A New Start in a New State...

Today was the first day of school for the girls in a brand new state.  Aside from an early alarm being a shock to the system, they were excited and ready to tackle the day.  Being in a hotel didn't stop the annual 'porch' pictures on the first day of school.  They just looked a bit different than in year's past.

Quinn - Sophomore Year

Sullivan - 7th Grade

I am happy to report that each of the girls had a fabulous day.  They made new friends, met new teachers, found their classes without a problem, and were all smiles when I picked them up.  The girls each rated the day a 7 out of 10... and with all things considered, I will take that!  That is most definitely a success in my eyes.  Here's to a great 2021-2022 school year!

Getting Ready....

 The school year is upon us.  Tomorrow Quinn and Sullivan embark on a new chapter of their lives and start brand new schools in a brand new state. They are cautiously looking forward to the new experience, while still wishing they were 'home' with their friends.  Understandable.  

To get ready for school we had to embark on the yearly school supply shopping trip.  I always LOVED getting new supplies each year as a kid, and I love that the girls love it too.

We were blessed to find everything we needed on our lists.  In a lot of parts of the country, supplies were in short supply.  Not here in NC.  We have what we need here!

The girls also had Open Houses at their new schools to check out the building, walk their class schedules, and meet their teachers.  First up was the HR Middle School for Sullivan.

She obliged me and allowed me to take a 'quick' photo outside the school.  Not a great pic of the building, but beggars can't be choosers.

After the middle school, we headed to HS High School for Quinn.  

She wasn't having the picture thing out front.  I get it.  I wouldn't have wanted it either when I was her age.  Someday...maybe. 

I think we are all ready for tomorrow.  Saying a prayer that they find someone to eat lunch with, that they find their classes on time, that they enjoy their teachers and find a friend. Or two.  And that they don't feel alone, or nervous, or overwhelmed.  We are looking forward to a good year... hopefully the best one yet!

Looking Back...

Before we left Indy the girls obliged me, although somewhat begrudgingly, with a walk down Memory Lane.  With us moving across the country, it was a now or never opportunity to get their pictures outside their old schools.  So here they are... from past to present.

Elementary School

Intermediate School

Junior High School 

High School

Fun times, great memories, and lots learned inside these walls.  Forever grateful for the teachers and staff that molded and shaped and influenced our girls along the way.

A New Normal...

After packing up and saying “adios” to Indiana on July 2, we set forth and started our new normal…

Our itinerary was set and off we traveled.  

This was phase one of our homelessness tour:

Stop #1 - Sioux Falls, SD

Stop #2 - Black Hills of SD

Stop #3 - Devil’s Tower  

Stop #4 - Buffalo, Wyoming

Stop #5 - Denver, CO

Stop #6 - Great Sand Dunes National Park and Colorado Springs, CO

Stop #7 - Indianapolis

Stop #8 - Home (not sure I can call NC that yet)

After 5,000+ miles and traveling to or through 12 states, we have made it to our new normal.

We are excited and hopeful and scared and nervous for this next chapter of our lives.  North Carolina, we are ready.

Pit Stop #7 - Indy Again

After traveling the west and visiting great people and great sights, we headed back to Indy for the week to see our friends and say our final "see you laters." The week was filled with joy and happiness, as well as a great deal of sadness.  Goodbyes are hard.

Sulla spent the day with her friend, Courtney.  They reverse tie-dyed shirts...

They went swimming...

They got smoothies together...

It was a perfect way to spend the day and there were so many smiles and giggles and good times.  It was fun to see them together one last time.

She also had LOTS of time with Maddy and her family.  Maddy's family has come to adopt Sulla as one of their own, and for that we are forever grateful.  Sulla loves her time over there...

We had a mother/daughter day filled with fun.  We started off at Maddy's cheer camp performance...

Then we did manicures and pedicures...

We finished the day having a great dinner...

Saying goodbye the morning we left... 

A hurtful mama heart to see these two thick as thieves friends say goodbye.

We didn't see much of Quinn over the course of the week because she was with Sam and his family.  We were thankful that they were able to soak up as much time as possible together before the painful goodbyes.  

They visited Midtown Carmel....

Quinn and Miss Amy and Ava had a girls day and treated themselves to pedicures...

They had lots of great eats...

They celebrated Ava's birthday and had a pool party...

Just like an old married couple, Quinn and Sam have (accidentally) started dressing alike...

These goodbyes were some of the hardest.  It broke my mama heart to witness. 

Ryan said goodbye to an old friend from Nashville, KT, who now lives in Indy.  They would get together every so often for drinks or lunch and catch up.

Tessa even got a week of play in with her good friend Zoey, as we stayed at the Powell's house and babysat Zoey while they were out of town...

We said goodbye to our dear neighbors who are really more than neighbors.  They have become the best of friends, or framily, to us.  

The week was bittersweet.  It had the highest highs and the lowest lows.  All in all, it made us thankful and appreciative and hopeful.  We came to Fishers knowing no one.  Not one single soul.  Seven years later, we are sad to leave.  Sad to leave the people.  While they won't be in our daily lives, these are friendships that will stand the test of time.  We hope to stay connected forever and hope to make the kind of friends in NC that we made in Indy.

With sad goodbyes, or rather "see you laters", we pulled off into our next chapter of life.  North Carolina, here we come!