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 ~
                                                                      ♥