Pondering...

Three years ago July, we uprooted our family from Delmar, NY, to move to Morrisville, NC. We left on a Saturday morning, around 5am, and got to our new house on Sunday, around 5pm. We stayed in a hotel one night in Richmond, VA. It was raining the whole way from NY to NC. Luckily, when we finally pulled the truck in front of our new home, the rain stopped. The kids did wonderful all the way down, and I was newly pregnant with Wyatt.

I also joined Triangle Mommies before moving here, so I could make some friends and learn my way around. In fact, I think in the last 3 years, I have traveled around the Triangle 98% more then Chris has!

Chris's new boss brought some people to help us unpack the truck, and it was done in record time! The setting up, however, seemed to take years! (Ok days, but still!) The new house looked so nice!! When we decided to go to dinner, we somehow found the Red Robin in Raleigh. I went here once before, a long time ago...not this location, but a Red Robin none the less...so we stopped here. We were quite pleased!

A few weeks went by, and we went to the beach here for the first time, at Falls Lake. It was so nice to sit and watch Chris swim with the kids...and to also go in myself! It was hotter and muggier then what we were used to, but we loved it! We went once more when Chris's parents came to visit a week or so later...for some reason, that was the last time we went! (That was August 2006) I am not sure why exactly!

Our first Halloween came and the kids had a blast. I stayed home and handed out candy...we got A LOT of kids! We got a lot in NY as well, so I was prepared! Nick was Darth Vader and Michele was Dora. We went to our first Triangle Mommies playdate/Halloween party.

Four months later, Nick became a big brother...again...and Michele a big sister. Chris was telling me that Michele kept asking "is he here yet" over and over...so excited to meet her new baby brother, Wyatt! They finally met him, and loved him from the very second they saw him! (Nick DID lol, but alas he is MY son!)

We first visited NY in August of 2008. We made the drive starting at 4am, and got in about 6pm that night. The kids, once again, did awesome....even Wyatt at all of 18 months old!!! We stayed one week, though it went way too fast! We also went one day to Albany, to see old friends. We stayed at the cabin...we LOVE the cabin, and Nick loves to fish and ride the paddle boat. It really is a beautiful place to stay!

The kids enjoyed the trip to the Albany area, which was, technically, Wyatt's first trip there! Nick and Michele were SO happy to see their old friends!

The kids enjoyed seeing grandparents and their Uncle Jason. My grandparents had not seen Wyatt since he was 3 months old, and Chris's grandmother was meeting him for the first time.

It was also Wyatt's first time meeting Uncle Jason!

A little while after we got home from our trip, Michele started kindergarten! I could not believe my little baby girl was starting kindergarten!! She loved school from the start! She did very well, though she was, and still is, one of the quietest kids in the class! (Too bad they can't see her at home!!) I can not believe she is already in first grade, on the honor roll, and one of the smartest kids in her class! (ya mama brag there lol)

In October, we found out I was pregnant with #4. This was a total surprise, but very welcome, of course! Towards the end of the year, in March 2009, we moved to a new house. This was in Raleigh, about 40 minutes from our old house in Morrisville.  The kids loved all the room they had to play and the yard.

Three months after we moved, our 4th baby arrived. Evan Michael was born on June 23, 2009. All 3 of the kids were very excited to meet him. Even Wyatt, no matter that he was the baby for only 28 months! He loves his baby brother very much!!!

Now here it is, 3 years and 4 months after we trekked  from the state of  New York, where Chris, myself, Nick, and Michele were born, to the state of  North Carolina, where Wyatt and Evan were born. And now, we have a decision to make. On the 12th of November, we may have to make that decision. I am so torn, between friends and family in NY and friends made here in NC. Between school stability, and my kids being reassigned every couple years. Just to name a couple.

This time 3 years ago if I had to make this decision, it would have been simple! But now, it is not as simple. My heart and my mind are at a conflict as to what I really want. I guess we will see what happens in a week and 2 days.