Experience Life in Statesboro (Part II of IV)

Week 2 (February 21st-27th)

We found a plethora of Mexican restaurants in Statesboro. Our family loves Mexican food! After hearing conflicting opinions of which is the crème de la crème, we decided to begin the quest for the best. Holy Guacamole! El Jalapeno is delicious! Do we even need to try elsewhere?... I did make a few homemade meals (not all w/pics), but still not enough for my liking. Time just gets away! 

We traveled over to the condo where Tim had been blessed with residency for about 6 months. We are forever grateful to Mike and Elaine, and Elaine’s cousin for being so generous. I would have loved to spend some more time on the beach, but after cleaning it up and gathering Tim’s belongings we were ready to head ‘home.’ 

What pleasure I found in going to the recycling center! You’re thinking, “She’s crazy!” (Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with the center.) It’s well kept, (I love their organized system!) just around the corner, and even has a section for goodwill! Our empty boxes found a new home, along with a few items for goodwill. We’ve already made several trips.

Someone from Youngsville left these beautiful gloves on one of the trucks. THANK YOU!!!!! If you would like them back,

please let me know. Meanwhile, they are well cared for. I do not usually care to wear gloves, but these fit like a glove! I wear them any chance I get. It’s an addiction, really. I don’t think I could use a screwdriver or prune a branch without them anymore! It felt good to prune our bushes (with help from my young men), and to putter in the yard before the rain came (forewarned by mackerel skies). How gratifying to take a break, soak in the nature, and just being together again. 

Even Lily is settling in… maybe too much!

                                                                          ~Jenny~

An after thought…

A delight I hadn’t anticipated… I’m a one cup a day coffee kind of gal. Not anymore! Tim sometimes leaves behind up to half of his coffee in the morning. Waste not, want not! Oh, I so look forward to those mornings! I don’t think John experiences the same delight though. I often don’t eat much of what I order, or have - and what used to end up with John, now gets offered to his dad first. :)

Experiencing Life in Statesboro (Part I of IV)

One thing I love about living in different areas is the adventure. It’s scary and exciting to discover a place – its land, people, and amenities. There is some of each from the areas I’ve traveled and lived that hold on tight to my heart. Our life in Statesboro is just beginning. As we’ve been told more than once, “Welcome to the REAL south!”

Week 1 (February 14th-20th)

 Our first full week was busy with unpacking, deep cleaning, minor repairs, and discoveries. Our first ‘O my goodness, it’s late and we need food!’ run led us to Krystal. My guys found a new favorite – from burgers to chicken sandwiches to shrimp. All were happy. During lunch one day, we had leftover wings from feeding the gang who helped us moved in. John and I decided one of us likes cleaner bones than the other, or were just hungrier. Any guesses who? We also ventured over to Uncle Shug’s Fried Chicken. Ummmm…. They had some fun pics on the walls, and the company was outstanding! Of course, the best food came out of our own kitchen - made with love. It felt so good to be a family sitting around the table, knowing it would be for longer than a handful of days.

A BP gas adventure made our week! John and I explored a bread outlet around the corner, followed by a BP before hitting the Dollar General next door. The grocery store we now frequent, BI-LO, is paired with BP. Gas was pretty low to begin with, but with our reward points we made out at $1.09/gal! I suppose another outing piqued the boys’ interest. AAA ‘broke’ into our car so we could get the keys from the trunk. My young men thought it was cool. I thought it was cool we had AAA, and that they were quick!

While unpacking boxes, nerf bullets have been discovered in strange places… they do add up! Some of our fixing up has included a leak in the roof (my guys were having way too much fun up there), and a stubborn stain on the vinyl floor. I’ve tried several different remedies to no avail. The floor has lightened a bit, but that’s all. Any ideas? When not busy working, the guys have had fun playing (yep, nerf, also), going for walks, and enjoying our yard – we all appreciate it. You should see our ‘Wateringhole Branch’ stream moving after a good rain. In the sun green anoles have surfaced around our house. They seem to be living around our propane tank. The one surprise is the sweetgum trees. The only reason we moved from Youngsville was to get away from them, and here they are - not for long! (Well, maybe it wasn’t the only reason…)

                                                                                      ~Jenny~

As you can see, I'm experimenting with different picture formats. A huge delay to my postings is due to the frustration I find with getting the placement of photos to my liking. I found a site, www.photocollage.com, which is much easier than what I had been using. Any suggestions?

I Can't Believe The Day of Moving is Here....

Friday, February 12, I woke praising God for the great weather. My feet dragged, hoping to delay the inevitable. I believe everyone’s feet were behaving the same. After our last breakfast as North Carolinians, we said more goodbyes, loaded up Lily, and headed for a new season.

The drive went from tears to pings of excitement. I was thrilled to see the price of gas in Florence, South Carolina. I believe Lily was just as interested, demanding to roam freely at moments along the way. I was pleased she only dined on our plants, instead of using them for other forms of entertainment. The anticipation grew as the Savannah Bridge appeared in sight. Almost seven months living without Tim had been way too long! God grew us all during that time; but knowing He was bringing us back together for longer than a weekend, brought me deep joy. Arriving in Savannah meant signing for the closing of our new home. It was a moving day for our new friend, Stephanie, as well. Our family marked her first closing!

Due to rush hour, driving the final leg took almost an hour and a half. Peace settled within me upon seeing our ‘Saddle Creek’ entrance, and new home. Once all we brought was unloaded and beds were put together, we crashed. I was thankful to have a day to clean out boxes, and for the boys to begin unpacking their room before another load came with Mike and Dad and Mom Clemens. What a joy and blessing to see them again ~ Celebrating Valentine’s Day with ones we love! Although they had to turn around quickly, every moment was special. It meant so much to our family for them to share in this new journey. 

                                                                                                      ~ Jenny ~

Here's two of our boys taking a break from unpacking and taking advantage of no furniture in the living room....

Leaving Our Loved Youngsville Home

A whirlwind…. That has been my past couple of months. (Realistically, the past few years, but I’ll focus on this recent period.) My Little Men and I – okay, I really should call them ‘Young Men’ – joined Tim in Hilton Head, SC for New Year’s and my birthday. What a busy trip! House hunting filled the days via the computer (oh, yes, I brought an updated spreadsheet with us each day), city to city, and county to county. Our last day, we narrowed the search to five, and found our home. I’m so grateful to Stephanie (our wonderful realtor), and the Shelske’s for taking care of our beloved cat, Lily, and for much more!

Our last days in Youngsville were busy, fun, and sad. I wish we could have visited more people and said more goodbyes in person. We did engage in some nerf battles, peeled potatoes (sometimes the skin), ate good food with great friends, and worshipped with wonderful brothers and sisters when not packing. What a blessing for Joseph to join the choir and to hear the youth (and many other people each week) sing together one last time!

I am blessed by memories of friends who prayed, helped, visited, and stole me away for a break! I was going crazy with boxes everywhere. Praying for a miracle, our family continued hoping God would provide a way to remain in Youngsville. Once it was obvious God was moving us to Georgia, serious packing began. Even Lily helped. I tried to school as long as possible, while working with the realtors, inspections, due diligence, and other calls that come with moving. Yikes! I learned a few things myself, including installing insulation in a crawl space from YouTube. I thought I’d be finished a week before Tim came home (Feb 9th), leaving plenty of time for fun with friends. Ha! Many nights of less than four hours’ sleep, and it still took until the very end.

Our first celebration moving into Youngsville was John and Joseph’s 14th birthday. The last celebration occurred the day we signed our closing papers, February 10th - their 16th! Hmmm…. Born on Thursday (Thursday’s child has ‘far to go’) - I wonder how many times they’ll move around their birthday? Maybe they’ll just travel.

Wednesday we also picked up the U-Haul, enjoyed Flat Rock (but the goodbyes were difficult), and invited friends over for one more Nerf war. Why not? Are we not young whippersnappers who can stay up until 3:30 to finish packing and cleaning? Ha! Thursday, loading up day, flew like a gale! Such amazing help –grateful and blessed! I believe we began close to 9, and the loading was mostly finished by 1. We still cleaned, vacuumed, and divided some plants. We brought the few hens and chicks we still had from New York, some ferns, lilies, and a hosta (only one clump – became sidetracked with the new owners arrival and forgot to get more along with the Moss’s ginger – ugh!) I love the stories that come with shared plants.

Thursday night we were pooped! It felt great to get cleaned up at our friends’ house. Elaine and Mike graciously invited us for a delicious rib dinner, apple dessert hearts, and some games of aggravating aggravation. Mum’s the word on who won. Then we crashed with prayers about the next morning’s warning of icy roads as we thought about the journey ahead…

                                  ~Jenny~

I Believe the Dailey's are Moving!!!!

     As I write this, I smile. Above us I hear furniture moving, vacuuming, music, banging and chatting. Our first neighbors above us were wonderful, and we were sorry to see them move. These people seem nice enough, but they are awake at night versus the day, vacuum almost everyday, and love to run on their treadmill during the middle of the night. It has helped us to be ready. Ready to MOVE!!!

     We chose the house in Youngsville, NC to be our new home. Youngsville, NC, population 1,173 is soon to be population, 1,178 (plus a small panther!) I thought our town, Massena, NY was small! Of course, we are less than 10 miles to Wake Forest.

     Our home does sit on a beautiful lot in a lovely neighborhood. Above is the view from our front stoop. We all love the trees... I'm afraid of the snakes which might be lurking in the mulch waiting for their next victim. It's a good thing we have valiant boys!

      Our realtor, Kathy, has been excellent! She has such a sweet, exuberant personality and is from Youngsville herself. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of her. You can't tell by this photo, but our front door is Tardis blue ~ another sure sign this is the house for us!

     Below is a front angled view. Yes, there is a garage attached to the house and a separate one. The guys are in bliss! I'll probably have the house to myself except when they're hungry or tired!

If you'd like to see more pics of the house, fb message me, or comment here and I will email you a skydrive link. :)



     We fell in love with this new home. We already have a sentimental story. The current owners had it built in 1993 (the year we were married). They have built a new smaller home for themselves after 20 years, and we will be moving into this one in our 20th year of marriage. It was meant to be!

     Joe is thrilled to be moving into the room which housed a Dr. Who video collection. Each of the boys' closets have a 'secret' storage area. They are psyched! They'll have an acre to play on, and there's a beautiful screened porch! I can't wait for Lily to see it! 

     The above photo gives you a little idea of the backyard, and below to the right is the back of the house showing the porch. 

     When are we moving? The closing was scheduled for January 31st. Today, the plan changed, and no one is complaining! We are closing in one week on January 24th! Due to having our apartment through February 14th, we will have plenty of time to load our backs and set up camp.

~ Jenny ~

Unless the Lord builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Psalm 127:1

Changes are Coming...

     Almost two and a half years we've been apartment living and homeschooling three middle school boys. It's been a tremendous blessing, but we've become more and more restless. Jordan had been asking for a house for his birthday and Christmas - that's all he wanted. Less than three months ago, we were thinking we might be headed for Charleston, SC. Maybe we would try to buy or rent one there. Life is full of surprises! After a series of events, we began the process of seriously looking for a house in the Raleigh, NC area.

     December 12th, 2013 was our first trek out to look for houses we had narrowed from computer searches. In one day we looked at dwellings in Creedmoor, Raleigh, Louisburg, Wake Forest, and Youngsville. What a loop! It was a long, but worthwhile day. Above are some of the houses that didn't make the final cut. Some were easier than others to knock off our list. Below are the three our family thought were worth checking out again. Only two interiors were toured, eliminating the one without a garage.

     We chose one (to be revealed in my next post!), and started the process!!! It's been nerve rattling at times, but I am ecstatic to announce that as of today - it's a 100% go! Wahooooo! If you heard yelling today, it was the shouts of joy coming from the Dailey's! 

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,

and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

blessed are all those who wait for him.

Isaiah 30:18

~ Thank You, Lord Jesus! ♥

~Jenny~

Happy New Year.... Happy Birthday!

     We have traditions for New Year's Day: Hop-N-Jon, greens, cornbread, and football. Granny had adjusted a Hop-N-Jon recipe to have stewed tomatoes, and I decided it needed a few more hog jowls. I grew up knowing the peas (black-eyed peas in the Hop-N-Jon) represent coins/ luck, and the greens represent paper money. I discovered more info after some research. Cornbread represents gold! If you really want good luck, you need to eat at least 365 days on New Year's Day (I'm assuming 366 in a leap year - yuck! Well, maybe if enough hog jowls are mixed in.) Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes mean wealth and health (Granny sure knew what she was doing!) Some people add a shiny penny to the pot before serving. The person whose bowl holds the penny receives the greatest luck in the New Year, unless, the receiver swallows the coin!


Granny (maternal) made shortbread every year for Christmas, and I remember Grandma (paternal) making kolacky some years. This year I made both, and appreciated the memories while indulging along with my french press coffee. Yummy!

     We also started the year out right, with a family friendly game of Risk. It was great fun texting back and forth to our Florida family who had bets on who was going to win ~ pink won!

    



 Today was perfect! Tim made some scrumptious Eggs Benedict! The last time I delighted in these were back in New York. What a nice surprise! No better way to start a birthday. It was a pleasant day hanging out with my guys, sharing Facebook wishes, and a few calls from family and friends. 
In the afternoon, the family was game for a trip to the movies, and everyone agreed on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty! What fun! Even the previews were great (Heaven is For Real (boy dies and experiences heaven), Million Dollar Arm (baseball pitchers from India), and One Chance (dream of being an opera singer); all the boys want to see them. Walter Mitty's life changes as he searches for slide 25. Although predictable (for some), it was entertaining and encourages one to live their life instead of just dreaming about it.

     The evening ended after dinner at Johnny Carino's (I got to sneak a few bites off of Tim and John's plates), and a delicious homemade Angel Food cake by Tim (I love that he uses Granny's (and Mom's for butter cream frosting) recipe! The candle holders are a great find from Restoration Hardware years ago. They're the same animal holders my mom used in our cakes as children. I have cherished using them in our sons' cakes, and Tim likes to have them appear on my cakes occasionally.... feeling blessed!

                                             ~ Jenny~

New Year.... New Changes

     Every year brings changes. The road I have traveled incorporates various terrain ~ rough, smooth, deep valleys, mountaintops, and even some cherished beaches. Each path is valued, especially the rough patches where I grow and come out stronger and more refined. Through it all, one constant remains ~ Jesus Christ. He is with me on this journey, filling me with joy, hope, peace, and strength. I could not imagine walking this life alone!

     My home is blessed with five: Tim, my dedicated husband of 20 years; John, our witty oldest (by 2 minutes!) and the tallest (how dare he!) of our household; Joseph, (sleeping here on the couch with me as I type) our tender-hearted middle son; Jordan, our youngest one who keeps us laughing, shaking our heads, and on our toes! (Don't they all?); and Lily, our black panther, who will be six in March. Yep! I am one lucky gal!

November 6, 2013 Charleston, SC
Joseph, John, and Jordan

I missd a year!

       September 4, 2012 changed my life. Losing my dad, I lost a part of me. I stopped blogging and isolated myself. What has brought me this far? Faith, family, and friends. I am blessed. Although my heart continues to ache for loved ones, I am blessed. Moving on...

     No way could I share all of 2013. It was a year of adjusting, laughing, crying, new adventures, and old traditions. I'm glad this year has ended, and I'm looking forward to what lies ahead. Some of 2013:

February: John and Joseph became teenagers ~ and John bypassed my height!




June: I kissed a fish!

June: The boys enjoyed tennis lessons in Florida.



November: Tim and I celebrated our 20th year of marriage...

Seminoles had an undefeated season! (And we LOVE Chick-Fil-A!)



December: Jordan celebrated his 12th!


     I would love to add more pictures, but I'm spending way too much time fighting with adjusting the pics and putting them where I want them! The boys also began Tae Kwon Do in September. It's great to have an activity they ALL enjoy! Of course, John has continued with soccer ~ I love watching his practices and games! He also began guitar lessons. What fun!

     Our family was blessed with trips to Madeira Beach, Florida; Columbia, Tennessee; Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts; Charleston, SC; and a field trip to the Carolina coast! All of us really love the beaches (and visiting with family), and cherished every moment at them.

    We also enjoyed friends... new ones here (the Moss family has become dear to our hearts!), treasured calls from some in New York, and even got to see our buddies in Massachusetts (it had been about 10 years!)  How lucky!
                                                                                ~ Jenny ~



Heading North...

Yikes!!! It's been awhile! We'll see if I do better at keeping this up.... It would be really difficult to catch up what's been going on, so we'll start from today.

My Little Men and I (not so little anymore) left today to drive back to NY. We're looking forward of a week of camping, friends, and family. Oh, and let's not forget ~ No Poisonous Spiders!!!! (Sensing we have spiders in NC? You're right! :)

At this point I tried to upload some pics to my blog, but received an error!  BUMMER!!!

The trip through NC and a good part of VA was made off the interstate ~ how pleasant! Except, I did pick up a hitchhiker and killed it. Not good. You'd be less horrified to learn it was a humongous killer bee ~ at least 1 1/2 feet. Okay, so it was only 1 1/2 inches and probably not a KILLER bee. Still it occupied me while my copilot, Jordan, slept. Joseph was also asleep in the waaaaayyyy back. John, in the middle, might as well have been sleeping as he was so involved in his book he didn't notice when we (I) committed murder. Poor bee. At least we survived.

The boys were thrilled in VA to find a Sonic for dinner. I was thrilled with my special drink for those of us who can't eat real food. ;p Yeah, travelling with tooth woes. I'm on the mend, but to make a long story short, I broke a tooth down into my gum, had it extracted and an implant (isn't that a nice word for a screw???) put in. Yep. I'm a cyborg. My boys are proud to be my sons now, lol!

Well, this really isn't the same without pics. I'll post those on facebook. Maybe I can figure how to get past this error I'm getting. Anyways, we made it to our favorite stop in Maryland - the Country Inn and Suites next to Chucky Cheese. There is also a Popeye's here - the very one that my friend, Valerie, had her very first chicken from (and to my knowledge has not had their chicken since.) Of course, not because of Popeye's - they have great chicken! But because there aren't any in the North Country.

On that note, I'm going to upload pics to fb (if I can), take a pain med, and go to sleep.

Good night, all
                                                               ~ Jenny ~
                                                                      ♥

Cookie Day!!!

Tonight was cookie night. After lunch at Greek Fiesta, we stopped by Lowes Foods to pick up meat for burgers for dinner. Walking by the pastry section, the Kentucky and UNC cupcakes caught my attention. They looked good! But they weren’t our teams. I thought I could go home and make FSU cupcakes.

Once home, I napped and then woke thinking, ‘cookies!’  I made what Jordan named the ‘Brownie Cookie.’ I had played around a bit and wasn’t sure what was going to happen. The Brownie Cookie was a hit with all my tasters!

Once those were baked, I pulled out of the fridge peanut butter dough I had chilling. It’s a good recipe from Mom. They were my favorites as a child (and my Little Men love them as well.) My tasters were happy they were getting two types of cookie  and wondered what kind I was making next. Ha!

See the large canister on the left? One would think it held flour, but not this one! When I was growing up, my Granny lived across the street. I spent many a days there. Inside this canister there would sometimes be cookies! These cookies are for ya, Granny! ♥

After a delicious dinner of burgers, salad, and fruit we played a family game of Skip-Bo. Jordan had the great idea of playing for…. Money? Nope. Cookies!!! Lol! Of course, who won the first hand? Jordan! No wonder he suggested it!


                                                 ~Jenny~

Birthdays

I'm back on! The goal is to stay up to date and give y'all some flashbacks of what's happened. We did have some Birthdays... my Little Men have all decided to age another year! Jordan is now 10. John and Joseph love to tell me they're now half of 24! Ouch! They are growing way toooooooo fast!

December... Jordan was so excited for his first birthday in North Carolina. His menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm so glad he loves Brie! Granny shared the same Birthday as Jordan. She would call him her 'Birthday Boy.' Jordan insisted Granny was on the cake with him. *love* This year Jordan's request was a 'Bakugan volcano'. Happy Birthday, Jordan!

January...
I ended up having a Bday, too. It was nice to have my parents up and spend the day with my guys. My age? Well, I'm half of.... or twice as much as.... would sound better. :)

February... John and Joseph started out with hearty eggs sandwiches. Yum! Granny used to make house cakes for Chris and I as kids. John and Joe come up with different themes each year. (I'm glad they agree on what they want!) This year was the first the boys helped. All three of my Little Men took part in creating the 'train' theme.

~Jenny~