I am Back!

I knew I had not blogged in quite some time, however I didn't realize it had been so long. But I am back and ready to share some great times I have had in California. It has been a whirlwind being here and living in a new city. Everything in your life changes, whether it be where you are getting gas, grocery shopping, living, or working. It is a total change that for me, always takes some time to get used to. I can honestly say that I have not gotten used to everything, and am still trying to figure things out, but have began to slowly start settling in.

I have found a job and Keith is still loving his. He recently returned from a two week trip from Australia that he got to see and do some amazing things. I am very jealous still about it. Before he took off, we were able to head to Oakland to watch the A's and Royals play. It was so much fun to get to drive to a new stadium and still feel a little part of home. The drive was easy and short and after the game we headed into San Francisco to see some of the tourist spots. Fresno is a great place to be considering we are really so close to everything. We can be at so many amazing places in just a couple hours. 

When Keith returned we had our first visitor. Stacy, a friend from Monroe now living in Michigan, flew in for the weekend. Us two and a new friend from here were all able to head to the Rascal Flatts, Gloriana, and Sheryl Crow concert. We had a great time and even got upgraded to front row seats! We enjoyed the rest of the weekend just hanging out and showing her what we know of Fresno so far.

The next weekend I was able to take off a few days and enjoy the arrival of my parents. They flew in for Labor Day Weekend and I am so glad they did. We got so much done around the house (pictures to come) and enjoyed spending time together. We played cards, grilled, and watched football. We got to take them to a local Wine Tasting called Apcal. It is a nice outdoor concert and wine tasting in the middle of a vineyard on Friday and Saturday nights. We had a great time on our lawn chairs just talking, listening to music, and catching up on what has been going on. On Sunday we were able to head up an hour to Yosemite National Park. We started at Mariposa Grove and saw the amazing Sequioa Trees, the Grizzly Giant, and the California Tree that you can walk under. We decided to hike up to the top and got a little more intense than we thought, but still a fun time. When we were finished there, we headed onto Glacier Point. It was a beautiful view where there are normally waterfalls that run down. Because of the time of year that we went, there were only two that were running, but still very cool to see.

 

 

 

I am so glad that we have had visitors already, and more that have been planned for the upcoming weeks. I am excited to keep working on the house to one day get it looking like we did not just move in. California has been great to us so far, and I look forward to the many more things to come.

Where Dreams Come True

Disney World is a magical place. It is a place where before this trip, it was important to get to every roller coaster and adult rides as fast and we could, and make sure each fast pass was set up correctly. We would map out the fastest ways to the back of the park, and make sure we were there early and leaving late. Now, with 4 kids under the age of 5 coming along..not much changes. It is now important to do the same, but remember we will have strollers. 

I was the total 11th wheel of this trip, and loved every part of it..basically :) My parents have been planning this amazing vacation for a couple years now, and with the help of my brother and sister in law (they know everything Disney World) it was a great vacation. We were able to stay on a resort in Disney and it made for quicker trips, and even some pool time! 

We hit Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, some a couple of times. We saw character after character, parades,shows, and hit almost every ride in the parks we could. I am so glad I was able to be apart of the first round of nieces and nephews trip to Disney..seeing their faces was priceless. 

Favorites memories of Disney Vacation 2014: 

Watching Cade and Lukas on their first Roller Coasters (definite mixed reviews, but overall loved going fast, and not getting wet)

Seeing Reese run up to Minnie and staring in awe of who she was meeting

Lawson absolutely loving Donald Duck and enjoying the Buzz Lightyear ride as the entire time he just said weeeeeee!! 

Andrea came from Melbourne for a day to relax and enjoy some pools/lazy rivers around the resort

Spending some enjoyable time with my family. I can't thank them enough for the awesome time and making sure they were never leaving me out! 

Here are a "few" of the pictures I gathered! Enjoy! 

Moving West!

In the coaching world you never know what the next year will bring. You are always looking to advance, or find that perfect fit that you hope to be at for some time. It has given us the opportunity to move all over the country, literally, and meet some amazing friends along the way. We have been blessed in each situation, even when we felt at times devastation and desperation.  

Living in Monroe was another accomplishment and journey along the way of life. I remember the day very well that Keith called and told me he had accepted a job in Monroe, LA. I was very excited for him, but also had no idea what that meant for us. Two years later, I have realized just how special of an experience it was for the two of us and how far we have came. We met some unbelievable friends and lived in an area I would have never thought of moving before. It was awesome to try an entirely new culture and definitely took some time to get used to some of the ways of the South.

The process from when we heard about the Fresno State University job opportunity and when we actually knew it was happening took some time. We had pretty much put all our eggs into one basket and went with the trust it was going to happen. It took me a little longer to get on board that Keith, but was excited for the new experience. Who would have ever thought California would be my next stop?  It was weeks of planning, waiting on phone calls, and preparing to move before we actually hit the ground to move. We decided we would take the 38 hour drive out there according to MapQuest instead of flying because we weren't sure when our cars and stuff would arrive. We wanted to have things we needed and thought it would be "fun" to drive across 3/4 the US.

Day 1 was easy. We headed to Kansas to be able to go through some more things and see our parents, family, and friends before we headed on our way. It was the longest stretch, but because it was day one, it didn't seem so bad. We enjoyed having time to see family and talking about what was ahead of us.

Day 2 we left Great Bend and headed into Colorado. For some reason Keith thought it was a good idea for me to drive through Denver and the beginning of the Rocky Mountains. As he slept, I admired them for about 30-45 minutes and then was ready to be out of them. I may not be as good of a driver as I once thought.

Day 3 was exciting. Our ending destination was Las Vegas. I was excited to be able to enjoy the city and have a little break before we took on the last leg of the trip. We drove thru Utah, not much going on but canyons everywhere, a little part of Arizona, and then Nevada, which until we saw Vegas, it was all desert.

Day 4 we got up, enjoyed a great brunch at Hash House and headed on our way. We got into Fresno about mid afternoon. We were put up in a hotel for a few days before we got into the house. Keith did an amazing job house searching and finding the perfect house in a perfect neighborhood. We are looking forward to guests at anytime!

 

We got to move into the house, however without stuff. It was lawn chairs in the kitchen and air mattresses in the bedroom. It was quite the experience living with nothing for awhile.

The new journey has just begun, but I am very excited for it. I do a lot of driving around and trying to get myself used to where I am. It is beautiful with a lot of fun things to do. It looks very Midwestern, but instead of wheat, we see lots of vineyards. The school seems to be thriving and continuing success. I look forward to the new teams, sports, and gyms I will be introduced to! Thanks for all of the support so far!!

Meeting Keeley and Much More..

When you live 12 hours from your family, you do not always get to be apart of big moments right that minute. However, when you finally get home, it doesn't make it any less special. Let me explain. I went home a couple weeks ago and met my newest niece, Keeley Wynn Birt. I may have been a little late to the "party", but she was still the most perfect little thing. I was so excited to meet her and get to have some time with her and Christy. We enjoyed changing her clothes and taking pictures often, as well as watching her sleep and trying to get little smiles out of her. She has grown so much already and can't wait to see her again.

While in Kansas City visiting, I got to enjoy seeing all my brothers and sisters and spending some time with them all!

We enjoyed a nice little "girls night" and went to a very fun place downtown called Snow and Co. I am so glad we could all get together and catch up! 

I was able to go home to Great Bend for a couple days and catch up with many things. I spent some time with dad and mom and got to meet up with friends as well. We went to Larned and got to watch baseball and meet Ben and Jenny's new little boy Eli, another adorable little one! I am so happy I got to get back and enjoy this time. Although, I never feel like it's long enough it was great to see so much family! 

Keith and I also have some more exciting news! He has accepted a position at Fresno State University in Fresno, CA. We will be moving shortly and enjoying the year round warm weather! We will miss Louisiana and our awesome friends we have met, but know this too will be a great adventure!! I will be posting about the move after we arrive and get settled!!