Winter Fun

Last year we didn't see very much snow here in Indiana. In fact I think we got two small dustings and that was about it. This year though we currently have about 8 inches out there (we've had a lot of drifting though so some spots has just a little and others have 2 feet). Norah doesn't seem to be too fond of the cold (or maybe it's the bundling up she doesn't like) so we went out today during her nap to make a snowman. Sadly the snow is very dry and not good packing snow at all so our snowman plan failed a bit. We resorted to mini snowmen :) They are less than 6 inches tall. 

I also thought it might be a good idea to make a snow angel. I'd just like to remind you that I am almost 9 months pregnant. I got stuck. I had to call out to the husband who was shoveling some snow at the end of our long driveway to come help me up. He was being a fuddy dud and didn't want to make a snow angel. 

Norah did join in on the fun a few days ago, even though it wasn't her favorite. 

____________________________________________________________________  If you like my blog please click the image below.  There is nothing to sign up for, just click and you are done. Thanks!

Missing Florida

I miss Florida. It’s been just over a year now since we moved and it’s really starting to wear on me. I think maybe because over the last year it seemed like we were visiting and that we’d be going back and now that we’re heading into a second year the realization that we aren’t is hitting a bit. 

Sure the weather was nice in the winter but that has nothing to do with it. I miss so many things about living there and would move back in a heartbeat if family lived there. I would pack up tomorrow and be on my way. I miss our church there (a lot!). The people at our church willing to do anything to help you out (watch your kid or pet, bring you a meal...) I miss the culture and the atmosphere (it feels so much more judgemental here, “You are still breastfeeding?! You AREN’T going to circumcise??”. Everyone wasn’t in everyone else’s business and everyone didn’t know everyone else like they do here. It was a fun rare thing if you realized there was a connection with someone... here someone asks where you live and they know exactly who used to live there and where the old owners are living now - oh, and their dog’s name. Everyone is from here and so many people never leave, they know nothing outside of a 50 mile radius (this is a huge general stereotype but it’s true for many people). They live here their whole lives.

That’s fine for some people and it’s great that some enjoy that, I just don’t. Some people find comfort in it - I don’t. I miss asking people where they are from and getting answers such as, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Minnesota.... versus here if you ask that they want to tell you what street they live on. 

I miss having two Ikea’s within 40 miles from me. Currently the closest one is something like 2 1/2 hours away in Ohio. In fact it takes me longer now to get to Target than it did to pretty much any store I wanted (it’s about an hour and 15 minutes actually). Forget about a Starbucks. I miss living 30 minutes from Disney World and having annual passes. I miss being an hour from the beach - I want to have Norah walk on the beach with us looking for dolphins at Clearwater Beach. 

I miss my OB office there. I knew the receptionists by name and they were so much more friendly there. 

Then the more silly things....

Sonny’s

Going to TB lightening games with friends

Walking around Lake Hollingsworth

Year-round farmers markets

Seeing gators

Seeing lizards

Going to sand sculpture competitions

Publix

Palm trees

Finding sand in random places in your car

Outdoor malls year round

Daily afternoon thunderstorms in late summer

Year round farmers markets

Tijuana Flats (yay Taco Tuesday!)

Town names such as Ocoee, Apopka, Clearwater and St. Augustine instead of everything ending in -ville.... Perrysville, Crawfordsville, Rockville...

Not scanning the roads looking for a deer to jump out at you any minute

Sand Sculpture

In all honesty I’m so much more anxious here, like I’m searching for something and can’t find contentment, I’m sure that is partially my own fault. I’m so thankful to have my family here and that is the sole reason we moved back but if I could pick up that part of my life and move it, I would immediately. I felt more “at home” in Florida than I do here. Once a week or so while visiting family I feel at home, but the other 6 days a week I feel like I’m visiting, which leaves me in a constant anxious unsettled state.

Don’t get me wrong, there are things I like here such as being able to go up to Chicago without flying (though it takes over 3 hours), Fall and cold white Christmases - but other than family there isn’t really anything I wouldn’t be fine giving up for where we were.

So basically one day when I come into large sums of cash I’ll be either moving my family down or paying to fly up/them down twice a month or so. If you happen to see any piles of cash laying around let me know :)

____________________________________________________________________  If you like my blog please click the image below.  There is nothing to sign up for, just click and you are done. Thanks!

Turkey Run State Park

I know she looks bored, but unfortunately
 I just got her without much of an expression :)

We are lucky enough to live about 20-25 minutes from a nice state park that has about 11 different trails. When the hubs and I were in high school we always took the number 3 trail. It is a trail that is deemed “Very Rugged” and you have to climb up stairs and ladders and walk through a creek hopping from one rock to another. It’s really fun... except it wouldn’t be very safe with a 9 month old. 

We went Saturday and decided on a trail we hadn’t been on before, but one that is marked moderate and 1.5 miles. There was no lack of stairs but there was no climbing up ladders or slipping on rocks on trail number 8. All of their trails go in a loop so you can pick which direction you want to go - which mean usually you pass by plenty of people but even though it was a beautiful Saturday we only came up on one person and their dog. It was a great little family hike! There was no dirty diapers, screaming starving babies or spit up - so that alone made it great :)

After all of that hiking we needed to stop by the cute little ice cream shop down the road from the park. This is where we ran into some bad luck. We pulled in and there was a sign saying they were closed for renovations - we had been looking forward to this ice cream the whole day! Bound and determined to get us some ice cream we drive a bit out of the way to another town to their ice cream shop - and they aren’t open for the season yet :( We ended up just coming home and I made some cupcakes... not quite ice cream but it worked I suppose.

Some of the stairs