Check, check.. Hello, is this thing on!

After a few months of skipping around from hotel room to airbnb rental to hotel room, we are settling into our new home. And, it is our home. Ted and I are officially home owners to a perfect for us bungalow with modern touches. The hunt for a house was brutal, but we are so happy to be home. Wells is still shopping around and points to houses all the time asking if we can buy them. It hasn't completely sunk in completely yet.

With or without monthly updates both kids are continuing to grow, learn, and surprise us daily. They have transitioned from island life to living in the pacific northwest pretty seamlessly.

Wells has grown a few inches, or more. He think, says, and prays the most adorable things. He is home with me for now and our days are filled with so much exploring and playing. He still loves to cook. My mom visited a few days after your birthday last month and Wells baked and iced her a cake all by himself with my direction. He is always scooting a chair to help cook and enthusiast about cleaning.

Poppy has grown into a little toddler girl. She is warm with love with a hint of sass. Pops started walking a few months ago and now is learning new words all the time. She loves all animals and anytime we see a one all she wants to do is touch and cuddle them.

Ted has transitioned to his new job and commuting on the train into downtown Seattle. He shaved his mustache. He currently is framing our new downstairs apartment window and putting up new drywall. We plan to post the downstairs apartment to Airbnb when this project is finished.

As for me, I am swinging right into the colder temperatures with lots of layering. I'm on high of nesting and happily selling old items and purchasing new items for our home. And, I turn 30 in just a little over a week. Gah, life is good.

Planning Our Summer Roadtrip

With summer around the corner, Ted and I are tediously planning our summer road trip to Seattle. We will start in Altanta, Georgia and drive across the South to Palm Springs and up to our new home in Seattle. I'm gathering inspiration, tips, and everything I can learn about traveling with kids. I have an eye on Studio DIY's travel posts and especially love her #StudioDIYWallCrawl in Atlanta. Wall swoon. The picture above is of her in front of a gorgeous wall in Atlanta.

Our mid trip stopping point will be in the lovely Palm Springs! Ted's sister lives right outside of Palm Springs in Palm Dessert. We plan to visit them while still staying in Palm Springs and discovering all it's beauty. I've been on a pinning spree while discovering places to see, do, and eat along the way.

Have any suggestions for our summer road trip?!

Our summer ends in Seattle.

Seattle. The city our hearts have been set on for several years. If you have been reading my blog from the beginning than this isn't a surprise to you. For the next several months, we will be soaking up all the sun, sand, and salty air we can. Our continuous summer has been hands down the best thing that could have happened in the last two years. We love St. Thomas. Our hearts have been warmed by each corner of this lovely island we are calling home. But, I can't help but anticipate a new adventure. A new home. A new community. A new state. A new grocery store. A new cafe. A new park. All the new excited me.

Currently, we are planning an epic road trip ending in Seattle. I am stoked. If you have a suggestion for something to see, do, or eat from Dallas through Tuscan, Palm Springs, San Fran, Portland, and on... leave a note in the comments below.

Common Ground

Two years ago, we found out we were being moved to the Virgin Islands. At that time, I didn't know much about St. Thomas at all. We aren't cruiser's, so we had never made it this way by boat. I do remember when we took our trip to Puerto Rico researching a day trip here. Otherwise, I didn't know anything. My first anxieties were centered around our quality of life on an island I knew nothing about. Most of my worries were matched with being a new mom and having to figure out life with a little one. More than that, I need other mom's in my life to encourage me on this new role.

Soon into our move, I realized that I was going to be okay. Better than okay, the community here surprised me. We found a nitch or two and kept with it. Now after living in four states in the past seven years, we have found St. Thomas to be the warmest and easiest.

There are many mainlanders that have moved to the island and there are true locals whom are West Indian and Frenchies. Overall, the warmest people I've ever been around. Greetings are important here. Everyone adapts here to using greetings when around or  passing other people. It's kind of like the French and how they free with a bonjour! Stateside, you might make eye contact and might say a sheepish hi. Here you greet at any time of the day: good morning, good afternoon, and good night. If you are waking into a doctor's office you would greet everyone in the waiting room before proceeding to the counter. If you are passing someone while running on waterfront, you greet them with a good morning. And, so on. Even Wells, my two and a half year old, says good morning all day long. He is still learning about time blocking.

There are countless things that make life unique while living on an island. I've noticed, when we return home with fresh groceries I start looking to make sure there aren't any bugs in the cereal or rice before putting it in the refrigerator or cabinet. Yes, I store cereal in the refrigerator. Or when I'm sitting around the house and have something crawl on me, I usually just assume it is an ant. Wells is great at reporting spiders. And now, we have the Zika scare. I am thankful I am not pregnant this year. My heart goes out to all my friends who are. As if you need something else to worry about as a mom. We are constantly buying bug repellant and figuring out ways to shade our babes from the sun effectively.

I love our condo. It probably is my favorite place we have ever lived. It's bright and sunny. It is cool and the views I will never get use to. We have an amazing exterminator and thankfully most bugs we find inside the house are dead.

We had a rat in the house once and I was freaking out a bit. I mentioned to some friends about our problem and they didn't seem freaked a bit. They both nodded along like Oh, yeah. We have two right now. Or our cat kills them and lines dead ones at the door. I have to throw away a few every morning. My eyes were bugged and I'm like Shut. The Front. Door. What! Home Depot has electric trap boxes and they are the key to catching rodents fast and effectively. I'm no longer overly squirm-ish about bugs, rodents, or other crawlers. I still don't like them, but I've been highly desensitized.

When you sit down at a restaurant and it takes an hour to put in your drinks and two hours to get food to your table, you are just happy to be with friends and that your kid(s) are allowed to run around in the restaurant. When your order is screwed up, you just eat it. Why are you prone to wait? Why do you just eat it? Because, such is life in the caribbean. (Disclaimer, we do have good service at times and in certain restaurants, but overall you take what you get.) There is no sense in making a fuss.

The major factor in the overall ease of the island is that the majority of people who live here are easy going. The fact that anyone would venture to move you (and your family) to an island where normal convenience is not convenient at all is a testament to this. You have to be a type of person that rolls with whatever. If your panties get in a wad too easily, the island is probably not the place for you. Locals are easy going, too. No one, especially locals, is in a rush to do anything or be anywhere.

We have friends at every corner of the island. We have friends at the grocery story. And the movies. And any restauant. And the soccer field. And every beach. Why? Because everyone basically knows everyone. And, if you have chosen to live here, you can basically get along with anyone, because you are laid back. So, we don't agree on a certain issue, who cares - let be friends! And that is why I love this place! We can be so different and all be together enjoying a breezy and sun filled day at the beach.

Deciding Factor

Earlier this month, Ted and I went through a whole process of deciding whether we should stay in the Virgin Islands next year or put in our picks to leave.  There are so many things that we love about living in St. Thomas. The ease of family life is at the top of our list. Since St. Thomas is so small, Ted's commute to work is quick which gets him home fast for more time with us. We love being outdoors and in the water. The island is filled with really friendly and inviting people. We have found such a special community here and the transition has been the easiest of all the places we have lived. A few things did make it to the not so great list like there is nothing to do with the kids when it rains and we would love a church that would be a better fit for us. For weeks, we were decided on staying one year longer. We were confident in our decision. It was so exciting to think we could spend another year in paradise. It would allow more time for our families to be able to come to visit too. I really loved the idea of Poppy having more time on the island.

The time came to submit our decision. Two nights before we submitted, we shook and felt so confident about staying. Ted and I often listen to a podcast. We listened to one sermon the day before submitted. I knew after listening what our decision should be. Ted felt the same way. That night, we decided on leaving paradise and submitting a list of places in a particular order. It felt right even though we were still sad about leaving this island.

We did finally feel peace and content in our decision. Now we wait and spend our days enjoying the here and now. I can't wait to see where we land next summer. Stay tuned.

9 MONTHS and counting...

Here we are again with a calendar marking out days until our next pending move. Oh baby, it takes a year to fully transition. Since we are working on our wish list to submit, my mind jumps all the way to the beginning of next year and finding out where I'll be spending the next 4 to 5 years.

I am currently 7 weeks and 6 days postpartum. My night sweats have ceased and I'm finding a good rhythm of being a mother of two children. I couldn't imagine any other way nor would I wish it any different. Wells just started going to "school" Monday - Friday half days. I wake up thirty minutes earlier in order to get us all out of the door, Wells to school, and return home by 8:15. It's a great feeling of accomplishment each day that we successfully run through the routine. This new schedule has me thinking about how wonderful living in the city would be right now. Instead of packing into the car for 15-20 minute ride to and from school, we could be walking and exploring.

Our lives have mellowed to a simplistic medium of island life. We don't need much to be happy, not even central air conditioning. Shopping has almost come to a complete halt or so it seems. If I can't use my five sense to shop that I don't consider it real. Online shopping is misleading and unsatisfying for me. It's a mail war of returns and I'm losing miserably. After trying on five different bathing suit tops, only two of them actually semi-fit my newly milking chest. The dress I just ordered looks nothing like the picture and the arm wholes come down to my rib cage. It should be considered torture to keep a postpartum mom away from decent shopping stores. I buckled and ran into Rainbow and left with shirt that I wore a handful of times. I finally washed it and put it on the line to dry. I pulled it out to wear the other day and it was half it's original size. I may just keep buying the shirt whenever I feel like I want to wear it.

I actually really enjoy our island lifestyle. I am anticipating a cooler fall/winter season. I remember the first time it hit me that we lived in paradise. We were out at Yacht Haven Grande the sun was beaming, but it felt like I was standing right outside of a jewelry store on Main St. with the air conditioning seeping onto the sidewalk. I finally knew what people meant about the breeze being cool. It was paradise, finally.

September Starts Transition

September starts our transition year of moving. First, we will receive a list of potential locations and jobs where we could move. We create a dream sheet, based upon the list, ranking locations by where we would prefer to go. You can see our list last time here.

By October, our list will be submitted and then we will wait. We wait a good four to five months until we receive an email with orders announcing the location.

When we find that out, we will have two to three months (because we plan to move May/June 2016) until we arrive at specified location.

Next summer, we will pack up our lives in St. Thomas, move somewhere fun (I'm counting on it!), house hunt, move in, and finally start creating a new home and new life again (which is really exciting to me still).

It all happens very fast. With young kids, it feels even faster. Poppy will be ten months when we move just like Wells was during our move to St. Thomas. It's a great age to transition with a baby. Wells will be almost three. I'm sure he will be sad to leave all his island friends, but I hope I can sway him easily with stateside amenities.

In September, Wells starts school. I really love the school we picked. They have a great toddler philosophy and program (it's not daycare). I hope he has a great year and enjoys his classroom. I know he will grow so much.

I am so thankful that I'll be able to spend some one on one time with Poppy while Wells is at school. (He will be in the half day program Monday-Friday.)

We already feel like our time here is running so short. We truly love it in St. Thomas. I know we will miss it so much. We have been creating a list of things that we must do before we leave. One by one, we plan to do them. We are equally looking forward to moving. It is truly bittersweet! I can't wait to shop end caps at Target, eat a good doughnut, get a chill from at blasting A/C in the mall, utilize Nordstrom's mother's room, bring my kids to a museum or just a good neighborhood park, and etc.

It's going to be a great year!

First case

Last week, I hit a major lull. It was a great week leading up to Friday afternoon, when I found myself missing our norm back in Philadelphia. I wasn't kicking and screaming to get off this island or even discontent with our life here. A wave of nostalgia came over me, leaving me to feel like finishing the carton of non-dairy ice cream was a brilliant idea. A bit homesick. The fact is, it has been a great few months and I haven't had any negative feelings. I haven't had the major adjustment as I did upon moving to Philadelphia. I have fully embraced our move and transition with happy sand filled arms.

By no means am I wanting to complain, my heart is so full and I am thankful. I'm living a dream in paradise.

With that said, here is what I'd do with a week or two in Philadelphia - the last place we called home.

I'd grab a city view with my lavender latte on a crisp fall day. I would be wearing my favorite scarf paired with a light tee to embrace the slightly cooler temps. Strolling down the street, I'd pop into my favorite stores and come out with perfect pick-me-ups. After, I'd walk down the historic streets of Society Hill admiring the perfectly -scaped window boxes and planters making my way to the park with Wells. I'd chum it up with my favorite Philly mom friends and their littles. We'd share snacks, laughs, and the common need for more sleep. Parting ways, Wells would nap while I people watch in Rittenhouse or Washington Square. I'd shake my head at the dog strollers coming and going. I would give an eye roll with slight amazement to the hipster hippies that are tightroping. After grabbing a babysitter, we may tour a museum, watch an indie film, or catch a live band.

The next day, I'd head to Longwood Gardens with Wells and Ted like we did last year. Our hearts would leap with all the fall colors, trees, leaves, and sunshine. After having our fill of the bountiful gardens, we would head to my old stomping grounds at Terrain. Eat and shop, then back to Philly popping over to see how Milkshake, the pig, at Greensgrow is doing. Around the corner, we'd have a full table of friends at Memphis Taproom and I would order every single appetizer.

Another day, another sip. Coffee curbside, at Parc with croque monsieur for breakfast. A city walk, running into friends who are stressed to their wits end deep in PA school -cough, cough, you know who you are. From there, we'd head over to the Italian market to pick up fresh curds, duck prosciutto, pate', buffalo lemon ricotta, aged balsamic, and take a few hits of olive oil. Not enough food yet, so we would head over to Reading Terminal, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods to shop delicious local meats, sausages, and lush produce. I'd pick up crazy things, just because it is available, like saffron, fresh lavender, truffle oil, and tons honeycomb.

After all the grazing, I'd like nothing more than to prop my feet in a cushy recliner at the Marlton theater and see a good movie. We'd arrive early and watch all the previews. I'd cook fresh duck at a friends house and we'd sip wine before heading out to start a fire. Beers are next. Good IPA's. Good friends. Good laughs. And, a good night.

We'd sit at all of our favorite look out spots viewing the city from up high. Walking through the city, we'd run into our homeless friend, Joe. He would give us a ear full of all the latest in street news. We'd enjoy it. He'd promise to come visit St. Thomas and we would nod along. Exchanging email addresses again, we'd head out and sit around a fountain. Wells would love seeing the water dancing in the air.

We would fit in a few more eats before coming back to St. Thomas including but not limited to: Dinic's roast pork. Tired Hands for current brews, baloney sandwich, and house pickles. Kanella, for any meal of the day. Amish blueberry fritters. Cheese plate at Talula's. Italian Diablo from Primohoagies. Fried chicken and donuts from Federal Dunuts (heaven).

Wells would enjoy several neighborhood parks, people watching, Smith Playground, and Please Touch. I'd enjoy a long overdue girls night out. Ted would be in beer heaven and take his long board out on the streets. We would all enjoy picking apples and trying to pick up big pumpkins. We'd appreciate flowers greeting us in the grocery story and Chick-fil-A.

Until next time Philadelphia, I'll just keep dreaming up my next visit.

I may need an extra stomach to fit all the eats in.

Learning curve

Four days in.

I'd say the hardest thing to adjust to is  d r i v i n g.

Or riding, I have not drove yet and don't plan to until my car arrives on the island.

Narrow roads winding up and down the mountain are enough of a learning curve for me. Then, add on driving on the opposite side of the road with at times no guardrails to the side of the mountain. I admit, I have cried for my life. And, my little family. Probably half due to my irrational fear of heights, a little bit due to the driving situation, and the rest due to the stress of this whole move.

Yes, it is G O R G E O U S. I'm soaking in the views and sunshine. The resort is my bubble for now. I am not afraid of exploring out and slowly understanding which roads go where. There are no street signs. We get a better handle on them each day. I am not ready to drive or ride at night in the dark, but each day I see progress. I will feel much more confident in my own car. We purchased an island beater for Ted's work vehicle from a guy that transferred out of here. It is great for Ted to get to and from work and beneficial for us to get around since first arriving.

Cheers to new adventures and making it 'home' safely each day.

We MOVED!

The last two weeks were a BLURR. We spent them tying up loose ends, parties, and friends. It was all a little bit stressful but a lot of fun. I am not a crier. But, at our farewell I broke into tears. Philadelphia was good to us. Very good. Ups and downs, we survived them all. Leaving Philly, we are stronger and better people than when we came. Our souls were mended. 

Philadelphia > Charlotte > Atlanta > St. Thomas

We trekked around visiting friends and shipping our car from Atlanta before arriving on the island. It all seems surreal. Day three is still does. We are managing just fine and looking forward to finding a house to settled into. Hopefully one with a view. In the meantime, I'm spending my days around the resort discovering new pools and building sand towers that Wells destroys. I'm soaking in the sunsets and letting Wells sleep in late. There will be more to share as we make new adventures, but for now I leave you with this. We have arrived and life is good. Surreal, but good. Unpredictable, but good. Unfamiliar, but good.