It's been a while...

Let's see.  When I last posted, Everett was 4 years old, Hilty was one and a half, we lived in Orlando, I was still teaching first grade and we had recently gotten a puppy.

Now, two and a half years later, Everett is in first grade, Hilty just turned 4, I am a PE Coach/Athletic Director  and we now live in North Carolina.  

Surprise!

There is so much new going on, but so much that is the same all at once.  

Many people have asked, "Why did you move?  Were you not happy in Orlando?"  Truth be told, we were totally happy in Orlando.  We lived in a wonderful house, had lots of friends nearby, both of us had great, steady jobs and our kids were happy at their schools.  We were just itching for something different.  Not better, just different.

We had been throwing the idea of relocating around for a while and deep down we knew that the longer we waited to make a change, the harder it would be.  Mike started applying all over the place (Colorado, Tennessee, Wisconsin, NC) and got a few interviews.  Every time there was an interview I would get more and more excited with the thought of actually moving.  That's when I knew that it was the right decision for us to at least explore the possibility.

After a few close calls, he finally got "the call".  The one we had been waiting for.  In a great state, at a great time of year, with all the stars aligning.  It was the push we needed, and we took it.

Having visited North Carolina a lot as a youngster, it has always held a special place in my heart.  When he got the call about the job in a city about 30 miles west of Charlotte called Gastonia, I was ecstatic.  Not only would we be about an hour and a half from the mountains (all the heart eyes), but we would be about 30 minutes from a the Queen city, which happens to be where one of my best friends from college has lived for years.

It all happened pretty fast.  He had a phone interview, then he drove up and had an in person interview.   We went up about a week later, looked at houses, checked out the area, he was offered a job and then ended up making an offer on a house we had never even walked in to.  It was a risk, but an exciting, crazy, nerve wracking and most of all fun risk.  

Our Orlando house sold easily (so thankful), and we somehow worked it out that our closings (old and new) were on the same day and it all went very smoothly.  Needless to say, it all worked out and we are so glad we made the move.

Our new neighborhood is amazing, as are our neighbors.  We feel like we hit the jackpot and have been welcomed with open arms.  We live behind one of the biggest parks in Gastonia with a trail that leads to it in our neighborhood.  Everett's new school is .2 miles from our house and Hilty is in PK 3 at my new school.  Mike is now a supervisor in his field and is fitting right in and Wisco is loving our heated tile floors.

We are looking forward to experiencing actual seasons (it was 25 here this morning!), teaching our kids to ski, hiking all the trails and exploring new parts of this region. 

Here are some highlights of our time here so far.

The Quarry at Carrigan Farms - Mooresville, NC

Pinnacle Trail at Crowders Mountain State Park - Kings Mountain, NC

Gastonia Grizzlies Baseball - Sims Legion Park, Gastonia, NC

The Confetti Hearts Wall - Charlotte, NC

Sky Top Orchard - Flat Rock, NC

Looking Glass Falls - Brevard, NC

US National Whitewater Center - Charlotte, NC

Cleveland County Fair - Shelby, NC

Blue Ridge Parkway - Asheville, NC

Carowinds Amusement Park - Charlotte, NC

Zen Tubing down the French Broad River - Asheville, NC

Here's to more blog posts about new adventures!