On the road again...

Here's some pictures of moving day. The packers had cleared out the house by 3pm, but we didn't actually get on the road until 4pm. Kim and Madison stopped by in the morning to drop some stuff off and we had fun watching Madison jump on the bed with Bella and play "Mary Poppins" with our umbrella.

The drive to Palm Desert was pretty easy, just three and a half hours. We got off the I10 at Palm Springs so we got to see the town which is really quaint and cute. We'll definitely have to come back and visit sometime.

Traveling with Bella has been pretty good. We do most things in shifts so that Bella is always taken care of. As you can see by the photo, she's doing well. She found the sunny spot in hotel room to snooze this morning. We're heading out to Tucson shortly and look forward to dinner from our favorite Chinese food restaurant and visiting with friends!

Texas Bound

So tomorrow is D-Day. The movers should be here early in the morning to pack up the furniture and boxes and then we'll be on our way. We've had such a wonderful last weekend here. Last night, Scott and Kim hosted a good-bye party for us. We really enjoyed time with friends and we felt so loved and supported by them. It meant the world to us and it makes this transition so much easier. We can't thank all of you enough!

We'll try to update the blog on the road, but it'll be dependent on Internet access. Mick and I just really want to say to all our California friends that you really have become family and we will miss you more than we could say. Although our relationships will be changed by distance, we are confidant that it won't be changed in our hearts. Love you!!!

Conspiracy Theory

*Disclaimer: Hormonal Pregnant Lady Rant

I'm convinced that phone companies have a diabolical plan when it comes to manufacturing. Every phone that I've owned has broken or literally fallen apart just a couple of months before my service contract is up. This is SO frustrating! This really puts a consumer in an unfortunate position. Either spend a fortune on a new phone without extending my contract (which in a month or two will be worthless because of starting a new service plan) or renew the contract for another year or two in order to get the better deal on the phone. Not a great situation either way.

So a couple years ago, Mick and I thought we got smart when we had to replace our phones. The kid at Radio Shack convinced us that for the bargain price of $55 per phone, we would be ensuring that if anything went wrong short of losing the phone, we would receive a replacement, in store, and free of charge and hassle. We had the opportunity to test it out months later when the screen on my phone broke and I couldn't access any numbers. The customer service rep on the 800 number gave us a hard time, so Mick and I charged into the store that we bought it in preparing to let them know that we would no longer be customers if they did not hold their end of the bargain. We were pleasantly surprised when the manager profusely apologized and replaced my phone with an upgraded one on the spot. We've spent the last year singing their praises instead.

Unfortunately, Mick's phone started acting up recently and when we returned to Radio Shack to get it replaced, we were met with more run around and told to call the 800 number. After some convincing, the customer service rep agreed to send us a new phone, free of charge, in ten days. Well, 15+ days later, we had not received it so Mick called and found out that they never followed through on it and would no longer offer us that deal.

To make matters more frustrating, my phone broke into two separate pieces this morning as the movers were packing us up. Now we have one phone that works well occasionally and one that does not work at all, and a company that will not replace them as they originally agreed to. Mick and I really believe in voting with our dollar, so we will no longer be consumers at Radio Shack. I find it disturbing that a place of business can promise one thing, take your money, and then change their mind. Whatever happened to integrity?

Needless to say, I may not have your phone number anymore, so please email it to me. I really want to be able to stay in touch. I can be reached on Mick's cell. If you don't have his number, shoot me an email and I'll give it to you.
caitlinanderson916@hotmail.com

Family Time

Here are some photos from the various times we've had the pleasure of hosting family members out here in CA. Every time Mick and I would discover something new around LA, we'd excitedly plan to take family there the next time someone came to visit.

Not much time to write today. We're in countdown mode with our final walk-through with the buyer of our house tomorrow and it is also Mick's last day at work. The movers are coming to pack us up on Friday. I can't believe we move in five days!

Open House

We had our open house on Saturday and many friends came by to say good-bye. It was a really great day and we enjoyed getting to visit with people. After it was all over, I realized how sad it was that this would be the last time we would see many of our friends before we move. I've been trying not to be sad about this transition, but the truth is that it is very hard to leave.

California is the place that Mick and I forged a life for ourselves, separate from any influence, and really discovered who we are as individuals and as a couple. We've grown so much and been changed at the core. To pick up and leave this all behind is more daunting to me right now than it is exciting.

All that aside, we are confident that God has blessed our move to Texas and that He has much to do with us there. We had the pleasure of being prayed out by our church family yesterday and having that support behind us is very freeing.

It's a...breakdancer!

Oh my goodness!!! We had another doctor's appointment today and we got to see our little baby. I had been praying for another ultrasound because they don't always do them at this stage and I was desperate to see how things are coming along in there! We got more than I could've hoped for. Not only did we see a beautiful baby with two arms, two legs and the cutest little nose, but we got our very first dance performance too. Already taking after Daddy, the little one was flipping around, waving its arms and doing "the worm." Our little breakdancer!

Up to this point we've been predominately thinking girl, but Mick thinks he saw "boy parts." Keep in mind, it is too early to really tell the sex and the doctor didn't mention anything about it. All that really means is that we need to stop only thinking about girl names and start considering more manly monikers.

Yea!!!!!!!

My Husband the Hillbilly

So as all couples know, there are some revelations that come out in a relationship well after anything can be done about it. For me, it was the shocker that my husband really likes bluegrass music - the twangy-er, the better. Now as a pop music princess, this was not an easy thing to deal with. I mean, come on. Fiddles? Banjo? The washboard?! Once the initial horror and confusion wore off, there was only one thing for me to do: love and support my husband no matter how red my neck might get.

This last year, we had the opportunity to go to a few different venues that featured bluegrass music. In May, we went to the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Festival and what do you know - I actually enjoyed myself! In July, we talked Scott and Kim into joining us for an evening of bluegrass at the Ford Amphitheatre. Although four hours of this particular genre got a tad old, we still had a great time. Also, I can't tell you how excited Mick was to find out that he could get bluegrass music 24 hours a day by just selecting a specific channel on our tv. There was even a time when we considered naming one of our children Banjo, but then we realized that we weren't cool enough to pull that off.

Although I never imagined myself saying this, I'm sure we'll be listening to twangy music for many years to come. Happy Valentine's Day!

11 Weeks - Thoughts On Pregnancy So Far

• Now, I know that a positive test and a visible heartbeat should convince a girl, but am I really pregnant? Are you sure? What about now? Huh.
• I'm starving!
• Why did I eat that? or Why did I eat all of that?
• I can't believe I have to pee again!
• No, I'm not grumpy. How dare you insinuate such a thing.
• How much do I weigh?!? Already?!?
• 8am: I can still fit into that. 12pm: How did these pants shrink while I'm wearing them? 5pm: Wow! I'm showing! 8pm: It is just unnatural to have that big of a stomach in just 12 hours. 8am: Hey, I can still fit into that...
• Elastic is my friend.
• Oh no! Here come the waterworks.
• Mmmmm...Ho-Ho's

Doctor's appointment this week. Yea!

Carney's

A little over a year ago, Mick and I started thinking that our time in California might be coming to an end and that we hadn't done nearly enough to take advantage of all this area has to offer. We decided to try to fit lots of things in from going to the Hollywood Bowl to see Hall and Oates to Disneyland to exploring the famous roads like Sunset. One afternoon we took off in search of a really good hot dog and we navigated our way up Sunset to Carney's Famous Hot Dog Stand. It's smack dab in the middle of one of the most scenic parts of the city in an old train car. The hot dog itself left something to be desired but we enjoyed the drive and the experience.

Point Dume and the Sand Dune

When Mick and I first moved here, it was so fun to go explore the areas around us. The first beach we went to was Point Dume in Malibu. We loved that you could park for free, there were always dolphins swimming by, and if you hiked a short ways, you could see this incredible view of the coast. This became a "must-do" whenever we had family come out.

Another fun discovery was this random giant sand dune that is just off PCH on the way to Camarillo. We'd drive down Kanan Road and follow the coast north to Portraro, always passing this vast patch of sand that scaled the hillside. One time, we were making our rounds with Mick's mom, brother Bryan and nephew Camron, when we just couldn't resist stopping to conqueur this beast! Although it was quite a hike, the view from the top was amazing and you can't beat the ride down!

California Memories

I can't believe that our time here is coming to an end...just two and a half weeks to go. It is such a different feeling moving away from here than it was moving away from Tucson. I don't really remember being sad or nervous about moving out here because I was so ready to get out of Arizona and experience something for myself. Mick and I had just gotten engaged and were excited to be embarking on this new phase of our lives together. I never imagined all that that would mean.

I remember telling my sister how much I really wanted to make some friends and now we have a whole community of people we absolutely adore and regard as our extended family. The first time we came to see the townhouse that we would later purchase, this strange-looking, but extremely cute little dog came trotting around the corner, followed by a blonde California girl. We introduced ourselves and found out she and her husband lived right next door. She was so friendly and I remember thinking how great it would be to have neighbors our age and maybe, just maybe, we could be friends. Flash forward four years and I can't imagine my life without the friendship of Scott, Kim, Madison and Boswell. Not seeing them every week is definately one of the hardest parts of this move.

We also had been looking for a church to get involved with and have been so grateful for the Shepherd's House. It really was a place for us to learn, grow and become established in our walks with the Lord. The thing that intimidates me the most about the move is finding another church that we can call home. I'm just trusting that God has picked out a place for us and is preparing it in advance.

So as we count down these last days, I'm going to post pictures and stories of our adventures here and enjoy remembering all the wonderful things that this time in our life has brought.

Super Tuesday

So I have this pet peeve with candidate endorsements. How is it that a news organization, supposedly unbiased and neutral, can publically back one candidate over another? I have a really hard time believing they are impartial once they've done that. I think that objectivity should trump personal opinion when it comes to the news, but that's just me.