Unpacking

I have been so busy unpacking that I literally have NO time to write. I have been drowning in boxes and am ready to just donate the unopened ones to Goodwill.
Life is good.It is weird living close to neighbors again. Our house sits on .25 acre and it feels weird to see other peoples houses out my back windows. I miss the mountain views and the Great Salt Lake with the sun setting over it. But, the Texas sunsets are HUGE with no mountains blocking any of it. I love being very close to the grocery store and I LOVE not having to drive up and down a steep hill every time I leave the house.......sure saves on gasoline and brakes. The kids are doing a little better in school.......but the hours are horrible. If Kathryn rides the bus to and from school she is gone from 6:50 am until 4:50 pm. I literally started crying on the phone when the lady told me how long my kids would be away from home everyday. She thought I was worried if the bus driver was nice and offered for me to come down and meet "Miss Peggy". Alex leaves for Seminary with Chris at 5:45am and would come home on the 4:50 bus with Kathryn. Crazy long days!!! I really do feel sad being away from the kids this long. I try to pick them up as often as possible to avoid the extra 80 min. on the bus after school. It is nutty that they drop off every kid on the bus at their front door. They literally pull up in front of our door for the kids. Funny. Kathryn thinks it is great in the morning because in Utah they had to walk uphill (steep) to the bus stop. Now she can just wait, warm in the house until she hears Miss Peggy pull up. So for example she went to bed late tonight, but I will let her sleep in another hour and drive her to school in the AM. BUT, if she causes me to be late because she is being slow and lazy than it is bus riding time for her the next day! I love that Steven and Ryan walk to school. I love hearing their recess bell ring and I can hear the morning announcements if I am outside. I feel a lot closer to them being nearby.
Today we decorated the Christmas tree and then made some more shrinky dink ornaments to remember events of this year. Some of them were : Aspen Grove Family Camp with Chris' parents, my mom, the Lyon Family and their grandparents.Chris and I's 15th anniversary,Alex starting seminary,a Texas flag (by Chris), Twilight books and movie, Indiana Jones,Thanksgiving in Arkansas,Star Wars Lego game,The Flying Fish and the Billy Bass Adoption Center, and last but not least.....our favorite sign we have ever seen....White Trash and Pink Lemonade! It curled up and died, literally.....it never would flatten back out after shrinking. I can't recall right now all of the others we made. Oh yeah, and we made one with a list of things we will miss about Pleasant View.....to include Johnny's Dairy,Acres, North Pointe Theatre, Champi's Grill, Lomond View, Orion Jr High, and the Fought's pool. ):
Sleep is calling.Goodnight.