Random Recap

I titled this random recap because it is something I wanted to make sure I captured but really it is just one thing that has been going on since my last post.  There will be a few of these coming up but I thought this was a good starting point.

Since my last post we found a house in NJ.  We also found a school for Arden, which was a huge weight off of my shoulders.  We left feeling productive and with a good feeling about making a transition to a new place.  We went home to our last normal week in NWA, as much of a normal week that we could have.  Throughout that week I gathered things around the house that were not going to be moved so we could sell them in our garage sale.  Really, they could be classified as things that we shouldn't have even owned but they were the things that SOLD.  It was a very successful garage sale - we closed the door two hours after opening!  Doug and MB contributed some stuff to sell so we had lots to choose from!  We think we had a hoarder come and shop, in fact she was the best customer of the day, so that was entertaining :).  Once that was wrapped up we went to dinner with the gang to start our week long celebration of life in NWA.  Sunday was small group as usual but it was different because it was our last one with the group we have grown so close to and so comfortable with.  The group is one of a kind and as I said at our last dinner together, they are an amazing group that we could not be more thankful for!  On Tuesday the movers came and from there on it is a blur but slowly but surely we watched our furniture, clothes, toys and "stuff" be packed into boxes and loaded on the 18-wheeler that is taking it to our new house.  We lived in and around boxes until we couldn't take it anymore and at that point moved into my brother's (shout out to Doug for letting us take over his house).  More on the packing of the house later!

As I mentioned earlier we had a week long celebration of life in NWA.  We are so blessed and thankful for all of our friends and as my Facebook post says, each and every one of you have become family.  Tuesday night we went to dinner at Primo's.  I know I have mentioned it before but our group has grown so much with all of the kiddos we have now!  It is so much fun!  Arden L.O.V.E.S. her friends (she wishes they were all mobile like her!)...

{Such a happy girl that her friends were with us!}

{Alicia and I with our girls}

{Arden has a major crush on Asher...here she is trying to get his attention, typical boy was playing hard to get :)!}

{Look Mom, he sees me!}

{Arden: Hey Ellison!  We have LOTS to talk about!  Ellison: Why have you been trying to hug my head?!}

{These two are my favs as they really captured the end of the night and Arden's love for her girls.  Carter put Ellison in her car seat while Arden was watching his every move and as soon as he picked up the car seat she wrapped her little arm around the handle and walked with him the entire way to their truck.  She would have gotten in with them if we would have let her!  It was SUPER cute and she was so proud of herself...she is going to be a great friend!!}

It was a great, relaxing night (although Arden was VERY busy at the restaurant) that reminded me of what we would miss most about Fayetteville...our friends...our family.  I love those spur of the moment group dinners and the nights we all have babysitters and can go have adult nights :).  Alicia did try and make me feel better though by saying they wouldn't be doing that while we were gone...at least not for six months ;).  I appreciate the thought but enjoy each other for us just save a place for us because we will be back!

Hugs,

Kevin, Hillary and Arden

Wow, where has February gone?

I know February is a short month but really, where did it go?!  We started the month with our usual conversation, H: "Do you think the company is going to make us move soon?", K: "I don't know, I am not going to say anything until they do!", H: "Ok, good with me, I like that plan!".  Since May of 2010 that has been our almost weekly conversation.  Our questions were answered in mid-February.  We talked to the company and the company said, "come on up!" so we managed to get an offer on our house (we had to price aggressively, sorry neighbors, the comps are now WAY down) and with some negotiation we accepted and here we are in NJ looking for a new house.  Notice I say house and not a home.  Kevin uses the term "home" to talk about a house.  Most of you know what I mean.  To me, a house is a structure - it is all about the brick and mortar and the cosmetics and appearance.  A home, is "where the heart is," where your family is (cheesy but something we have learned on this journey).  And even tough we are leaving our family to survive on their own in Arkansas (I think they will do just fine for themselves!) we are picking up and moving our family of three to a new "house."  A house in the Northeast part of the country, a place we know very little about (this is my second time here) but a place we are very excited about.  Just a train ride from NYC, we have big plans to visit there often and give Arden experiences a lot of people only wish they had.  Our family of three is going to make a new "home," and we couldn't be more excited (and scared) of the new life we are going to experience together.  Lots of quality time will be had by the three of us and for Kevin and I we couldn't think of anything better.  I will keep you updated on our house hunting, day one helped us get down to a short list but tomorrow will be the big decision day after seeing a few more properties.  Wish us luck!

In current news around the Shipp "house," Arden got a hair cut!  Wow.  I drug my heels on this one.  I WAS. NOT. going to get her hair cut at this young of an age but when push came to shove it had to be done.  After Doug and Mary Beth got engaged I said I would get her hair cut "before the wedding," but the more I thought about it a little trim now and maybe one more before the wedding wasn't a bad idea.  I know a lot of moms would be excited for their daughters to have enough hair to cut at 16.5 months but it just broke my heart.  I didn't cry though!  I really prepared myself with the idea and called Aunt Mary Beth to ask her if she could do it before I could back out.  It wasn't an overall cut just a little cleaning up on the back of her neck.  But when I called Mary Beth to ask her sweet Mary Beth said "Are you sure?  Have you really been thinking about this?" - I love some MB!  It needed to be done, the mullet stage was pretty much gone but the out-of-control stage was becoming an everyday thing and even wetting it and combing it was almost a lost cause.  So MB made a house call and was awesome with Arden who overall wasn't interested in what was happening with her hair but was not wanting to be bothered while watching Backyardigans (yes, she was watching Backyardigans AGAIN... Nickelodeon, please call me if you need a spokesperson, Arden is IN!).  I don't have a really good before picture but this is the after picture...who would not LOVE this bob with side bangs and natural flip in the back ;)?!

{arden gave a profile view so you could check out her curl!  really she was just watching Backyardigans and was not interested in the camera!  but really, how cute is the haircut?!}

{arden and mb after the major bonding moment of the haircut!  arden doesn't know how lucky she is to have her mb!}

{post-haircut arden was very chill...i mean it is such a hard life to have your stylist come to your house and update your 'do while you watch your favorite show and eat snacks!}

Other than that we spent February trying to survive the snow (I have to throw out there that here in NJ I have only seen a few piles of snow which gives me hope that it doesn't last forever here, although I am fully aware there will probably be one more snow before spring is really here!).  

My little brother (I should say younger since I am shorter than he is!) got engaged on Valentine's Day!  He didn't want to be the cliche couple that got engaged on Valentine's Day but after a little trouble finding the ring in the mail he decided it was time!  I am so proud of him and CAN'T. WAIT. until the big day (August 13th!).  He and MB are so lucky to have each other and she has been part of the family for a long time but now it is going to be official ;).  They are both so lucky to have each other and we know they will have many, many years of happiness together.

A few random pics we have:

{not sure why we took this pic but i have a feeling i was trying to entertain arden and she LOVES seeing her face on the iphone so we snapped a quick pic!}

{when arden was younger and she saw the phone in her face she would smile as if she knew she was a model on a photoshoot....well, she is still the model but the photoshoot has come down to us begging for a smile and for her to look at the camera.  i guess this is a candid pic of her dressed before church in this precious purple dress while watching, you guessed it backyardigans!}

Hugs,

Kevin, Hillary and Arden