The Catterfeld Family Blog

Usually we have the Christmas tree up and going by this time, but we're a little slow on the uptake these days. Anyway, the guy who sold us our tree brought them in from the mountains of NC, which we thought is ironic, or from Oregon. Because we've always had a NC Christmas tree- a Frasier Fir, we decided to try out the Oregon Christmas tree- a Noble Fir. They have that amazing blue-green color that, from my memory, defines Oregon. It's a beautiful tree.

This year it was Wesley's turn to put up the star. You can see from the pictures that he had no hesitation about being so high. And to make it even more fun, I happened upon a string of chili pepper lights from a party I'd hosted several years ago, so those definitely went on our first Texas tree. It's official: Christmas in Texas.

Well, it's done. The packing, the sweat, and most of the tears: we have moved to Austin. I have no idea how to even begin describing what it's like to move across the country, let alone doing it with 3 kids and 4 cats on a holiday. But I took a few pictures along the way that I can share.

Ethan and Logan both had "Texas Parties" for their respective classes. As part of that, each chose what kind of treat to bring in for their friends. Logan wanted cake pops with sprinkles and chocolate milk, so that's what I made for the class to eat. Here's what I can tell you about that experience, making the cake pops aside: 12 three years olds and cake pops have a high likelihood of not mixing well. Those poor kids were trying to lick them like suckers, which meant that the pops rolled off the stick and onto the floor. (On Top of Old Smokey, anyone?!?!) But Logan loved them and ate his fair share, and that's what it was all about.











Ethan decided that he wanted cowboy cupcakes. Thank goodness one of my best friends gave me a really cool cupcake book so I had something to work from. I'm going to let you figure out how long it took to put those suckers together, but they looked spectacular. Ethan's teacher and class loved them, and most importantly Ethan loved them.











As for the rest of it, here's how it all went down- Sunday before Thanksgiving, Uncle Joey arrived, and we put him to work. Monday, the movers arrived...and got stuck in the sand trying to back their big rig up the driveway. They were eventually successful, and it literally took them all day to pack our house. Tuesday was spent wrapping up last minute packing in the garage and house for us to load onto our own trailer. And finally, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we headed out.












Uncle Joey manned the 'cat car,' and Derek and I loaded 3 kids into the truck, pulling the trailer. Our goal was to make it to Baton Rouge that day. It was a long, long day and may I say this: as we drove farther west, the roads went downhill. By Louisiana, I was desperately trying to keep the kids' heads from bouncing off the car seats and waking them up...that's how bad the roads were. We made it Baton Rouge, thank the good Lord and crashed for the night.











Thanksgiving morning we all got up with the kids, ate an awesome breakfast at our hotel and headed out for the final stretch. We definitely weren't in FL anymore; the landscape was so different. Swampy and lots of refineries. Of course, we had to stop at the Texas border to do a little happy dance and stretch our legs. Only 5 more hours to go!

























We finally, finally arrived about 5 pm Thanksgiving night. After putting the kids to bed, Derek, Uncle Joey and I sat in our lawn chairs in the new place and had a drink. We made it. But the story doesn't end there. Friday was uneventful, spent cleaning the house top to bottom. Saturday was when the fun began. Texas has been in a severe drought the last 12 months, but it rained buckets Friday night and Saturday- which meant wet, slick roads. Top that off with the fact that we live on top of a mountain/hill, and what do you get? One stuck truck, round two! The rig just couldn't make it up our hill and literally slid off the road. They called Derek and he helped tow them out with his diesel truck. The movers eventually made it to our house and unloaded in record time.

So now we're just unpacking and adjusting to our new normal in Austin. Ethan started school this past Monday, Uncle Joey flew home, and Derek started work. As for Thanksgiving....well it just didn't really happen. I guess we'll have it with Christmas.

Yep, so that's the big news. In the spring of this year, we knew the time had come for us to say goodbye to FL and open our hearts to the possibility of living somewhere else. Since the beginning of the summer, we've been totally swamped with researching jobs, trying out different cities, looking at schools- all things associated with making a locational change. Oh, man- and let me tell you that it wasn't easy. We prayed about it a lot and really tried to listen to where God wants us to be. And do you know what? Derek and I were directed over and over to Austin and the opportunity that had presented itself there. So we said a prayer and jumped head first into making this cross country move happen.

So where are we now in the plans? Well, we'll be moving to Austin in about 2 weeks. Our goal is to have the kids settled before Christmas and the second half of the school year. Derek will be taking a senior engineer position at a really awesome company, COBB Tuning. Fortunately, we've already secured a house, which we fondly refer to as "Green Door House" (yep, you'll see why below...I kinda dig the crazy color. ), and it's in the best school district the area has to offer. All in all, we're still very excited about what this move means and the prospect for the future of our family.

Our Wessie-Bear turns 2 years old today! Can't believe how fast time flies. Wesley goes and goes and goes, keeping up with his brothers. He loves to learn and try saying new words. He's a little snuggler though and still likes to sit with Derek and me for a book. He makes us laugh at his antics and gasp at his daring. Wesley is our unique, special, little boy, and we're so glad God blessed our family with him.








And here are just a few silly pics of Wesley being Wesley....












(I know we haven't been posting as much these last few months, but there's a reason why....BIG news coming later this week!)

Just for fun, I picked up some Halloween socks for the boys, who are enjoying all things Halloween right now. What I didn't realize is that the socks are really tall and come up to their knees! It didn't really matter to the boys anyway; they just skated around the house and had a 'sock party'. I even got in on the fun and pulled out a silly pair of socks to wear while I made supper. Nothing like a little silly entertainment at the 5 o'clock crazy hour.

As I mentioned before, Logan's first day was after Labor Day weekend. Each time Ethan left for school in the morning, Logan would anxiously ask when it was his turn to go too. On his first day (and like most mornings), we ran around like chickens trying to get everything done and everyone out the door in time. But Logan was ready to rock n' roll at a moment's notice. I think he was also super excited about trying out the new backpack too.













Logan's new teacher emailed me a few pictures she snapped of him throughout his first day. Just as he reported to me, it looks like he had a wonderful time.













With Logan and Ethan at school, you might wonder what Wesley did all by his lonesome? Never fear- he pulled out all their fun toys and played all morning long!

Every 2 years, my besties from college- Heather, Shannon, and Frankie- meet me somewhere fun for a weekend away from kids and husbands. We've gone to Savannah and Charleston.....and this year, it was time to beach it. We found a killer deal on a beach house in Oak Island, NC, made plans, and ran away to paradise. What can I say? It was the perfect end to summer: beautiful weather, swim suits on the beach, and lots and lots of adult beverages.













We did make it out to Southport, a small town nearby, for supper and fun. We dined by the water, followed by drinks and live music. And I'm not too vain to show you the before and after pictures of the second half of the evening. (ha!!)










But here's the thing- I ♥ these gals. We've been best friends for near 15 years. All of us email each other daily, sharing the good, bad, and the ugly....and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's through my friendship with them that I can be myself....pretenses not allowed. We accept each other for who we are, but still aren't afraid to share disagreeing thoughts. And those are the bestest kinds of friends to have, aren't they?

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday marked Ethan's first day of 1st grade. I wish I could say that we'd prepared some elaborate breakfast or morning routine, but we seemed to just pick up where we left off last year- up about 7, rushing about to eat breakfast, make lunches, brush teeth, find shoes that match.....and head out the door. There was just enough time for a quick picture, but dagnabit- 3 sets of batteries failed me in the camera! Derek snapped this picture with his phone, and they were gone. Another year begins.







As for my other silly boys, Logan won't start school until after Labor Day. He is so anxious to get going. For now though, we have some relaxed, quiet(ish) time during the day to be silly, read, or play outside. Preschool can wait a little longer....

We were fortunate enough to be able to head down to Islamorada for a week of vacation time. It was a much needed mental check out from the day-to-dayness of life and spend family time together. All of us enjoyed swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and soakin' up the rays. Paradise, thy name is Islamorada!

We headed out Saturday morning, packed to the gills. Seriously. No room at the inn. Anyway, the drive down was about 6ish hours or so from our house. We had enough time to unpack, grocery shop, whip together some food for supper, and put the kids to bed. Derek poured me some Chianti, handed me the camera, and sent me down to the dock for the sunset shots. Beeea-utiful! (and yes, I saw the green flash!)



Headin' out.












Welcome center in Key Largo, checkin' out the new digs, and the sunset.












The first day, we used the time to get our bearings and pick up some snorkel gear. Then it was lunch, naps, and swimming! We changed and headed out to eat at Wahoo Restaurant at the Whale Harbor Marina. Perfect ending to the day.













The next 3 days, we rented a boat from Robbie's Marina. It certainly wasn't the fastest boat we've ever been on, but it was perfect for 3 wild boys. We took our time exploring the different snorkel spots, attempting to navigate the many shallows, feeding the fish, and learning the boat. The snorkeling was so-so, in part because there were many jellyfish in the water. So Derek and I tried to pick some places the boys would be able to swim in, including the sandbar off Whale Harbor- a hugely popular spot- where we saw (ironically) a shark! We had so much fun.


























































After 4 days in the sun and turning in the boat, it was time to road trip it to Key West. Knowing that it was a 2ish hour drive, we had limited expectations about what we'd be able to do. At the top of the list was the Mel Fisher Museum, a museum of the treasures and artifacts that Mel Fisher has collected in his marine savaging and recovery of various historical ships. Very, very cool place. We also walked through a few of the shops and wandered to the marina. Once at the marina though....oh, man. The kids were pooped, we were pooped....it was humid from a midday thunderstorm, and the car seemed like it was miles and miles away. In the nick of time, Derek spots Joe's Tap Room, the small bar section of Sloppy Joes. We hauled the kids' tushes up on some bar stools, ordered them some food, and we indulged in some on-tap craft beer. The bartender there, Lou, was friendly and funny, sharing stories and jokes with the kids, and they loved him. Talk about the perfect solution all the way around!!!













We also snapped a picture of the original railroad built by Flagler. A great deal of it's still in use supporting US 1 or as pedestrian bridges, but this section is where they literally built the road double-decker on top. Clearly, this is no longer safe!










Almost every night, Derek took Ethan and Logan fishing off the dock. There were some pretty spectacular fish out there too. All were tossed back, but the boys had fun. And on this night, I sent Derek to the dock, beer and camera in hand, for another amazing sunset.













It rained the better part of the last day in Islamorada before we had to drive home. Not deterred, we still swam....in the rain. It was fun and silly, and perfect for what we needed. This time we just stayed close to the vacation home and used their beach by the dock. Then it was lunch and naps.













We're home today, coming down off our vacation high. I'm not going to lie; it's been rough adjusting to the daily demands of jobs, house, pets, and school (which starts tomorrow!!). We all had such a good time. When can we go back?!?!

I love summertime fun; you just never know what the boys are going to come up with to entertain themselves. On this particular day, it was a lights out dance party. Yeah, baby.

It's been 9 years since I married my bestest friend in the whole wide world. Yep, that's right....almost an entire decade!! And do you know what? It doesn't feel like it's been anywhere near that long. I imagine that's a good thing and certainly a testament to our love, loyalty and appreciation for each other. Although our anniversary was August 3, it wasn't until last night that Derek and I were able to escape for a quiet date night to a nearby Tuscan restaurant. Pasta, wine, dimmed lights...it was lovely.






On the actual date of our anniversary, we received a special delivery from Yaya and Papa: an Edible Arrangement! It was perfectly perfect. Derek and I got to have first taste, and then everyone else dug in. You can see for yourself that it was a hit! Check out the before and after. YUM!

Wait, what? Yes, that's me! Uh-huh, it is- I, er, promise! Ok, alright....what gave it away? Was it the background that is clearly SW United States, a place in which I've never run? Or maybe the fact that I'd never, ever wear a pink running skirt with a green sports bra? Oh, wait. Maybe it was my ginormous head. Ok....I give. It's not really me. You know what it is though? It's a calendar I keep on my fridge my sister gave me that features runners in all these cool places. I love the calendar, but I decided that I don't really care about these random runners. So I turned them into me! Well, that...and it makes me giggle every time I walk by it.

I feel like we went to bed Sunday with a sweet, cute Wessy-bear and woke up Monday morning with a full fledged 2 year old. He's clearly not 2 yet, but Lordamercy, that child is wearing on my last nerve today. If it's not uncapping 'washable' markers and drawing everywhere, it's taking fistfuls of cat food out of their food container and filling up the cats' food bowls, leaving a large, messy path of dropped cat chow....not once, not twice, but three times. I'm not even going to talk about Wesley's snagging the kitchen chairs and raiding the counter top for assorted paraphernalia discreetly placed out of his reach (ha!) or his new found love of throwing large, heavy things at people. Nope. We're not gonna talk about that. Because if we did, I'd have to admit that we're all on that crazy train, next stop: terrible twos.

Friday morning marked the very last shuttle launch for NASA's Space Program. We're fortunate in that we live close enough to Cape Canaveral to be able to see the launch from our front yard. But for such a momentous occasion, Derek did one better: he took the day off of work, and he, Ethan and Logan went to Mosquito Lagoon for some up close shuttle action. I'll admit- the shots aren't in focus, but that thing can haul when it gets going. And now Logan and Ethan have the real life memories of having been there.













Friday's newspaper also had a special section about the shuttle too. In it, there were directions and a picture to make a paper airplane space shuttle. Of course, everyone had to have one....and Wesley just wanted his picture taken.












And lastly, we 'officially' added on another member of the family this weekend. Three and a half years ago, Fluffy came bounding out of the bushes, meowing at me. Ever since then, Fluffy adopted us as our outdoor cat, playing with the boys and enjoying lovin' from Derek and me. You may have even seen Fluffy in some of our outdoor pictures. Well, Derek and I decided that it was time to introduce Fluffy into the house. After taking Fluffy to the vet, we learned that Fluffy is actually a Fluffinator, in all his neutered glory. (We couldn't tell. This cat is seriously fluffy!) Anyway, the transition has been wonderful, and honestly, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. He is a spectacular cat, full of character and spunk. And he puts up with the kids too, which is special too. Really, truly- it's gone very well.

Here's a quick peek at our 4th of July weekend. We spent some much needed time together as a family- playing around the house, grilling our veggies out, and enjoying the new pool, courtesy Grammy and Poppy. There was even some fireworks Sunday night, no doubt to the dismay of our neighbors. On the actual 4th of July, Ethan, Logan and Derek went to a local firework display at a nearby town. I stayed home so Wesley could go to bed at a decent time. It was a great 3 day weekend!