going {home}

We're packing it up

and

 heading home.

Well, not truly HOME-home, because neither my husband nor I grew up there,

BUT, Texas is where:

I moved to in 8th grade ... and stayed

 (my dad was military, so I was used to moving EVERY.three.YEARS).

Where I fell in love back in 1993 with my amazing husband,

had our first born,

and then our second,

and then eight years after our second decided, "Hey! let's have a third".

Where we owned our first and second home,

made many friends that became "our family",

started my first (and second, and third) careers.

Where my brother recently moved back to (even though he'll be FIVE hours away)

 and my other brother is moving to this Spring.

(Now we just need to pack up mom and get her there too.)

so yes, 

we are going HOME.

Back to the same city.

Back to the same schools.

Back to friends and "family" we've known for

all the years we've been married,
 celebrated many holidays with,
and who watched our kids grow up.

Back to an area we know and love.

Back to the CI team who diagnosed Aiden and his first

AH.MAZING auditory verbal therapist.

(you know, the one who doubled as my own personal counselor for the first 8 months of A's life)

Back to Kat and Thomas and Sid.

(all I can say is wine+a great friendship between us AND our kids+sunshine and patios and pools=pure bliss)

All my kids are excited.

especially aiden who truly has no clue,

yet tells me nearly everyday,

"Mom stop {insert whatever it is I'm doing}. We have to pack for Texas!"

oh and Ryan.

Beyond excited to go back to the friends he's known since he was SIX.

and Kailyn.

well, she's a little more apprehensive. She left in 2nd grade, now she's in 6th

(enough said).

she's been reconnecting with all her friends there through texts though; she's excited too.

We're all excited.

As another chapter comes to an end,

another book begins to open.

Life is a journey.

Enjoy the ride.

and the preschool teacher says ...

(posted this on Facebook, but trying to catch up on his blog and this is definitely "baby book" material)

first - one of my favorite "waiting for the bus" pictures

and here is a little snippet from Aiden's teacher at my recent parent-teacher conference.

(remember, Aiden is in a mainstream (nontypical) preschool class with 13 kids, all hearing with 8 typical peers)

"He reads the board out loud before I have a chance to,

he reminds me when I miss something in our daily circle time routine,

we have to ask him to give the other kids a chance to answer the questions,

and he's one of the most vocal in the class."--Mrs. M.

{simply.AMAZING}