WOW!! That was positively AWFUL!! I wanted to post so often, and I couldn't get on. It's quite complicated and I won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, it was FRUSTRATING!!

Anyway, it's fixed now, and I'm going to try to get something posted here on a MUCH more regular basis. We arrived safely on the 18th, as expected and spent the first week living in the house, pretty much with just the stuff we had in the trailer with us. On Sunday of that week the church all showed up to help us move our stuff from storage over to the house. It was awesome!!! We fed everyone pizza to tell them thanks, and commenced the 'settling in'. THAT has been quite a process, which is coming to a near-end soon, hopefully. It IS nice to have a great deal more space to settle in to, and it is also nice to have gotten rid of alot of junk. But we also got rid of things like our kitchen table, and our living room furniture. Which we have not had time/money to replace just yet. Hopefully that will be able to happen in the next few weeks (the furniture anyway - the table will likely end up being a custom build, and we won't likely get it for a couple of months yet) (we want a round one that seats 8, with a lazy suzan in the middle - and three leaves that can be added, so that it can seat up to 14) But we are using our folding tables for now, and that is working fine. The bedrooms are all pretty much set up. Annie and Sarah are waiting till October for their new beds, when we can make a run to Atlanta and go to IKEA.
Most of us are adjusting pretty well. Emma has actually been the one who has had the hardest time. She refuses to call this 'home' - even when we are at the church or something, and she wants to know when we are leaving, she won't say "when are we going home?" She has been extra sad, too, because of all the losses of her pets that happened in the months and weeks before we left. So we went and got her a new hamster a few weeks ago. Well, wouldn't you know it. It died too! So we are looking at getting a Guinea Pig instead. Much more hearty and cuddlier, too from what we are told, we have a baby one on reserve that will be available next Thursday.
Yesterday we went to a nearby 'mountain' (think Mt. Tabor) and did some hiking. The kids had a blast, running around on the interesting rock formations, etc. We'll have to get back there with the camera some time soon and take pictures to share (of course, I'll have to figure out how to load pictures on to here, too!) Next Sabbath we will be going to some caves with the Pathfinders. It is a very active group, here. We're looking forward to getting to know everyone more as we do more with them...
School has not started yet, we are hoping to get it started in the next week or two. We have to join an 'umbrella group' here. Basically an organization that can vouch for us as to how much work we do, and assumes the position of 'administration' in regards to our 'school'. It was quite a process narrowing down the choices (though many were 'full' and therefore not an option to us for this year, so I'll have to go through it all again in the spring, if we decide we want to change!) I have it narrowed down to two now, and I'll make the choice in the next week, and we'll start school the Monday after that, hopefully, or the next one at the latest...
Ricky and Tommy are going to be home with us this year, so that will be quite a challenge, keeping them occupied and learning, too! I'm actually going to use a structured curriculum this year, called 'The Weaver Curriculum" from Alpha Omega. They take a bible lesson and weave it into the rest of the subjects, for instance, if you are studying the plagues. You might study frogs in science and Egyptian Geography in Social studies. I'm looking forward to it. I think it will be fun, and I think I will enjoy it. I'm a little nervous about it, as I do not have a good history or using prepared curriculums, I usually find them frustrating. But this one seems so similar to what I would have created, if I had time/energy. I think we are really going to enjoy it.
The house is nice. It's very open and roomy. The kitchen is smaller than the one I had, but it would have been pretty hard to find a bigger kitchen than that one, and I really like that everything is right off of the kitchen, there is an eat-in dining space, with a built-in desk there, there is a formal dining room, which we will use as a den, for homeschooling, the utility room is just off of the kitchen too. So there is no traipsing up and down the stairs to see if the laundry is done or not... Yea!! There is a large living room with a vaulted ceiling with exposed beams, and a big fireplace. And Lon's and my bedroom is off of that. We have a jetted tub!!!! I've been in that on a regular basis!! The kids bedrooms are all upstairs except Annie, and there is also a large play room up there. Downstairs, about half of the space is finished. There are two rooms and two large closets in the finished space. Annie is in one of those rooms. The other doesn't have a window, so we will use it as a guest room, I suppose. The rest of the space is a room that could be developed into a family room, and another room that serves as camping storage and storm shelter. There is also a three car garage on the main floor. It sits on 7/10th of an acre, and it's out in the country. Horses off of the back property line. There are about 20 houses in our little 'development' and our lot is probably one of the smallest ones. There are about three other families in the 'neighborhood' who also homeschool. It's a nice quiet street, and the best way to meet neighbors is to be out walking in the evening. Many of the neighbors either walk, or sit out on their porch during that time, and we have met many of the neighbors that way. Most people seem very friendly.
The church is definitely friendly. And very community focused. They went out and passed out flyers before Pathfinders and Adventurers got started back up this fall, inviting community kids to join in, and there are several families attending one or the other because of receiving a flyer! Quite exciting. Sabbath, during the Adventurer meeting I heard one little girl reply "no" to the teacher's question "y'all know about Jesus, right?" How exciting for that teacher, to be the first to tell that little girl about Jesus!!
Well, for now, I guess that will be all. Check back often, though, I'll try to post often, too. We miss everyone. Looking forward to heaven! When we can all be together in one place, and with our saviour!!