Saying goodbye to NC

I tried to fill our last few weeks in NC with as much as we possibly could to really enjoy our time, and for another chance to see everyone that we will miss now that we've moved. I took many pictures to capture as much of it as possible.

Having fun climbing on the play set across the street at Mom and Glenn's




We had a play date for Ella, Dominic and Morgan. When I met Christine and Laurie, Dominic was 3 months old, and Morgan wasn't born. Now Laurie has Morgan and Ben, and Christine has Dominic and Dante (first we had "Baby Morgan", then "Baby Ben", and now "Baby Dante"). I am going to miss these little cuties!





We met Kati and Nicole for a girls night - we painted pottery and went out for dinner and ice cream. Kati and Ella were in a Little Gym class together about two and a half years ago, and Nicole and I have been friends since. The girls get along so great and it's always such a fun time when we get together.





Dad came to visit us one night and we went out to dinner, and then to Ella's last gymnastics class.

With Gillian after class - Ella invited Gillian to a 'bring a friend' class one week and she liked it so much that she signed up. It's been so great having them in class together because Heather and I can talk the whole time, I always look forward to it each week. (Although the teachers wised up a few weeks in, and stopped letting Ella and Gillian be in the same group!)





Back at the house, Ella and Granddad


Ella proudly reading "I Can Read" to Granddad. (I have a video of her reading this book, it's so cute, need to post!)


My friend Sarah and I met for lunch the week before we moved. She has been a friend since we met in Bible study a few years ago. She's a few years younger than I am, but wise beyond her years, and such a positive, sweet friend. Even though we don't see each other often enough, we managed to squeeze in lunches now and then, and it is always such a treat whenever we do.

Mom came for the last week so that we could spend some extra time together before we left and to help us get everything ready, and so I was able to do a few things out by myself, while she stayed with Ella.

I got to go to my book club one more time - our book club started in January 2009 and I've really enjoyed it. I will definitely miss it and hope to find another group once I'm settled here. I was able to have my hair done by Melissa, who I've been going to since 2005 and has become a friend along the way.

Our last Saturday, I set up a play date for some of the girls from Ella's school. I was happy to get everyone together one more time and to catch up with the other moms. We went to the playground, walked around the lake, saw the turtles and fish, and had a little picnic.

Ella and Tess




Wild women having fun - Avni, Gillian, Ella, Tess (and her big brother), Maddie, and Sanjana


Sidenote - Avni is Shruti's daughter, who is my friend from the pregnancy exercise class where we met. Avni and Ella's birthdays are just two days apart and we've been getting together with the girls since they were babies. Shruti put Avni in Ella's preschool last January, and it's been so nice to have another reason to see them so often.

Christine, Laurie and I get out for a girls night every few months and Mom babysat so we could have a final night out before our move. We went out to dinner and to a wine bar after, it was such a fun night. These two have been such good friends to me the last three years - to say that I will miss our walks, talks, play dates, girls nights, etc - is a complete understatement.

That night, I asked a girl to take our picture and she took about 15 of them - she took her job VERY seriously and said she would take many pictures from different angles and we were just going to love them. We were laughing so hard by the end - and this one still makes me laugh to look at, so there's no way I can leave it out



And a slightly better one


We went to church on Sunday and then Mom, Ella and I went to see The Lorax at the movies




Last time at our house


The Monday before we moved, I had one more girls night out and met Susan and my other friend Laurie out for dinner. Laurie and Dean were our first friends in NC, and Susan and I have been friends since we started talking at a Halloween party when Ella and Elise were babies (but we had met a few times before, because Susan and Laurie had been roommates years ago...such a small world).

Wednesday the 14th was Ella's last day of school, and my last day of work. I was very sad to leave her school. We love the director, her teachers, her friends, their moms, basically everything about it. It's been such a great place for Ella the last two years, and she's been so happy there.

With Ms Barbi, the director


Ella and Ms. Martha. She is sweet and loving, like another grandmother to her, and has taught her so much, pushes her to focus on learning, and always encourages the kids to do the right thing.







In their favorite spot in the classroom - these 3 have racked up many, many, many hours together in 'housekeeping'


With her other teacher, Ms. Syreeta. She has only been there since January so we haven't known her very long, but she is so sweet, and great with the kids.


At the end of the day, saying goodbye to Ms. Martha (and me trying not to cry)


It was hard to say goodbye to my office as well. I went out to lunch with my department one more time; and, on my last Friday, the whole office surprised me with a little party with a cake and a card that everyone had signed, and a touch screen video camera for a gift. It was incredibly sweet and thoughtful of them, I really appreciated it.

My last day in the office we had a partner lunch and it was a really nice time. I chose Carolina Ale House because when we were in the office building before the one we're currently in, we always went there for work lunches and parties and happy hour after work (Pre-Ella :)). I was definitely feeling nostalgic. I tried to say goodbye to everyone that afternoon but it was still sad, and such a strange feeling, hard to believe I was really not going to be returning to the office the next day.

Here is my office all emptied out


Our last night, Mom and Glenn took Ella and I out for dinner. Ella chose Bass Lake, which is kind of funny because it's right by our house and we used to go there all the time, but don't really go any more. But, definitely a fitting pick because it's a Holly Springs staple.

Ella's outlines - Mom traced her every so often to see how much she's grown.


With Grammy back at the house


And - our last night in NC, sleeping like a sweet little angel

Cameron's Dedication Weekend

The last weekend in February was Cameron's dedication, so Ella and I went to Charlotte for the weekend. We had planned to arrive on Friday but Ella woke up in the middle of the night Thursday night with an ear infection, so our plans changed and we went a day later. We drove to Dad and Donna's house first and spent the afternoon visiting with them. It was a very nice time, Ella didn't feel 100% but she was a trooper, and we all enjoyed ourselves.

Ella and Cameron were so cute together on Saturday night. Ella has spent the last 14 months loving Cameron so much but her love not really being returned - well that is all changing and Cameron is just so, so sweet with her. He loves to chase her around and laugh hysterically while he runs after her, and this past visit he probably gave her more than 50 hugs. It was so sweet and funny, he loved hugging her. He also loves Cory and kept resting his head on her.

Could he be any sweeter??









And what could be better for Ella than snuggling with Cameron -- snuggling with Cameron AND Aunt Erin :)




Ella gave Grammy a necklace that she made for her. Mom is wearing it in this picture, and Ella told her she should wear it every day!



On Sunday, before church


We went to church service first, followed by the dedication service after. I am happy to say Ella was an absolute doll at the church service. She's not used to sitting with us during church, so it's always an adventure when she stays with us, but she did really, really well. I was very impressed, and told her how proud I was and that I knew she could do an equally good job during the dedication (silly wishful thinking...)

With Grandma and Grandad


Erin and Cameron


The dedication service was very nice and Josh did a wonderful job speaking. I had my hands full with angel-turned-wild woman so couldn't pay as much attention as I would've liked, but I at least got to see all of Cameron's part.





A few group pictures







After it was all over, Ella finally got her wish and could run wild. Excuse the shock to your eyes on these, but I just had to include them because they perfectly sum up her energy level at the end...phew.





I am very glad we were there, it was a great weekend and I was happy to have one more trip to Charlotte before our move.

Our Next Chapter

We are getting ready to start a new chapter in our lives with lots of changes on the way. In less than 2 weeks we are moving to Houston, TX for Steve's job.

We spent the four weekends after Ella's birthday working very hard around the house, preparing to pack, move out, and and getting it ready to sell. We moved out the first week in February, and it has officially been on the market for the last two weeks.





Ella and I have been staying at Mom's house since we moved out of our house, and I went to Houston a few weekends ago so that Steve and I could unpack the apartment we'll be living in while we wait for our house to sell. Steve already has his car out there, and he is driving mine out there this weekend with Cory, and then Ella and I will fly out there in a few weeks.

I am definitely sad to be leaving NC, I had hoped we'd be here for good. I am going to miss so much - my friends, Ella's friends, her school, our church, our house, and most of all, I am sad we're going to be so far away from our family.

We've lived here for more than six and a half years and everything is just so familiar and comfortable, it is really going to be such a big adjustment to start over somewhere completely new and unfamiliar.

But - there are many positives. Best for me, is that I'm able to keep my job and will be working from home. I am looking forward to having more of the most precious resource in extremely short supply -- TIME! Most of all, I am excited to spend more time with Ella and not feel like we're always rushing during the week.I love my job and have been with my company for more than 6 years, so am very happy to be able to keep my position and make it work with our move. I plan to come back to the office for three days every two months, so will still see my team and my co-workers and I'll be glad to have a reason to come back and visit regularly.

This move is really great for Steve's career. He is finally in a position that he loves and is really challenging, that he is really good at, and where the sky is truly the limit. He's been doing this job since June, and while this is not the way we would've chosen for things to go if it were up to us, it is the path that God has paved for us and I do believe it is His will. You just never know where life is going to lead. I have so many thoughts about all the twists and turns our lives have taken in the last several years and hope I have some time once we're settled to really reflect on everything.

On an unrelated note but one that will always be entwined with our move in my mind, a good friend of mine from when we lived at Ft. Leonard Wood, was killed in a tragic freak accident in her home several weeks ago. She was a really, really, really wonderful person. A selfless mother of two boys, dedicated wife, fantastic friend, just an all-around great person. I try to keep this blog to things that are Ella-related, for her to hopefully look back on one day and enjoy, but am making an exception in this case.

I of course realize that bad things happen to good people all the time. But when tragedies happen that are just so heartbreaking and wrong, when a loving, caring person is taken away from the world many years too soon, a husband has lost his wife, young children have lost their mother, parents have lost their daughter, etc, it is so hard not to want to demand answers from God on how he can allow such terrible things to happen. I do not know the answer to this and the answers aren't for me to know. All I can do is pray that God will grant the family peace and comfort in the midst of a situation that is just too terrible to begin to express.

In any way that I can, I feel compelled to learn from this horrible tragedy - that to not take any piece of 'good' out of this would be an insult to her memory, and she deserves so much better. I do not know what life will bring and there are no guarantees even for tomorrow. I want to be grateful for each and every day, and make the absolute most of each one. I hope to enter this next chapter in our lives with a spirit of adventure instead of trepidation; with gratitude instead of questioning; and with peace instead of anxiety over the uncertainty.

Our countdown to the move is on, and I am trying to squeeze every bit out of our last two weeks in NC. Although I don't know what the future holds for our family, I am excited to find out.

Circus

We went to the circus several weeks ago and had such a fun night. Steve had only ever been once before, and I have lots of great memories of going many times as a kid but haven't been since. Ella went last year with Grammy and Grampy G and was super excited to go back.



This was Ella's favorite part, these guys in the cages were right in front of us


And the elephants!






Acrobats, one of my favorite things



The tigers were very neat - they all knew their names, what they were supposed to do, some even danced and jumped on command


Steve and Ella


Circus glasses


A very fun night and I definitely want to go back each year!