Oliver

 "My turn" He says, ripping the shirt out of my hands

Yep, you missed your arm kiddo!

He can almost do it

Ohio or Bust

We're moving to Ohio!
Craig got a job in Ohio!

This is something that we have wanted to do since Craig finished his Ph.D. Something I feel like we've been working to and the ultimate landing pad for us.

The series of events in our lives seemed to have eerily led us to this position.

The choices we have made.

The career choices Craig has made rather.

The people he has chosen to do research with. They all have a weird commonality with where we are ending up.

It's a small world of weaving webs. Everyone knows everyone.

So with that said. A for sale sign was put in the front yard.

Two

2

Zwei

Dos

Deux

Yes two days later we had an offer.

3 really is my lucky number but, eh, what can you do

A Physics professor who wanted to buy the house when we did, still, desperately, wanted the house. He made an offer without even coming to check it out again. Desperate! Determined is maybe a better word. Anyway. He made an offer. We had an open house. We accepted his offer. Craig went to the lawyer yesterday to start writing the purchase agreement. We will hopefully close mid-July and move.

Where will we move to? Unknown at this time. We will be visiting in May to look for a new house. Maybe, possibly our forever house.

Scary thought.

Us settled...

in one spot...

for more than 5 years...

I won't hold my breath.

BUT most likely we will be settled for "good" (don't want to jinx anything)

Landon is coming around to the idea.

First, it was tears and "No I don't want to move"

Then it was "I only want to visit Ohio at Christmas"

Then it was "Miss Amanda (our next door neighbor) knows how to take care of 3 kids. I can live with them"

Now its "I'll grow up in in Ohio and then I'll move back to Mississippi"

He told his preschool teacher that when he grows up he's going to come back and find her. Her response was that he'd better. She is very VERY sad Landon will not be back next school year. He is one of her favorites. Her words. Not mine.

Although he is one of my favorites, most days.

He holds a very dear spot in her heart and it will be sad on his last day of school.

She is also sad to not get to teach Ollie. Ollie gives her a hug every day that we see her.

A hello and goodbye hug.

We are thrilled at the idea of being 3 hours away from our families. Grandparents. Cousins. Aunts. Uncles. Friends. The whole she-bang. The boys will have the choice of wrestling like their Daddy did. (MS doesn't have wrestling.) They will get to go to a better school. One where the graduation rate is 96%, not 69%. Starkville's graduation rate just went up last year from 60% to 69%.

Fact.

Scary.

Sad.

The whole picture looks brighter from here though.

Ohio, here we come.  Ready or not. We're moving back!

to get a good one

The progression (or digression) of how to get a good picture of Clara...

Artist

Landon was quite an artist one morning
Glasses and a mustache.
Good coordination without a mirror

Chickens

 Just call him the Chicken Whisperer

 Landon took this next picture. Great timing!

 I have a great video of this moment also,

Landon was talking for the chickens,

"Hi best friend" one chicken said to the other...

 Ollie's look in this next one! 

"Don't hurt my chicken Landon"

 Clearly the chicken is ok with it.

She just sat on his lap

in a lawn chair.

 Then Grandma was trusted chickensitter 

so he could climb a ladder

 Little boys foreground

Big boys background!

Moral of the story:

We love our chickens!

Spring Break

 Craig's parents came down for Spring Break

 We rented a minivan and drove to Biloxi.

We went on a air boat tour to see some gators.

Minus Clara and I (fan too loud for Clara)

The tour guide said he gave neck massages to this alligator.

He gave her treats of marshmallows that 

she would come close to the boat to chomp.

 Shrimping is a big industry in the bayou

so we went on a shrimp boat tour.

 Still early in the tourist season so the boat was not crowded

 The boys loved the boat!

 It was windy

 Landon and Grandma Ellen watching the net

 They caught some shrimp (the water temp was too cold to have a large catch), 

a puffer fish (our tour guide blew the fish up for us, mouth to mouth), an eel and some other fish.

 Holding a real live gulf shrimp!

 Then we took Don to touch the Gulf of Mexico.

Landon was in heaven!

 Proof I was there!

 Ollie fell asleep during our shrimp lunch and

stayed asleep for about 10 minutes on the beach. 

Almost missed out on the coolest part of the day!

 Clara didn't mind the sand and getting dirty.

Sensory heaven for a 5 month old!

 He was having too much fun!

Good thing I had a plastic bag for wet clothes.

 Ollie wasn't sure about the water getting him.

He ran away screaming when the waves washed on the beach.

Like the ocean was playing a game with him.

And of course no trip would be complete without some manual labor and a mess, so Craig and his Dad ripped out 3 windows in the house and replaced 2 of them. The third had to ordered and was replaced this weekend. It looks sooooo much better in our bedroom now AND the windows open AND have screens! 

Ironically the primary wallpaper under the paint in our room has the same base color that we painted the room when we moved in. Wierd?!

We had a blast with Craig's parents and 

we are so grateful they help us out with our house projects!

Vertbatim

We were eating dinner, 

Landon told Craig

"We're best friends!"

Ollie climbs in my lap

squeezes my neck and says 

"Best you"

My heart melted