*****NEWS FLASH*******

WE INTERRUPT OUR ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED POST - CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' FINALE - TO BRING YOU THIS MOST RECENT BLOG REPORT......




"Singing in the rain", and the car, the house, the tub, EVERYWHERE! Peyton is a singing fool these days! At school, they have been preparing for the year-end program (last night and soooooooooo cute; more to follow soon) with lots of singing. Here's the problem (and as a mother I feel TERRIBLE saying this out loud - okay, I'm writing it but still...), Peyton cannot sing! Oh, it's awful, people, really. Sometimes I just have to laugh out loud because she uses a deep husky voice and stretches all the words out. Other times I just want to scream 'Stop, please, make it stop' because it reminds me of nails on a chalk-board! Am I horrible? Most of the time I do laugh, but I do have to ask her politely to stop sometimes. You KNOW it's bad when the dog's ears go back and Willow looks at me as though saying, "Mom, please, make it stop."

But then, looking at this face, how can one get irritated, right? It sure doesn't last long...





Maybe I can sneek a video of her singing and get it on here sometime! Now, back to our originally scheduled post 'California Dreamin' Part III'.......coming SOON!

Happy One Year!

Well, now it's been more than a year, but we 'celebrated' our One Year Anniversary in our new house on March 23, 2009! Wow, where does the time go? It's been a very long, emotional, exciting, nerve-racking, and busy year. The day we closed on our house in Charlotte (Feb. 25th, I believe), we drove out of town headed to the mid-west for good. Peyton and I went back and forth between her grandparents in Battle Creek, MI and Robert's hotel in Chicago for about 5 weeks (a very LONG 5 weeks), before settling in our new home on March 23, 2008.

Our house in Charlotte before moving (guess the snow was preparing me for Chicago!)-


Stopping half-way to spend the night en route to the Mid-west (snow and all!):



We closed on the new house March 20th, movers came on March 21st, then we jetted, yet again, to MI for the Easter weekend with Robert's parents in tow. That Sunday evening we came 'home' and spent our 1st night as a family in our new house here in IL.

What a whirlwind! Some pictures of the new house and settling in-



Peyton checking out gift from realtor on closing day-







We have a basement!!! Last year we biked, scooted, and even roller skated down there to get exercise and stay warm! One year, we'll finish it, but I'm not in any hurry...


Peyton (and Mommy) loves her new big island!


The Hines Family - 1st official picture with new house - March 20, 2008


Wow, writing about this, I was fine but when I went to look for pictures, I got all emotional all over again. Charlotte and the Carolinas are very near and dear to our hearts. Many fond memories were made there, as well as great friendships, our extended family. Robert and I were engaged on the beach in Hilton Head, SC, Robert's first GM position was in Charlotte, we bought our very first house there, our 1st (and only) child was born in Pineville (CLT), over the years (living in Atlanta prior to CLT), we vacationed in Myrtle Beach and HHI, SC with many different friends....just a very special place for us. Not a day goes by that I don't think of someone or something in the Carolinas. We look forward to our next visit!