Goodbyes and Hellos

This will be long!

So the goodbyes in Pittsburgh came the last week.  Call me immature but I hate goodbyes.  The family bbq, last Sunday, girls night, baseball game and graduation – I just feel like I blubbered through not saying the right thing and felt like I was in a daze.  I just kept thinking, “is this really happening right now?”  Kind of like looking at your new newborn.  I didn’t get to say bye to a few people properly and I regret it.  But I’m so glad I got to say bye to the people I did.  How did I not get the note of getting a babysitter for graduation?  I was pretty flustered trying to take care of kids but I’m so glad Julie and Jim came.  It made it special for Devin and the help was great.  The talks at graduation were great and the whole time I felt an overwhelming proud feeling for Devin.  The years of stress and that ceremony was his moment of gratification.  All the other graduations in his life were just a stepping stone and this one was the final pat on the back, “good job Dr Gneiting!”  He has earned his title and has earned any rewards he gets from it in the future.  The reason you feel an instant connection to someone who has been through dental school and especially Pittsburgh’s program is because you understand how strenuous it is.  I can’t imagine going through some of the more time consuming programs out there.

So we had a lot of fun with Julie and Jim during graduation.  They went on the ducky tour, to the strip district one more time (really I just went to go to my favorite In the Kitchen store one more time – thanks Julie for everything!), to all our favorite restaurants, graduation ceremony and then a fun family BBQ with the Bakers and Patrice after.  But my favorite part was just sitting on the porch with them.  I felt so relaxed the whole time and just enjoyed everyone’s company.  Teddy had his first rice cereal with Nana Jewel!  It wasn’t too bad when they left cause we will see them in 2 months for the Walter reunion.

Devin loved burning piles of papers and notes.  We went to a Prom parade for Deshawn.  I'm glad that we got to say good bye to the alverezs.  They looked beautiful!  I don't think there was a single dress I would have worn and the fashion was so extreme but it was really fun to see everyone that way!  Then Mary Lou came over for goodbyes and gave Brynlee a beautiful very nice necklace.  We are going to miss her so much!

Then the moving began.  It was easy and fun for me to pack up the house.  I love organizing and throwing things away!  I got the house packed up and then the branch (thank you thank you) came over to help us move.  I got some Costco pizza’s for them and was going to try to stay and help load the truck a little.  But the first item they moved was the piano and I was not about to stay and watch that, so we left a little early to go pick up my mom at the airport.  We came home to clean the house and Jamie and Jess came over for a last goodbye.  We slept on air mattresses in our empty house.  Then got up early the next morning and left for Cincinnati.  5 hours – not bad at all.  We got to Nan’s house and were treated like royalty with great beds (mints on the beds evenJ), corn hall, incredible food, unlimited toys for the kids, and relaxing conversation.  Then the next morning we woke up and had a 9 hour drive to Memphis at an eco-lodge.  I was pretty sure we were going to get bed bugs but we did save money!  Then woke up for one more 9 hour day and drove into Waco that night.  Both days went by so quickly.  I drove the whole time and my mom sat shot gun helping the kids out and just talking to me.  The people we were doing a lease take-over from paid for our hotel in Waco for the 2 nights it took to move in and it was at a brand new Ramada.  It had an amazing breakfast and pool/deck area.  We had a lot of stress free fun!  Then we moved in 2 days later after the utilities and lease were signed over.  I felt so grateful that we had arrived safely and without any mechanical problems. 

We moved in and got all the boxes unpacked in 2 days.  Then on Saturday, the third day, my mom flew out – sadL.  I really appreciate both parents making the effort to come out and help out.

This rental was the cheapest thing we could find within a 10 min drive of the office.  It’s 3 bedroom 2 bath, under a 1000 a month and a whole heck of a lot newer than our 80 yr old home in Pitt.  I really miss my kitchen in Pittsburgh though.

 In the next week I was humbled.  And I think the feeling is just getting stronger and stronger.  I feel so grateful to everyone, for everything.  No problems moving, our rental is amazing, the ward is better than I could have hoped for, Waco is beautiful and the weather isn’t too harsh for us, the office is incredible and Devin is really enjoying work.  Honestly I’m just so happy.  I felt a strong impression to come here, we both had answers to come here and now that we are here we an see why.  We love it here and I just pray that we can be a tool in the Lord’s hand and pay back for the blessings that we are receiving.  I got a new calling that I’m in love with and it’s not in nursery! 

Brynlee has had a few outbursts here but overall I think she is handling the situation well.  We have basically turned her whole world upside down.  Her friends are suddenly gone, she’s in a new house with new people around and all the prep I tried to do couldn’t have made it any better.  So I’m trying to be patient with her.  It’s been 2 weeks though and I think she is her old self.  There are a few kids her exact age and she loves nursery.  Callen is crawling from room to room now.  Still a very good baby and pretty chill in his car seat.  But he threw a fit every time I put him in his car seat after the moving trip!  Still no teeth and he can sit up on his own finally.  I put the kids in the same room here.  I think it’s going to work out.  I still fight with them about it about once a week but it’s so nice to have a toy room/guest room/craft room that doesn’t have a sleeping child in it.  

The weather is one of the most important things to me.  And we are loving it here.  I feels just as or maybe a little more humid than Pittsburgh but with that come greenery!  It is very green here which will mean we get spring and fall seasons.  It cools off to 70’s at night and hits the 90’s during the day but there is always a little breeze that can instantly take away the humidity – especially on a bike.  I hear we have another 2 months of this weather before it starts getting beautiful.  We are already starting to get a little tanner!  We took our bikes out and the trails and nothing compared to Pittsburgh’s.  It is so fun to figure out a new city!  It will be even more fun when we don’t feel so tight on money! 

DEVIN GOT HIS FIRST CHECK!  Yeah!  He still doesn’t have his license so it isn’t a big one but anything is better than nothing right now.

Here are the pictures: