Wednesday, June 26, 2013

moving

This move from the Washington DC area to Northern Florida has been a very emotional one.  It was filled with so many goodbyes to people that I had grown to care deeply for.  The last few days in our home were both tearful and sad.  It also didn't help that the packers finished on Tuesday of last week but the movers were unable to come until Saturday to load up the truck.  So there was delay after delay after delay.  This will most likely be the most scattered blog post written to date, but I wanted to share a bit about our journey.  These photos are raw, unedited (except the instagram ones), and most definitely not showcase worthy, but they are our journey <3

My last morning in our house I woke up before everyone else and had a cup of coffee in my favorite place --> out on the deck... overlooking the trees and the Potomac River.

Instagram
© Corrie M Avila

Later that day, the packers started to box up our stuff.  It was rainy and dreary and seemed to fit the mood.

© Corrie M Avila

After the packers left, we checked into the hotel locally that would be our intermediate home for the next few days.  We had to wait for the moving truck as well as finish up the painting and other minor house repairs getting it ready to rent.  Thankfully my father in law had come the previous week and helped us get the majority of the painting and house repairs done.

G and his Doggy sacked out
© Corrie M Avila

On our way out of the state, I stopped by the house for a final farewell.  The boys ran around the yard one last time while I took some last minute photos.  (Those will be another blog post once my computer is up and running).  G also wanted to take some photos of his favorite things <3

Instagram
© Corrie M Avila


Traffic leaving Virginia was AWFUL... the worst I have been in the entire time we've lived here.  I'm just thankful I had my mother in law with us to help with the boys (and my sanity!!).  After enduring an additional 2+ hours of TRAFFIC alone, we were happy to have made it to North Carolina!

© Corrie M Avila

We finally made it to Florida on Saturday, but the moving truck did not arrive until today.  In the meantime, we went and visited the beach and played a round of mini golf.

Instagram
© Corrie M Avila

Instagram
© Corrie M Avila

G rocking his Golf Pose
© Corrie M Avila

Do I really need to add a caption here?!?
© Corrie M Avila

The moving truck FINALLY arrived and we had to give it the grand escort... We heard several different stories... some involved chicken sandwiches and the others involved a trip to the ER.  We never got the full story on the trip our furniture took... however we did decide our next move, we are hiding a GPS with our stuff.  We have a feeling our boxes had a bit more excitement on the drive down than we did.

This one is hard to see... but our moving truck is out there driving behind us.
© Corrie M Avila

finally
© Corrie M Avila

Now the fun begins with the unpacking.  Moving to a new home is like trying to fit a square shaped block into a round hole.  Your furniture never fits quite the same and it takes some adjusting to make it all work.  Here is a photo of the boys' room.  Since we are down a room from our old house and this room is on the large size, they will be sharing.

I've still got some work to do here :)
© Corrie M Avila

Somehow I got the job of checking in all the boxes (trust me, I didn't volunteer for that one).  But I'm looking at the paper and what the heck does all this mean?? I mean really.... Is it really necessary to mark every possible number and letter combination on here.  If something were damaged, I'd never be able to prove it.... and that must be the point.

© Corrie M Avila

My emotions are still too raw to talk about my friends back home...  The hugs, thoughts, time, gifts, sentiments, cups of tea and coffee are all stored deeply in my heart...

© Corrie M Avila

And one final photo I took this evening.

Instagram
© Corrie M Avila

Capturing the Moment,

Corrie <3

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Ten Reasons why Moving is like Being Pregnant

  1. you experience a mix of emotions ranging from excitement to fear
  2. there is so much preparation; however much of the prep work is the idea of the future and not anything specific
  3. there is most definitely a "nesting" phase
  4. the uncertainty of the future
  5. awkwardness from friends who don't know how to react with the news
  6. needing new clothes (change of seasons/climate)
  7. hormonal emotions
  8. after you move, everyone wants to come visit to see the new "house"
  9. there is a time period before, during, and after ~> where you just don't sleep
  10. the feeling towards the end can be likened to being 9 months pregnant... even if you know how bad it's going to hurt when that baby comes out, you just want it done and over with
Pregnant with Hope of the Future
ISO 100 ~ 60mm ~ f/5.6 ~1/50 sec
© Corrie M Avila

but in the end, you always adjust to the new normal ~ 
it just takes a bit of time...

Capturing the Moment,

Corrie <3

Monday, June 10, 2013

Busy as a Bee

I knew things would start getting crazy with our upcoming move, but as we enter our last full week here ~ I am running nonstop.  I went to "G's" kindergarten picnic this afternoon (which was moved indoors because of all the rain).  When "M" and I got home, I spent a few minutes gardening trying to get rid of some weeds and roughage.  As I was pruning one of my plants, I started watching this bee busy with his work.  He really didn't care that I was there as long as I didn't get in his way.  Being busy is sometimes inevitable, however we should always take time to stop and smell the roses... or in this case the lavender :)

Busy as a Bee
ISO 200 ~ 60mm ~ f/4.5 ~ 1/400 sec
© Corrie M Avila

Now "M" and I are off for a much needed afternoon nap.  It is thundering outside and warm and cozy in our humble abode.  Everything else can wait until later <3

Capturing the Moment,

Corrie <3

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Waiting...

The countdown is on for our move.  While there is so much we "have" to do, I am spending a lot of time hyper focusing on the moment.  Perhaps this is just a reflection of my coping mechanism (which is the ostrich mentality)... but I'd like to think that I am relishing in our last days here in Northern Virginia.  One of the things Micah (my youngest son) loves to do is watch for Gabriel's bus.  Most of the time he comes with me to the bus stop, but when he doesn't, he watches faithfully from the window.

So Serious...
ISO 400 ~ 60mm ~ f/3.5 ~ 1/125 sec
© Corrie M Avila

As our house begins to echo, and the pictures start to come down off the wall... I am choosing to focus on my two loves and the things that make them who they are.  If I focus instead on the move and the fact that I will be leaving some pretty fantastic people behind, well... I'll just fall apart.  

Micah with the Window Reflection in his Eyes
ISO 400 ~ 60mm ~ f/3.5 ~ 1/80 sec
© Corrie M Avila


Capturing the Moment,

Corrie <3

Monday, June 3, 2013

Simply Stated {CICADAS}

I didn't mind these guys when they first started to play their love song in my backyard.  I actually thought it was kind of cute the way they were calling to one another.  I laughed at the people who put netting over their trees... thinking to myself "silly people, what are a few bugs going to do to your tree?" HA!! Was I wrong!!  These things are NUTS!  They are EVERYWHERE.  They are huge, the size of a florida palmetto bug AND THEY FLY!!  So take cover if you see one coming, because it will land on whatever body part is in it's path (yes, even your FACE!!).

Cicada
ISO 400 ~ 60mm ~ f/3.5 ~ 1/400 sec
© Corrie M Avila

I was having a discussion with my husband while we were driving and watching a cicada hang on for dear life on the windshield wiper.  He was asking if they do any damage... I'm like, "hmmm, I don't know ~ let me google it."  So I find out that yes, indeed they do cause damage, to trees to be exact.  (Notice I am no longer laughing at the people who put netting over their trees).  Apparently, after the cicadas mate, the female drills a hole into the tip of the branch and inserts her eggs (400 of them!!).  Several months later, the nymphs crawl down the tree and burrow into the ground to then hang out until the next cicada takeover seventeen years from now.

Supposedly, older trees can handle this and they bounce back... but I gotta tell you, my tree is looking pretty sad.  The leaves on the branch tips are all changing color and starting to die.  The branches are sagging and looking like they've been, well, infested by locusts (which is not far from the truth).

Tree Branch after Cicadas
ISO 400 ~ 300mm ~ f/5.6 ~ 1/640 sec
© Corrie M Avila

I saw this video on the life of a cicada... and I kind of feel bad for them.  They wait underground for seventeen years to live for about six weeks and then die.  It is kind of melodramatic don't you think?

I held off on photographing these guys because they are just plain creepy.  They have eyes like tomatoes (my son's opinion), bodies bigger than palmetto bugs, they fly in a kamikaze fashion, and they are EVERYWHERE.  But today, I decided that I wanted to document a bit of history.  I mean, these guys are only around every seventeen years and all.

Cicada
ISO 400 ~ 60mm ~ f/3.5 ~ 1/250 sec
© Corrie M Avila

After getting bomb rushed by a cicada, and having one on our windshield wiper, and having one fly into the car (that was a fun one)... we started hearing the word cicada in our conversations.  It went something like this.... Hey honey, did you pick up the cicada? (while I really said "cheese").  Or, "Can you cicada?" (while he really said "catch up").  I'm not kidding, these cicadas have TAKEN OVER in more ways than one.  I'm hoping that we are at the tale end of their six week lifespan.  While I never want to wish for one's demise, this is a little more than I can handle.

Capturing the Moment (literally)

Corrie <3