Whew - what a week! I have managed to get enough of our stuff unpacked so that we can function and now am feeling pretty lazy about the rest! Hard to get motivated to unpack when there is so much stuff around us to do and explore! While Hubby was at work all week, the girls and I managed to get out each day and find something new, even though most of it was shopping related. We miss our friends and family back home dearly, but am putting on the brave faces and taking steps forward to making this our new home for a while.
My initial impressions after a full week are that the people couldn't be more friendly and helpful! And, it is very charming up here - the mailman still walks door to door and delivers mail to your porch. As a friend commented, very Norman Rockwell. I want to take his picture to post, but afraid he might think I am a little crazy. I will wait at least another week before I make him pose for me! I have been asked to say things and repeat myself - they love to hear us talk. Apparently, even the word water is said differently up here. We have been given loads of advice and suggestions - apparently everyone is related to someone who owns something around here!
To make the move official, I went to the DOT and receive my PA license. I am not sure which was more scary - seeing my face on a license for a state other than GA OR taking my girls with me to the DMV?? Actually, the entire process was quick, took only 20 minutes and I was further impressed that they do not put your weight on the license. I didn't even have to lie to them!
On the topic of weight, I have been void of the gym for several weeks now and can feel the effect of not running and working out like I normally do. So, we joined the Upper Main Line YMCA and have no excuses this week! Back to Body Pump, Spin, and treadmill work. It is a huge facility and looks like a college campus. Apparently, it was the country estate of a family who was involved in the Reading Railroad and Penn Station in NYC - the prettiest Y I have ever laid eyes upon. They have 5 pools, so we have found a way to beat the heat up here for the remainder of summer.
Finally, to top of our week, our new lovely neighbors, P & E, invited us over for dinner last night. It was nice getting to know and making friendships so quickly. Our kids got along swimmingly and we are already planning future dinners and play dates! They have been extremely helpful in getting us acquainted with our surroundings and recommending businesses to us that we might need. God has once again answered my prayers and blessed us with great neighbors. So thankful!
I think we are going to be okay and like it up here - at least until it snows!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Welcome to Pennsylvania
We are here - all under the same roof, in our own beds and by ourselves! It took a mere 14 hours to make the trek from Newnan, GA to Malvern, PA - not too shabby with a 6 & 4 yr old, and a 8 month old puppy! They all behaved well, but I do think Lucy was the best passenger of all. Never did she ask "How much longer?". May have to kennel the girls next trip and take Lucy with me on the road!
The rental home which we rented "sight unseen" is great - a little smaller than our previous home, but much better use of space. There is one crazy huge bedroom upstairs, so the girls are actually sharing rooms for the first time. So glad there is a month before school starts because it may take that long for them to calm down and stop talking at night. You can hear them chatting to each other for some time after we put them to bed.
We also met our neighbors across the street - P and E, who have 3 kids (the oldest two are the ages of our girls). They looked as excited to see us and we did them! Apparently, we have a few older neighbors who have older kids (high school and college), so it seems were are mutually thrilled to be living across from each other. The guys have already started discussing beer & BBQ - which I am learning means different things to Northerners than it does to us southern folks. This might be our first "Let me show you how it is really done" moment for our new friends. Beer, BBQ & Sports really does link all men - regardless of where you hail.
We are making progress with the unpacking and even taking downtime to explore our new surroundings some. My first discovery - Wegmans! It is a supermarket on steroids! I was thrilled at the selections of fresh fruits/vegetables and prepared foods, the girls love all the samples they give, and hubby is beyond impressed at the inside and outsides bars. A little something for the entire family. Retail therapy just took on a entirely different view in my mind - when lonely, I will head to Wegmans! However, they do not call the carts buggies - they are grocery carts. I think I will still use buggy for now :)
Back to unpacking.....
The rental home which we rented "sight unseen" is great - a little smaller than our previous home, but much better use of space. There is one crazy huge bedroom upstairs, so the girls are actually sharing rooms for the first time. So glad there is a month before school starts because it may take that long for them to calm down and stop talking at night. You can hear them chatting to each other for some time after we put them to bed.
We also met our neighbors across the street - P and E, who have 3 kids (the oldest two are the ages of our girls). They looked as excited to see us and we did them! Apparently, we have a few older neighbors who have older kids (high school and college), so it seems were are mutually thrilled to be living across from each other. The guys have already started discussing beer & BBQ - which I am learning means different things to Northerners than it does to us southern folks. This might be our first "Let me show you how it is really done" moment for our new friends. Beer, BBQ & Sports really does link all men - regardless of where you hail.
We are making progress with the unpacking and even taking downtime to explore our new surroundings some. My first discovery - Wegmans! It is a supermarket on steroids! I was thrilled at the selections of fresh fruits/vegetables and prepared foods, the girls love all the samples they give, and hubby is beyond impressed at the inside and outsides bars. A little something for the entire family. Retail therapy just took on a entirely different view in my mind - when lonely, I will head to Wegmans! However, they do not call the carts buggies - they are grocery carts. I think I will still use buggy for now :)
Back to unpacking.....
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| Wegmans - my new best friend |
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| Shot of downtown Malvern |
Thursday, July 12, 2012
A Few of Our Favorite Things
Since the majority of our home is packed, we have spent the last week eating out! Ugh - so ready for a home cooked meal! However, we are using this time eating out to enjoy some of our local favorites that we know we will not have up north. It has been said that we will miss cheap mexican food the most, which is really sad since I could live off chips and salsa alone!
If you ask the girls, they will tell you that Fuji Hana is their favorite, so of course we had to enjoy some habachi for them. They also love Taco Mac, which works well for Stan and I too. So we headed to our favorite location - the Prado - and enjoyed dinner with our favorite friends. We also have enjoyed a few others that I am sure are up north (or at least something similar), but the girls aren't convinced so we indulged in La Madeleine and a couple of trips to Menchies. Finally, we have had our fair share of Mexican. I still can't believe their is no good Mexican eats up north! I may make it my personal mission to find one and I really can't thing of a more enjoyable mission that eating my way across the north via chips and salsa!
Last night was our last night in this house. We asked the girls how they wanted to spend the evening and of course, it was a few of their favorite things. We went out to eat Mexican (imagine that), topped that off with some Menchies (really love the sweet cream coconut), and then we had a family movie night and watched the most recent Parent Trap. Yes, they stayed up way too late, but during this last week, I have let me strict parenting rules flex some. We were all emotional yesterday and it is really sinking in - the time is upon us.
Gotta get back to some final packing before the packers get in... enjoy some photos from our favorites!
If you ask the girls, they will tell you that Fuji Hana is their favorite, so of course we had to enjoy some habachi for them. They also love Taco Mac, which works well for Stan and I too. So we headed to our favorite location - the Prado - and enjoyed dinner with our favorite friends. We also have enjoyed a few others that I am sure are up north (or at least something similar), but the girls aren't convinced so we indulged in La Madeleine and a couple of trips to Menchies. Finally, we have had our fair share of Mexican. I still can't believe their is no good Mexican eats up north! I may make it my personal mission to find one and I really can't thing of a more enjoyable mission that eating my way across the north via chips and salsa!
Last night was our last night in this house. We asked the girls how they wanted to spend the evening and of course, it was a few of their favorite things. We went out to eat Mexican (imagine that), topped that off with some Menchies (really love the sweet cream coconut), and then we had a family movie night and watched the most recent Parent Trap. Yes, they stayed up way too late, but during this last week, I have let me strict parenting rules flex some. We were all emotional yesterday and it is really sinking in - the time is upon us.
Gotta get back to some final packing before the packers get in... enjoy some photos from our favorites!
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| Habachi time at Fuji Hana |
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| Yummers! Elsa's Enchiladas from Ceviche |
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| The Taco Mac Crew |
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Good Ol' South
We are down to less than a week before we are moving on up - we move on Friday, the 13th! Yep, didn't really put two and two together when we picked the date. Stan assures me that it is fitting since he started his new gig with Sidecar on the 13th! We shall see....
The farewells have started and are not easy, to say the least. The send off parties have provided us with some great memories and were full of laughter - we are always laughing around our friends! We are so grateful for those parties and to hug the necks of our pals one last time for a while. Thanks to those fantastic friends who hosted and the ones who came to party. If you took pics, please send my way and if they are bad or sure to ruin my reputation, keep off Facebook - he he!
Many felt the need to send us on our way with a few gifts that will keep Georgia forever on our minds. Some have been funny - like the moonpies and a book on how to be nice to Yankees. While others have some sentimental value that brings tears to our eyes, such as the Atlanta book full of sweet notes from our friends and the Mt. Bethel ornament that has a story too long to post here.
I don't know if Southern is a decorating style, but I just might find a way to decorate my house in all things Southern! That should keep me occupied for a little while.
Thought I would share a few of our favorites "gifts" with you all...
The farewells have started and are not easy, to say the least. The send off parties have provided us with some great memories and were full of laughter - we are always laughing around our friends! We are so grateful for those parties and to hug the necks of our pals one last time for a while. Thanks to those fantastic friends who hosted and the ones who came to party. If you took pics, please send my way and if they are bad or sure to ruin my reputation, keep off Facebook - he he!
Many felt the need to send us on our way with a few gifts that will keep Georgia forever on our minds. Some have been funny - like the moonpies and a book on how to be nice to Yankees. While others have some sentimental value that brings tears to our eyes, such as the Atlanta book full of sweet notes from our friends and the Mt. Bethel ornament that has a story too long to post here.
I don't know if Southern is a decorating style, but I just might find a way to decorate my house in all things Southern! That should keep me occupied for a little while.
Thought I would share a few of our favorites "gifts" with you all...
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