This morning Sophia had some school drama... as in she didn't want to go. She started crying that she "didn't feel good". Since Sophia had felt fine all morning prior to this and even had two bowls of cereal, I was thinking that this wasn't true. First she told me that her throat hurt... then it was her belly. Then she started crying because she just didn't want to go in at all, and the morning routine in the school was something that she really didn't like.

You see, if the kids get to school early they don't just go to their classrooms and hang out.. they either go to the cafeteria and eat breakfast (which is what Joey likes to do) ... or go to the library... or go walk the track outside. Sophia does not like ANY of these options and this was causing her to be streesd out. SO much so that she was crying that she didn't want to go in and just wanted to go home and go to bed. My heart was hurting for her so much! I hated to see her in pain!!!   Later that morning I drove back to the school to talk to the teacher. (She has a WONDERFUL teacher, who in FACT was also my kindergarten teacher!!!) Sophia's teacher told me that Sophia showed no signs of hating school at all while in class, and that everyone in class really liked her, she is doing well in school! So I think it is just that morning forced socialization that she does not like! 

  To alleviate the situation I am going to now drop them off RIGHT before school so she can just go straight to her class. I am also going to start volunteering in her classroom on Tuesday afternoons. (should be interesting!) I have high hopes that this will help her feel more comfortable.

We had a busy weekend. Saturday I was finally feeling better and we had a nice relaxing day. Sunday was Church and then I had everyone over here to watch the super bowl. We had super HEALTHY super bowl snacks here because all of my Family members are on an AdvoCare cleanse and getting healthy and losing weight before the summer gets here.

Today after school the kids helped me make mini-pizzas and blueberry muffins. They had fun. I ALSO figured out how to keep lucy happy and not crying from 6-7pm at night. Usually I am trying to clean the kitchen and pick up the house at this time and she follows me around crying because she is tired and wants to be close to me. SO.. I pulled out my baby carrier from when we used to hike... I strapped her on my back and she was a happy camper, just hanging out on my back while I cleaned up dinner. Problem solved!

This morning is a relaxing morning... and I really needed it!! I have been suffering from / battling a sore throat all week... So sore I could hardly swallow. I have felt like crap in general. Since I didn't have our medical insurance figured out yet from our move, I was just trying to fight through the illness on my own. Finally on Thursday I switched our medical from Hawaii to here. .Friday I was able to get into the Dr... turns out I had Strep Throat. Uugghh! I was given antibiotics. All afternoon I felt run-down and horrible. I went to bed early and my throat hurt all night. I woke up at 730am and I feel so much better!! My throat doesn't hurt at all!!!  Thank God!!

I was sapposed to go running with my friend Carrie today.. the plan was 16 miles. Since I had a sore throat I decided to skip that run.. I am glad that I did. I think it would have wore me down in a bad way.

The kids have been doing good in school. Joey "loves" his new school, so does Vangie. Sophia generally hate anything related to school and even she told me that she likes school "a little bit."

The kids ride the bus home from school. Yesterday Vangie let a little girl borrow her headband... when the bus pulled in front of our house to let the kids off, this little girl would not give the head band back!!  Joey told the bus driver and then the little girl gave the head band back. I was so proud of Joey for helping out his little sister!  He is a very good big brother and I am so blessed to have him as my son.

Chris has been doing okay in Hawaii. The submarine was originally supposed to leave Hawaii for Guam in early February. This have been delayed so they won't be leaving for a few weeks. This is hard on Chris because he is living on the sub right now. He does spend the night with some of the other J.O's (Junior officers) in their condo a few nights a week so he is able to get off the sub so that is good.  Once the submarine heads out to sea it will be nice because he will be very busy and it will take his mind off us being so far apart.

Today Papa is taking the three big kids to watch a movie this afternoon. They are excited for that. 

Chris was able to stay with us for 3 weeks here in Michigan... it was so nice! I haven't had him around that much/seen him that much since before we arrived in Hawaii. He and I were BUSY for over a week getting this house ready to live in. We did a lot of cleaning out junk from closets. We painted the whole upstairs, had carpet laid upstairs and new flooring in the downstairs bathroom.  We got the kids registered and started in their new school.  We were very busy and it was a lot of fun. We also bought our new van while he was home (LOVE my new van!!) 

We are buying this Farm house. It will be nice to have a spot that is always OURS. A place to go over the summer for our 4th of July camping at the pond ... our farm house is about 3 miles from the pond! A place to go to have a white Christmas every year and to be able to be close and reconnect with family. The kids love this house, they love having a house that is THEIRS. Usually we only live in a house temporarily... a couple years and then we move on... like nomads. Now we will have a place to anchor ourselves and a community to belong too.

Our house:






Above: Lucy ready for the cold!!
Below: Sophia setting up the "Memory" game that we like to play.


 Below: Sunrise this morning over the apple Orchard that is across the road... beautiful!


We have been staying really busy here. The kids wake up around 6:20... we leave for school at 7am. (Joey starts the Van at 6:40 to ensure it is nice and warm when we get in it!)

The kids get home off the bus at 3:45. While they are at school Lucy and I do things around the house (clean, laundry.) We grocery shop and plan our meals... I am cooking every-night now.... something about the cold weather that makes me want to cook.

Lucy naps during the day and during that time I do my run on my treamill, anywhere from 7-12 miles usually.

We've arrived, we're alive and all is well!! We flew in to Michigan a little over a week ago. Honestly, we have been so busy that the past week has FLOWN. BY! Being busy is okay, because we have gotten SO MUCH done. Let me back up a bit.

Thursday the 9th of January we left Honolulu. Me and Chris, four kids, a dog and 12 suitcases. Whew. I'm glad THATS over!!!

We flew all night from Honolulu to LA, had a layover in LA for about 3 hours and then flew to Chicago and immediately caught our connection to GR. Grandpa and Grandma Perkins were there at the GR airport to pick us up. We loaded up ALLLL Of our luggage into the back of Grandpa's truck and we drove the 1.5 hours to our Farm House.

Pulling up to the Farm House was so cool... the kids were so excited to see where we were going to be staying. I was excited to be there too! When we left our house in Honolulu I felt a little homeless. Arriving to our "new" home was nice.

Chris and I stayed up to 2am every day that first week.. ,unpacking, PAINTING (we painted the whole upstairs and I will post pictures tomorrow!) and just getting the place ready to live in. Nobody has really even been in this house the past couple years. Thankfully my family pulled together and helped clean it up for us. Now it looks amazing and feels like OUR home.



Lucy was ready to fly in her own seat from Honolulu to LA. Thank God she had her own seat so we were all able to sleep for a little bit!

Last week I took the kids into Central Montcalm Elementary to register them for school. The school is very nice and new and everyone was very friendly. The kids are excited to start and meet new friends! They were sapposed to start last week, but due to snow days the school was closed! Tomorrow will be their first day.

We are moved out of our house and at the Doubletree in a two room suite (you have to have a suite if you have as many kids as we do!) I love the double tree.. It's clean, the people are nice... our room is on the 17th floor with an amazing view of the Ocean AND Downtown. The kids are having a great time. Chris took Joey and Sophia to the pool this afternoon... we are soaking up every last bit of Hawaii.  This is the same hotel we stayed at when we first arrived on island.. Back in '09.  So much has happened since then!! I have met the most amazing people and  made friends that will be in my heart for the rest of my life. Oahu will always have a special place in my heart.

The movers came Monday, Tuesday and finished up today. Chris and I cleaned the carpets ourselves but are paying the $280 to have the house cleaned.... it's WAY worth it... the cleaning checklist is a mile long and I do not have the time or patience for it!

Tomorrow is our move out inspection, we will hand over our keys and say a final farewell to our beautiful home in paradise.  Our flight leave the island at 10:30pm. We will have a few hours to kill between our inspection (anytime from 8am-12noon) and when we need to be at the airport. Thankfully our really good friends The Emersons have just moved here from Guam and we are going to have dinner with them and they are going to help take us and our 12 suitcases , Dog, Stroller and Car seat to the Airport!