Sayonara San Diego

The McNeil adventure continues!

You 6 stud-muffins will load all our heavy junk in 1.5 hours all for the price of a gourmet burger and a beer? Done.

 

Ever think about what your "last meal" would be? Well, when driving out of California, this is the obvious choice.

 

Just my groom and me, on the open road for 4.5 days. Was actually quite fun, except for that horrific accident in west Texas where we got to stare at this for over an hour... Thankful for XM comedy radio!

Looking at our route on day 4, we realized we'd be traveling right through West Monroe, LA. And if you don't know why that is so awesome, shame on you (go google Duck Dynasty right. now.). Definitely worth the short detour to get take this pic and buy Avery her very own (pink) duck call.

Also got to finally see the lovely city of Greenville, SC that Katie calls home. AND she was cool enough to wash the sheets for us. That's one classy lady.

Dinner that night was true southern fare: fried green tomatoes and shrimp n' grits. Both very tasty!

We arrived in Virginia Beach to mostly sunny weather, a new neighborhood, and lots of unpacking! Fortunately, my parents have the kids in Ohio one more week so the goal is to at least be out of boxes by the time they return.

We are SO blessed to be making this move as a family this year. Supporting Matt as he pursues his career goals will be heaps easier with us all in the same city. And while San Diego will always feel like "home" at least to Matt and me, we are anxious to see what incredible new things God has in store for us here. Just another chapter waiting to be written...

 

Your First Best Friend

Dear Avery,
I know that moving is hard. You will miss your home, your school, your room, and especially your friends. In particular, you will greatly miss your first best friend, Cheyenne. You "met" when you were 6 months old and she was only 3 months. Your friendship is a special one, as you don't even remember a time when she was not in your life. I hope that through Skype chats and a few yearly visits you are able to stay friends forever. But for now, here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last 4 years...
xo
Mom

Easter Celebrations

It's been a tradition while living in San Diego to spend Easter with the Baranowski/Pettits. This year was no different, although we held the celebration a few days early due to travel/moving schedules.

They always have the best egg hunt.

 

Matt teaching Lear some moves and Lear practicing said moves in a proper Easter get-up.

This whole crew as been a cornerstone for us here and we will miss them tremendously.

Easter Sunday was the day before the kids headed to Ohio with my parents, so we did one last brunch at the Boat House in Coronado - absolutely picturesque.

Barber Shop

Lear's first haircut, compliments of Daddy and the kitchen scissors.

Good-Byes

Moving to the other coast means lots of good-byes. Some are temporary and some are more long-term. But the deep desire to spend one last afternoon/evening/meal/laugh together is strong and sentimental.

We've been spoiled living just a 9 hour drive from Matt's family and have tried to take advantage as much as possible. What a treat when Grandma Laurie, Jenn, Jaylene, Makayla, and Emily all drove from Nor Cal for a few days of fun.

 

How blessed we were to make such happy memories with our beautiful nieces (and mom/sisters!).
A day at the beach by the Hotel Del,

 

 

and all sorts of other shenanigans. 

The McNeil/Renta crew braved our packing chaos and also trekked down from up north to spend a couple days with us.

The other person I made a point of seeing before leaving San Diego was my childhood nanny. Carol Hoffman watched Casey and I when my parents would vacation each summer from ages 7-11. She would sit for hours with me and draw the Sunday comics or bring her watercolors for me to practice painting. My artistic talent is God-given, but I credit Carol with igniting a spark in me that never faded. It was incredibly special for us to have lunch together, after not seeing each other for 13 years, and to have her meet my kids. She's physically fit, rockin' an iPhone and so stylish... at 86! Looks like she's still who I wanna be when I grow up. ;)

Thanks to ALL of you who took the time to shower us with love before we left. I didn't get photos with all the neighborhood friends, bible study gals, work pals, or family, but we appreciate just how much joy you brought to our lives in San Diego.

Mission: Photoshoot

When we got married, Matt and I decided that we would have professional family photos taken at least every 5 years. So, for our 5th wedding anniversary in 2007 we did; just him, Aspen and me in the Arizona desert.

Before we knew it, 2012 rolled around and we were staring 10 years in the face. Whoa. This time we'd exchanged the dog for two little critters of our own. What a difference 5 years makes. Lucky for us our wonderful neighbor & friend, Andrea Gallagher, is a talented photographer who took on our bunch... all for the price of hand-painted wallpaper in her dining room. (I love trading talents!!!)

Balboa Park is a distinct San Diego landmark and a place we spent a lot of time throughout our 4 years here. The perfect backdrop to document our family at this moment in time...

In addition to capturing us four, we also wanted to get a few of just Matt and I to celebrate 10 years of marriage. I think this pose will become a decennial tradition, to see how we change!

Below one might assume that here we're laughing because we're so blissfully in love...
Nope.
Just off camera Lear is in his stroller screaming bloody murder and Avery was running like a wild banshee, tripped and scraped her knee; also howling hysterically. So much for a romantic anniversary photoshoot!

This one's my fav. Mission accomplished.

Avery's Antics 4.1

Dinner prayer:
"Lord Jesus, thank you for the sun and our food. Please make Mommy more helpful. Amen."

"Why is that guy holding a sign?"
"He's asking for money."
"Why?"
"Because he probably doesn't have a job."
"Why does he look dirty?"
"He might not have a home or a shower, so he can't get clean every day or shave his face." 
"Well, if he doesn't have a home, WE could ADOPT him!"
(Avery recently learned about kids who are adopted) ;)

"I know that you're my real Mom."
"Oh yeah? How do you know I'm not a witch that stole you?"
"Because I have farkles."
"Huh?"
"FAR - KULLS. You have them too. We both have them and that's how I know you're my real Mom."
"Ah yes, freckles!"

A friend of ours recently delivered her baby via c-section. Avery overheard me telling Matt that they would be headed home just as soon as the doctor removed her staples...
"What are staples?"
"Staples are little pieces of metal that hold things together. The doctor had to cut Ms. Wallis' tummy in order to get baby Oliver out. So then they had to use staples to close her tummy back up while it heals."
"Oh! I know what staples are! Mary and Joseph had baby Jesus in a staple."

"Hey Avery, did you know that Ms. Rebecca is gonna have another baby?"
"I was wondering why her tummy is so big."
"That's why! She has a little baby sister for Maddie growing in there."
"You still have a little bit of a big tummy from when Lear grew in there."
( Gotta love how easy the truth flows from little mouths! ha! )