period).  We have a backyard, a study, we are loving life.

 We are so grateful for the money we saved in the hotel (don't get me started on the cost of living here) and to my inlaws for helpin us with that.  A part of us really enjoyed that time...

  

Back and forth, where are we now?

This is the LONGEST I have EVER been without writing in my blog.  EVER!  Life has always been busy, and right now- it isn't too diff than normal, yet it has been weeks and months since I have written.  WOW

 I still have yet to update on life in New Orleans, or "life in a hotel" I should say ( at least until Oct. 25th).  On Aug. 21st I ventured to Oregon to visit with all my family and be here for my brother "nate's" wedding.  Well, after being a here a bit, we decided it might be good to have a home setting for a bit and be around family ( don't know if will be coming back to OREGON for a few years) while we can...

 So now, four weeks later, I am still in Oregon with my gals and my hubby is still in New Orleans attending all his classes.  My official return-to-NOLA date is next Friday Sept 24th. 

 For now I am enjoying having grandma, grampa, and Auntie Kaylie around to help with the kids, and enjoying having a kitchen, and bedrooms for my gals!  It is also nice having it be a little cold here ( I here it is still blazing hot in NOLA).

 My hubby is "living a student life" not having a family around...IT is really hard to study in a hotel room where there is not space, or area of separation for the gals who want their daddy, so I hope he is getting some good studying done!  I figured we won't be seeing much of him ( since when we are in a hotel, he studies on campus) while we live in a hotel...

 I am anxious to truly start our life in New Orleans, to have an address, a place that we can all call home and truly get involved.  We have already made friends and I have a calling of music person ( all things music, including playing of hymns I am in charge of). 

 My hubby keeps reminding me that my "home" is in New Orleans, not in Oregon, and this is true...I just am excited to really feel that way when we are finally settled.  For now, we are in forever transient mode and hoping that as of OCT 23rd we can move on base into a fun little place.  I will try and keep this updated!

My life in a hotel...

  I am thinking of making that the title of my new blog....at least for the next few months...That, or something like "New Orleans-the number one LAZY state in the Nation.", or maybe even " No clue"  I think I like that one best actually!  Another title to put in the middle of all of those would be "angel friends..."  oh  yeah!

 It has been a whirlwind for the past few weeks...which explains my absence in posting.  I wasn't even going to post tonight, but Steve is in our bed studying, and Andy is lying here asleep, and I can't bother Steve, so I decided tonight would be as good as any night!

 My mom came to help with our move about a week before we moved.  I don't know how I could have done it without her!  Then, one of my dearest friends in the world , Jen, showed up at my house the day before the big move and helped me for hours on end.  She took charge and helped me to get rid of things I wouldn't have had the courage to, and just kept me together getting it all done ( not to mention she picked up Andy the next day at 7 in the morning when the moving truck came).

 If it weren't for family and friends who helped us load our truck (the big diesel uhaul truck company)--we would NOT have made it!  All of these people are among my "angel friends" who have helped us along this journey of the biggest adventure!

 Another angel friend were my in-laws who, through some miracle...were inspired to help us get a new car.  We had been debating what to do with our cars since BOTH were at their tail ends...so we sold both and put the money toward this new car--which is going to save us so much money in so many ways over the next couple of years ( one of the ways is also that we trusted driving the car to make it--another story, so we didn't have to pay to have it hauled!).

 My in laws also have this sort of "time share" hotel in New Orleans.  They knew we hadn't worked everything out with the base, so they arranged for us to be able to stay in this hotel (for now) until Sept while we figure things out ( thank heavens cause we are still so far away from figuring things out---don't get me started).  The good news is that there is a bed for Andy and one for Steve and I most of the time, and that we have always had a microwave and fridge.  The bad news is that we have had to move every couple of days (I will get into that later).

 I was nervous about flying with the gals here, it is not that fun by yourself...and out of some miracle ( or tender mercy as my next angel friend called it) my sister-in- law Echo (angel) happened to be booked on the first flight leg of the journey as me...This was a miracle for me in so many ways not only cause we were running late, and forgot our stroller ( I knew I would die without it not only at the airport but in New Orleans in general) , but because I always take forever to get through the gate at security!  I feel really strongly that we wouldn't have even caught the flight without Echo who waited for someone to bring us the stroller, and walked through security with Andy while I went ahead so as to speed up the security process...

 My next flight, the next miracle was that the flight was NOT full and I was able to sit both my car seats down, so my hands were free.  This was not a big deal when flying with Echo, since she helped me hold my gals, and also got me to my next gait.  I was so worried...

 But, I made a new angel friend on the way who I talked to during the flight.  The woman and her daughter helped me with my bags, then continued to baggage claim with me, paid a guy to haul my bags to the shuttle.  I almost sat there and cried at the angel friends I made.  The shuttle driver helped me...and I was so happy.  When I got to the rental car place is when I realized I had over packed and was now alone.  I wanted to cry, but not because I was overwhelmed, but because I felt my angel friends really watching and helping me along the trip.  This woman saw me with "happy tears" but thought they were sad tears.  They turned out to be really good tears cause she ended up helping me load my car up and check me in...I just couldn't believe it.

 Our last trip to New Orleans was not like this at all.  No one was helpful, or happy or anything.  I was being blown away by kindness--and didn't believe it.  I really felt watched over.  The hardest part of the journey was driving to the hotel itself!  When I got out of the car, I looked around and almost flipped out --it was 1 am in the MIDDLE of NEW ORLEANS, dark, and scary.  The front of the hotel was locked but out of some other tender mercy I had another angel friend appear out of nowhere and open the doors for me.

 The front desk tells me I need to drive my car to the valet, and I almost break down in tears again.  It took me forever to load the girls with all our stuff out of the car--you want me to get us all back in and navigate to the valet? (it would have taken forever since you don't just turn left you have to go down a one way--turn onto another and keep going until you get the right road).  The guy was insistant, so I started praying and walking outside.  He then freaked out himself and made several calls to make a special arrangement to have them come get the car--another tender mercy.

 Needless to say, we are here and have been here for over two weeks.  So much has happened that I need to write about eventually.  For now I will leave you with saying that I have been blessed with a new set of eyes---I am not freaked out by the city anymore for some reason ( maybe cause I don't have a choice, we are here and I have to deal), but I actually really enjoy it.  It reminds me of Chicago in a LOT of ways ( another not very family friendly city).  I kind of fit well with the insanity.

 I will have to write later about the ward we attended ( I already hav a calling even if only there for a few months), the trauma of moving from room to room, the HEAT, the inabilty to get an id card and thus figure out our living arrangements, the crazy insane people we have met here, Steve's orientation and white coat ceremony, the children's museum, grocery shopping, learning about horrible schooling, and my three hour trek!  Craziness...for now, I am going to go to sleep in the big easy and enjoy this hotel for another day---taking Steve to school at 7 tomorrow.  Wish us luck!

Matching finally!

Since my girls are have a bit of a range in their age, it is really hard for me to find matching outfits for them ( my mom did it to me as I kid, I hated it then, but now that I am a momma---I AM ALL ABOUT MATCHING

Not only is it so much fun, but it is so cute and rare to find similar outfits.  See, usually the range is from baby to one year, but I happened to find matches for baby to 5 years old! Gotta love it baby!This one is my favorite of the bunch.  Rodda was so into the camera when it blinked, she stopped smiling!

For easter I dressed the WHOLE family in yellow.  I don't know why, but I LOVE DOING THAT. I try to do it as often as possible!

OUr steakout at New Orleans

And the winner is by a landslide....

THE BASE HOUSE BY FAR!

No only is it a 4 bedroom 3 FULL bath townhome, it has huge closet space, ad fenced yard that opens to the park, no utilities or anything added, and IT IS ON THE BASE (you cant get any safer than that)

This is Steve standing next to the closet!

Steve still has not been commissioned , so everything hasn't worked out with all that yet...hopefully he will be commissioned in time for us move there.  If not, we have backup plans that we aren't thrilled about but  will do if we have to!Steve was sitting in an army chair wearing his army shirt...Can you even see him sitting there?  Yes, we tend to be really silly sometimesThis is a very famous spot in the french quarters that we visited...CAFE DU MONDE.  We were told we had to ccome here and try a beignet. It really just tasted a LOT like a scone with LOTS of powdered sugar on  top (really, people say don't go on a windy day, and we didn' t get it ntil it got windy and powdered sugar was everywhere)!

This really was the only time during our visit that we had any kind of break.  We were just so busy the entire time checking the place out, looking for a place to live that it was nice to breathe for a couple of hoursThese guys were VERY interesting.  We were just walking down the street, and they were across the street from us...I started clapping and getting into it from across the street.  They said "pay us pay us " to which I responded " I am across the street".  So, of course they ran to my side of the street and started dancing.  They were TAPPING with pop cans nailed to their feet.  I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE!  Then, I found something like 70 cents in my wallet, and thinking these two guys were friends, gave it to one guy ( intending it for the other) and he ran across the street with it and wouldn't give it to his friend.  IT WAS SO WEIRD>

OVERALL REVIEW OF OUR TRIP

When we arrived in New Orleans (as we quickly learned, it is pronounce NHAR LINNS--) it was 10 at night, we had to rush to get our rental car.  We had mapquested to our hotel, but soon discovered that if you veer off mapquest, good luck finding your way back.

 EVERY SINGLE STREET is a one way...and When a street says it is going west, somehow it ends up going north more of the time than west.  And of course there is construction, the entire city SHOULD be construction after what happened to it...

After a few hours of back and forth and not daring to stop and ask for directions, going in definetly the WRONG neighborhood more than once---we found our hotel.  We try and check in, and the lady explains to us we have to pay for valet parking everyday since parking is bad ( we get that we have been outside for hours).  She then says  "That will be ahllevan twahnty shevan."

"HUH?"

"Ahllevan twahnty shevan."

HUH

This goes on a few more tries until the woman gets really frustrated with us and looks at us like we are aliens.  US THE ALIENS? You are the one who just made up your own language.  We finally discover she was saying "11.00" SERIOUSLY?  REALLY?  I didn't know moving here meant I had to learn a whole new language.

That was just the beginning of it.  We seriously didn't understand any EBONICS that we heard anywhere we went.  And yes, we were the only WHITE people everywhere we went (sorry there is no other way of putting it).  We finally got speaking to one lady who we completely understood as she was giving us directions. "go up over the bridge, turn to your right, then go under...keep going, then turn LAAAAFT."

I turn to my husband and give the look that says" Did she really just say left that way." I was commpletely with her until she said LAAFT.

The trip was very, ummm, educational to put it lightly.  I really am not use to being the minority (and by minority I mean when we went to the supermarket my husband and I were the ONLY ONLY white people in there).  I have no problems with this, just if it brings attention to myself. We were told by several people that in NARLINNS there aren't dangerous areas, every area is dangerous.  One street could be completely safe, but the other street is completely overtaken by gangs.  You just have to know where to go (that's really comforting).

No one understood why it was so expensive to live their either.  Since they are trying to rebuild the city.  Let me see if I can try and explain-- Because of all the sad things that have happened in the city, insurance for everything has gone up.  Car, rental, house, etc. insurance.  So, to make up for it, prices of EVERYTHING have gone up ( a two bedroom apt is $1200, and milk was over $4).

The base itself seemed like the safest place, but the surrounding area just outside the base was some of the scariest places I have seen ( including Chicago with bulletproof chapels, but that was BEFORE KAtrina..many people have left the city now so you can guess who stayed).

It would  be a different story if I was looking at it from ME eyes.  But I have 2 little girls that I am caring for, that completely changes your perspective one EVERYTHING.  I am still very excited to move and start our new adventure.  I am glad we took a trip out there before so I wouldn't be in shock when we actually move.  It will definetly

I know that it will be very different and a challenge.  I am still confident we have it in us for this incredible move.  PLease keep us in your prayers.  I really hate moving!