You want to know a secret?

I have a few.

First of all, I think I was in a month long rut.
Icy weather, cold temperatures, allergies, moving, the seven million details that go along with moving, the stress of closing-- changing the dates, twice-- and eventually having to do it all alone, with a power of attorney... selling my soul to an appraiser so that we didn't loose our ass in the sale, boys who were stir-crazy, reluctant to change, and irritable... mail that is lost in la-la land, finding out that my children have been uninsured unbeknown to me for two months, more money going out than we had planned for, a let-down of a valentine's day, boxes, and boxes, and boxes with no where to put them--
chaos.
All added to my rut.

Then something amazing happened--
my mom came over and we attacked the house.
Our trailer house...
And here's another secret--
I secretly love this temporary place sitting right across from our land.
And it suddenly felt like home.

The sun came out and the snow went away.
I need sunshine.  I don't know if I realized how much the weather effected me.
But it does.

My allergies subsided and I have gotten to enjoy these last few days without a face mask, and my kids have played so hard that they turn the bath water to a murky mess each night-- with dirt between their toes and even into their ears.

Not only do they play hard-- together-- they crash hard.
The way I like it.

I got a full day away with a few amazing gals--
laughed, tried awesome wines, 
and ruined it by vomiting my toes up, instead of dinner.
You win some, you lose some.
 
But here's the pictures....
Because you know I took them!
Even though I realized that I take less when I am spending my days sulking...
I still have a lot! 

First of all, I am never allowed to make fun of my-husband-the-hoarder, again.
Why?
Because I don't think I have gotten rid of a single thing of my children's since they sang their first cry.
Not to mention my bags upon bags upon bags of my own clothes that we moved.
Floppy disks and pics from way back were uncovered as well...
and though the throw-backs were fun,
I should be ashamed. 

I filled my garage half way full with donation items...
good donation items-- I will add...
But still brought too much.

I was so thankful that the weather cooperated for us during the weekends, even though the weeks were yucky...
and we were able to move over a few weeks... slow and steady.

I pulled a trailer for the first time...
by myself.
(which is actually a lie, because I woke my sister up at the crack of dawn and bribed her to ride with me!)
She was a huge help that day...
and she is one of my favorite things about moving back out to the country.

I wanted to be grateful for the weekends of warmer temps, but my allergies were of epic proportions...
If it wasn't cold as Antarctica, it was warm and I was swollen and itching.

I made the kids stay inside when I could...
and I masked up like a real creeper the rest of the time.

The boys tried to be good, they really did...
but I have had 30 years experience, and even I couldn't accomplish that task under the circumstances!

One Saturday while we were moving, Maddox came in and asked for solo cups...
He, and a few of the neighbor kids asked to have a lemonade stand.
Apparently they made close to $30 in the hour they sat there!
Maddox's cut was only $2, but he didn't care at all...
He thought it was the coolest thing ever.. and we thought it was pretty sweet for the older kids to include him!

That's the stuff we will miss.

Beckham's lip tragedy...
not so much.
...although it could have happened anywhere.

Super Bowl Sunday was an icy one,
and we watched the game at my mom's.

Mostly because we were out of the house in Haslet, but didn't have tv here yet...

But also because we had no food here.
And we were hungry!
Which we continued to use as our excuse for another week!

It melted...

And then it returned...
because in Texas, that happens.

The boys made the most of being trapped inside...

But were quick to take advantage of warmer temps, and loved getting out.

As was I.

And I took an ENTIRE day to be with my friends and taste wine.

Even if it didn't end as classy as it started...

I was certainly glad to have friends who didn't judge my pitiful level of tolerance, a husband who just laughed and drove to pick me up, and a sister who washed my hair and helped me to bed.

At 8:00pm...

which, I won't lie--

was also nice.

I love my husband...

...and my sister, for that matter.

What I didn't love...
was Valentine's Day.

I usually do...
It is actually one of my favorites!
My dad set my standard high for that day, and always always always sent me flowers when I was growing up.
Lance has never disappointed either.
It has either been flowers, or last year a new phone and flowers, and the year before that he bought me RayBans.
This year however...
He walked into this trailer house carrying a 12 pack of Miller Lite, a $4.88 pack of flowers and a card.
I don't drink beer.

I told you that I had been in a month long rut.
I had also spent more time that I usually do working, unpacking, painting, cleaning, refereeing two un-minding boys, being glue in places that I have never had to be until now, and falling asleep just to start it all again in the morning.

Beyond that, I had spent most of that particular day in a closing of our home by myself--
and had brought the realtor a gift certificate for a massage and a $20 bottle of wine.

I was on call so we had already planned on roasting hotdogs and riding the Ranger-- "low key" is what I said, apparently.

but I just lost it.
Call me a brat, I don't care...
I was so mad that we spoiled some random lady whom we will never see again with treats that I would have loved to have, and I was sitting in a house with floor vents, pitiful flowers, beer I don't drink, hotdogs that I don't eat, and working!

I cried.
A lot.


My kids had a great time, nonetheless...
With our home-made sweets, Lego toys from Gigi and Pop, and candy and airplanes to put together and break within 5 minutes, from us.

and my husband now knows that secret-- "low key" is never what I meant!

In his defense, I love those flowers-- I have told him many times before that I appreciate those cheap, sweet flowers on a whim-- way more than $80 roses because the rest of the world says to.

I just don't love being un-seen.
And to be honest, I hate the thought of the realtor sitting in Cold Water Creek getting the massage that I paid for, on top of whatever her husband bought her for her Valentine's day... while mine cost less than the tax on hers.
Simple as that.








And I am over it now.

Because, look at him.
He's a honey.
And the best daddy to ever live.

And he's raising some pretty awesome boys too.

...Even the tiny one who cried his eyes out the entire service in the new church-- and then got mad at me for trying to take a picture of him!

We have had a few good days.
I am thankful to be back home.
Even here.
I love this simple feel.
I love that there is no worry of traffic or strangers....
This weather is my soul food.