We're Home

We made it to our new home yesterday afternoon. It is absolutely adorable. I love every inch of it. We unpacked a lot yesterday but still have some stuff to do today. Andy has found help unloading the truck and we have not hit a kink in the road yet. The boys traveled superbly and the drive was effortless. Thank you all for your prayers! Pictures and stories to follow...

Our Last Night

Tonight is going to be our last night at the Honey Farm. (We'll be spending Saturday and Sunday with some friends).

Andy flies in around 10 tonight. Samuel and I can hardly get through the day we're so excited!!!

I just got a call from Andy and he just got back from an interview, his second one with the same company, and they asked him to come back for a third. He was walking from the park to our house which is 1/8 mile away. He said he stopped counting mom's when he got to 25. He said about 15 of them had babies in Baby Bjorn's :) So, most of them were small. He said there's some little water features for the kids to play in. I just cannot WAIT! I'm starting to think it's all a little too good to be true.

We'll see...

Change Our Website Name?

TheEckertEscapades.blogspot.com is open and so is EckertEscapades.blogspot.com

Do any of you think I should change our url address?

Does it confuse you all that it's theeckerts.blogspot.com but the title of our blog is, The Eckert Escapades?

What is easier to remember? Let me know what you all think...

Just Froggin' Around

Joe Frog on his lily pad:

See a resemblance?

How about now?

One Week Away

If all goes well, one week from tonight we will be sleeping in our new home! We are picking up the truck Saturday morning and packing it all that day. Sunday we'll worship one last time with our Eastview friends, and then there's a party for us that afternoon. Then Andy's mom is flying in that night. We will all stay at one of our friend's house that night, and then Monday morning we're off! We hope to make it in no more than 2 days. So, Tuesday the 24th, Charlottesville here we come!!! I can hardly wait!

The packing is going great, but we all are ready for a much needed break from it. So, we're off to the zoo tomorrow to have one last visit with Penny, my midwife, who was there when I delivered Joseph. We've become such good pals. I'm going to miss her a ton. I am so thankful for technology. Goodbyes are not nearly as bad as they used to be when the internet didn't exist, thanks Al!

The Countdown Begins

Andy made it to Virginia. And he is now the proud owner of the keys to our new home! He called me as he was walking through the house explaining it all. (And YES, we have cell phone reception in our home. YIPPEE!!!) He said it's even better than we thought. We are just beyond excited about it.

The downstairs tenant is really nice AND she has a dog!!! Gamba has been lost without his brother, Lutalo, since he died 14 months ago and here at the Honey Farm they have a dog that Gamba just gets along with great. They have been great for each other. We were worried about Gamba in the next place because on top of not having 80 acres to run around he wouldn't have another dog to hang out with. Well, he does now! Hi name is Henny. Hopefully they will get along great. I'm sure they will.

One of the things I'm going to miss a great deal about the farm is the opportunity to have such a large garden. Especially with this huge tomato issue now, I'm not looking forward to buying tomatoes this summer. So, I am going to do all I can to try and plant some tomato plants as soon as we get there. I'm hoping some places will still be selling them. Even if we have to put them in pots and only have a couple plants, it will still be worth it. Summer is just not summer anymore in my book without fresh garden tomatoes.

I am just so excited for the next phase of our life. We still have a lot to do between now and next Monday morning when we start our drive. I already can't sleep because I'm so excited, and I'm sure it's not going to get any better as we get even closer to next Monday.

It gets better. Andy says there is a Chipotle near our house!!! I'm obsessed with that place.

Oh and there's a built in sandbox off of our patio. Sam's gonna go nuts!

Off to pack :)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of you wonderful Dad's out there. We thank you for your love and support!

Dada Is Home

His first flight got delayed so he missed his second flight, but was able to get on a later one. Samuel of course knew Dada was coming home, so wanted to stay up. He finally got to bed around 1am and we got to bed around 3. Then, both boys were up at 7:45. We're tired to say the least, but packing must be done.

Unfortunately, for some strange military reasoning Andy has to leave today instead of tomorrow to head down to VA. He doesn't have to drive the whole way, but just start his journey. He's only going to drive a little and then get a hotel. But, not of course before he gets a good nap in. He's doing his honey do list right now and then once he's done, he'll be off to lala land, Samuel willing of course.

Next week I think is going to be much harder than this week since he missed Andy so much and then he'll be leaving again after only being home such a short time. Pray for the little guy that he doesn't break down. And for me that I keep my patience if/when he does break down.

We're so close to moving day. Our anticipation is growing every day. All of this is so worth it!!!
Considering what the alternative would be (gone 12 months) we are so thankful that this will be our only family separation for awhile.

Please be praying for Andy's job situation. The career counselor position at the University was already through their initial interviewing round when they received his application and they said he was more than welcome to submit a resume. Well, he did, and then when he called back to talk they said that, yes, the job is still officially open and they will accept resumes, but they believe they will hire someone from the group that they have already interviewed. Needless to say, that doesn't seem like it's an option. He's applied to several others, but isn't excited about any of them.

I can only begin to understand what a man must feel having to provide for his family. The responsibility is so great. This world puts such a huge emphasis on men's jobs and how their resume is evolving, it's so hard to not get swept up in the mess. Andy does not know where the Lord is leading for this next job so the looking and application process have not been easy.

We are standing on his truth: Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Thanks to those of you who are praying. They are being felt. Transitions are not easy, but knowing the Lord is in control is exciting and we are eager to see what his plans are for us in VA.

We'll keep you posted.

Packing Days 2-8

Things are going well. We have the entire storage room ready. That was Andy's task. He was almost done before he left and I finished up. Our back room doesn't have much stuff, but what it does have is almost done. I've been working on the kitchen all this week. It's taken a long time, but I'm at a point now where we will need everything for the next week that's left behind. I've done all our books, which was a huge task. I'm now working on the front closet and random end table drawers.

I can honestly say I am way ahead of where I thought I would be by today. Samuel's stuff still has not been touched, and it won't be until the very last minute, thanks to some tips from Jill. She just accomplished a big move from NC to NE with two small kids. Here are her tips. I thought you all could benefit from them!

1). Try not to show your own stress and possible anxiety about moving. The kiddos totally pick up on it. Kayla was so "chill" about the whole moving process. I think that was largely due to us not making a big deal out of it, not stressing (in front of her...I was totally freaking out!!), and telling her what to expect in NE: grandparents, zoo, parks, new friends...whatever. We even looked at pics of Lincoln online so she could see where we were heading. (I know you'll do this, but be honest with Samuel about what is happening and explain how things are going to go, always ending with something like, "and then, we'll live in Charlottesville together...and," you get the picture. Seems to help them know everything is going to be ok.)

2). Make arrangements (if possible) for Samuel to be ANYWHERE except at your house the day you pack up the truck (Joseph is small enough that he won't care). The kids and I were already in NE for this last move, but when we moved for renovations last August, we went to the Aquarium in a hurry because Kayla was freaked out by strange people taking our stuff out the door into a truck. :-) I think it's just scary and confusing for them to see their "safe place" disappear.

3). The moving "experts" always say to pack one box with all the important stuff and know where that box is at all times. We kind of had a variation of that. We had a clear Rubbermaid tub packed with the kids' bedding, favorites (books, toys, snacks), a few bath toys...whatever is both important to them and helps you out. I had Kayla decorate some construction paper and we put that on the inside "walls" of the tub so we could always find it. (We had other clear tubs so the artwork helped it stick out.) I could have done the same thing with a box and had her decorate it, but I don't like putting bedding in boxes...it gets that box-y smell...I'm weird about that, I guess.

4). At the new location, unpack their room first, or as close to first as you can. Helps with the adjustment, I think.

5). Use a completely different colored marking pen for boxes with toys or just general kids stuff. REALLY helps with getting things in the right room and finding stuff.

Tony's tip for husbands and wives: Husband, make sure your wife is not around while packing the van. :-) Honestly, I never thought I'd agree with that, but after this last move, I do. The kids and I flew out here ahead of Tony and his brother, who stayed back and packed the U-Haul. I was sure they'd screw something up, something would get broken, etc, etc...but everything turned out fine. Nothing broke, the truck was packed well, and they had fun bonding over the giant task. He also said, "If you don't know what you're doing when packing a U-Haul, then find someone who does and bribe them to help you." Ha!

Thanks Jill for all of that. I hope many other will benefit from these tips as well.

Andy comes home tomorrow and we could not be more thrilled. We miss him terrible. Samuel I think wins the award though of missing him the most. That kid is lost without his Dada. We just could not be more thankful that he'll only have to be gone for these two weeks instead of the alternative, which would have been a year. God is so good!

He Fits

Joseph is a lot longer than Samuel was at this age. Samuel was at around -5% on the charts, and Joseph is around 50%. I am definitely not one to obsess about measurements, since they are normally irrelevant, but this stat I had to take advantage of. I thought since he's so much taller he might be ready for the exersaucer sooner. Sure enough, he fits!

He loves it. What a blessing. I now have more time to pack. Oh, joy!

Cheese

A Bee Says

Growing Boys

We just had our last visit to our pediatrician here in Indiana.

Samuel is hanging out right under 23 lbs and Joseph is nearing the 12 lbs mark.

Two babies under 2 getting shots... not something I wanted to tackle on my own. So, I called in the back up! My friends Julie and David came along to help with crowd control. It wasn't the most fun the boys had ever had, but they did great.

We got a picture with their doctor since it will be the last time they'll see her.

No Goodbyes in Heaven

I wasn't convinced that Samuel even knew what was going on when we were telling him that Avery was going to be moving. And I really didn't think he understood why everyone was so sad as we said our goodbyes on Saturday night, but I'm starting to realize he was more clued in than I thought.

Last night he was saying "Ay Ay Ay" in his dream. And then tonight as we were getting ready to pray I asked him who he wanted to pray for and he said "Ay Ay Ay."

Goodbyes are tough buddy! I'm sorry you have to experience them.

But, look on the bright side, once we get to heaven, there are no more goodbyes! You can play with Avery FOREVER. But, since you can't do that now, it's time for bed.

I know, earth isn't fair.

Sunshine and Red Lightning

As we pack for our move, we are noticting that there are many things we have that are just not necessary or practical to keep anymore. Our kayaks are two of those things. They have provided us with hours of entertainment, but our time with them needed to come to and end. I got these kayaks for us as a surprise for Andy when he came home from Iraq in 2005. We lived right on the water in NC and he had always wanted to take up kayaking. We used these things all the time. Andy would go out for a morning paddle quite a bit before work, and most weekends we took a spin in them. The last time we seriously used them was a camping trip where we paddled to an island and camped there a few nights. I was 7 months pregnant with Samuel. That was quite awhile ago. We've taken them for a spin a few times since then, but not more than 3 times I bet.

There is a Christian camp nearby that our kids from church go to and they have a gorgeous lake on the campus. We decided that we would donate them there so that those kids could enjoy them as much as we have. It was sad seeing them go, but we know that these kids will love them and they will be used way more than what we could ever imagine. Last Sunday we dropped them off at the camp. It was such a gorgeous day so we spent a lot of time just enjoying the campus.

Our paddling days are definitely not over. We are so excited for the boys to get a little older because we are planning on getting a canoe so we all can go out together. Then, hopefully in several years, we can get some kayaks again and start going as a family. Oh, the fun times we will have!

These pictures are from last Sunday when we dropped them off at the camp.

The Lester's Have Left The Building

I knew this day would come, and here it is. They have finally left.

There are so many emotions that go with your best friends following God to another town. We are so happy for them and are so excited they are going to be doing what God has called them to do in another place, but we are sad that this time must come to and end. Boy, has it been a great time!

What's made all of this much more bearable is that the Lord has also called us somewhere else as well. But, unfortunately for our friendship it has taken us in the opposite direction.

Luckily we have formed a friendship that miles cannot separate and are thrilled to be able to continue our friendship across the country. It will be so neat to see what the future holds.

It was a challenge getting to see them one last time. Andy tried to head over there in the afternoon to help them load the truck, but every road was flooded. Then he tried later that afternoon and was able to find a way through. They were all finished packing, so I headed over to hang out for a bit at the Randall's. We had a good time of prayer as we sent them off west.

One last picture before we say our goodbyes.


I know you'll be back! You still haven't had any of my ice cream :)

We love you guys!

And, He's Off!

Andy had his last day of work here in Indiana on Friday. They had a party for him at the office. It's sad to see this part of our lives coming to such an abrupt close. It's not Martinsville we will miss, though, it's the people. And fortunately, we will be able to keep in touch! But, at the same time we are very excited about what's to come.

We dropped Andy off at the airport way before the sun came up this morning so he could catch his flight to Kansas City, Missouri. He'll be there till Friday for training and then come home and head to Lynchburg, VA for another week of training. It's going to be a crazy couple of weeks without him and having to pack for our trip. But, it will sure be an adventure!

He hadn't been gone for 20 minutes and we already had our first escapade. Since our entire town is flooded no grocery store is open, so on the way home from Indy I realized I should probably stop and get some essentials, since it doesn't look like anything will be open anytime soon, and they're calling for more rain. So, we find a 24 hour grocery store and I load the boys in the cart. I should have had my camera, it was hilarious. So here we are at 5:30 am and I'm grocery shopping with two babies. Samuel had on just a diaper and a pair of shorts. Andy had literally moved him from his crib to his car seat. I didn't have a wrap for Joseph, since I didn't think we would be going anywhere. We have a portable car seat carrier that I leave in the trunk for stuff like this. His real car seat is one of those that you cannot unhook from the base. So, I keep this other one in there just for times like these. So, Samuel was sitting in the grocery cart seat with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders and Joseph was in his portable car seat in the basket part of the grocery chart with groceries all around him. I guess it doesn't seem all that funny when I try to explain, but let me tell you, we were a site to see!

Andy took a self portrait at 4:15 am this morning of his freshly cut hair. He ended up having to cut it himself because of course he couldn't find a barber that was open in town. He use to cut it himself, but he wanted to guarantee it would look good for the next 2 weeks and he wasn't sure how well he would do since it had been so long. He did a great job, and didn't mess up a bit!

*Thanks Mike for letting us use your clippers! Not sure how we would have managed without them!*

Devastation in Martinsville

We were not affected by the flooding, but so many others in the Martinsville area were. Just one year ago we were living in the apartments that are in the very left of the picture. We lived on the first floor. The devastation has hit and it's hit hard. Please pray for the families of our community. We have some friends, Destiny and Tyson that were just married in October and their home is one of the homes in the photo. They lost everything. They have nothing. Please pray. Pray for the people who lost everything, but most of all pray for the hearts of those of us who have everything. Pray we will give, not just give what we don't want or give a comfortable love offering, but give sacrificially to these neighbors in need.

Acts 4:32-35 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Mommy and Her Boys

After a few days of not being able to upload pictures, this one uploaded. Hopefully more to come!

Packing Day #1

For a week or so I've been thinking about packing. But, yesterday I actually started to do it. I had fun. I took off all the things off the walls and picture frames off of dressers and tables. It looks like I did much more than I actually did, so it feels good. I'm going to go to the knick knacks next. Just getting all that 'clutter' packed up allows my mind to get down to the big stuff.

Life is going at an incredibly fast pace, but we are accomplishing a lot. It worked out great that once Joseph hit his 3 month mark he really settled down in life here on earth and is more independent than he once was. Packing with a baby in a wrap is not the most comfortable thing. Luckily, he's allowed me to put him down and watch me as I pack. I wish I had his job.

I don't know what the deal is with our computer, but I have not been able to upload any pictures, either to blogger or to shutterfly. So, for those of you (mom) who are waiting for our May pictures, I apologize! We're still taking them at a rapid rate, don't fear.

I've got a doctor's appointment and then we're headed to some friend's house for dinner, so I doubt I'll get much packed today.

***If you have any packing tips or how to help a toddler with a move, please leave comments below.