fork in the road

I'm at a fork in the road of life.

We are on the crux of a move back to the U.S. after almost three years of living abroad, with two children instead of one, setting a life back up there, and dealing with a health issue that I wasn't expecting.

There is a split in the path, and I have a few different routes to consider.

1. Continue feeling sorry for myself, and wallow in the fact that there are a lot of "hard" parts of life right now. 
2. Work up the courage to start each day with positivity; remembering all the good that can happen instead of fearing the bad. Make a habit of being productive and accomplished instead of being stagnant. 

Being truthful, for about the last month or so, number one seemed to be the path I was taking.  It was easier.  The path well traveled, I guess a person could say.  But where does that path get a person?  

No where I want to be at this point in my life. 

Have you had these moments?  What have you done to send yourself on the narrow path?  The harder, but more beneficial, path of living positively and making your future bright instead of letting it find its own way. 

I like to think of myself as a positive person, but when things get me down... well, I'm down.  I want to be a person that chooses joy no matter the circumstances.  

I have been keeping a list of things to be grateful for since the beginning of the year, along with a photo for each day on the app Gratitude365.  129 days into the year and I have 439 gratitudes.

It's a lot to be grateful for.  And the fact is, each day for the rest of the year I'll find things to be grateful for as well.

So really...why not be positive about what life has left to bring me this year? 

Getting to know me: our many homes {via a top 10}

Perhaps it is sad that I am able to right about our homes in a top 10 list?  Because, people, we have only been married 10 years.  Sigh.

Oh twell, here we go:

1.  Our first home: Birch Street.  We bought it from my Mom.  A cute little rambler, a bit too far from the cities {think 3rd ring suburb}.  We lived there for two years.
then we went to stay at my Mom's house for two weeks until our next place was ready (but not counting that as one of the 10 homes, although it is considered a move to me)

2.  Next there was County Rd. F.  We lived there for five months.  It was literally a quarter mile from my office, but I never walked.  All kinds of failing there.  The place just wasn't for us.  It was a split-entry {just didn't work for us}, there were bats, it was on a busy road.  So, we moved after five months.  Five MONTHS people.

3.  Our first apartment.  We decided we were going to build, so we moved into an apartment.  Had a plan {created by my father-in-law}, a lot, but couldn't come to a final agreement.  So, we moved on {after 6 months}.  But the builder didn't.  Used our plan for the house he eventually built on the lot {grrr}.

4.  Owasso Street.   This is my favorite.  And the house we lived in the longest {4 years!}.

We put blood, sweat, and tears into this place.  Literally. 

And then we moved to... 

5.  New Jersey, Belle Mead.  A cute little townhome, perfect for the two of us.  And then we found out we were pregant with J#3.   So {after a year} we moved to... 

6.  Bridgewater, New Jersey.   Then we had J#3 and decided we wanted to be closer to family back in... 

7.  Minnesota.  First up, an apartment, while we find JUST the right place.  

8.  Then, our split level home with the most charming porch and on a great cul-de-sac.  We are renting it out, so it is likely what we will move back into when we are back in Minnesota.  

Our second kitchen remodel.  You should see the before {maybe some time I'll show you}.

9.  The Netherlands.  An entirely new experience {we were in different country}, being close to the centrum {downtown}, in what I would call a "row home".

10.  Scotland.  Where we are now.  Thankfully, a lot more like what we are used to in the United States.  Can't wait to show you more!

So, there you have it. Do you have a home that you wish you still lived in?

This week, I'm linking up {that is, if I can get internet once their posts are up- wink}, once again with:

Nicole@Miss Mommy {and make sure to check out her sidebar, I'm a sponsor!  yay!}

&

Amanda@Oh Amanda

Top 10 things about moving

Since we are about a week out from our move {finally!!}, I need to work on getting myself psyched up for another move.

11th move.  10 years.  I should be an expert, right?

So, here, for your reading pleasure, are the top 10 things about moving:

1.  It's change.  
If you like that sort of thing.  And I think I do.  Although, eventually I wouldn't mind living somewhere longer than a couple of years.

2.  It's a great opportunity to purge. 
Broken toys?  Gone.  Random screws for who knows what?  Gone.  That movie we got from J#1's work for Christmas that is in Dutch?  Gone. {FYI, for those who head to the mums & tots group here, it will be in the free basket tomorrow.  Would be a great birthday present for someone.  That speaks Dutch.}

it might actually be in English.  but still, won't work with our DVD player.
plus, i don't remember being a big fan of this movie when i watched it as youngster.

3.  Right along those same lines...It's a great opportunity to organize.  
We are very, VERY lucky that we have movers that will pack everything for us.  So what am I doing to prepare?  Grouping everything together, so I am finally organized {well, at least for a day} when we get to Scotland.

all of our decorations in one place

4.  It's an opportunity to make new friends.  

Well, I guess that could be a negative part too. Since you HAVE to make new friends.  And leave the ones that you just made.  Huh.  Well, moving on...

5.  It's a great way to get more items checked off the bucket list {or added, and then checked off}.

Please feel free to leave suggestions for me to add to the bucket list.  Things in Scotland, England, and the like.

6.  Specifically in this case?  It's an opportunity to move someplace where English is the first language.  

Totally thought this was talking about me about a year ago.  Until I got to the part about the 1/3 height.  {Although in the Netherlands, it is almost true.  wink}  Oh, and the fact that the email came from babycenter.com.

7.  The boxes sitting around {yes, I have packed SOME stuff} are great toys for the little ones.

8.  It's an opportunity to buy some new stuff.  {hip, hip, hooray!}.  Cause we need it.

Source: ikea.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Hello toy organization.  It's so nice to meet you.

9.  Have I mentioned we will have a yard {a.k.a. garden}?

10. And will live about 20 minutes from a Costco?  


Alright...so I was obviously a little hard up for ideas once I hit #9, but I did get 10 things!

Linking up again this week with these two lovely ladies:

Nicole @ Miss Mommy

Amanda @ Oh Amanda! 

Inspiration Workshop: D.I.Y.

Finding our {rental} home in Scotland {my reason for missing last week's Inspiration Workshop} means that we will be on move #11.  We have been married for just over 10 years.  Someday maybe I will tell ya'll why we move so much.

Well, maybe once I figure it out myself.

So we have lived in a few places, owned a few homes. And done just a few D.I.Y. projects.  So this week's inspiration prompt {D.I.Y} was perfect for me. Gussy said "Maybe you've remodeled a room in your home, or you refinish furniture, or you make tote bags (*ahem* ;] )."

Remodeled a room?  Nah, we remodeled the whole house.

Lets take a jaunt into the past, shall we?  And please forgive the photos.  We are stepping back in time.  To 2003.  Photography wasn't a hobby for me in those days.

This is the house.  We didn't do much to the outside (you can't do much with stucco), but I just wanted to give you an idea.  

First thing you should know.  I didn't even want to go look at this house when we saw the photos on the internet.  Mostly because of this room.

This is AFTER we took down the awful wood paneling {don't get me wrong, I don't hate ALL paneling, just the paneling that was in this house} that made my brother and I {allergies, anyone?} start sneezing and sniffling after about five minutes.  

But J#1 convinced me.  And the work began.  Blood, sweat and tears.  Literally.  

Not even completely finished, but SO much better, right?  We {mostly J#1} did EVERYTHING in this room.  Carpet tiles.  Genius. 

Why am I glad he convinced me?  One of my favorite rooms ever... 

Again, this isn't completely finished...but considering where it started?  Much better.  All our handiwork, except the carpet. 

Here is where it started:

Yeah, more paneling.  

And another favorite "spruce up".  The kitchen. 

 This isn't even the worst.  The "before before" photo would have had apple wallpaper.  So, um, yeah.

and last, but certainly not least.  My extremely talented husband {have I mentioned that he was working this entire time?  at a desk job?} created this next room.  It went from this: 

to this: 

We had desks on either side of that red wall.  Like we were at work.  Ha. 

And this isn't all.  We did something to every room in this house.  Made it ours.

These photos?  Total inspiration for me.  Even if we are renting in Scotland, I'm sure that we will find things to do to make that house a home, just like we did with this one.  

We had to sell this house when we moved to New Jersey in 2007.  This is the house we lived in longer than any other during our marriage and will always have a special place in my heart.  You want to know the "kicker"? 

It was for sale at the exact time we moved back to Minnesota about two years later.  Fate, right?  Nope.  The folks who bought it made too many changes.  That family room with the charming wood burning stove and stone wall?  {I know, its not for charming for everyone...but it was for us.} They took that out.  Covered up the stone wall.  

But we'll always have the photos.  And even better?  The memories.  And the inspiration we will be able to do this again.

Linking up again with Maggie at Gussy Sews, check out some more D.I.Y. inspiration over at her place.  This is gonna be a good one.

Good-bye clogs and tulips. Hello bagpipes and kilts!

This isn't just a post about our travels. 


Yes. 


We are moving.  


Again.  


We are the perpetual movers, after all.  Would you expect anything different from us? Like I said in my last post--we are not people very adverse to change. 


J#4 will be initiated into the "world of constant moves" (most likely) within the next few months.   


Poor girl, she doesn't know what she got into being born into this family.  This is not new to us.  


J#3 had moved from New Jersey to Minnesota by the time he was four months old. Luckily, J#3 has adapted very quickly to new environments.  


I am just going to assume J#4 will be the same way.  She has to be.  Right?  Cross your fingers.  Please. 


We are off to Scotland this time around.  I guess when J#1 went on a Scotland golfing trip a few years back, and we thought, "well, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity", we were mistaken.

J#1 took some photos on a recent trip to give us a
taste of the landscape

At least I will definitely get that country knocked of my bucket list.  And I already have, since we have visited to "check it out"(more on that in a future post).   


A few things I am excited about?  Being in an English speaking country, having a car again (a must since stores and such won't be as close as they are here), and all of the history and charm of Scotland.  

Driving on the "other side of the road" is maybe not at the top of my list.  Although, having tried it for a few days, I am pretty sure I will get used to it.  I just wonder why the curb seems so much closer when you are a passenger on the left side? 


Oh, and there are Costco's in Scotland.  Yahoo! Not quite Target, but getting closer.  And can I tell you about the grocery stores?  So much more familiar.  Not sure if it is the size...or the selection...or the English language, but it feels so much more like "home". 


We've known about the move for some time, so for some of you this news is NOT news.  But, for once in our lives, we are facing a "wait and hurry up" situation, instead of "hurry up and wait" situation.   There is still a bunch of paperwork that needs to occur for this to happen, but once it is done, it will be a quick move for us. Our guess is that our move will happen sometime between mid-August and the end of September.  Evidently this is God's way of teaching me not to be so hung up on "planning". 

So, when are you coming to visit?  :-)